Speaker 1: Be around with the NFL podcast fever Las Vega from
Speaker 1: the Chris Westling podcast Studio. It's around the NFL. I'm
Speaker 1: Dan Jansas, got some heroes, Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler, whatever.
Speaker 1: To my right, she's back and she can't keep playing
Speaker 1: the game, like, Oh, I'm finally invited my once a
Speaker 1: year appearance when I think we're up to two or three,
Speaker 1: already past six months, Cynthia, it's up, Cindy. You're like
Speaker 1: the only one that can get away with that, you know,
Speaker 1: because it doesn't sound like Cynthia. But when it comes
Speaker 1: out of your mouth, I still listen to it. But
Speaker 1: other people they'll say it and they'll look at me
Speaker 1: and I'm like, oh, you're talking to me, but it
Speaker 1: doesn't sound the same. Cindy Cynthia just distinctly two different
Speaker 1: names in different personas and energy around those two names.
Speaker 1: But I guess everyone has like a fake name on
Speaker 1: this show, So like, maybe I need to come up
Speaker 1: with you know, but it wouldn't be Cindy. That is
Speaker 1: not what it would be. Well, if you're if you're
Speaker 1: uncomfortable with Cindy, we could privately and I'll move it
Speaker 1: off the platform. Well you can do it, but other
Speaker 1: people cannot. You can you can't keep doing the thing.
Speaker 1: And you did it off air of like oh it's
Speaker 1: good to find you know, actually be on the show
Speaker 1: when you get the call up to the around the
Speaker 1: a f C and forty eight minutes show. That's that's
Speaker 1: upper tier. That was what That's one of our favorite
Speaker 1: shows of the year. I remember it was one of
Speaker 1: Chris's favorite shows of the year. Had all his notes
Speaker 1: ready for it, So I mean, this is big time,
Speaker 1: huge times. And also like we're really like we're ushering
Speaker 1: in a new era of the podcast. Like I'm glad
Speaker 1: to be here for this great transition. I was just
Speaker 1: gonna say what. I did a power ing and taping
Speaker 1: Matt money Smith today and he was upset that he
Speaker 1: didn't get the invite to this app. It's Cindy that
Speaker 1: gets the invite. So think about that. Nobody has worked
Speaker 1: more than Matt Money in the past. Money Money Yes,
Speaker 1: a new era Erica Temposse are great. Love behind the
Speaker 1: Glass has moved on. She's gonna be working on other projects.
Speaker 1: She's going to be a star in her own right.
Speaker 1: And we were holdener down, let's be honest, So we
Speaker 1: needed new blood. And here he is. Of course you
Speaker 1: know him. He's the grave digger, Justin Graver. You'll get you,
Speaker 1: so you gotta hit your own grave digger. Drop. Now,
Speaker 1: how are youbody? I'm great, How are you guys? Good?
Speaker 1: Good good. I think to get this thing off before
Speaker 1: we get to some news that went down in the
Speaker 1: last twenty four hours, before we move on to anything else.
Speaker 1: It is a changing of the guard. So I believe
Speaker 1: we need to have a just a quick ceremony as
Speaker 1: we begin the new hour. Absolutely Glass, this is the
Speaker 1: producer's creed. Justin I, Justin Graver, I Justin Graver, do
Speaker 1: solemnly swear, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute
Speaker 1: the position of producer of the Around the NFL Podcast,
Speaker 1: that I will faithfully execute the position of producer of
Speaker 1: the Around the NFL Podcast, and defense said property against
Speaker 1: all enemies foreign end domestics, and defense said property against
Speaker 1: all enemies for and domestic. I renounced any and all
Speaker 1: other podcasts outside these walls. I renounce any and all
Speaker 1: other podcasts outside I will betray the trust of outsiders
Speaker 1: if it benefits the show or its host, I will
Speaker 1: betray the trust of outsiders. If it benefits the show host,
Speaker 1: I will put the show below only God in country, friends,
Speaker 1: family live in. Paramours all exist at a lower priority
Speaker 1: level than the around the NFL podcast, and it's above
Speaker 1: the line challenges. Say yes, it seems specific. It's very long. Paramores.
Speaker 1: I will abstain from drugs, alcohol, and sex during the
Speaker 1: duration of my duties. I will do my best to
Speaker 1: have stained from drugs, alcohol and sects during the duration
Speaker 1: of my duties. I will well and faithfully discharge the
Speaker 1: duties of the position on which I am about to enter.
Speaker 1: I will one more time, so help God, So help
Speaker 1: me God, Yes to that. And now I will prick
Speaker 1: your finger with this pin that will take your blood,
Speaker 1: and put your hand over the two thousand six Tennessee
Speaker 1: Titans Media Guide. Repeat yourself, So help me, God, So
Speaker 1: help me God. All right, welcome to and I think,
Speaker 1: in true tampose this will be the only segment of
Speaker 1: the show that makes the social mark mark coming out.
Speaker 1: I also can think of some producers that did not
Speaker 1: take that oath going into that job perform saish. He
Speaker 1: didn't want to get pricked with the blood. He didn't
Speaker 1: like that, he did not want to be pricked with
Speaker 1: the blood, all right, so justin great to have you
Speaker 1: aboard in this capacity. We're going to do great things together.
Speaker 1: Let's now get to the business at hand. Yes, we
Speaker 1: do it only a couple of times a year, but
Speaker 1: definitely after the NFL Draft, it's time to check in
Speaker 1: with every team in the league. Tuesday Today a f
Speaker 1: C Thursday, NFC, but first time for news and notes
Speaker 1: presented by up work. You can build the team that
Speaker 1: will build your business. Learn more at upwork dot com.
Speaker 1: We'll start with news out of Arizona. DeAndre Hopkins. He's
Speaker 1: on the shelf. He is on the shelf for six
Speaker 1: games to start the season after testing positive for violating
Speaker 1: the NFL's performance enhancing drug policy. He withdrew his appeal
Speaker 1: of the six game ban and Cynthia, what what kind
Speaker 1: of struck me about this? Obviously a big bomber, Hopkins
Speaker 1: is one of the best playmakers in the league. He's
Speaker 1: coming off an injury riddled season. He had been an
Speaker 1: iron man before that. It's never had any type of
Speaker 1: p D issues to this point. All of a sudden,
Speaker 1: that trade made a little more sense to me on
Speaker 1: Thursday night, and then you're giving up a first round
Speaker 1: pick for Hollywood Brown. Well, they knew something we didn't.
Speaker 1: For sure, they knew the thing we didn't. They had
Speaker 1: to do the best they could given the circumstances. They
Speaker 1: need to make Carler Murray happy. Hollywood Brown reunion makes
Speaker 1: them very happy, allegedly, right, or at least it's the
Speaker 1: best chance to that. So, I mean, this is an
Speaker 1: interesting one because I don't I don't know what a
Speaker 1: high grade beaver tranquilizer is. But that's just another that's
Speaker 1: really a whole other show, but just exactly but but
Speaker 1: it's it's just a wild it's it's a wild read.
Speaker 1: So you can't make this up. He um most likely,
Speaker 1: And I thought spray was like the top of the charts,
Speaker 1: and now we got beaver beaver tranquilizers dangerous. He most likely.
Speaker 1: And I've heard some buzz about this behind the most
Speaker 1: likely the he put his trust into someone who creates
Speaker 1: a plan for his body and his nutrition and his
Speaker 1: strength coach and his all of that, and that person
Speaker 1: who probably makes a lot of money. And I've heard
Speaker 1: some whispers that the same exact um person, the same
Speaker 1: trainer had some other players popped h recently in the
Speaker 1: last couple of seasons, you would thank you would not
Speaker 1: keep that guy, first of all, and just like that
Speaker 1: decision to hire this person and who who apparently is
Speaker 1: pushing the boundaries of of what you can do, is
Speaker 1: costing DeAndre Hopkins millions and millions of dollars that he
Speaker 1: never had backed. And the Cardinals offense, which to me
Speaker 1: was already struggled with creativity, is gonna be a lot
Speaker 1: worse without him out. Yeah, I mean they were obviously,
Speaker 1: they're a team that two years in a row has
Speaker 1: gotten off to hot starts under Cliff Kingsbury. The wheels
Speaker 1: came completely off the vehicle at the end of the season,
Speaker 1: and it had a lot to do with DeAndre Hopkins
Speaker 1: being out of the lineup. They were one in four
Speaker 1: Kyler Murray was one in four in games without DeAndre Hopkins,
Speaker 1: and that included that playoff implosion. So right away, I
Speaker 1: don't think that Hollywood Brown can mask over what you
Speaker 1: lose lose with DeAndre Hopkins on any level. Again, that
Speaker 1: he's turning thirties, not the same player maybe he was
Speaker 1: a couple of years ago, but he's been the key
Speaker 1: to their passing games. So I think it's a disaster
Speaker 1: for Arizon. They have him, though, they'll be a little
Speaker 1: I mean they needed them, and I think Ravens, who
Speaker 1: everything seemed to go right for the Ravens in Vegas.
Speaker 1: Perhaps that did too because they had a little extra leverage.
Speaker 1: Whether they knew it or not, I don't know, but
Speaker 1: very interesting. I think Hopkins we have no sign that
Speaker 1: he's not still in his prime. I know he's banged
Speaker 1: up last year, but he was a stud when he
Speaker 1: first got to Arizona. He's a big time player. Rondel
Speaker 1: Moore who flashed a little bit last year as a rookie,
Speaker 1: he's gonna have a bigger role now. A J. Green
Speaker 1: is still in that building. Green didn't sound like he
Speaker 1: loved last season either, So yeah, they have They have
Speaker 1: zach Ertz too, and I know that that doesn't sound awesome,
Speaker 1: but A zach Ertz did pick up a lot of
Speaker 1: the slack when DeAndre Hopkins was out last season. So
Speaker 1: I mean, like, let's just get Kyler Murray back first.
Speaker 1: Like if he doesn't come back, then then right we'll
Speaker 1: get you know, conversation, because that that is not a
Speaker 1: done deal yet either. Uh. Speaking of the NFC, the
Speaker 1: Honey Badger is his headed home to the Biou. Greggy's Greggy,
Speaker 1: so Pump loves it, I love l s U, I
Speaker 1: love Tulane and anyway. Formerly of the Chiefs, he signs
Speaker 1: now Mark with the Saints, so that deal. He leaves
Speaker 1: Graveyards Purgatory and signs in May. Thirty years old. Obviously
Speaker 1: he's always been productive, but he keeps on moving around.
Speaker 1: Maybe he has a longer stay here in New Orleans,
Speaker 1: and I pick up for a Saints team that's looking
Speaker 1: pretty good right now. Honey Badger's the kind of guy
Speaker 1: no matter where he went, you would talk about it
Speaker 1: as a massive upgrade to that team's defense. Something about
Speaker 1: this feels different to me. It feels special because the
Speaker 1: Saints are a unique team. I think Greg mentioned this
Speaker 1: a week or so ago, that their fan base is unique,
Speaker 1: the location is unique, the whole city, and that he's
Speaker 1: coming back home. All of that is the intangible stuff.
