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All Right, this is the Command Center Commute podcast. I'm Logan Paulson here with Fred Smooth and Santana moss Yep.
Let's hit the weekend round.
Up real quick, boys, let's talk about this, this Aaron Rodgers deal.
How do you guys feel about that? A E.
T A.
I forgot what his mysteries get.
Yeah, I mean, don't get me wrong. If you look at the span of quarterbacks that came through that system. We talked about the quarterbacks that came through this is this organization, the Jets. What probably in the last I gues say, that's twenty five years. Yeah, the best names. Now I played one of the best. I think I had Vinnie tested Bird. That was good. But Vinnie probably was like the last. To me, Bennie was like the one of the greats that would it probably didn't exceed
to the expectation that people probably wanted. But you say Brett fa Arm, now you say Aaron Rodgers, Yeah, you know what I mean? Those who so let me.
Just ask you a question, Taylor. So basically, they're gonna give up.
They're gonna swap first this year, so not a big deal thirteen to fifteen, and then they got a second round pick that's going to be a first round pick next year. If he plays more than sixty five percent of the well, go ahead, talk as but how long is he going to be playing? As my question, that's my one criticism.
That's the only question. And that's the thing that bothered me the most about Aaron Rodgers because you know the talent. We know he's exceptionally I mean, he's one of the best still, and he don't have to go out there and really put the effort in like he's the guy that's always going to.
Go diva diva. And that's the problem. You are deep in football. You are unpredictable, like he're gona think about it. The Jets all in on this year after this year, they don't know what he's gonna do it.
That's where the second round to the first run? Are they sold for just one year? Do they want more out of that? That's my question?
They want more?
Yeah, but are you gonna get more?
I mean, the thing that bothers me about it is he's kind of he's been on the decline. Last year was not a great year. He still throw it, he can still spin it.
Right.
Yeah, he had a thumb injury, but.
Definitely not the guy that was the MVP caliber guy from two years ago. Right, You're giving up to two first round picks for a guy who talked about retiring this year.
He did go to the Darkness Retreat.
He stayed there in front. He stayed in the dark for seventy two hours. He contemplated retirement, and now he's back.
Put like this. I love players that have a chip on their shoulder.
For some reason, I feel like Aaron feels disrespected.
That's the only reason why he wanted to be a Jet. Because you got to think about it. He basically said, you signed me last year to a three year extension and then now I'm gonna tell you, well, maybe I think I can go to a Super Bowl or or or could tend for a championship, but maybe not here. How you say that when this team just went out on the limit and said, Okay, we're gonna give you another three years to do whatever you feel like you
can do to get us to the Promised Land. So to me, I think he's one of those persons that he wants everything to be about himself and he wants to move when he wants to move. You can't do that with these.
And nobody's talking about Jordan Love like everybody's talking about Aaron.
And to me, Aaron is the brute, the beauty queen with the dead.
Tooth in the matter. I'm just telling you. I'm just telling you.
And you talk to her.
Until you sit down and talk to her, you can't really focus on who she is. And joy Love is that that Cinderella that they've been hind in the basement for three four years. I will not be shocked if they get a tight end with that new second round pick and they get the wide receiver he needs and Jordan Love comes.
Out and ball. Don't quote me, but don't be surprised they win more than eight games with Jordan Love this year.
So I think I think Chicago and Detroit out of class, out of North right now, I think Chicago and Detroit.
So do you think one of the I think one of the reasons that Aaron was frustrated there wasn't a lot of like elite pass catchers in Green Bay. How like, so, why why all of a sudden is love going to come in and make that kill that skill position group.
Better because the offense that he's in, you don't have to be lead because everyone can be lea, everyone could be lead. You remember running in that offense, we had five receivers that all had five hundred, six hundred yards together and we won twelve games that year. Yeah, so at the end of the day, you don't have to have an elite receiver that that pass and makes everyone everybody's option.
