AB Update; Preseason Week 1 Winners and Losers

you go for all your tunes? That that's something I added a slogan. They have not cleared it, but if they did, we're looking for a new slogan. The place to go for all your tunes that's available and sports and sports, so dot dot dot and sports. Do people still say tunes? No, that's the problem. But I'm giving your tracks all right? Eric, Have you ever listened to like coffee Shop channel on Serious six And that's a good question, that's a good one. Are you a serious listener? Yeah?

So what are your your go to stations? I mean I like Hits one. I like the Heat, which is like r and b um. The pulse is like oldies classics at Channel fifteen. That's good. Yeah, oldies. No, it's like early two thousand's right. Um, I know it is, so I can. Here's the old timer Britney spears right at you with toxic Um. I like the spectrum spectrums when I like Dad station that, I like that. It's like a spectrum of music from the eighties, nineties and today,

like alternative rock, like the college stations as well. Connected to the kids feel like they gotta adjust that they're in twenty nineteen. They're like next up on the spectrum. Green Day. I don't know, I just didn't seem right. All right, good serious time, Hi everybody, welcome back from the weekend Um West. How was your I know you you held a shin dig Yeah, my brother drove in. He was in Vegas. We played quite a bit of corn hole, had some pulled porks, some Sincinnati style chili. Good,

good night, good times. Very good. You were there, imagine I was briefly I had I had my kids with me, so it was an early departure. I hear that guy. Yeah, it raged out. Yeah. Patrick Clayban came over with his son Malcolm. But yeah, we were both leaving, probably as the party was just about to get really rip roaring. I was, it was Unfortunately I was unable to attend double birthday scenario. When you get hit with a double birthday, you gotta go underneath, you gotta go on the ground.

How to take care of the boy, how to take care of the wife? No room for daddy to make plans. Good performance by spice Rack, nice, Spicy doing Spicy is doing well? Uh, you know, Colleen John were there? Good? Is there any value to spice Rack on this show now that he's not in the desert. Let's just let's just be honest about this. It's a fair question, spice Rack. Of course your desert consigliary you would go to, we would go to for college football wagering advice, stuff like that.

That I mean, that's that's out. There's a question. I think it's a fair question, and it's something we will have to dig in deeper behind the scene. I think I think it would be good to have him in the studio one time and it can be one of it's like one of those guest stars on a sitcom where it's like if he happens to hit a home run.

Maybe if becomes a recurring character, but its contracts just for one time, and I it should be remember that I am on call for judy jury duty all week, So feel free if I'm not here Wednesday or Friday to just plug spice rack in for that test. Now, you gotta be here, you gotta be here for that uh coming up on today's show. Okay, So we're about two weeks deep in training camp and we have one week of the preseason in the book, so perfect time to take stock of what's going on in the National

Football League. Some winners and losers. Uh thus far in August. Also a lot to get to, including yes, more heat around Antonio Browns. Will get to that in just a moment. It is time now for what we're hearing presented by Serious XM. Let's do some news. Rickyone's still fighting for spot on the team. You can you tell me how in quest you are with some of the players that are considered to be on the bubble and can you get any names? Yeah, I don't know what the bubble is,

so I don't know who that is. Yeah, I don't know who that is. I mean I mean, listen, the woman not a great question. The bubble is a widely understood and known terms. So Belichick is banging around that one, but he's never gonna say who's on the bubble? Right, that's saying like whose job is on the line? No, No, he knows what the bles what? But he knows what the bubble is. It's like when he says my face

at that point, he knows all right. As the Antonio Brown world turns, Yes, that's what the Oakland Raiders are all about now, Antonio Brown and all the drama. Uh there, and so let's get into it. So, yes, where where

we last left off? The last episode? Uh, both in the soap opera and our podcast was that uh Mike Silver, our own Mike Silver NFL Network, Uh released that twenty part thread, all the nuggets about um, his anger about the helmet, about his behavior and team meetings, about storming out of the facility and being a wall all that. So then we get a report that comes out that Adam Schefter reports Brown has told the Raiders he quote will not play football again if the league does not

allow him to wear his preferred helmet. So where have we gone from here? Okay, So John Bruden after the raiders um preseason opener, is asked to give comment on the situation. There's no way he can avoid it, and he's kind of in a tough spot because you can't really come down against Brown. It's a very sense of situation. Here's what Gruden had to say when asked about it. We're gonna support him and whatever his decision is, um,

we'll stand by it. But we're we're confident that he's gonna be a huge factor for the Raiders for years to come, years to come. That's funny. Uh. Then the athletic report of the Brown he plans on holding out holding the NFL libel if he suffers a head injury while wearing this new league approved helmet, which again everyone in the NFL after the one year grandfather period last

year has to wear this new helmet. But Brown is in attempting to um call the NFL's bluff with the possibility that he could come after them down the line for any type of head injury. But he can choose between twenty plus helmets. He just can't wear one that's more than ten years old and doesn't pass you know, the players Union and the NFL specifications, he has a

lot of toys. And then finally, and you touched on it, Greg that this is an issue that for once the union in the NFL probably will be on the same page on. But Brian McCarthy, who works in the NFL, made it clear and a statement that a player cannot play or practice without a league approved equipment. It's out of out of the question. So where does that leave us? Antonio Brown still missing? Oh and s he still has frost bitten feet and the thing too. Following the Raiders

preseason game, John Gruden said, I support this guy. I think that's what needs to be said. And I think the problem isn't that John Gruden U took a calculated risk and traded for Antonio Brown. The problem is that he gave him a mega contract, which goes against the culture he's trying to institute with his draft picks. Cleveland Ferrell, their number one pick on NFL Network Today, says, I'm trying to reinforce a whole new culture. Your rookie first

rounder is trying to enforce a new culture. And the guy you traded for, rewarded him for his behavior in Pittsburgh, is now he's really undermining your program. He's undermining John Grooting's program, and the Emperor has no clothes. Like to me, I'm not buying into this guy. If him in that locker room, I mean, the program is chaos. That's always been the Raiders program. I know, and you love that, but that doesn't work. It doesn't work. It worked back in.

