On today's episode The Command Center Podcast. It's a safe space, guys. We got all these draft thoughts, things were worried about, and so we talk about them. We just get everything off our chest and ar ar griefance is about this year's draft. We're talking trade up, talking trade back, talking players. We like talking players. We don't like it.
All starts right now.
Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm looking Fallson here with Santana Moss and Fred Smooth hit his I it doesn't get old, Cuddler.
Doesn't get old.
Guys.
How you doing, I'm doing great, man, It's how's the back? You know what the back is doing?
Well?
That was just one occasion. Let's not make this a chronic thing.
I just told me.
I'm not Larry Bird, all right, listen.
I was literally just.
Walking over here with you. I said, would you ever do flag football again? Just for fun? And you're like, my back's to my stuff. That's like literally what you just know?
I said, I'm just getting back from there. And when it was my back, my back went out on me. Mortality, I know. I faced it like what it is, but my back is good. I'm riding my bike, I'm walking I'm healthy. Listen, Listen, I got a six pack. I got a six pack in the back.
Of my back. Yeah, but he's getting it.
I just would love to just see a picture of me of you on the bike, maybe a thumbs up, you know, like.
So y'all want me to send it to take sure.
Y'all don't be in the house on the bike.
Listen. I know it's gonna be a target on a bike. Listen.
I told y'all I was getting more active. I am a lot more active right now. I'm doing a lot more like working out, getting back into the routine.
Looking good. My poor is looking good. I'm looking younger.
You said you were working out more after I beat you in basketball at one time. Yeah, and you threw your back out and you said, I gotta start working out again. So that was like a year between.
Guess what, nothing humbles you like laying in the parking lot on the ground.
It's such a funny story. I love that story. Yeah, right, that's up about Fred's back. All right, So we got a couple house givings, just take care of okay, take it to the draft. Obviously, We've got this bet between Fred and I that will actually the result of that bet will happen in air tomorrow, April seventeenth, and basically, which is my birthday, which is your birthday, So happy birthday, birthday and a weird birthday too, right, Yeah, birthday a big deal for this podcast.
Totally opposite person. I can't say one thing.
That's why I think the world of him when it comes to his brain, because she's intelligent. He's intelligent, but damn she don't she don't drink, she don't hang this dude, just everything.
John Dailey is your hero.
So basically, we had to pick six prospects from last year's draft of twenty twenty four draft or we're going to be guaranteed ballers. Actually we're doing that show particular draft coming up here soon too for twenty twenty five. But we had to pick six. I picked six Fred Pick's and then Jason, our producer for the show I Can't wait to hear. Yeah, basically came out and had
a rubric or a grating criteria. Yeah, and who ever had more points one yeah, And the other person has to get down on one knee, ben to knee and say you're the best draft analysts and I am nothing.
I'm a tag are.
So that's coming up. And then on Ticket to the Draft, which is show we just talked about. We're doing a seven round mock draft on Monday the twenty first, featuring Fred Smooth Yeah and Jeremy Green, who are actually related but they don't know it. They don't look like they're related, but they talk the same it happened. They kind of tell jokes the same way. I kind of feel like it's going to be like a you know, like when you won't get the top, Like no one's gonna get
the tip. They're gonna just goin to talk over each other the whole time. It's gonna be like when two stars colyde and create like a supernova. It's just that's what's gonna happen in this room, Like a.
Nuclear explosion, rosen breeze that creates a black.
Hole, rosen Bridge at rosen Bridge, Rosenbird, rosen Bridge, No Rosen Brees.
Okay, right on with it. I'm here, Manhattan Project, Let's do it. Okay. So, because the Draft is coming up, this show is going to be heavily draft focused. Yes, and our producer Jason, who co hosts the Tickets to the Draft Show is going to join us for some of the segments, and so basically he had a great idea and it's that the to come up with NFL Draft safe space, right, so we can just kind of air our thoughts that we've been kind of closeting this
whole time, put them out in the open. Let's talk about them, kind of like a therapy session for draft takes. Yes, And I think it's really really smart because I have some very strong feelings about this draft class, specifically in the first round. So I think this is a good opportunity. Fred, You've got some too. In our meeting, you had some really good ones as well, So I think this is a great opportunity to get them going. So I'm gonna we're all going to give our safe space thoughts, and
Jason's gonna give one. We're gonna discuss, Yeah, just kind of talk through it, talk through the big feelings we have and hopefully get.
To go on to your shrink.
Yeah, and you sit on the couch.
You know, it's a safe space for me to open up and tell you how I really feel. Most people don't want to talk about how they really feel, and how I really feel. If you want me to start this thing off. You know what I'm saying.
You know it's certain, Yeah, what you got to do.
This is how I really feel.
You know, nobody wants to say this on the outside because everybody thinks that every draft is special.
No matter what.
I'd rather have two picks in the second round than two picks.
In the first the two picks in the first.
Yeah, I'm just saying. The talent to me isn't different.
It's it's stagnant and it's the same, and I expect it after coming after you remember last year I said something very bold.
I felt like last year's draft were one of the best drafts of all time, and it was a very good draft. I felt like that.
And then you know, after drafts like that, the next draft is always weak. It happened with me and Tawny in two thousand and one. The two thousand and two draft was weaker than not way wicked than hours. And I think this draft is getting a side effect of the draft being social. Some talent up top last year, and we gotta say, last year, what really made that draft? I call them covides. Everybody got there, everybody got their
fifth year. This extra year to play football that jam pecked at draft and made it special.