Speaker 1: But I kind of love the fact that you're adding
Speaker 1: him to a defense that lost Malcolm Jenkins to retirement,
Speaker 1: that lost Marcus Williams to the Ravens. If you look
Speaker 1: at who they have and the way that they operated
Speaker 1: last year is the number fourth overall team d v
Speaker 1: O A wise against the past, Honey Badger is set
Speaker 1: up to succeed, and this was the one secondary that
Speaker 1: looked at Tom Brady, caused total chaos for him, showed
Speaker 1: zero fear of Tom Brady. And we already know that
Speaker 1: Honey Badger feels that way about Tom Brady because they've
Speaker 1: gotten into it in the past on the field. So
Speaker 1: I kind of just love this for New Orleans. They're
Speaker 1: eight or nine deep now. I mean, they also signed
Speaker 1: Marcus May, they brought P J. Williams back, They've got
Speaker 1: Chauncey Gardner, Johnson, Marshawn Lattimore, A Deebo looked pretty good.
Speaker 1: They brought in Daniel Soortenson, which I kind of forgot
Speaker 1: about as was like a reservotive as a positive. Now
Speaker 1: that wasn't if anything. Matthew is Yeah, their teammates, they
Speaker 1: know each other, and Matthews taking those snaps I think
Speaker 1: from him. But I think we're gonna talk about some
Speaker 1: teams in the around the A f C segment that
Speaker 1: I think are building back to front. The Ravens, the Bengals,
Speaker 1: the Saints are definitely that team that feels like we've
Speaker 1: got seven or eight guys back there that can slow
Speaker 1: down today's passing attacks. To counteract all the passing first
Speaker 1: down we've seen the most passing ever past two seasons.
Speaker 1: Counteract that you need to play Nicole. You need to
Speaker 1: play lots of defensive backs. And that's what teams have
Speaker 1: been doing. So you saw it. That was part of
Speaker 1: the reason why when we get to the Ravens that
Speaker 1: we'll talk about, you know how why Kyle Hamilton was
Speaker 1: such a good fit. But being able to just always
Speaker 1: have that depth for the defensive backs. It's just the
Speaker 1: way to counterbalance all the past. And I don't want
Speaker 1: to hear that A J. Brown. You couldn't afford a J. Brown.
Speaker 1: It's like the Saints were eighty million dollars over the
Speaker 1: cap and they somehow figured out all this stuff and
Speaker 1: they're still signing Tyrone Matthew. Like their cash spending is
Speaker 1: through the roof. If nothing else, Saints fans got to
Speaker 1: be happy with Gayle Benson uh that they are just
Speaker 1: like spending money over hand over fist the last couple
Speaker 1: of seasons, almost more than any team in the NFL. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I believe A. J. Brown when he said this isn't
Speaker 1: my fault. Yeah it was. I don't think it was.
Speaker 1: And that was news and Notes presented by up work,
Speaker 1: the world's work market place. Learn more at up work
Speaker 1: dot com. All right, now here we go. Ready, we're
Speaker 1: caught up on the news, Greg Mark hate feeling about
Speaker 1: things time wise right now. You expressed some concern before
Speaker 1: we started. I mean it was playful concern, but I
Speaker 1: I suggested the show with I feel like any playful
Speaker 1: concern from Mark always has like an undercurrent of menace.
Speaker 1: I'm feeling a little that Tuesday intensity from Cessler, and
Speaker 1: I think that's gonna help you. I just came. You know,
Speaker 1: I'm enjoying the conversation so far, and I hope it,
Speaker 1: you know, for the next forty eight minutes and not
Speaker 1: a lot longer we continue to do You tell us
Speaker 1: you were at the office three and a half hours
Speaker 1: before the show, and he's ready prep that is that's
Speaker 1: ready to go. Uh. The the cafeteria upstairs offers free
Speaker 1: breakfast and there's like nice coffee machines and stuff. You
Speaker 1: had said as I as I mentioned, Power Rankings is
Speaker 1: back me and Matt money Smith around the network. Later
Speaker 1: today eight pm Eastern, you said in the Total Access meeting,
Speaker 1: just a ton of heat. People fired up about the
Speaker 1: power ranks. A lot of guys been like, he never
Speaker 1: played the game. Well, I don't take this seriously. He
Speaker 1: never played a snap anything like that. Um, not that
Speaker 1: I remember what I remember in the meeting today. In
Speaker 1: mid May, Yeah, yeah, exactly. Obviously they put put the
Speaker 1: stars on in mid May. Third, that's when they bring
Speaker 1: the stars out. Hence why I'm on it with you.
Speaker 1: But it was more like, can you keep repeating the
Speaker 1: order because the people were calling in because they're they're
Speaker 1: not sitting there in person. So I feel as though
Speaker 1: I have the memorized now because other people not remember.
Speaker 1: Want top ten serious, Let's go, here's the top ten
Speaker 1: number one. Let's put the Rams back at one. Just
Speaker 1: come on, I should Bills, Rams, Bucks, Bengals, Niners, Packers, Chiefs, Broncos, Chargers, Raiders,
Speaker 1: A C West seven to ten. My crazy, it's cute.
Speaker 1: I don't think you're crazy. Bengals feels a little rich.
Speaker 1: It's cute. It's like it's like a little hey, hey,
Speaker 1: I don't like the Chiefs being below those teams and
Speaker 1: the Bengals sea. Where the heck are the really the
Speaker 1: Ravens are eleven up four spots. Okay, I feel like
Speaker 1: somebody's got to win that division, certainly. So like the
Speaker 1: eleventh the Bengals right back to right fields a little opening,
Speaker 1: but they did season. But are they a better team
Speaker 1: than the one that almost won the Super Bowl? I
Speaker 1: think so. The Ravens got like injury really unlucky injury wise,
Speaker 1: everything went wrong for Baltimore and then we're still alive.
Speaker 1: And week eighteen were asking quite a bit from a
Speaker 1: shod bateman right now and that wide that's also think
Speaker 1: it's study that le Broncos are up there, and who
Speaker 1: like are we? Who is he throwing the ball to himself?
Speaker 1: Tom Brady can't pass and catch the ball himself receivers,
Speaker 1: what are you? Martland Sutton here, Patrick Jerry Judy, kJ Hamdler.
Speaker 1: That's got save it? All right, this is writing shows
Speaker 1: forty eight minutes. Let's go all right, let's get to it.
Speaker 1: Sometimes got to go out on a Here we go.
Speaker 1: This is what we do. Three minutes per team, every
Speaker 1: team in the a f C. We got four divisions,
Speaker 1: there's four of us. Will take one team per division.
Speaker 1: Grave Digger, right off the bat, you're getting thrown in
Speaker 1: the hot water here because you need to adjudicate this.
Speaker 1: Is that the right word? Yeah? I think I understand
Speaker 1: what you're need to handle this. You need to make
Speaker 1: sure you you have to and I know maybe you'll
Speaker 1: be a little sheepis because I'm the new guy. I
Speaker 1: don't want to like drop a hammer on these guys
Speaker 1: if I have to, But that's part of this gig.
Speaker 1: I don't know. This is the same guy that before
Speaker 1: we were taping goes. It's a new era, right, I
Speaker 1: think he's ready for it. He's ready. So we get
Speaker 1: three minutes of team if we go over three minutes,
Speaker 1: and this includes Cindy. I know she's a star at
Speaker 1: this company, but you need to take out the tranquilizer
Speaker 1: and you hit her right. Yeah, I'm ready, locked and loaded,
Speaker 1: all right, So let's get going. Let's start with the
Speaker 1: and you'll know when time's up, Okay, you just you'll know, Um,
Speaker 1: something's gonna wash over you a piece from Okay, we're
Speaker 1: gonna start with the A F C. East. I will
Speaker 1: get us going. So let's start it up. Grave Digger
Speaker 1: with the Buffalo bills number one, by the way in
Speaker 1: the power rings. As I just said this is Uh,
Speaker 1: you know, we're no at all season right now. Uh,
Speaker 1: we are all certain how things are going to play out,
Speaker 1: and right now the football assn't. It's only three minutes
Speaker 1: I gotta go. Is certain the Bills are a beastly
Speaker 1: juggernaut destined for fourteen wins the trip to the super Bowl. However,
Speaker 1: is there a weakness we're overlooking or the or are
Speaker 1: the Bills really that good? Cindy? I mean, I think
Speaker 1: that we obviously need to see what happens if with
Speaker 1: this running back who was inconsistent, James Cook, if you
Speaker 1: can help them out there. They have nice to have
Speaker 1: their very complete team. They have done a nice job
Speaker 1: of drafting year in a year out, so they're in
Speaker 1: good shape and they have the most important position in
Speaker 1: all football. And I don't know if the Patriots got
Speaker 1: much better, and while the Jets got better, I don't
Speaker 1: know if it's enough. So division matters a lot. Who
Speaker 1: are you playing well? They've changed a lot. I think
Speaker 1: that's been I think that was a good idea. But
Speaker 1: they have four or five new starters in offense, about
Speaker 1: four new ones on defense. You have a new plate caller.
Speaker 1: Uh sorry that wasn't that many new ones on defense,
Speaker 1: but like how quickly can they transition? Their offense did
Speaker 1: not come out of the gates very strong last year.
Speaker 1: They were down. I know it's a different um play
Speaker 1: caller though with Ken Dorsey there, he's been there. To me,
Speaker 1: that matters. I think to answer your question, though offensive
Speaker 1: line was up and down at best last season. You
Speaker 1: bring in Roger Saffold, who's more of a run block
Speaker 1: or like right tackles a question mark. I don't look
Speaker 1: at that offensive line and think like that's a great
Speaker 1: group at best, it's average. I'm with you on the
Speaker 1: Dorsey thing because he has been there. It's they're not
Speaker 1: changing the offense. It's anything. It's an extension of what
Speaker 1: Brian Table did. But when you look at like Kyle
Speaker 1: Shanahan and guys that are such good in play callers
Speaker 1: and links so richly to the quarterback that I think
Speaker 1: that just the idea that Table can be replaced and
Speaker 1: how how what he did with with Josh Allen. That's
Speaker 1: the big question mark for me because you're gonna get
Speaker 1: into sticky situations where Dable's creativity and what he did
Speaker 1: was the was the special sauce can Ken Dorsey do that.
Speaker 1: It's a different human being, right, Gave Davis is now
Speaker 1: a two. Jamison Crowder's new to this team. Mackenzie is
Speaker 1: in a different road. It's different. Yeah, it feels like
Speaker 1: this Jamison Crowder is another I really like that move.
Speaker 1: I think he's going to be an upgrade over Colby
Speaker 1: doubled down on it by getting a wide receiver that
Speaker 1: has a similar profile late in the game. Yes, and
Speaker 1: my only concern here is what you said that they
Speaker 1: did start slow last year. By the end of the
Speaker 1: season they were unstoppable. But with the change in the
Speaker 1: O C, will the offense be where it needs to be.
