They Around the NFL podcast eats hot Dogs, Drake Spears and hands Castro and testingal issues. Check's out. Welcome to another edition of Around the NFL. My name is Dan Hansis. I got heroes up here virtually, Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler and the Man the Legend, Patrick Claybond. How is everybody good better than Colleen?
I hope the question is how are you global traveler? That's the question. That's what we want to know.
Listen, a lot of people are wondering, including my own family. Why did you take this mini trip in the middle of a random week to New York? And I guess I'm loyal to the soil. And I felt the need to get home and see some people I haven't seen in a while. And you know, it all took me. And one of the things about getting home and it's great. You know, I got to go to the Yankee and see my brother who works at a bar next to the stadium. I got to go golfing with my uncle
yesterday morning. I got to catch up with my sister. Was her birthday on Tuesday, and my parents just got back from their trips. So it's all really nice. And then it all kind of like the cherry on top was. I was down in Jersey on Tuesday night and I just bump into NFL history out of nowhere, justin do
we have the shot? I'm at the Summit Elks, incredible establishment, watching the NIXT game and the Yankees game simultaneously in a beautiful place, and all of a sudden, it's on the top two levels of this building in downtown Summit, beautiful, charming town. On the bottom floor is a restaurant. And then I'm told, you know what this restaurant is, Dan, I'm like, what.
Pull it up, viewers, what a shot?
Fiorini Restaurantey, That is the restaurant where Derek Carr was told he could be a Hall of Famer with the New York Jets. Pinch me, NFL history. I was literally sitting on top of it, drinking Tito's. So yeah, that has kind of been Ah. That was really the best part of the trip, realizing I was that close to football history and didn't even know it.
Did they do the thing where like the restaurant owner now has a framed photo of him and Derek Carr, you know, a little sit there for the next twenty five twenty six years.
Right, Well, yeah, I was. I was giving my dollar to the elks upstairs, so I didn't go into the Italian restaurant. In fact, it was closed when I came downstairs. But I imagine there's got to be a plaque or some type of national historic monument documenting when history was made in our country. So that was cool.
So it's been a nice trill, like full alternate timeline and just have like pictures of Derek Carr and a Jets jersey like him holding the Lombardi Trophy and handle it the woody. That's what could have been is when you go into Feruzmo, Right.
This is where Joe Douglas said, you could be a Hall of Famer on our team if we didn't prefer another guy who's actually a Hall of Famer, And we're just gonna make you wait possibly months for that to end to actually give you an answer on what's going to happen.
Yeah, I was talking to my buddy Howie, one of the good Howies by the way, who was like, why do they even do that in retrospect because they were never going to they were never going to sign them, So like, what was the point of that.
I guess if Rogers backed out, they didn't know.
They didn't know if Rogers when they got on that plane in California, it's Aaron Rodgers. They didn't know for sure what he was gonna do.
It wasn't he already signed with the Saints before any of that drama.
Pas, That's true. He got sick of waiting. That's a good one.
You're Joe Douglass and you just like with no questions, asked expense a fantastic Italian dinner that Derek Carr proper was just like this is how we paved the way to get into that restaurant, and like.
You know, you had Nathaniel Hackett there, just like smiling to himself the whole time, the only guy that really knew what was happening. What a comeback for Nate? All right, anyway, enough thing keeping very cool. I'm coming home tomorrow, don't worry. And Mark, and I think Patrick too, it is May the fourth, May the fourth be with you, Live and love. I think that's what it is. Live, long and prosper.
That's where it is.
Patrick knows that this is a long run gag of Dan's to pretend that you know there's no way to discern between one space fantasy and the next.
I would say this, I don't agree with that tweet. You should read that Pat.
Well Clavon tweet flashed up this may fourth. Enjoy the fact that Attack of the Klawanes is better than you remember.
Four years ago.
Yeah, and it's even more true now. Enjoy enjoy the prequels everybody that's watching them today, because I know you're not watching the sequels.
So any common piece I'll.
I'll give, I'll give a bonus point. I'll give my heart to anyone who knows what usually happens. At this point of the podcast, when Dan brings up me the fourth, I add a little something extra, a little fact about this day as well.
What the fact are you going to add?
Yeah, that's what I want.
That I was married on this day sixteen years ago too, so before before the arthers took over and took took squatted on it.
Well happy in the first three Yeah, I was going to say the branding is very new because now apparently if you look at the certain calendars, the American calendar every day is something.
Which is totally absurd.
But this this is a little late to the party, and I think it's sort of a money maker. They've re released Return of the Jedi, and you know that you're going to fill George Lucas's pockets with more dollar bills and ten dollar bills.
Somebody told me there's a show on one of the streamers now that's about Princess Leah and Luke Skywalker as kids. I mean, how much more can we mind from this ip?
No, that was to get into it because you don't care, but it was an obi wan kenobi uh series that included them when they were very young.
But also, don't I have your trophy for not caring. It's it's actually on the way. As soon as you get back to Los Angeles you will get the trophy in the full like Awards presentation for not caring. It's a tremendous accomplishment. I can't be that it has gone unrecognized for so long. Thank you Dan for not caring about Star Wars.
Truli. You're welcome, Patrick. And the one, the one last element that usually happens Greg, which I thought was what you were getting to, is Mark. Usually after he gives me some grief for doing this over and over, he will then slightly defensively say that the Phantom Menace sucked. That usually comes up that the nineteen ninety nine movie was really bad.
Yeah, why argue that, Like everything except the ones that I liked when I was a child are pretty much not my thing. But I know this is a tired trope at this point on the show. I'm annoyed now.
No, I enjoy it. Boys, We got a lot to get to. It is. It is time all the silly business we need to transition to going around the NFC. How annoying it was it, by the way, maybe for both you guys, but Mark definitely knew once you clocked that it was May fourth that I was going to do the Star Wars bid again.
I mean, it's just by the nature that the show is scheduled today was an absolute home run that it would.
Occur like they took it off the board in Vegas.
I mean, We've been doing this show almost as long as I've been married, So you get the same jokes, the same things, the same bits.
All right, we're gonna get into it. We're gonna go around the NFC three minutes per teams, three timeouts and Grave Digger, can you jump in for a second, I think, whoa, whoa, whoa. Why isn't your Mini Titans helmet rotating behind you? What is going on?
Disaster?
I told you the motor was being over taxed.
That's it's just no tightening.
Look at it move.
You really got to check out YouTube.
Now it's moving.
Yeah.
If this isn't an advertisement to subscribe to us on YouTube, I don't know.
What is claivon does? Do you agree that it's moving about twenty percent faster than you would anticipate.