Well, this is a weird year too, because that junior college thing came out, that ruling where that doesn't count against your eligibility. All those kids who found extra eligibility went back to school. This was the year, the last year of COVID. It was supposed to be this year get back to normal. Then obviously that gets disrupted by
the eligibility ruling. But I agree Fred, like we for take to the Draft our Guaranteed Baller Show for twenty twenty five, I find it way easier to pick players that I absolutely loved, loved in like the second, third, fourth round range as opposed to that first round range. And we're going to talk about that more as we
go on in the show. But it does feel like a weird year for the first round, Like there's you have to pick someone in the first round, but there's nobody there Tanna that you're like.
And logan great athletes, great bodies. Stats don't match Jamar Stewart. Stats don't match, like what I see.
These dudes in there.
When you project them, it's more safe than actually saying this guy is gonna be good like I just it's something about it.
I also think it's safe to say that, you know, throughout the years, history is showing us that. Yeah, it's but so many going in the first round, but that has been proven that a lot of guys, a lot of greats have played in this league and has become hall of famous Pro Bowls you name it, when Super Bowls that came in the later rounds anyway, especially second round and use the second round pick, you know, you know names that we can call it out right now that was in the second round.
You know, and that you know what I mean. So it's safe to say that you see that every year.
Yeah, yeah, So I understand where you're coming from with that. Fred, I empathize with that. I think that's a pretty good take actually, like because again I think there's some really talented football players in the second round. Tanna, what's your safe space thought on the drug?
Do I have to get in that red voice?
Yes, because we're talking to our shrink to say, you know, because everyone want to listen to me.
I'm always talking now.
Well, you know, I said I believe this year and I think, you know, like I said, this can go for any year, but this year, particularly late roundbacks will be some game changes this year.
It does feel that way, deep deep deep deep plans.
I only say that and let me put my little take on it. The only reason why I say that is because I feel like, despite what Squan did last year showing that the running back position should should be valued a little more of him and your guy with Gary Henry Uh, they prove that the running back should be valued more the kid and kid in Detroit Gibbs, how Talenton he was. They've shown you that you should keep, you know, giving us to appreciate what we do for
this this game. Despite all that, they still don't believe in you. Hear you know, analysts after analysts saying that, oh I won't pick that running back so high. And I'm like, bro, if you need a runner back, yeah, and this guys available, you go get them.
Yeah.
So with all that being said, you're going to see that these teams are going to allow a lot and you know, this draft has a lot of running backs. A lot of those guys gonna get bottled up at the bottom. Yeah, And like I said, it's safe to say that there's gonna it's gonna be a lot of game changes. It's gonna be a lot of great talent that get picked up from some team that's gonna be able to change and get dangerous.
Thing about that me and Logan was talking about this walking in is when you get a position with this many draft picks, it pushes the older backs out of the NFL. Like so when you get these thirty running backs coming in, that means thirty got to go.
Yeah, yeah, I think that's uh, that's exactly right. And I just think about you know, your Smith's from MESSU, your CJ. Harvey from UCF, your Basile Tooting from Virginia Tech here, Uh well kJ kJ Dobbins is that his name. No, that's that's.
No, no, No, you're talking about you got Johnson from Iowa.
Yeah he's a good player too.
Yeah.
But there's like you could just go on and on, and so I do think there's some guys that go in second round.
Everybody seemed to like the Hunter. I like the Hunter kid from Aubury. I think he can make play Quinn's Hunter.
I saw the kid from Arizona State. Is that Arizona States? I saw he ran like a four or five, And and and guys was talking about it. I'm like, that's a big little butter ball. Like if he runs for a fight, that's great for him.
I think I think he needs to go to a cold weather team.
Like when I closed my eyes, I see him running downhill, the Green Bay, just anywhere, this cold weather outside, baby baby bus. Yeah, he's gonna run down here. Listen, I'm gonna tell you about the bus. I was trying to tackle Jerome Bettis all right. I'm screaming that I can show you this play time from and I'm trying to wrap my arms around him, but his body is so bad I couldn't wrap my you know, I'm telling you,
I'm trying to wrap my arms around him. He runs me over and as I go to the ground because I'm trying to just sacrifice at all, he ran me over so bit he lifts me back up and runs me over again. What I'm saying is that bad body sometime is a whip poor kam.
Scout who're getting tossed in with the bad But I do think like, yeah, like, I know there's a lot of people that are like, oh, in the second round, you should take it back, you know, the commander should take it back. But I do think it's got a long runway in the group. Yeah, and there's kind of stylistically something for everybody. So I think the playmaker thing late rounds is uh is pretty it's pretty awesome. All right. We got just a guy, Jason here, our producer Jason.
At least he ain't hated Jason.
Yeah, no, I'm not a hater, and I love a lot of I love the draft process, so like there's been fun to do the take it to their Draft podcast. I don't know how safe this space is with Fred in here, so I probably should have thought of a different title for this segment. But here's my statement. Guys, all right, obdua Carter, he should be the number one overall pick. And I'm going to go just a little bit deeper here. I think that team should solely focus
on drafting Jess Lineman and quarterbacks. Figure out everything else in the off season, whether that's with trades or free agency, and quarterbacks quarterback.
So just ten positions just pushed out of here.
Well here, I mean this is obviously a safe space thought right, Okay, so let's not get on me too much, but my thought process to this Fred, because I see you just wanted to say, Ready, right, is that Let's say you have a very because you drafted well, right, let's say you hit on fifty percent, that'd be very good. So let's say you hit on that. So let's say you have very deep offensive lineman and your roster and
you need a running back, got a trade piece. Yeah, you're not spending a whole lot of money yet with quarterback because you're constantly having another guy come in on a rookie deal, a smaller rookie deal. So unless you find a franchise quarterback, which is really hard to do.