So you had one of the best in Aaron Rodgers. He's going to the Jets. Like do you think that because it's the same offense. It's it's it's West Coast. The offensive cooridator in New York was from the forty nine ers, right, So, like, like, how do you feel about that? Do you think he'll be able to kind of revitalize his career or is he just kind of this diva that's never going to be that guy.
Well, I'm gonna say this, as much as I just channed those that JT S Jets, do not come up there and be less than yourself. Rocks not come to New York and be less than yourself because those fans will turn on you quickly. And so you could go in there, you could come from Wisconsin with that diva stuff. Don't go in to Manhattan with that diva stuff. Wherever they that over there, they're not playing point on this one, that that that Green Bay media is one is guarded and protected.
He can he is the president of Milwaukee. He can do what he wants to when you come to New York. No, no, no, no, no, You're just.
Piece of the puzzle. He's wrong over there. Wants to watch what see.
I'm willing.
I want to see what happens after the Jets you lose a game and they put the mic in his face. I want to see what happens then, because we know, we know he's that dude that just don't really care.
He don't care about how you feel.
So final thought. Good move for the Jets, yes, or.
No, great move for the Jets.
Regular unlady, listen to me. He ain't married. What I tell you, he ain He ain't married. No more Super Bowls for him.
Ain't married.
All right, So that's a lot of Green Bay Jets talk. Let's talk about something that's coming up this week, the draft. Right, yeah, let's do a little bit what IF's okay?
I love what if? What marvels like?
Oh okay, all right? Respect, all right?
So the first what if is the commanders can't try to can't find a trade partner.
Yeah, what if that happens? We are taking the sixteen.
If if it was the fifth, we all be drunk.
I'm a professional drinker.
I'm like this. I'm you know, I'm big on you know, let me take what's given to me. Right now, we have the sixteen pick. I'm not big on trying to get more in up with no y'all know that saying Okay, you know when you're playing, I.
Don't know that. You know what.
We came up a little different. You know, you came up with a little different. But what I'm saying is, if I have for show money, why try to replace himblet try to get more money. They end up with no money.
You see what I'm saying.
Trade back.
I'm not necessarily sold on it unless it's the opportunity is given, you knowe what I'm saying. So as the draft get to going and things kind of trinkle down to saying Oh, we have a chance to say we can. We can. We can go back a couple of and still pick up a guy too that we feel that's needed. We did it last year. We got we did When that time to come right now, it's too premature for me to make that call. You see what I'm saying. So right now, if you ask me, I'm picking where we what's needed.
Either, So what's needed?
I guess I'm going. I'm gonna going to secondary. I'm a receiver and I know on in this division you have some elite talent. We're gonna be going up against weekend and week I cannot hang my hat on one guy every week to try to lock down one guy because it's two or three guys on these teams nowadays. So I'm gonna go get me a cornerback. All right, Well, I'm.
In this race.
I'm gonna get in the car. I'm not gonna push the gas. I'm not trying to go forward. I'm gonna put it in reverse. But if you can't, if I can't, I'm taking the biggest human being left at the draft. Okay, like literally, like it's sixteen, Who is the biggest offensive tackle that's left if it's if it's Donale right, first of all, I want anybody named don All, and if your first name don All, I want.
You, and you'll see your last name start with a W.
I want you.
So they could be done there, Washington the tight end, they could be done Al from Tennessee, I listen, I want a dune Al Before this.
Dragt got done in on my list, but I was thinking that he might fall a little bit of Washington the tackle.
I think he's going up. He's shooting up the board.
I think it's gonna shift a little bit. I think I'm hoping. I think it's interesting.
It's because, like we talked about the tier system, right, and all these guys after sixteen or had a tear in the same group.
So you want to trade back.
But if you can't trade back and the best player available, best player by grade, is an edge rusher, Yeah, do you take an edg rusher?
Oh? With what we have going on here, you might have to, So tell me about it. You might have to. I mean, honestly, I just feel like you can't pay everybody in a situation you can.
No one's under contract.
Of the seven guys on roster, none of them are under contract for twenty fourteen, mingo.
