0:00

They around the NFL podcast

0:04

knows there's no basement in

0:06

the element.

0:09

From Austin, Texas. It's around

0:11

the NFL Free

0:13

Agency Week special

0:16

edition Sunday

0:18

edition.

0:20

Was not the plan.

0:22

And yet here we are in hotel rooms

0:25

giving you the information you need. Dan

0:27

Hans is here, Greg Rosenthal, Mark

0:29

Sessler, and we are in Austin,

0:32

here, the capital of Texas,

0:34

the place where I got married to my beautiful

0:36

wife twelve years ago. In May

0:39

for the iHeart Radio Awards,

0:41

and we are up for best Sports Podcast.

0:43

That's tomorrow night. But that's just a personal

0:46

journey we're on. The reason we're here

0:48

today is to get you caught up on Free

0:50

Agency Week, which has already started. And this

0:53

is different, Greg Rosenthal

0:55

and did I mention him with Mark Sessler? And

0:57

Greg, I think I did. We've

0:59

done this for many years now. This is the twelfth

1:01

year of the podcast, uh

1:03

and we've usually

1:06

been okay, starting Monday and go on Monday

1:08

Tuesday. But there's been so much

1:10

churn going on, so much big news, that

1:12

it necessitated a clearing of the decks.

1:14

And that's what we're gonna do to you do for you guys

1:17

today, Bunker style.

1:18

There's nothing better in life than something it's a surprise,

1:21

little surprise podcast.

1:23

The NFL wants to just.

1:24

Own our lives every every

1:27

day, every segment of the year, and so I

1:29

think they've kind of extended free agency.

1:31

It used to start like on the Wednesday or whatever when

1:33

the league year started. Then it went to Tuesday and Monday,

1:35

and now it's Sunday. And these

1:38

are the biggest awards shows happening in America

1:40

this week.

1:40

The iHeart Podcast, but also what would

1:43

you know, what would the best sportscast podcast

1:45

do? They would land at the airport

1:48

immediately, you know, jet stream

1:50

to a cab, get to the hotel, don't even unpack

1:53

our bags, set our equipment up, record

1:55

a mic.

1:57

Club.

1:58

What they do It's like check club,

2:01

Shay, she is still coasting off the Cat

2:03

Williams interview. And here we are giving

2:05

you the content that you need. And

2:08

yeah, like so much has gone down,

2:10

we're going to get into it. And I mentioned,

2:12

yeah, bunker cast style. If listeners

2:15

that were following us during the dark

2:18

days in the early days of COVID,

2:20

remember we would give you guys a daily

2:22

news rundown from our garages. And

2:25

we're going to kind of get you up to date. So not

2:27

a lot of bells will whistles to this up. It's just

2:29

what you need to know as the legal tampering

2:32

period opens on Monday. Shall

2:34

we dig into it?

2:35

Please? All right? Hit it? Eric,

2:38

So if you.

2:38

Ever got a problem with aged eighty nine, I'm

2:41

sorry for saying that you're

2:43

an average wide receiver that they eventually will

2:45

move on.

2:45

And when teams called me and.

2:47

Asking should they trade for you, I

2:49

will say no, don't trade for Jerry Judy

2:51

because he's mentally unable

2:53

to handle constructive criticism

2:56

from people who watch. Specifically,

2:59

can he be a while receiver? He could be a

3:01

wide receiver. He's a Tier three.

3:06

We're and we're gonna get to Jerry Judy,

3:08

who's on the move. But there's something so

3:11

crushing about

3:13

Steve Smith having his own little

3:15

tiers and just dropping it as the final line.

3:18

He's a tier three Ouchers

3:20

Ouchers. So let's

3:22

get into the big news though. The lead news

3:25

Baker Mayfield. He

3:27

has signed a big deal with

3:30

the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It

3:32

is a three year contract, or at least

3:34

that's what it is on paper. It

3:37

is worth one hundred million at least

3:39

that's what it says on paper, but rap sheet

3:41

says the deal includes fifty million

3:44

in guaranteed money and he

3:46

can earn as much as one fifteen over the next

3:48

three years.

3:48

He'll never see one fifteen.

3:49

But Greggie, this contract

3:52

for Baker which comes after you

3:55

know, I don't think he was connected in a couple

3:57

different places, Atlanta, New England,

4:00

but Tampa always felt like the place

4:02

he would end up. And both sides

4:04

of this marriage seem happy, and they will move forward

4:06

together for how long we'll see, but at least

4:08

for twenty twenty four.

4:09

Yeah, at least one year.

4:10

And we'll circle back to the contractual details,

4:12

which I think are interesting kind of inform how

4:15

in they are on Baker. But to me, that's

4:17

not as interesting as this journey

4:19

he's been on to sign a one year, three to

4:21

four million dollar contract a year ago. At this time,

4:23

nobody wanted him to this

4:26

moment where I think he is smartly

4:28

realizing his best chance for success

4:31

is just to stay where he is in Tampa. It's not going

4:33

to be the same offensive coordinator, so that's a

4:35

little bit of a concern. But to stay with

4:37

Mike Evan, stay with this organization, and I

4:39

just can't remember a guy having

4:42

this much of an up and down career this early

4:45

into his career. And if

4:47

you're Mark Sessler, a big Baker

4:49

fan, I think this is best case scenario. I mean,

4:51

he's flying, he's crushing the Sam

4:53

Darnold debate right now, and this

4:56

is his chance, I think, to be.

4:59

Quarterback.

4:59

That just it's been ups, there's been

5:01

downs, but right now Baker's making a lot of

5:03

money.

5:04

In foolish comment, go ahead, Mark, I

5:06

would say that, you know, quarterbacks

5:09

are like cats on some level because they do have

5:11

a chance to overcome what appears to be

5:13

death. I mean, we are two seasons

5:15

removed from Baker being axed

5:18

by the woebegone Carolina Panthers

5:20

that had no other answers at quarterback, and we're

5:22

willing just to move on from him. And he goes

5:24

to that Rams and has that you know three quarters

5:27

of like you know, milk toast play and then that

5:29

magical final fourth quarter where he

5:31

slays the Raiders after being there for a couple

5:33

of days. But then the Rams didn't want him ultimately

5:35

either. It seemed like, oh, that would be a place where he'd stayed behind

5:37

Matthew Stafford. So he goes to Tampa Bay

5:40

pulls off arguably his finest

5:42

season. I would say his rookie season had

5:45

this sort of magic to it where you're like the ceiling,

5:47

we don't even know what the ceiling is, but to go do

5:49

what he did with the Bucks. I really

5:51

think the best situation and the money

5:53

for him is a surprise after where he was a year

5:55

ago. Certainly is that he

5:58

is in a place that wants him. And that wasn't

6:00

true of Cleveland, that wasn't true of Carolina,

6:02

that wasn't true of the Rams. Ultimately, and I

6:04

think what he went through with the Browns was, you know, certainly

6:08

humbling, certainly almost on the border

6:10

of humiliating after the way he started. So to

6:12

be here it just tells you the story

6:14

of these quarterbacks is about as unpredictable

6:17

as any position in sports.

6:19

I think, even though it is short term and

6:21

it is more or less Greg, you and I were

6:23

talking about at the airport

6:26

the Geno Smith contract, and Gino's probably

6:28

in his second and final year with Seattle

6:31

after signing that deal. I

6:34

don't like it. I don't, and I think it's

6:36

a bad deal for the Bucks. It's one of those deals

6:38

that make sense after last year.

