This is you're another muscleman in the house leader fan Fan Radio Network and k fan dot Com.

Two minutes fifty nine seconds past the hour of three o'clock Central Standard time, we welcome you back to a Friday edition of the Bumper to Bumper program on a slippery Isn't it true?

Pretty much every day lately slippery Friday afternoon here in the twin cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

My name is Dan Barrero.

I host the program Guards, he as the producer of the broadcast, and we are delighted that you are along for today's ride.

I apologize for the delay, we were trying to reach our top of the program guest, who has indeed on game day kindly called us back and he is the latest muscleman in the house, Eric Musselman, back in town with his USC Trojans.

They will be taking on the Golden Go for men's basketball team tonight at William's Arena, a game Guards, I'm assuming can be heard on the fan seven.

Eric, how are you man?

I'm doing great, dance.

Thanks so much for having me on.

It's always a pleasure to have you on.

Having heard your voice and way way too long it sounds like, did you guys get here like last Sunday?

Seems like you guys, I think we've been here about a month.

So we're the well, the first Big Ten team to our knowledge in the history of the league that's played three straight road games without ever going back home, you know.

So, and this will be after tonight, we'll have played five Big Ten games, four of them on the road, So kind of an unprecedented.

You know, schedule of four out of your first five on the road.

But yeah, we've been here.

We got to see a couple of Timberwolves games.

We're supposed to go to the Vikings, but based on the way we played in ann Arbor and East Lanston, the Viking trip got canceled.

Wow for some extra film sessions.

But no, we've been here and and uh, you know, it's it's been fun to catch up with friends and and people that I've known for many many years.

And now we got to get down and try to get a win against a Golden Golpher team that's playing with great confidence.

They're very very well coached.

The crowd against Iowa look like it was super enthusiastic, you know, two great wins for for Nico and his team beating Iowa and and and Indiana both ranked teams, and they're they're nine to no at home, so you know it's it's it'll be a tough test for us.

Well, well gonna get I want to get to the basketball here in a minute, but I do want to get to the personal side of it.

So give me.

Can you give me some examples of some people run into names that some folks might recognize that might be interesting.

I know you're you know, it's a business trip and and and so you're here to get your team righted very quickly.

I know that's most important to you.

But anybody, anybody, we any names we would recognize?

Who you who have you tried to kind of catch up with?

Yeah, So walking into the uh you know, to the Target Center.

Yeah, the first person that I saw was Jeff Munichy And and it was not planned, right, Jeff knew that I was in town because we had asked about practicing at.

The at the Wolves.

Practice site, which they were nice enough to let us in and we so we got to go there.

But that was literally the first person.

Obviously, Jeff was with the inaugural Timberwolves when my dad was here, so you know, and then you know, we got tickets from from Jaden McDaniel's one of our assistant coaches, Bill Conroy works works him out in the off season, and.

You know, Coach Conray kept saying, you.

Know, we'd walk to get a hot dog or he's like, you know, people people are pointing you out.

And I'm like, it's not it's not me.

It's only a reflection of the impact that my father had here.

A guy I don't know what his name was, but I recognized him, a guy that we used to play pick up ball with when I was with the Wolves.

You know, Greg Lynch and Dan Lynch, two of my you know, really super dear friends.

They came to to shoot around practice yesterday actually.

And then there's you know, obviously medium members like yourself and and and and Patrick Carus.

You know, people like that.

Even though Charlie Walters is not in town, just texting people and reconnecting that way is always super fun as well.

Well, you know, I don't want to overstate it, but I and it's not like you've never been back to town all these years and very ways for various reasons.

But is it gonna be strange and a little bit satisfying to walk up those steps to get to that elevated floor.

What half a century after your dad did?

I mean, for us, we guardian I've been talking about We think it's incredibly cool.

You know, if it was up to me, you'd be walking on the other side of the court.

But that's another story for another day.

But what's it gonna be.

Have you thought about that at all?

Or is it so long in the past that it's not going to be quite as emotional as I'm suggesting.

No, So, I mean, I mean I was like super excited.

Like my wife was not at the Michigan or Michigan State game, but she did fly in here two days ago.

Yeah, so you know like that that that's the impact for our family.

My younger son, who was with our staff last year, he's in near tier.

He's not with us because he got an assistants job.

He's actually the youngest Division one assistant coach in college basketball.

He's at Riverside.

Good for him.

My mom watched the entire IOWA game and she kept texting me, no back doors, you got to pressure the pass it.

