Around the AFC in 48 Minutes: Post-Draft Edition

They around the NFL podcast.

There's a quiet storm brewing from the Chris Westling podcast studio. It's around the NFL. I'm Dan Hans's got heroes here.

I always do.

Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler people should know well speaking of Behind Blue Eyes with Belichick on our last show, Mark's Got the Icy Blues. Sometimes there's still a storm that can rage. But the nickname doesn't fit quite as well as it did five, six, seven years ago.

It will continue to be your nickname.

On a level, Yeah, but the quiet storm is a different chapter in the Mark Sessler life on a certain level.

I mean, I'd say it's it bubbles to the surface less than it used to. And I acknowledge that I'd tried to work on some things, and especially when we have a special guest in studio, I try to keep a lid on some of my own temper.

Not for me.

Wait wait, let me introduce Okay, sorry, a very special guest in studio.

As answer.

What I mean, what do you think Patrick CLAYBN Ladies and gentlemen, Pat what do you think about whether or not we agree with you, or I agree with you, or the outside world agrees with the unmomentum. What do you feel about the idea of momentum and its existence becoming a central tenant of your your public face in a way?

I guess it's like, you know, Patrick has involved in another dumb argument, this time with the planet. It happens all the time in many aspects of my life. I'm glad people are thinking about me at all, in any you know, and so especially when it comes to this where if I've caused anybody, whether they believe or don't or whatever, to just think about you know, and the way things work, Yeah, your own personal reality.

Have you ever had a moment, like in the middle of the night where you've been like, oh, I do believe in momentum.

No, how about this, and this is a little meta. Have you ever thought about the idea your beliefs or lack of belief in momentum has gained momentum within your own life? That's a problem. No, I mean I believe in cause and effect.

This thing that comes up, even when I don't bring it up right like we're talking about it now, is a result of people thinking.

And that's good, you know.

I And and really, if we want to go before we get to that because I'll go this is I'll lose track of everything.

I think the quiet storm is always brewing.

My issue is with the way that society might force the storm to be quiet, and I don't want that. I want the storm to be out. I want Mark Sessler to be with that. Sessler twenty four hours a day, thank you. I just need to get that.

I'll take that to heart.

I'm not sure that Dan and Greg need it twenty four hours a day.

But I feel like literally the last time we were in this podcast studio, or maybe it was Wednesday last week we were, there was some poking of the bear and this the eyes the storm was coming out just last week.

Oh well, maybe it's still.

I mean, it's like I.

Said, I think it kind of is like Nature's law and America wasn't it gets little storms like November, December, January right.

How the mock draft and let would also be stated that the quiets the dissipation of the quiet storm or of it moving out. To see, from my perspective, is not me even saying Patrick that's a good or bad thing. It's just more me being a Mark Sessler meteorologist and being like, right now, it seems like the storm is out to see is it permanently out? Could have come back in as a what do they call it? The high highest level hurricane and most we've got a category if I cat five, Yeah.

I mean seven day weekly forecast. We don't know what's after that week.

Where we stand on weather. By the way we on the weathermen that we.

Live in LA. I literally knew it.

Bothers me that anyone in La is ever looking at the weather on any level.

We had.

We've got like eighty two weather ladies on all these stations telling us what's going to have a lot.

Of weather we had, we had a run there.

Yeah, come on, dude, I'm just saying, I don't.

Oh, it's raining like the old seventy time raining. So everyone's driving twenty five miles slower and acting like they've never seen, you know, the elements.

To those of us who have logged a decade now and are spoiled rotten, that was weather to us.

No like uh, in fairness, I lived on the East Coast a long time. Give me a snow day.

It does not rain for four street days at any point, like without stopping on the East Coast.

Some crazy things are happening. Crazy things are happening.

That's it.

That's there's been some storms, not all quiet momentum on the weather scenario.

There things are changing.

See how it's all It's like a Seinfeld episode. Everything's connected all right? Today is around the AFC in forty eight minutes. Feels like we just did one of these episodes he did almost just maybe speaks to a lack of originality, but they are very effective in their goal, which is and I get it.

We don't usually do a like late free agency prop.

I didn't think so that was an extra one. Yeah, that's why it was a little bit on my radar. However, I love these episodes and I know the listeners love them because when you talk, for instance, we just did our winners and losers, and we get a bunch of teams in the mix, but you're gonna miss teams. We will not miss a single team. We have missed a team in the past one time. Yeah, apologies to the

I think that is.

Yeah, I think put the blame elsewhere that type ability.

But this post draft one we may have done all the way back to like twenty fourteen.

I think we've done this every time.

Just this one.

Yeah, this one I think gets it's cleared. Eric, How are you doing great? How was your wedding?

My wedding?

Oh, I mean yeah, I didn't no good. It was a wife's coworker, so I was really not that invested. Had some beers, White's pregnant, didn't have to drive home. This is this is a rough listen for them, Big Big Funk. I don't think they're listening Big Funk exactly.

Bad beat, bad beat.

Big Funk did a nice job pinch hitting well ill, which is never fun.

Didn't even tell us he was ill until the till the end.

He will find a way to work it in though, although there was there was before the show started. He had a hot mic on while we were set up remote and you could tell he was struggling and trying to get things going. There's a lot of stuff to do as a producer. And you can actually hear Big Funk's inner monologue going like, oh.

Okay, I do this.

Yeah, but he made it through. Yeah, it was a flu game for him. I haven't seen him though since yes, I did see him with our neighbors, so I didn see him. He's alive, but yeah, he flu game. He was definitely under the weather on Saturday. Okay, good, all right, let's uh without further ado play.

Bund's have got it.

Out hosting Total Access though we check that out.

Oh hell, I will ditch them if it comes to it. Guys, amitted to all the teams. If this is your first episode, that's cool. So this is the show where we go around an entire conference three minutes per team, three minutes exactly. And I knew ETP wouldn't miss this show because this is when he gets to take out a weapon and literally shoot a man in the throat if he must to get him to shut up after three minutes. That's part of the rules right there. And I don't know

We're not skipping the Bills this time. The Bills a lot of needs. Ten draft picks in total, added help though at safety, defensive tackle, defensive end, cornerback, two new offensive tackle, a running back, and a wide receiver, and Keon Coleman, who dazzled in his pressler by announcing that his coat was from Macy's.

Butffalo is attempting a soft rebuild.

From my pov called to reload if you'd like, while hoping to remain one of the AFC's white hot treats. I've talked for weeks months that I sense a darkness filtering out of Western New York, a tightening vice, an aura of internal pressure, outside doubts. This has been one of the AFC's best stories over the past half decade. Only the deeply cynical can't see something beautiful about the existence of the Buffalo Bills. Yet I have a hunch

Oh? Boy?

Yes, I pushed back against this whole idea that they are rebuilding, reloading anything like that. What if I told you they have as much continuity as almost any team in the NFL. They have twenty I counted up somewhere between nineteen and twenty one starters on their team that were with the Bills last year. It's not an old roster. The offensive line isn't in as good shape as it's

They lost a lot of like veteran locker room leaders and yet to make some of those moves.

But what can act like they lost no one.

I think this is what they have, veteran locker room leaders, is what I would say.

I'm kind of sick of having this argument too, because I just because a certain type of window for this team closed doesn't mean the people that are saying I are saying they can't contend. Like but the Stefan Diggs von Miller when he was still good Josh Allen on the rise, like that version of the Bills didn't get over the hump. So now they're making some adjustments and

Yeah, the difficulty is being better than they were at their peak, and nobody is making the case that they are. But there could be some teams to come back, Maybe the Chiefs come back. Maybe this because the Bengals went through a similar situation in the secondary last year, right, and they eventually got better.

But it's going to be a slow start. I think it's always a process to get back to where you were. The only part that the conversation comes in is are you doing things that might deliberately hamstring your ability and are you making those choices with full awareness of what the results are going to be. Nobody knows the results, but I think we can be confident in the Bills.

Maybe this is where Odell Beckham goes We've talked about that.