6:40

But then it's like, you

6:42

know, and you said it, like you want Baker on the

6:45

deal when he's trying to prove it. Now you're

6:47

paying him as a guy that's, you

6:49

know, supposed to actually lead you potentially to the

6:51

promised land. I know he's not paid at the top tier

6:54

of quarterbacks, but that for me, that's way

6:56

too much for Baker where

6:58

I can and you bring up guys

7:00

like Jake Briskett all the time, and players

7:02

are those of that ilk in terms

7:04

of what Baker actually gives you over

7:07

the course of a seventeen game season.

7:09

I think they'll regret this contract, but I also understand

7:12

why they did it.

7:12

It was a safe move.

7:14

It will be seen mostly

7:16

as a logical move, but I have a feeling this time

7:18

next year it won't be remembered as a

7:20

wise one.

7:21

But Dan, what if he gives you what he gave them

7:23

a year ago for an NFL quarterback?

7:25

Is the price out of hand at that

7:27

point?

7:28

I guess.

7:29

I think it's like one of those things good is the enemy

7:31

of great. I

7:33

think he is a solution where it's

7:36

he is in a way kind of the

7:39

progress stopper for them finding

7:41

the next true quarterback after

7:43

Brady. But also I

7:46

say that knowing you know the Bucks's

7:48

history. For the most part, they they've been combing

7:50

the desert looking for a quarterback.

7:51

Brady was this outlier.

7:53

They won the super Bowl with Brad Johnson and that

7:55

was a huge defense that really got that done.

7:57

So he brings them a level. He

8:01

was obviously a professional, competent quarterback

8:03

this year, but it's just like he has

8:06

to repeat that, and I he

8:08

consistency has never been Baker's things. Staying healthy

8:10

has never been Baker's thing. It's

8:13

just a deal that I feel like is a major red

8:15

flag for me. And where's gonna be a lot of deals

8:17

over the next five days.

8:18

That are you're gonna put your eyebrow up on. This is

8:20

one of them for me.

8:21

Yeah, I do worry that his play

8:23

will go down because he's been streaky.

8:25

Now.

8:26

I actually thought he played his best ball at

8:28

the end of the season. He was the

8:30

playoffs and whatnot. Was kind of like, Okay,

8:32

this is almost the Baker people were talking about

8:34

how he was playing the whole year, where I thought he was a little

8:37

uneven without Dave Canalis.

8:39

That's a big concern.

8:40

But if he does decline,

8:42

Dan, He's not gonna be on the team next year.

8:44

It's very, very similar to not

8:47

just the Gino contract, but the Derek Carr contract

8:50

that the Raiders gave Derek Carr before

8:52

the twenty twenty two season. Both of those contracts

8:54

with Gino, they gave like a round ten

8:57

million. In this case to Baker. I think Gino's

8:59

was like twelve to the second year Derek

9:01

Carrs was similar, and the Raiders just decided to

9:03

eat that money and they cut him because he didn't play well.

9:05

Gino was like just over the line.

9:07

I believe for Seattle to just be like, Okay, let's

9:10

kick the let's keep Gino and who knows,

9:12

he might even get a third year if he plays great. But

9:14

they're in a spot where they can draft someone, and I don't

9:17

think the Bucks would eliminate that. To answer

9:19

your question, Mark though, where you said would

9:21

it be worth it if he does play at that level, I

9:23

think it would be if you actually do like the average

9:26

quarterback salary. Now, Baker's still

9:28

only sixteenth or seventeenth at the time

9:30

of signing it, So this is your middle class.

9:33

There has to be something between superstar

9:36

and you know, like Jacoby Brissett,

9:38

and it doesn't seem fair that it's like that huge

9:41

of a drop. So I think it's fine if he plays

9:43

at that level. I think it's worth it, and I think it shouldn't

9:45

eliminate them from even thinking about drafting

9:47

someone like in the second round.

9:48

So when I woke up this morning, I was feeling pretty dangerous.

9:52

In other big news, other

9:54

big signings, Chris

9:56

Jones and the Chiefs get it done

9:59

Kansas City. He agreed to terms with the

10:01

defensive tackle on a five year

10:03

extension through twenty twenty eight. It's

10:06

a deal that includes ninety five

10:09

million guaranteed,

10:11

So that is different. That

10:14

is kind of I feel like where things are

10:16

continuing to head in the NFL, where players,

10:19

at least the superstars are getting massive

10:22

guaranteed deals on shorter contracts,

10:25

and for a player like Chris Jones

10:28

mark who's thirty two years old, excuse

10:32

me, he's thirty years old now, this contract

10:35

maybe even sets him up for one more big deal after

10:37

this, But I think everybody wins here.

10:40

The last time we saw Chris Jones, he's

10:42

pressuring brock Purty on that critical

10:44

overtime third down that forces them the

10:46

forty nine ers, into a field goal that sets

10:49

up the Chiefs to go do what they did. He

10:51

is a direct reason they got to

10:53

the Super Bowl, won all the games

10:55

they did, won the Super Bowl. He is

10:58

arguably the best defensive tackle in the league right

11:00

now. And I think if you're Kansas City,

11:02

you're in one of the rare positions in sports

11:05

where it's like you look out over the length of this

11:07

contract and say, it is not ridiculous

11:09

to suggest that we win four Super

11:11

Bowls. Three super Bowls would even be like

11:14

to me, just like the over runners sitting there at

11:16

three with all the pieces they have, you

11:18

don't just let Chris Jones walk away.

11:20

I think was a trick. They walked into this offseason with a

11:22

tricky situation on defense, Like.

11:24

Wait three more during Chris Jones'

11:26

contract, I.

11:27

Am saying they could win three of the next four Super

11:29

Bowls, And I'd have no problem with

11:31

saying that that is not an outrageous claim. It's

11:34

like back during the Yankees heyday saying they win

11:36

three of four World Series, like they're that

11:38

kind of football team with what they have right now, and

11:40

it's like, you let guys like this go.

11:43

We've seen three different types of chiefs offenses

11:46

and defenses win Super Bowls in the past

11:48

half decade, and like, so at,

11:51

keep adding to what you have, keep your star

11:53

players around. Jones wanted to be there. He said

11:55

that emphatically during their parade. And

11:58

he's sticking around, and it's like, it's a lot of my but

12:00

it won't look that. None of these contracts look

12:02

bad, you know, seven hundred days from now, they're

12:04

fine and he's worth it.

12:07

This one worries me less.

12:08

Greg, it worries me less,

12:10

But the history of the NFL would

12:12

say that giving a thirty year

12:14

old defensive tackle quarterback

12:17

money, though I guess it's like Baker quarterback money,

12:19

you know, has some sort of risk in it.

12:21

He hasn't shown any decline to play. I love it. It is

12:23

a reminder, you know, when people are saying.

12:25

Oh, the caps, see how real the cap is,

12:27

like you have to make moves, It's like, no, he's yes.

12:31

I am.

12:32

My main thing is like teams ultimately

12:35

keep the players they want to if they

12:37

really want. And I'm really glad that

12:39

this is a marriage that continues

12:41

because I started thinking about during

12:43

that playoff run and he had the pressure that

12:45

forced Josh Allen to miss that

12:48

throw that would have maybe won

12:50

the game for them in the division around the Bills,

12:52

and then he had another great Super Bowl. And if

12:54

you just go through game by game, he's the guy making

12:56

the plays game after game and Dante

12:59

high Tower would have, you know, a case

13:01

for this, But like, I don't think any

13:03

defensive player in the last twenty years

13:06

has made more championship

13:08

and playoff winning plays

13:11

than Chris Jones. So if you can't reward him, like,

13:13

who are you going to reward it? And they got to keep they

13:15

got to keep the guy.