You trade him, don't pay him, but you pay Antonio. And I've been thinking more about that lately that it is really funny to think back on that. Khalil Mack, who is being lauded every day in Bears camp as the ultimate leader because he goes balls to the wall, hardest worker on the team, destroying everyone every day in practice. Working hard is not Antonio Brown's no problem. No, But I'm just saying, like Khalil Mack was exactly. They didn't want to pay Khalil Mack for whatever reason, and and

instead you pay Antonio Brown. That said, we still have like three or four weeks. If I was a Raiders fan, I'd be more concerned about the feat than the helmet, because the helmet is so silly and so ridiculous. That's like he has to wear the helmet. I would be more concerned with the brain and the helmet or the feet. Yeah, I think that's fair. It's a big test for Hard Knocks. I know you got your eyes on that. Yes, so

we're talking about it downstairs. It is one of the more anticipated episodes of Hard Knocks ever and they're in a tough spot in the sense that how much access are the Raiders gonna give? And if the Raiders say we're not giving you any access on the story, which is the biggest story in the NFL, it kind of defeats the purpose of what Hard Knocks is supposed to be.

So it will be very interesting, and you wonder what's going on behind the scenes with NFL Films and Ken Rodgers, who runs the show for Hard Knocks, and the pushback between the team and the league on this. And he's still away. He's still away from the team. I mean, he's still just doing whatever he wants. That is, that is the part that is. And still two practices cut him. They're never gonna cut him. He poisons your team. Don Gruden said he'll be with them for years to come,

and you know what, well that's not true. But he's gonna make it to Vegas. I would bet it on it. I'll put a sandwich on that. But also if he did get cut West, there would be a line of teams looking sign him. Still now there wouldn't maybe not even close to the money that he was able to get from the Raiders, because I believe that you can more than two look at his numbers the last five years. Everybody knows what his numbers are. That gets to a point where the guy isn't worth it. I'm saying that

would be your opinion as a GM. But you don't think there would be two, three four. I don't think there would be more than two teams on dan side. I think at a at a certain price, there'd be plenty of teams and that would be into it all right? Oh man, I love it's a second news item. We're gonna get into We're gonna step into the club. Wasn't that news the weekend? You know, the Ravens. I'm gonna need I'm gonna need some help with his name. But

the Ravens had this kicker Norwegian guy bed Vic. Sure, why not? Anyway? He Um has been a lights out performer for the Ravens for the past two training cast but here's the problem. He's blocked. He's blocked as a kicker by Justin Tucker, who's the goat, and then even as a punter, because this kid can punt too. But Sam Cotch, he's one of the best punters in football, Raven said, and I set up their special teams. So you know, it started bubbling, bubbling, bubbling, bubbling, bubbling that

this Vedvic kid was gonna get moved. And he does. Three days after he goes nuts. Uh. In the preseason opener, great performance, launched two fifty plus yard punts, hit four field goals against the Jaguars. His kids like the natural. He gets traded to the ball the Minnesota Vikings five years old. Minnesota sends back a fifth round pick, so Minnesota obviously has their problems. He's gonna compete with Dan

Bailey maybe with their punter. Meant while, how about this was that's a lot of draft capital to give up for a kicker. It is, it's pretty high pick. I guess they. I guess they they value the position, which they should guess. Dan Bailey should probably be kicking somewhere else this year. Well, yeah, Dan Bailey has been terrible for like two years, including whatever reason, he's just done something.

But a source told ESPN um Beat writer Courtney Cronin that they want to see how he looks as a punter. That that's actually that they might see it. He wanted to create competition at both spots, and they call him a kicker punter, but it sounds like he's definitely gonna make the team as a punter, and I want to see him do it as both be a punter a kicker, save a roster spot. That would be awesome. How come

this hasn't happen yet? And baseball you have Otani and the Anaheim pitcher and a hitter will not this year with the elbow injury. But I mean, if you could do that, if you could pitch and play affield, and that's that's just saving roster spots. We're in the golden age of both place kicking and punting so specialized. Now these guys are so good that it's hard to be good enough at both to push someone to push a specialist out of a job. And by the way, uh

kicker trade heat. The Vikings had to give up that fifth because the Packers were reportedly in on giving up her sixth or seventh competition. And guess what and that it was what I told you about Mason Crosby. By the way, that Mason Crosby is on that cut list, potential cut list. They were ready to say bye bye Mason. Sam Ficken was a threat to his job. Point I chuckled. I said Crosby could be out and analysis he hasn't he he hasn't practiced yet. I hear the excitement in

your voice. Greg, Well, good news. We're staying in the club. Stay hydrated, baby, channel A. Kevis Arrow done out of the league. Awful, awful on the Jets preseason opener. Are missing two of three extra points. The only kicker in camp for the Jets, which was a mistake. I mean, Chandler Campon's aero. Are you being serious right now? And uh?

