2023 Hot Butt Rankings

The Around the NFL podcast has been golfing but is decidedly not golfer. From the Chris Westling podcast studio, It's Around the NFL. I am Dan hansis heroes here, Greg Rosethal, Mark Sessler. Do we need to litigate the golfing?

I don't relocated Skiven Eetquette and I think he's floating away from us.

So we're here. We're in a new season, a football season.

I thank you everybody for respecting my space. I needed that Wednesday after what happened with the Ravens. Just clear my head and really go for a walk, a long one.

So well, it's it's tough for you.

I guess on a few fronts because I don't know if you remember on the show Monday, if if you're going to bring it up right away, we should revisit something that you said.

John Harbaugh does care and it's a big round number twenty five.

There is zero chance.

Oh I mean, I won't say anything else. If you want to those desert folk. There is zero chance that the Ravens lose this game. And don't lay any wood you lay out, chop it. They will chop that wood.

M that hurts.

Well, you went on to suggest that you would issue an apology.

Yeah, that was where that was where you went thatology.

Well, I won't go that far to actually keep my word, but I'll just say it was really heartbreaking to see that end it but also and also at the same time conflicting, because that's a good job by you, Joey Sly in a big spot.

Sure, yeah, yeah, we we did hit it at length, right, Sure, but I just figured we had to revisit that and good to know about this test of character.

I'm not a desert.

You won't be a man of your word. You said you would apologize.

I will not.

What I mean, sure, I.

Don't know reverse now right in reverse? If we it suggested that if we, you know, proclaim something to the international and national audience and say, if I'm wrong, I fail all of you, that I'll apologize. And now you're you're saying that's not an option.

It's a different standard for me and you guys.

Okay, well yes, and you can.

We're all three co hosts of the show, so.

Well maybe in their mind should be the same that the people know the truth, and the people know that in my heart, the Ravens will start another streak, now a losing streak.

Maybe, but anyway, good to be back we did. Uh, this is a big one. And again it has to be made clear not a celebration this segment. And I know there's this idea that once again, uh you know, the idea that I am showing some character flawed by celebrating the idea the coaches could be fired. No, just a reality, like everybody wants to be everybody in this business wants to be.

Like, oh, these these are people. Yeah, they are people, and we understand that. But we also understand that there will be five to eight dismissals at the end of this year.

And we're going to talk about not who we want to be fired or who were predicting is going to get fired, just who's in the most danger in the head coach ranks of the NFL of losing their job during or after the season.

That's all it is.

It's an exercise and also settle down a little bit on the gravity. And I again, I don't no coach wants to get fired. It's it's a low career moment. But unlike a bricklayer, if they're fired a year into their five year contract, they get paid the rest of that money, right you and and many of them then take a year or two off and they, you know, go have this Mike McCarthy like come to Jesus thing where you actually look at other offenses around the league

Well, there's also like the handful who is their careers and right there because they're an assistant wide receivers coach and they don't have any good connections and that's it.

But we're not talking about those guys. Ye, but I understand it's all connected.

Yeah, but you know, there's some people out there that like to use stuff like this to show that they think differently.

Right, it's virtue signaling, and it's ugly.

We're tired of it.

We're gonna We're just gonna tell you what it's like for these coaches, the pressure they might be under that even if they're not going to share it with the media, they know they know these guys know that it's hard to hold an NFL head coach job and keep it.

We're gonna get into it.

But first we promised a big announcement, a big announcement, A big old announcement, Eric, huge, massive announcement. He's only got nine fingers. We can't technically do we give him a little bit of grace on drops going forward. I think you have to half second grace.

Yeah, well, let's see he's missing part of the thumb. We'll give him. Yeah, five percent.

It's gonna grow back though, according to that one doctor.

Is it is it possible that if it grows back, he could be better like quicker.

That's how the body works.

The theme of the rookie, right, Tommy John, Yes you are now Eric Rowan Gardner.

Uh. Here's the big news around the NFL, which is this.

It's a podcasts.

It's this it's a podcast, But it hasn't always been a podcast. We've had different things iterations connected to the show, whether it's NFL network programming for instance, which we've.

Been on the network a bunch.

This company has a new streaming platform, new Wish called NFL Plus that I'm not telling the tales out of school. It's a big deal for NFL.

Media.

They're putting a lot into this, and with that knowledge, it's good to know that they wanted around the NFL to be part of the NFL Plus roll out for twenty twenty three. With that said, starting September seventh, you will get extra atm goodness.

On that platform.

You'll need an NFL Plus subscription here in the States and with it you'll get all that Plus has to offer, which is plentiful.

It's a lot.

You get NFL Network, you get Red.

Zone, you get games, get gained.

I mean that's the key thing to me. You get your lot, your local and your primetime games.

Exactly as well as now two news shows per week from around the NFL, starting on September seventh, on Mondays every Monday. I'm not sure if it will drop Tuesday, but we'll record every Monday our atn Game of the Week where we'll pick a game that we enjoyed the most from Sunday and then we kind of chop that up, a shortened version of that game and break it down and have some fun with it, share some hot takes, perhaps some special guests. We're figuring out the format, but

For you community fans out there, remember the community sitcom on NBC.

Sure, I see it as atn's Dreamatorium, the special play area that was in Troy and Abed's apartment, the second bedroom.

You can go anywhere and have any type of adventure. That's the Thursday show.

And it'll be quick too. We'll get you in and out of there in like twenty minutes or something. It'll be a segment and that's it. And the key I think for our our podcast listeners is we're not taking away any podcast content.

In fact, we're adding to the amount of.

Well look give me one second, because we got to there's something we need to make sure because I know there are a lot of people listening right now, are international listeners, and they're thinking, we don't.

Have access to NFL plus, this is blocks.

That's how they all talk. That's true or something like that. And we have great news for you guys. This new ATM content will be available with the same Dozone subscription that gives you access to the games, which you probably already getting anyway, or a lot of you.

I would think.

No added charge, mad for it, you know what I mean? So that's covered. But that's not all.

And we didn't even mention game Pass. What's the artist formerly known as game Passes? Part of all of watching the condensed games and everything, it's all part of NFL BLUs.

It's all like one.

Beautiful all under the same umbrella. And as Greg said, announcement horn number two, Oh it just it doesn't have the same reach it once did.

That's no, it's a you know, half.

It's not that he's half softer in mind, it's physical.

The thumb doesn't have the reach.