So you know you gotta go out there and and I can't say you're putting a band aid on it. You're going you're fixing that problem. You're fixing it right now saying, hey, I'm going to get the guy that now I know I could pay cheap and give me the same kind of production.
Well, the thing about it is, this is what happened when you draft.
Well, when you draft, well, you fill a room up and you can't pay everybody. You said, I want to pay the interior you paid paying you paid John Allen. You can only at the most pay one of these guys, and maybe you franchise one, maybe you fill f option one, but you're gonna have to manipulate that in your favorite. So yeah, picking an edge guy, I just don't see an edge now. I'm a big Nolan Smith guy. I think Nolan Smith can stylistically.
Does he fit here though?
I think he does because he's Michael Parsons.
To me, I said, I'd find one clip of him playing off the ball.
Then I told you, look, not this ship the year before, this car to play off the bottle.
He's a linebacker. That runs a four forty. He's strong, he's fast, he's smart.
Listen to me.
He was forced to rush to pass out there is because this is what George asked him to do, just like Michael Parsons.
But if you stand him up.
And say go chase people sideline sideline, he can get it done. Put it like this in the first round. I'm looking for unicorns and freaks. I'm looking for people that stand out. And I don't care if it's a good thing about that. You meaning this guy one hundred and sixty pounds. That's different, Anthony Richardson, that's different. I have to go out and above to make something happen.
Right, what if Robinsons are at sixteen, but.
If he'll still be there seventeen, I swear, I don't you know, honestly, So okay, I mean, I'm just be real like that's a knee. Don't get me wrong. I understand you have to sometime, you know, bypass guys like that. That's just that's that's the game. But I don't feel like it's a knee. And I don't feel like running backs carry that much value. No more for you to say, I'm gonna go out on the limb and bring you
to much because we know he's a dynamic talent. Yes, and partly for three or four years, we might get all that. But if you ain't get, if you ain't soli of find the guys up front or the guys on the other side of that we need it, don't matter what you do.
With That's a great point.
Like if you can get an offensive lineman there right to make the run game better, do you, that's gonna be a thing that elevates.
Who said we have a problem at running back. I can literally go to South Carolin. Now pick up Stephen Davis, who's forty nine years old. If I got offensive line, he would a big country would run behind him. Like, at the end of the day, offensive line makes everybody better, makes your running back look better, make your quarterback look better, make your office of coordinator with great So at the end of the day, to simplify this thing for the enemy,
let's go get the guys up front. Let's go get the hogs, no vegans, Let's go get the hag.
What if he's Adrian Peterson, Like what that's that's the that's the type of evaluation you're talking about.
He's the best running back that I evaluated.
A fast and quicker, stronger version of lavery Young Bell because of what he does and whide receiving. Nobody wants to talk about the things he does.
What I'm saying, man is like if he's a if he's a Hall of Famer, which is the guy you're comparing him to, Like, do you feel weird passing on the sixteen?
I would say I don't feel weird because of the offense that he's coming into. If we run anything, if we all shell of the team that Eric Enemy came from, you could you can put in front back in that offense long as long as as long as.
He can run around.
And we have two guys already that can do what those guys over there was doing already. And so that's why I said, I'm not big on going out, going on the limbit to get a guy at that pick.
Antonio Gibson is going to have a hell of a year.
Like like averb Enemy probably looks at Gibson and probably haven't stopped sliding out of his mouth since he got here.
Because I'm just saying.
I played against Andy Reid my whole career, and he always had a Brian Ristbrook and Do Staley for us, and he would use him in unconventional ways and they would just they would abuse us.
That's a question I'd like to ask you, guys. Do you think that Gibson has that level of route running he want to his game? Think about though, think about Westbrook, Think about the guys you just mentioned, those guys that are hyper quick.
They with shat backs to guys so that they was a little more quick.
Long shried guy.
He's explosive, no doubt, but he doesn't have that that Santana maas short area running twice round.