After that bad game, right when everyone knew the Jets were gonna bring in some competition, he taps out was what kind of what kind of strength of character is that? I don't know. I don't want to judge the guy, I never met him, but quits. You want to judge your quit twenty eight years old. It's not like he's taken hits. It's it's it's a rough It's got to be the most psychologically horrifying position in team sports. But yeah, mental,

he clearly was struggling. One one beat writer and this was before he was cut, said that I forget what the word. The word was was like a just a disastrous camp that he was missing kicks off and he's the only one there, and the writers were like wondering, like this guy's like one for nine and kicks and there's no one else in the building to go. They were just like he looked in the mirror and said,

I guess I'm got good enough. And you know what, maybe there is a nobility to that west But when you're twenty eight years young and in the prime of your athletic life, I'm not painting this instability. I'm just intrigued by the kicking position in the psychological warfare that it is fascinating. It is also fascinated they didn't try to resign their Pro Bowl kicker, Jason Meyer's bad job

by the Jets. I agree with you. I was gonna make that point that not only was it a bad decision to not have competition with the Catman, it also was a bad idea of a team flush with cats cap space runs into Myers last year was a Pro Bowl kicker, and the deal he signed with Seattle put him as the um A dp UM ADP average pay for his position at number ten overall, not a not a huge contract. Go bring the kid back. Why am I saying kids all the time? Now, I don't know

if it's like a seven year old grizzled scalp. Your kicker makes like less than half of what your backup tackle, like Greg, like people, you know, kickers deserve more. I'm with you don't have a kick at it. You don't have a kick. I'm not judging the man. I'm not judging Catman, but remember was it of us? A little bit of judging? Remember that was it of Oz? Yeah? Cowardly line? Well what did you lack? What did you need? Mm hmm. They're both like in the feline. I thought

it was hard, but that was actually maybe it is. Wait, you just said you're not judging him, but you just called him a coward. I didn't say in a roundabout way, in a roundabout way, I did. All right, let's move on, Cardinals, some you know it's been a time no other pot is hitting the kicker that early in that hard not not even close. Um. It's been a good you know, training camp so far for the Cardinals, UM, with all the positivity and the good vibes around the number one

pick Kyler Murray. But some bad news has resurfaced this weekend. Defensive lineman Darius full On Violin. Violin was arrested on Friday in Phoenix with one charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. On Saturday, of the team announced it had cut him. Um. We didn't have more details of the arrest at this time, but uh, Philon, who had signed a two year contract in March, started in Thursday night's preseason game against the Chargers h and had a tackle.

But obviously, um a guy that had a history, they didn't want to do anything about it. And then also off the field, you know, Steve come that was a major black eye for the organization. That that extreme d u I he got UM led to the heavy fine and a suspension. Well you know, now the CEO of the Cardinals, Ron Vineger, Uh, he was arrested for d uy and the Cardinals said in a statement that the

actions were inexcusable. Time survived and perhaps just barely. I wonder if Niger has been there for a long time. I wonder if he'll be a victim, while not a victim, but if he'll end up being cast out as a you know, cautionary tale. Filon not a big name was on our top hundred free agents. I thought it was pretty good last year on the Chargers, and I think this is noteworthy just because they are as thin as any team in the NFL. On the defensive line is

a terrible looking defensive line. You've got Rodney Gunter and Corey Peters or your other two starters. You've got no one on the bench. That's a bad defense overall. And then that that was gonna be My next point is that just like looking out further, you've got a bad defense. You've got Patrick Peterson suspended six games. You've got Vance Joseph running the ship, and just based on results, Vance Joseph as a coordinator or as a coach, has made

the defenses he's joined worse, significantly worse. It's just if I'm a Cardinals fan, that's it. It's a bummer. You know that the defense might just be so bad that that it's gonna overshadow Murray. Uh. Moving on, let's talk about the Colts and Andrew Luck. Frank Reich of the Colts coach so that Luck will not take part in joint practices with the Cleveland Browns this week. UM. This is all connected, of course to the nagging calf injury, a calf injury that Luck has had three separate mrs

trying to determine what quite is the issue. And now we are we're about three weeks out, three weeks and change out from week one, and Luck has been shut down since April. So I'm going to ask the question, Wes, is it time now to sound the alarm? Chris Westling and his concern for Andrew lux ailing calf sound the alarm? And is way too early for that? If next Monday is the alarm date, that's what you said last nime.

There was two weeks ago you said, if he's not back on the field, and I said it a week ago, if he's not back in two weeks next night the tape on what west said, we want to get this, we want to get this right. It doesn't even matter what I said. It's a one point one until next Monday. That's when we already know he's not practicing this week. If he's not practicing next week, then I'm it might go up to about a five less I'm less concerned about,

and maybe he'll return and be fine. I'm more concerned about the previous three and a half months where he was able to practice two days and then was her already. It's a long time, you know, for a guy that wants to be practicing and is unable to. You guys, remember how bad that heard him last year when he hent through forty touchdown all right, but what about the year before it, when the cults kept on telling us he was going to be back, to be back, to

be back, and then he never played. Look, I understand because of his history, everybody's nervous, but this is a guy who did not play at all last summer, looked bad in his first game, and then went on to have well. He practiced season. He practiced from the first day of training camp basically on. He had his rest days and stuff, but it was all system and there was much more concern over his arm than there ever will be over his calf, including actual NFL regular season

game action. And when we all thought that the house was falling down, nothing is scarier than a shoulder injury for a quarterback. That so I agree with you on that. But and you know, not to be labor that Kevin Durant tie in, but that lower body stuff. You know, a guy that has a little bit of miles on the odometer. Now it's something to be concerned about, especially that it's continues to linger. They keep on testing like that. You define, this is what you worry about if you're

a Cults fan. My team didn't quite handle this right medically two years ago or two and a half years ago. Is the same thing happening again here where they don't quite have it set Now, if you're if you're supporting the Cults organization, what about last year we kind of nailed it finally and got him on the field the right time and he had an All Pro season. I would be very nervous. The only thing that makes me