Yeah, it's spinning like frighteningly fast, like you want something slow to reveal, like the power of a Titan. But now it's kind of like ddddddd. But what we need is to just a couple fewer revolutions per second and or per minute, we'll be good.
Like if you threw like a tennis ball at it or something, it would it would bounce off it with such fuor with such force that it could like hurt somebody. That's how fast that helmet.
R Yeah, creve digger. Can you not control the Is there not a switch to control the velocity?
Maybe the speed it was which it rotates.
No, but it like the faster I spin it when I'm setting it up, the faster it will spin, or I could just give it a very a very light push and it.
Would go slower.
So you can push from here on.
Just suspending between these two.
I guess it's like a short Marcus Mario to pass.
It's just like one speed.
You know. How about a nice little a nice little tap, a little love tap. By the way, Tannehill spoke to the media yesterday and looked jacked. He looked big. Yeah, he's got something cooking. I think he might have a little chip on the old shoulder himself. And he said as much because he told the media, Hey, man, this is like deja vu. This is the second time they try to get rid of me in two years with a kid.
So that might be the most jacked room in the league. There was a lot of theories going around that Will Levis was too jacked to be a quarterback.
Yeah it hurts his throwing.
But anyway, just I wanted to apologize because you do wheeled the trank gun for this exercise and I don't know if it was effective. Maybe we've developed rhino skin, so if you you were giving clearance to up the power of the trank and I think we're all going to try to be a little more respectful of the trnk Okay.
Today, I was wondering if my aim was off, and I was like just shooting but missing, and that's why it wasn't working or I don't know.
Then you hit me straight in the pupil, but I kept talking. So I think Dan's point is correct. We need to act as though there's some impact to the weapon.
As the dosage becomes more frequent, you had just you become more tolerant. And I think that's the problem. We've been shranked so many times that you're gonna have to really lay it into us.
It's almost at a fatal strength right now. So just giving everyone a heads up to adhere to the rules, let's get into it. Kick us off justin starting the NFC East with the Dallas Cowboys. I'll get it going, all right. So Mazie Smith, they add him on the interior. The theory is that that's going to help the pass rush, which is a team strength. They identified their Adulton Schultz
replacement in Michigan tight end Luke Schoenmaker. They added Brandon Cooks and addressed what was a need I think everyone agreed adding another playmaker, CD Lamb said as much on our program super Bowl Week, So that that checks out is fine. Like when I did the power rankings, I have him ranked at six, and I was like, I didn't feel great about it, but I don't know. I guess I put it this way and a wide open NFC. Where do you guys see the Cowboys? Do they feel
like a conference superpower? Is conference superpower not a thing that truly exists in the NFC right now? Do you feel like guys feel good about the Cowboys entering of new season.
I feel like their defense is absolutely loaded, Mazzie Smith helps with the run stopping, and they have one of the top quarterbacks in the conference, and so why wouldn't they be the favorites. I kind of look at it on paper, just paper, I'm starting to get that projected starter series going. On paper, I don't see huge weaknesses.
I think they're the second best team in the NFC, that the two best teams are in that division, and there's no reason other than they're the Dallas Cowboys that they won't be back like in the divisional round.
I think it's just getting out of their own way and you know, I think Dak Prescott quietly had some awesome football last season tucked in between kind of mind blowing interceptions that caught a lot of Monday morning talking heads by storm. And so there's that narrative around him, and I think Ceedeelamb has to at least agree that adding Cooks and getting the tight end you're doing something for Dak.
I don't know if it's enough.
I don't know if he also needs excuses for his play left and right. They've had weapons around him almost his whole career. I never really trust them. I just don't. But I would say this that they're in a conference it's never really looked like this, and outside of the Eagles, like if they got on a super hot streak at the right time, and it kind of reminds me of like the Flacco led Ravens kind of deal, where like you just mow through teams.
Then these Super Bowl is a complete reality for him.
Yeah, And I don't know if it's McCarthy or what, but I get the feeling of the late stage with Rogers Packers, where we know they're going to be contenders, but like, what's going to be the thing that causes this to fall off the edge. Brandon Cooks was an
absolute need. Letting a Mario walk for basically nothing and then not spending that money was a mistake, and I think that mistake has been acknowledged with because dan Quinn spent so long looking for not just like because everybody would like to have Michael Parsons, but they didn't have anybody on the edge in Atlanta, and I think they've They've built around Parsons on that side of the ball. I think they're fine. It's purely just which way is
the ball going to bounce. I think the Cowboys will be a contender, as I do think they will be for the next few years as long as That' still their quarterback.
On paper, I think their defense is maybe the best in the league. They're like forty even better than the you know, really anyone four deep at defensive end and like seven deep in the secondary.
I'd push back a little bit about Dak It was less to me a media creation and more he really did struggle at times. A lot of turnovers. They need a kick or too. By the way, go get Robbie Golden up next the New York Giants with Mark Sessler.
All right, Dan, I know you're on the East Coast visiting old school friends, and I talked to one of my oldest football friends, Matt.
Hogan, who listens to the show.
He's been a Giants fan since like the late nineteen seventies, and we kind of just talked about Brian Dable and like how much of a raging badass he was for that team after so many kind of vanilla head coaches, and so I guess, like above the tree Tops type question is whether Dable, and I'll quote what Matt said, is like able to recreate the chemistry and magic from
last season that got them to the playoffs. They let a bunch of guys go and brought in a lot of new guys, so it's a question as to how they're gonna gel as a group. And I'll add my own thought, like Daniel Jones, I think a year ago could have been one of these quarterbacks that really complained about not having this fifth year option picked up and gotten really annoying and said he didn't He just went out and produced like his best season, and a lot of that.
Had to do with Dabel.
So I would just ask, like from the Daniel Jones side, along with the chemistry of the team, like is there a Josh or is there a Josh Allen like next level to Daniel Jones, not the same quarterback, but is there more to him that day Ball sees and thinks he can unlock or is he is who he is? But you just hope you roll with this fun attitude from a year ago.
No, I don't think there's a secret Josh Allen locked inside of Daniel Jones. I think Daniel Jones can definitely be better. But when we're looking for like ascension two, oh my god, Daniel Jones is not gonna like there have been We've already had several examples of these Josh Allen games where it's like, oh, this is simply this team has Josh Allen, the other doesn't, and he's willing
this team to fike. I don't think we're going to see that from Daniel Jones, but I think it's a fundamentally different scenario with the way that the Giants are going to approach things than if they had a world destroyer at quarterback, and Daniel Jones can do that. It's the question is is the rest of the team good enough to do what Daniel Jones needs them to do and I definitely think there's there's improvement, but it's it's
it's not all on It's not all on eight. I just think it can't all be on Daniel Jones.