So my mom for sure does not want us to lose the same tonight, and so there is this special, you know thing that's going on with us as a family.

And I kind of thought it was going to be cool and neat.

But the first time I had been in Williams Arena was practiced the other day, and when we pulled up, it hit me like a brick wall.

Like wow.

As soon as we pulled up, I knew exactly where my dad parked in front of William's Arena.

I remember where I was standing when Luke Woody got wheeled out.

I know exactly what hallway I was in.

And so like all these things started coming back.

And my mom's last partying advice.

Was don't wet your pants.

And the story behind that is crazy George Shower and I had worked on a ball handling routine that.

We were going to do.

In conjunction with the old pregame warm up, and it was against Indiana, and I did the you know, Crazy George acted like he was looking for a young Gopher fan, and he was going from side to sideline looking acting like he was squinting, and he finally pointed to me.

I came down, I mimicked whatever drills we had spun the book two Balls, did the two ball dribbling and when I finished, I got a standing ovation nineteen thousand people as an eight year old, and I stood up, Dan, to go back, you know, to join my mom.

And when I noticed the standing ovation, I wet my pants.

I sat down next to my mom.

I started crying.

My mom said, what's wrong?

You did autome with the ballhand routine.

I looked at her and said, Mom, I wet my.

Pants when I got the standing ovations.

So my mom said, hey, whatever you do, don't don't wet your pants.

That's outstanding.

That is absolutely well, you know, it's it's this is a good example of Look, it may well be that you know that arena has run its course.

We can have that debate and Guardian, I have had that discussion and debate many times, my producer.

But what you're telling us does remind us of is that the sense of history places like that have that even though that's as far back as that was, it still crystallizes in you, in part because the building's been around that long.

No question, Dan, I mean, what so when I walked in right away, I'm like, this the coolest building in the Big ten.

And I kept saying it, and I kept saying it, and so my son Michael said, hey, Dad, why don't you ask some other staff guys in the players what they think of it too.

Your visions blur.

Sure, it's because you've been here and your dad and all this history.

And so I started asking some of the players, and like they thought it was super cool too, same with the staff.

And then you know, you've heard all these stories, like you know, when bo Ryan used to bring his team in in that left corner, any freshman or new player in the program at Wisconsin, he used to make them dive on the floor right at the edge of it, and then they had to roll and kind of fall off onto the concrete.

But he was trying to teach them how to not get hurt if they dove on the floor.

So there's just all this history, you know that make it super super special.

You know, one more look back about your dad's run there.

It's been well chronicled, it's been well you know documented, the atmosphere that those teams that he helped to create in part, and you know, I mentioned this yesterday.

The fascinating thing to me about your dad, among many things, is that from a basketball x AS and O standpoint, the guy was clearly big on fundamentals, a purist, and yet he also had this showman side to him as the as you mentioned, the the the pregame warmups revealed and confirmed over and over again.

And that's fascinating to me because often, you know, the hardcore fundamental guides is how we're no nonsense, we don't mess with all that show business that has nothing to do with us.

And yet he was this curious combination of both correct.

Oh, I mean, it's it's super wild because I mean, like when he was coaching at Ashland College and then coaching the University of Minnesota, like, there was no bad shots, there was no fast break, there was a matchup zone that was this tough and as physical as anybody in the history of basketball.

And then there was the most disciplined offensive system that you could ever have, milting the clock and only taking you know, passing up good shots for great shots.

And then you're right, there was the leather jacket that.

He would wear on the sidelines.

There was the pregame warm up and Dan I actually had our team watched the pregame warm up the other day.

It was Wednesday, night after our team meal, our guys were in disbelief.

Half of them were on the floor laughing.

The other half were literally stunned in disbelief that this happened in the seventies and the music and all that stuff and the dance team and they like they were like, was this just one game?

I'm like, no, this is.

Ever game, you know, and then to run through the twenty foot Gopher, you know, when the starting lineups were named.

But you know, I do think that for whatever it was, my dad had always said, your job as a coach is to win as many basketball games as you can and to fill the building up.

And at Aslin they had sellouts obviously, you know, the fan base here with the Golden Gophers and with the Timberwolves.

Like he took as much pride in winning games with the Wolves as he did the crowds that would attend the games.

And you know, I know that's one thing that throughout my career, whether it was at Nevada or Arkansas, you know, trying to create standing room only crowds.

We haven't been able to do that in LA and I don't know if we'll even come close, just because of the market.

Yeah, we're trying.

But that's the one cool thing about what's going on right now is, you know, around town, if maybe we were here two weeks ago.