13:16

I think you made kind

13:18

of the point I was going to make that he's you

13:20

know, he's under that category. Aaron

13:22

Donalds is obviously seen as probably the

13:25

best defensive player, certainly the best defensive

13:28

lignement of his generation. But Jones

13:30

now has certainly a case to

13:33

be in that group. And those are the guys that you

13:35

maybe take the chance on the age thirty

13:38

contract with. And it does not to

13:40

circle back to Baker, but it also does show you how

13:42

strange it is that so Chris Jones

13:45

and Baker got about the same money. I mean, the difference

13:47

in player and in

13:50

the impact those players have, it's

13:52

a no brainer.

13:52

And well, the guaranteed money is quite different now

13:54

it says practically guaranteed. And this is one

13:56

deal where the details haven't

13:59

come out, which is when they don't come out totally,

14:01

it usually means it's not great for the players.

14:04

I want to see what practically guarantee mean this

14:06

This stuff annoys me. But either way, ninety five

14:08

million guaranteed is quite a lot more than like

14:11

forty for Baker, and so

14:13

that that's a difference in terms.

14:14

Of it, and there is a risk and like he is thirty

14:16

and also to the thirty today for

14:18

athletes meets something different than it did, you know, in nineteen

14:21

ninety five. But also like the

14:23

other parallel universe we're talking about, is that the

14:25

Raiders sign them for this and pull them

14:27

away from the Chiefs and make them the centerpiece

14:30

of their forgettable defense probably for the next four

14:32

or five years. Like I like him on the Chiefs. I like

14:34

him part of this team, like keep it going, and

14:37

they're a team that can take risks, has

14:39

taken risks all along, and like it seems to

14:41

work out for him time and again.

14:42

And to be fair, defensive tackles have has started

14:45

to age better. Like Fletcher Cox,

14:47

who were going to get to in a minute, like he's still playing. He

14:49

was still playing at a high level at thirty five. A lot of these

14:51

guys do play very well thirty two to thirty

14:53

three. I mean, it's a question with Aaron Donald, which there's

14:56

some whispers out there. We haven't put it in a news rundown,

14:58

but there's some whispers of like what's going on with Aaron Donald?

15:00

He might want more money, he might be retiring.

15:02

How of those this is?

15:04

If this is Chris Jones at age thirty three, I

15:06

think it's a conversation.

15:08

This, I mean just seems like a no brainer

15:10

to me.

15:11

And then if he continues to play at this level

15:14

a couple of years from now, yes, then they really have to

15:16

think whether they want to continue that everybody

15:18

wins, and and remember they already tagged

15:21

Lagarius Snead and he's open to finding

15:23

a trade partner. So I think

15:25

their game plan continues

15:27

to come into focus. Is now you got Chris Jones under

15:30

contract. He's the Patrick Mahomes of your defense.

15:32

You're gonna tag and try to get assets

15:34

for the cornerback, and now they're gonna

15:37

build around Mahomes.

15:38

It's scary.

15:38

It's scary because the Chiefs are one

15:41

really good offseason away from really

15:43

distancing themselves from the pack. And

15:46

so far so good, at least if you're a Chiefs

15:48

fan. So

15:51

far not so good for mac Jones

15:53

in the NFL, at least after his rookie year he

15:56

was a pro bowler. It looked like the Patriots

15:58

had found an immediate successor to

16:00

Tom Brady. But then it all fell apart

16:03

over the ensuing years for

16:05

Jones, and on Sunday.

16:08

The Patriots moved on.

16:10

It was reported first by Adam

16:12

Schefter that the Jaguars have agreed to acquire

16:14

mac Jones from the Patriots in exchange

16:17

for a late draft pick.

16:19

I believe it turned out to.

16:20

Be what a sixth and a seventh

16:21

sixth round pick

16:23

for mac Jones, who went fifteenth overall

16:25

a couple of years back. The twenty twenty one

16:28

draft class. No great shakes.

16:30

Even Trevor Lawrence, who now Mac Jones

16:32

will back up, hasn't quite lived up to the

16:34

hype, but he's certainly been better than all

16:36

the other players taken in the first

16:39

round. Greg, I know, as

16:42

a Patriots fan, whatever you are, you

16:44

were ready to move on from mac Jones. But

16:47

it is crazy to think from

16:49

where we were when they got

16:51

to the playoffs in that first year and even made

16:53

some throws in that lost to the Bills. Just a really

16:55

good first year to a couple

16:57

of years later being shipped out of town for a six That's

17:00

about as sudden a turn as you get.

17:02

Right, I was.

17:02

Saying, Baker has had the

17:05

most up and down career possible. I don't know if

17:07

mac Jones is ever going to get the ups again, but man,

17:10

his has been like a rollercoaster

17:12

that he The tape

17:15

he put out there his rookie year was

17:17

real like when when you see someone play at that

17:19

level, and I thought he did a lot of things, well, you

17:22

tend to think that they can have a career,

17:24

even if it's a career as like a bridge

17:26

quarterback.

17:27

Type of guy, like a middling guy.

17:29

But I can't remember a quarterback looking

17:31

more that had shown a high level

17:34

before looking as obviously broken

17:36

as mac Jones did last year. So this deal

17:38

actually seems curious to me. For the Jaguars.

17:41

I mean, they get him for one year, like two and a half million.

17:43

It's fine, it's a one year deal essentially to

17:45

be your backup quarterback, but they're

17:48

not going to pick up his fifth year option and then he's

17:50

just a free agent again. It I guess it's

17:52

it's fine, it's just a backup quarterback. But I'm almost

17:54

surprised that they did it, and it

17:57

hurt. It hurt my feelings. When Walker

18:00

into the bathroom this morning as I was shaving

18:02

on the way getting ready to come out, and

18:04

he goes breaking

18:06

news the Patriots have traded Mac Jones. He's gotten

18:09

really into the free agency period. He's typing

18:11

it up on his typewriter as he must earn your

18:13

love.

18:13

Yes, he buss.

18:15

I did notice like a literally a full

18:17

gigantic page of typewritten notes coming

18:19

from Walker's typewriter, which is like, this is an

18:21

old school journal operating at

18:23

this point. I'm I'm proud of your son.

18:25

Yeah, it really makes me.

18:27

But he's really gotten into this, but it's we're a long way

18:29

from doing the gritty. He used to think Mac Jones

18:31

was like the best player ever. When Mac Jones was doing

18:33

the gritty at the Pro Bowl. Now he thinks, I.

18:35

Mean, I'm also I'm almost willing to give Mac

18:37

Jones like which is a rare thing, like two mulligans,

18:39

because I think two years ago they could have mismanaged

18:42

him in their entire offense with

18:44

more of a botched you know, mindset. Last

18:47

year was a disaster in New England. It's like when

18:49

Josh McDaniel's who I think, you know, Peter Principle

18:51

can be an offensive coordinator, like was

18:54

his tutor. Like he showed the promise

18:56

of an organized you know, game plan and organized

18:58

process each week. And it's like, you

19:01

know, for all that Bill Belichick has done, like the way

19:03

that his apathy towards Mac Jones verbally

19:05

down the stretch too, it's like disliked him. They

19:08

just did not like each other. And he was from Alabama of

19:10

all things. So it's like he's getting he you know, got the seal of

19:12

approval from Nick Stavens. So I would just say

19:14

that, like Mac Jones of anyone, I don't we're

19:16

not going He's going to be a backup, but he

19:18

deserves a new start. But I said, some of these backups

19:20

sometimes it's like he might have to come in and play

19:23

three critical games and put a new stamp

19:25

on what we think about him.