They also, I was gonna say they have it's gonna be different. I mean, they had a really nice season last year, but it's gonna be more difficult. I mean they're going to speaking of Josh Allen, they're going to Buffalo this year. They get the Jets, they get the Patriots, they get the Seahawks, they have the forty nine ers on the road, they have the Dolphins on the road. This is not an easy schedule compared to last year.
And I know they added players on the offense, which they had to do after they gave all that money to Daniel Jones, which I thought was too much, but that's the way it played out. But I don't know if I think they are a team that's prime for regression. Greg Gannato what the Desert is saying about their over under right now, but I would probably bang the under. That doesn't mean I agree with Giants, but that's kind of where I come down on them, and.
I agree they're prime, but I do think their rosters way better. Joe Shane I thinks than a good job. They don't really have a number one receiver, but they have like seven guys now that can actually play football. I think they have rookies that will play. John Michael Schmid will play. I think Jalen Hyatt might play as their third round pick. That they're better.
Nat Franks yes.
Up next the defending conference champion Philadelphia Eagles with Patrick Claiban.
Yes, and the Eagles go more dogs again at this point, like the meme doesn't even need to be addressed that how he's taken guys like Jalen Carter they trade up to get him. The ultimate question is, as we saw a couple of years ago with the forty nine Ers deciding that they would go youth, they would go youth, and they bring in Javon Kinlaw. They decide to let DeForest Buckner go to the Colts, and I think ultimately
they paid for that. And the question for the Philadelphia Eagles is after a season where it was Dallas and Philly, the defensive line, the front seven were putting up numbers that were not close to anybody else in the League, those two teams separated themselves. Can they do that with more youth? And we've seen youth, especially youth from Georgia for the second straight year without Hargrave, and I know it was one of the deepest defensive lines in all
of football. They were incredible. They got of course, the Chiefs ran up and down the field against them, as the Chiefs as Patrick Mahomes who cares like you still got. I don't think the departure of Jonathan Gannon is going to mean much. I think Hargrave means more. And the question is can the young dogs do what the old dogs were doing? What they were birds? But these guys are dogs anyway people get that success.
I think so because there the old dogs are still there Cock, you know, Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham kind of getting a victory lap year each. This feels like their last year. That just makes them so much safer. And then you have the guys in the middle of their career like Reddick and Sweat. And then you have the young guys Jordan Davis no one's talking about. He's gonna hopefully improve this year. They have guys like Milton Williams and Tewey Poloto, who are pretty good players who
are now like second third on the depth start. I just love their commitment to it. Like if you want good lines, offensive line, defensive line, just throw massive resources into it every year, draft picks, free agency. I don't care, like there's a reason that their lines are so good every year. It's because they spend more money and more draft picks than any other team on it and it works. It's like, that's to me, their secret sauce, and so
you kind of have to do that every year. You have to keep bringing in new guys and they did that.
Yeah, I mean I get like, I think it was a bit of an upset to get both Darius Slay and James Bradbury back, To get Jail and Carter and Nolan Smith in the draft was an upset. They just keep kind of hitting home runs over and over, and
you know there are other Cowboys in the division. But when you look at the NFC, they kind of give me like a nineteen eighty nine nine Ers vibe, which I know he's always referenced that team, but it could be a relatively like dominant regular season where they just roll through like an angry asteroid in a down NFC, and like, I do question a little bit when you lose both coordinators what that means, because I think we don't know the impact of certain coordinators behind the scenes,
and it's like, that's a lot of transition. But what team deals with the transition of coaches coming and going in players better than Howie Roseman and the Eagles. I just feel like they're so consistent. There aren't that many teams in the NFC like them right now.
Two things can be true here. They are head and shoulders above the rest of the NFC, especially with the uncertainty of QB in San Francisco. And it's been fifty years from a team in the end since the team in the NFC lost the Super Bowl made it back to the Big Game. Could there be a hangover?
I don't know.
You gotta trank me.
I got twelve seconds there, supply right now.
I just want to make sure you know we don't derail the entire show with one trank.
Dart Greg the Commanders, all right.
The top two picks to me were a little surprising.
I honked about Emmanuel Forbes as a guy I loved and body diversity, so he went higher than I thought sixteenth overall, ahead of Christian Gonzales. And then you take another defensive back Jr. Tavis Martin in the second round, who's like a nickelback safety type, and I was surprised, and I thought about and I'm just thinking, like, this is Ron Rivera in his fourth season, and if Ron Rivera is gonna go out, he's gonna go out doing what he likes to do, which is defense. And you
kind of look up in down this roster. There's not a lot of holes. There's not a lot of spots where you're like, this is amazing. But it looks like a roster that's one seven to seven in eight games over the last three years.
That's what it is.
There's not many problems other than the quarterback. But I think Rivera's kind of got everything he needs to have a pretty dominant defense especially.
That's fine, But like I feel like, because everyone loves Ron Rivera, the person that like another coach with this roster and would be getting killed for like the fifth year in a row, like the most conservative, safe, low octane approach to the quarterback position.
Round maybe Sam Howell can do it.
We don't know.
Everyone's like loving like the four quarters. He played against the Cowboys in the finale, but there's a lot of TVD there, and you got Jacobrey Brissett, who I like, But it's like, what are we aiming for? Like I agree the rest of the roster's kind of set up, but like, why ignore the most important position in today's NFL.
It's one of the most dangerous tropes I find in football is the out of contention team plays a young quarterback, sometimes in the very last game, and he plays okay to well, and then all of a sudden, there's this idea sometimes it's maybe one or two games or even three games, they you kind of go all in. And while I understand and believe on some level and the idea of knowing your roster better than anyone else, and really they are obviously quite fond of Sam Howell to
give him this opportunity. With Jake Briskett in the mix too, it is a huge risk and I just don't think that it really lowers the ceiling to me in terms of taking them seriously as a contender.
I think the reason and of course, at the time, because we were dealing with Taylor Heinekey and Carson Wentz it was like, oh, oh, Sam Howell's balling. He completely fifty seven percent of his passes in that game, and it was just that it felt different. And I think with the benefit of hindsight, we're kind of looking back and like, wait a minute, was that good enough? But
we're gonna get We're gonna get a chance. We're gonna get a chance to see you know how Eric Binemy draws this up, like, is the offense going to look that much different? And if if Sam Hall can play, and I think you know, with with between the enemy and Rivera, there's enough trust to where if it doesn't work, it's not going to be because of the structure around, it's just gonna be Oh Sam Howell is not it? And then we have an answer.
Right, They're pretty deep at receiver. I like their backfield. Oh line's okay, Like Chase Young might be the fourth best defensive lineman on this team right now, which is kind of crazy, Like there's reason for them to be excited.
It's a better roster than the Giants.