The Miami Dolphins with Patrick Claybah. I looking at the twenty twenty four Miami Dolphins as I scroll back, they came into a free agency with a lot of questions on the defensive line, and then they got even more questions as Christian Wilkins made his way to Las Vegas, and so they The.

Injury for Jalen Phillips was in week twelve. It was a December thirty first ACL tear for Bradley Chubb. And so you go into a first round where you're looking at the edges and Dallas Turner, Layoutu Latu and Jared Verse are the productive guys, and they all go and so now you've got a need and you fill that need with Chop Robinson, who is the projection guy. Like it's like, well, we hope that we can have Chop grow and learn and go into this season and become

They lost three of six players that had five plus sacks from a year ago, and they've got injured player people coming off injuries, so they had a lot of needs going into it. I don't have problem with them addressing it with where they were in the draft to do it. I look at the rest of their draft and it's like, I think their defense is a work

They have so many guys someone's got to get left out there. Moster a hn right, Jeff Wilson still in that roster. I liked what they did in the offseason in terms of like adding Kendell Fuller Jordan Poyer, But you mentioned Chop Robinson, bit of a project. Probably their second round pick Patrick Paul was looked at like as a trade. See like guy that they're gonna have to really coach up a lot of changes on their defense

And have they in your opinion of the group, group's opinion.

Some of the fade of the offense in the last couple of years pipeing hot in September, not as hot by January. They didn't really address that, so they it feels like they see that as a narrative quote unquote, and they're gonna be okay there are we confident that that's the case.

No, I think that there is something to that that he starts off these seasons hot and they fade.

Well, yeah, it's like I and also when they go into Kansas City and it's like minus eighty four degrees, like they're not built that way and that's not no like.

They could have taken the end of last year and be like, Okay, what do we need to do to Justin and maybe maybe it is the quarterback and that would take another year to figure out. But that's that's a big question around this team. It will remain that way.

But I don't think it's a Kingsbury style faith though none it's.

Hard to do that.

The New England Patriots such it's it's you deserved it because you were commenting on his comment that was about that.

I shouldn't I shouldn't have put a ribbon on it or a bow as they'd say, I know, one of those things.

Well, now you have a wound, so use the ribbons.

The bandage, yes, the bleeding which is quite extensive right now, that's efficient.

Just the heads up the New England Patriots.

Greg Rosenthal, Okay, I'm going to ask the question and then quickly answer it myself. Hopefully is this enough for Drake May? Like around Drake May?

That was the most Greg comment ever.

Go ahead, love Jalen Poke seems like a Robert woodsyand type of guy that can step in fairly soon and contribute. Javon Baker was the guy people loved it. A deep three. He's a fourth round pick.

We'll see.

H the offensive line, they're gonna have to coach it up. They take a third round pick. They don't really have a left tackle right now, but it's pretty deep at receiver Kendrick Bourne to Mario Douglas, Jalen Polk, Juju Smith, Schuster, kJ Osborn, like it's a ton of third receivers, but they do have at least a bunch of them. I tend to think if you add in Rimandri and Antonio Gibson, they have enough people around him, and they have Jacobe Brissett.

I think Van Pelt's gonna bring us to Fanski type offense, you know largely, and I you know, that's not a huge wide receiver.

Why was he the one guy that no one ever wanted to interview? And I was thinking of Ben McAdoo.

By the way, no one wanted his photo on the website.

I mean, but I think it's interesting to see what happens with these whiteouts because they kind of zigged and took like five straight offensive players.

I liked the trying around may to build them up.

But Belichick drafted twenty one wideouts and only one of them, Deion Branch ever, crossed six hundred yards in a season.

So it's like at some point he's got a hit on one of these.

Well, Jillian Edelman, but technically he wasn't a wide autut fair right, I mean, Julian not a wide when he was a he was a quarterback.

Yeah, comes in quarterback. They figured it out.

You know, it's all true wide receiver in the draft.

So yeah, yeah, go back to the Chad Jackson draft. Whether I leave, the Patriots took him seven.

Athol Johnson was a second round pick. Is a guy he didn't even mention he was a second round pick two years ago. They don't think he's going to make the.

Team, but eventually, like these things are going to even out and the Patriots aren't going to hit on somebody. It's I don't know if it's a Belichick thing, if it's an evaluation thing, or who knows, but the whole thing is a big question mark to me, not not just the coaching staff and disassembly. But it's not going to be worse than Matt Patricia offense, like it's not going to be change is going to be good in that capacity, and I think it will give us an ability to learn.

But before the season, who knows that.

It will be interesting to track Reggie. I know you will be tracking a close. The Pets moved back to take Jilyn Polk at thirty seven when Lad McConkie was there, so now you're naturally gonna kind of be tracking both those guys and see who's the better pro.

There was a report they tried to trade into thirty two Buffalo or Carolina chose to trade with Buffalo, and then the Patriots moved back, so Mike Reese suspects they were moving up for either Keon Coleman or Xavier Lagette and then that guy was taken.

Hmmm.

It's tough, tough, tough, sitch, we move on the New York Kuts.

You're just trying to.

Be to take a time out there, it goes, give me that time out, time out. I just wanted to put a little bit of a news onto the show.

That inside Greg Rosenthal. Greg tastefull to take someone else's bit that they made and repurpose it.

But I'll let you have it an original.

You could have come up with one on your own, so it's all yours.

And we got we got breaking media news from uh the podcast that that our guy Bill Belichick will be a part of the Tom Brady roast that Mark Sessler is attending this weekend, and uh, I am for what I'm thinking for to Bill Belichick roasting Tom Brady in a big spot at the Days.

It's funny. I was telling someone.

I was telling someone like, how do you have this roast without one of two people, if not both? Belichick showing up? Obviously he seems to be doing the rounds. It makes sense for him. But also I don't know Gizelle. I throw Gizelle in there. She could at this point they can, they.

Can co parents. I don't think you're getting Gizelle.

We're getting Belichick and I kind of had a feeling that was gonna happen, and we've we've got a friend who's actually working on the production from it from.

Well, that's why this was.

This is exclusive around the NFL, and I always know breaking here.

I mean, as an insider, people shouldn't be able to know your sources immediately.

I know exactly who your source was. Does that matter?

True insiders know who's getting the bee from where sounds threatened?

Maybe maybe not.

Ben Affleck was listed as probable. They not totally locked in, but uh it sounds like a Ben.

Aff We have good seats too, but I mean, we're not up in the middle of Newers.

It stands my original point that I made on Saturday Night, you know, making Belichick go through these dances.

Now he's at some dopey roast.

Well, but these are He's a grown man who is choosing to accept No, he's doing what I'm telling him to do. He's choosing to accept money in exchange for having some fun or doing something.

Well, people, people are getting paid for this.

Yeah, and ps, the event, the event that I'm going to is not dopey.

That's your take. Well, people, wait, you think they're doing it for free.

I have no idea.

I actually my understanding that this entire engagement I can't. I would rather watch another sixty episodes of Blazing the Monster Machines or Paul Patrol. I am interested in anything in the world more than a roast of Tom Brady featuring Bill Belichick or the Patriots documentary.

I've seen enough Patriots. I'm done with the Patriots.

People are down on this, not Theatrick are not please at this event.

I was surprised because when I told Emaka this, she was like, would you want to try to go?

And I was like, this feels weird. I know, I don't, or you guys are all too cool for this event.

No, now that Belichick is in it, I want to watch it. I'm going to watch it, but I don't want to spend her Sunday afternoon.

I'm not too cool for anything. I would again anything on the planet. I'll go to an astrological convention. I'll have a palm reader. I do not that.

There's gonna be clips on my timeline and people, but that's where I stand.

I say, at least if I'm going, I don't have to look at any of those clips ever.

Yeah, but then you have to sit in that chair for five hours because there's a TV production. There's something speaking a post quiet storm. Mark Sessler, Yeah, way on my radar. Not in a negative way, but like you got all these weird events now, like you're always going to different things. This is this is this a new sess Dog move as well.

This was like a surprise purchase for me. Oh I didn't.