I don't know, Dan, if there really was a buzz two weeks ago.

But I do think with Golden Gopher basketball right now, once you get to this plateau of you're three and one in league, you're playing better basketball over the last two weeks, you won nine straight home games, I do think there's a buzz right now.

And I've only been here for four or five days, but I do think there's a lot of really great positive things that are going on with the Golden Gopher programs.

I got to start somewhere.

Like you said, sometimes it's the first victory and then it's another big ten victory.

Whatever.

What do we need to know that we don't already know about Nico Medvett in terms of your impressions of his approach, style of play, et cetera.

Yeah, so we played against Nico when.

He was at Colorado State, just building you know, that program, but great passers, you know, like for us, you know, we can't allow you know, touchdown passes or you know, a pitcher to throw strikes because because their offense relies on the pass and catching shoots or catching layups.

There's not a lot of.

One on one play at all, and they're actually one of the lowest one on one teams in the league.

So they played their true basketball.

You know, it's two contrasting styles tonight because we do like isolation basketball.

Our game is predicated on drawing free throws attempted, and we're in the you know, in the last thirteen years, we've finished no lower than twelfth, and free throws attempted This year, I think at least yesterday we were second in the country.

So it's two completely different styles.

They would prefer more of a methodical pace.

We would prefer a little bit more up tempo.

But his teams are disciplined.

I think above all else, they understand their role.

And you know, they've had two injuries, and I actually think their team is better the way it's constructed today than it was when they were fully healthy.

And sometimes that happens.

It happened to us at Nevattle and Cody Martin's took over the point guard spot after we had an injury, and I wasn't playing him at the point, but the injury forced me to play him there and we became a better basketball team.

And now with Reynolds playing that point guard position or even the guard position, he creates more of a mismatch because he's super strong, and so that changes, you know, the way that you you know, prepare for a basketball game.

And on the flip.

Side, we have Rodney Rice, who's averaging twenty one points a game season ending injury.

We have a Marion Dickerson who is a player of the year defensively in his.

League, out for the year.

And Elijah Renis, who's a potential lottery pick for Ushman five Star, who has not played a game for us yet.

So our injuries are killing us.

You know, Rodney Rice took great care of the basketball tonight in our game against Minnesota.

We can't turn the ball over.

We've been very careless with the ball on this road trip, and so our injuries have have have really really hurt us.

There was hope and thought that Elijah Arenas would play tonight and and you know, it would have been super special to have Elijah play his first game in Williams Arena, but we are going to hold him out until he gets one last evaluation at home, But we hope that we're going to grow after this road trip, once we get another potential player that can that can score at a high level for US.

Eric Musselman is our guest.

He brings his USC Trojans into Williams Arena just a few hours, so we really appreciate him joining us.

Uh, basically the afternoon of the game.

You know, you mentioned your recollections of the days back then when your dad was leading this program and kind of igniting it.

You were, I think eight ish eight years old or in that range.

You can tell me.

Were you old enough to sort of comprehend the I guess the buzz?

I mean you talked about that earlier?

Did you?

Could you you know, were you observant enough to say, this is unusual, there's something going on here, because that was the story at the time.

Obviously, that was the story in this town.

That's what got built very very quickly at a place where you know, basketball had had some moments, but nothing sustained like that.

How a where were you of the fact that that were this is the talk of the town.

Well, I was.

I thought that that was normal, right, you know, I thought that shellouts were normal.

And then there's like certain things that like, you know, I went to Normandale Hills Elementary, and you know, like if you're in third grade, you know, and people are, you know, in class and they're talking about the game, or they're wearing a Gopher you know, hoodie, and and like all that stuff.

Like there's certain blurbs that I can remember.

Sure, you know, maybe your popularity in elementary school is a lot different when your dad is coaching a team that's playing for Big Ten championships.

But when I moved to San Diego, when my dad coached the San Diego Sales, there was no fans, and so at that point I started to realize, Wow, what was going on in Minnesota was super, super special.

And I think my dad, to be honest with you, Dan, I think that through all the courses of my dad's career after the University of Minnesota, I think he knew and was well aware that what had going on as a program was special.

And I'm not so sure that if he could have done it all over again, you know, like there's a reason, you know, he got the Wolves job because of the success of what went on with the Gophers, but he also really wanted that job, he pursued it, he prepared for it with his interview process.

And then when I even look back and think, you know, he goes back and coaches in the CBA, and where's he go back to Rochester?

And so to me, he.

Understood that in this state it was different for him.