Time out, time out, Before we take a break, Just because I was curious, I checked out our Vegas partner bet MGM over unders We got the Eagles at ten and a half, which is a little surprising me. I maybe would have popped them up in the they have the Niners, Bengals, and Chiefs at eleven and a half. I would have definitely put the Eagles at eleven and a half. That surprised me.
I think it's that schedule against the AFC East, and is it the NFC West. They have the whole division as a brutal schedule and each other.
They got Cowboys at nine and a half, what feels about right. They have the Giants at eight and a half, which feels about right. I would bang the under and the commander is at six and a half given that situation, like, yeah, I would. I would probably bang that the under there too.
I like the commanders over. Something about Ron Rivera. He gets to that seventh win, you can start two and five. Every year he gets to that seventh or eighth win.
Maybe maybe maybe let's take a break and we'll hit the NFC North. All right, welcome back. We are going around to the NFC in forty eight minutes. Let's start the clock, Grave Digger, and let's hit the NFC North and the Chicago Bears with Mark Sessler.
All right, I think the Bears are slowly beginning to resemble actual Bears. Like I kind of love that they added a massive human being a tackle and Darnell Wright that was a need. They found a kind of pair of front door shaped defensive tackles and Gervon Dexter and Zach Pickens and I think, you know, Ryan Pace, general manager,
think there's a real plan here. But I also like, look at a roster that's dangerously thin at pass Rusher, which is kind of weird when you're in year two of a regime under a defensive minded coach in Matt ebra Flus. And because I'd argue the Chicago's identity for most of us is really just based around the offense and the destiny of Justin Fields. And I could feel like, if they grow, continue to grow, that you've got like O c Luke Getzi taking head coach interview interviews a
year from now and maybe departing. And so it's like I'd see this pressure point with an otherwise optimistic situation in Chicago. It's like, who is Matt ebra Flutes. It's kind of how I felt about Zach and Cincinnati a couple of years ago, Like is he the guy for this rebuilding job? And if he's not, if he's not special, like, are they facing potentially massive transition like an off season from now.
I think if they get development from Fields, it will cover up sins on the defense, for instance, and I think it will keep everyone safe. Maybe if things go outstandingly, you lose your OC, but I think they this is a team that now is building towards something that I think there's going to be expectations for the first time in a couple of years there. They're going to be expected to contend in what I think is kind of
a milk toast division. And if Fields does play at the level they believe he can play, and he now has a number one wide receiver in Dj Moore, I think they're going to be, you know, one of those teams like what on the list of who's the Jaguars this year? I think the Bears are absolutely in the mix there. But you're right, that's a I would say I would be surprised if they don't find a veteran pass rusher to address that side.
Yeah, there's there's still plenty of time. And of course, like people were wondering why, like guys like in Gacway were still out there. There's a compensatory pick type situation. You gotta wait until after the draft, and then you can you can consign guys and not have to risk some compensulatory picks. So I think they can go get a veteran. But in terms of like the rebuild situation, I think the way this team is structured, particularly and
you look at them taking right who. Of course, like projection is always a thing, and we look at traits, but with like on the field, Darnell Wright's performance against will Anderson in that Alabama Tennessee game was as good of a performance as a tackle had all season in all in college football. And so I think, like you get solid players up front, and like the rebuild, let's say, like justin fields is a total dumpster fire this year.
I really don't think the Bears have that much farther to go, considering where they were a couple of years ago. I think they've come a long way.
Fine, I'm gonna take a time out for the hell of it. Give the Bears a little extra pop here. I was a little surprised by their picks. They remind me of the Saints in that, I think they they have their board and they're just gonna go with that. And like so, they had a lot of defensive picks in the second and third round, Garon Dexter, Senior, Zach Pickens, and then their second round pick was or one of their two second round picks with Tyreek Stevenson the quarterback.
They also took Brisker and Kyler Gordon last year, so they've early. So they've taken a lot of picks. Like Eberflus, I'm with you, Mark, Like, show me something because you've taken about five second third round picks in the last couple of years. You've put a lot of money at off ball, linebacker. The receivers look a lot better to me. I think the offensive line. I think they've done a
nice job through like two years of team building. And Tyler Scott, I mentioned from Cincinnati, was kind of one of those mid round receivers.
I like that.
I like their roster. I think the expectations should be high. I feel like we haven't said anything nice about the Bears in so long, Like they got a shot here.
I like what you said, Greg, I would say if this were an actual football game and I was sitting in my cubicle Kittie corner from Greg's cubicle. He'd be going nuts that our team called two timeouts and essentially like the beginning of the second quarter here, it's fair.
That's fair.
I'm going Kyle Shanahan like, beymy, I'm gonna float. I'm gonna put it out there. And by the way, they are a potential need to be included in hard Knocks. They're not covered. The Bears is a potential team team of around the NFL this year.
It's a real uphill climb, though, isn't it for the Lions.
I mean, he means to pass the Lions. Yeah, my heart's with the Lions right now, it really is.
I don't think. I don't think anybody's gonna be able to get you guys off that. I truly don't like.
Lions fans say if you go to a division rival for the team of atl this season, true, that's true.
I don't know, Mark, I'm already off the Lions. It was a great ride, and I hop off that's that's it, that's how it works.
Yeah, I think we'll get to Detroit.
But it's kind of like it's a bit perilous to just expect all the same good vibes all over again.
All right, let's get to Detroit.
All right, forget you, uh forget, let's build.
Let's build on what happened.
Forget positions, Hey, forget your consensus grades.
Uh draft knicks, no team.
I think this offseason drafted more players more likely to play big snaps than Lions. Maybe they're at non premium positions, but Jack Campbell's got to play a lot. Unfortunately for Malcolm Rodriguez. Jamir Gibbs is gonna play a lot. Sam Laporta is probably gonna be their starting tight end.
I love that, dude.
The Bengals admitted Laporta was at the top of their tight end board along with Dalton Kincaid. They were maybe gonna take them. Brian Branch at safety was a great pick. So those four guys are gonna play. You have a developmental quarterback and Hendon Hooker. Like that's four quality players added to a really talented team. That's good up front, Like I'm buying. I'm buying that this thing continues and it continues, and that they're like a decent sized favorite in this division.
What say you?
The Vegas people. The Desert people have them easily a favorite at nine and a half. Okay, good, that's about right. I think they're still I think they can win double wins of But the question I had that kind of people aren't talking about as much. And I know they went and added Gibbs obviously surprisingly and remade the running back room and you're actually gonna get Jamis and Williams back.
And is that offense gonna take a step back? I think they were third in many forget what the metrics is, but they were top three offense and by many metrics last season. Is are they going to take a step back with GoF I could see it. I don't. I don't have any hard data to back it up. But are they going to keep going in that direction? I don't know.