Speaker 1: But you also make the point about the division, and
Speaker 1: I just don't think the Pats. The Pats, obviously we
Speaker 1: saw in those last two matchups, needed to really jump up.
Speaker 1: I don't think they did, and I think it's gonna
Speaker 1: help them as well. Yeah, it's it's interesting for me
Speaker 1: because the Bills get of all of the a f
Speaker 1: C divisions, and I mean, maybe the South is one
Speaker 1: you'd want to be in, although that I don't know.
Speaker 1: That was confusing too. This one, it feels like it's
Speaker 1: a lot more stable than the other ones. So I
Speaker 1: just love the off season. I feel like they've had
Speaker 1: one of the best off season of players they've added
Speaker 1: to top of Kran was that a jinx for the
Speaker 1: Ages that I wouldn't look at it that way. It
Speaker 1: was a branding opportunity that we're gonna be playing that
Speaker 1: while the Bills are going to the Super This is
Speaker 1: just be quiet. We have this, we have this beautiful sound.
Speaker 1: We've already laid out the rules that you can't talk.
Speaker 1: But what if I like the trenk, you know, give
Speaker 1: it to him. Well, it's got can the trick Wiser work?
Speaker 1: Maybe it seems to promises in Malibu after this show?
Speaker 1: All right, speaking of Greg, now you can talk Greg
Speaker 1: on your pats, Okay. I want to know if they
Speaker 1: didn't have defensively, there's there's been so much focus post
Speaker 1: draft about these guys that they drafted before anyone expected
Speaker 1: Cole Strange, Tyke, went Thornton. I get it like you
Speaker 1: got Joe Judge and Matt Patricia running your offense. It's
Speaker 1: a little concerning, but I think their offensive rosters quite good.
Speaker 1: I look at this defense. That's what got them embarrassed
Speaker 1: late last year. A bunch of guys in their front
Speaker 1: seven other than Christian bar More that we're extremely up
Speaker 1: and down. Matthew Judean didn't really show up in the
Speaker 1: last month, and the rest of the guys. I don't
Speaker 1: have a lot of faith in your top two cornerbacks
Speaker 1: right now are still Malcolm Butler and Jalen Mills, at
Speaker 1: least on the outside. I did like the third round
Speaker 1: pick Marcus Jones, But do we have faith in Bill
Speaker 1: Belichick still Mark to just like figure out everything, especially
Speaker 1: on the defensive side of the ball, where I'm I'm
Speaker 1: telling you, this roster just isn't looking that good. It
Speaker 1: looks I'm with you. I feel Hubris coming out of
Speaker 1: this organization right now, and Bill Belichick to me, I
Speaker 1: feel I've never thought this about him feels a little
Speaker 1: bit asleep at the wheel. I mean, I look back
Speaker 1: at the Shack Mason trade where you gave the Bucks
Speaker 1: Jack Mason for essentially like a rusty hammer. I don't
Speaker 1: know how that went down, right, J C. Jackson out
Speaker 1: the door, and you're hoping to replace these guys with
Speaker 1: a very strange collection of draft picks. Um, I am suspicious.
Speaker 1: I look at this and I'm gonna say one positive thing.
Speaker 1: I like their strategy for always taking a late round
Speaker 1: quarterback because if you do get if you do happen
Speaker 1: to hit on that Not saying that Bailey Zappy is
Speaker 1: the future, but I do think it's a smart drafting
Speaker 1: strategy overall, fourth, fifth, sixth round kind of guy. If
Speaker 1: you happen to hit on this guy, even if he's
Speaker 1: your backup, that can be really helpful because remember now
Speaker 1: backups are commanding like twelve million dollars just to do.
Speaker 1: If he's if he's Mac Jones is backup for three years,
Speaker 1: that's a great fourth round pick. I don't mean he
Speaker 1: had sixty touchdown. I can't be wrong. I'm just saying,
Speaker 1: like I think it's I'm trying to be positive. There's
Speaker 1: a lot, you know. I feel like a lot of
Speaker 1: people very digitals on the Patriots, and I don't think
Speaker 1: they got a lot better. But I think that is
Speaker 1: a really smart strategy. Cold Strange is going to be
Speaker 1: a locked and loaded guard for them seven years from now.
Speaker 1: So everybody could calm down with the laughter. And I
Speaker 1: do think Greg, you and I have been not at
Speaker 1: loggerheads over it. But you think I don't give Mac
Speaker 1: Jones enough pop, I am. It's certainly within the realm
Speaker 1: of reason that he takes a big year to jump here,
Speaker 1: and they did get him DeVante Park. I would have
Speaker 1: liked it they went and we're a little more aggressive
Speaker 1: in the draft and got him another player. I mean
Speaker 1: they took you're mad about we brought up the new
Speaker 1: play caller, but somehow it with the Max Jones getting
Speaker 1: a new play caller and that that his head coach,
Speaker 1: who was a big concern, very good play call now
Speaker 1: he's gone. I guess people on it what is said,
Speaker 1: which I hate nepotism in the NFL. Maybe they're maybe
Speaker 1: they're wrong, maybe they're right about Taekwa and Thornton, but
Speaker 1: people were really surprised, like just a straight line speed
Speaker 1: guy overall. Maybe I'm just scarred because Denzel Mims was
Speaker 1: also highly ted second up that got a bailor that
Speaker 1: turned out none of the bailor of receivers have worked. Yeah.
Speaker 1: I used to play this on repete in my car,
Speaker 1: like in high school. Yeah. I taught palates in college
Speaker 1: and I would always think that's okay if it's non
Speaker 1: team related talk and easy with the trunks. In general,
Speaker 1: you're trying to kill us over here, finger guns. He's
Speaker 1: got to learn when to just ignore me. All right,
Speaker 1: here you go the Dolphins. All right, Dolphins, good stuff.
Speaker 1: I can take a class some time they have the Dolphins,
Speaker 1: Like look at this Tyreek Hill, Toron Armstead to two
Speaker 1: amazing additions, Chase Edmunds forheam Mustard. And when you look
Speaker 1: at Mike McDaniel, I trust that he'll maximize those running backs.
Speaker 1: I think they've hop scotched the Patriots from a roster perspective,
Speaker 1: and it looks stronger than the Jets from one angle.
Speaker 1: I think it's fair to ask the public, can you
Speaker 1: smell what hard rock is cooking down? But do you trust?
Speaker 1: I would say this, do you Trusty to take it
Speaker 1: to the next level? I know that's almost just the
Speaker 1: obvious question. I mean, he has zero excuses. He has
Speaker 1: a Shanahan offshoot who does great things with quarterbacks in
Speaker 1: today's NFL. Though if Ta is not a totally different
Speaker 1: version of who he is, I don't think there's any
Speaker 1: chance he's their quarterback this time next off season. I
Speaker 1: was going to take it a step further and say,
Speaker 1: how you know, when does Teddy Bridgewater enter the picture
Speaker 1: here because I don't know if he makes it to Halloween,
Speaker 1: if he doesn't hit the ground running, because this is
Speaker 1: year three now and they have put a really solid
Speaker 1: team around him. They gave him a Hall of Fame
Speaker 1: next Level one of one. Number one wide receiver Jalen
Speaker 1: Waddle had one of the best rookie seasons in recent
Speaker 1: NFL history. Um, he is a stud, uh and now
Speaker 1: you have the opportunity here to take your offense to
Speaker 1: the next step. And if they don't, I think patients
Speaker 1: will run out fast. Yeah, I agree, And yet I
Speaker 1: kind of think modest improvement from to it to where
Speaker 1: he's like an average NFL starting quarterbacks somewhere close to
Speaker 1: where Teddy was for Denver last year. And this team
Speaker 1: is going to be a lot better because the team
Speaker 1: around because everything else is gonna be better. You know,
Speaker 1: I don't know if he needs to uh excel for
Speaker 1: this team to win ten games. They they're over under
Speaker 1: his over the Patriots, that right, don't you think? So
Speaker 1: It's it's weird though that like they didn't have any
Speaker 1: picks this year, so they went from like rebuilding, We're
Speaker 1: all about picks, that's all we care about. His picks
Speaker 1: and then they blew all the picks too. Now they're
Speaker 1: the team with no picks and it's the same seven
Speaker 1: different coaches now, so that he's got to sell out
Speaker 1: otherwise he's gone. Right, So they still have their corners,
Speaker 1: by the way, and I really like both of their
Speaker 1: corners obviously, Xavian Howard and Byron Jones. That's really helpful,
Speaker 1: really nice for them. Also, I think I love the
Speaker 1: Cedric Wilson drama and whatever going back and forth and whatever,
Speaker 1: which was hilarious, like low key what is it. I
Speaker 1: don't know, the Cedric basically basically like Dallas was trying
Speaker 1: to keep him and the like. It was just a
Speaker 1: lot of drama over Cedric, which is I mean, he's
Speaker 1: their third not to be mean, but it's you know,
Speaker 1: whide receiver number three, and they were just all this
Speaker 1: fighting funny. I kind of like the third round pick,
Speaker 1: Channing Tindall. It's like his name. He just seems like
Speaker 1: a guy. He's got to play right away. He was
Speaker 1: probably behind the land And Roberts as a run stopping guy.
Speaker 1: You can get a land In Roberts out of your life.
Speaker 1: Talking to handsome Hag, big Dolphins fan future general manager
Speaker 1: of UK properties for the end of quiet at promotion
Speaker 1: staying at his castle, and he was a little bummed
Speaker 1: in Vegas that there was no Jewe. So Tyrek Hill
Speaker 1: was your first round play. Looking at it that way,
Speaker 1: that's not how the draft works, though. Yeah, it's aggressive.
Speaker 1: You were technically talking about the team stuff. Well, I
Speaker 1: won't next time. Cindy on the Jets. Okay, the Jets
Speaker 1: did a really really nice job with this draft, probably
Speaker 1: the best draft overall, especially with their fourth place schedule.
Speaker 1: They probably got the most better. That's terrible English, but
Speaker 1: they probably improved the most. I also liked that they
Speaker 1: added lake in Tomlinson. You know, we forget about some
Speaker 1: of these offensive line pieces. You know, obviously he came
Speaker 1: over from San Francisco. There's familiarity with his head coach.
Speaker 1: I think if you look to see what do you
Speaker 1: you really need to evaluate what is Zach Wilson the
Speaker 1: guy yes or no? Because clearly it's not Joe Flacco,
Speaker 1: Like he's not competing for that for that real job. Right,
Speaker 1: So when you look to see, like, okay, what can
Speaker 1: we do, well, we can load him up with a
Speaker 1: really good wide receiver. We can see Elijah Moore. If
Speaker 1: he can stay healthy, you could be great. I don't
Speaker 1: know if Corey Dave's gonna come back, and I hope
Speaker 1: he stays healthy, but he has been oft injured. I think.
Speaker 1: Actually adding Jeremy Ruckert, who teammates with Garrett Wilson at
Speaker 1: Ohio State, that was a really nice ad as well.