Then you just rolled to the next one.
Hit.
If I could say anything about your argument, this is what I say.
It's a safe space thought. It's not making an argument.
Yea, it's safe space.
Say so safe check this out.
If I take your mode of thought and how you draft, I'm gonna be drafted in the same top tier spot every year one, two, three, four, five. Eventually I have to fill in these slots to support that offensive lineman in that quarterback.
That's a lot of top five picks in linemen and quarters.
One of them is gonna hit. No, No, That's what I'm saying.
This The whole object of picking up there is I don't want to pick you next year. I want to do what we need. I want to pick it too, and come back to next year and pick it twenty nine.
I will say to Jason's point, if you just look at this last free agency cycle, right, for example, like the Commanders were in it, right, So if you look at the most valuable assets that was traded for was Laramie Tunsel.
Yeah.
So if hypothetically you're I don't know, the the justic guy Jason franchise, right, and you're drafting offensive lineman and you have a way to develop them every year, Yeah, and teams know that you are developing offensive linemen, all of a sudden, you are getting something that is very, very valuable lead wide because no one else really knows how to develop offensive line and no one's investing in offensive line the same way. And so that's interesting. And
then couple that with the quarterback philosophy. I do think I kind of am in the same boat. Maybe not in the first round, but you should probably take and develop a quarterback every year because of the trade value of that player.
Now, thanks for defending me, Logan, But what also I'm saying this is kind of like a obviously you don't do this to the tee. Yeah, because there will come a point, like you said, Fred, like, Okay, you hit on a franchise quarterback. You got depth on your line. Now you can be a little more riskier in the background and go after like a wide receiver trying to get value there. I'm just saying, if I'm starting over, if this is the very first year for this franchise,
this is all I'm doing. And Abdul Carter is sitting right there. Yeah, that's who I'm going with.
So are you not afraid of the Penn State bus rate? No, not with him?
Penn State bus rate.
Oh yeah, most of the time Pen State players a bus courty Courtney Brown like like put it like this, the ones that you put up very high.
Well, who else is it? I'm just trying to think I can shot.
It's so many dudes like I can go when I like h on my thing with Penn State. Penn State players sometime are better college players than they are pros.
And we just seeing this.
I put it like this, if I told you pitt University of Pittsburgh has a better hit range than than than Penn State.
Would you believe me?
Probably not?
Yeah, probably not. It does, but it does.
It does like pitt is a university puts out more quality players, more Hall.
Of Famous than Penn State period, hands down.
Yeah.
So I'm a Penn State fan and there's not a great track record track record there, but there when you do hit from Penn State your head. He and Michael Parsons like, right, I played with levard, So there are some good like, there are some good players out of Penna State, and I'm saying, yeah, Idol is going to be that guy.
I mean, he is a freak elite athlete.
Right, and he is high motor, smart, quick, twitched up like everything you want from a pass rusher. This guy has as a prospect, So yeah, I'm I'm going with him.
Yeah. I think the only thing I'd pushed back, I mean, he's a good football player obviously, but I only had to push back on is I do think cam Ward can be a I don't franchise, but definitely starter plus. And if you're the Tennessee Titans, you haven't had like a good starting quarterback since Steve McNair.
So you're just gonna give up on the man as man I think so.
Yeah, I think that's the kind of adjacent sporting. I don't even know, ob he's too buff. I just think he doesn't. His processing last year left something to be.
Decided killed him by itself.
I mean, yeah, consistent like lack of consistent decision making, and so getting a playmaker in there, a guy that can elevate the floor of the entire organization in a way that and it's not Abdua Carter's fault, but his impact is never going to be what a quarterback?
I agree with that completely. But let's because I have a rundown in front of me, Let's move on to yours. Yeah, and what's your safe space? Because I think it actually supports what I'm saying here.
Yeah.
So for me, there's only two blue chip players in this draft, so one being Abdul Carter and the other one being Ashton Genty. And so just because so and everyone says, all, what about Travis Hunter, what about Will Johnson? What about cam Ward? What about Mason Graham? Taking from Michigan and to me, like they're not cam Ward. I think this is the other thing too, that's important to understanding. With a quarterback, you multiply the grade by one point two, right,
it's always going to push him up. And so the idea that we talked about this last year with jayde Daniels and the idea of trading out of that spot is if you think he's got a shot, you got to take your stick and pick right. And I think, like when you're just weighing, the positional value of quarterback is being superior to every other position. Even though I think Ashton Genty is maybe the best player in the entire draft, Like, I'm not going to take him as
a lot, you know what I'm saying. I'm not gonna take them one overall. I'm probably not gonna even take him top ten because again, I feel like the running back needs the scaffolding of the offensive to support him, like it's in an independent position. So that's where it gets a little bit. We're in the same thing with Abdul Carter.
Like I think if he goes to Cleveland, for example, and it's run Russia next to Miles Garrett, yeah, that's gonna be really impactful, but it's not going to be as impactful as if cam Ward is a even is even Caleb Williams.
You know what I'm saying we've had this edge conversation, when we had this discussion by edge versus d tackle.
Yeah, and the.
Best edges right now in the last ten years leading the league in sex is t J.
Watt, t J Watt, Miles Garrett, Garrett, Michael Parks.
They have something in coming, but no super bowls.
Oh yeah, Henderson, Yeah, Trey Hendrick. They have something in COmON, no super Bowls. Right, So the position of value says that if this quarterback ain't as good, if it's this rusher, he still brings more to my team than the Russia does.