I mean, he's courageous, though.

The hell do that takes so long?

Uh?

That's not all. Greg tell the people about changes to our ATM podcast schedule this year.

Okay, so we got the Sunday Night recap show, same the flagship show, always a classic.

You love it. It's there. It's going up Sunday night, Monday morning in London.

By the way, a program which when we started it, they didn't really exist, and.

Now it's everywhere. It's everywhere.

Everyone's week. The Sunday Night we.

Were the exclusive.

That's why No One Flat one has the sound. No one has it all, no one has No one has us. Frankly, Uh Monday Podcast. We're adding kind of a news recap show on Monday because that's the biggest news day of the week, so we're going to get that out to you Monday after noon.

So that is a new show for us.

And on top of that, we're doing a Monday Night recap podcast where I know that first night it's gonna be all three of us and we might rotate in and out whatever it is, but we'll have that Monday Night recap. So that was me last year with a special guest, but this year we'll all be involved with it. Tuesday were dark, got a rest, a little get ready for the rest of the week.

Studying tape is I thought we were dark the rest of the week.

I thought, no, no, no, no.

That's it.

I mean we added the extra show Bunny. We got three shows between Sunday and Monday, so we got to give them a day to catch up. But we are adding a Wednesday show. I hope we're getting Colleen involved.

Will be on our Wednesday show every week.

That'll be fun.

We might start throwing in some game previews into that Wednesday's show. We got our Thursday show as always, previewing the games of the week, and.

That's it.

Are we doing Thursday.

Nighty night, Thursday Night recap? Yep?

Then on Friday, don't even try to find us on Friday. Don't even You're not going to locate us Friday.

There's so much to go over. But yes, we are doing a Thursday Night recap. For a second, we've had so many different plannings of different iteration to this. I was like, where did that one leave it? But yes, we're going to be putting that game up right away Thursday night.

Mark. Will you be involved with these projects?

Absolutely? I mean the lot, there's a lot riding on the fact that the employment continues.

That's true.

You know, if you do sign up for an NFL Plus and look, I hear if you guys at are all skeptical and you'll see how it goes whatever. But if and when you do sign up, you're going to get your money's worth, even if we weren't there, but especially if you're coming to see us, like I don't

That's what they do.

Excited about this. This isn't just like stuff we're gonna be knocking out. Uh, there's a reason why we're writing less on the site. It is to give more time to do this project, which we're all serious about. And as I said before, if it's not for us, it's not gonna be for you.

M M. That's the truth.

Let's do some news a little easy on that, buddy, because you know we I think we're we're pretty tough minded people and uh, if we need to get scrappy, we can get scrappy too, just saying it's.

To clapping back, as they say. On ESPN, analyst Ryan Clark, who and I can't this isn't me for comedic effect or whatever, sugarcoating this or trying to add a little juice to it. He literally on ESPN Ryan Clark called to a fat stripper that.

Was the parallel.

Absolutely, And I I know Dolphins fans can be sensitive and about two especially, and I understand it because two is so has shown how how much of a playmaker or a high end quarterback he could be when he's healthy. But he has been healthy a lot, and there's this big question around the team whether he's the guy. But even me, as a Jet fan, I understand why Dolphins fans were super annoyed with Ryan Clark, who again called their quarterback an overweight dancer, exotic dancer.

Ryan Clark gets killed, gets killed, as.

You would imagine, all over the place for this comment, and one of my favorite things of this summer had a very serious apology kind of apology on Twitter yesterday too.

Were talking about a little I had to answer questions about something I said on Monday, something that I truly just felt like was a joke to me that I've realized as the has gone on, if this man has to answer questions about it, if so many Miami Dolphins fans are offended by it, then people ain't taking it as a joke. So let me be very clear. If I've offended you to if I've hurt you, if I've disrespected you, if anybody that supports and loves you feel some sort of way because of what I said.

I truly apologize, but only if that. If not, I'm fine with that.

Well it's even worse than that, actually, because this is so This drives me crazy when I see quote unquote apologies.

Like this, because it's not even it's disingenuous. Ryan Clark saying it was a joke. No, the joke was he looks like a dancer from Atlanta, a local strip club in Atlanta.

That was a joke. But he also said that he physically thought that Tua looks soft and essentially out of shape, and that wasn't a joke. No, And now he's making it all seem like it was. The comment. Here's here's the last part of his very serious minded apology.

I've reached out. I hope to talk to you soon, brother, But just no, I wasn't questioning the way you work, you are how much it mattered to you, Yes, you were. It was what I can consider, no, a bad joke, but for me, it's been a lesson.

I'll be better.

Thank you.

Ryan Clark's usually pretty great, so I'm gonna give him a slight path. But what I don't like, I didn't need it because immediately after when people started getting on him. His immediate response for twenty four hours was just like, please stop being soft.

I'm joking.

And then as it like continued to be a story and two I had to answer for it. Then it's like a day later he's like, I gotta nip this thing in the in the butt. I'm an Emmy winner.

Also, you know, on the I I think that's totally fair.

If clark is body of work suggests it's okay to give him a pass whatever, it's not the end of the world. But I then I saw a bunch of people saying, this was so big of you, Ryan, amazing, like you're You're what it's all about.

Like, but that this is sort of like my my angle is less about Ryan Clark. Just there's so much needless content occurring everywhere, and then there's this endless conversation between people on X or whatever you want to call it, going back and forth. It's just like, drop a nuclear bomb on the entire thing, that apology for your kids, you know college. No, I mean, like the back and forth on absolutely like unnecessary to me and like demoralizing, and this like his the first part of his apology,

To say that it was to couch it all as a joke when it wasn't like it was actual criticism. Uh maybe it wasn't well researched or thought out, but it was. And then you made the joke at the end.

I mean, the funny thing is as to have pointed out and and what what came right before that quote we heard on our show was like, look, I'm Samoa, so he's basically just like, don't mess with don't mess with this month. He also pointed out, like you think I just put on all this muscle by mistake. It's funny because I think Tua has a certain body type.

Now that I could buy in, like the I was having some fun earlier this week about the jiu jitsu thing, and that helping him land without hitting his head, beefing up and becoming kind of build yourself like a tank to maybe protect yourself a little better.

That's that I can buy into.

And that's obviously what he's done anyway, silliness and I just when there's silliness and then there's self seriousness and it's out in kind of disingenuousness, it's like, I kind of love it, actually, but we had to hit on.