Speaker 1: Breece Hall was many people's consensus number one running back.
Speaker 1: They stole Jermaine Johnson and a Mod Gardner. Some people
Speaker 1: had him as their number one corners that people had
Speaker 1: him as number two. So clearly they got their guy,
Speaker 1: and I loved the whole like you're always the one
Speaker 1: he is from one detroit Man to another, you were
Speaker 1: you were always the one that those funny. But they
Speaker 1: still have a lot of pieces too. It's not like
Speaker 1: there were five players away, right, So there are some
Speaker 1: question marks here. McKay beck needs to pay off because
Speaker 1: that's a you know, physical, huge situation and to have
Speaker 1: to overcome if you're left tackle, isn't that their right
Speaker 1: tackles George Fant right now listed in the number one
Speaker 1: on the depth chart, Like that's kind of scary as well,
Speaker 1: So we'll have to see. But low key c. J
Speaker 1: Usama also a good ad. So your model has them
Speaker 1: jumping up like four wins too, it was like two
Speaker 1: point five. It was like two point five wins overall,
Speaker 1: in part because they play a fourth place schedule, so
Speaker 1: it tipped the scale to have a better chance to
Speaker 1: win some of those games. And that's a really big increase.
Speaker 1: It's not, you know, I like Jet fans, I want
Speaker 1: you to be happy, but one cornerback does not an
Speaker 1: entire defense make you know, So you gotta you gotta
Speaker 1: figure out that they I mean DJ read so they've
Speaker 1: kind of overmade that to me, not to oversimplify it,
Speaker 1: but it does the tackle positions in the quarterback because
Speaker 1: they've now built a compelling roster, not a super Bowl roster,
Speaker 1: but now there's pieces in play. Fan. Does he stay healthy?
Speaker 1: Is he gonna be good enough? Becked him? Is he
Speaker 1: gonna get his weight under control and be a real player?
Speaker 1: And Kanzach Wilson do it? Those are all still big questions,
Speaker 1: but they've at least made themselves intriguing as a team.
Speaker 1: They're intriguing. I mean, you like, there is a from
Speaker 1: a bird's eye view, a real plan that kind of
Speaker 1: married the draft and free to see together and made
Speaker 1: the Jets better. The one thing I don't like in
Speaker 1: the New York market, but just national in general, is
Speaker 1: when everyone is saying the team is now competent and
Speaker 1: could be successful if the quarter it's like a lot
Speaker 1: of pressure on Zach Wilson to make a big step
Speaker 1: and I'm just not sure, based on what we saw
Speaker 1: last year that he has it in. I mean, he's
Speaker 1: another player like to that might not be there a
Speaker 1: year final. He's starting. He's in a great situation for
Speaker 1: a second year quarterback. I think this isn't a totally
Speaker 1: rebuilding team. Joe Douglas got hired four years ago and
Speaker 1: this is his third year. So this is like when
Speaker 1: you're supposed to show your your wares and I think
Speaker 1: he's done it. I think he's done it. They're set
Speaker 1: up pretty well. Oh I thought I was going to
Speaker 1: get away with it, all right, Everybody hold right there
Speaker 1: to take a quick break, a responsible break. We'll be
Speaker 1: right back. Let's move nor get us go with the
Speaker 1: defending conference champions. Okay, So I talked about the Saints
Speaker 1: being built to stop today's passing attacks. I think that's
Speaker 1: the Bengals identity and yeah, yeah, it's the idea. Their
Speaker 1: first identity, of course is their quarterback and his past
Speaker 1: catchers in the skill position guys. How special they're gonna
Speaker 1: be is how far they're gonna go. But defensively, this
Speaker 1: Bengals team, by taking two players in the secondary to
Speaker 1: start their draft in Daxton Hill and then Cameron Taylor
Speaker 1: Britt to me, just makes this secondary potentially special. Uh.
Speaker 1: They have seven or eight really competent guys. I think
Speaker 1: they were a pretty good secondary before. Now you can
Speaker 1: get so multiple. You got Mike Hilton and Daxon Hill.
Speaker 1: Daxon Hill can do a lot of different things like
Speaker 1: incredibly athletic. Maybe Eli Apples kicked out of the starting lineup,
Speaker 1: but when he's suddenly your fourth or fifth cornerback, that
Speaker 1: looks great. And I really like the idea that they
Speaker 1: kind of know who they are. And they also look
Speaker 1: at the rest of the a f C. I think
Speaker 1: and look at the Bills, they look at the Chiefs,
Speaker 1: and they think, how can we slow down these two teams?
Speaker 1: And I think more than almost any team in the AFC,
Speaker 1: they're built for it. I mean, they don't get to
Speaker 1: the super Bowl last year without ball Hawckey and secondary play.
Speaker 1: They don't beat the Titans necessarily. I mean they were
Speaker 1: in all those games in such close affairs. I love
Speaker 1: what they did. I love what they did along the
Speaker 1: offensive line. It's like they were the one team where
Speaker 1: it was like Duke Tobin at the combine, we talked
Speaker 1: to him, this is what you need to go do,
Speaker 1: and they went and did it exactly with with a
Speaker 1: precise plan around protecting Joe Burrow. I said they might
Speaker 1: go even deeper and go take another one in the draft.
Speaker 1: They went fourth round. Um, but three starters, three agency
Speaker 1: getting three starters, they're a much better team. And there
Speaker 1: was a lot there's a lot of magic sprinkle dust
Speaker 1: over the Bengals in January and into February, and they
Speaker 1: almost took it all the way home one last drive
Speaker 1: when Eli Apple got exposed by the way on that
Speaker 1: final drive. But was good before that. But like this
Speaker 1: now is a team that they aggressively attacked their deficiencies.
Speaker 1: I think it's a better team now. It's very hard
Speaker 1: to run it back after something like that. Um So
Speaker 1: I understand that, But Cindy, they're better, They're better. Yeah, Look,
Speaker 1: I think they're gonna have to answer some questions at
Speaker 1: tight end because CG. Zama was a big, big factor there,
Speaker 1: and I do think they had hurt and a little
Speaker 1: maybe I means, so well, can you do that? Yeah,
Speaker 1: so can you do that? And then also think they
Speaker 1: probably should have added to the running back position because
Speaker 1: they used for Joe Mixon, made him he got hurt.
Speaker 1: So I just I'm not saying it was bad. I'm
Speaker 1: just saying if there were two areas of improvement, maybe
Speaker 1: those were. I do struggle to see them as the
Speaker 1: third best team. Like part of it is like they
Speaker 1: went on a magical run. Yeah, I don't know that's
Speaker 1: exactly who they are because part of that they were
Speaker 1: hot and cold because they didn't say, oh, look what
Speaker 1: we did last year, We're going to bring back the
Speaker 1: same team. They there's been a significant turnover here. Mike
Speaker 1: Hilton had a good quote here. People are predicting them
Speaker 1: as a one hit wonder why because it's the Bengals,
Speaker 1: point blank period. When you think of the Bengals, you're like, oh,
Speaker 1: the Bengals, you know. But now with this group of
Speaker 1: guys we have and the coaches we have, we're really
Speaker 1: turning this organization repect right, not anymore. I could you
Speaker 1: shoot me all you want. It seems to have no effect.
Speaker 1: It's making me better, It's making me talk more marks
Speaker 1: the Steelers. I mean, I was just thinking about how
Speaker 1: in the run of this podcast, we've never seen anything
Speaker 1: close to a Steelers team as deeply in transitions as
Speaker 1: they are right now. I mean, it obviously starts at
Speaker 1: a quarterback. It has me intrigued though, because we called
Speaker 1: them draft winners coming out of that weekend, and I
Speaker 1: think they were. If you look at their lineup on offense,
Speaker 1: Naji Harris, Deonta Johnson, Chase Claypool Pratt, Pat Friarmouth who
Speaker 1: I like a lot, George Pickens, and Calvin Austin, Kenny
Speaker 1: Picket I think is winning this battle. Only Deonte Johnson
Speaker 1: remains as a starter from week one two seasons ago.
Speaker 1: They've changed a lot. My one question because they they've
Speaker 1: had a nice offseason. Their offensive line was an achilles
Speaker 1: heel last year. They haven't done much there and that
Speaker 1: gives me bad vibes about putting either Mitch Drabinski behind
Speaker 1: a line like that or a rookie quarterback. Is this
Speaker 1: rebuild put on hold a little bit? Because of that situation. Maybe, uh,
Speaker 1: that's the case for starting things off with Mitch Drabinsky,
Speaker 1: a guy who can move. A part of the problem
Speaker 1: with their set up was that they had a literal statue,
Speaker 1: a two and seventy pounds statue behind center stone age pony,
Speaker 1: stone age pony, maybe the ultimate since Dan Marino posts
Speaker 1: Achilles stone Age pony. And now if you get a
Speaker 1: guy behind there, I can move a bit pick it
Speaker 1: obviously can move better than Big Bend at this stage,
Speaker 1: that's gonna help. But you're right, that is a real concern.
Speaker 1: I'm more worried about their coaching and their evaluation than Letton.
Speaker 1: Like what they did this Obviously they brought in two
Speaker 1: starters and Mason Cole from the Vikings. James Daniels was
Speaker 1: like a nice free agent signing. It was more that
Speaker 1: they gave Chuka a core for a huge contract. Three
Speaker 1: or d NFF. Adam has one of the worst tackles
Speaker 1: in Leak. For what it's worth, you have a fourth
Speaker 1: round second year player Dan Moore at left tackle who
Speaker 1: they like and and look look pretty good. But that's
Speaker 1: asking a lot out of a mismashed group who really
Speaker 1: never has made up for the fact what that Mike
Speaker 1: Munchak left. Basically, when Mike Munchak left, this offense changed
Speaker 1: in terms of their offensive line. Well, I look at
Speaker 1: the line, and I look at the situation. Remember, you
Speaker 1: know you had an outgoing GM and you've got you
Speaker 1: don't know who's coming in next. I think he's like,
Speaker 1: I want to be the guy that got all the
Speaker 1: good receivers. I don't give a crap about this old line,
Speaker 1: Like I want my Like I'm this is my last one.
Speaker 1: Here's the the icing on the kick. I'm not he
Speaker 1: has great at it, but it's not sexy to take
Speaker 1: pound men that don't move very much. That you need it,
Speaker 1: I obviously may advocate for it, but what did the
Speaker 1: models say about pick it? As a as a prospect?
Speaker 1: Most pro Ready had the most snaps facing weird defenses
Speaker 1: meaning not based defense meaning disguised looks in the secondary uh,
Speaker 1: non traditional fronts, things that you'll see in the NFL.
Speaker 1: So highest passer rating also when facing these situations. So
Speaker 1: was the most pro ready if that's how you're gonna
Speaker 1: find pro Ready. Did you guys see the video of
Speaker 1: the phone call from Tomlin to pick it? Huge smile
Speaker 1: on its so you don't see Tom like this, so
Speaker 1: happy and excited. I was just like that looks like
Speaker 1: a guy who's like I found my starter week one.