Yeah. No, I think that's exactly.
So that's why I have to take cam before I take up to do it.
Yeah, correct, And so that's where or like when you're putting together your big board, right, it's not necessarily indicative of draft value, you know what I'm saying, Like where
they're gonna go. It's not a it's not predicting draft because again, positions like quarterback you just bump up and it's the same th kind of you were talking about with running back ten Like running back contracts right now are so cheap, I'm probably more likely to take a receiver and edge defensive tackle, offensive lineman in the first round, because then I get I get this, the those four positions they're offering like thirty million a year, you know,
and the running backs like fourteen fifteen, So like why would I you know what I'm saying, why would I risk risk?
I think I think the running back is only now for teams they feel like they compete.
Yeah, you see what I'm saying.
So like Ashton gent to Chicago to me is awesome because they've got their offensive line set up and Johnson's going to run the football. Like that's going to be a really nice fit. If that's the direction that you use.
I mean the cake is done.
Yeah, one hundred percent. So that's kind of what I feel about the two Blue Chipper thing. And a lot of people say Travis Hunter. To me, there's a lot of questions about Travis Hunter, like is he a good receiver yes? Is he a good corner yes? Is he as good as Derek's Singleton or Sauce Gardner like Harry Stingley, Derek Stingley, No, He's not sting That's what I'm saying. See Patricksartan Like they're not that level of.
I don't feel like you, remember we did cornerback, was that he was not my first corner, Remember it was Will Johnson. I feel like Will Justin is more complete, meaning a better tackler.
Yeah, I think he's stickier in coverage.
And I just think overall as a cornerback not he's just better now when you when you get Travis, he helps you out on both sides of the ball regard.
But is he gonna do that though?
Yeah, I think who ever drafted I mean the way I'm here hearing that most folks say they gonna draft him as a corner and throw them in there on third. Yeah, I received some sloting, but I just feel like, at the end of the day, like, don't take what made him who he is away and stop. I understand, don't put him out there like Connorrado did for the whole.
Game on both positions.
But if he's special, if he's that special or as special as people have said, then you got to get a taste of that. You gotta get you got to bring that to your because it's not only gonna help your team's gonna help him.
The people sit in those seats.
You see what I'm saying, You're gonna be able to sell the jersey, sell the tickets, and also see great.
I was on the team that had a guy Champ Bailey.
We used to let Champ play wide receiver and running back and when they did.
It, it was It worked, but Champ was it.
But the thing that gets me is like, how do you just do that from a schedule standpoint? Like how are you the best corner on the team and the number one? But think about your game plan when you were the guy, like they're putting stuff in for you defensively, like they're putting stuff in for you.
That's why he has to go with the offense.
He gotta go dou because couple two, couple four, that ain't gonna change. It's gonna be couple one that won't change. Learning that offensive playbook is harder.
I think personally when you put him in at corner, because I feel like his body that says he's a corner you occupy. When you put him in as a corner, Now he can be your number one corner or whatever you want to do. You got a great defense, you can put him somewhere where he can. He's gonna he's gonna be a guy that's gonna you know, jump the ball, you know, be that, be that, be that zone guy. Whatever you want to do, he can do it. I
feel like he can do it as a defender. Offensively, he don't have to be the man.
He don't.
He can just be the guy that we're gonna do special things with. He can be my he can be my Swiss army and offensively where I just line him up and he's going to get the attention because one he's on the field and people knows he's a threat, he's gonna have that Prime effect. He probably gonna do more than what Prime and Bailey them was expected to do.
And even Charles Wilson did.
Does it bother you for that he didn't run a forty even?
No, No, I think I think those guys set the tone last year when they didn't do it, those other guys not running forty.
His film doesn't lie.
He plays if you're fast runner forty, I'm just like you're playing, does he play that fast?
But I look at it like this.
In my day, we had to run a forty for our slot, so we can Are.
You nervous about running your four because you know you're gonna un fast, right.
I mean you just didn't know, you know.
I mean it's like taking a test, just like you know, it could have slipped out of anything.
My brother, My brother pulled his squad, I pulled my hamstring running myund forty like and I'm glad I did it.
At the end.
You see, my brother did is in the middle of his forty so so and he stay around four three. You just don't know, bro, And it's like if you don't, if you're not a good tester. I've seen guys that ran slow and had phenomenal careers. You know, it don't really you know, dictate who you're going to be as a player. It just back then they allowed that to be used to slaughtch you as a you know, a top box they had to check.
All right, Fred, what's your next safe space? Thought about this draft?
Picks thirty five through seventy five would be collectively better than pick one through thirty four. That's telling you that this is, to me not a top heavy draft. And like I told you, just a lot of guys out there that it's built like Zeus with the heart of a beating.
I mean, even even if you just go through the picks, right, you got Malachi Stark's big guy, not super productive, injured last year, Yeah, Shamar Stewart only four and a half sacks of the last two years, Mike Green coming from a small school, Donovan Azarak who only a pass rusher, Yeah right, Nick Gordon wasn't that productive last year after a productive twenty twenty three, right, and then who's that
guy from Georgia the linebacker gosh number Walker? Yeah Walker, Yeah, Like he's gonna probably play full time edge but he's only got thirty one inch.
He reminds me of the Walker that got in Jacksonville.
Right now, Treyva, Like it's you look just built like Zeus but a heart of.
A BB Yeah.