It, all right, let's get to it. It was very Michael Scott like that.

It was cringey. It was Scott's Tots level cringey.

Update on Jonathan Taylor, the former All Pro running back who is obviously desperate to get out of Indianapolis. The Colts, finally, after initially saying they wouldn't either a give Taylor an extension that he wanted or be trade him, have now allowed him to be moved for the right cost. And here's the latest NFL Network's Cameron Wolf. So the Dolphins have some interest in acquiring Jonathan Taylor, but only up

Is there any reason why Tuesday is the deadline?

Well, it's cut down day on Tuesday, and that might have to do with getting your salary cap books in order. Wanting to know basically how you're moving forward with the season. If you're gonna have to replace Jonathan Taylor, you would want to be able to know to replace him. I guess on Tuesday because they might have to bring in other running backs.

And we talked about this that.

Lant you mentioned it. No, yes, that's the deadline.

He'll be required to miss the first four games of the regular season if they don't remove him from that list by Tuesday, and he.

Can't do a thing where he pulls the I'm sitting out for a big chunk of the season because he has to accrue at least six games to have it become his fourth NFL season and become an unrestricted free agent. So I think he's in a tough spot here. I mean the Dolphins also, they're not just heat seeking Taylor. They've apparently inquired about Josh Jacobs, but they're not gonna No one is going to give the Colts a first

We hit this one pretty hard on Wednesday, so I won't belabor it. But there's a couple of things that are interesting. That they are getting offers and that the Tuesday deadline thing happened makes me think that this could happen if they really do just want to get rid of him, Like they could probably get a third round pick for him, or maybe a third that turns into a second, or or a couple of mid round picks.

I think it's like, it's it's your avenue to get into free agency. It's like, I don't think it is wise. I mean, we don't know how much money he wants, we don't know exactly what he wants asking the Cults for. I mean, I think all that is like kind of a hazardous trade scenier. It was ten years ago this year that a team actually gave a first round pick for a running back and it was Trent Richardson. Oh my god, and it was the Cults.

That was a great move by them.

In other news, Isaiah Simmons' time with the Cardinals is over. Well, do we have the clip of this from Monday show called User predicted it? Isaiah Simmons. They're moving them to safety, the Cardinals. It's not working out, according to reports, and then he gets moved.

And I had mentioned he couldn't make it. Seems like a guy that would make sense. Fresh start it's not working late round pick. It's exactly what happens.

Schefter reported that the Cardinals agreed to a trade of the twenty twenty first round pick to the Giants. That Johnson was sending a twenty twenty four to seventh round pick back to Arizona in exchange for Simmons.

So there you go.

Mark, this is a guy that was seen as this versatile, big time playmaker at a CLI, and he was there. Cardinals kind of couldn't figure out how to make him go as a pro, and now the Giants are taking a shot.

Yeah.

I jumped on your comment from Monday saying that it's the kind of situation where he's gonna wind up somewhere else where he's used better, and he's gonna tell tales about how he was not used in Arizona. I mean they put him in a terrible position. He was flailing as a safety. I think the Giants are a good match. You know, we'll see if he can still play. But wing Mark and Martindale, their defensive coordinator, I think he's gonna he's someone that is interested in taking Simmons, using

If any team, any coach I think could use his creativity, well it would be wing Martindale.

I think he'll play some linebacker.

Reminds me a little of our our friend Wes his infatuation with Dayan Buchanan, a very similar player also drafted by the Cardinals, who could play multiple positions. Did it a little better off the top than.

The Cardinals, So they traded their first pick in twenty twenty on Wednesday, also their second pick in twenty twenty.

He was a third rounder.

Josh Jones, offensive lineman, started eleven games of the Cardinals last season.

He was moved to the Texans.

He's in the final year of his rookie deal, so maybe a depth piece there for Houston and Arizona continues to kind of just turn things over in real time.

That was weird.

He like pff Adam graded very highly last year and yet they re signed a couple older tackles in Arizona, those nice movers.

What's the it's hard to find tackles.

What's the value, Like, what did the Cardinals get back in this.

Trade we have, it hasn't been reported. I'm guessing it's not very a starting tackle. Well, they have two starting tackles unless they move Titus Howard inside. He's coming off of an injury, so right now Josh Jones is probably replacing him, but he played well as a replacement tackle last year.

You know who else is coming off injury?

Cooper Cup the All Pro wide receiver who won the Triple Crown for wide receiver twenty twenty one when the Rams won the Super Bowl. God, that feels like a long time ago. He was back on the practice field today Wednesday for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury three weeks back, and apparently it looked very good.

Mark here is Matthew Stafford's quote. I thought Coop looked great.

Just happy to see him running around, smiling, having fun playing ball again. And on the flip side of this, the Broncos, who, man, they can't seem to catch a break this summer. Their top wide receiver Jerry Judy, who we've been waiting for him to go for a while now. And this a lot with a lot of reasons to believe a Sean Peyton there and Russell Wilson potentially rejuvenated this would be the year. Well he was carted off

Not good timing, No, I mean you get what you get these teams every year where it's like the injury bug ravage is a position group and Tim Patrick out with an achilles. Tim Patrick might have been their best

Gonna like it.

You're gonna be challenging. Although I don't know's I'm not saying it's great.

You mentioned like a position girl destroyed.

I don't know if it's I don't know.

I don't know.

I don't understand what my momentum is anymore.

I mean, there's a momentum of this position group.

Happened.

This happens every year, right, the same players train going off a mountains.

Unfortunately, the wide receiver group for the Broncos seems cursed. And my son, who for some reason won't prepare for the fantasy draft that he's doing next month.

I like that, but he had in there.

He does this other thing where he's doing like an all NFL draft where he's pretending to start the franchises over and like drafting players to different teams.

And he had Jerry Judy as a top twenty pick in the.

Entire edite that and I was just saying, like, that's too high for Judy.

He just is like I like Jerry Judy, so that it was not a good pick.

I gotta say, if you're starting the NFL from scratch, he's not one of your top twenty players in his reality.

In the Nferry Judy injured or is he hell before this is harly.

I don't know.

I don't think he's aware of his injury history. All right, that's what's happening in the news. Will take a break and then it's hot butt time. All right, welcome back.

It is time to talk about it. Every the data backs it up. The data is the data.

You know.