There was when he walked into a restaurant, we probably weren't paying for the food, you know, and all the other places maybe popularity, but nothing even semi close to what took place, you know, in the state of Minnesota.

I'll let you go there.

I could talk to you all hour, as you know, but you got stuff to do.

You got to get your team back in the right position.

Sounds like that might take a minute, given all the players that you have out.

It's such a pleasure to chat with you about this story again and about you getting back to town.

And I'm gonna bug you probably more than you like, even though you're kind of busy, because I love you, know, like with your dad, I just love talking basketball with you at all levels as well.

So be well again, good luck tonight, and safe travels from here, and we'll try to stay in touch when we can.

Thanks for all the time.

Now, Thank you, Dan, appreciate you having me on.

Thank you appreciate that.

Eric Musselman, the well former Timberwls assistant, spent some of his formative years here as Bill his father turned the University of Minnesota into a basketball destination.

Got bad at the end, but it was red hot at its zenif that's for sure, went a little longer than expected.

Is Ben go Ling in the house right behind me?

Outstanding?

I didn't see it, so I'll have to probably apologize to Ben, because the plan was to start earlier.

But when Eric said he was available, well you can.

I mean, I don't think I have to explain.

He's such a good interview and there's such great history for the Musselman family in this town.

Made all the sense in the world to try to take the opportunity to chat with him.

We will talk football with Ben Gooseling, as Gerbi likes to call him.

That means predictions are going to be four o'clock.

Is that a writ or four or two?

I'd say probably four to fifteen.

I was going to say, yeah.

The other option is if Ben wants to hang around and be part of the prediction segment and offer his own we can include that.

We'll see we had meat sauce and Ryan Donaldson.

Nice week.

We've got some nice comm.

A lot of celebrities that are joining the pick segment now, so we'll see.

Lavelli e Meal at third is confirmed for five thirty?

Is that correct?

He is pick segment probably four fifteen with Gerby.

Lavelle's very disappointed that Max Coupler apparently has been popped for an eighty game performance against drug suspension.

He texted me, like, I care.

That doesn't sound like a Minnesota twin or a former minutes right a twin, does it?

We don't behave like that, do we.

It is funny that the guys that get banged for those suspensions, you look at their numbers.

Yeah, Like what happened here?

He's trying to hang on, did you take the wrong illegal substance?

Must question?

Got some expired stuff?

Something to handle the before target field concrete tries and get the ball out of the parked a.

Very good point.

Ben Gestling is indeed in the house, usually joins us at four thirty, but he played program password today, I'm told, and uh was kind enough to hang around before we say hello to you in more depth.

I meant to get to this text.

In fact, I just sent it to Eric Musselman, who just joined US.

John from Lakeville wrote, I went to Bill Musselm in basketball camp at Saint Olaf.

I was in ninth grade.

Flip was a high school counselor between junior and senior year.

I went to a room to get my camp T shirt.

Flip panted me my shirt my T shirt.

Well, little Eric Musselman was sitting on his lap.

I later played against Flip in the Augsburg Summer League.

We guarded each other good memories.

I hope Eric gets a kick out of that as well.

A lot of those crags talks about those stories.

That's true, very very true, one hundred percent true.

How the program password?

Did you win?

We blew the lead late.

I think we'll be got a couple where they got ten points, little being Alec Lewis got ten points, and then you get into that thing of do we pass yeah and we're losing or do we try to play it on ten?

And I think there was a couple of those where it's probably a two question or two clue word and we tried to take a shot at it, so we I think we lost like eighty one to sixty or something like that.

Positive competitive, but you blew the lead.

You're saying, yeah, that's never good.

Yeah, never good.

Questions for Ben Bradshaw on Brian Cafe in text line is open at six four six eighty six Find sponsor of this segment all season long Standard Heating and air Conditioning.

Where do we want to begin?

Here do we begin?

I guess we could start with maybe you can break the tie because when it comes to Brian Flores because Johnny came on, Krasinski came on Monday and seemed to try to get something golding, kind of shock Jocket on some tension that may be contributing to the fact that Bflow hasn't yet signed a deal and maybe might not stay even if he doesn't get a head coaching opportunity.

Then Seaford came on Tuesday, and I think kind of blew that out of the waters.

And I don't see, I'm not aware of anything in particular in that regard.

You want to try to break the tie.

What do you make of all of this?

Becket, Yeah, well, I would say, I mean nothing has been completely settled there for a while.

I do think there have been some things that have they've had to figure out.