Well, Golf is one of those quarterbacks where like you're gonna get peaks and valleys, and it's it's sort of inevitable that you'd question if next year is going to look like last season.
I think that's really fair.
And like Brad Holmes who has talked about the idea that they might sign him to an extension, there is belief in them. I don't know Henon hook is an older quarterback. When do you want to see him as well? But I you know, like maybe Greg, we might have a little down on doing the lines against team of atl But I do think that they're like Chicago. Their stock that they've got, they have a lot of made a lot of picks, and I think that they develop players really well, like there is.
Some multi year journey. I feel like we're on with this team. Now, that's take advantage of the excitement. Let's not jump off and let's all.
Right, let's say the offense does fall off, like they're not a top five, top three offense. If they're still top ten, I think that's a really good football team. Down the stretch. They really had some problems down the middle. The Panthers absolutely exposed them on that game in Charlotte late in the season. The question is can they stop
those things? I think Jared Goff's gonna give you, Jared Goff like you're gonna get the success that you had from the offense, especially if Gibbs comes in and he plays all the steps that maybe Swift missed in that last season. I think I think the offense will be fine. The defense is the concerned the money.
I want to lead a bandwagon. I don't want to when that's filled with people.
But we were here, we were first.
Yeah, it was bandwagon, So why do we do it again?
Like, let's climb them out and again with somebody else get on.
But it was it was satisfying how it ended against the backers. Oh that feels it feels of me.
So many things in a system through the years. That's a toxic stew all. Right, let's move on to the Packers and Patrick Claiban.
Yes, and it's over. Aaron Rodgers is now a Jet, and the best case scenario for Packers fans could be the Jets winning the Super Bowl and getting a first round pick for Aaron Rodgers. But ultimately, I think the biggest question is can these young Packers who haven't been who haven't been playing, and not just Jordan Love like you talk about Davonte Wyatt, guys on the defensive line, what is their future going to look like when they're
on the field more and more often. I know that there are some cap concerns and not the Packers aren't necessarily able to throw money at some of these undrafted free agents like the Minnesota Vikings are and so my big The most confusing thing was Jordan Love and this recent deal. I felt like there was more money of available for him now. This could be him betting on himself three years down the road, And if Jordan Love feels comfortable with that, then maybe I feel a little bit better about the.
Green betty against himself.
The details that came out on uh it was Thursday were crazy. It means if he does well, he's like locked in at a low salary, and if he doesn't do well, he's gonna make Jacobe Brisette money.
So it was a weird.
It was a weird things like what if there's a universe we live in And this is a cynical thought that Dan I don't want to annoy you with, but like we all think it's going to go a certain way. But what if Jordan Love, in a Geno Smith esque fashion, becomes like the next really solid to great Packers quarterback while Aaron Rodgers gets Nathaniel hacketed in New York and that thing goes totally off the rails of Nathaniel Hackett's teaching kindergarten a year. For now, I'm just saying, like
we'd seem so unpredictable. But it's like the Packers remind me of last year's Seahawks, were maybe you come out on top of all this.
I'm optimistic about Love.
Yeah, he could be He could be good, and I don't think that would be Like, I'm not gonna be upset if Jordan Love does well for the Packers. And also Aaron Rodgers thrived with the Hackett in Green Bay, so I'm not really worried about that either. I think he could certainly be a good player. They've organizationally. I know it's different leadership now than it was when Rogers and Far entered the Fray, but they deserve the benefit
of the doubt. I guess my question I would frame it this way, like Greg, like what defines success for the Green Bay Packers in twenty twenty three, because to me, it's different. It's not what it was with Rogers, where it was Super Bowl or bust.
If Jordan Love looks like the quarterback of the future and their offense is good, and if you can go win the division or have a winning record, all the better. But they're so young that they have a chance here with Watson, Dubbs, Jayden Reid who they just drafted, and then the two tight ends must crave and craft and they're pretty young in the offensive line relatively other buck there. If it hits, this team could be set up together
for a long time. The upside is very high because they're so young.
Ten but also with the Hall of Fame quarterback. Granted there was the thumb injury, but they lost in the last game of the season at home to the Detroit Lions. So like expectations, maybe let's be a little more realistic.
The Minnesota Vikings. Let's stick with a little quarterback talk. Is this the beginning of the end of the Kirk Cousins era? And what an interesting era it's been. I was looking at his Pro Football Reference page. He has now played five years in Minnesota. This will be a six year, so he'll match how long he was with Washington, and we've talked about it a lot. I feel like we talk about every summer. His numbers are off the charts, even though he didn't have a great year last year.
Over his seventeen game average in Minnesota is forty five hundred yards, thirty three touchdowns, eleven interceptions, passer rating, you know, hovering around one hundred. I mean, it's everything you want. They've been to the playoffs twice, they won one play game in that time. Obviously, they were a five hundred team until last year's bizarre thirteen and four that ended with a very like oh yeah, that's what we thought
playoff loss to the Giants. So I'm curious if Cousins, if this is the end, can he can he save himself? And I don't think he can in Minnesota unless he has like a far of year after Jordan Love got drafted where he really balls out at an MVP type level. Otherwise they think they reset Nick Mallins is also a free agent after this year, they'll have a clean break at QB.
I thought they were like a real solid Kennedy to take a quarterback this year, and you know, next year's draft has some treats in it as well, and like it feels like if you're Kevin O'Connell, it is a massive year to find out what you really think about Kirk Cousins and what he can be, because like do
you tie your coaching future to him or not? Because I think if you're Kevin O'Connell and you've had success like a rookie just gives you a whole new lease on life in a couple of seasons to develop said rookie, and people want to have patients around that. I mean, what can help Kirk Cousins more though than Brian Flores who looms is like a coaching assistant Coach of the Year type candidate with the worst defense in the league. That you know they've added a few pieces, but just
it's going to be a better unit in general. I mean, they won all those games in the last minutes, so maybe that doesn't change the regular season win total, but that unit not being a comprehensive apocalyptic disaster would help a lot for Kirk Cousins.
In the offense, they certainly got younger on the defensive side of the ball. I think for Kevin O'Connell, though, when he had that success in year one, perhaps he doesn't necessarily need the rookie quarterback. I'll call it excuse, like we have to develop with this guy, and so like there can be a down year in the middle because everybody will go back to the way it started. I think Kevin O'Connell will be just fine after this season.
If let's say things go horribly wrong. If the one score results flip in the Vikings don't finish with nine wins or eight wins or even seven. I think he can be just fine.
I worry about their defense. The defensive backfield sec the cornerback position is one of the worst in the league. You're asking a lot out of Flora's cousins. Is also going to be thirty five. We expect quarterback like, don't get old anymore. But he did, I think have his worst season in Minnesota last year.