Like, you know, I want to go though, would you have gone if it wasn't purchase.

It wouldn't have occurred to me like to go.

I don't think, Well you will you be able to give us some boots on the ground reporting next week?

I was thinking.

Maybe like from the venue.

So it's like the old w FA and NFL things where they report from stadiums, like get the crowd noise behind us, and I give you a two minute.

My guesses will be brutally sanitized in the edit. So tom Brady Corp. Doesn't let certain things through. But they can't get asked. Mark Sessler, the Insider.

No, they cannot. They say, it's live.

Are you gonna have to sign something?

I think so?

I don't think. So you have to turn in your phone.

I won't do that.

Mark Sessler arrested Senter good scoopage Greg like, it's you are the Tom pellisero to my in wrap report, and I think that's a that's a fair way to look at it, just like Ian is not at all threatened by Tom Pelson, nor am I.

All right? Time in nice half fun.

Mark, it was more like a halftime show than a time. Where is it at the Forum? Yes, my god, yep, yeah, I never been there, so that's huge.

Are you gonna be What kind of seats do you have?

If I recall they were, they weren't like nosebleeds. They were pretty good.

Free parking park of working with the company here.

Yeah, I could park in our roge. Yeah, it's the last remaining perk.

Up.

Next New York Jets real talk, as much as the diehards right here were locked and loaded on the idea of the Jets as a legit title contender immediately upon Rodgers's arrival last April, Aaron Rodgers, it's fair to acknowledge, now with the benefit of hindsight, that that could have been seen as a stretch because exploding Achilles or no, the roster was flawed the offensive line was bad, the skill positions shaky, and I think now the Jets have

You know that?

So you're gonna have to tell me, Am I nuts? Or did the Jets dare I say, quietly have a great offseason.

I don't think anything about It's been quiet, but I do expect that it's gonna be I guess in relation

Outside of Zach Wilson, Douglass has done a nice, very nice job hitting on key draft picks and I and so I I'm out. You know last was a disaster. Sure like there's been a there's been a missus. But I would say that you've you this is not a surprise. I think the thing is I want to see, number one, how the NFL responds to the Jets overall world when they when the schedule comes out. I think it's going to be a little more caution than to throw them on five or six games.

And I think they'll be on five or six.

I mean, I I don't know though, because I think something feels more like a prove it year to me. But I do think, like outside of maybe the fact they're gonna have to want Monitor brock Bowers, who they passed on, which could have been a very spicy pick for the Jets, like, I do think they're better.

I like what they did.

They traded up for Corley, who is very similar to me to what Christian Watson was coming out of college and what Aaron Rodgers can serve like a limited route but a guy who can make plays after the catch.

And that's and that's an important part where you can do things. And it's just that how long is the adjustment period with Aaron to where he's wanting where Aaron wants him to run? And it's you know, Aaron's tried to do that by bringing in guys that he's previously played with. I think it's a nice meld now of like Tyron Smith, like these veteran guys who are still like towards the end but can still be productive as well as young guys.

It's a lot to feel great about. But it's the.

The Aaron Rodgers as well as you know his offensive coordinator, hand picked offensive coordinator.

Is is this going to work?

And we have that is one thing like Nate Hackett, show it, show us why you're in this position on any level.

Time out, time out, you knew that was going to happen.

So here's this check this out.

On Friday morning, New York Jets coach Robert Salad Channel does inner, Sonny Weaver. This is a writer from Rich so Many at ESPN dot com. Does anybody know who Sunny Weaver.

Is Sonny Weaver, Heavin Costner's character.

Everybody knows it, using a line from the twenty fourteen film Draft Day.

Check it out if you're watching on YouTube.

At eleven nine am, about eight hours before the start of the second round of the Draft, saw a text at a photo of Malchi Corley to GM Joe Douglas. Underneath the photo, he wrote, no matter what. Douglas immediately replied, no matter what. My point being first of all, you know, congrats to my team. They wanted that guy in day two, they got him. The bigger point is Draft Day. Like I mean, I we've all talked about the movie on record. Not not a good movie by any stretch, but I

And I'm a little stunned, but good job by them.

I don't know how many people are still we're referencing it going back and rewatching it.

Yes, it seems to be a thing round draft time, people watching. I still have yet to watch it. I never need to, and I keep meaning you.

Don't need to. I'll give you a tip.

I just feel like people talk about it every year around Draft Day, you know, that week, and people start watching it again.

So that means that Greg skipped the company event where they brought us to the Century City Movie Theater and I remember West went, you went?

We went?

Yes, Greg hard out another thing you're too cool for? You were too cool for that event.

What year was that? Twenty fourteen? Yeah, saw a sleep prep?

Yeah, well they just it said the twenty fourteen film Draft Day and what you read before.

Which then led to your iconic review of the film.

I will never do that again in my life. I was at my parents' house and we'd just gotten there. It was like these guys called me and I had, you know, I had a couple classes of wine with my mom and dad, and then I'm like overly glowing about Draft Day.

I wrote a paragraph, but look at.

It now, it doesn't seem so it what I said that what I said seems absurd Apart from started to fifth yeah, they took the way they took one little clipped part of it.

There was some critique in there too, but it's like, let's take the little clip part.

And I just want to know how many front oviouss like are exchanging these sort of texts because it wasn't quite No matter what, thirty two teams had the chance to prevent them from doing it throughout round two, and they did trade up.

They were doing it, trade up just like Sounny Weaver, right, they.

Said, throughout the second round, but didn't find the right deal, and then eventually they got uh Corley. But maybe maybe this is happening everywhere, but then they don't get the.

Guys I do.

I do want to point out though, Steve Smith had him as his number ten receiver in the draft, ahead of Ricky Piersall, head of Jalen Poke, and that just spoke to me because I was like, in a perfect world, maybe Milecie Corley has a little Uh Steve Smith to him, and in terms of his game, so game recognized game similar styles on some level that if Steve Smith liked him that much, that's a good photo confidence.

It's very unbri that we've had two timeouts already we're still in the AFC East and have come around the Jets and the Patriots.

Well, we got a Browns one coming up too, I'm guessing to that point. Malachi was also a subject to our friends at Underdog.

Josh Norris and Hayden Winks.

Had a really good review of Corley that he's been compared by some to Deebo Samuel, but he doesn't have nearly the explosive traits as Samuel, but he has the ability to maybe be a really good piece for them. All Right, now we move on two, the AFC North, but first we take a break.

Welcome back.

We moved to the AFC North and Patrick Claybohn is going to get u started with his Baltimore rate.

Yes, the Baltimore Evens had all those departures on the offensive line, and they did ultimately take Roger Rosengarden in the second round. But to me, the plan appears to be being Cleveland and Andrew Vorhees to fill things out at guard, which I love is sticking with the plan. If you have that level of attrition on the offensive line, you can't just say, hey, we're gonna we're gonna draft some guys and then have a bunch of rookies playing like that.

That never works. So you stick with the.

Plan that they have and then they take They take Nate Wiggins. I know people had expressed some size concerns with Nate Wiggins, but some of that he was sick before the combine. I think he played closer to one to eighty. They needed to become more athletic in the secondary. My overall question about the Ravens is this continued attrition. The addition of an extra hardball into the league has created more attrition. We've We've got a defensive coordinator that's

You won't feel them as dramatically if they keep hitting on their draft picks and if Eric Takasa keeps signing quality free agents late in the process. It does feel like the last two years especially. It's amazing they got the one seed in a year that I thought this year was kind of a rebuilding year for them in terms of all the people that they left, just in

And that is that as during these periods of attrition like been something that DaCosta and before them Ozzie news and Ozzie Newsman is still there, have done almost every offseason, and they tend to hit on those guys at a high percentage. So it's like, I'm not out on the

I like that they locked up in a surprising move for Shad Baman for a couple years and I was like, why did they They really are banking on side baby, But it turns out he wasn't eligible for his fifth year option because he didn't report. He begins to he was gonna be a free agent, but he's now signed for three years and they were really counting on I mean, there, he's there two right now, Tess Walker, who drove me crazy.