nervous is all the wrong estimates that they've had. That Reich and Lux said he'd be back next week in May, that there's no that there's no way he wouldn't be ready for the start of training again. Luck said that, you know, Reich said that that he'll be already before they started training. So then when that doesn't happen, then what we've discovered here is that you guys are very nervous and I'm not okay. I think it's good though

you have Jacoby Brissette. I know there's the feelings on him, but let's say, let's say it's something where Luck is just gonna miss two or three games. I think they have one of the best backup quarterback situations in the league with a really good offensive head coach and can Joe Jacoby Brissett, you know, get you a two in one record or or whatever two and two record if you happen to need that time. But they're in a

better spot than teams out there. Well, they certain believe that, considering the comments they've made about Jacoby Brissette, the offers they've turned down for him. Supposedly has had a good camp and and the offenses look pretty good in camp. You know, let's get ahead of this. I don't know the culture properly ahead of it, but we are. Ricky, Let's dig up the Jake Briskett sound drop, but we haven't had to use for a while, but maybe you could just put that on your dudo lest ahead of

Wednesday show. I hope not to Jake Brisket in our life, you know, all season. But let's just be prepared. You don't want to be caught with your pants down. You don't never. Uh, that's what's happening in the news all right, before we get to winners and losers. Uh, a little um station note. Yes, it's that time, big announce of the fantasy Extravaganza. It's ready and it's locked, and it's loaded for next Wednesday. And if you have a draft coming up, and again, God help you if you draft

before the third preseason game, grow up, Peter, Pam. You wanna you wanna have your draft after that third preseason week for a lot of reasons, most of all, make sure you don't draft a guy first overall that blows out his knee before the season even starts. That's beside the point. We're making sure to give you this content before um um, before you have to make your decision when real draft should be taking place two weeks from now, right, I mean you guys, are you guys built road a

world brick by break? You don't really respect guys that are drafting in early August, right, you want to have as much data as possible, and things like what we just talked about Andrew lux Kath for example, matter. So the more time you have, the more day. If you're like the big fish Evan Silva, and you've got your hand in hundreds of pots and you're just you know, borderline addict, but you made a career out of it, it's different because you're just drafting all the time. He

wakes up, he's just drafting. He's in some best ball leagues. That's different. But if you're like most people, you have one or two leagues, it's with your friends. That's the time to do it because you get to hear great advice like West Honkin for George Kittle a year ago that people would be missing out if they weren't drafting George Kitto paying no attention to any of the bad advice. I believe Adam rank coined the term league of record.

You know everybody, maybe some people do one league, Uh, maybe you do two or three, but there's always one league that that's the one that's most important to you. Classy of you to acknowledge rank on that got him a lot, nice guy, longtime colleague. Yeah, yeah, I would say. Besides, Mark Rank might be my only colleague that you know. When I came into the NFL, he was already here survivor you guys. So I's been here for a long time, as if I perhaps too long. Okay, here we go.

Let's get into winners and losers and training camp and preseason week one. Will go around the horn. I will. I don't know about you guys, And if Mark was here, Mark a little under the weather today, Mark was here, I'm sure he would give us a lot of the losers. He's very good with that. I came up with a lot of positive ones. And maybe you guys will bounce it out because mine are mostly on the winner side. Oh, I've got some losers. Yeah, so that's good, So that

will balance it all out. Um, so we'll go around the horn here a few times. UM I wanted. It sounds like you've got some good losers. So I'm gonna start Greg off with throw us a winner, Greg, and then maybe I'll come in with another winner, and then West you can get going, drop hammer, drop a big old loser. Let's start in Pittsburgh, where uh really two winners basically the young Steelers, but starting with Devin Bush.

And I know it's it's just a preseason game, but this is their number one overall, uh, their number one draft picked us here the middle linebacker of the Steelers. Following in that great tradition, what you want to see out of a rookie or really any starters playing with a bunch of backups is that it just as obvious that he's the star out there and the starter, and that he's playing with a bunch of backups and he's just dominating them. And for a guy to do that.

In his first preseason game coming straight out of college, Devin Bush had ten tackles five I think what are they called stop swamps like a successful thing solo solo tackles that creates a negative play for the offense. He

he was just flying around. And it also backs up what everyone's saying in Steelers came is that, look, he's their leader, he's calling the plays in the huddle, and man, they had such a huge hole there last year that to me, he's the favorite right now for defensive Rookie of the Year, just because that's the easiest position to do it. And I love what I saw, and I also love what I saw at James Washington, the receiver. I think this Steelers receiver group is gonna be fine.

James Washington, Moncrief, and then you have Deante uh Spencer as like your fourth kind of smaller guy, Johnson, the guy they drafted Dante Spence who is the CFLs picking up my Deante's right. And Washington who made three big players in that game and just kind of looks like he's coming along. And that again, it supports what's going on in camp. So it's not you're not just like going crazy off one preseason game, but you've been hearing

that from the writers there that Washington's made. I'm super peeves right now. I'm p o because I had a chance to start the segment and be the hero. Let's talk about the Steelers. That's my first one too. They were my they were my first win. And for the obvious also reason they're not dealing with Brown's headache. I I have here. I have Devin Bush. They've been looking to fill that Ryan Schasier slot for years now, multiple years. They need a little stability, and maybe he's that guy,