We could be happy in smiles and pretend like this isn't happening, but it's a results oriented business and head coaches will lose jobs. A couple of them lost them in the middle of the season last year, right, we had both Matt Ruhle and Nathaniel Hackett mid season.

Frank Raich.

Frank Reich Hackett was a first year coach, which is almost unheard of.

It It's happened very few times.

It happened twice. In fact, he was the earliest that any first year could.

It happened twice two years in a row in Houston, and.

This during the season.

That did inform one of the coaches are not as rare.

It's gonna fly around like a butterfly.

Some guys they find where they should be and then they get that one promotion and then they got to come back down. That's Nate Hackett. Now, it did inform me when I was putting together, and we all did this. Of the thirty two coaches, four different tiers safe first agree, butt burn, second degree butt.

Burn, third degree but burn.

Last year and in past years, I think I pretty much put every head coach save for one last year, for instance, all the rookies are safe. To me, I'm thinking differently a little bit of year, guys. So let's do it this way. I'm going to go down in alphabetical order my list of safe quarterbacks. If you have a guy that is not safe, raise your hint and we're going to talk about that that player. Okay, So let's here's the Zeusser's list of guys that coach head coaches can I can.

I speak to because the odds speakers.

As much as you want. Oh, you mean like raise your hand and say me me me.

Well, No, No, I just mean if I'm raising my hand, no, one's good.

Well, because I will address you immediately. It's not like Eric trying to use that left thumb to hit the button diverge from Yeah, just give a heads up.

In terms of safety. I've never had more safe guys.

Than this.

I am with you.

It's beefy all right, here we go, and if you disagree, raise your hand or yell me me me. Dan Campbell, Pete Carroll, Brian Dable, John Harbaugh, Matt Lafleur, hawse In okay, Mike.

McDaniel, okay, thought about that one.

But Sean McDermott, Sean mcvayh Kevin O'Connell, Sean Payton, Shane Steichen, Doug Peterson, Frank Reich, Andy Reid, Kyle Shanahan, Nick Siriani, Zach Taylor, Mike Tomlin, Mike Rable.

Those are all my safe guys.

Every one of them.

Yeah, I had every one of them.

Shout out to Zach Taylor because I believe in this exercise. A couple of years back, I had him as like a second or third dar type of coach. So you can get off that list. All you gotta do is make the super Bowl and then the AFC Championship.

Is there anyone that I did not mention that is on your safe list?

Did you mention Dimiko Ryans?

I did not.

So that's that's my thing, is Like I think like that team could be they could struggle. I think he is. He's on a safe list for me because I cannot fathom a reality where the Texans fire a first year coach three years in a row.

All right, let's move to first degree.

Okay, Yeah, I also had Ryans, and I feel strong on that one too. I think they would give him. He's as safe to me as a first year coach almost could be. Because of that situation, and because I think they're really putting a lot into who he is. I think they love it. He could go one in sixteen, and I think it'd be sick.

You know, everything you guys say I agree with, and I think across the league people are very high on Ryan's's chances here to be a good head coach.

This is organizationally.

If you fire a head coach, a rookie head coach two years in a row, I just don't give you the benefit of the doubt the people that are making decisions, Yeah, to make the right one and give this guy the road, because the first last two guys deserved more rope too.

Fair enough, but he's a very different hire. Both of those hires felt like.

Guys that weren't going to be there that long on day one, whereas Dimiko Ryans feels like they want him to be agreed, but like you know, they're different. It's different than hiring love Smith the third time.

I see what you mean. But like he has like Texans ties, like I do honestly think he's going to be a coach that, like we saw in San Francisco, connects with the entire locker room. He's a new age type of coach. And it's not about him for me. I know you're it's fair to say you don't about trust the Texans, but like they literally are in a psychotic modive fire a third straight coach after one.

I think it is kind of psychotic. They fired two in a row.

That's why I'm like, we talked to Lovey Smith. He's a good guy and everything, but like that always felt like a placeholder higher and this just does not to me. But we'll see, all.

Right, first degree first degree.

Here we go, oh oh ah, really when you're pushing back, hey oh.

Ah ah?

So it does not painful, but gotta I mean this whole, this whole like straw man thing at the beginning where it's like, oh, what's up?

We gotta respect, Like, uh, what coaches where you're pushing back against people that you think are coming at bonies me, you're coming after me because like eight years ago on this exercise, I neiged to like take issue with some of the burn victim stuff.

How did you find like these are people? What did you like a two minute long semi burn sound bite like this?

Like that's home made, baby, Jason, Come on, go on, bro, you.

Gotta you gotta recommend.

I was just so lost in the perform you've never hung out with or you're just like I've hung That's exactly.

What he sounds.

First degree for me. Here we go. Raise your hand if you disagree, or if there's someone that because I have four names.

On here, I have five.

I got four, Bill Belichick, you have deeper the first deep? Oh interesting, okay. Jonathan Gannon, Yes, I have that.

Oh wow, I guess I had him safe. I just forgot, like a lot of people that Jonathan Gannon uh is a part of He was on my list.

He's on my safe list.

I like, I don't trust the Cardinals, but for the same way you're coming up with the Texans. I think things could go poorly enough where they aren't a reboot. I like what they did to set up next to your draft.

They're trying to get the one pick. Well, they can't fire him for getting the one pick. I feel like, I don't.

Know, Hey, they've fired a quarterback. They took him the top ten.

Yeah, and next year to take a quarterback in the top ten want a draft him necessarily?

That feels chaotic there, So.

This too, I got. That's a little on my radar. There's there's a little bit of is there is a Hacket situation?

Maybe?

Okay, you guys have kind of convinced me into this. The reason I didn't was because Monty asen for it. The GM is also new, and you're right, I'm willing to put him into first degree.

I'm gonna move him.

You've convinced me.

Okay, I had to Meeke Oryan's you guys have him safe. And then I have Brandon Staley first degree.

Wow, I have Staley somewhere else.

Okay, you got anybody else have first degree?

Yeah?

I do.

But we could talk Staley because I have him there. I think even though the outside wants Staley to be under a lot of pressure and on the hot seat, I don't think inside that building the way the Chargers run things that he is. He's had two winning records. It's kind of, I mean overlooked a little bit. They've they've they've won back to back years. He's on a

I think there have been some especially bad optics around this daily experience. I think it's a good coach, but it's like the way last year ended, some of the fourth down stuff, which we all super agree with analytically, but there are a lot of people out there that don't agree with a lot of his decisions. And I think it really matters that the Chargers have a different type of ending to this season. It's been two bad endings two years in a row. You've got justin Herbert,

But I might second.