And I know Brian Flores has been thinking really since last year of I'm planning to coach this out.

I mean I had heard that last summer that he probably would take this thing to the limit here.

Because he had a chance to sell, like everybody else, sign a contract extension before the season.

Correct.

Yeah, whether it's a long term deal or you can do the one year roll over, right, which is what Wes Phillips ended up doing, So you can do that.

But he said, you know, I want to play this out, and you could have signed a contract extension and been eligible to be a head coach like that wouldn't have prevented any of that from happening.

So the fact that we've gotten to this point, I think he does want to look at options and this is going to be the thing that the Vikings have to figure out.

He basically has, I believe, until next Wednesday before he can talk to other teams about coordinator openings.

Is typically you get a ten day okay, the team gets a ten day negotiating window after the season to talk with a coach before he's free to talk to everybody else.

So we are approaching that he relatively quickly, and I think the fact that it's not done yet is worth noting.

And I think there have been, you know, things of you questions of probably a raise, and I don't think that would be the thing that would get to pay from half.

No, I think they'll pay him enough to make that worth his while.

You know, this question is about where is this team going, where is the quarterback thing?

Is this going to be a team that has the potential to win like he's used to doing obviously in New England.

I think some of those things are questions and just yeah, I think there's been some things to figure out in terms of inner organizational relationship kind of stuff.

I think that's there is I've heard some of those things, and I'm being a little bit vague here because there's some stuff that I still kind of trying to flesh out.

But yeah, I think my expectation is that they want him back.

They I mean, Kevin O'Connell has said that everything I've heard behind the scenes would match that.

But it will depend, I think on whether he decides no.

I don't want to allow myself to look at any other coordinator options.

I'm happy here I know he's enjoyed coaching this team.

I know he's enjoyed working with Kevin O'Connell.

The organization as a whole has been I think a good fit for him.

He's talked about that quite a bit.

But yeah, there's there's a lot to get figured out here.

I think they'd like to get it done before they end up talking about season ending stuff in a press conference next week.

But you know, we'll see if that happens.

I mean, I think there's still a lot to figure out.

So far, as far as we know on the record, the Ravens are the only team to ask permission to speak with him about a head coaching position.

Is that correct?

Yeah, we expect understanding Will the Raiders is always this thing people speculate on the Brady actor, but nothing has been officially suggested getily no, nothing yet officially.

I think the Brady connection makes that an interesting option, and that would be a team that you know.

The other the other piece you have to figure out here is is there going to be a team that hires him as the head coach given the fact, yes, he has been suing several teams and beensuing the NFL.

I mean, the Raiders would be the team that are historically enough of an iconoclassic franchise that would say, I don't care if we want them, let's take him.

So I think that makes it an interesting option that way.

But you know, I would expect he'll get more interviews.

I would expect he'll get attention because of that scheme.

I think people will want to pick his brain on how did you do it?

How did you get involved with the scouting side of things, you know, kind of playing on that background he had in New England to make that work here.

I think that will get him in the building.

The question will be obviously with him, how would you manage a quarterback if you're the head coach.

I'm sure he'll have to answer that question after all the twist stuff, and I think that's going to be the answer he would have to provide to get somebody to say, yes, let's do this.

Would he be any reason to believe he might be dazzled by Dallas approaching him to be the conquering hero, the guy the defensive genius to come to the rescue.

You know, it's a team that's got some issues.

On the other hand, it is Dallas it's the Cowboys.

It's still a massive brand, whether you like it or not.

Is that something you think he might be dazzled by if they actually came calling and Jerry said, we'll pay you whatever we need to pay you just to be the coordinator.

Well, I mean there is that.

I mean, if you go to Dallas, you know you're going to get paid handsomely.

I think they would have the ability to do that without any questions about it, as the vikings with too.

But I think the question with them is do you want to walk in there and feel like I'm having to work in this particular universe where I'm not only am I not the head coach, I'm probably not going to have the same amount of, say in the front office type of things that I've had in Minnesota.

Koisiodolfo Mensa.

I think for you know, good, bad, and indifferent on his resume, and there's certainly enough to fill all three of those columns.

He has, I think done a good job of giving people an opportunity to voice what they want and then saying, let's work with you to get you what you need.

And I think that has worked as well.

On the defensive side of the ball as anything.

Are you going to have that in Dallas with Jerry and Stephen Jones.

I don't know that the autonomy he's enjoyed here would be quite the same there.

So that's the question I'd have if he's going to go take that job.

I think there'd be things that would be attractive about it.