James Washington. They have such a great track record of developing wide receivers, I and Juju Smith Schuster we already know is now a superstar. I have no doubt that Ben Roethlisberg gonna be stays healthy, is gonna be once again that guy that throws her four four thousand, five thousand yards. I just I assume they're gonna end away to make it happen, And I just think in general, the camp Kumbaya vibe evolved them. Now they got hit by some tragedy this weekend. Uh Darryl Drake, their wide

receiver coach, unexpectedly passed away, and that's really sad. But before before that event happened, you know, everything around this camp has been very positive. And last year the whole camp was undermined by the Levy on Bell drama and then at the end of the season, Antonio Brown pulled his Shenanigans, quitting on the team. You're not hearing any of this drama around the Steelers, and I think I think we're on the same I know Greg you are,

and I imagine West you are as well. That this team is perhaps lying in the weeds in the a f C, which they never do because you always expect them to be a heavy favorite. But you don't hear as much about them, and that's a good thing, I think if you're a Steelers fan. He said the word stability, and for the last half century there's been no better example of stability in the league than the Pittsburgh Steelers.

And that's how I look at them. With Devin Bush, that was their one achilles heel last year on defense. Now they've got a guy who not only can call the plays, be the leader, can cover run backs and tight ends, which they didn't really have last year. They've got Um. Edman's the guy they drafted in the first round last year. Charlie Batch, the Presedons announcer, is talking about him being a Pro Bowl candidate because he's had such a strong training camp. And then James Washington and

Deante Johnson at wide receiver. To give you some depth, this looks like a really stable team to me. Um, let me go with another a f C powerhouse, especially on offense. Um the Kansas City Chiefs. Okay, so they drafted of course, remember around the draft, that's right when

the Tyreek Hills stuff dropped like a hammer. Um with the recorded audio conversation with his domestic issue and the next day the Chiefs go out and they draft Nicole Hardman, who, um, you thought at the time it seemed in late April like Tyreek Hill perhaps would never play for the Chiefs again, maybe never played in the NFL again. Well, it turns out, whether you agree with it or not, Tyreek Hill is going to be a part of the Chiefs all season.

And now you add you take Hardman, who in in the lens of the draft around that time, it kind of look like, God, you know it's gonna be tricky. They're gonna ask this rookie to step in and be a major, uh play a major role, and is he gonna be ready? Well, now he could kind of develop at his own pace. In the first preseason game, he showed off that speed. He took a shovel pass in the end zone blue away some Bengals on defense. And he's had a really good camp for an everything we're hearing.

So you add it all up and you and you have, of course uh Kelsey in there as well, and their abilities. It's almost an embarrassment of riches in that first passed from my homes to Kelsey and stride down the side to do that on the first play of preseasons and then Mikool Hardman has runs a four three three, Tyreek Hill runs a four three four. Darwin Thompson, a guy they drafted in the sixth round, looked incredible in that game.

This team, like, I have got winner as Mahomes repeat m vy Pea Chians already with Tyrek and now I had this guy. I'm with you. The Chiefs weirdly are almost lying, not lying in the weeds, but they should

be the fave. It to me, just because they have Mahomes and their defense played at such a terrible level last year that I actually think there's a lot to like about what they've done on defense, including their rookie second round pick, the original second round pick which was one Thornhill, who's had a great camp at safety, and suddenly you have Thornhill and and Honey Badger back there. That was a weakness in their secondary and Spags. You know,

I've been tough on Spags. Man, they needed a change on their defense. All they have to do is be average. I mean they were thirty they were between twenty seven and thirty one in league, depending on which metric you trust, and if they can just be better, man, that there. To me, they are the favorites. It'd be crazy that for anyone to not be. I'm banging the I don't know what the Desert people say, but I'm banging the over. If it's like twelve and a half for wins for them,

I think they're gonna have another big regular season. Now we'll translate in January. I don't know. They seemed that. It seems to be a bugaboo for about thirty years in County. I mean, if they won that coin flip, I still think they'd be Super Bowl champs. As much as uh I would not want that to happen. It's been a bugaboo since Len Dawson was smoking heaters in the halftime at the locker room, smokeing eaters. All right, speaking of heaters, West drop it dropping a bomb on something.

Here's a loser steal some dreams. There is a player in the midst of the most feudal some might say hair browned holding hair brained hold out I've ever seen Melvin Gordon is extremely futile. I don't know what he's I know what he's trying to accomplish. But he's not Levy on Bell. He's not a free agent at the end of the year, he's he better getting camping and fight for a starting job. Austin Ekeler looked incredible, Justin

Jackson looked good. Uh, none other than Ladanian. Tomlins said of Justin Jackson, He's got vision, power, acceleration, all the things you want to see in a young running back. And Melvin Gordon, I don't. I just think he's he's either getting bad advice or somebody is not twisting his arm enough to get him in camp all right. I do think that's a big factor in his holdout, that they have good backups, that they have a good running scheme.

First of all, I think Anthony lens is a good job kind of you know, the running game, and they have really good backups. If they were in a situation like Dallas where you just have Tony Pollard who's a fourth round rookie and looked fine and they're trying to talk. Also, if you were as good as Ezekiel Elliott, that might make sense, but he's not as right, So it's the combination. But I think the Charges are a team that really want to make the playoffs, but I don't think they're

sweating it. Nearly as much because they got really good backups. Also, Hey, the rest of your teammates are working. We have some breaking news. How about this? This from Tom Pella Sero. Antonio Brown's grievance over his helmet was denied by an arbitrator after months of fighting it. He'll have to wear an approved helmet this season barring a long shot legal challenge. Otherwise he can't play or get paid. And then a b on Twitter chimes in and this kind of refutes