Agree, I got them in third whoa yep.

See to me, they're in an organization that's like happy winning ten games a year.

Wow, so that.

The games and I know, twenty seven nothing and all that. But yeah, this was a playoff team.

So maybe maybe I'd be willing to rethink it a little bit. But just like part of me was like, someone's got to be in third degree, and he's in that category. But I think he's under a lot of pressure.

Interesting, Oh well, I've got a few other names in first degree. Go ahead, four extra names, go ahead, I haven't mentioned well number one. Was he on your safe list? Or is he deeper?

Robert sala I have him the next tier?

Though, Wow, well I've slid first degree. Really you think that they would like I feel if anything like hard Knocks has done him a service, he's a little bit Lit'll be too many models that I maybe I've forgotten if.

This season goes to hell.

But he's I don't feel like he's the problem, that's all.

But that doesn't necessarily mean again, it's not necessarily about the coach.

Not predicting who's gonna get fired.

It's about the organization and how would Woody Johnson react if this season instead of being eleven and six, is six and eleven.

Yeah, I think Woody Johnson is a huge factor there.

I think if sala, I think that's a fair point, and maybe I should put him in second degree because I think they believe in him. I think he is a good coach. He showed that progress in terms of the defensive side, that he's only first degree going into the year. But you're right, if they go eight to nine, oh the odds are he's gone. So maybe that's a second three. This is his third year.

If this is a and I mean, Woody Johnson just showed up on Hard Knocks with a necklace, like a two million dollar necklace, and well that was absurd with Woody, and let's go jets on it. And you know they're they're leaning into the hard Knocks and having the celebrities come in and Aaron Rodgers is here and all this and then Dalvin Cook this, this ownership is all the way in on this season, and I just do not know how they would react if this doesn't go the way that I and Jetsman.

Would you see in that scenario, Joe Douglas hits the road too.

I think he would be safer.

I think that the general thought with Douglas is that other than a few high profile and misses, a couple of high profile missus, Wilson being one of them. Obviously, he's been very good for the organization and I would think he would he would survive, but the coach would go if the.

Thing is so Zach Wilson, obviously the miss you're referring to. If the Aaron Rodgers experience turns into a flop or a massive disaster, then I think Joe Douglas has he's got problems because you're missing on quarterback after quarterback at that point, right.

And I also we should say with Aaron Rodgers is gonna have a major voice in this too if he likes Robert Sala even if the season goes outwa Let's say he pulls a calf and misses six weeks and they go down the tubes like but if Rogers likes Sally could protect him.

He has that much sway in that organization.

Maybe I'm just getting nicer as they get older, but I just feel like they just like Robert Sallas so much.

That's why I only put him.

I get that feel too, but that's now, that's in August.

I put Eberflus in first degree, so I guess you guys must have had him harder. A second year coach with an ownership group that isn't known for making overly quick changes, although they've had to at some points, and so he set the bar so low that I actually think that sometimes helps the guy. If they win six games this year, I think he's back. So I'm only putting him first degree.

I have him deeper down. I think it's kind of like Zach Taylor a couple of years ago. What is it that you do that's special? And if you have this massive rebuild going and there's a coach that becomes available, that is a much sexier proposition. Mattybraflues, I think is under pressure to prove to Bears fans and people like us, like what difference do you make? I mean, we just don't see it. Well, there's not a lot of idea

Yeah, A lot of it is the organization for me, this CE ownership CEO GM. I just I don't think they're going to be wanting to restart the machine again unless they had the number one overall pick.

Can I mention who else I have in this one? I have Belichick in this one.

Okay, I'll talk about it, and well, I just think.

That it's been never in this exercise would he have been anywhere but safe. But it just feels like this season is very important for Bill Belichick to not go six and ten or wins or six and eleven or win seven games and have the whole thing just not look good. The owner has talked so pray with so much praise about Jared Mayo. I just wonder if, like whether it's Bill or whether it's Craft, that maybe things

Well, the fact that all three of us have him out of say for the first time this year. What do you have him second?

I have him second, ye, Because I don't think there's many guys where there's been public back and forth, for lack of a better word, between ownership and coach, right almost a gauntlet being thrown down, and even some very passive, aggressive sniping between the coach and and yeah, I think they would like have him like step Away or who even knows. But if they have, like you said, I kind of thought about it, like if these teams go with let's say seven and ten, are they back or not?

Right they went seven and ten. I'm not sure.

That's why I put it second degree, not third, but I think there's a good chance he's gone if they go seven and ten.

The other guy I haven't in first degree is Arthur Smith.

Okay, hold that thought. Oh okay, you both have him.

Let me just say one more thing on Belichie that the one thing that I pushed back on that is, let's say they go seven and ten. What rank them in the AFC East right now? Does anybody have them anywhere other than fourth?

Nobody seems Connor or I believe, might even have them winning the division, which I you know, I love you conn.

So very Connor crazy. He's like langing the drum that they're like.

Connor's takes are getting bigger as the agent.

I enjoy it, so they're like gonna make the AFC Championship.

There is a little Patriot fan inside of me that could see it that that has some optimism, but that's only because they do well on years where they're not a.

Lot of right.

But another I guess my point is there's like, yeah, so much talent AFC's this year that yea to can Bell. Now you could say the fact that they are the team that has the least talent in this division. That's against Belichick too. He's the de facto GM. I see that. I think it would have to really, it would have to be a double digital loss season and more like and.

The relationship falling apart between That's it.

That's why I put him second degree because I feel like there's a little Jerry Jones, Jimmy Johnson vibe, not in the not in the just in terms of egos and credit and craft wants to get into the Hall of Fame.

And there's just like a lot, a lot of stuff.

All right, let's move to second degree.

One item. First, Yes, I I this is my list, and so I had to create a category because this person, to me just belongs in their own world. Okay, it's zaddy degree. I think Mike McCarthy is just out there in his own little place in between first and second because I think second is a little hot for him because I think.

It's going basically with your I know, I think he's.

Just created his own world, Zaddy degree, and he's just he sits there and there's a lot here. The play caller, now you moved on from the coordinator. Jerry Jones is impatient. The Cowboys are always this cauldron of expectations, and Mike McCarthy cannot go and lose another ugly playoff game, which is why I believe.