One sounds like a loophole for first round pick.

Well, and I wondered about it.

Raven.

It's very difficult to utilize that loophole because immediately when I saw it, I was like, can players utilize this? But it turns out if you miss any amount of time, then your league year can't accrue. Whether it's if it's if it's a mandatory workout, and so I guess in theory somebody could get stuck in traffic and lose a year of a crew on that first day of mandatory.

I don't know, but it's hard for player.

But Baseman's are two, agalarts are three. I don't really trust des Walker. I mean he was a dart throat in the fourth round.

I trust Walker Rosenthal. No totally separate conversation h trigger Finger. He is a inside on the rise that Walker Rosenthal a podcast about what the NFL does.

He does he have Ian's pun number two. Maybe I thought you were talking about it.

He has access to Greg.

I think, is this a Roger Rosengarden joke? I do like the rose and garden.

In Rose Garden. All right, let's move on.

All right?

That was good the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals quietly took some big swings in their draft. We've talked about Amari Mims, a freakishly gifted we call indeed tackle prospect of just eight college starts, but the potential to be an all pro if it all clicks. It made me think of our old friend Chris Westling his fantasy theory. Don't settle for the sturdy floor, shoot for the limitless ceiling, and

We talked about Jermaine Burton on our Draft Winners and Losers episode. I think he slides in and plays a lot.

I like this draft.

I think Mims it's kind of like they certainly have a type tackle, but they also I think Chris Jenkins is a good player who helps with the need. They were the They give of the third most yards per carry on the ground that defensive year ago in the league. Defense kind of sneaky, fell apart at times last year and it's like they need.

Help right they signed Sheldon Rankins. It's wild that there's a Chris Jenkins back in the NFL. Chris Jenkins, the dad was not like a highly tout was he a highly touted prospect coming out, but it was absolutely ridiculous, beast.

Biggest person I've ever seen in person. The definite of the newsroom I.

Think they have to be concerned about is their secondary. They decided not to use a pick there Cam Taylor. Brid's coming off an injury, but you feel good about him. But after that you're counting on second year guys DJ Turner, Jordan Battle to really step up. Geno Stone is a bit of an unknown as a free agent pickup, and so a lot of questions in the secondary.

Yeah, if Genostone is the unknown, then then that's I feel like Genostone could be a known quantity.

He could be great, But it's a guy in a new system. You know, asn't always started sixteen games, that sort of thing.

But I think it helps in evaluating especially the new guys, the newer guys like you know, Dax Hill coming in and how you're going to move everybody in the secondary. If you have somebody where it's like we've seen him be successful in this and so now we know a little bit more with with the rest of our guys. But it's I think they were aggressive, like you could

Are we concerned it all about a backfield that is in theory led by Zach Moss.

No, you got Chase.

I thought we like zachlassked him last year, But that's that's one year where I thought he did. He did come in in relief for the Colts and looked good, but that's not been every other season for him.

It's just it's it's a whole.

When they when they could batter people on the ground, they had helped the passing game a ton.

There are very few guys who can handle the volume that Joe Mixon did in the run and pass game last year.

Like very few and last But they got trashed in the trenches last year when they started zero and five, so three of their first four picks in the trenches. Up next the Cleveland Browns with Mark Sessler.

All right, the Cleveland Browns have a two time Coach of the Year and Kevin Stefanski.

Oh hell yeah, if healthy, we will. This is a wait and see.

But if healthy, they have arguably the best back in the AFC and Nick Chubb. This is one of the best offensive lines in the conference. They basically kept everyone on defense, including Jim Schwartz the play caller, after operating as the nastiest unit around a season ago. They've got

This is a great win now year for them. They won eleven games a year ago. I think you're absolutely right. Like the veteran team, there's a lot of continuity. I noticed that they might be the only team in the NFL. Someone out there tell me if I'm wrong. They don't have any projected starters that were drafted in the last two years. Part of that is the Shaun Watson trade. Part of that is just how they've built their roster. So it's a team of guys who have been there,

The quarterback help is presumably going to be better, right, Like, that's it, I.

Mean to be good with average quarterback play. He doesn't even need to be that good.

And so why not? Yeah, Mark's right, Like why.

I think you know what I think it is, Mark, I think it's the Watson tax that they're still paying on different levels, because not only is Watson now in year three after two seasons that one lost to suspension, the second lost to not playing at a high level then getting hurt, you have a segment of the media and NFL fans that aren't really rooting for the Browns

No, because you have these teams out there.

I remember the Rams were trying to do this before they got golf and everyone else was build a really great roster and do quarterback last, and like cool, But the Browns I think have done that under Andrew Berry is one of the better gms out there. And it's like, but you went and spent more money than anyone on the thing that should have been like the absolute engine

The concern would be that Jim Schwartz's defense takes a step back. There's no reason why it should on paper, but just if you look at Jim Schwartz's career, it's had some big spikes and like a lot of defensive coordinators, like, it's hard to keep that going year after year, but they're good.

They're good upfront on both sides of the ball.

Like the team.

It doesn't it doesn't help that the last thing we saw was then run out of NRG stadiums forty five to fourteen.

I think that, yeah, a lot of turnovers.

But Toffy.

The rival of the Cleveland Browns the Pittsburgh Steelers with Greg Rosenthal right, everyone loved the Steelers draft.

There's a thing I saw where it adds up all the grades and so it's consensus grades.

It's good, and the Steelers finish first.

Like Steelers were uniformly a's across the board by investing in their offensive line with Fatanu who maybe fell a little bit, very athletic. Zach Frasier looks like a start. So you get two guys who can probably play right away up front. Russell I mean Roman Wilson is a receiver that can contribute right away as a third round pick. And then Peyton Wilson just a really exciting talented guy that fell because people think he's only gonna have one contract in the NFL.

The quarterback is a thing.

But when Mike Tomlin said, Russell Wilson fields Arthur Smith on our network, like, these guys have all been scalded.

Am I a fool to buy in?

When Mike Tomlin says, like they've all been scalded and they essentially they got something to prove.

Am I a fool to buy in that? Like, man this roster, I could see it.

No, he's a leader of men, that Mike Tomlin.

And even if you are a thousand miles away, three thousand miles away, you believe that's his thing.

You ever have a fantasy.

Draft, I think we all have where you just feel like the gods are with you a little bit and every time your turn comes up, that there's something there that you want that's sitting there, and I feel like getting a tackle at the first pick, then get in the center, and then you get the wide receiver. We know the Steelers know how to pick wide receivers in the middle rounds. You then you add with a linebacker. Yeah, I trust them and it's gonna be interesting to see what happens with this team.

Yeah, Like Daniel Jeremiah looked at the first five picks and they were all value picks and that's like, that's what the Steelers do when they're on their on their game. And Zach Fraser, especially the center out of West Virginia, like, I keep it all over and it was like, this is a Steelers type of player at the core.

They they won the Consensus board game, you know how you got on Howie about that, Like, Steelers kind of won that too.

But it makes it to me.

It makes sense how they're building the rod if these are going to be their quarterbacks, how they're building the roster around him makes sense.

And they might add another another receiver.

Bryan McFadden, who used to be on the team and is in the media now, said he heard they're adding another playmaker. There were reports that they were in on the Courtland Sutton conversation. I don't know who that would be. Maybe it's just like Odell Beckham and that he could be a good role play for them.

I don't know.

Justin Fields and Russell Wilson same quarterback room. I forgot about that. That's crazy.

I'd play them. I play them. That's gonna be why came after game?

Just play them to me a wild summer, just just have them.

I mean, every everybody ends up playing anyway, right, So well, it's it's very rare that that everybody's gonna somebody's gonna need a backup quarterback. And the Steelers good are in a very very good position, definitely better in terms of their quarterback room than they have been in a very very long time.

If the men involved, they're comfortable with, you know, the arrangement. You know, I wonder what the juice is gonna behind the scenes. Hard knocks, Steelers would be good.

Oh, everybody would say the right thing.