the Adam Schefter reporting or he changed his mind. But here's what Brown had to say. While I disagree, disagree with the arbitrator's decision, I'm working on getting back to full health and looking forward to rejoining my teammates on the field. I'm excited about this season. Appreciate all the concerns about my feet. Hashtag always a fight, hashtag represent hashtag it's bigger than me. See he's a great teammate. West, What are we talking? Where does this guy get off

with the hashtag it's bigger than me? Why don't you act like you know? But you're missing the point West, that was before. Now he's a good teammate. It's bigger than I also like, uh, I like, um a tweet where it's all in quotes, he quoted him. He's quoting himself on his own Twitter. That's like fourth person. I don't know what that is frontier alright, So, but there is something to take out of that that there, this drama is unlikely to be one that extends to a

retirement or some malarkey like that. Now it's just a matter of his feet getting right and then complaining about the helmet all season. I imagine, Well that's the thing. I mean, I really I hope he does not have a concussion for you know, many reasons. But if he does, he's gonna go crazy. All right, Um, got another one win or lose or anything he got. Let's uh, let's make the Jaguars backup quarter back situation the loser here.

I don't know if you guys are familiar with those stylings of Gardner Minshew, uh, sixth round pick out of Washington State. That's their backup quarterback right now. Totally familiar for Jacksonville. They went the quarterbacks in the Jacks game against the Ravens went ten for forty four yards. You don't see that in a sixty minute game. They didn't top a hundred yards total. It's the worst quarterback like backup quarterback situation I think I've ever seen. Just I

don't know. I guess it's tied because at some point you can't you have a sixth round rookie. You have uh Tanner Lee who they're not even trying, Alex McGoo whatever. It is like if if Nick Foles misses a game or two, like they're they're done. I mean, they're gonna try to get someone else, I would imagine. But it's kind of crazy that they're paying Blake Bortles sixteen million dollars on the cap um right now while they don't even have a backup quarterback. Maybe they should have kept

Blake Bortles the phone. I mean, if you're got to pay them that much money, I know it it would have been awkward. Just made him the backup. He'd be a lot better than these guys. Some might say they've handled the Blake Bortles thing wrong at different points in the whole pay You know, it's funny you bring up Nick not a big deal, but I just it's not brought up to bring up Nick Foles, who left the depth

chart of Philly. Maybe it's not quite as dire as it is in Jacksonville, but with this Nick Sudfeld injury and in Philly, uh and Nick Foles hasn't played really enough to worry about if he's a guy could stay on the field, but you could question it. Carson Wentz, we know the last two years he's had a lot of injuries, and they have Cody Kessler and Clayton Thorson.

I mean, how excited you about that backgroup? If you did like a two on two battle royal between those, I mean I would take Kessler, although he was on the Jags last year and and rejected by them, but he's at least had some moments it's been in the league. Not who you want as your backup though, backup portorex important. You gotta have it buttoned down. Just quote Charlie Casserly,

what what is it again? Greg? The most important person in your zation see as your quarterback, and the second most important person in your organization is your backup quarterback in the third Yeah, keeps going, chev coach the third quarterback. Um, I got a winner. I got another winner. Here we go. Long time believers in the Jared Cook All Pro season. Oh yeah, that's what. Yeah, it's I mean, we've been

waiting a long time. He's now thirty two, by the way, so if it's not happening now, it's probably never gonna happen. I know. It's not as old as it used to be. Like some guys now just get better. Yeah, but well they don't block as much. It's time. It's time for him to put together a true Pro Bowl type season or perhaps All Pro. So you got remember Dan Campbell, sure, the former jack Man. Yes, also former Cowboys tight end for Cowboys tight end head coach. Anyway, he's the tight

ends coach in New Orleans. Uh, and he's been raving about Cook and says it's easy to see the impact he's gonna make. And uh. Mike Triple at the ESPN said that Cook has emerged. His quote to go to pass catcher for Drew Brees. And when you factor in all the tools, he's a toolsy guy. That's that's a little industry term. He's got all the skill level skill in the world to translate to a yard you know,

fifteen touchdown monster season. If Drew Brees is Drew Brees playing in that dome piling up all the thirty points a game. This is gonna be the year right when you burn fantasy footballers year after year after year. It takes a few years for him to understand what's really going on. And for the last few years, Jared Cook has been a really good football player. Last year he was outstanding. I thought he was the best player in the Raiders offense by far. Yeah, that's that's absolutely true.

He is their number two receiver. I mean, you're gonna have Thomas and he's number two, and it's probably not even it's a pretty big drop off to number three. I'm with you, all right, keep going west to us with anything. Uh, let's do one quick compliment on the Jets and one quick compliment on the Browns. Jets winners. Those uniforms for snazzy, thank you and um. I didn't get to watch the game before we talked about it on Friday. Darnald was He looked great. I love how

he moves into pocket. You know, we always talked about Romo saying his spatial awareness he was phenomenal. And then the Brown's blue chip talent Baker Mayfield calming out looking like an absolute stud and Myles Garrett just abusing the Redskins left tackle with a move that you don't see from many defensive ends. We can worry about their offensive line and it's absolutely a factor. But I'm going to continue to believe in the Browns because they have better

players than most teams. That that was one of mine as well. I was more focused on the two thousand eight QB class. Baker looked great, Yes, Donald looked great, Lamar Jackson did some things. Rosen and Allen maybe a little bit more of a mixed bag, but Um especially, and I'm take my Jets fandom out of it. I just it's not this is my brain just watching Donald, that this guy when this season is over, is going to be seen as a star quarter. I truly think

that's half the battle. He is. Just that he has all the tools and his ability to move like you were saying, West, to go through progressions, the ability in which he's picked up this Adam Gates offense very quickly. I think they're gonna be a really matt nice match together.