Speaker 1: Let's roll with the kid mac Jones, with the Patriots.
Speaker 1: I don't have to start my stone age pony. You
Speaker 1: think he enjoyed starting, bet not. He should be coaching
Speaker 1: here every year just for all the crap he said
Speaker 1: to deal with. You cannot praise any Let's uh, let's
Speaker 1: let's put the gun down, all right, yes, justin Let's
Speaker 1: just let's let the let the guests. We have a
Speaker 1: wonderful guest, Cynthia. Here. Let's try not to trank or
Speaker 1: unless you really deserves it, Greg fire away. He likes
Speaker 1: it right right, Yes, Cindy, when it feels offensive to
Speaker 1: the listener, the trigger, you can pull the trigger. Whenever
Speaker 1: he's drunk. Everyone get drunk otherwise, so he's drunk with
Speaker 1: I swore an oath not that was a tough one.
Speaker 1: That was a real test of your loyalty. And he
Speaker 1: did not comply entirely that he said he would best
Speaker 1: things about the Ravens, Cynthia. Oh, the Ravens had an
Speaker 1: awesome draft. I really think having a guy that fits
Speaker 1: your system so perfectly, like Kyle Hamilton's did fall to fourteen,
Speaker 1: which this guy for me, if you had to say
Speaker 1: ahead of the draft, neutral could go to any team
Speaker 1: who was the guy that's most likely become All Pro first,
Speaker 1: it was Kyle Hamilton's. So you're getting this and understand
Speaker 1: there's some positional value things here where some people don't
Speaker 1: think safety is as easily. You know that that one
Speaker 1: is not as high value position as some of the others.
Speaker 1: But I would argue kind of the opposite. With all
Speaker 1: these teams playing multiple defensive backs, a whole bunch of
Speaker 1: packages where you need at least five defensive backs, his
Speaker 1: use is going to be from day one really really important.
Speaker 1: He also is great at blitzing. They have kind of
Speaker 1: all of these different ways where he goes in sideline
Speaker 1: to siline. He probably dropped because at the combine he
Speaker 1: didn't run as fast of a forty as other people.
Speaker 1: Totally ridiculous, right, And then they added Tyler linder Bomb.
Speaker 1: I love this pick. I understand an interior a alignment
Speaker 1: is not necessarily the sexiest pick. Some people think like
Speaker 1: positional value again, center isn't as great, but linder Bomb
Speaker 1: could kick out to the left guard, right guard. I
Speaker 1: understand they have Kevin Zeitler there, but you know they're
Speaker 1: they're trying to figure out how to replace a guy
Speaker 1: who had you know, he's gonna be a Hall of
Speaker 1: Famer that just left two seasons ago. So now you've
Speaker 1: got to figure out along this old line. Okay, what
Speaker 1: are we gonna do to keep our quarterback who likes
Speaker 1: to run into kind of scrambling drills. We need We
Speaker 1: need this line to just hold as long as possible.
Speaker 1: Running passing downs doesn't matter. The only question mark that
Speaker 1: didn't push them up higher in terms of total value
Speaker 1: in the draft is now they have they created a
Speaker 1: problem that they have to solve what ride receiver, And
Speaker 1: that is something that they They're still wide receivers left
Speaker 1: to look at in free agency, but it did create
Speaker 1: a new problem for them to have that as far
Speaker 1: as the draft went, I mean, I'm pretty sure that
Speaker 1: they cry like I I killed was kicking myself for
Speaker 1: not calling them a winner the other day because I
Speaker 1: feel like they had about as good a draft as anyone.
Speaker 1: Travis Jones, their third round defensive tackle, could play right away. Uh,
Speaker 1: and they're gonna be playing three safeties all the time,
Speaker 1: all the time, and but that's that's how the league
Speaker 1: is moving that. The Patriots did that quite a bit
Speaker 1: last year. They took the guy in the fourth round,
Speaker 1: Henry's guy, Daniel Felele, another rugby player who's now the
Speaker 1: biggest man in the NFL three and eighty six pounds,
Speaker 1: and he's a guy kind of like Jordan my Lota
Speaker 1: who was gonna be rough around the edges. But if
Speaker 1: you're gonna land with a team for the Ravens are
Speaker 1: the right thing. They won eight games a year ago
Speaker 1: due to great coaching and just because it's the Ravens
Speaker 1: with a shattered secondary with a backfield that was broken
Speaker 1: from before the start of the season, which is a
Speaker 1: huge part of what they want to do. The wide
Speaker 1: receiver thing is sticky. But if there's a team that
Speaker 1: maybe had one less wide receiver than other teams and
Speaker 1: would still thrive, I think it could be. Baltimore signed
Speaker 1: Jarvis Landry right figure out you're gonna pay someone he
Speaker 1: would be annoyed by week three though in Baltimore, I
Speaker 1: think that's the problem. Feel there might pick for the
Speaker 1: division winner on May three. I just feel like they're
Speaker 1: a big bounce back season comeback season approaches in Charms City,
Speaker 1: which leads us to the Cleveland Browns. So last week,
Speaker 1: Major League Baseball handed out a three four game suspension
Speaker 1: to Dodgers picture Trevor Bauer. The band covered two full seasons,
Speaker 1: longest punishment under the Sports Domestic Violence Violence Policy since
Speaker 1: it was instituted in August two thousand fifteen. Cut to
Speaker 1: the NFL different circumstances, but obviously some troubling allegations connected
Speaker 1: to Watson. His fate with the NFL's yet to be announced,
Speaker 1: and we don't know how this is gonna end with Watson,
Speaker 1: and it's, you know, like it or not. Cleveland looms
Speaker 1: as a superpower in the conference when you combine that
Speaker 1: roster with Watson. But when will Watson actually play a game?
Speaker 1: The Browns went eight nine last season with Baker. I
Speaker 1: don't see them being much better with Jake Briskett behind center.
Speaker 1: So that's my question. When when will we find out
Speaker 1: when Watson plays? And would it be possible that they
Speaker 1: got really tough on him the way Baseball did bower
Speaker 1: nfls And it hasn't been their style to be that way,
Speaker 1: But you wonder if the baseball thing could affect the
Speaker 1: football thing. Well, what's a huge question, because the way
Speaker 1: that the NFL hands down punishment doesn't always feel that
Speaker 1: there's a rhyme or reason from case A to B
Speaker 1: to se. They handle things differently, and and and this
Speaker 1: one has been as murky as possible. I don't have
Speaker 1: a huge read on what the NFL will do here. Yeah,
Speaker 1: the longer it goes and just a little whispers of anything,
Speaker 1: I'm worried no offense to the Browns of course, uh,
Speaker 1: that it's going to go the other way, that it
Speaker 1: might be less than we expect, or that he could
Speaker 1: be on the field sooner that they don't take it
Speaker 1: too seriously. And then you kind of look at, Okay,
Speaker 1: what do they have. One thing that struck me about
Speaker 1: their draft was like David Bell is a third round pick.
Speaker 1: He's gonna play for them probably, Like he's kind of
Speaker 1: a pro ready looking maybe he's in the slot there.
Speaker 1: Like they need receivers, they don't really have receivers more
Speaker 1: than any team in the NFL. I feel like they
Speaker 1: could use Odell Beckham, Like they feel like the best
Speaker 1: fit for to back hum right now, I mean it's
Speaker 1: hard to imagine, but like David Bell might be their
Speaker 1: number two right now, their third round pick, their their
Speaker 1: thin it wide out and their thinn it defensive tackle.
Speaker 1: Their their roster is not at great pieces too though.
Speaker 1: But it's like, but all that, I'm glad you're throwing
Speaker 1: out the other aspects that are around the Browns right now.
Speaker 1: But ultimately it all goes back to what's going on
Speaker 1: with Watson and the mystery and you know what, it's
Speaker 1: gonna be a really really and we've had these conversations before,
Speaker 1: but bad look for the league if one of the
Speaker 1: major leagues comes down hard on a prominent that's a
Speaker 1: Cy Young Award winner and then NFL drops a four
Speaker 1: game band or something that, I mean, nothing would surprise
Speaker 1: me anymore. But like they can, they can, they can
Speaker 1: wrap this up. Let's wrap it up, NFL. You've got
Speaker 1: the Hugh Jackson investigations done in a couple of weeks.
Speaker 1: It's been two years almost. I feel dark energy around
Speaker 1: this team. I know that's that's personal feelings involved, but
Speaker 1: it's kind of like when Andre the Giant turned bad,
Speaker 1: he was like, it's just as this was a team
Speaker 1: that you was sort of a lovable loser and they
Speaker 1: went to uh, they went to dark places. I don't
Speaker 1: enjoy it at all. Yeah, it is a bummer. The
Speaker 1: Lions kind of taking that mantle. No, no, no, non
Speaker 1: compared the Lions because this, this, this is different. This
Speaker 1: right here, this is different. We're saying nothing about this team.
Speaker 1: I want nothing to say about this team. Next, why
Speaker 1: don't we move on to the We need to take
Speaker 1: a break. Yes, okay, let's take a break and we'll
Speaker 1: hit the ac sound all right, We're back. Here we go.
Speaker 1: Sessler Titans. The Titans, they strike me as a team
Speaker 1: that have floated away to some degree. I see a
Speaker 1: club that traded away it's best player in a J. Brown.
Speaker 1: We've talked about that a ton. They drafted the QB
Speaker 1: of tomorrow and Malik Willis, which has Ryan Tannehill now
Speaker 1: basically in the opposition of playing for his job because
Speaker 1: I think he's gonna hear it from fans and everyone
Speaker 1: else right out of the gate. I be struggles and
Speaker 1: that's a possibility. You've got Derrick Henry, who has been
Speaker 1: leaned on super heavy forever in an offensive line that
Speaker 1: I see questions at left guard. I see questions at
Speaker 1: right tackle. I don't love that for Ryan Tannehill either.
Speaker 1: It helps to be in a junkie division, but this
Speaker 1: feels like a lesser version of last year's team. Right
Speaker 1: now we are where we are today? Am I being
Speaker 1: too tough on grave Diggers? Hyper federal? Can I hear
Speaker 1: the Tannehill quote? And I just want to hear this
Speaker 1: today going around a little bit. Tannehill on Malik Willis
Speaker 1: and and you know that new partnership in the quarterback room.
Speaker 1: I mean that's part of being in a quarterback room,
Speaker 1: in the same room. You know, we're we're competing against
Speaker 1: each other, We're uh, you know, watching the same tape,
Speaker 1: we're doing the same drills. Um. I don't think it's
Speaker 1: my job to mentor him, but um, you know, if
Speaker 1: he learns learns from me along the way, then um,
Speaker 1: then that's a great thing. Graver. I don't have a
Speaker 1: problem with that. I know some people are gonna say
Speaker 1: it makes him seem selfish. There's there's missing part of it,
Speaker 1: because part of it was talking about he's like I
Speaker 1: had to go therapy last time when I was like
Speaker 1: he talks about like how he really struggled and like
Speaker 1: has come overcome struggles, and he mentioned therapy by names
Speaker 1: doins getting out of the when he was in a
Speaker 1: mental headspace before and he worked himself the playoff laws.