You're right, but that might be question and that's one of the reasons why we didn't see him as much. But I thought last year when we when we needed to use him more in the passing game better, he showed us that, look, man, I can do whatever. And I think last year he played with that chip knowing you brought a guy here to take my position. I'm gonna show you, guys, now allow me to do the
things you said he was gonna do with me. And I think he's gonna get a full dose of that now in this new offense.
And don't forget it's contract here.
If you want to see a player at his peak, put him in contract.
Yet, you know they say bald online when you're playing the game and they say, I fould you and you got it. You got it. Don't lie to in the football field, because when you try to take a guy out of something that he has done and showed you well, he played well enough to go out there and be that guy and you just say I just don't. I don't need you that much, it always come around to bite you, you know what I mean. I think this is one of those years that it was me. Just gave me a call.
He said, if we take Bjne at sixteen, he is retiring that you brought him up because you could have brought up a.
Lot of guys.
Okay, let me bring someone else up for you. Right, there's a lot of talk about CJ. Stroud, Will Levis, Anthony Richardson top ten. Okay, would you take one of those guys.
At sixteen or would you trade up? Look for a sliding Anthony Richardson for a.
Sliding Anthony Richardson, No, I ain't sliding, you smoke. I'm like this, I'm a receiver. That's what I'm smoking. I'm cool with the way the game has transcending now when it comes to these guys can be a little more loosive outside, and I'm cool with that. But at the same time, I need a I need a guy that can give me more in the pocket when needed, and then you can improv outside. Anthony Richards, Do I believe he's a great talent. Yes, and he might be a
phenomenal guy. You never know what might happen on this level when he has a little coach, a little more coaching and everything and more game on his belt. Well, right now, I'm not I'm not banking on that with that pick or trading up for that kind of guy. He lansered out. He lanswered, my lot, then that's that's.
The bridge at sixteen.
At sixteen, no, he said, no that that day. I hear that day, I'm gonna have a loan. I'm gonna have a loan sit down with somebody that's in charge of my offense and see if that's where we need to go. I would think about it, would about. You don't have to ask me no question. I'm going to trout back money on that. He ain't gonna he ain't gonna be around at sixteen.
C J.
Scribe.
When we look back five years from now, c J. Scroud will not be the player that Anthony rich is gonna be. One is ready right now, crowd is ready. Anthon the riches not. He needs to sit the year. But I promise you when you Pat mahomes this dude, he will beat them. He will be the player that you're gonna look back and say, nd hell did y'all not draft Anthony Richardson. He's staring you know he can't do everything great right now? Problem wait till tomorrow.
The only problem I have with quarterbacks like Anthony Richardson when they have that huge army, sometime it goes against what you're trying to do. And I play with too many with a huge um. Jay Campbell R G three mcnow. Mcnow was one of the ones that as a veteran, I said, you see this guy knows his strength because I came to her looking at mcnow my eyes this bit. He said it was too hard, and I say, bro,
he said, I got to take some off it. The mother guys they ain't never taking I say, coach O rich we are young, but that's what I'm saying, a young guy, those other young guys I called, I never saw him take none off it. They kept going because they feel like that what got them to where they at.
Will Levis is a joke. I'm here to tell you, straight shooter. Well, we do this every year. We got three or four quarterbacks and we want to prop them all over time. He's Zach Wilson and we're looking at Zach Wilson junior.
Again, you don't think Wilson so.
Zach Wilson was so much more of a projection man, the way he like his lack a field in the pocket.
At least Levis plays quarterback. At least he plays a Western hood. He played back. I mean last year not great, But in twenty twenty one he look like that.
Dude, and my granddaddy was looking good in two thousand.
All I'm saying, and no, no, no, no, no, like.
We know this, he go the truth. Five quarterbacks. Let's just put her and the Hook in the group.
We know for a fact only two we'll actually be good quarterbacks to a Pro Bowl.
The numbers tell us that.
And my two when we look back, I think Bryce Young and Richardson will be the but I'm really really like.