So again, like there's a lot of questions about just the edge rushers. Right, you look at the offensive lineman. I do think Will Short, Yeah, but I think he's he's a good football player though. And then Membu is another guy that's interesting, like really relatively new to football. I think those guys are. But after that, a lot of questions.
What about the wide receiving position.
Man, I think this is where I agree with you, Fred. I think if you look at the second round, third round, I like those route runners, those players a little bit.
Better than the top George Yeah.
Yeah, dude, yeah, like so like the guys, the kid from Florida, the two guys from Miami, good football players. But I look at you know, Cetro McMillan. I like his film, but can he separate at the NFL level? Right?
Who is he is he?
Keith Sean Johnson? Is he like just a guy like I want to know?
And then Matthew Golden Right, I love how he runs routes, but I don't feel on tape his speed. He ran a four to two nine, I don't feel that when I watch. He's really sudden making. Buka is probably like the safest get on bass.
Pick the thing about Amuka that really does it for me.
Last year we had him already slided it in the first round before the Union comes out and Jeremiah Smith just comes in. It makes him look regular, balls make him looks regular, like a regular dude, Like in my hand.
He was a number one before this kid got here.
Yeah.
And then Luther Burton's the other one, the other kind of play making.
Guy, and he's he all over the place.
I just talked. Someone had him in the third round like I literally had a conversation.
You see him in the third bottom, but the first thing you see him in the third like, I don't know where he slotted it right now.
And so again, like a lot of questions for guys that are supposed to be on the first round, the tight ends, I feel pretty good.
I do feel good, know what I'm saying.
But so it's like two offensive linemen, two tight ends, a running back, a quarterback. The two safeties I think could be good football players, Mak Starks and Nick Ammon Warrior. I think they're the real deal, and then I think Hunter and Johnson. But outside of that, I'm a little bit like the flavor man.
Who knows like it's just one of those joy Like I say, it's the Dreft after the Drea, Like after the great Dreft, here go to Drea.
Yeah. And so for our certified baller segment that we do particular to the draft, like I found it easier to pick five guys from thirty five to seventy five than I did from one to thirty easy, easily. So I agree with that action Peck.
When the talent in the back, hey, it happens.
It happens.
Man.
And then so Tanny, you got.
Oh, don't be afraid of small school guys. I think it's some small school gyms out there, and that's going it is, you know, probably racing my brows. You know, before some of those top top names, those big name guys. You know we talked about the guy from Marshall, Mike the Mike Green.
Uh you know, I said he's from a soft school. Is a knock on them.
Yeah, but dude, he gets out the Yeah with the N I l killed the small school because you know you can start there.
I think the NIL what is going to do going forward. This is just my take on it. Especially the portal. Yeah, there's so many guys getting stuck and lost in that portal. You're gonna get a lot of guys. Now that's not gonna help out. HBCUs. The other small schools like the Toledos, the you know, the the Korean, the schools that you just don't see people going to if you ain't getting the money you want, and them schools got something and they like they need them talent. You're gonna see these
guys find a way. Because right now I still don't have a cap and I think eventually somebody where they.
Start revenue sharing this year, the next year coming up, they start revenue share.
Amongst their school though right not amongst the whole, amongst the conference, amongst the conference revenue share. Okay, I thought that was just for the school and all their different sports.
It's a much the conference, but it's also much all the sports.
Okay, I got you, I got you. Well, my take on it is just I think.
A lot of these guys who get stuck in the portals, who get out of these and who get these n I thes and want to op out, they're gonna end up finding themselves in some of them small schools HBCUs. And now you're gonna get a lot of talent. Because me and port is talking about this by him going over to the Delaware he's a Delaware state with d Jack.
I was like, Bro, eventually, you guys are going to be getting a lot of talent because think about how many high schoolers that's not getting picked up nowadays because.
Of the portal because they don't want fresh You see what I'm saying. The people don't want freshmen no more. Prime just said that.
So you're gonna get a lot of these small schools now getting two or three.
Guys and you becoming the starter school.
Yeah.
And so now right now we've got You've got a Mike Green, we got a kid from not State, kid from Aflaxidia.
Yeah. Yeah, you got the kid from Toledo. Uh play the tackle.
So you know what I mean, you're gonna get a guy. You know, it's probably gonna be more in the future, but right now he got two or three of them that you can just name that that that might raise my brother.
Those are those are three good small school call outs, like in terms of good football players, like those guys are awesome, you know, and then you get later in the draft. There's like David Walker from Central Arkansas.
And I and I take any player any day, any time from North Dakota State.
It's just certain schools.
I don't take no today players, especially offensive lineman office aligning from there.
I'll say no to a quarterback from MOA Zakota State.
Iarkin SI, I don't say we'll keep it moving.
You're two long games left a turn in the NFL. It happens.
But I take a player from Arkansas, Like it's just certain schools like I just like their style. Iur you ain't got to ask me twice to take no playoff from our because you know you're gonna get quality from their place.
Yeah. No, I think that's right, Sotana. I like that too. I like you had two good ones, Dana, the running back one and that one I thought were excellent. Jason, what's yours you got?
Okay?
Yeah?
So this draft is so deep? Okay, let me let me see what I mean by it's deep. I mean that there is a a lot of the same in the sense of like the same caliber, and there's so many of these guys that fit in the same caliber, the same tier, that the draft trade tax is going to be low. And what I mean by that is, I don't think anyone is going to be clamoring to really move in this draft for a specific position. Now, maybe I want to move up a spot or two for a specific guy.
But it won't cut. There's going to be a lot of trades happening.
And if they do the tax, what I mean by that is, if you're trying to trade up to the top ten for a quarterback, you're paying a hefty price.
