Jordan and Jake Good.

I'mited, ready to go the home stops.

He throws at a crossfield.

Guess who, George Gross.

Here are your Panther Hall of Honor members, Jordan's Gross and Jake Delome, Jordan.

Gross, Jake Dolom Jake.

This week one of the NFL season.

Here we go.

It's it's it's so time.

It's so time, especially with Hollows football in full swing.

And yeah, it's just it's you can't get here soon enough.

Hey, I'm the one who's supposed to have the varying types of voices from yelling or colds or whatever.

You're steady, Eddie, And right now you're bothering me a little bit because you sound a little rough.

Friend.

You know, buddy, I'm not quite sure you're not in game shape at all.

I can tell by the way that you sound.

But you know what, I am taking precautions leading up to the game.

As we're taping this on Wednesday morning, and you know, I had to travel a little bit last week on the plane, went to a college football game.

Saw a ton of people, you know, just interactions.

Just see what it is.

But no excuse, I'm ready to go for this weekend.

Did you ever call a game with Mick mix In when he had a cold.

It's the funniest thing ever.

I did call one with him, Yes, and it's like he gets mad at the Kleenex and everything.

It's like he's.

So sol and his cough he had the most pitiful cough.

It was like he aged to age ninety seven when he had a cold, and his cough was like and I'd have double He'd hold it and during the commercial breaks he'd cough and I'd start laughing so hard we'd come back on the air.

I was like, I'd still be giggling.

That's what I think about when I think about a broadcaster with a cold.

Jake, So, don't have a pitiful cough like Mick Mixing.

Please, you got it.

I'll definitely be my plan.

You're going to the game, Paul, and never playing the Jaguars, don't know if you heard, yes, playing the Jazzars.

Looking forward to it, hopping.

On that plane heading out to Jacksonville and just getting ready for week one.

Jordan, you know, I feel probably more prepared for this game than I ever have.

I think due to the fact that I was able to call a couple of preseason games and so you know, able to see a lot of practice and things like that, having production meetings with the coaches, really have a very good, maybe kind of sense of the roster and what they're thinking.

Now we're going to play at Jacksonville team that new decordinator, new.

Ofph of the coordinator, new head coach.

We know who the quarterback is, we know some of their players, but you know, a lot to be.

A lot of unknown that you just don't know.

How will he run his offense in Jacksonville and things like that first game of the season.

So yeah, it's a I'm just it's time, you know, just how we finished the season last year, we all we felt good about it.

I can't remember the last time we left the end of the season really feeling good about the direction.

We felt good about it.

So hopefully we can get off on the right foot.

Jacksonville's just for me has always been I mean, it was the first game you and I played as Panthers was against Jacksonville if we go back a million years ago.

But in general, Jacksonville is just an unfamiliar opponent.

Not a lot.

The organizations came into the league together in the same expansion, however, just not a lot of I mean, just to me, not a lot of familiarity.

I only played down there maybe one time.

It's just a it's a different feel.

So it's a funny season opener for me.

And the big news, obviously is everybody's like talking about Travis Hunter leading up in this preseason.

What's gonna play?

Well, the depth charts came out starting wide receiver, backup, cornerback.

Not a surprise to anybody.

I'm sure that's kind of how he was projected.

But Jake, it blows my mind that they feel and he's capable of being prepared at two positions in the NFL.

I just don't think that someone on the outside can understand how complicated both of those positions are.

To think about a guy being able to play both of them, it's unbelievable.

It really truly is.

And they talk about how he just he never gets tired like the energizer money.

But he did miss the last two preseason games due to I guess an upper body injury.

They've never specified.

But he's full go.

Yeah, certainly sounds.

Like offense is the way that he'll be going, And you would assume he sprinkled in there on defense.

You'd like to think they're gonna have a few specialty plays for him on offense, but yeah, it's it's such the unknown.

They do have a true number one wide receiver and Brian Thomas junior, first round pick last year, who just came on the scene and was fabulous for them, So they do have that.

They do have a running back you might be familiar with.

His last name is Etn is Travis Etn Junior, and his little brother, Trevor et.

In place for the Panthers in case you didn't know that, I did know.

Yeah, little brother love, Yeah, right right.

The last time we talked.

Jake, we were talking about how we were bummed out that Hunter Renfroh didn't make the cut and we said, you never know, he might be back.

Well it didn't take long, Jake, because now he's back and he's going to be one of our main dudes this week with Cocher going to IR and obviously trading Feeling last week.

So it's funny how things work out, Jake, and thank god for Hunter renfro.

Yeah, I agree, Jordan.

You know, it's all summer long, that's all everybody talked about what's going to happen on the receiver position, and you know, things have a way of just playing out now.