Where nobody's underlog Zaddy stop it.

Second degree.

As bad, it's gonna blister, make this year more uncomfortable.

This is actually less uncomfortable than the old ones used to be because it's somewhall, it's funny. Whatever we're paying him, it's not enough. It's well well performed.

Second degree alphabetical order for me.

Dennis Allen of the Saints, Matt Eberflus, who we discussed of the Bears, and my comment on eber Flues.

You guys have talked about him.

This will be his second full year with justin Fields. They're obviously still very very much invested in Fields. If he plateaus or doesn't show growth, I could see them being like, shoot, he's entering your four of his rookie deal next year. If this isn't working, we don't feel good, let's get him out of there. I'm not saying that's what I think is gonna happen. I'm just saying, yeah, when you look at like the outcomes potentially for the season, that's.

Why my scenario, like, you're right, it's a OC getting fired, it's Luke Getz getting fired.

Okay, that makes sense too. I have Zaddy Mike McCarthy here in second degree. You mentioned the reasons why Mark. I just think they're reaching a stage maybe where he needs to take that next step, and Jerry Jones is not getting any younger.

I just think this is a big year for Dallas.

I'm with you on second second.

I got Josh McDaniel's second degree.

Hmm, I got him somewhere else.

Okay, hold that thought, uh mentioned.

Unless it's McDaniel, let's yeah, I create him on another.

Robert sala I had second degree. We talked about that, Arthur Smith.

Let's talk about Arthur Smith because I know everyone loves Arthur Smith and the Falcons in this room. But for the same reason, I have Robert sala in this tier. You do not get a fourth year in the NFL if you don't get to the playoffs in the first three. And this is his third season and they have yet to make the playoffs have a winning record.

I think click that was one where I looked at the organization and Arthur blank patient. I think he's shown patients. I think number one, you could say that where they were two years ago identity free, mostly a disaster. They have an identity. Now it's got to go translate on

I think he took the job in a true rebuilding situation and they knew it. They pressed like the explode button in terms of their salary cap issues. They sort of took a year or two off. They love them.

But you're right, Mark, I mean, Dan, it's it's extremely.

Rare to get a fourth year without a playoffs because the guys it almost does that. Ron Rivera technically made the playoffs as Commander's head coach, but he you know he I don't think he has a winning record yet, but it almost never happens. Happens once in a while. I think Arthur Smith could be a rare case. Actually

Second thear make sense.

When you bang the demolition button on your organization, you reboot, and that includes hiring a young head coach or whatever.

I think it is two years.

That means that guy gets a two year grace period unless he's terrible in the eyes of the team, and then that third year it's go time. So that's a I think and there's very it's not a big time division that they're in. We like a lot of elements of their roster. There's a lot of reasons why put it this way. There's no excuses for them to be

Yeah, I think, like anything, you know, if you project out, you know, four months and they've won six games, like, the feeling around the team is going to be completely different than it is right now.

Right ownership and GM situation is such a big part of this. You mentioned McDaniels and Alan who to me are very different second year coaches. I had them both in this category as well, So I agree. McDaniels has a owner who's a little more capricious, a little more emotional like he you could see him getting booted out of there. I think if the vibes it's not just win lost to it's like what's going on around the team?

Does the quarterback situation look any better? I think they could go.

Seven to ten and he could keep the job as long as it's not like drama filled, as long as it's not embarrassing, as long as what he is supposed to be good at offense is on tap. But I think he's in a tough ownership situation, whereas Dennis Allen. I feel like they're looking for a reason to keep Dennis Allen and and I have him second degree. I thought about first degree, like, I feel like the bar is very low for Dennis Allen because he had a

I wait, so did you already list your second degrees? Do you have more?

He did?

I just okay, So I threw Ron River in here, although if I could revise that, I think he belongs in third. New ownership, all sorts of stuff going on there. Kevin Stefanski in second. You could argue for him being third two, but I think Stefanski is is a good football coach, and like if I think if they succeed, he'd have to really be the reason that someone like Deshaun Watson fails. It has to be not Deshaun Watson. It has to be Stefanski.

But to separate that, well, Deshaun Watson fails, Sefanski fails.

Well, I would say that, like, first of all, he'd lose the power. There's obviously the power you know, situation with with Deshaun. But I think Stefanski last year with Jacoby Brissette proved that he's a very good offensive coach. So I he's just gonna lose the power battle to de Sewan. But I don't think it would be Stefansen's fault necessarily.

Wow, but that's not what we're debating.

To me, as the hottest seed in the league, he's there, he's number really well, I think he's the most.

I see, I go Josh McDaniels.

I thought, really, so he's he's all right, you think he's.

Hot, right McDaniels, like has lost portions of locker room already.

Let's hold that then before So if you think he's the hottest, hold that for a second. I just want to circle back to the Raiders and you say that there's some capricious ownership there is that. I know his dad was, but I'm looking at like the the Mark Davis era. So Dennis Allen got two and a half years. Jack del Rio got three years, John Gruden got three and a half years before.

They even just signing John Gruden into a ten year contract, Like that's just kind of crazy, you know, Like that that was I don't know if capricious is even the right word, but just like I think that was like surprising and unpredicted, and.

Those those coaching tenures you mentioned line up with year.

Right working what I know now it does because Gruden is a blackball from the league.

But like or not really, but like the fact.

That I think he might be on that Saint Steph, I really have a feeling.

As I was saying, I was like, yeah, actually he's working with a team closely. But when the tenured it made sense. Yes, it was a lot of money, but he was a he was a kind of a Raiders hero, a previous generation and all that. Like I don't know, he just hasn't had one of those like one and done firings yet or two and done even so we'll see.

I mean, that's why I put him in second degree. I agree with that Dan.

Daniels has been He was so bad in Denver the way that ended, and if this there's no results here, you know who remembers him being bad in Denver. I would think Mark Davis like it's like if we made a mistake here, we gotta we got to get out of this.

They also like hired, you know, his handpicked GM, so they'd have to probably get rid of the whole operation. You're right if Davante Adams like starts being upset and stuff like that, that's fair. But I actually think Davis is like, Okay, do it with your guys. You can get rid of Derek Carr. I don't think he ever loved Derek Carr anyways, but like this, he had to take a year to get rid of some guys he didn't want.