I'm getting those projected starters ready, oh hell yeah. The first tough question was Fields or or Russell Wilson. My gut is Fields. I just think he's better.

So they're saying Russell is the guy with you. But they're saying Mike T's gonna make the right pick. Yeah, I didn't want it to happen to you.

Pass.

No, that's okay, I want to he took it. I was looking at the clock raising a shot. By the way too.

That NFL network polo actually has magical power bounce bullets off.

Apparently all our shirts do.

Uh, let's saw a bit more. All right, I will from here onle you got a guyser wound in the little quiet stir coming. All right, take a break. We'll be right back with the AFC South. All right, we are back. Let's move to the AFC South. Around the AFC we are going arown the AFC in forty eight minutes.

Hit the clock.

The Texas no picks in the top forty, but they address both sides of the ball in the second round Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter and Notre Dame offensive tackle Blake Fisher. So after a draft that plugged holes at depth chart weaknesses, we spin forward with a team that has been widely favored to win the AFC South.

Make a deep.

Playoff run Stefan Diggs in the building.

So you add that you know there was a upsetting incident around Tank Dell who was involved in a shooting, but he appears to be okay, and that's great. Anyway, we're old enough to answer this question because we all know the history of this franchise goes back to two thousand and two. Is this the deepest and best Houston Texans roster in franchise history?

I would say that it's number one, by far, the best quarterback situation they've had.

They're pretty deep all over the place.

I think they have the best coaching staff they've had in the modern day NFL. Ever, and like, there's not you look around on both sides of the ball, there's not a lot to not like. I think some of these these they're young, they need these drop picks to come in and play a lot. But it's like, yes, this is the highest ceiling Texas team Texans team I've ever seen.

In fairness, we just talked about Deshall Wattson, but before the madness, right, he was a high level quarterback, so by far feels strong.

But C J.

Stroud, you can't quibble with how great he was as aroo. I'll stick with it though, But yeah, I'll give the edge to the Texans team that had the twenty four to nothing lead over the eventual Super Bowl champ.

M Chiefs on the road like that, that was a very good team.

I can't say because you look at like the nuke on that team.

There was JJ aj I think was JD. Clowney still on that team.

They had They had like highly drafted guys that were producing in big parts of that squad, which they have on this one. You can make I think I would be willing to make that case after this year. But they're very very solid all the way through, and I just want to see.

Twenty twenty one nineteen.

They're scrowing up very very fast.

Oh where the ceiling? Hey, Texans fans out there thinking, hey, how about that Matt Schobb team that went twelve and four? That was a good team. Had JJ Watted, as you said in that job though, Yeah, had JJ Watt and his absolute peak Andrew john two Hall of famers though at their peak with Andrey Johnson and JJ Watt and Aaron Foster at his peak was a fun team.

Those teams used to be wiped out in the playoffs then they weren't.

So I do think you look at their offensive line and their secondary, and Texans fans are so high on this froster, and I do think Look, they drafted a right tackle, Blake Fisher, that was kind of after a big drop off at the position and hoping maybe he can play right away. I do think they got a little unlucky with a couple of cornerbacks going or defensive backs going right before last. I think the secondary in the offensive line, they're hoping to be average, and so

But with c. J.

Stroud, anything's possible. I'll take it the twenty nineteen Texans.

New because we said Kenny spills will fuller, rookie Laramie Tunsel, I believe, or young Laramie Tunsel.

Let's see, because he had come over for.

That's right for Miami's DJ Reader, is there, young Reader?

Yeah?

JJ Watt still at a high level. Yeah, that was That's a very good roster.

I will take this coaching stuff over what Yeah, Ryan was offering for sure in the front office.

All right.

Up next in the AFC South is the Indianapolis Colt with Greg Rosenthal.

I'm into this team looked around at kind of just curious, like the division odds. You know, we're not allowed to do stuff like that, but uh, we're not Colts.

I mean we're we're allowed to look in your private time, Colts plus.

Three point thirty to win the division, third behind the Jaguars. This to me is a team that has just been fine for a while, and they took some big swings on some real talented players in terms of eighty Mitchell in Laatu Latu and then you get the extraordinarily talented Anthony rich we get back. It's a very talented team that was rightly with Houston to end last season despite not having a quarterback.

To me, they're they're one A, one B.

I see them as closer than the rest of the than those odds would indicate, and I see them ahead of the Jaguars by a decent amount.

Do you guys think they're ready to win now?

Yeah? Can win?

What because they division?

No?

I think the Texans are gonna like find a way to win that division by games.

What if you know, now you've got this quarterback, if he turns out to be the guy that he hinted he was, and that everyone fell in love with that. Then is the X factor that takes this team and really does make them at the level potentially of the Texans. They're a very interesting team to track. Chris Ballard's a GM, so I like that too. Yeah, and then so much.

If Richardson finishes things out. It was just, you know, I.

Mean, he's a bit of a TVD. He's certainly fascinating. But like that, I think that Ballard, you know, he's just he does not move off of what he wants to do. And I know that they've had a tough time finding the quarterback until maybe now, but they already were like the fifth best pass rush win rate team a year ago and add a law to to that and they were I remember I tried to make this pitch about them being interesting to see him a year ago and when people weren't buying it. But it's like

Pretty good line, very intriguing defensive line. Adding lots to that mix. As you mentioned, secondary is a concern. They're very young there and they're hoping their second year guys developed. But I just liked the coaching. Not so much Gus Bradley. I think he's solid. He's a good defense corner Bud Steich and gives me confidence that this seem just felt

I think that keeping giant to me like they were commendable for fighting through everything last year, staying in the mix of the very end right, but obviously lacking something that gave them sizzle. That's Richardson hypothetically. And our buddy Chris Ballard, who we listened to the other day, listen to this. When the first defensive player in the draft falls to him at fourteen, here's his reaction. This video coming from Colts dot Com. Dan, I loovet that cackle,

Oh, I think he looks better than he's ever looked. And he's you know, he's chuckling in the middle of the war room. He's comfortable, he's sparing the newsers. I'll love it more, Chris Ballard, look at that. I'll take the dart. Like now, I'm looking at his hair from the side shot. This is conditioned. This is he's putting.

Money into this.

Like I said on Saturday, he looks about twelve years younger than to me than he did at other points in this Cults run.

You know what he's I know, Mark, what you keep saying, and I know, but I'm saying now he's almost I think he maybe he's trying to crib off less Need a little bit.

He's like cribbing off the notes of Less physically looks very much. Tom Brady's take a.

Look at this. I don't think so.

And listen, I want to hear more of why you made that face.

Well, I mean that's a stretch.

I think he felt like you were comparing someone to the goat and Less needed.

No, I'm just saying reach lass is like a nine out of ten. Physically, I'm not saying that, but.

No, and I think less puts more energy and attention probably into his particular look than Chris ballor does this looks like this is slickback hat, take off hat?

I'm inside I'm a hard disagree.

Really yeah, as a hair guy, No, you're that's not not accidental.

Okay, it does tell me like significant other or female presence at some point encouraged him to you ethanize the look, not youthanize, ethanize his old look.

Yeah to you thu to you thup right, Well, I believe I believe him and his wife have.

A lot of five children, but you believe separate no good many kicks family some you know. That's that maybe speaks to a potential midlife crisis, but in a good way.

Like and now he's like, look at this, it seems like he's in a crisis.

It seems like he's coming.

He's dodged a lot of cults. Crisis is like a.

True very effects to come out the other side, very true, very true.

All right, that was a time out.

I don't know what listen I didn't hear dart, I didn't hear a time out. It just thinks this and the ether.

Jeric is ununderstandably just said, you know, there's no consequence to anything.

About the team. It was more ballards there.

It is see great judgment by a to eight pipe trying to be you know, less trigger happy this episode.

You know what you're maturing and you're about to become the father. Yeah, you can't be throwing darts around at people. Don't be firing guns as a newborn or new father.

Jaguars of Jacksonville with Patrick Claiban.