I don't know if Adam Gates is gonna survive in New York, but I do think his sensibilities as a coach is going to lead to the Jets offense being maybe I'm not I'm gonna go nuts here, and maybe they could be a top ten unit like they were in that Ryan fitz yere back into the top ten. They have the ability to put up points I think

this year. Um, so I'm very excited and Mayfield, Yeah, you're right, there's you could say maybe they'll you could go the football uh uh, the Farmer's Almanac route and say maybe other all these other things are going to go against them. I know, I always call it the farmer's almanac. Um. And maybe they're an Aman team. But Mayfield is gonna be a superstar in this league. Yes, I think he's already there. Yes, there, And there's nothing you can see from the preseason p neer to tell

you that's not gonna be the case. I I do think the preseason open to the Redskins. Uh, not a concern. But I'm gonna put the Dwayne Haskins his chances of starting Week one as like a loser. Not that not that he you know, that's it's expected a mid round first you know, first round pick. It really again goes with you know, the the beat writers for the Athletic have been saying this for weeks that they don't think

it's that close between Haskins, Keenum and McCoy. That Haskins is trailing because he just has too many miss throws where there's no one in his face and he just misses the throw. And that's what happened on his interception. UH. In the preseason opener, he actually had two overall, he made a couple of really great throws again what you hear from practice, uh, and then the rest of it was pretty up and down, and Jay Gruden more or less indicated to Peter King that that he is trailing

those other two guys. I think you gotta make a choice between McCoy and Keenum because I think you want to get Haskins as many reps as he possibly can. He'll probably play at some point this year. Just pick one of the other guys so he can split it instead of having it go in three ways. But just pick one of those other guys, because I just don't think he's going to be the Week one starter at this point. Gruden said he's gonna he hoped to pick a quarterback by the end of the third preseason, but

that's that's still two more weeks away. Just I don't know. I liked Haskin's arm and I liked his mobility. It was better than what I thought it was advertised. But his decision making, to me, he's just too young and raw and inexperienced. He plays a little bit too much like Jason Jameis Winston, just loose with the ball. Is there any chance that Daniel Jones starts before Dwayne Haskins. Yes, I think there's a I think that's more likely. What

I definitely wouldn't go more likely. I think there's a chance. Sure if their giants started out really poorly and the Redskins didn't, because Daniel Jones looked really impressive. I mean it was only one position, and I guess if I'm the coach, I'm taking him out after that one too, because it was perfect. He looked, he looked so much more athletically gifted than I was led to believe. He was supposed to play a second series, and then there

was a lightning storm. So his combine their wild they're they're up there almost with like luck and and Cam Newton. I mean he is very athletic. Well, he's playing behind one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL on a team going nowhere. So that's why he's gonna play earlier. All right, we brought up something good about the Jets. Here's a negative. Their secondary is probably the reason they

won't be a playoff team. And the latest news Truemate Johnson um yanked his hamstring in practice and he's out indefinitely. And this, uh, you know, gross mismanagement in the Mike mccagnan era, first and foremost was offensive line, but never being able to put together a secondary uh during his time there. This is who they have right now, their top three cornerbacks. Get ready, buckle up, New York, it's

on in New York City. Darryl Roberts, Brian Pool, who the Falcon said we don't want you around no more, and a rookie Kyron Brown who's undrafted out of Akron. They have no other quarterback on their roster with NFL experience, so Trueman Johnson they're only chance to be okay at cornerback. It was if Truemain Johnson played like the guy the Jets paid for, which he certainly didn't last year. If he's going to be down with an injury, and he

missed games last year with an injury as well. This is going to be a unit that will be lit up and will kill them all your Jamal Adams today just today said he volunteered to play cornerback, which I imagine wasn't jest, but it tells you just how serious this problem is. Uh, seeing both inside and outside the organization, well, the combination of that cornerback group with a lack of a real edge rushing presence is easily their biggest issue. I think when you look at the best teams in

the league, they have really deep defensive backfields. The one thing that you can match up all sorts of different matchups because it's two thousand nineteen, you're gonna have to stop three, four or five receivers on every play, you know, not just white outs, but tighter and and you're right, they're just not deep. They have a good safety deal, but even after their starting safeties, it's like the the

depth just isn't there. And I think that's if there's anything stopping the Jets for being a playoff team, it's that it's the past defense because that includes the past rush. I think too that the past defense it's gonna just it's hard to imagine. You never know. You could, you could coach it up and it could be great, but it's hard to imagine them being near average. A lot of pressure on Gregg Williams to figure out a way to scheme it up. West, I have another loser clarity

on passing Fearence replace standards. I am thoroughly confused after watching No. One every game but the Jaguars game. UM, I don't understand how you will see replays where the defensive player hits the receiver before the ball gets there enough to cause it. And sometimes it will be passing a few in Farence, and sometimes it won't. And I am only lead to assume that this will be the case all year long, because that's what a judgment call is.

It's funny, West, because I had the new past interference rule under winners and that this has nothing to do whether I believe in the new pass It's just how was it operated here? Some facts. Fifteen challenge flags thrown in Week one, including the Hall of Fame game, only one was overturned. UM six point per seven six point seven. Per NFL research, there were thirty five pass interference calls made in the seventeen games coaches challenge six of them,

none were overturned. Coaches challenging nine players in which no flag was thrown for past interference. One was overturned. That's that was in the Jets Giants game. Um. So, to me, the fact that it wasn't a big story coming out a week one of the preseason is a good thing because and Ron Rivera made it clear when we were at the NFL Talent Summit. He made a clear that they're not looking to reinvent the wheel of how this, how this is officiated. They don't want to rock the boat,

and they did not in Week one. Here. Well, that that's all fine and dandy that they don't want to rock the boat and the standards are supposed to stay what they are, but that's not gonna make any fans happy when they see a guy on another team getting away with something their player can't get away with. And that's what the past interference confusion is. They're trying to send a message that they're not going to overturn many plays.