19:26

I think he was exactly the type

19:29

of he's a tear below Baker

19:31

to me, but exactly the type of quarterback

19:33

of everything around him. As

19:36

Greg strips off, Oh my god, we just

19:38

saw Craig's bare chest.

19:39

You're gonna see that in his hotel room. Anything

19:41

could happen.

19:42

Anything goes in a hotel room on a business

19:44

trip.

19:44

And Greg just showed you it's hot.

19:48

There's no air in these rooms. We all have, like Greg,

19:51

like cherry tomatoes.

19:52

I should turn down or something like that.

19:54

But yeah, it's hot, and I'm just trying to raise

19:56

our YouTube subscribers.

20:00

He'll tell you. Some of the men you know now can

20:02

just my.

20:03

Point being that if everything is perfectly set up

20:05

around a quarterback like Mac Jones, you could

20:07

be all right. Maybe you'll win ten games if things break.

20:09

The right way. But I think he was

20:11

exposed. He got your right mark.

20:14

The whole de facto offensive

20:16

coordinator Patricia thing was terrible,

20:19

kind of in a way ruin Belichick's

20:21

Patriots career as well, or at least how it ended.

20:24

But also I think you saw with Jones's

20:26

temperament, which also war on

20:29

teammates and coaches. He's

20:31

not a guy that actually handled adversity

20:33

well, and I think that's something

20:35

that will continue to follow him.

20:38

And I don't have high hopes

20:40

for mac Jones moving forward. And you know,

20:42

he's he's better than geez

20:45

like for instance, every backup the

20:47

Jets ran out.

20:48

There and the Jaguars

20:50

backup last year. I guess I don't

20:52

know like he's either better or not. If

20:56

he's like he was last year, he's he's worse than every

20:58

quarterback in the league, at least Doug Peterson. It's a little

21:00

landing spot, you know, for a quarterback.

21:02

All right, So Mac Jones gone, not gone, Hunter

21:04

Henry. He re signs with the Patriots three years,

21:06

twenty seven million, so that tight end

21:08

room keeps Henry. Remember he was one

21:10

of the big signings by the Pats a couple

21:13

of years back in free agency. Although I read

21:15

that some of his pop the hood route

21:17

numbers were among the worst than the league in terms of

21:19

explosiveness for its tight end, but that

21:21

seems to be in line with what the Patriots are

21:24

really aiming for with their offense.

21:26

Post Tom Brady.

21:28

And finally they also

21:30

added Chakuma Oka

21:32

four Yeah, I got that, okor

21:35

four you got it core for anyway,

21:39

former third round pick, he's spent his first six

21:41

years with the Steelers.

21:44

He gives them another option

21:46

on their offensive line.

21:47

They're gonna lose some of their line this offseason,

21:49

it looks like in free agency, so Choky

21:52

comes in.

21:54

They they're as thin on in

21:56

terms of their skill position talent as any team in the league.

21:59

They are the thinnest, say, and the slowest,

22:01

and Hunter Henry does not help there, but he is solid

22:03

and it's just like one spot you

22:05

don't have to worry about as much. And

22:07

there's literally no tight ends

22:09

now on in my top fifty. There's only

22:11

one in the top one on one that's no offense. It's

22:13

a weirdly scarce position. In his not so

22:16

well that group he did not and

22:18

they there's none in the draft

22:20

either that are expected to go in the first two rounds

22:22

at Leastah, if you need o, there's ideas other

22:24

than breakbon If you needed.

22:26

A tight end, last year was the year to

22:28

get one in the draft. All right, let's stop down right

22:30

here real quick, and then we'll keep pouring

22:32

through all this news.

22:35

Okay, Jerry Judy, we know

22:38

that happened when we were in London in October when

22:40

Steve Smith went nuclear with Mike Garifolo

22:43

on NFL Network about Judy. However,

22:46

Judy does have a big

22:48

time draft pedigree.

22:50

What did what did a Mena call it on the show last

22:52

week?

22:53

Pretty pick privilege,

22:56

pretty pick privilege. He was selected with the

22:58

fifteenth overall pick in the twenty twenty NFL

23:00

Draft. Remember again, God, we say free

23:02

agency isn't perfect. How about the draft? Or

23:05

was Jerry Judy and Henry Ruggs as

23:07

two painted as two can't miss

23:09

a wide receiver prospects and Ruggs

23:12

obviously ruined his career in his life in a

23:14

different way, but hadn't done

23:16

much before that happened. And Judy just has not

23:18

been able to get it going in Denver, so

23:21

Mark he now goes to the Browns and the

23:24

terms. The Browns send back a twenty

23:26

four to fifth and sixth round draft

23:28

pick, so they didn't give up a lot. They're

23:30

taking on a player that's

23:32

ostensibly very talented.

23:34

It just has not translated at this level for the

23:36

most part.

23:37

Look at how they're building their wide

23:39

out room over the past couple of seasons because

23:41

they they leased the Cowboys

23:44

for Amari Cooper. I mean, the Cowboys were in a

23:46

tough spot and gave Amari Cooper to the Browns

23:48

for very little. They took a flyer

23:51

in Elijah Moore, and I wouldn't say that there's

23:53

evidence that that's worked out. This just

23:55

seems to me he's been I

23:57

mean like to me, Elijah Moore as a piece, But I don't

23:59

know what they were expecting. Like Jerry Judy

24:01

is an experiment. I could

24:04

argue that he like didn't have the

24:06

luxury of solid quarterback play in Denver

24:09

during his time there, but he was, you know, plagued

24:11

with drops. I think there were flashes where

24:13

you'd see, wait a minute, this guy, if

24:15

he can string together consistency, there's

24:18

a lot to like about him. Cleveland

24:20

right now has a lot of whiteouts because they also have you know, they

24:22

drafted David Bell. I think Cedric Tillman is someone

24:25

who's interesting. They got David Nijoku. They

24:27

lost Bill Callahan. I think that's a big loss

24:29

for the Cleveland Browns. Nick Chubb's coming

24:31

off of injury, and we're another offseason

24:34

removed, still asking the same question

24:36

if the quarterback they traded for can actually

24:38

play quarterback at the level they thought they were gonna get.

24:41

It's a weird mix, like the

24:43

weird room.

24:44

It's a weird room, and these are people,

24:47

and I think that's criticism sometimes

24:49

at least in the NBA, but in the NFL too of

24:51

like the analytics crowd, like they're

24:54

maybe not taken into account chemistry, and it is

24:56

just like kind of a a weird

24:58

group. Cooper, Judy Watson

25:01

certainly, like we'll see

25:03

Judy's been reasonably productive for someone

25:06

who gets, you know, grief for being so disappointed.

25:08

He has three thousand yards in his career when he's

25:10

been healthy, and three of his four seasons

25:12

has been healthy, he's had eight fifty six, six nine

25:15

seventy two and seven fifty eight. So it's like he's

25:17

not great, but it's not it's not bad,

25:19

but it's weird because it's a one year, twelve million dollar

25:21

contract that he's on and then after

25:23

that he's a free agent and they'll just have

25:26

to decide what they want to do. So it's not that cheap,

25:28

but it's also cheaper than almost

25:30

anyone else that you could possibly think of getting

25:33

with that sort of production at this time of year.