Certainly would be a place that if he could go in and get things working, that would reflect very well on his resume.

But they have a lot of things to figure out on that defense, obviously up to the Micah Parsons trades.

So I think he would want to know that he's going to have an opportunity to shape that how he wants.

History is repeat eating itself regarding this franchise, even today, right in front of my eyes, and it's a text that I get almost each day that we talk about Brian Flores, and it is I like this guy better than a head coach.

Let's trade the head coach, get a couple draft picks, and just elevate b flow so we never lose him.

Go all the way back to when Tony Dungee was on Denny's staff, Tomlin on Chili's staff, Right, it is fascinating the number of times we've had a highly regarded defensive coordinator, and it's because it's almost like the backup quarterback center when we say, well, yes, elevator, that's the guy like better than the head coach.

Let's just elevate him so we don't lose him because we know the next place he goes and when he becomes a head coach, he's gonna win titles.

Yeah.

Yeah, I mean there is always that risk, and that's happened twice.

Obviously, Dungee did it.

Yeah, Tomlin did it very quickly.

I think Tomlin ended up doing it before Dungeee did in terms of actually winning a championship.

Yeah, because I think Dungee finally did it.

I mean he Cruden won the championship with Dungee's players in I think two thousand and two.

But by the time Dungee actually won a ring, I think Tomlin had already had one.

But yeah, there is always that risk.

I think the thing I would say to that is is appealing is that may sound to some there's no chance of that happening.

I mean that the Vikings the Wilts are still one hundred percent behind Kevin O'Connell, and I think there's a lot of reason to be there, especially with the way he's led the organization as a whole, and the quarterback stuff is a lot to figure out.

And that's the vulnerability right now.

It is if you're a prisoner of the moment that says that, Okay, well this so far, this.

This decision is not working out right, which and the tricky thing with him is you have a lot of points where he's been right about quarterbacks.

Sam Darnold, the degree to which they loved Drake may looks like his evaluation of that was correct.

Daniel Jones, I think having some upside all of those things, even what he got out of Kirk Cousins, I think is a credit to him, which all makes the McCarthy thing look more troubling right now.

But I think the overall resume for him on quarterbacks is pretty good.

And that's a lot of the reason I think he's going to continue to get opportunities here, because that track record would suggest that he knows what he's doing.

You knows how to evaluate, he knows how to coach the position, and you have to get to the point where the kid or whoever it is can handle the offense That was a big factor this year.

How much does that offense get adapted to where your quarterback is at?

And I think they kind of had to go through that throughout the season.

But overall, there's a as a leader, as a director of the organization, as an executive, as an offensive strategist.

I don't sense any deviation from that whatsoever.

So there is that risk if you lose a guy, and I think there's always that going to be part of it, as it's been for Sean McVay with the guys he's lost.

But yeah, I don't think think that's going to move the Wilfs off of where they've been after they signed that contract with O'Connell last year.

Who would be if b flow goals, whether it's a head coaching job or you know, to actually be a coordinator someplace else.

Is there an air apparent on this staff right now or you think they look outside?

Well, there are two people on the staff that I think would be very much in the mix.

That would be Deronte Jones, a defensive backs coach who's gotten some defensive coordinator looks, including this year.

I think the Cowboys are already talking to him because they can talk to him before Flores is able to do it with the contracts being the way they are.

And then Mike Saravo, they're inside linebackers coach, I think would be the other guy that would be in that mix.

Both of those guys have had opportunities in the preseason to call plays, and Brian Flores has kind of done that with those two, as Kevin O'Connell has done it with West Phillips, to give them reps, to give them options to do it.

I think they would both get looks.

I think they'd both get interviews because there is a uniqueness to what this defense has done that I'm not sure you're going to have somebody from the outside just come in and be able to pick up.

And the question I think would be, can anybody else call it the same way Brian Flores has?

How much of the secret sauce of this is just exactly Ryan Flores's creativity ingenuity that they would have to figure out.

But I think those two would certainly get looks because they would give you an opportunity to continue this thing the way it's gone, or at least pretty close to the way it's gone, they've been in the building, they've seen how this gets called.

They understand it.

So I think those two would be whether it's air apparents or guys that at least just get a long look, they certainly would be part of that mix.

Ben Gessling is in the house, brought to you by Standard Heating and Air Conditioning.

A brief break.

Lots more to cover before the prediction segment, probably about four or fifteen statement.

You know, one of the things we've noticed around here once the Minnesota Vikings are eliminated is that the sometimes the seasonal commercial boost slows down a little bit.