Hook you take Richardson over Stroud though, Yeah, it's more.
He's just said he's got more upside.
Now, no, no scribe, he goes scribe problem. He throws to wide up and receiving their beat quarterbacks all the time. He has the best officive line he's never thrown on.
There you were, I'm gonna fight you right now. You took my exact argument. He said it was dumb like three days ago, and now you're using all this on.
I apologize, apologize about your.
No.
No, I had to go back and watch.
What you all right, as long as I'm just some credible I'm.
Giving you ready for your source for I don't know what he is under the wrest, but I haven't seen him throw the spots and make those guys go get the ball.
I've seen that plenty of times. I watched plenty of games where he threw to the spot was in there.
The Georgia game was the one game that I said he balleding out and this is who he could be.
That was the game.
Let's just be honest. Do you think that a little bit of what Ohio State puts out at that position?
Yes, he is a.
Prisoner to being a Okay, I can take that more than saying that he might not running back.
Pen State like Penn State running backs of Florida receivers like they get to the next level and do not paying out.
All right, so we can talk about we literally talk about that all day. We've got a little time with it all. I need you to share draft day story from both of you.
Guys.
Doesn't need to be about You can be about anything. Draft day story maybe when you got picked, you know something about whatever.
My draft day story is quick. I mean it's typically me. Mine. Mine was you know, it was crazy because it was a dream come true. I honestly knew I was gonna be a first round pick. Didn't know when?
Did you know that?
I knew that before. I knew that when I had to go to the so my junior year, they wanted me to come out like Tanna, you done enough, they want you to come out. No, I didn't want to do it. When in my senior year balled out and now guys like you don't have to go to the Senior Bowl. I went and went to the combine. Everyone was mad that I didn't participate, and they told me that we're not showing up at your pro day. I had every team there and some you know, at my
pro day killed my pro day. It ran a four to two and didn't even do my drills. So I'm a first rounder. Now. The thing that went and got kind of iffy is where the Jet I mean not the Jets. The Dolphins put something in the newspaper to try to get me to draw. They wanted to get me later in the first They said, never been a guy under five to ten that goes top ten in the first round, and so my agent shot shot something at them like how could you do this to us?
We knew it was all a game. They wanted me to fall to thirty something so they can get me. And then they went later and said, okay, we're you know, are bad, you know, but they put that the backpage. So it's crazy how things happened. But still it was said, Santana will not go top ten or first receiver only because he's under six feet. But I was gonna be a first round pick, so I knew that mark part of it. Fast forward to my draft day. I didn't want no one at my house but my immediate family.
I say, look here, man. At the end of the day, these are the people that watched me on this journey, and it's all I need until it's all sit and done. And when it happened, it happened. I was shocked because I didn't want to go to New York. It wasn't nothing. I knew nothing about New York but the one time I had a trip there, and it was I had took many trips, but that was the only trip I had for pleasure. It was a senior breakfast my senior year. The Big East Breakfast was held there and it was
just dreary. We was in Manhattan. It was dirty. I was looking at I was like, damn, well, I don't want to be here. It seemed like it's the pressing a little bit. And I didn't have no I didn't I didn't have a recollection of what team. I didn't. I knew nothing about the Jets or the Giants, you know what I mean. It wasn't a team that I followed. I just said to myself that day, being in that situation, that man, I don't want to come up here. And
God bless the dead. One of my teammates, our Blades, Our Blades say man, shut up, You're gonna be right here next year. And when they called my name, I said, damn al Jenkson. And that's what happened to me. Said, I went my draft, first round, sixteenth pick.
Okay, all right, how about you, Fred? What you picked?
Second round forty third pick? In mine situation is very similar. I cheered at home. I end up written out of Big Sports by just for my family. So me and my family.
Come and how many people you think with a smooth.
Family is here? Yeah?
So it was at least one hundred people there.
I know because they drunk all the free liquor that I had to pay for, So you know, I enjoyed it. But I sit in the back and I sat with my grandmama and my mom. That was my support group, and I just I remember just watching the names and I took I was writing every name that got drafted before me because I couldn't wait to play.