I don't think when we traded theeling we think that Cocher would come up lame two days later, but unfortunate that's what happened.

So I think it's good to have someone like a Renfro in essence.

When you listen to him talk, he's like, yeah, it was gonna be Carolina and nobody else.

I had four or five of the teams contact me, but he felt pretty dead set on being home, and I'm glad he decided that.

To be very honest, I'm extremely happy.

What are you most excited about out of that wide receiver room?

I know you've said before, you know, I'm like, hey, I can't wait to see t Mac.

You said I want to see leagu yet again, I'll see where he's at.

So just nothing's changed, right, No, nothing's shack.

I mean Jordan like, uh tea Mac.

Yes, we drafted him top ten pick for a reason.

We've seen some of the catcher.

We've seen the catch radius and and things of that nature and everything coming out of it.

So but I would think Dan Morgan and coach.

Canalis and Brand and the powers that be felt very good about the way these young receivers are progressing to move on from Adam right, to move on from Fland.

So now it's the next step.

Yeah, we've obviously they've seen it in practice, so it's got to translate to a game.

So yeah, I want to see t mac but Lea yet.

I just think this is.

A big, strong, powerful man that's somehow, some way we can incorporate him in this offense, you know, And I'm anxious to see if we do have some wrinkles for him, not just at the receiver position or something else like getting him on speed sweeps or something like that, kind of like that Deebo Samuel role, because I think he possesses a lot of those traits.

Talking about offense some more, Jake, you got to go to the O line.

Ikey had appendicitis and had to get his appendix out a couple of days ago.

He's back in the building and smiling and doing interviews, listed as day to day doing quotes right now, but it sounds like he'll be on the field.

That's obviously not something you can account for.

And Damian Lewis kind of a wild card as well.

He's moving in the right direction, But I think the Panthers are happy to have a little bit of a mystery to what the starting old line is going to be.

But man, I'd sure love to see all those dudes with our starting five to start the season and just protect Bryce.

Get this thing going.

Yeah, Jordan, I'm exactly like you.

You know, it's so unfortunate.

But I guess the thing with Icky, they caught it right away and they were able to kind of I guess you could say, fix the problem.

So anxious to see what happens Damian Lewis, I mean, I think we'll know us the week goes on.

We'll get a pretty good idea when you get practice reports and things of that nature.

But also Tommy Trumple's back, I think something that's very big.

I think tremble is he's one of those leaders on this football team that I think he's just established each and every year he's gotten a little more established and entrenched because you hear about him and Cuba, the way they work and stay have to practice, and that goes a long way.

But getting him back, I think is another huge thing.

But once again, getting a kid Mays to come back, you know, being able to sign up Brady Christiansen.

Having those backup type guys that can play multiple positions, that's so crucial for your football team.

And if we have to use them this weekend, then great.

That's why you do that in the offseason.

We talked about Brady already this preseason.

I mean, he was playing left tackle, He's played guard.

He's super valuable.

Everyone where he goes just well done by the decision makers to be able to keep.

Him, keep him on the roster.

See the value in that.

And we've just I've been amazed at how much carryover in that old line room there's been.

And so if you do get to the game and Damian.

Lewis is out, it's like, all right, we'll pick from a number of guys that have already started gaming where us at that guard position, and let's roll, you know, and there's just a man, I mean, it's just a huge deal there.

I was reading Asked the Old Guy, which is one of my favorite articles on Panthers dot com.

Somebody asked if Darren Gant thinks that Bryce Young's going to be wearing the visor or not, which is a thing that kind of has been there and not been there throughout last season.

I know you never wore a.

Visor, Jake, but tuck me through the visor with the quarterbacks.

I've heard that there's some strategy to where the defense can't see your eyes because there's some reflection happening.

Seems to me, if there's any water on that thing, that's going to be a real nuisance.

But where do you sit on the visor, Jake?

Yeah, Jordan, listen, I've always thought about it, like, hey, I wouldn't mind wearing one, not necessarily with a tent, with something to where they couldn't see my eyes, because you want to be able to have an idea when you break the huddle, get these pre snap looks and when I break the huddle, especially like certain plays you knew, like I want to see right away.

I was making as if I'm talking to the tide end or making as if I'm trying to tell Chris Mangham something when I'm really not.

But I want to look out to that direction to get an idea where the corner's at.

You just you try to get little things, and you know, if somebody does wear advisor and they can't see your eyes.

Well, that's another way to kind of manipulate a defense.

Then on the flip side of it, if I don't have a visor, I want to use my eyes to manipulate a defense if I feel very comfortable in my pre and post snap read and I want to be able to move them to be able to get.