I'm wondering, and you know, that's why we talk about seasonal boost and love it.

We love to be connected to the playoffs in that way for you, Is it a relief in that because it's obviously it ads to your workload.

On the other hand, I got to believe there's got to be some feeling of absence there because you too are not as directly connected to this first weekend, which is a great weekend, right it is.

And yeah, there's certainly that feeling of when you're not covering a playoff team.

Yeah, it's got a different energy or a lack of energy.

In some ways, playoffs, when you're covering a team that is on the road, are a lot more grueling.

So I think the thing I've come to on this and just finished your fourteen and the beat is if they're going to be in the playoffs, go the extra step and win the division and be at home, because what you end up doing the part that makes it grueling.

And everybody is probably sitting here listening to this saying, oh poor, you feel terriblayer right, good for talking.

You had to go to Arizona last year for a playoff game.

But was it a direct flight?

At least it was, did you?

Yeah, No, we don't do big ten road destinations in the NFL.

There's no direct there's no connections.

Have a sky Calta hub.

I'm not in the sky club.

I don't fly quite enough for that anymore.

But if you know a couple more miles, I think I think it was gold last year, didn't quite make it the platinum.

So maybe this year we'll take a swing at and get sky club.

But you know, at any rate, if you let me continue with my sobs, okay, thank you.

Event Yeah, when you're flying back, you have to assume the team is going to lose, because if they do, then locker room.

Clean out the next morning.

So the last two times they've been on the road, it's been on the west coast.

It's hard to get back, so you know, and you don't want to have to leave.

The sunshines and you know it's you're conflicted there.

Let's just put it at home so that there's not the every week flight type thing that you have to get figured out with travel and all of that.

But yes, there is, I mean, all joking aside, there is a lack of buzz in the way that you experienced it.

Especially I've only covered one that really made a run obviously twenty seventeen.

But I mean, you guys have been around long enough to know this that the energy compounds every rounds, no question, not linear.

It compounds the closer you get.

So not having that is, yeah, you miss a little there.

It's got to be a little bit home or road to a certain extent.

Let's stay on offense for a second and we'll get to quarterback before we're done, because we have to.

But a couple of people have texted about the receivers.

Yeah, obviously beyond Justin Jefferson.

So what's how do you think the Vikings are going to go here?

Who are they going to emphi?

I guess you could say emphasize who are they going to concentrate on and who might be the odd receiver out this offseason.

Well, Jalen Naylor is the guy I would keep an eye on because he had a good enough year that I think he's going to have a market.

He'll be a free agent in March and was like a six round pick, so this is his chance to get paid.

We talked with him about this a little bit this week and he turns around at his locker on clean out day and there's probably fifteen reporters standing there and he's, boy, this is a lot of attention for me.

It's like, yeah, this is everybody's come to ask about the same thing.

But he said, we're going to play this out and see where it goes, which I you know, I think if he has a chance to get paid, yes, it's hard.

It's hard to argue with that.

And I think there is going to be a team that says, hey, this guy could fit us quite nicely.

You know, somebody that probably runs a similar scheme to what the Vikings do.

If the Rams need somebody or you know, even you know, some of the teams in this division that run a similar attack to what the Vikings do, may look at him and say, this could be a nice piece for us, you know.

So are they going to be priced out of it?

No?

I mean, I don't think the contract will be so extravagant that they couldn't do it.

But when you're paying Jefferson and then you have to make a decision on Jordan Adison, could they end up losing Naylor?

I think there's a possibility of that, especially if they feel like ty Felton can come in and play a little more of a role.

Now Addison, the question is they have to make a fifty year option decision this year, and I would think they'll pick that up to give themselves a little more time.

But do you want to pay him and give him the long term deal that you know kind of sets him up for life, and you know, do you do you trust him enough off the field?

I think is going to be where this goes.

That's the decision they're going to have to make, and especially when they're paying Jefferson as much as they are, that's a lot invested in that position.

So yes, there is a lot to figure out at that spot.

I mean, obviously, when they make the trade that they did for Feeland at the beginning of the season, it was an admission that they knew they had depth to figure out there.

And if you lose Naylor, you're right back in that spot where there's depth to figure out.

And maybe it's time Felton, maybe it's somebody else, but I think they do have needs at that spot.

Ben Lieber predicts or believe that the number one running back on the twenty twenty six Vikings is not on the roster right now.

Controversial are actually perceptive.

I think it's possible.

I mean I think Aaron Jones, do you bring him back?