Thanks guys, I'm confused. Welcome. I'm I'm not really sure. I love Brian Thomas Jr.

I think he gives the jackson Field stretching capability that they kind of tried to halfway do by committee with everybody else and put Calvin Ridley in weird situations that didn't necessarily seem to suit Calvin Ridley. He's a real true top end speed guy that I think with a healthy Trevor Lawrence will be successful. But I'm looking at the rest of the picks and I don't really know what necessarily Trent Balk's plan is. I know they bring in the linebacker coach from LSU. I can't I'm blanking

To a mass as many guys who look great coming off the bus. That's just Trent, that's balky balls Trent.

That's what he want the bartak Heads, No, that's what he wants to do, and it hasn't worked that well.

And they're secondary to me is a huge concern, like how does this team stop the Texans and other good passing teams. They drafted a guy Jerry and Jones in the third round. That is, you know, wasn't that highly thought of. They are the anti Steelers and Eagles in terms of the contensus sport. After the Brian Thomas pick, which I thought was savvy, great trade down, loved to pick. After that, Balki's off on his own island, taking guys rounds before they're expected to go.

And that's just how he rolls. That's Trent Balki.

He's the opposite of what we're talking about. How he grows right, got his own world.

Yes he does.

I think they are a bit of a like from a Q raiding angle, just because the South went from like floating garbage to like white hot in like the course of a calendar year. Because you know, a year ago we were fascinated by the Jaguars and not really questioning the team building at that point, and they'd been active in free agency on wide receivers, paid him a lot and it worked.

But it's like they I don't think you can survive.

In the NFL with a with a C minus or very big question mark cornerback room.

One small bit of news, relatively small not for Jay Jones is that they released Jay Jones on Tuesday, so they're rolling with Gabe Davis. Devin Duvernet is there too, is the kind of wide receiver.

I think it could help them a little bit.

Everyone dismissing them at this point, and expectations are very low around the same care about that everyone's falling.

Just talk about two teams.

Like second, they had the cults behind them for what it's worth, right, But cognicentim.

Does that mean it doesn't matter? COGNACENTI thinks, but people aren't. I got it, I understand, and I deserved it, and it hurts. Okay, the Tennessee Titans with Mark Sessler. Ain't nobody pumping up the Titans. But should they be Mark.

Well, they weren't able to garage door size tackle Joe all like ninety nine percent of humanity thought they were U But they I do think that they're getting J. C. Latham out of Alabama because we trust Alabama helps a lot. Their tackles last year had a forty nine point three pass blocking grade for PFF, second worst in the NFL. They allowed sixty four sacks last season, fourth most in the NFL one hundred and sixty over the past three years.

Remember that. But now you've got Lateth them at.

Left tackle, big old boy Pete Scaransky at left guard. I like him a lot, Lloyd Cushionberry three at center, and magic Man Bill Callahan tutoring the group. So they got an identity and I like that. I don't get Devandre Sweat in round two because he essentially got like a dui right before visiting with the Titans.

Seems like it that was a play.

Okay, very much DVD on that one.

But I think you've got a team that we knew a year ago had a desperate need along the offensive line and the wide receiver position. Now you've got DeAndre Hopkins, You've got Calvin Ridley, Treylon Burks is a good three. I like them in that position versus where he was having to be before. We'll see that it's a better situation for will of us. But are you buying into the Ian Callahan Carnival of love?

M Is there one existing? Is there any I've just called it that. Maybe that's why you can say you don't buy into it.

I'm buying into Lloyd Cushion Berry three being his his nickname.

I don't say the third, I just say three LC three.

For a long time, he would always call him Roger Griffin two RGI two. I Well, just keep an eye on their decision to not take Roma Dunze there. It's funny because there Adam Schefter reported or intimated that Joe Alt was going to go to the Giants if if he hadn't been taken Roma Dunsay, you pass on him to take Latham, and then you pass on the receivers that were left in the second round, and there were

By the way, Ryan Tane was still a free agent. Well, I just put him under the Raiders two. Is like that?

Why are you not like? Why is he still sitting out there? Give it, give it a try. Is he maybe pondering some things right now about his future? I don't know get this Tannehill sweeps now.

And beat up a little bit.

I think he just didn't get any good offers and maybe might be a guy who waits till training him. I do think he gets a job, you.

Know, go full Flacco.

It could pay off it, it can anything else about the Titans tough one.

Not as much juice, very much of all these Taylors very much in transition. There's just a lot of time.

I mean, there's still major questions on the right side of their offensive line. The defense on paper looks good. They have one another one of the Ravens kind of assistants, Dennard Wilson coaching them up. I believe in Brian Kellyan because he brought his dad there.

I'm with you. Hey, wait a second, Wait a second.

Now, you could take your own issues with your father, whatever's going on with the Roberts house. But you don't dart a man for speaking positively about his old in side of bounds, Eric Mark.

It was more more on Marks at me screeing with someone else about something that.

You guys, they soon to be dad, and yeah, dads are awesome.

Guys.

Come on, Patrick Claybon, do we trust Alabama implicitly and always. I don't know if it was the university.

Or I was seeing the football program like you know in the Nick Saban era, Like these guys come out as ready as from any universe.

How about the state state from Patrick? We don't know.

Yeah, I mean it's it's four million people, you know, all with hope, streams and desires and uh then yeah, you know, I think you got a good shot, just as good a shot.

As anywhere else.

A couple of question marks there.

Yeah, Well, I mean there's we got some we got some Where did you grow up? I got a QAnon next door neighbors, so we got they're all over the place.

Where'd you grow up?

Wait in l A, you do, absolutely, I had, I had weird no, So full disclosure.

Let's take a time out.

Let's take a time out.

So we're in a transition period of the show post a division, so we don't need to We're good.

We're good. There's there's a guy.

There's a guy on my street who has his own newspaper, right, and he passes out newspapers to a select few houses, always skipping ours, mainly because I didn't necessarily want him going through our trash. But anyway, yeah, that's another thing that he does.

So I go to the breezy.

How does he go through?

He walks through down the street.

He opens people's trash cans and moves them and like reorganizes trash. And I have no idea why. I yes, yeah, I'm like, hey man, we're good on the trash. I'll put it in the street and then I'll take it back like we're good. I don't need you messing with our trash.

And so a fair request. Yeah, so that was four years ago. Things are still weird.

But one day one of these flyers floated into the breezeway and I pick it up. It was like full on Aaron Rodgers for five pages of the most inane and impossible things. And I'm like what And then I look and I see, you know, this proliferated through the street. So yeah, I say that to say, you may think that you're in a place that's in a bastion of sanity and people have yard signs that say love and support,

A great point, Pat.

There's a there's a newspaper that you know, those free newspapers you can open up and just take them, little community newspapers there.

It is through journalism.

Santa Monica's got a couple of them, and yeah, I used to take them because sometimes you see, oh, there's a Walker's friend and his soccer team won the ten and under youth championship of Southern California. This is cool, and you've you float through it and it's mostly pretty normal, and then every once in a while you realize, like, oh, the Santa Monica Mirror is actually like a hard alt right organization which just throws just sprinkles in like little

I mean, it sounds like a lot of work. So stringers and other correspondence.

It's it's not every week. I'll see if I can get some evidence.

Maybe maybe I'll I'll tweet it out, maybe I'll go I've wanted to take one from somebody's porch.

But I feel like that's a that's a boundary cross.

Do you ever think of creating a competing yeah, independent news like counter newspaper.

It's not subscriber base. He's just put in it on people's property's.

He's walking out and he's hand delivering this paper.

To and Patrick Claybound's not getting a copy.

No, nor do I want right, nor do I want one? I you know, I.

Would like Carrie.

This feels like its own podcast, just tracking this neighborhood.

Now, yeah, this weird neighborhood.

Bring one in so we can just assess what's going on here.

I'll try to get one for you. Okay, I'll try to get one. Let's take a break and we'll finish out the AFC.

Full of hot from stunt to finish delivers on the great tension of the NFL draft while showing how human the entire process means. Moccess it up NFL dot com.