25:35

So Andrew Berry does have a way of like

25:37

winning the trades. And I would say

25:40

it does make sense to me for what they paid.

25:42

I mean would Yeah, I was gonna say,

25:44

I I would like Jerry Judy at

25:46

that cost for my team as a team that's looking

25:48

to fill out a wide receiver room. So I think the

25:51

trade is a good one for the Browns

25:53

on the surface right now, because who knows, maybe the

25:55

light does click and maybe Deshaun eventually returns

25:57

amongst the living as a franch

26:00

quarterback. But Amari's

26:02

turning thirty this year, and yeah,

26:06

now you got kind of two former

26:08

high draft picks and more and

26:10

Judy that you're hoping to kind of salvage

26:12

and turn them into something bigger. It does put a lot

26:14

of pressure on in Djoku and the running

26:17

game and Chubb coming off a major injury in the

26:19

offensive line, which lost kind of there the

26:21

behind the scenes leader. So many range of

26:23

outcomes mark for the Browns

26:25

on that side of the ball this year.

26:27

Yeah, I just think it shows how they value the wide

26:29

op position because it's like, I guess you could go give

26:32

Calvin Ridley a ton of money and wonder if he's

26:34

going to be the guy you hope he is too, And it's like they don't

26:36

have a ton of caprom That wasn't the route

26:38

they were going to go. And they knew that the Broncos were

26:40

trying to trade Judy since the middle

26:43

of the eighteenth century, so they you know, they probably

26:45

got a better cost than you think.

26:46

Right, our guy Kevin Saunders, by the way, like,

26:49

oh yeah, keeps looking at L

26:51

after L. I meant there

26:53

was a point where you could have gotten a

26:55

better return for Jerry Judy, but they never they kept

26:58

never making those trades. And now they're

27:00

just kind of taking whatever they could get for

27:02

him. And they and they got a year of him starting

27:04

and he wasn't terrible, like they

27:06

did get that out of him. But Kevin Saunders, I do

27:09

wonder if Kevin Sondra you never wish referring

27:11

to the general manager of the Broncos. Yes, of course

27:14

his his alternate name. There

27:17

is a there is an outcome where he's no longer with the

27:19

team after the draft, and Sean Payton is the

27:21

one that's kind of calling the shots here.

27:22

But that is total guesswork. I have not heard anything

27:25

like that.

27:25

And for those who may be curious,

27:29

if he no longer, if he if his employment

27:32

is terminated, he

27:34

gets his name back. That's that's

27:37

that's fair. That's the right move, that's the right

27:39

play, and and that and that's where we'll go.

27:41

On that, all right. In

27:44

other news, right, that seems

27:46

fair. It doesn't think you made it. It

27:48

was a unilateral decision by you, but I think it was

27:50

fair.

27:52

There was a report.

27:52

Out there in terms of Saunders taking the yel

27:55

that there was a third and a fifth offered

27:57

for Judy as recently as the fall, and

27:59

they're like, now we're holding out, and now they

28:01

give up two day three picks. So let's

28:03

see if the Browns could turn that into

28:06

chicken salad. All right, and but we

28:09

shouldn't Steve Smith. That

28:11

was that was fun and we enjoyed it, and the headlines

28:13

were great and everything. But I also trust Steve Smith's

28:15

judgment on players as well, and.

28:17

He kind of was proven right by the

28:19

The GMS apparently listened to him, except Andrew

28:21

Berry, but even he didn't have to give up much.

28:24

All Right, here's a here's a saucy report. That's

28:26

that's been floated out there via

28:28

Albert Breer, of course, of SI

28:30

dot com.

28:31

The Chargers have had exploratory talks.

28:33

I love that.

28:35

Whenever you hear exploratory talks,

28:37

I feel like exploratory

28:40

talks. I feel like it ends up happening.

28:43

Oh yeah, it's it's it's

28:46

happening. Not always, but

28:48

many times it turns into something. So anyway,

28:51

explorer tory explore

28:54

uh tour five syllable words for

28:57

the number of letters. You might not

28:59

find too many words that bang out of five

29:01

sill in that amount

29:03

of letters.

29:04

What about ten letters anywhere?

29:05

Skilled broadcastered in.

29:07

Yeah, come back to us, exploratory. Try

29:09

to be a little more like sixty percent. G here

29:11

we got five letters, one syllable.

29:13

We're efficient.

29:15

Exploratory talks about trading receivers

29:18

Mike Williams and Keenan

29:20

Allen. Breer adds that Allen is less

29:23

likely to be dealt, but

29:25

they are answering the phone on

29:27

both of those, and that comes on the heels of continuous

29:30

speculation on the other side of

29:32

the ball around both Joey

29:34

Bosa and Khalil Mack, they're two premier

29:36

pass rushers. So the Chargers

29:39

in the Harbor era, we cannot

29:42

Greggie close the

29:44

door or turn our back

29:46

to the idea that Harbaugh's just

29:48

nuts enough to look at this core, which everyone

29:51

else sees is untapped and say

29:53

that ain't my core. I'm going to build

29:55

this team in my vision, and that means turning

29:57

all these marquee names into draft

29:59

picks and whatnot and starting fresh

30:02

with the quarterback. Most likely there's

30:04

logic to that too. I think it makes sense.

30:06

I actually think if in a weird world

30:09

where the Chargers won three more games

30:12

but these players were all about the same, I

30:14

think they might be gone anyways. Like if you look

30:16

at them one by one, Joey Boson never plays,

30:19

I think they kind of have to cut or trade Joey Bosa

30:22

then get something for Like he never plays, and

30:24

he's one of the highest paid players in the league.

30:26

He literally has played more than

30:28

like five hundred snaps like a couple of times in his career.

30:30

He just doesn't play.

30:31

Khalio Mack good season, but

30:33

getting paid a lot. I would guess Mike Williams

30:36

and Joey boss are no longer on the team. I

30:38

would guess Keenan Allen will be and

30:41

then Mac. I don't know, but

30:43

I don't really know any of them. I'm just guessing,

30:45

but those are my guesses.

30:46

I'm reading Tea leaves here, Mark, and I think we're

30:49

seeing enough out there now that

30:51

Harbo is really going to shake up the league and a

30:53

lot of these guys are going to be playing elsewhere in September,

30:55

and I'm here for it. That sounds fun

30:57

because a lot of these guys also play

30:59

bizis that teams are scouring

31:02

looking for help and they and they will flood

31:04

the market as you know, potential

31:06

big time contributors.

31:07

Right because the Chargers experience

31:09

with Bosa is you know case example

31:12

A. But other teams are going to look at Bosa

31:14

in a completely different way and say that's

31:16

exactly the piece we need to, you know, get two

31:18

edge rushers. But the one thing I'd say about this, because

31:20

I agree with you, I think Harbaugh is going to come in do things

31:23

differently. Maybe they play with no wide

31:25

receivers, maybe they you know, have eight offensive

31:27

linemen and run the ball four hundred and sixty five times

31:29

a month. But the only

31:31

problem is if you do get to the point where

31:33

you move Khalil Mack, you move Joey

31:35

Bosa because they need to make moves no matter

31:37

what, because their caps so exploratory, will

31:40

turn into something. But if Mike Williams is

31:42

gone, Keenan Allen is gone, it's like okay,

31:44

but you still need to fill those key

31:46

core positions, especially at edge rusher with

31:49

someone else. And it's like the fallout of finding

31:51

like a C minus version of those

31:53

four players or some amount of them

31:56

could be costly. And it's like, I think Harbaugh

31:58

has to set the table a little bit and say, if we're going

32:00

to have a totally new team, because when you went to the Niners

32:03

started like six and zero and just rolled into

32:05

the playoffs.