A pass to go to a certain place.

So we need to invent like some kind of retractable a visors.

What you're selling a motorcycle helmet, you know, like like a little drive driving like a little crotch rocket motorcycle.

You just hunt and flip it up.

Went okay, Now look now, like the.

Baseball players when we were younger, the baseball players in the outfield, to slip the glasses down.

Yes, good, yes, yeah, so you could be like hey, safety, look at these eyes.

Huh and then no op and then you shut it.

Yeah, you're onto something, Jeric, I think.

So I'm gonna talk with Donnie Toner.

I'm sure that's the next thing he's looking for some and.

Maybe yeah, maybe extra pression protection when the visor's up.

It's like you know, you know there's those helmets now that have like the big bumper on the front.

That's what that could be.

Gosh, one right now is stealing this idea and they're gonna make a run.

Jake, this quick joint.

You never thought one iota about any kind of swag or style of your uniform.

Jake.

You were like, you're like, just give me the base model of everything.

Thanks, That's what you said when you went to the equipment roof.

Yeah, like, I never forget one time, Like, no, I'm not wearing new socks for a game.

I'm not doing that.

I want the socks that I've worn, that they've been washed or like new shoes, I can't do that, they have to be broken in.

I was so anal about things like that, and you got other people like Steve.

I think we'd go through shoes all the time just because of his sheer explosion when he ran his routes and.

Sometimes he put that foot in the ground and the side of the shoe would give out.

It's funny.

I never had that problem, Jordan.

I never had that a lot of explosion.

I would wear the new I would go brand new cleats, socks and gloves on game day.

How do you feel, really, so you wouldn't wear them on to walk through or anything.

I wanted them tight because for me, like past set and all the time, like your cleats would kind of roll out, you know, like the lateral stability.

And so then i'd wear cleats.

What I'd go gloves every week.

I'd go new gloves on.

Oh, here's what I would do, new gloves every week, and then I'd wear them in practice and then by the next game day they usually had a hole in them.

So then I got new ones.

Cleats.

I'd go every two weeks.

I lied every two weeks, I'd get new cleats because by then they were loose.

I liked the gel tight.

So but I never were advisor either.

I did go to the elbow sleeves after a while.

That was mostly for pain management, but a little bit of accessories.

Uh okay, you and I were both captains, and the captains were announced this week.

We got Bryce Young, We've got Derek Brown, We've got JJ Jansen.

Your thoughts, Yeah, I'm not surprised at all.

I think three worthy individuals who have shown leadership capabilities, and I do like that we save room for whatever two or three other guys during the course of the season that ken Alice can put on there, and I think there's something to that, and I think you reward somebody for like showing up.

Week in and week out.

And then there's so many of these unsung heroes on the team that they're looked up to, you know, Jordan, I always go back to the nick Goings of the world, right, the guys who were just unsung that could play all the positions, the Klarl Hayton's, those special teams deem as, the Jared Cooper's a.

Rod smart like those are those are just those are like.

Your your rock or your football team.

And so I think we can incorporate some of those other captains during the course of the season with the Big three.

How much pride did you have when you were elected captain?

Like to me, every year I was captain for six years.

Every year it was just like the coolest feeling, Like can you believe that I'm a captain of an NFL football team.

I just loved it.

I was so honored every time.

It wasn't something I ever took for granted.

I can promise you.

That did you get to the gold You're a gold Star by the end or gold Sea, aren't you.

Yeah?

Well, I believe so yeah, and that carries team to team, which is a tradition that I like.

You can go to a new team and go automatic gold Sea league wide.

Those credentials travel love evidently, Jake, our d line.

Brown's been out all year, came back and you know, worked his way back during camp and all that stuff.

But you got Wharton, which is just a fun addition.

I love when he's miked up.

Man, I love his juice and how he talks and everything.

Obviously, Ashawn's just a stud.

Bobby Brown will get in there in that mix as well.

But two off seasons ago invested a bunch in the old line, and man, we got rewarded for it last year with better performance, hoping, expecting, wanting the same thing from our d line and our defense in general this year.

Jake, So as you're calling this game, I mean, what are you looking for early out of them?

Well, certainly I'm looking for like Mush, I mean, I want to see the oflvusive line for Jacksonville get stalemated.

I want to see the elphinsive line get pushed back.

Listen, you win the line of scrimmage in the NFL, you give yourself a really good chance to win.

Not in the NFL college, high school, you know, junior high, you name it.

And that's what I want to see.

I want to see our defense kind of get up and pushed a lot of scrimmage that our linebackers run like Rose Boom, the Trevin Wallace.

I want to see that speed, explosion pop from Trevin Wallace.