In this draft, I don't.
Think there's going to be a lot to pay to move up a spot.
So I think that's a great point, and on the whole I agree with you. But I do think it's just being aware of how teams value quarterbacks, like does Shador take a slide? Is Jackson Dart higher on People's network?
Now, wait a minute, for quarterback, there's always a tax, that's a positional tax. I'm just talking about like, oh, I have a tier here, I want to.
Just this guy.
It's not going to cost him league last year, comany league last year and this year is not like.
Well, I do think also, I think there's with anything, there's there's exceptions to the rules. So for example, if Mike Green might may be a bad example, but like let's take Harmon Harmon from Oregon, the defensive tackle. If he takes a little bit of a slide and he's there at twenty nine or thirty, I could see a team trading into the first round because I think he's a stellar football player. I think he's like a top twenty, top fifteen, top guy. But if there's but that's where
like individual team evaluations become important. If a guy's falling through tiers, you know, like crazy for you like let's say he's a first tier player for me hypothetical.
Let's just say one of the tightiends, because I feel like it's a strong group.
Let's say the Titians.
Star at the slide I see, I see people making Dombino offfiics to try to get in there to get.
Yeah, because I think I think personally, I think Colson Lovelin is a special football.
Yeah, I think he is not like Warren.
So let's say he's falling down the board a little bit because he's in a different tier of position. Then maybe they are going to make a move. And again, like I think, it depends on the type of player and how far they've fallen based on that team's board. But generally I agree with what you're saying. I don't think it's going to be crazy.
Unless a team is actually absolutely in love with the player. I just don't think they're going to give up a whole lot to move up to get that guy or if it's that position, because like you said, like unless you absolutely love them, you're only bidding against yourself. Because there are a lot of teams I think that are going to go. Okay, Harmon's here, But if I wait three spots or four spots, I can still get a really good defensive tackle.
Yeah, no, I that's what I mean. No, I'm with you one hundred percent. And then mine is the difference between five and thirty is nothing. And I absolutely mean that. I'm not being hyperbolics.
No, it's not.
It's zero like right, it's like no, it's the player going to get a five is about the same as the player going to get thirty.
Damn man, it's I have nothing to say, So let me ask you a question off of that, just financially speaking. Right, So, if that's the case, do you see a lot the skill positions and those premier positions going early then just because you want to get that.
Quarterbacks and offensive lineman dictate the draft. They dictate the floor of the draft. They dictate the dissimulation of the Draft's day go the draft goes. Not no other position kind of does that. Like, people will make a run on offensive lineman and they got questions about them, but if they got the size they looking for some fulm, they takeing them and this shapes the draft.
That shapes the drafts right there. Yeah, And what I mean by yes, I agree with you.
So what I'm saying is if there's like a defensive tackle that you want to take, and it means like you can take one a little bit later, like what you're saying.
It's nothing to nothing, it's nothing, then why not.
If you're picking at seven and you have to pay trade back or take a skill position because the cost is less of a skill like a wide receiver on a rookie deal versus defensive lineman on a rookie deal.
Well so now I think now, like in terms of what you're saying, I think defensive tackle, defensive end, offensive tackle, and receiver are all kind of financially in the same bucket. Like we just saw Milton get paid thirty million dollars a year. Yeah, New England, Right, so those contracts are huge. So i'd say one of those four positions. Yeah, Like if you've got a good grade and a guy like go for it, right.
And this is probably why you'll see running back slide. I think so because I was looking up something when you were talking about running backs and edges earlier and h Miles Garrett his rookie contract, he made seven point five million a year. Now he makes forty million a year Saquon's rookie contract was eight. Now he makes twelve. So like, yeah, that's why you get that edge rusher and you wait for running backs because money was financial money.
So you saying that though you're saying that five to thirty is particularly for this draft or that's just going to be for.
This draft like last year, I like, you know, there's the three, there's the quarterbacks, for the receivers, there's.
Not making because this draft is what we said it was before, it stinks a little bit.
Yeah, really, like think about it.
Last year head probably a a just true top prospect.
They probably had three in each position almost.
It was crazy.
It was just it was loaded to the end. I mean, you had quarterbacks that we knew was going to go early, but they was. They was doing musical chairs with them. I think this guy could go in front. I'm like, damn.
But then you look at the running back had a blue chip tight end prop virus blue chip like Mali Nabeles and Brian Tombs it Harrison two things just blue chip about the blue chip by the blue chip, and it made it hard for you to say.
Which one do I want?
Yeah? Absolutely, quarterbacks this year again, like I think, like to be clear, these guys are good football players. Yeah, it's just just a draft peaks. Not like with those other prospects we got spoiled last year, like Joe Wall was maybe the cleanest in the biggest man a right and there with like Will Campbell always got small arms,
members only played offensive line for you know what I mean. Like, there's just questions about them in a way that there weren't last year, even with the receive like Tetrom I like Tetro McMillan a lot, right, don't get me wrong, but like Roma Doonza, even Brian Thomas was in a different year. So yeah, I think that's where we're talking. Like last year was just a special year. This year is just more questions, a little bit.
Like just regular.
And you put that in weed eatsmore.
All right.
So now that's going to lead us to our last segment of the show, fan favorite risk It for the Biscuit. Biscuit trading places in the NFL Draft wasented by marsh McLennon agency. You're a partner in risk and People's strategies. Okay, So yeah, this is a question I get all the time and every draft analyst that I've talked to like in the media, is like, if the Washington manager are picking at twenty nine, I think they should trade back.
Yeah right, yeah, I think there will be a good football player there at twenty nine.