Speaker 1: This is something where you like know enough about Ryan
Speaker 1: Tannehill's character and how his teammates have reacted to him
Speaker 1: and everything about him like throughout his career. That's like
Speaker 1: he's just being honest, the same thing Eli man like.
Speaker 1: And yet Eli Manning was like, great friends with Danny
Speaker 1: doesn't mean he's not going to be a professionally. Just
Speaker 1: answering the question. I like it. I'd rather hear the truth. Like, also,
Speaker 1: you don't have a J. Brown anymore, Like that's going
Speaker 1: to be a heck of a lot harder. He's got
Speaker 1: to be annoyed, Like with somebody stuff. Here's what annoyed about.
Speaker 1: Like we we Grave Digger talked before the draft, like,
Speaker 1: what's their biggest need is offensive line? Um, they were
Speaker 1: a mess last year. They didn't really address that this offseason,
Speaker 1: so that would have me very concerned. One of the
Speaker 1: worst offensive line in the league without aging. But your
Speaker 1: biggest concern, Yeah, I mean we're sitting here now the
Speaker 1: draft and free agency are complete, and we still don't
Speaker 1: know who two of their starters are. That's kind of crazy.
Speaker 1: I want you to keep talking and then tranquilize yourself tack.
Speaker 1: So that's why Mark was giving Digger stretch. Stretch it out.
Speaker 1: Anybody picking up a little bit of tension between Mark
Speaker 1: and Grave Digger here for this. I'm glad I could
Speaker 1: see their Their origination story is good attention. I do
Speaker 1: think the Titans are a worst team right now than
Speaker 1: they were than the team that played the Bengals in January,
Speaker 1: so that's probably not a good place to be. Which
Speaker 1: team they played the Bengals. Trink yourself. Cults Jim Mercy
Speaker 1: said last week, you believe Matt Ryan could play another
Speaker 1: four seasons with the Cults. The owner's rosy viewpoint echoed
Speaker 1: in their draft class included eight picks, no quarterbacks. Chris
Speaker 1: Ballard lost that first round under in the doomed Carson
Speaker 1: Wentz acquisition one, but he still came out of Vegas
Speaker 1: with solid hall included offensive players with each of the
Speaker 1: first three picks. The Colts struggled to score points with
Speaker 1: Wentz last season, especially down the stretch. Do we trust
Speaker 1: this attack with Matt Ryan leading the way to improve
Speaker 1: enough to put them in the conversation with the a
Speaker 1: f C S leading. I just wanted one more thing.
Speaker 1: This team was looking really good in mid December nine
Speaker 1: of twelve, great running game, defense, getting just taking care
Speaker 1: of business, and then it all fell apart. Are they
Speaker 1: that far away or do they not have enough? I
Speaker 1: think that, you know, given where they were drafting and
Speaker 1: what they were looking at. I like that they cut
Speaker 1: their losses with Carson Wentz before. I mean, if it's
Speaker 1: not gonna be the right solution, don't try to force
Speaker 1: it to work. Take the L and move on. Matt Ryan.
Speaker 1: This is a guy who we've seen how good he's
Speaker 1: been with play action. They got to a Super Bowl
Speaker 1: when he was able to effectively use play action. You
Speaker 1: know when you can use play action when you have
Speaker 1: a good running back. So I think that this is
Speaker 1: an interesting and in this division, Like tell me how,
Speaker 1: tell me how the other team's got so significantly better?
Speaker 1: It's similar, but they also have holes. I don't think
Speaker 1: this roster as good as it was when when Philip
Speaker 1: rivers there. I I they kind of remind me of
Speaker 1: the late Mike Shanahan Arab Broncos where I swear it
Speaker 1: was like the coaching uh in. The play calling was great,
Speaker 1: but the talent wasn't quite all the way there because
Speaker 1: this receiver group, maybe Alec Pierce hits as a second
Speaker 1: round pick, but it's it's a mid level receiver pick.
Speaker 1: They drafted Bernard Raymond in the third round. Rayman may
Speaker 1: start at left tackle. They don't really have an experience.
Speaker 1: They were They were assigned Marcel Debo though from Germany,
Speaker 1: and we want to go cover this game in Germany.
Speaker 1: So I just want to I just want to, you know,
Speaker 1: put that out there. They were assigned every team in
Speaker 1: the a f C South got an international player Pathway
Speaker 1: program guy from Henry Hudson. He just gives it out
Speaker 1: to a different division in every year, and this year
Speaker 1: he gave it to one and a twig. They got
Speaker 1: my favorite tight end Tho in the draft. They got
Speaker 1: to Gelanni Woods. That's my favorite. Just the point is
Speaker 1: sent us to Germany. That was the point point And
Speaker 1: I want to just throw that out there. It was
Speaker 1: I p P day. It was a big things like
Speaker 1: I'm in the chair now, I'll teach you swears in German.
Speaker 1: That's I can help you with. I grew up in Luxembourg,
Speaker 1: so you can teach you swears in Germany. You swear
Speaker 1: in German and that wouldn't need to be bleached here.
Speaker 1: You're not going to find out. This is not the
Speaker 1: reason I wanted. I just could. I just learned you
Speaker 1: grew up in Luxembourg like a week ago, and that's
Speaker 1: I get swear in French like a soft German swear
Speaker 1: like not not the worst thing. My My boss already
Speaker 1: trying to like sell me for a pack of cigarettes,
Speaker 1: so you know I like about that. Keep going. Let's
Speaker 1: put three minutes on the clock for that. All right,
Speaker 1: Let's move on now to the Houston Texans sending. What
Speaker 1: do you want me to say about the Texans? I
Speaker 1: don't know me? Okay, So they clearly seem to be
Speaker 1: believing in Davis Mills. Whether or not the rest of
Speaker 1: us think that that's the truth, I don't know. It
Speaker 1: seems like they are. I did think that the John
Speaker 1: Mechi wide receiver pick up. You know, people stop talking
Speaker 1: about him because he got hurt kind of in the
Speaker 1: season before Giraffe season picked up. But John Metchi watches film.
Speaker 1: He's right up there with some of those top guys.
Speaker 1: I mean Alabama guys like this is a guy who's
Speaker 1: very very good. Also, how the Patriots get in trouble
Speaker 1: when they hire other Patriots guys, because I guarantee you
Speaker 1: they would have taken John Metchi with their second round pick,
Speaker 1: but instead, you know, they took Derek Stingley, which that
Speaker 1: has some Derek again it was one too for for
Speaker 1: which corners, but he does fit the Levey Smith system.
Speaker 1: Now that means there's a little bit of projection there
Speaker 1: because is he going to be the guy who's on
Speaker 1: twenty nineteen when he was all world at l s
Speaker 1: U Or are we going to see the guy in
Speaker 1: the past two years that it's going to be a
Speaker 1: coach in two years. That's but I will have to
Speaker 1: there's some low key thing I have to point out.
Speaker 1: There's Austin Deckless. He's our potential, right, So he's a
Speaker 1: sixth round pick. This kid he is from he went
Speaker 1: tells you he eats turtles. His grandmother made him turtle
Speaker 1: stew and he was the most entertaining person that I've
Speaker 1: talked to in a really long time. You talked to
Speaker 1: about East West Shrine. So this is the type of
Speaker 1: stuff you get. Turtle eating like, what is it like? What? Like, okay,
Speaker 1: just tho, I've had turtle before, like the arms, legs
Speaker 1: and head and you'd eat. He said it didn't taste
Speaker 1: like chicken, but he didn't know what it tasted like,
Speaker 1: and he said maybe more like turkey. But this is
Speaker 1: his kid's nuts. Like he's super fun to talk to me,
Speaker 1: like the human of the reptiles to human for me,
Speaker 1: I'm a tortoise owner. I was a turtle owner. Now
Speaker 1: I'm a tortoise owner. We've got got old Nori in
Speaker 1: the backyard. Yeah, now maybe I wouldn't need it, but
Speaker 1: it was good what did get in. But that's something
Speaker 1: often because I hope he makes the team I'm rooting for.
Speaker 1: But he loved his grandma so much. He's like anything
Speaker 1: she would she could have gotten me eating my finger.
Speaker 1: You know, he's learning about swamp people. This is very interesting.
Speaker 1: Nine draft picks in Vegas Derek Stingley, Kenyan Green fifteen overall,
Speaker 1: Jalen Petrie sat as we talked about, those are all
Speaker 1: starters for a team that needs to build. I think
Speaker 1: a serial has kind of done a good job, like
Speaker 1: last year was just a disaster. But like Davis Mills
Speaker 1: deserves a second chance. I always thought this was a
Speaker 1: potential landing spot for Baker Mayfield. It's never come up once,
Speaker 1: which is interesting because, like the backup team is Jeff
Speaker 1: criscal So it's not like you're sitting here being like, hey,
Speaker 1: let's give him a chance. But then I put a
Speaker 1: veteran like, where's the Brian Hoyer of this situation? Right?
Speaker 1: That's not what Jeff Driscoll makes too much sense. I
Speaker 1: think I think they are a little bit of an
Speaker 1: underdog to Baker at why why don't you rather have
Speaker 1: another showed something. I think they want to see Davis
Speaker 1: Mills hard, like Davis Mills, don't put it down. Put
Speaker 1: it down, Jackson will, Yeah, you are so. My my
Speaker 1: question with them is is trying enough? Like they're like
Speaker 1: they're trying. You can't say that the Jaguars aren't trying
Speaker 1: the Bears. I have questioned if the Bears are trying enough.
Speaker 1: I don't know if the Titans are trying enough. The
Speaker 1: Jaguars are absolutely trying to fix the worst franchise in
Speaker 1: the league. You know, based on Winds, based on their coach.
Speaker 1: They have at least ten new starters uh combined between
Speaker 1: their offense and defense. But when I when I look
Speaker 1: at their offense, I guess my question is, like, Cynthia,
Speaker 1: do you think it's enough? Because I look at what's
Speaker 1: around Trevor Lawrence and maybe it's a little better. They
Speaker 1: made the decision to keep the offensive line more or
Speaker 1: less the same. You brought in Brandon Schurff. It was
Speaker 1: a big addition in terms of runblocker, but you you
Speaker 1: resigned Cam Robinson instead of drafting someone. And I look
Speaker 1: at that group around him, and I just said, is
Speaker 1: it enough? Because I'm not overly impressed. Well, Walker little
Speaker 1: is there? So your kids are going to be happy
Speaker 1: to know that fan favorite. Um, I don't know if
Speaker 1: it's going to be enough. This seems to be. They
Speaker 1: made some interesting decisions that I'm I don't know. But
Speaker 1: the thing that they did really well was screw everyone
Speaker 1: else up in the wide receiver market, which was pretty
Speaker 1: epic for them by that Christian Kirk comp in the marketplace. Really,
Speaker 1: they really stuck it to a lot of other teams
Speaker 1: because people like I am way better than Christian Ker.