You're out of your mind.

Yeah I am. And I proved that already.

That would have been a sweet spot for the company just to wave goodbye to me.

And they, you know, lost opportunity. I guess what I'm trying to say is you kind of were proven. Even if it was you were a little more over the top than you wish you would have been. History proved that it was not a forge forgettable film. It is very much in the discourse at least every spring for for us.

You know, I'm taking the l on it.

I thought it was completely that I mentioned, well it was a little strong again, but I thought it was a draft day was not only.

Forgettable.

I thought it was a huge missed opportunity, and yet here it is ten years later.

Well, people can go to NFL dot com and read ard, you know he said, he said, like call him right if it's still who even knows? But you were you had some supportive words. It wasn't all f minus from you.

Read between the lines on it. You could tell what was going.

On between these lines.

Let's head to the AFC West with Greg Rosenthal.

A team of.

The Denver Broncos.

Okay, Broncos, I.

Mean, we're all we're all a little shaken up by the Patrick clay By neighborhood, which, by the way, not for nothing. When we went to break we got some more details that are not for air on this media group platform.

But wild it's actually even darker than you to match.

All right, let's restart the clock. All right, let's restart the clock. Sorry, Greg, go ahead. The Broncos with Greg Rosenthal.

So Sean Payton improved this often from twenty eighth to nineteenth in the league, Like he did coach them up a little bit, considering they by every metric possible they had a top ten offensive line and basically bring back the same group. The wide receiver group which you've heard Sutton is maybe available is Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds, Troy Franklin, which was a fun dart throw, but it was a fourth round pick, played with bow Knicks in college, but a ton of production and Marvin Mims.

Does bo Nicks have it?

If bo Nicks is good, does he have a chance to be good with this group around him? And more importantly, like have they helped him enough with the defense which fell off a cliff with Sean Payton arriving.

They were thirtieth in the league in terms of DEVU.

The only thing that kind of has thrown me for it because it was like Jerry Judy was on the trade block for like forty two years at one point there and they finally made it happen. Now it's Sutton, and it's like you're down to Mims, Greg Dolcic and it's like ye of the landing spots for quarterbacks because hey, you're Bo Nicks and so you're not you know, you're

John Payton plus a good offensive line. Is that's it is, like, yeah, like, it's not.

It's not the situation happened with Bryce Young and Carolina because you have coaching that you believe in and maybe some structure and the ability to protect. But yeah, this is not They're not gonna build Rome in a day here, No, it's gonna take time. I just I wonder.

I'm looking back at the Zach Wilson trade, and I know it's just five million dollars, but considering the cap situation, it feels like five million dollars that the Broncos.

Really didn't Jets are gonna pay. I think a big chunk of that. Okay, well we add and we never got to follow up. But that was he did actually it was I think, what was it eight million? And I think they took on like three and a half something like that.

Okay, okay, well then then three and a half makes me feel better than five. But it's I just don't know.

It's like a lot because it's a lot to live up to, and it feels like considering the way that Russ made plays in Spurts. I know Sean Payton and the Broncos weren't necessarily happy with the way that it was, but how does a rookie quarterback adjust to those expectations that it feels like Sean Payton has for the offense?

Right, I think I think having a coach this great at getting kind of like mid level quarterback talent, which we've seen when Drew Brees wasn't playing for the Saints and even last year, to be productive is great. Plus an offensive line is great, but a defense really helps you out. And I look at their defense. It was a bottom five defense in the league last year, and I don't really see a ton of reasons to believe that they're going to improve significantly.

The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs with Mark Sesslin, I think.

The Chiefs did exactly what the fan base demanded, if the fan base is allowed to demand anything at this point in time. But they moved up to take the fastest wide receiver in league history, an Xavier Worthy out of Texas. They grabbed a tackle Kingsley saw Yama Taya out of BYU in round two. Those were two needs, but I really like the Worthy pick. Lance Zerlin described this tackle Kingsley as a thick framed gentleman with adequate length.

You got worthies four point two one speed.

And what I like about it is it takes some heat off of the concept of Hollywood Brown as being whatever would have been in that It's like it's he's an added weapon along with book see where she rice at some stage and all. This makes me kind of think, like after we were wondering if Travis Kelsey, who's just had his deal extended.

Was like, this guy gonna retire?

Does he look the same, Like it's a good for Travis kelcey two years, two more years, and it's like you got people around him that's going to make like, wait a minute, we got to heal Travis Kelcey on top of all this speed, and so I kind of just wondered.

And I feel like I asked this all the time.

That is like, is the entire regular season just like a dog and pony show leading society exactly where we know will be come next February, Because I think the team got better.

I think the Chiefs, despite winning it again two times in a row, they've won the Super Bowl, I have questions to answer to me on their offense and the moves that they made make sense.

They none of them.

Like, I know, the guy's the fastest guy in the combent ever, but I'm not like locking him in as a star and Hollywood Brown has never been a star and Travis kelce Like, let's not forget he looked slower and older last year, So what version do you get of him? So are the Chiefs going to be back to their high flying ways? I'm not convinced I'm interested to see what they look like this year.

I think there's a lot of calls for optims because you could consider what are they replacing, right, Like what are the departures le various Need of course being a one, Right, this is the guy that made plays where they probably wouldn't have been in the game in the Super Bowl if not for lagarious needs. So that's the one. But

I think Worthy is a more complete player than a four to two one. Like he was a guy who has great movements. Go, he's a small but he landed in the spot to make him a star. They have more weapons, they have great continuity on defense. I count it up I think they're going to start seven different players from the class of twenty twenty two, which is crazy. That's how you keep a dynasty going four In the secondary, they take this kid, Jayden Hicks, who was very high

They have thirteen wide receivers.

And to put a bow on what you said, once you get to this level, this rarefied air. Yeah, it's just about getting through the regular season when you're twelve or thirteen.

Hopefully the quarterback's healthy when you get to January.

Well, while we're taking darts here, I saw the report from the Chiefs is Nate Taylor on the Athletic They tried the trade up for Marius Mims. They were trying to get that tackle, so they it's a left tackle is a big concern, Sue Matia. You know, he's like that fourteenth tackle off the board. You know, a guy might be a little bit of a project. They were hoping to get Maarousmims didn't happen. They wound up its worthy time out. I have a question that that was

Penn. You need a penn, Dan, he's giving us paper.

I don't have a pen, so I appreciate that.

Okay, good, thank you? All right.

Jim Harbaugh, I mean he's a he's a huge figure. It's the dominating figure. Been very busy, been very busy over draft week and everything else. Hit the music, Eric, He overshadows everything else. Let me tell me who is the general manager of the Los Angeles Chargers.

Joe Horrowitz. I think it is okay, you're just to write it on the face.

Sorry, okay, Mark was wrong though, so.

Yeah, write it down please, all right, all right, reveal your answers.

Patrick, Joe Horties, Joe Horties.

Oh dang, I had horri Itz. I had Horts too, but you said Horror Horowitz.

But I mean it's you know, the correct answer is Hortees. I think Jeopardy rules. Although you guys had the right name in mind, Patrick is the one that gets the credit. I think the reason I asked the question is because Jim he's the sun there, and it overpowers everything. But he was the director player personnel for the Ravens who joined left his brother, Jim's brother.

To join the Chargers. Nobody.

And with that said, the Chargers, Jim Harbaugh and Joe Hortiz had a very busy draft week and offseason. They added nine rookies in the draft another twenty in undrafted free agency per the Athletic. Over the past three months, the Chargers have added thirty nine players to their roster who were not on the team in twenty twenty three. Joe Alt awesome, big guess, big piece statement pick by Jim Harbaugh. You know, a generationally talented tackle by a coach who calls these guys skill players.

He views them that way.

The offensive line and running back room has been rebooted. Justin Herbert loses Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, but gained Lad McConkie this over the weekend. And they have a I have like a sneaky, promising tight end pairing and will Disley and Hayden Hurst kind of like both those guys and now they're at tandem. My big question, Okay, and you have Greg Romans the offensive corner that guy

Hmm. I see.