Yep.
Like we could talk about a couple of them, donovanez Araku, Nick Gordon, you know who, and Buka whoever you want to talk about there, And I think there's going to be someone good there, right, But trading back, it's you're going to be able to get more draft capital, to get.
More picks, more value.
However, the thing that I keep coming back to, and Jason brought this up with his comment, is who's going to trade with you?
Yeah?
Oh, I already got a play we got all right. What you want to do is you want to find somebody out there that's eating needy. They have to have a certain position. I'm going and I'm knocking on the door of the New Orleans Saints. I heard you need a quarterback like this one. I'm at twenty nine. You want to get Jackson Dart from Old miss You give me your second round and your third round, all right, So now that gives me two second round picks and then I get to replace my third round that I
trade it, they get Jackson Dart who they want. And guess what with them taking Jackson Dirt at twenty nine, you're still not shopping in the positional position that I was shopping.
In in the first round.
So they have nine have nine total picks.
Yeah, I told them, but I'm saying they had I thought they had one in the first exactly. So top they might your door if you do it around.
Well, think about it.
I need that that.
That I say if they do, if they don't take your doing that what I was saying, if they don't, because because they're not in the top five, so it's safe to say, it's safe to say that you regardless, you got to get the third best quarterback. And they might say, all right, why would I take the bad third quarterback when I can get McMillan, are wide receiver here, get back in the bottom of the first round and take Jackson Dark.
Now I got two things. So you think mc millan go before Arizona, right.
Before the Arizona White.
McMillan is the Arizona. McMillan's Arizona. I'm thinking about the other kids. What the other kid name is? That we talk about yesterday from Ohio State. Yeah, that's him.
I don't I think here a bottom of the first round got but I see gold pushing here.
That's the thing though about this is like the difference between those three guys is nothing. It's kind of like Beauty's and the I of the Beholder's say, I'm picking at eight and I really like McMillan, Like, I'm gonna go that way. But if I'm read eight and I really like if I if I'm Carolina at eight, and I like.
What separates them to you? You a corner? Yeah, I know what separated just me watching them.
Yeah, McMillan. To me, everybody worried about his separation. I don't because that's what he do. He catched contested balls, got great hands, and he got he got this.
He got what I call bad catch.
Radius, meaning his arms are so long he can catch bad balls no matter where you throw him in.
So I don't need him to have.
It crazy because he didn't measure along. But it's it's timing.
Yeah, he reminds me a little bit of a.
Basketball player, Mike Evans' body kind of you know, when my first got in the league, he was like, Okay, got a gift you on him?
Yeah, you know, he ain't slope.
And then the other kid that they got over there in Atlanta, Yeah, oh.
To me had that kind of very much.
Drake London to me, and again, Drake London was special because of the physicality. Almost plays like a tight end. Yeah McMillan doesn't.
He's yeah, not.
I think he's a better He's got better long I mean, I can.
Say he's he's a little bit more like attack. He attacked the ball like hell. And that's why I would take him a because he does. To me, he's a He's the kid that they got in New Orleans. He's a savvy Chris. He's a he's a smooth runner and run rounds.
He don't he don't live, got another gear, but he reminds me.
But yeah, so so he's a guy that.
They they put in those tough situations when he catched those those contestants, you know, balls that you might not think that he'll go out there, but I just think't see to me, I didn't see nothing that would flash. Yeah, like I said, probably because that little number four over there, we're just doing so much. You know, he didn't flash me, so I think.
But the other guy is Matthew Golden that I think is interesting and he's a guy that I think. I don't know if you've watched him from Texas number two. He is super good in his routees, very technical. But again I don't know if I feel like, you know, when there's a number one receiver on the field.
You don't feel like he's worthy.
It doesn't feel that way.
But he was gonna be that dynamic in the lead.
I know he's gonna be fast, but I didn't watch them college and say, mate, it's gonna go to the league and Bob Yeah.
So basically the point of this discussion is to say that New Orleans who were talking about, right, they're picking ten or something like that. Yeah, they're also picking forty.
Yeah.
Right, so let's say they take Tetro McMillan. Yeah, And then my question is, I think Jackson Dart's a second round player. So do you just stick and pick at forty or do you feel But we.
Watch this every year of people get answered with these quarterbacks and like over drafting quarterbacks is normal. Yeah, like overdraft and Wira receiver with the a top trash to you then, But nobody ever says anything about overdrafting quarterback because it's just the commodity too hot.
Yeah, so I guess that's the thing. It's really it really depends on where the quarterbacks go to me. And again, if there's a team that like loves a player, yeah, maybe they trade up with you, But to me, it's the quarterbacks. It depends on where where that evaluation comes out, because like right now, you talk to anybody and you'll get a crazy different end. Like you know we were talking about in the production meeting, like mel Kaipras, he's the first traderse Saders is the first pick on his
board over Camboord. Yeah right, So, like you can get a team that really loves should should do right, or you get a team that really loves Jackson.
Dart Yeah, or Jackson Dart film He's great.
Yeah yeah. Will Howard from Oh I'm Not High one half? What's the guy from Louisville, what's his name? Shuck Shuck, Tyler Shuck like which he's clambing everybody bullet right. So but again, like wherever those guys end up going, that's going to lead to trade value. I think more than anything. And so if you can trade back, I like, like Fred talked about with his like you right, you'd rather two picks in the second than one pick in the first.
I think that's one hundred percent right. If you make that happen, awesome, But I just don't know who's gonna dance, because I think everybody else is starting to become aware of this. Like teams are smart not not really.
We give these people too much creative.