So that's that's a big concern. Those two things to get I do love the Addison.
Flor Flores doesn't have a lot to work with, but it can't be much worse than they were.
No, yeah, it was bad.
Oh, get out of here with that. I ducked.
It's the playoffs. Let him play.
Caught me.
All right, let's take a break. And then when we returned the NFC South, all right, we are back. We are halfway home. We moved to the South and the frisky Atlanta Falcons with Patrick claibn.
Absolutely and so they all we talked about positional value with the Detroit Lions, and of course there was consternation when the best running back on the board. I think that was consensus. He'son, Robinson goes off in the top ten to Atlanta. He's already gonna wear number seven, which of course invokes a lot of feeling and emotion from
people in Atlanta. The number is kind of sack for for folks who you know, watch football in the South for a long time, and so they're gonna be going and there's enough talent around Desmond Ritter that that they can do something. I don't think the question is necessarily about Desmond Ridder. I'm looking over on the other side. They get Matthew Bergern in the second round, a solid tackle.
Zach Harrison is kind of a trades guy, like a heightweight, speed guy that didn't necessarily have the production at Ohio State. He was a five star guy, and they make additions in the secondary of well, of course there's the trade.
So I think Terry Fontna has been active. But can this Falcons defense provide enough for people to feel good about the offense because we know what they're gonna do, But if it's not translating to wins and losses, then I think we're gonna feel a different way about Arthur Smith in this offense and Desmon Ritter as well.
They got better up front like Anyamada and Calys Campbell with with with Grady Jarrett still there, they're definitely better on the back end with Jesse Bates, they bring in a Kuda, they draft Clark Phillips like, but it's the Jets thing that this has replaced John Abraham as the Falcons haven't had an edge rusher since I don't even know who was the last Falcons ed rusher. They have no one still. It's Bud Dupree and Lorenzo Carter.
Dude, it's John Abraham.
It was John Abraham. Mind blown, it was Abraham. They also don't have any receivers.
So Beasley had like a sixteen sex season.
Yeah, but okay got one season.
They have the worst two to three receiver combo too this side of Tennessee Mac Collins and I don't even know who their third receiver. It could be Scotty Miller, who knows. I I want to throw one thing out. I did hear a little buzz Tannehill that they still might want Tannehill, but this that they did that I don't know if it's both ways, but that they might still Wantahill?
How about this?
Yeah, go ahead, Mark, go ahead.
No, I just said, there's also there's out there that the Titans have looked at Tannehill as someone that they might bench for Will Levis if they get off to a rough start. So if that's the feeling around Tannehill, it's like they would be willing to part with them if Atlanta came with a heat seeking offer.
I mean, how about this, I'll lay it out there. If they make the move for Tannehill, we turned that bandwagon into a tank and we gass it up with diesel fuel. And the Falcons are the team of around the NFL. I need them to bring in Tannehill. But I love that team with a veteran presidence, a quarterback with some past history.
You would have my co sign immediately on that.
And I also think like one thing that might help the defense is like they're building an offense that could have like fifteen play twelve minute drives here and there.
I mean the.
Right they really could. That's fun. Gregy the Carolina Panthers with Mark Sessler.
I love Dan's new look concepts about Atlanta. That's that's exciting to me. The Panthers could use or pass rushing health you guys were premature to the dance.
I am here where we should have been here.
You asked us to be visionary. I think we were.
We saw the makings of and now we're we're on the doorstep here. I do wonder if the Panthers, like you know, they could use a pass rusher. Absolutely, and like to your point Patrick before that, there are still guys sitting out there like in Gocway, Leonard Floyd is out there. But in general, I know this has sort of been said, but I really think it's true that this is a great place for a rookie quarterback compared to like where Sam Darnold went a couple of years ago.
It's like usually you're showing up into a war scene, and I mean, I'm a little concerned about their wide outs. But then you hear like Frank Reich talking about Jonathan Mingo, the second rounder. It just seems like he's a perfect scheme fit. So there's a little bit of a TVD
factor with that part. But I like the O line and it's you know, this team nearly won this division a year ago, and I just wonder if they are maybe a little bit of a sleeping giant if Bryce Young was what we think he can be out of the gate, or are they just a normal size sleeping being.
Yeah, I feel like it's asking a lot looking at you know, Mingo coming in, considering what what Bryce has played with in the past. I mean, we're waiting, we're still waiting to see what John Metchi is able to do in Houston. But considering like the talent and the type of offense that that they've that they've had in the past, I think it's a lot to ask for this current receiving group. You know, you would like to
have DJ Morbich. You know, that's the only way you get Bryce Young in the first place, right, And so it's it feels like a big ask. I think Bryce is gonna be fine, but you do need that guy, like you need a guy that can consistently get open. And I don't know who it is. For the Carolina Panthers, right.
There are four guys at least, it's not like they don't have any guys. They have feeling, they have Mingo, they have DJ Shark, and they have Harris Marshall. I'm just saying, like, compared to thee the Falcons or Titans.
They have four guys who can play football. I think at the NFL level, I.
Think there's a low they can play football. I like the Miles Sanders move with Hubbard. I think Hayden Hurst is a bit of an underrated talented tight end even though he's a first round pick. He's settled in as a solid pass catching tight end. I think they do need Mingo to give him something year one out of the gate, and they they gave Feeling a decent amount of money. They need theland to show he's got some
guests in the tank. Otherwise, Yeah, I think there he's in a better position young than Shroud is in Houston right now. But it's a question mark. I agree with that.
I want I'm curious to how the old pieces for the last Panther's defense fit with Ajiro Everro's defense because it's like a three four defense and they've got talent. But you mentioned Brian Burns is coming off a major injury, might not be ready, Like there's not much edge rushing. Some of the pieces fit a little weird, and so their their defense might take a step out.
Two one said all all that needed to be said. The new Orleans Saints the Nobland Saints. They go defense, defense, defense at the top of the draft with Brian Breese and Fosky Dt and the defensive end first two rounds. Then they get some necessary Alvin Kamara protection with third round pick Kendrick Miller at a TCU. I think there's no doubt in the Chris Alabby as a stud who can enter superstar territory in year two. Michael Thomas is a huge question mark, and they're penciling him in and
hoping he's going to finally stay healthy. We'll see. They're putting a lot of eggs in the Juwan Johnson basket at tight end, and they made a trade. Adam Troutman was traded to the Broncos. Foster Moreau was on their radar and then he got six, So they really do need that tight end position to shake out. My question is with Derek Carr there. I know the NFC is not great shakes right now, so you don't need to
have an elite offense and tons of weapons. But with cars the QB, is this enough to be a functional better than average offense or does a smell like an average type unit to you?