32:05

He had great players. He inherited a lot of great

32:07

he really did.

32:08

And here he inherited great players, but a cap

32:10

hell and like, some changes have

32:13

to be made, and I would not be surprised that

32:15

Bosa somewhere else.

32:16

So Herbert's twenty six years old,

32:18

actually today's birthday. Happy

32:20

birthday Justin Herbert, who turned

32:22

twenty six today. I hope he's doing something

32:25

marvelous. Friend of the show, best

32:28

friend of the show. It

32:31

totally makes sense to me because

32:33

you have a situation when you look

32:36

at that team. You have a head coach

32:38

who has complete job security, quarterback

32:42

who is the unquestioned franchise

32:44

star, and he is under contract.

32:46

Harbaugh is not in a rush to make this

32:49

the year.

32:49

So if if he plays it

32:52

with some level of patience, he could really

32:54

set them up with some

32:57

trades and moves where even if they take a step

32:59

back this year, and I don't even know if

33:01

they will, because I never I never underestimate

33:03

the combination of high level quarterback

33:06

play and a good coach. You know, like they

33:08

could surprise people this year, even by getting

33:10

rid of a bunch of these guys, but they

33:12

could set up.

33:13

And become a big time team in a couple of

33:15

years.

33:15

So if I'm the if I'm a Chargers fan,

33:18

I have trepidation about this because I might own some of

33:20

these jerseys, and I might be a you know, a fan

33:22

of a lot of these players, and I might think to myself,

33:24

like, we want to keep this core together for one big run

33:27

with a real head coach, But maybe give

33:30

Jim the benefit of the doubt.

33:31

I would. I would let's

33:37

take a break.

33:38

And then we'll hit the rest of the News, Welcome

33:46

back, Let's get back

33:48

into it.

33:49

Yes, we are here in Texas. By the way.

33:51

For the iHeart Radio Awards,

33:53

we were nominated for Best Sports Podcast.

33:56

A lot of people say we're an underdog.

34:00

I say, Mark, uh,

34:03

you know right now the hotel we're staying at

34:05

the pool deck is closed for renovations ahead

34:07

of spring break, which is I mean,

34:09

what about us we're here?

34:11

Sure?

34:11

What about the rowdy teens that

34:13

you're learning the deck for. I had a

34:15

whole plan.

34:16

I was gonna go out on the on the deck like

34:19

Joe Namath in Miami in nineteen

34:21

sixty nine, and I was gonna get a young Brent

34:23

Musburger at my feet while I held a cocktail,

34:26

and I said, we're gonna We're gonna

34:28

win a wood at the Ihearts.

34:32

That guarantee it. But now

34:34

that now the pool's closed, so I can't

34:36

do it. So we'll just have to settle for winning the thing.

34:39

Well, you've said it to our audience, and I had

34:41

told you that I've felt a different energy. I think when

34:43

this was first announced and you realize you're going against

34:46

like the Kelsey's, it's like, I

34:48

don't it just seemed like not only David

34:50

versus Goliath, but like baby David

34:53

versus like full grown Goliath, like literally a

34:55

baby that's immobile. Like that's the position we seem

34:57

to be in. But now I feel like we're growing

35:00

powerful, more strong, And I have a

35:02

conspiracy theory that you know, the

35:04

Shadowys who have done us right and wrong through

35:06

the years. I just feel

35:08

that maybe behind the scenes, they sent us

35:10

here because they know that there's a

35:13

pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Now, no matter

35:15

what, there's a there's a nice hotel to

35:17

stay in, in a city to explore.

35:19

So if you want to talk, you talk Yo a

35:21

great city.

35:22

By the way, I like the idea of the Shadowyze being

35:24

an award show too, and then we just nominate

35:26

different middle managers

35:29

in.

35:30

A series of levels

35:32

of awards and best changing of

35:34

the subject when the ATN crew

35:36

brings up something you don't want to do, like different

35:39

words like that.

35:42

All right, Greg, did you have anything else

35:44

to add there?

35:45

Really I don't share your guys's confidence,

35:47

but uh, you know,

35:50

I don't think I don't think we have like particularly

35:52

less than a one in five chance. But you

35:54

know, there's five strong podcasts.

35:57

I definitely don't think the Shadowy League figures know

35:59

anything or there's a conspiracy,

36:02

but there's I would on candidate, So

36:04

I'm not giving us. I guess I'm using the boring

36:06

math analysis here is

36:08

like I wouldn't see why we had a better chance

36:11

than Club Shasha or Dan Levittard or I.

36:13

Would imagine that the Kelseys have probably

36:15

never heard of our show, have never listened

36:17

to it, Like if there this also

36:19

award. They're doing so well that this award process

36:22

may not be on the radar on any level, But I

36:25

cannot wait to hear the commentary when we do upset

36:27

them and just sort of their feedback to that.

36:29

Well, it's on TD, it's got to be on TD's radar,

36:32

our old producer, who's their producer, one

36:35

of their producers, So we're going

36:37

after you TD.

36:38

I would say though, like if.

36:41

Like Meredith Baton or Matt Schneider, like if

36:43

we who are here management

36:46

with NFL, Like if we do win and

36:49

then it turns out that your right

36:51

mark, that this was all had been pre

36:53

arranged, I would say they would

36:55

be getting a Shadowy Lifetime Achievement Award.

36:58

Yeah, absolutely, you know that.

36:59

Would be to me that would be at least

37:02

or at the very least something they deserve.

37:04

I want to I want a drunken Travis

37:07

kelcey oversees like bitching to

37:09

you know, Taylor Swift about losing like this

37:12

award to three podcast bozos, and just I

37:14

want to be a fly on the.

37:15

Ball for then I want Taylor Swift

37:17

to write a song just burying

37:20

us for winning the iHeart

37:22

Award. All

37:24

right, let's get back to it. The

37:27

Eagles, the Eagles, Man, the Eagles

37:29

are in transition. And uh, you

37:31

know this happens for every

37:33

team, high profile

37:36

team that's you know, made the

37:38

Super Bowl, didn't quite get there coming off a very disappointing

37:40

year obviously, and now we know

37:42

they lost. Speaking to Kelsey's Jason kelce

37:45

retired last week. Now Fletcher

37:47

Cox h stand out on the other side

37:50

of the ball, he also retires, So

37:52

Cox.

37:53

I mean for a team that.

37:56

And it's kind of surprising because Fletcher Cox and

37:58

you know, Jason Kelsey are two

38:00

like highly respected, decorated

38:03

leaders that are known as guys

38:05

that can command a locker room. That

38:07

all went down with them in the locker room. So now

38:09

you're taking them out of the locker room. The

38:11

Eagles are a wild scene right now, and they're like

38:14

the Browns offense. The range of outcomes

38:17

is all over the place in Philadelphia.

38:18

But they're also doing business.

38:20

Brandon Graham another

38:22

important part of the defensive line. He has re

38:25

signed, but also a report out

38:27

there that Josh Sweat and Hassan

38:29

Reddick are available in a trade. So a

38:32

lot of info just downloaded there to the listeners,

38:34

GREGI, where do you want to go?

38:37

Start with the Fletcher Cox?