We watched Tom Foolery all the tie A team down the street, Saint cun walk out of and Payton d We have seen Tom Foolery all day. And when it comes to Andre. The one thing I can say about this, every team think they right. Every team think they drafting the right person at the right time to the right team. And how many times do we watch maybe one fourth of a draft class actually be promsed and the rest of the guys gone.
I think most of the teams you see that draft or or missing the drafts when they reaching they need that position so.
Bad, no choice.
They have no choice but to pick what's available, and that guy might not fit what they have going on, but they got it.
Got to take. You said, yes, that's like you the most. That's when you make a mistake. He said.
The one thing I will not go into a draft doing is going in there pigeonholing myself. I will never be forced to take a guy Jim because I have a position ed, he said. I would draft another position and I find another way to feel that position.
But I'm not going to force I mean, that's what you want. You want to be able to say, Okay, I'm not like last year. We had to get a quarterback. We had to get that way that was. It wasn't perfect, but it was one.
Of the drafts. All that it was.
It was was in the right slide, and they had enough guys that we could have choose from, but we had the one guy that we knew it and and it's safe to say if even if Caleb would have failed to second, you.
Were the one with Caleb.
We were the one with Drake may Michael, all these guys bone show y'all, we can flat out play it.
I'm so glad we got the guy we got, we got the gas fit, we got the gap.
Yeah, but I think like that was the luxury of last year and then this year. If you're the Giants like, man, we need a quarterback real bad. It's like, okay, what happened. This is a little but how about the Giants having such a bad hard Knocks that they killed the show? No?
Right now about the show?
Yeah, no more hard Knocks.
Listen, they killed the show that bad because no one wants to do it because you imagine, like I'm sitting there and I'm like, hey man, because of that whole thing, Listen to me.
It's if you're a New York Giants fan, they just took the air out the room for you, like that took and then the owner sit here and saying it, I don't want to let him go.
No, I don't even think that was the problem to me, knowing that your son has a clue, you don't.
Yeah, that's man. I think you need to get that guy there. I like that you don't get and don't get your kids. You told this man, I don't want to see Saquan.
They feel it death. That was a while you one day.
After him being on the market, and he didn't feel it there for your winning a super Bowl, No no, not that hurt the most and you want a super Bowl and he let the league in the dam and I almost broke broke the record and you.
Cut Daniel Jones. Dude. I think that was the thing that when I when I saw that, I was like, they don't understand the dynamic of that team, Like Quan was the only explosive weapon that had.
On and made Dave Jones who he was.
Like, you obviously saw that Dave Jones beat nobody but us ll be he pops up at the time when we was we was poor.
You know what I mean poor? Yeah, we was terrible. We was terrible. But he took advantage of that, took advantage of.
It, right.
So we talked about trading down in the draft. Is there any benefit to trading.
Up only when you got that player your eyesight? But this year, I don't know this year.
This year, I feel like if you due to the fact that we're sitting where we're at, and if you got the best player of the draft.
That you can fill your roster with and he's there, you go ahead.
I think the only thing that you can do that will that's that would raise my eyebrows, have me you know, you know, I guess you could say rubbing my hands if we trade back saying that we got some we get more pics and we know it's gonna be talent us sitting sitting around, because then I'll be thinking about Okay running back or somebody in that second round that we can really, you know, do some great things with.
But I feel like we're straight.
And it's not because I sat there and watch you in AP talk and have so much chemistry together. It's just just seeing these movies, seeing these moves beforehand, before y'all had that talk.
I'm watching these moves.
He's making them, like bro, I haven't seen a guy move like this with this organization in a long time.
He was telling you about his moves. I don't feel high about this draft. I don't feel high about free agency gonna I'm gonna go cherry pick off people roster. He's letting you know by his actions how he feel about this draft. Clad, and I think a lot of people feel this way about this drail Clad tell you true, ye.
Yeah and so, and then the other one is just obviously trade up, trade back, and then he's sticking pick and I actually feel really good about sticking and picking in this draft. I think there's going to be a good again because like I said that between five and thirty.
If you ever drove a stick shift, yes, once, ain't nothing like hitting that clutch and putting that thing in reverse.
You remember, we ain't had no camera.
We had to look up.
That's what I'm doing, Like, listen, I want to get If I can't get one gigantic great entity, I read to get a lot of small ones so they can combide and be the y that I want them to be. Because the first thing he said is I'm gonna truly build his team through the draft.
So if you're gonna truly build it to the draft every year, you got to add just that much more.
And I think the other thing to the important remember because someone said, oh, we don't only have five picks. But I also will say that last year, three undrafted free agents made this team, and so they did a good job of identifying people that they felt could make the team. And that's another element where I think having a guy like Ap, having this whole front office stat like someone dedicated to it, you can find those gems, right,
So I think that's it. So I think obviously we're really excited about the draft, and every year the draft is so fun to talk about because it's so different.
The day dreams come true, the day of tears.
Their tears, good tears though.
No, no, it's gonna be some.
Bad because guys ain't gonna go where they thout. They should win it.
Yourself before that day. Yeah, your friends move boys. He was sitting up there like I knew I shouldn't have had that part, couldn't be.
But guess what a blessing.
Hell, I came here and I listen everything happened happen, so I was perfect, Like it's the best thing could have happened to me.
Yeah. Absolutely, So that's gonna do today show. Please make sure you like to subscribe wherever you get your podcast. If there's someone that you think we should drivet, please leave a comment. We always appreciate that insight. But that's gonna do the show.
And I did make this shirt. Adam Peters let Grandma cook Man