I think there's there's increasing versatility here because Ladd McConkie, I think, is just an awesome pick and they spoke so highly of him and how he can help Justin Herbert.

So that's through the air.

Joe Alt is someone who looks to me like it came from like biblical times and like fought kids with slingshots.

Junior Colson.

I thought we're gonna take a bunch of Michigan guys, but like he's someone that wore like the green dot for Michigan and can lead a new defense and he knows it really well.

So these are fits that I think improved.

But how hardly goes like, are we gonna suddenly see Justin Herbert vanish as a passer?

That's what I mean. I just curious how they're gonna do this on offense scheme?

Well, just being overstated, because that's an impossibility in today's NFL, where you're gonna suddenly take Justin Herbert and have him play like half of the position that any quarterback was playing well.

Also, their running backs are Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Just you know, if Dobbins can get healthy again is intriguing ravens you but it is, you know, you're also asked, I don't love that. You know, everyone's so excited about Joe. I'm sure he's gonna be great, But the first thing you do is make him play a position right tackle that he's never played before. That at LEAs should be noted.

I think we could expect to see some interesting route combinations, some receivers in close proximity to each other, you know, diminished numbers for Justin Herbert and a team that we've seen it happen before. A new coach comes in and you get a mix of the old guys as well as the new guys, and something does for him that I think the Chargers will be better than Herbert with literally no hands last year towards the end of the year. But I think the hardball ceiling isn't going to be reached.

But like coaching plus offensive line plus quarterback is like more important than the weapons. Like for like those years that Tom Brady didn't have any wide receivers, we kind of learned like you can still have a great offense if you have great coaching, great offensive line, great quarterback.

Tom Brady all time great quarterback.

Right, they had the worst one turb blocking grade in the NFL a year ago.

That's gonna change.

Let's close it out with the Las Vegas Raiders and Patrick claybo.

The Las Vegas Raiders I believe wanted a quarterback. They go into the draft and they see literally every quarterback go before them. They both assuming have some calls about training up. It doesn't ultimately work out because the Falcons take their future quarterback for some reason at number eight. I think that they liked him too, and so I think they got a great pick in brock Bauers. I think taking the best player on the board is always

Still?

Yeah, I think this was like they got left out on draft day and I know they love brock Bowers and there's nothing not to like. Like I don't dislike that pick on any level, but it's like, you know, it's it's a new coach, but this gets coach as fires when you think in like May or April May, you can roll into an NFL campaign with these two quarterbacks because it's about it's about midway through the second half that you realize that plans a disaster of the first game.

And so you mentioned Ryan Tannehill. Someone liked it.

If you just want like a veteran who can come in and like spice things up, I think that's a good landing spot. But Minshew we just talked about with the cults like he is a you know, he's a fringe starter, but like that kind of team last year with Minshew.

It's a bridge guy. Yeah, yeah, we just don't know where the bridge is going right now.

Minshew is there? Tannehill? So I've been thinking about it again. It's like they gave him fifteen million dollars guaranteed. They gave him a sneaky amount of money. They did not sign him to like a Baker Mayfield in Tampa.

Just let's see what happens.

Back of Gondrum, they gave him like, hey, you're probably gonna play for us, and Aidan O'Connell was, Okay, I don't think this is gonna work out. They wanted Michael Pennix junior our James Palmer, our guy. He reported they were one of the teams that tried to trade up for a quarterback and it was gonna be Pennix and it didn't happen for him, and they ended up with Bowers, who the Saints Block Party podcast reported the Saints were

I think one thing that's maybe slept on a little bit. I think Raiders fans, whether or not he's a high level quarterback, are gonna love Gardner Minshew. He plays with a lot of pluck and moxie. He fits there kind of like got some Ken Stabler in him, and I think that's that's going to be. They're gonna have fun rooting for him, it's just you know what, how much can he actually give you?

Antonio Pierce has been very vocal saying we're gonna run the ball and we're gonna be a great defense, and I believe that's his vision. Like whether that works or not, like we'll see. But Bowers to me fits that vision, playing two tight ends as your basse set him and Mayor having multiplicity, and they really think the defensive improvements they had will carry over.

Will that's when you survive in your own division though, because it's just like how you know you should build to beat teams in your own division first, and they don't resemble that kind of a team to me right now.

Sign Michael Gallup on Tuesday official run of the show.

Is he best friend? Yeah? He was on the show.

Very nice guy, not an enemy of the show.

But I don't recall, Yes, you're right, I forgot that we from Cowboys friendship with him. In fact, everyone we sat down with at Cowboys camp.

Was cursed as a result, Layton Vandre.

Michael Gallup, and I think even the voice of the Cowboys didn't he miss some time? Let me yeah, right etp Yeah, I forget what I think he fell down to illness. He's gone no, not gone right, but he did. He did miss a game for the first time in like a very long time. I remember seeing that because we play their highlights. Obviously, Brad Sham the sham God has missed games due to an illness.

So he was forced to announce yet another playoff defeat to the Green Bay Packers.

So that I'm sure was Brad Sham the sham God.

I fell ill and en route to the game, I was advised to get it checked out, testing and resting looking forward to next week. That was December first, and we're very happy that sham God is on the mend, and we're not making light of illness, and we never would Greg. However, I'm just stating the point that everyone that sat down with us in August of twenty three,

It's not yours.

Saints are coming to Irvine spending tranny camp in southern California.

That's a little What does the Saints block party think about that us coming with the the cursed Medallion of ATN.

They don't need it, they don't want it.

I'd keep us out of there if you were interested in the same other fortunes.

You probably know this one, Mark, remember the Brady Bunch episode with the medallion when they went to Hawaii.

Yeah, two parter Bad Beat, two part episode Bad Beat and one of the rare like you don't get Brady Bunch episodes that were filmed literally on location outside of a stet like a set in like Studio City or something like that. So right, an atypical Brady Bunch double two parter Greg.

Brady Bunch was a sitcom in.

I remember that.

I remember the repeats where were on. I did not check them out. It was a teeky neck time tough one.

It really wasn't because Brady Bunch was massive in the eighties and syndication. But you didn't have to watch it. They don't have to watch anyone have to watch it. I mean, we don't have to read the newsletter going around Patrick's clay Patrick Clayvin's neighborhood.

But it's out there.

I made it in your face.

Decision which I look back on as the correct one to dedicate my time to other programming.

Let's hear it like a good call.

Let's uh cheers repeats The Ricky Lake Show was.

Into that, Sally justse Rafael.

Got not really but here and there number.

That's a good one actually for the people like in our age, What were the syndicated seventies eighties shows that you were watching that maybe weren't out when you were kids. For me, it was Brady Bunch. It was different strokes. I watched every weekday at five kid. But oh that's right.

My screenwriting teacher created different strokes. That's why he was in. Did you see in Park his rolls Royce before he came in. I think he did very well.

I'm sure a lot of MTV now that was probably no Alternative Nation talking like.

That era, like niked Knight, like Bewitched, Dick Van.

Dykereeze Company, good times.

Yeah, we've made Patrick late for his Oh Patrick, we apologize.

Thank you to everybody for listening. We'll be back Thursday with a special guest. This is still on right, Yes. Jordan Rodrieg of the Athletic does an excellent job covering all matters of football, including the Los Angeles rams. She'll be joining us to go around the NFC, including those rams. But thank you Patrick. Anything else to add Ah?

Yeah, momentum might not be real, but you are no matter what anybody says, no matter what I say, you and your existence are true.

Patrick of a thanks guys, Eric, give him the goddamn applause.

Applause for it, don't applause for me? Where is that button on your.

Applause is a long word to type out, So when I search things, it's about clap. Change it to clap. Okay, you know, applause is the one that tends to give me trouble the most. Thank you, Patrick, and be careful in your hood until then. Everyone, uh check us out Thursday for the NFC. And you know what you gotta do? Do you want to tell the people today? Greg?

What do they need to do? Right on your arm? Let me just take what of the seat?

Oh yeah, heat the call bang,