What do they do?
Three? Two?
Yeah?
Nate Clemings.
Jamar Fletcher was the guy you ain't like like that, now, you know what I mean? You liked him as this TN, but I'm Fletcher.
But we were there.
They bought American together and.
The words see me and tann I did everything together senior year, so we kind of filled out of everybody. So I remember they called my name, and I got my grandmama, I mean my mom and my left arm, my grandmom and my right arm, and my mama cried.
My grandma cried, but I'm.
Laughing and crying at the same time because I'm an idiot.
And then I remember my grandma. She started laughing and her teeth fell out.
You know, she had them old and didn't put enough poly grip on that. So luckily when it fell out, I looked and I caught it, and the reporters we caught it and just looked at me and last and He's like, good catch. And then they put the mic on my face, and then I started talking about its name. But I'll never forget that my grandma tea fell out of mind.
Were you excited to come here? We're excited dropped.
I tell you what I did know.
I was always a big NFC eas guy, but I didn't know what Mark at this was like, you don't know about Virginia. You don't hear about Virginia, you don't hear about Maryland, you hear about Washington.
So I was happy once I got here.
I was like, everything happens for a reason, because I don't think I needed to be down south, and I ain't need that I need to come here.
I will say this too, not to because I left it out. The only reason I was stunt at the draft day because I knew it was always too good to be true. Lead them that week, afraid to tell you. All I talked to was the press from up here. Everyone had me coming to Washington, so and I was a guy that, you know what, I'm from the show me state, not literally, but show me you know what I mean. I didn't want to jump the gun. And when I saw them pick Rod Gardner, it like when
I say my parfore you yeah, one pick before me. Yeah. He went fifteen, I went sixteen. The Jets actually moved up to get me at sixteen because they thought I was going here also at fifteen. So that was one of those those I eye openers, like see Tanna, don't jump the gun, Like, don't sit here and have your mind made it. And I did that. I was happy that I had that kind of mindset, but I was still kind of pissed a little bit because I kind of in the back of my head and the thing for it to come.
I trained in.
Boca Raturn, Yeah, not too far from Tanna, so I don't share that story. So I was working out and I'm dogging to receive it. At the random house. I was like, no, man, y'all ain't good enough. I like, y'all. Take me where Santana? Like, who like Santana mouth? That's the only person I want to eat. They get, I get in the car. Some guys take me, Oh in the.
Gutther in Miami. I'm knocking on door.
What's Santanna? He called me? He called me. Hey. I'm like, you know, I don't know that voice. But a couple of times I don't been on a couple of trips and I done met Fred Smooth, so I hear his voice.
He's like, hey, what's up?
What I'm like, what this is?
I'm like, my notice, Fred Smooth Man, I'm right here in care City.
Man, come out as I can lock you up the phone up on it the.
Phone. And then I found out, lady that someone that I knew my numbers, get my number out number my boy smooth My, he just one of those characters. When I met him, I came back from the Playball American I say, bro, I had to meet the funniest dude ever. This dude, Fred Smooth, talked about everybody what they I said. He knew everything about you doing. That's one of the things about his football, I Q was unheard of.
I never saw anything without the internet. Friend, I studied players like Freddy Miller.
He talked about Freddy Miller's that he said, see that, the guy like, see you, Man.
I have a hard time with him.
Man, I'm lock him up all day time running. He can't run round, can't get deep, can't catch you contested pass. He knew. It was like he had your bio in his palm of his hand. He would talk about you.
On the spot watching I was watching VSA, watching what we had at the time. I would just watch these dude knowing I ain't gonna play them, but I know one day I'm gonna player either.
Play them or play somebody with the same feel set.
So he was shocked. He was shocked, and it was crazy that we end up coming together anyway. So that was crazy.
Well, holy cow, guys, I learned something that those are awesome stories. And so if you guys listening. Want more stories like that, make sure you subscribe.
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