They might be the third or fourth worst team in the AFC, and like, I don't think they're gonna win a lot of games. You've got players all over the place, like Josh Jacobs, what happened with Derek Carr year ago? DeVante Adams, that situation just feels slightly tnt ish.

Certainly back to Zadi real quick. This is his fourth year with the Cowboys, six and ten in year one, twelve and five, year two, twelve and five, year three, pretty damn good, especially if they this end of the season's ended poorly, right, in an almost embarrassing fashion, of course, but there are not too many.

Look at the recent history of the Cowboys back to back twelve win seasons and he's that been the head coach of those.

Well, there's none.

They'd have to go back to when they won the Super the good old days that was that was basically their trademark, even under Jason Garrett, who was more successful.

Is one one good year, one bad year.

They would have to.

Really I think maybe maybe I'm even now talking myself him back down to one.

Maybe you're exactly right, Mark, Like.

He's a really tough one, a bubble guy, because it's almost like the Cowboys have to go like five and twelve with no injuries wrecking their season for Jared to be like, oh, I don't like Michael cart Yeah.

I think he's like a tough person to place easily in first or second for me, and like that's why I did what I did. But I also feel like if they don't make the NFC title game, there could be problems.

It's like I don't know, like if they have another.

He controls them and he's like the perfect Cowboys coach.

Like well, we saw it there when we were at the camp, Like, he's so comfortable there. I think him and Jared obviously get along well both like longtime football guys think.

But if they have another like ugly meltdown to exit the playoffs.

If they were in the playoffs, I don't know, it would have to be.

I think they'd have to have a losing record.

If they had a losing record, all bets are off and that's why first or second works.

All right? Third degree?

No, no, I mean he's still alive.

Sounds like Kirk Cousins on The Quarterback Show getting off the field.

I wish we had a video of some well recording this.

That's a good call.

Next year, I only had two guys. I withheld one of the names because I figured.

Yeah, I have two guys. Also, I have Todd Bowles and Ron Rivera.

I have Todd, I have Ron Rivera and Kevin Stefanski. Stefanski would be my pick. And again it's not projecting how the team goes. But like if I had to say every team in the NFL starts zero to four, or like if you just pretend that I think he's the most likely to get fired, like at that point in the season or or whatever it is, one in seven, I think Rivera is close, and that's why they were my two, the two hottest ones for me and Bulls. You could talk me into I only put him second degree.

I think he's a playoffs so.

You gotta get Jim Schwartz in there at the end. Coach.

Yeah, I'm just saying his playoffs or bust to me for a team that on paper is third or fourth in that division, even if they're a very talented roster.

I totally agree that he's in a tough spot. I think it's easy to just look at the ownership and say, oh, it's been a while since they've done something, you know, jaw doppingly insane. I do think they've changed a little bit. I just think that they've calmed down a little bit. They've got a good general manager. Like, but you're right, he's under a ton of pressure, and I think I don't like the situation because I don't think we know who Deshaun Watson is right.

Now, right, But it wouldn't be insane either. If Deshaun Watson plays poorly, this combo is not working.

And that's basically but I mean, I hope job, I hope there could be some we don't you know. I don't want to go down the Watson conversation, but it's like, if he's not a good quarterback anymore, like he's a Russell Russell Wilson situation, then it's like it's I but in that case, the Nathaniel Hackett got shot out into the universe.

If it's that case, though, Jimmy Hasl was just looking for a coach that can prove him right, right, He's the one that wanted to right.

I mean, you look at see I have him. I have him firmly. Stefanski and two second degree just because his first year is a major boom season for the organization. They win eleven games, they win a playoff game against Pittsburgh, and then the next year was a big disappointment. But I think time is kind of revealed like that. Some on Stefanski they tied themselves with the wrong horse and Baker and that kind of shipwrecked their season in a

Last year.

They punted on twenty twenty two for Watson in terms of the money and the deal looking ahead to this season and beyond, and you got to say the same thing for the whole team in a and it was a very strange time I would imagine to be a Cleveland football fan, because you knew once they signed that deal and they knew that suspension was going to be hardcore, and then Watson missing two years or whatever, there was going to be potential growing pains as he re entered

I think he gets kind.

Of a fresh start here with DeShawn Watson, and I think he could get multiple years two years even if this season doesn't go beautifully, which is why you have him in second degree. I think there's a lot of pressure on him to make things go this year, but I don't think it's like I.

Just think there's very specific. I think it's pretty much winner else. And I also think it's if Deshaun Watson is not a top twelve, fourteen quarterback you know in the NFL, then.

You lose your job. That that that could be tough. We'll see.

Where do you guys. I have Todd Bowles.

I had him in second, but I like that that goes really poorly. Like Todd Bowles is in hot water. You still have arians there and stuff.

So it's like, seriously, they really have I believe he's in the complex on a daily basis.

I think I've hit on this four so I don't want to dwell on it. But I think this is a transition year for that organization after they sold out in the Brady years. I think they you see it in the way they're handling their quarterbacks this year with Baker and Trask. I think unless they really surprise people, which I don't think they're going to, I think they're going to be a very middle of the road or

But I think this could be the end of the road for Todd Bowles.

I'm gonna move him. I'm moving him into my third tier. I don't know why I'm so like eight people. I mean, I don't like it, but I'm just.

Thinking about it. He's right that Bowles underachieved a year ago. I think that's probably the key part of it. Yes, they made the playoffs, but that they should have won more games than they did.

They were a mess.

They were disappointing on both sides of the ball. And I think Bowles is a good defensive coach, but that's what it is. And he's one of the worst in game decision makers in the league. I mean that division is a disaster between him and Dennis Allen. I like Arthur Smith, fine, but it's like in right, but like those two guys in a game that they're low on my list of who I want like making any sort of like decision on the floor.

I think it goes back to the fact that, like the Arians stepped away, Todd Bowles made sense to come in as like a like a. It's like someone that I think could they knew the organization, knew the players, they knew him, and it was a smooth transition. But did they really go pick Todd Bowles as their number one guy? I mean, is that how they see him as my number one?

I think they were just trying to you know, arians had some sway and they were trying to keep it going. Jason light who I think has done a good job overall in terms of player personnel. They're all close. They won a Super Bowl together, and they wanted they they basically wanted to extend that. Uh that that entire era. I'm a little we all have Rivera here. That was the one one we agreed on, yeah or no, I had Rivera in second?

Whoa because to me, he just because of the new ownership.