38:38

Who Look, if you had

38:40

said five years ago that like Fletcher Cox and Jason

38:42

Kelsey retire the same week, the Fletcher

38:44

Cox news would have been seen as

38:47

like, oh, that's the bigger news.

38:49

Like he's made four All Pro teams,

38:52

three as a second team guy, like one of the defining

38:54

defensive tackles of his air. Wouldn't surprise

38:57

me if he's you know, he

38:59

was on the two thoutdid you know considered for like an all

39:01

decade type of team. That's the quality of player

39:03

that he is now. He's not, as you know, active

39:06

in the media and everything is Jason Kelsey, and Kelsey's

39:08

career finished so strong where he was finishing

39:10

on top, Cox was you know, a guy who signed a

39:12

contract year after year and you weren't sure if he was going to return,

39:14

And that's what Brandon Graham is now. But the fact that they brought

39:16

back Brandon Graham and then they put it

39:19

out there that they're not really into their current

39:21

pat edge rushers. They're putting a little

39:23

blame on Josh Sweat and there was a report

39:26

and Hassan Reddick that they just weren't happy with

39:28

essentially those two players.

39:30

It just supports my.

39:33

Belief that the Eagles are going to do a lot

39:36

over the next week. Like I don't know what it's gonna be,

39:38

but they're gonna be super active and they're gonna do a

39:40

lot.

39:41

They to me, they shift into

39:44

like high intrigue no matter. I mean, you're right

39:46

the range of outcomes and what they're gonna look like, but they're gonna

39:48

look so different. I think you were

39:51

looking at a head coach that has been

39:53

rendered far less powerful than where

39:55

he was a year ago. And if you're Vic Fangio,

39:58

I can understand, like looking at what's the Dolphins I

40:00

had to do? Found you might have you

40:02

know, if he's looking at their cap and like you

40:04

know, we're gonna have to make some changes. And he had some links

40:06

to the Eagles to begin with, so you move

40:08

on from that. But you come over to Philadelphia and it's like

40:10

you're looking at your defensive scheme is a bit different, but

40:12

like key components

40:15

of this side of the ball could all be gone, big

40:17

chunks of it. So it's like that's challenging.

40:19

I just think the Eagles to me are a very weird,

40:22

weird operation at the moment.

40:24

All right, in Oh do any other Eagles

40:27

takes. Okay, let's move on because we

40:29

got a lot to get to the

40:32

Bears doing business.

40:34

They sign a four year deal.

40:36

This went down earlier in the weekend, a

40:38

four year contract with cornerback Jalen Johnson,

40:41

seventy six million, fifty four million

40:43

in guaranteed money, almost

40:45

forty four due at signing.

40:47

So they had put the franchise

40:50

tag on Johnson mark and now

40:52

they get a deal done. So

40:54

you know, as the team is in transition, I'm

40:57

looking more and more certain that

41:00

it is Caleb Williams that's the new face

41:02

of the franchise.

41:03

And I saw some by the way, not.

41:04

To get sidetracked, because we will

41:07

talk Jalen Johnson, but I saw I don't

41:09

know.

41:09

I think it was Florio wrote a piece

41:11

about like.

41:12

Oh, what happened with Mac Jones is not a

41:14

good sign for what the Bears will get for Justin

41:16

Fields. And I'm not saying just that Justin

41:18

Fields is going to command like a first round pick

41:20

or whatever. But there's a big difference

41:22

between what Justin Fields has put on tape and

41:25

his situation and what we've seen

41:27

from him both as a player and as

41:29

a man and as a teammate, and what

41:31

Mac Jones showed the last two years. So let's calm

41:33

down with that take.

41:34

Yeah, I would. I'd also like to hear whispers about

41:36

actual, you know, people feeling around

41:39

for Justin Fields and having true interest

41:41

in him. I mean that that could be happening without

41:43

us knowing. But you're right, they're not the same player.

41:45

I mean, if you're Matt Eberflus like you're

41:47

you know, you had to move on from Rokwan Smith

41:50

not so long ago, and that was the

41:52

core centerpiece of your defense. Goes onto the

41:54

Ravens to be one of the better linebackers in

41:56

the entire league. So at some point you got so much

41:58

Caprom and I know you're rebuilding, but like you got

42:00

to keep some of these guys versus having to replace them.

42:02

So this makes a ton of sense to me. And

42:04

I would say, Greg, I think you noted this online

42:07

at some point, but that Matt Eberflus, Uh,

42:09

he's gone through the process that I think some of these

42:12

coaches come in where they're coordinators and like they're

42:14

a bit pasty, they're not in front of the camera. But now he's

42:16

on the thing where he's looking a little more fit. He's

42:18

got his hair done, he's grown his beard out, and

42:20

he just looks about ten times better and more you

42:22

know, biable as a head coach.

42:24

Well, the Eberflus glow up has been a huge

42:26

storyline this offseason. Showed up to the

42:28

Combine looking good, had

42:30

like was at a basketball game with

42:33

Matt Lafleur and it was like, hmm, like

42:35

who's more groomed Tierra.

42:39

It was just Ibraflus is coming strong. He's

42:41

a wacky personality. Both

42:43

him and Jalen Johnson timed

42:46

their career year as well, not

42:48

saying Eberflus is never going to be better, but like five

42:50

games into that season, I thought Eberflus is gone.

42:52

And you're like, what is the vision here?

42:54

And then it all kind of came together in terms of his

42:56

defense really improving, and Jalen Johnson

42:58

was a huge, huge part of that. And

43:01

I think he was smart. He took like fifty five million guarantee.

43:04

I saw someone be like, why didn't he just take the franchise

43:06

tag and bet on himself Because it's like, if

43:08

you have the option to take fifty five million dollars

43:10

guaranteed versus

43:12

twenty, Like, I don't care that I

43:14

could make more in the long run

43:17

if I didn't take the guarantee.

43:18

I'm taking that guarantee the first time

43:20

around. It's football.

43:22

He could plan his leg and he could lose his ACLMCAL

43:24

and his meniscus and then he's signing approve

43:27

it deal after this sea He's also.

43:28

Coming off a career year, Like if he had been free a free

43:30

agent a year ago, he would not have.

43:32

Had this contract. So he played the game right.

43:34

Smart man laid it

43:36

right.

43:37

Also playing it right, Ravens defensive

43:39

tackle Justin Madibuke, who

43:41

signs a four year, ninety eight million dollar

43:44

contract that includes over seventy five

43:46

million in guaranteed money.

43:48

The numbers are huge and.

43:49

The salary cap keeps going up, so it

43:52

makes sense anyway, the former third round pick.

43:54

This is why the Ravens are always good, because

43:57

they identify a guy like Mattabuke as

43:59

a third round pick and now he's an All Pro, and

44:01

now he's paid like an All Pro, which creates other

44:03

challenges for the team, but they'll welcome them.

44:06

Patrick said something I think it was on Mina

44:08

Kimes' show. That is right, Like the prices

44:11

always go up with these guys though, Like if the Ravens

44:13

really knew Justin Mattoweke was this good,

44:16

they could assign him to a deal about half this price

44:18

a year ago, but they didn't

44:20

know how he was going to play, and then he really exploded.

44:23

And I like that the franchise tag players,

44:25

some of them at least, are actually getting paid instead of

44:27

just the tay.

44:28

Yeah, like I think they're using that correctly. Look,

44:30

he's only twenty six, so if we're worried about the Chris

44:33

Jones age thing, this is like sweet spot

44:35

to hire.