It's going to be a question because they do have money they need to clear and he would be one that if you're saying, well, okay, it's a lot of mileage, it's a lot of injuries.

I mean, it's the kind of the age old question with Aaron Jones is he's shown he's still productive and obviously he's beloved in that locker room, But when you're going to be thirty one years old, yeah, and the injuries.

The history is sack what it is.

Yeah, so you're going to have that question.

Jordan Mason, I think was a nice piece for them.

I think he gave them a component that they didn't have previously.

But is he going to be the guy that is getting the ball every down?

I don't know that they're going to look for a Bell Cow, but I think they need somebody to add to that group, especially if it is Mason.

I think you want somebody with a little more breakaway speed, a little more big playability.

I would think would be the thing you'd be looking for.

And I don't know that that's Aaron Jones at this point.

So yeah, I think it's very possible that running back is a need in the draft, and I wouldn't be shocked if they said, let's go kind of get the lightning version the compliment to Jordan Mason's thunder.

I mean, they did really like Jamiir Gibbs in the draft a couple of years ago, didn't get the chance to take him.

Not sure they would have as it came down to it, because they needed a receiver, but they certainly knew what they what he could be, and he's been good enough, especially against them, not so much this year, but certainly last year, that the impact of a player like that has been made clear to them.

I think it's very possible Wle invested in that position.

Coming into the twenty twenty five season, both the Bears and the Vikings doubled down on rebuilding their offensive line.

Yeah.

Right, so it certainly appears that one team succeeded a lot more dramatically and consistently than the other.

Yeap.

What was it the Bears did right that the Vikings didn't.

Is it as simple as luck when it comes to injuries, or is it who you're investing in?

What do you think?

Well, I think they hit on some things with the pickups they made, and certainly I think, you know, some of the draft picks and some of the guys they brought in were successful.

I think injuries were a part of it for the Vikings.

I mean, you know, the Bears have had to deal with some things there too, but injuries.

I think we're a big part of this for the Vikings in the sense that Will Fryes was the big investment and Will Fries played every game.

I didn't think Will Fries had a great year, But there is a little bit of this thing.

I asked Brian O'Neil about this this week, that you get back from an injury, and just because your back doesn't always mean you're back.

You're not necessarily feeling like yourself that first year while you're still trying to say, can I trust my leg and can I put weight on this?

Can I stand up to defensive linemen as I go through it and when I have to anchor?

All of that stuff is part of it.

And that certainly was the case I think for Will Fries this year.

Obviously was the case for Christian Darisaw.

So when you have guys like that who are both coming off major injuries, year ending surgery type stuff, you probably weren't going to get their very best this year.

Now with Darisaw especially, that has to change.

I mean, I think they need to see more from him.

Kevin O'Connell said, I expect this will be behind us by next year with Darisaw in terms of the aftermath of that injury.

And I think they needed to be because the investments they've made in both Darsaw and Fries are significant and I think this they expect this to be a better line than it was, certainly a healthier line than it was.

I think the injuries, both the ones that happen during the season and just the things those two were still working through coming off of the ones they had in twenty four were certainly a factor this year.

Dan Gaslin covers the Vikings course for The Star Tribune, joins US Weekly, brought to you by Standard Heating and Air Conditioning.

We're going to keep him through the next segment.

In fact, he might even hang around, he says, for maybe some bonus predictions in the prediction segment with Carl Gerbschmidt that has scheduled for four fifteen.

Leavell is scheduled as well for five thirty.

Don't forget go for men's basketball tonight on the flagship FM one hundred point three the fan.

Do we have a Gophers channel on iHeart the way we do Timberwolves and everybody else we do not?

Okay no, but tonight you don't necessarily need that because it's not our frequency.

You got it one hundred point three and you can listen on the iHeart app on the fan two against Eric Musselman and the Southern cal Trojans, who have been struggling mightily.

I think it was a thirty point loss.

Isn't it like two thirty point losses on this road to the Michigan schools?

Yeah, yeah, I mean just got pummeled both.

Do you like how he's a new age coach in that The first thing he mentions is how they're getting screwed by the schedule.

Yes, every coach brings it up.

Yes, it's amazing because they're all getting screwed.

It's an impossible schedule.

Now, there was there was historically, in my view, a reason why there was something called the Pac ten and something all the Big ten and different parts because they were centered on different parts of it seemed logical until money came.

Professional teams all group their divisions regionally.

Yes, it seems like that maybe would work, but the money is not as good as that's the problem.

All right, More with Ben, keep your questions coming into the text line back in a minute.