Speaker 1: You're going to need to pay me. See all the
Speaker 1: rest of the contracts that followed. So I think it's
Speaker 1: going to look better. And I think low key best
Speaker 1: news for uh, you know, for Trevor Lawrence is the
Speaker 1: fact that Travis A t N will be back. I
Speaker 1: think that that's super helpful. Using him along with James
Speaker 1: Robinson will be a big upgrade. I mean, Luke Fortner
Speaker 1: the third round pick as a center, Okay, I don't
Speaker 1: know it. It just it's gonna be It's gonna be
Speaker 1: interesting to see how that all plays out. And They're
Speaker 1: defense did get better upfront, and I do like their
Speaker 1: linebacker picks, but this is it was kind of like
Speaker 1: they were like, let's just throw a dart. We're gonna
Speaker 1: put ten names here, and then of these are sort
Speaker 1: of our consensus tend at this pick, and we'll just
Speaker 1: throw a dart and pick that because you know, why
Speaker 1: would you you know, Devin Lloyd is awesome. And but
Speaker 1: then like doubling down with Chad MoMA after that, like
Speaker 1: we're sort of redundancy is interesting. I do have questions
Speaker 1: about how much power Doug Peterson has inside the structure
Speaker 1: of that team, because the lead up to the draft
Speaker 1: was just like this camp wants this player, this camp
Speaker 1: wants this player. Never even heard about Doug Peterson. I
Speaker 1: My the thing though, is that I organizationally to go
Speaker 1: from last year where Trevor Lawrence spent the entire season
Speaker 1: like in a bathtub of total chaos under Urban and Meyer.
Speaker 1: There are a much better team, I think, just in
Speaker 1: every possible way, because they've removed a total cancer. And
Speaker 1: maybe Doug Peterson has power in the organization. Maybe it doesn't.
Speaker 1: You know, what we do know is he's a professional.
Speaker 1: He's been here before. Guy's got a real he has
Speaker 1: a great analytics one of my one of my favorite.
Speaker 1: He's going to be a professional that's going to help
Speaker 1: the kid, Trevor Lawrence build on it. And every year
Speaker 1: there is a team that nobody even thinks about than division.
Speaker 1: But Jack, don't be surprised if they're hanging around in
Speaker 1: the division racing after you know, Thanksgiving. Surprised. Okay, maybe
Speaker 1: I would give you Halloween or the South winner wins
Speaker 1: seven games, Right, That's what I think I'm telling I'm
Speaker 1: trying to teach Justin to take the path of peace,
Speaker 1: but sometimes you've got to pick up the piece. And
Speaker 1: you know what I mean, I think you did a
Speaker 1: good job. They're actually an assortment of it. Actually it's
Speaker 1: likely a second, but I got there, and I think
Speaker 1: you're saying pace but like using a different anyways, Alright,
Speaker 1: we're getting we're getting close. Now let's head to the
Speaker 1: a f C. West. Let's close things out, Cindy. Starting
Speaker 1: with the Chiefs, best division in football. Chiefs had a
Speaker 1: very very good draft. The problem is is that when
Speaker 1: you have a lot of things that are it's a
Speaker 1: totally different tack. They've had some interesting different strategies. Right
Speaker 1: the year after the Super Bowl, they brought back a
Speaker 1: lot of their starters, so they had a lot of continuity,
Speaker 1: and of course during COVID that continuity was an advantage.
Speaker 1: But then you remake this old line and you kind
Speaker 1: of remake the old line that are better at run
Speaker 1: blocking and than pass blocking, and then you pass a ton.
Speaker 1: So it takes a while for the two things to
Speaker 1: kind of come together. And then now you add a
Speaker 1: lot of different pieces. Obviously you get rid of Tyreek Hill,
Speaker 1: who you're not going to replace, but you add some
Speaker 1: pieces that are very good. So Trent McDuffie their first
Speaker 1: round pick that they went up to go and get,
Speaker 1: and then George carl loftis again adding at a position
Speaker 1: of need. This is interesting. And by the way, I
Speaker 1: love the Leo Shaneal pick because Steve Spagnolo defenses. It
Speaker 1: takes them all to a little bit to come together
Speaker 1: because it's a more complicated defense. Trent McDuffie does have
Speaker 1: a lot of the different attributes and he's played at
Speaker 1: the system most similarly to what Spags has done, so
Speaker 1: I think that will help quickly. But you know it's
Speaker 1: gonna the wide receiver room that is going to take
Speaker 1: a couple of games for even a guy with a
Speaker 1: talent level Patrick Mahomes to get used to having, I mean,
Speaker 1: other than his tight end. It's all this is it.
Speaker 1: This is where at Travis Kelsey is still the lead
Speaker 1: dog here at the tight end spot. But Juju Smith,
Speaker 1: Schuster mvs Sky more Mark. Do you think that is that?
Speaker 1: I think in on other teams maybe not, But you
Speaker 1: have Patrick Mahomes and I can't think of a team
Speaker 1: that I trust more under Andy Reid to make this
Speaker 1: work somehow. It's a great draft. I love that. I
Speaker 1: love how they're all very different, though they make it
Speaker 1: makes sense to me. I think they're very much with
Speaker 1: the trend that you don't need two great receivers necessarily,
Speaker 1: but you need four different ones that can all play,
Speaker 1: and they have four different ones. And you mentioned the
Speaker 1: offensive line makeover that they were so focused on last year.
Speaker 1: It weren't like it wasn't the only thing they needed
Speaker 1: to do last year but their offensive line. But will
Speaker 1: take a minute for these receivers and Patrick Mahomes against
Speaker 1: going to day one. Yeah, that Tyree killed leaving, Uh,
Speaker 1: you could still actually build a really explosive offense with
Speaker 1: the different pieces that fit together. I buy all that.
Speaker 1: And I like Jujuiceth Houster getting out of a big
Speaker 1: ben prison and you don't like as much, but he
Speaker 1: can make plays downfield sky more. Again, you're projecting a
Speaker 1: prospect making an immediate impact. It's all kind of there,
Speaker 1: but it might take time. And they've been known to
Speaker 1: Steve Spagnola's defense, which they put two first round picks in,
Speaker 1: and they have a lot of veterans on that defense.
Speaker 1: How about you not be like so up and down,
Speaker 1: where your top five for half the year or your
Speaker 1: bottom five for the other half. Let's just show up
Speaker 1: and maybe that they carried the chief sections of it,
Speaker 1: and then they're going to be better without Tyreek Killer
Speaker 1: that you're not gonna be better without Davonte Adams, Like,
Speaker 1: that's a bunch of that go pound salt on that one,
Speaker 1: or sand or sand YouTube salt bats salt. It's not
Speaker 1: the same, all right, here we go. Chandler Jones was
Speaker 1: signed to hunt quarterbacks with Max CROs Be. Davante Adams
Speaker 1: acquired Blockbuster changes everything for the Vegas offense. Life's good
Speaker 1: for Derek Carr, who also has Darren Waller. It's almost unfair.
Speaker 1: But do we truly I'm asking you what you feel.
Speaker 1: Do we truly see the Raiders as an a f
Speaker 1: C contender or are they going to be remembered because
Speaker 1: by the way, a lot of things in the power
Speaker 1: rankings and may are gonna be very wrong by January.
Speaker 1: Or are they a classic offseason hype bunny that will
Speaker 1: be long forgotten by the middle of May the middle
Speaker 1: of January. Mark They're my number one argument for why
Speaker 1: we should receive the playoffs um ignoring a f C
Speaker 1: NFC but just put like the top fourteen teams one
Speaker 1: to fourteen, because I think it's the one problem is
Speaker 1: getting out of that division. Correct. It's like they could
Speaker 1: probably run away with the A f C South. I'm
Speaker 1: not sure that you're gonna you're gonna subtract wins in
Speaker 1: Vegas because they're gonna beat each other up right. The
Speaker 1: other thing is, and you know, Josh mc daniels has
Speaker 1: always fit really well in the Patriots milieu where he's
Speaker 1: the play caller and doesn't have to do all the
Speaker 1: rest of the stuff. The Josh McDaniels outside of New
Speaker 1: England has been a raging disaster. I get that was
Speaker 1: a long time ago. People can change. He's talked about that,
Speaker 1: but I don't know what Jash McDaniel's head coach, what
Speaker 1: that all does, and how well it works with Derek Carr.
Speaker 1: Although Derek Carr's haircut makes me think they could hop
Speaker 1: scotch one or two team in that division possible right
Speaker 1: when you kind of like go down the list of
Speaker 1: their roster, as exciting as it is, that you can't
Speaker 1: double Hunter Renfro like the Chargers were in Week eighteen
Speaker 1: so much last year. Now that you have Davante Adams like,
Speaker 1: I think it's still the fourth best roster in the
Speaker 1: division and there's plenty of talent, but the offensive line
Speaker 1: especially was not great on paper or on the Field
Speaker 1: a year ago and they didn't really do much. They
Speaker 1: drafted a third round pick, they didn't have picks. Dylan
Speaker 1: Paramet guard. Uh, you brought over an offensive line coach
Speaker 1: from the Patriots. Maybe that'll work out. But I do
Speaker 1: I do worry about that in this division. I'll say
Speaker 1: on the tray Von Mullin rock us in. Those are
Speaker 1: their starting corners. Yes, that's good in that division, that's
Speaker 1: that's not I don't know if that's going to be enough.
Speaker 1: And it was a big middle finger to Mike Mayak
Speaker 1: that they declined all three fifth year options those first
Speaker 1: round picks. Also, let's do the same thing. It's fair
Speaker 1: either way. I don't know who was, but either way
Speaker 1: it's it's actually impressive that they are an interesting, compelling
Speaker 1: team considering the whiffs of that mess. They're going to
Speaker 1: get lit up in the secondary. Is what you do.
Speaker 1: Jonathan Abraham hasn't I like Patrick Graham, right, I don't know.
Speaker 1: I just think that start just going to I think
Speaker 1: stuff could be very good and one of these teams anyway.
Speaker 1: Josh McDaniels at the combine, he smiled and was like
Speaker 1: super nice to me. He has to do that stuff now,
Speaker 1: freaking crazy he was, So I'll take the Darks. I
Speaker 1: want to say this, it's one of these teams. It's
Speaker 1: more likely than not that one of these teams will
Speaker 1: disappoint someone's taking. I had to pick, I would be
Speaker 1: the Raiders. But I also at this time, I feel
Speaker 1: pretty good about him. But it's gonna be tough. You're right,
Speaker 1: You're right. Let's move on. Chargers. Greg. You know, as
Speaker 1: a long time Chargers quasi fan, it almost feels like
Speaker 1: they would be the team set up for that because
Speaker 1: they're the Charges. But it's not gonna happen because they
Speaker 1: got Justin Herbert and he's immortal. He's unbelievable. And I
Speaker 1: like to Zion Johnson pick because he was the guy
Speaker 1: I think the team's right behind the Chargers all wanted
Speaker 1: to take. And so that's a good sign when you do.