You know, Trem Morrig, you know the big free AGENC Signy and when he's down in the box, he's that physical presence.

So you know, that's what I just want to see from our defense.

And you know, I'm.

Anxious to see practice wise this week with Nick s Gordon because he's a kid I only played in one preseason.

Game, but he had a motor.

It didn't stop prince Lely, human Mealy, same thing.

There's something there with him.

There's this being, this length and so I just think we have so many new pieces.

How did they come together and how fast That's yet to be seen, but man, it's nice having these pieces to roll out with.

Jordan.

We played a couple of games last year that it was difficult with some of the guys we had to roll out with, and.

It's not their fault.

It was just just do a Christian and injuries and things of that nature.

They are sign a guy and off the street and on Wednesdays starting for you on Sunday.

That's never a good thing to have happened, Jake.

And that's not the guy's fault.

That's just the way.

That's just tough to get ready that quickly.

H There will be.

Fun to see some JC Horn you know, Travis Hunter matchups.

You talked about Brian Thomas junior.

But there should be some some fun one on one opportunities, some competitive situations.

JC Man, he's had him a big offseason, got the contract and all that stuff.

I would love I mean obviously, but I would love to see some an interception, something quick and early from him, as he's just elevated himself.

To one of the leaders on that defense.

Well, Jordan, I think those things come from pressure on the quarterback and and or lack of vision, and that comes from the d line and the d ns and the push and things that nature.

So they get all works hand in hand, and like you would assume, a healthy JC is going to turn in his best year yet coverage wise, with what we put in front of it.

It should definitely happen.

Last thing I got for it, Jake, Just Dave Canalis in the second year, Dan Morgan, there's there's a level of familiar already now comfort.

Last year everything was brand new, and Dave Canalis came in with new attitude and he's got like, Okay, now he can look at his notes from last year.

What did we do on this week?

What was my message to the team.

What did I like about first week practice, bonus Monday?

What did I not like?

It's just it feels good right now, Jake.

We're power rankings, which mean nothing, but we're power ranked twenty fifth in the NFL according to the NFL Power Rankings and Jacksonville's twenty fourth.

So but like, I'm optimistic, man, I really am.

I think that Bryce Young, third year, second year with his head coach, good old line, like, it just feels to me like we're going to be able to have some success this season and just consistency and continuity.

I'm excited, Jake, I got the green light to be excited.

I'm giving myself that.

Well, no, I agree there, you know, Jordan, I think felt the same way going into the season.

Maybe the couple of preseason games I did.

Certainly we didn't play the starters in the last preseason game.

Maybe on a like to have seen just a little more production offensively, you say our run game a little bit more, But that's just me.

Now.

They talk about how much they got out to joint practices with Cleveland and the Texans, But let's Canalys's presser on Monday.

He just felt so confident in what he has seen on the practice field and how things have been done.

He feels good about it.

And listen, Week one is the biggest overreaction week in the history of the world.

Every single year.

We just even this weekend with college football.

My goodness, the overreactions you get.

But how quick does it come together?

That's the biggest thing.

How quick can this team come together?

And the best way to start a season quick is to try to play as much eer free football and turnover free football as you can.

And that's going to be the telltale sign in this game.

Can we play you know, turnover free and maybe get a turnover too, That's that's gonna determine how you win.

Well, I'm going to overreact if we win.

This is my plan.

We win, I'm saying, oh Man, we're winning the conference division, we're winning the I'm gonna overreact if we win.

If we lose, I'm playing it cool.

Hey, no big deal.

That's a tough road opponent down there in that humidity, starting off with a hostile environment.

Hey, we got lots to build from on that.

We're gonna be all right.

And if we win, Jake, I'm sky high.

It's I've been holding back on the sky high Panther support or fandom from a lot for a while, and now it's here.

So I am getting ready.

I'd like to get you sound just like a coach, which my next question would be, how are the Fruitland Grizzlies doing that?

We're two enough, okay, just so you know for home opener, we're like the Panthers.

We're in on the road first two games, now we're coming home.

A big addition, got a DJ for pregame, Jake, how do you feel about that?

Really?

Why did you do that?

Well?

Because currently before the pet band shows up, there's no noise during warm ups except for just all.

Right, there we go, team takeoff.

You know, just the coaching the juice is at all time low.

So we got a local DJ to come out and hype us up.

So we'll see how it goes.

Hopefully we play well.

If not, then that guy will be gone.

It's so funny.

We're such screeches.

That happened.

We'll see.

Hopefully I can put on some new cleats and socks.

All right, I'll talk to you next week, buddy.

Have fun down there.

Yep, sounds good.

Good luck, yeah,