M I think it's a good offense potentially. I think it's the strength of their team. Now, their offensive line freaks me out because like almost everyone on that offensive line has some sort of injury concern.
They have a lot of continuity.
But if everyone's healthy, Like, I'm more worried about the defense taking a step back that and I think they had to invest in the defense. And I think their picks were normal, which is rare for the Saints on defense,
and I liked them. They were gonna take Mingo. According to Saints' Twitter podcast, they had pretty strong reporting saying like Mingo was their pick and then their division rival took them, but they got Fosk and said, but so I'm a little worried that the offense will be good, but if the defense is just mediocre, like, that's not how this team is built.
And if Derek cars under, I'll go ahead, Patrick, no.
Any any aging defense. Right when you go up the middle, you got Cam and then to Mario and then Tyron. Right, there's concerns for like how this team is gonna But if those guys were able to stay all season and play, I think they could be successful. I think they're gonna be a contender. Is the question, like, is Derek Carr a significant grade over Andy Dalton. I think that answer is yes, and I think bardikers will.
Well that was gonna be my comment though, like I think he is on paper and upgrade over Andy Dalton. But Andy Dalton was like a like a flaming metrics starling last year and played pretty well for them.
It wasn't like they had terrible quarterback plays.
So I guess you got to go in and number one be as good as Andy Dalton was last year, which I think is possible. But like Derek Carr is coming off a pretty terrible campaign. And the other thing that I used to always have hope in with the Saints was no matter who you put on the field, like your coaching staff was gonna make that thing sing and they were gonna be there in December and January.
It's like Dennis Allen is like probably for me like top five least interesting special coaches in the league, and like, I don't know, it just sort of feels like they're rolling down the hill in neutral right now a little bit with all the big positions.
Hey, Downhill's good, though, I should mention Taysom Hill also he's not doing the QB packages too much anymore. Wouldn't think with Carr there, so he's a tight end option. He did some things last year and finally Mark said, flaming metrics garm I love it, he was, that would be a that's a good fantasy team name for people looking looking to get it out there.
Yeah, wouldn't you agree though?
That?
Like he was like pff just loved him to the end of time.
I dodged that.
Do you want to do you want it? You can. We got a lot more, but it's up to you. No, all right, he just took the trnks. That means the conversation's over. Mark. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Greg Rosenthal, this is.
A truly bizarre roster.
It looks like a roster where you suddenly got Tom Brady and then you built a team around Tom Brady and everything tom Brady wanted, and then Tom Brady is no longer there. So that's what I guess. That's why it's a bizarre looking roster. It's very thin, but there's actually still good players on it. They see very focused on defense though they took Colijah Canty in the first round.
Yah ya dabi An d Dresser in the third. It's like, this defense needs to be better, Todd Bowles, for you to kind of justify everything going into this defense, because the offense I ain't gonna be good with with Baker Mayfield as your quarterback or Kyle Trask as your quarterback.
I mean, the one thing though, is like, the the one thing I'm thinking about Baker Mayfield is like, I agree, he's like there. You keep thinking like they must have had another plan still at that position, and maybe they don't, but but how frustrating. I know it's Tom Brady and there's no comp between any quarterback and Tom Brady, but that was one of the like the least watchable, most frustrating attacks league wide a year ago. So it's like maybe there was a way for them to simply not
be that. But I am a little concerned, like when I see.
Newport could be worse.
It could be worse, because the one thing that stands out to me is like you hired is it Dave Canally is your offensive coordinator who in his intro presser acknowledge that he's never called plays at the NFL level obviously, but or even in college, And like the studies on guys jumping into that for the first time, and I mean unless you got Bruce arians in your ear somewhere
from another part of the building. Like those guys struggle because you're put into situations you've literally never been in, and like the pressure, the volume couldn't be turned up higher, and so there is an implosion factor there with that whole side of the ball.
We brought it up with when he had his moments, And there's something about Baker that he has just this like juice that does draw people toward him, and I think sometimes it can obscure vision on things like if he wasn't Baker and his production was what it was, I don't think the Bucks are going into the season with him and Kyle Trask. In fact, to go through eight draft picks and not a dress quarterback was one
of the more surprising draft decisions any team made. I have him a twenty ninth twenty ninth in the Power rankings because, like you're saying, Greg, I see kind of a weird aging, but also unsure where it's going team without a quarterback.
Yeah, like the circumstance of trying to contend and a few of those guys still being on the roster. It felt like, Okay, well, well maybe they can go get somebody. And then there's somebody that they get is Baker Mayfield, and you just wonder, like, clearly Baker can deal with turnover, he can deal with different guys in his ear. But there's so much that there's so many things that can go wrong. But I think maybe we were obscured that the fact that it was Tom Brady and it was bad.
I think it's gonna be difficult for them to be significantly worse on offense than they were last year. It was just like, because it was twelve, it was, oh, you know, they'll they'll be back. They won that game against the Seahawks, and I thought firmly, oh Tom's gonna win another Trooper Bowl. I'm gonna hate my life. But it didn't happen.
Yes, all right, Final Division the NFC West, starting with Pat Clayban. People don't call him Pat.
Never heard Pat?
Are you okay? Does that bother you? Pat?
No?
I prefer ernest, impatience. Put put Patrick on the old BERTHSA. So I'm gonna I'm gonna go with strong Nan Patrick Lack. I trust their judgment the Cardinals. Yeah, let's talk about the Arizona Cardinals. A lot of turnover and so many Austin Fork comes in, Jonathan Gannon comes in, They're able to bring one tackle back. They get Paris in the
first round, and I think it a good value. They traded out of that pick once the Caserio maneuvering happened at the top of the draft, and I think that was a good play for both teams considering what was on the board. The question is, because the Arizona Cardinals, looking at things if Kyler does not play, could be on paper, one of the worst teams in the NFL. Because of that trade, they could be looking at two
very early picks. And so ultimately, are we even looking at the twenty twenty three Arizona Cardinals as anything at all? Or is it all about twenty twenty four? Because when I peruse the Cardinals materials and the things the fans are talking about, they're not even concerned about twenty three. It's just thinking about the possibility of what could happen in twenty four.
I love this question because I am optimistic about this team now. Where you know, before the draft and before a couple of months ago is like this, just the energy is so poor here. But I think they got rid of a lot of the bad energy characters. And now you're looking at two firsts, a second, three thirds, two fourth, two fists, and a seventh and next in next year's draft.
I mean, you can do anything.
You can reorganize who you are as a team completely. So it is the one team that stands out there where it's like, yeah, you know, if you're a season ticket holder, go drink a bunch of beer, buy some popcorn, but wait for the results to come a year from now, because they aren't coming this time around.