I mean, that's what it feels. It feels like they're trying to, like, I don't think I don't think Al Rivron or the officials wanted this rule, and no, there's a place and it's almost like they're gonna try to destroy it on some level by never overturning anything or minimize it, which I like. I'm with you, Dan, I think ultimately it's not the best case scenario. I don't

know what else could be better. It's not as flat out stupid as the old catch role, but it shares some of the same things that you're if you're a fan, you're looking at a guy do something for another team and he gets away with it, but you your guys can't do it. All right? You want to do a real quick speed round, go through it, back and forth one more time. Alright, Greg, give us a quick one. How about Jared's did him? The Patriots rookie quarterback? I'm serious.

I think it's gonna it's gonna be a story. They've said since the first O t A s They've been shocked, how accurate, how good he's looked, how advanced he is. He's gotten more reps with the first team than Jacoby Brissette or Jimmy garab below Uh or who they draft last year. Danny edilne Ever did as a rookie, and he's pretty I think you can just tell they like him. And he looked great, and Patriots fans are just like

ready to latch onto the next one. Not not the Tom Brady's going anywhere, but there's it's someone they're gonna also one last Patriots. But Jamie Collins looks ready for a reunion. This is gonna drive Mark crazy. I think Jamie Collin's gonna have a big year. Nice, nice linebacker. The start of the Zach Taylor and Cincinnati West eleven penalties for a hundred and fifty yards, fifteen yards, four turnovers. Uh, you know the rookie running back got hurt on one

of the interceptions. Uh, not looking too hot. That's a negative on the positive. Well, you know, go on, let's be honest about our boy. Varcus Mariotta. He's under he's under pressure of the season. Ryan Tannehill very good in his debut twelve sixteen thirty yards, two touchdowns, book at eight and a half starts for tenny. I'm Bengals quickly.

The craziest thing I read all last week was Andy Dalton threw a touchdown UM two Josh Malone last Thursday, and it was the first explosive play touchdown of the Bengals training camp. They hadn't had one yet. I hadn't had like as in any practice. Is we're talking about practice that is Dan and Ireson Pataco and most of these I have losers two thousand nineteen Bengals expectations because outside of the head coach, I'm not sure what's changed.

They still have no wide receiver depth, they still have bad offensive line, they still have linebackers with no speed. I don't know what's different about the Bengals other than the head coach. I wouldn't expect any different results. Um, what was the other one? You Mariota and Tannehill. I talked about that last week based on what I think is going on in that building, and I do think they believe in Mariota. But then I watched the game and he has admitted in the past he's got footwork problems.

They looked worse to me just in that one series than they did at any time in the past, and Tannehill look better than he ever did it with the Dolphins. Keeping eye out of Tytoons fans, oh So, David Montgomery I talked about when I only saw highlights in then I watched the whole Bears game and this is every preseason. I have a running back that I'm all in on. I love David Montgomery. This guy has the instinct's, patients,

vision um, receiving skills. He's got the cutting ability. I know, he's not explosive, he's not say Kwon Barkley athletically, he just looks like he was born to play running back. To see the Philip Lindsay of Uh, they're so different. Yeah, I mean he's a guy that I like. Philip Lindsay was so different being an undersized, undrafted guy, but also a lot more speed based than David Montgomery. Before we go and one one Last Loser, it's a robot mindset.

I don't know, are you guys familiar with robot mind On On Jimmy Garoppolo's wristband. Every day of practice he looks down and it says robot mind and that's what he has to have. He has to have the robot mindset. And they asked him about he said, because he's not looking this way or that way, he's not worried about anything that's going on he's got to have that robot mindset. Well, it's gonna be tough when you don't have any players on your team. No one's had a worse month than

the forty niners. I'm sorry, you're every every day there's a new injury. They lost their swing tackles Shawn Coleman for the season in the opener, and Trent Taylor. They're starting slot receivers now out four to eight weeks. Like everyone has heard. On that team, they're missing seven eight starters. Isn't the goal of a quarterback or any athlete to not be robotic, to be free and easy and lose. Not Russell Wilson, Well, he's the exception of the proson

about mindset. All right, that's it for today's show, and that, you know, that's a little tease also that David Montgomery West might talk about him a little bit next week during the Fantasy Extravaganza. I have the luxury right now of not caring about fantasy implications when I talk about David Montgomery. That adds a lot more stress when I have to say, well, how much does what's the guy's name,

Michael Davis or what the other guy? Yeah, Mike Davis, who I'm not nearly as high on as you only have to care about it for like fifty four minutes a year, that one episode, and then you're free and clear. Um, I want to say happy birthday to Jack Kansas, my son. Definitely not a yeah, definitely not a listener of the show.

But like maybe when I'm old, uh in a retirement home, or I'm living in his basement, or I'm dead, he'll say, oh, you know, let's go back and listen to what dad used to do, and maybe I'll check in on the August two, nineteen show. Well, here's the shout out to my boy. Hey Jack, You've always been ahead of the game. Jack, even at five, mature boy, very ahead of the game, way ahead of his dad. Left handed swing too, He's got the stroke. All right, let's get out of here.

Dan Hands is signing off four The mail Man, The Old Boss, and Sweet Sweet Ricky Hollywood Behind the Glass Jeel Wednesday,