It's I'm optimistic that they could be a surprise team, but they're gonna have to be that. You know, he can't using my seven and ten method. I think he's gone with the seven and.

Ten completely at the mercy of things that have nothing.

Didn't you have something about Washington winning the division? Right?

But we're not.

I thought this exercise is not us what we think that's you know, I'm not looking at what I think I'm looking like, if this season is a disappointment, is he gone?

He's right there? Maybe number one on they just.

Whenever there's a new owner right here that But I also think Ron Rivera's has a special quality to seem to win these people over and stick around when I could have you can got rid of Ron Rivera two years ago, I wouldn't it.

David Tepper got rid of him pretty quick. I mean he let him do one year and you got rid.

Of I think that's what's happening here. I think Ron knows it too. He's a smart guy. He's been around forever.

He's kind of said it actually out loud that he knows how much this year.

Yeah, Like, so he's his He needs a bit of a a Hail Mary completion. And I think maybe maybe Sam Howe can play the guitar and and they hang around in that division and maybe that's enough. But you would think this ownership group, did you guys talk about the handshake?

By the way, we did not know the handshake.

We spent about fifteen minutes on that game, and yet that was rough hit the him.

I think The best part was Kroy Aikman kind of like had a little rise smile after he saw what happened.

You know, oh my god, that guy is you know, he's dying to make a stamp on the organization. And I think that stamp next year is very likely to be new head coach, new quarterback.

Yeah, they win ten games, then he's then he's good. He's great.

I just think, bless Yeah, and he's good because I think they they've even asked him, and Josh Harris has said, look, we're valued and everything. But you know, we've talked with Ron. He knows, he knows how important this year is. Like they've all they're all on the same page. They're all adults, which I like.

You know what's interesting this year and this is good because I talked about it last year. Nobody wants to be entering a season. This job is hard enough. Nobody wants to be Matt Ruhle Uh. Nobody wants to be Adam Gase. You never want to be the guy that it feels like you're a dead man walking and and then sure enough it almost always plays out that guy rarely even makes it through the season. I don't think we have that guy could like for me Bowls or of Era. Could they get let go during the season

I'm with you, and I don't know if I've ever had so many in the safe category.

Same I thought the same thing.

It's a lot of because there's a lot of first year coaches, and there's a lot of coaches who have had nice recent rebounds, Like Pete Carroll was in my first or second tier a couple of years ago, and now like I was thinking, like he actually could survive. I think a bad year he would be fine.

Yep.

There's a lot of coaches like that.

Like I can't Rabel even though he's coming off a bad year, like he's earned it, Like it's good. Maybe we won't have as many firings this year, Dan, I think it could be a light year. I hope it could be like a light year is.

I want to apologize to Eric and Randy behind the glass. I had them build out boards that we could show. But you guys have been changing all your tiers.

So I haven't changed a single thing.

Oh you haven't show him?

It could show it doesn't matter, Greg up the boards.

It makes more sense how you guys are doing it, like kind of go up coach by coach instead of yeah, cross refing reading.

Yeah, flash them up here. Let's for the YouTube audience, you know, like.

The YouTube audience is growing, they're going to be joint plus audience. Forget about it.

And you have uh, I want to make sure we hit this.

You have Brandon Staley third degree Mark So, yep, that is that's pretty hardcore third degree.

He isn't just as much danger as Todd Bowles and Ron Rivera.

Interested we all.

Have my world more than Todd Bowles Ron Rivera, So I don't know, maybe iways on it.

He had McDaniels as his such mcder degree. So there's a lot of disagreement among us, which I think to Dan's point, there's no one that feels totally doomed. There's room for disagreement on almost all these guys.

Yeah, look at his bored great job behind the glass, Salah, Salah on the second tier, Danny, Hey, listen, this is boom Er Bust.

There's never been a boomer bust team like this in memory for me as a fan.

This this, uh, the Safe one was definitely one where I was like, this probably wouldn't play you had the Safe one.

I give any names? Too many names?

All right?

WHOA that is an eye store? Not not because of you guys, just.

You know that name you old copy diarrhea.

Yeah, if you want to, if you want to.

I was trying to figure out how we could like digest this, and it's like, you guys send me twenty names on the safeboard.

I'm crap.

We could if you're listening to this on audio, don't check this out.

Or we could turn it into a T shirt and I'll wear it, you know, like Sean mcvay's style.

It'd be great.

And now we should make T shirts out of this.

Yeah, that's sure, the Safe.

Yes, I love it. Let's do it and just wear it around.

We've been talking about Merge for a long time. Yeah, this is maybe this is it turn that key And now, just to cover my basis, I hope all thirty two survives. I hope they all. I hope they all go twelve.

And yeah, but from that angle, you're telling us that there are so many other talented human beings that would not get this chance to do this job that you don't want, those people don't want.

In my heart, I can't imagine these men losing their employment. So even if there is a butterfly effect that hurts other men, and you know what, Mark, women.

Sure of course, I don't doubt that. But I don't luck to everyone. I don't buy a word of what you're saying. So I think I think.

Neverybody all right.

You think if they make more money than you, they just don't have feelings. You know that's not true. I hate to break it to you, Dan uh common man ring M. You make we make a lot more than a lot of those assistants out there.

How about that?

How about that? What do you mean you don't know?

I know that for a fact.

What are you saying you're not worried about?

Yeah, these assistants, they're they're out there.

They're not all they're not all uh fat cats moving around every year.

All right, Greg, you're right, you've done it again, Greg, Mark, any final words before we say goodbye?

No, I just really want that T shirt. I'm not kidding about that.

It's a great job.

Talk.

Well, were his kids hearing this another room?

That's definitely you gotta wait for them to be.

Part of his UH contract agreement to be the voice of God is he had to leave his family. He lives in a bunker in Connecticut now where he just does sound drops for us period.

That's why he moved. That's said, Yeah, I liked his family. I mean from what I knew of them.

Let's you put it in the past tense and that was the look. I thought it was important that he focused on the UH and he said yes pretty.

Quickly, tough sits for the family, Eat the cop.

Im warm.

A geez, geez, little little I think it's a little warm.

Yeah, God, gode oh geez.

Ah, well right.

A wow, Uh, I'm a little I'm a little concerned.

Uh can uh just turn it turn it down a little?

Ah?

Yeah, it's it's it hurts. It physically hurts my butt, Okay just a little bit. Yeah, it's definitely gonna be a first degree burned, you son of a bitch.