44:37

Tyler Lockett also is

44:39

sticking around, but maybe not a happy

44:42

story for him. In the same way, he agrees

44:44

to her structured two year, thirty

44:46

four million dollar contract.

44:49

He gets thirteen million

44:51

in guaranteed money. That feels

44:53

like to me, GREGI good value

44:55

for Lockett, who has

44:57

always been I thought, an underrated a

45:00

receiver, and you already have a number

45:02

one in DK and you couldn't

45:04

ask for much better number two and Tyler who's been

45:06

very good for them for many years.

45:08

Yeah, I think the Lion has questions,

45:10

but Gino's got a nice group of players

45:13

around him. The fact though, that he took a pay

45:15

cut, you know, indicates to me like if

45:17

he wasn't going to take a pay cut, they would have been ready

45:19

to move on. But I think it was only like a four million

45:21

dollars pay cut. It was good for both sides. One of those guys

45:23

that feels like you should be on the same team

45:25

for his entire tenure in the

45:28

NFL.

45:28

Good news for the Dolphins toront

45:30

Armstead. Their left tackle is not retiring.

45:33

There had been some conversation or

45:35

some speculation and that could be the case. So

45:38

that is not gonna happen, So at

45:40

least one more year in Miami. Great news

45:42

mark for Tua.

45:44

I mean, there's a lot of pressure on too, where there's a lot of players

45:46

leaving that organization, some of the been offensive

45:48

linemen, and like when when Armstead's

45:51

in there, like the offense is completely different.

45:53

We've talked about this at nauseam. When he's not in there,

45:55

like the splits and what happens to two on some level

45:57

are are vastly different. So, yes, this

46:00

is a key person to keep around

46:02

on a Dolphins team.

46:03

In flux eight o'clock,

46:05

de light hit it Eric Roberts,

46:07

which Eric was with us, Go get

46:10

go Ham with Eric and Austin, that'd

46:12

be imagine.

46:15

Let's get into it.

46:16

The Rams give thirty two million guaranteed

46:18

to guard Kevin Dotson Greg Quickie.

46:21

A lot of money for Kevin Dotson that

46:24

the guards are going to get paid big time in this market.

46:26

That is a lot of Steelers release Patrick Peterson

46:28

and Alan Robinson, two decorated

46:30

veterans, well one more than the other. The Raiders

46:33

resigned center Andre James. They

46:35

also release Brian Hoyer, who impossibly

46:38

is.

46:38

Still in the league.

46:39

The Chiefs resigned Drew Tranquil, and

46:41

the Bears agree to terms.

46:43

With Kevin Byard on a two year deal. Anything

46:45

on that those mark.

46:46

I love the Frank will resigning.

46:49

I watched Brian Hoyer on Good Morning Football

46:51

week or so ago. Thought he did a nice job. Media

46:54

job ahead, Oh very nice.

46:56

The Panthers are going to release center

46:58

Bradley Boseman. The Packers will release slinebacker

47:00

Devondre Campbell. Oh fully.

47:03

Fatukasi signs a one year deal

47:05

with the Texans. I was hoping maybe at Jets reunion

47:07

there, but that's not the case.

47:09

Anything on those Greggy.

47:11

M always like me

47:13

some Fatukasi, but the Jaguars didn't, so

47:15

he couldn't have been playing too well.

47:18

Alright, man,

47:20

that's it. We got a little time for once

47:24

out there. Didn't you redo it?

47:26

The whole time these

47:28

guards are making they're gonna like any

47:30

free agent guard, like, there's gonna be a lot of guys you've

47:32

never heard of that are making like seventeen million dollars

47:34

guaranteed.

47:35

Nailed it.

47:36

Bang, What

47:39

are we doing tonight? We're

47:42

in Austin. What a great city. I love this place.

47:44

I have never been so I you know

47:47

we arrived about that. This

47:49

is my terry is one of my favorite hats I

47:51

go through my whole life. I've had a

47:54

random hats that become my favorite hat

47:56

for two years and this one is in hitting

47:59

year one. Just like the look of

48:01

it. I like the shape and the and

48:03

Matt Tant and or old buddy that we used to work with at

48:05

NFL Media who actually works out here now

48:07

we're hoping to see him tonight, recommended

48:10

this barbecue joint Terry

48:12

Blacks. So that's an option. I think

48:14

we need to hit up a barbecue place. Any people

48:16

in the Austin area that our listeners please

48:19

let us know where we should go for some authentic

48:22

Texas BBQ.

48:24

Where's Marquees as well? No, I'll

48:26

go, I'll go where you and test it out, give it.

48:28

You will eat the meat at the barbecue.

48:30

It's always it's you know it's

48:33

a arrive and assess it's an arrive.

48:35

I was selling Mark, I was eating some pigs

48:37

feet down in Korea time Saturday

48:39

night.

48:40

Uh, and

48:43

you're you're leaning into that.

48:45

That that side of Mark where he just sees

48:47

it. The the just the visualization

48:50

of it being disgusting. There's nothing grosser

48:52

than the idea of a pig's foot being

48:54

consumed by humans.

48:56

I mean, Austin barbecue has a

48:58

kind of ring to it. That I think you harks

49:00

back to ancient times. So it's it's it's

49:02

an easy sell.

49:05

And yeah, you mentioned there's a

49:07

iHeart and we are a part of the our

49:09

Heart radio network through the NFL. So and

49:11

they've always been very cool with us. So,

49:14

uh, there's a private party and we're going to see the Black

49:16

Keys. And I've always been you

49:18

know, a white strip sky when it's all you know, black

49:20

Keys via the White Stripes. But I'm gonna

49:22

have an open mind and and check out the

49:24

Keys tonight and you know, maybe we'll have a couple

49:26

of drinks, we'll get get a little loose, but we

49:28

need to be also focused, boys,

49:31

because Free Agency Week is not something

49:33

that that goes to the background just because we

49:36

have a chance to win a major award.

49:39

No, it's weird timing.

49:41

It's the like, literally the biggest day

49:43

transaction wise of the NFL calendar.

49:47

In some ways, it feels like the beginning of the end

49:49

of our show that we would be flying

49:51

to another state in the middle of the country to try

49:54

to win an award.

49:55

When the this feels like that.

49:57

Subreddit this feels like that U

50:00

an entire post about this was the

50:02

point the guys jumped the shark when they.

50:04

Got We didn't have a choice,

50:06

right, we got, We got

50:08

on the plane. We didn't say no.

50:10

We got on the plane to try to win

50:13

an award at the start of free agency.

50:15

I think it's telling and I think

50:17

we should be ashamed. Quite frankly, it's

50:20

up for translation. We'll

50:22

be back on Tuesday in the studio. No

50:24

regrets actually, because we could do the job just

50:26

as well here, and we'll be back, as

50:29

Greg said, Tuesday, and

50:32

uh yeah, if we if we do win the award, you'll

50:34

hear about it. If we lose the award, you'll hear about

50:36

that too. So thank you for everybody,

50:38

Thank you everybody for listening to this

50:41

podcast one. I think we're gonna end doing at

50:43

least five this week,

50:46

So if you are looking to stay on top

50:48

of everything with the new league year, you have

50:50

found the right podcast.

50:51

On Till Monday,

50:54

I mean, I hope.

50:56

I mean it's possible we're gonna have to do another one

50:58

in about an hour and a half.

50:59

The way the league is continues

51:01

to move things up, I

51:04

don't think so. All Right, till Monday, hit

51:06

the car

51:09

M