Speaker 1: When it's like when you make the the play call
Speaker 1: that you don't want the other team to make you
Speaker 1: made the pick. I think a lot of those teams
Speaker 1: wanted Zion Johnson. I think he fits in perfectly. They
Speaker 1: still have a question at right tackle. Was Storm Norton.
Speaker 1: I think if Tom Talsco like had to redo this offseason.
Speaker 1: I think he had hopes that he would maybe add
Speaker 1: one more offensive weapon, uh to the mix, maybe a
Speaker 1: pass catcher. And I do think they could be someone
Speaker 1: lurking in the O b J sweepstakes here because they
Speaker 1: still have a little bit of cap space. And I
Speaker 1: think that that was maybe one part of the checklist
Speaker 1: they didn't quite get ticked off, is add one more
Speaker 1: pass catcher. I was surprised they didn't draft someone. I
Speaker 1: thought that they were sort of a home run to
Speaker 1: draft a wide out. But I do trust this team
Speaker 1: to make the most out of Khalil Mack and J. C.
Speaker 1: Jackson on defense. Those are two massive additions, Like you
Speaker 1: didn't need to draft after those two. I mean, if
Speaker 1: you already have your quarterback, you do have a left tackle,
Speaker 1: you have nailed that down, and he's on a rookie country,
Speaker 1: it would be a little, um, a little full of yourself.
Speaker 1: You're just like, I'm not, I mean, well, you'd be
Speaker 1: a little full of yourself. But I'm just saying, like,
Speaker 1: for what they've got like and I love the Zigon
Speaker 1: Johnson big. Obviously I went to BC, so of course
Speaker 1: I'm gonna like a Zigon Johnson. You have like a
Speaker 1: close personal relations like all the bc UH players and
Speaker 1: coaches that you seem to have a network of them
Speaker 1: or you And you know, you know what's even better
Speaker 1: for me that Ryan Day was there when I was there,
Speaker 1: So that actually really helps me for the networking part
Speaker 1: because Ryan Day actually pretty darn coach become Johnson. Yeah,
Speaker 1: that that's the unofficial edict of the Chargers. Protect Justin
Speaker 1: Herbert at all costs. Smart smart move. I'm gonna do it.
Speaker 1: I'm this guy's unofficial fan club leader. But how about
Speaker 1: we get will Fuller, have him run some go routes
Speaker 1: for Justin Herbert. I don't know. Healthy think will Fuller
Speaker 1: was one of those guys who had the same trainer
Speaker 1: as Dehanre Hopkins Beaver Tranquilizer. What is that? I think
Speaker 1: that might be. I think you're absolutely right that will
Speaker 1: Fuller is UH. At this point, what's he gonna cost
Speaker 1: one year? Four million dollars? He'll pay you at this point, right,
Speaker 1: he could make a difference for a team in cheaper too.
Speaker 1: Will Fuller is is always a wild card, not even
Speaker 1: off the field, but on the field to play to
Speaker 1: think about it, but I think J Miller can we
Speaker 1: get I like, I like one of the free agent
Speaker 1: signings Stone Smart. Hey, it sounds good to me. I
Speaker 1: hope he makes it. This is the official team. Like
Speaker 1: by the end, we always just start running out of
Speaker 1: theme and compliments, but we don't know rant about b
Speaker 1: C in the middle of that, and still can't get
Speaker 1: to the buzzy. I'm still mad about Glenn Foley beating
Speaker 1: Notre Dame. When I was at Boston Coology beat Notre
Speaker 1: Dame all four years, which is like pretty amazing because
Speaker 1: we did not have this good of teams. All Right, finally,
Speaker 1: let's wrap it up. Mark, This is your opportunity to
Speaker 1: end the show. Mark, Mark, thank you for the support.
Speaker 1: I appreciate that. I feel like we've been talking about
Speaker 1: the Broncos for years as being a quarterback away from
Speaker 1: being a super Bowl threat, and so now they got
Speaker 1: their guy. We get into how annoying last summer was.
Speaker 1: It was, it was the previous summer was, previous seasons
Speaker 1: as well. The Panthers, you know, the Broncos better worry
Speaker 1: that the Teddy leaving effect. You know, sometimes you don't
Speaker 1: know what you had until he's gone. I think we're
Speaker 1: getting I with this either. I think we're getting a feisty, angry,
Speaker 1: top shelf version of Russell Wilson. I really do. I
Speaker 1: also Nathaniel Hackett is my cup of tea. A lot
Speaker 1: of it is good. It's rosie. But I would say this,
Speaker 1: or I would ask you this. Are we overlooking a
Speaker 1: somewhat shaky offensive line? Are we overlooking the idea that
Speaker 1: Hackett and Russell Wilson have never worked together? Are we
Speaker 1: overlooking a defense that is now run by someone named
Speaker 1: is Giro Viro? Uh? Instead of Vick Fongio. That's not
Speaker 1: the person that's running the defense, Gero Viro. Yeah, it's
Speaker 1: the new defensive. It all seems sensational on paper. Do
Speaker 1: you have concerns though, that there might be a fly
Speaker 1: in the ointment here somewhere? They're the other team? They
Speaker 1: are to me like the Raiders, or it's like definitely
Speaker 1: have talked myselves into them. They're number eight in my
Speaker 1: power ranks. But you can absolutely make a case that
Speaker 1: they are off season hype bunny for the ages. They
Speaker 1: remind me a little bit of the Broncos in that,
Speaker 1: like when Peyton Manning got there, we weren't sure what
Speaker 1: Manning was gonna be like but we're kind of like
Speaker 1: they might be a super Bowl contender right away with
Speaker 1: it with a new head coach in this case, that
Speaker 1: usually doesn't happen, and it absolutely worked and they were
Speaker 1: a super Bowl contender. I I I'm not buying the
Speaker 1: doubt so much. You're right, the offensive line has some questions.
Speaker 1: You brought bit of Billy Turner from the Packers. He
Speaker 1: knows Hackett. I think just roster is the top five
Speaker 1: roster in the NFL. They don't have like because I
Speaker 1: was trying the Broncos. Let's hear in Cynthia. I had
Speaker 1: some questions. Number one actually less on the defense. I
Speaker 1: love Bradley Chub, I love pats her Tan. I understand,
Speaker 1: you know it's only the second season, so it's gonna
Speaker 1: take a minute. I obviously you know Justin Simmons were
Speaker 1: to go all BC here, Bannito was a good pick
Speaker 1: in the was an awesome pick. So I like that.
Speaker 1: I feel more comfortable with their defense than I you.
Speaker 1: And look, I know Russell Wilson is a very very
Speaker 1: good quarterback. That part of what makes all of this
Speaker 1: team work though, was I just need to see some
Speaker 1: more consistency when Coreland Sutton was really good then that
Speaker 1: was two seasons ago before he got hurt. Last season,
Speaker 1: I did not see that same sack. I didn't see
Speaker 1: Jerry Judy come out of a big injury. I understand,
Speaker 1: but but are you going to get your Maybe he
Speaker 1: needs to bea for tranquilizer. I don't know, But like
Speaker 1: you know, Jerry Judy, I haven't seen them live up
Speaker 1: to their where they should be yet. Now maybe maybe
Speaker 1: the quarterback does change that. But your route running still
Speaker 1: your route running. I still to see it further. I
Speaker 1: got to see it first. I'm not anti. This is
Speaker 1: just a really hard to put these guys in the
Speaker 1: NFC East. We're good, like tangible proof Greg a little bit.
Speaker 1: They got him out of U. L A to fill
Speaker 1: in for Noah Fan because that's the same. But I'm
Speaker 1: just saying, there's there are you know? Yeah, I got it.
Speaker 1: The projection. It's a projection with the Broncos, the big one,
Speaker 1: Bronco's country. Let's rite Seattle, did that Seattle that? I'm
Speaker 1: just doing the thing where I'm making the expectations so high.
Speaker 1: Yet if Russell Wilson can't deliver, then um, then I
Speaker 1: bury him in a Teddy related argument. You know who's
Speaker 1: more likely to crumble out of the West playoff picture immediately,
Speaker 1: Raiders or Broncos. Let's look at the schedule. I swear
Speaker 1: the schedule is going to determine. I know May twelve
Speaker 1: schedule released next week. But you know it's just interesting too.
Speaker 1: It's interesting. Inter national games are getting announced though Wednesday,
Speaker 1: and the the local Denver papers have been saying the
Speaker 1: that Broncos Jaguars is going to be one. How about
Speaker 1: this paper say it? Don't think maybe it's not. Guess
Speaker 1: I have a guess on though some of them, but
Speaker 1: I don't think it's that. How about this over under
Speaker 1: on a f C West primetime games like putting out
Speaker 1: a hundred and fifteen. I know I'm down for that, though,
Speaker 1: I'm with you, give me good games. I think I
Speaker 1: think one of those an f C West teams is
Speaker 1: going to have to go over to a country that's
Speaker 1: not the one that Handsome Hank is in, and that's
Speaker 1: gonna be very hard for them, and that's gonna be
Speaker 1: a that's gonna be a digger for their scheduling. We
Speaker 1: had this conversation with the NFC West a year ago,
Speaker 1: like they can't all be good. One of them needs
Speaker 1: to be a huge letdown. It turned into Seattle, Oh gosh,
Speaker 1: Seattle crew rumble. Seattle fans were so mean to me
Speaker 1: ahead of last season when I said that I didn't
Speaker 1: think that that they were going to finish fourth. I
Speaker 1: got tons of hate, like almost Tennessee Titans levels of hate.
Speaker 1: Leaders But I like the re I just like feel
Speaker 1: you let it fuel. You said it all, Cynthia. Thanks guys,
Speaker 1: thanks for having Where can the people find you? You know?
Speaker 1: Right here with you. I'm just never leaving. She's a squatter.
Speaker 1: That's your first job, Braver in the studio. Alright, I'll
Speaker 1: get right on that one. Alright, great dig a good job, No,
Speaker 1: great up in your first show. Great job. Well, I
Speaker 1: want Mark's actual honest take on your first show. Mark
Speaker 1: on you. I mean, you've been performing at a high
Speaker 1: level for months and you continued that today. Thank you
Speaker 1: to quote um you know, some of the draft grades,
Speaker 1: but also Dan's famous post show grades of our early
Speaker 1: days of the podcast. I'm gonna go be minus this
Speaker 1: was Yeah, this is as there's always room for improvements.
Speaker 1: You gotta start, you gotta start somewhere, all right, let's
Speaker 1: go next. Next show Thursday, we will have handsome Hag
Speaker 1: by the way to share the international schedule and Patrick
Speaker 1: Claiban because we go around the NFC, so check that out.
Speaker 1: Until then, Mrs Dan Hans for Cynthia Freeland, Greg rosen Thal,
Speaker 1: Mark Cessler, the grave Digger behind the Glass Welcome Aboard
Speaker 1: formerly Mr Graver, thank you for agreeing to abstain heed
Speaker 1: the call s