Yeah, and if I'm if I'm the Cardinals, and take your time, Kyler Murray, like we don't need to have some miraculous Adrian Peterson recovery here. And I know that's not what anybody wants to hear. And if you're a Kyler Murray fan, you want to see your favorite player as soon as possible. But this is a team that sets up very well as a preseason Darling next year
if things break a certain way. And most importantly, Murray is himself and healthy one hundred percent, so it is patients And yeah, if the fan base is down with that. That's even better because you don't have to worry about that pressure.
I kind of can't believe that Colt McCoy would be their Week one starter though, just because of I mean, he had another concussion last year, he had injured this. I don't want to see it for him and you certainly I don't think you can expect him to play six and games.
Teddy Bridgewater is still out there the tank.
I think to set them up, they want the highest possible.
So does Kyler Murray not play then this season? I think that's possible.
That's a possibility.
It's still hard in the NFL to tank because yes, they look pretty bad, like I deserve combat pay for trying to do their front seven on projected starters. I have no idea who's in their front seven, but they do have like good tackles. They're pretty deep at wide receiver like the NFL like there. This isn't like the SEC where they're Vanderbilt. They could easily stumble into six wins somehow because it's just like, I don't.
Know, terrible QB play is kind of the fail safe to make sure you keep that.
Yeah, but is Kyler going to sit out so that they can draft Caleb Williams number one overall.
I think that's juicy, and therein lies the rub of Arizona Cardinals, the LA Rams.
Greg Rosenthal, I am kind of fascinated to see about what happens with this team. This is a truly bizarre experiment they are going on. They drafted fourteen players, then they signed twenty four undrafted free agents. For comparison, like the Giants signed nine, the usual numbers, you know, nine, ten, eleven, they.
Signed twenty four.
So they have thirty eight rookies currently on their roster. Over forty percent of their roster right now are rookies, and looking at their depth chart, a lot of them have opportunities to play, like probably five or six of them just because of the numbers, will wind up being starters. Because their whole defense on paper has Aaron Donald and even a worse roster than the Cardinals, I would say,
like the most questionable defensive roster in the league. I just it's funny how hard they pivoted from the win now thing to we have forty percent of our roster with the rookies. I am kind of interested because it's not a crazy idea bring in twenty four rookies like.
If eight hit hell, we got an amazing rookie Clay.
Even if it's saying that for one hundred years though, Yeah.
But they've never done it in this number. This is truly record breaking numbers FM picks the reverse.
I think the thing that stands out that doesn't fit with what they're doing is like, are you putting Matthew Stafford through this if it goes really poorly out of
the gate. And there's just a part of me that feels like, yet, you know what if you want to reboot and you're gonna do all this like next year, a quarterback makes a lot of sense in the draft, but you also have Stetson Bennett, and it's like, where's the inflection point on maybe we get more draft picks by moving Matthew Stafford to a team that lost their quarterback in August or before the trade deadline and find out what you have in stets and Bennett because how
I kind of like what they're doing, and it's like they at least think differently if they want to pivot, like I trust them to go try a new avenue and they'll be interesting to watch just becase because of this, or they'll be terrible.
But we understand what they're doing.
But why not find out what you're having stets in Bennett, I just it feels depressing have Matthew Stafford with them for seventeen games if they're gonna win four of them.
Yeah, and that goes and that goes for Cooper Cup, right, it goes for ad as well, Like why are we watching these guys in this city, in this stadium not necessarily run out a team they can compete.
I think they think they can compete on offense. I think they think they can be a top ten offense. On paper, the offense looks okay.
You feel like to me like a team without a country, Like they have too many high priced that's to fully rebuild and not enough young talent to develop. And it kind of puts them this weird twilight zone. And that's why they're a really hard team to kind of peg right now, because you're right, McVeigh did come back, and they have Cooper Cup back and Matthew Stafford is healthy. Just that with decent line play, I think they'll find
a way to score points. But you still need a lot of things to work out for even that to happen. Ten weird, super weird.
We got cam Akers back, We got a three Bobby Skarnick.
Time out, then use our third time out because I just it was very compelling. Clayban dropping out, little Kyler Murray, Caleb Williams nug at the end of that convo, and now I'm thinking about it, and I gotta be honest, kind of preoccupied in my thoughts a little bit during the Rams talk. They don't give me much druice. It almost gives you more reason to think the cards keep him in bubble wrap, don't risk anything, and then you could shop him in the off season, like, hey, he's
fully recovered from this knee. You saw what he was like when he was healthy. They go get Caleb Williams, and it's more reason to keep Kyler on the bench. Now, Well, Kyler, if that ever happened, would Kyler start speaking out in the media. They've had a rocky relationship at times. It does feel like potentially Patrick a grenade that the pin's been pulled and it's just sitting there and people are waiting to see if it will explode.
Well, with all the turmoil at the top. What if the Kyler free season isn't necessarily an evaluation of the future with Kyler, it's an evaluation of Jonathan Gannon in one year to see what with all this chaos going on, because chaos is something that he inherited with this franchise. They've been through a lot considering the decisions at the top of the people who have been making those decisions.
And so you give Jonathan Gannon a year to see whether it's Kyler, whether it's capable, is whether it's the kid out of UNC whoever it is, Like, is this the structure that we have on this team that we
want to have in the future. And I think the values there regardless because the Arizona Cardinals won't be the only team that's interested, Like everybody that was picked and all the free agent moves, like, there's going to be some team that's disappointed with their quarterback situation and it's going to want the kid out of LA you.
Know see, ye best way to they can just they can just have the pick if they have the worst record.
Yeah, but like you know what, like and we brought we actually discussed this on we were loopy, but in our Round one draft night coverage. Uh, this scenario, because I think you have to look at Kyler Murray as someone that was brought there primarily as a Cliff Kingsbury guy, new regime. Now the one this these things maybe don't matter, but like the entire front office and like coaching staff went to Kyler Murray's statue unveiling and Kyler Murray sort of said he was surprised and a good way to
see how much overt support they were giving him. That that doesn't mean anything to me a year from now though, And I think they're in a great position because I think Kyler Murray would be very tradable to your point, to a number of teams and like if you want a fresh start, because like it's like I think Kyler Murray has these traits that are like unmatchable, but the overall Kyler Murray experience is very replaceable if you get
someone else you just believe in more. I don't think there's anything abut Kyler Murray where it's like there's no way we can move on from this guy.
It's like, yes you can.
Well, Nathaniel Hackett is back in the NFL.
Cliff Kingsbury is not m financially to where is Kingsbury? Didn't he take an assistant job.
He's a quarterbacks coach of USC's.
Consultant quarterback coach ship.
That's a nice way to keep keep that paycheck coming.
Uh.
Speaking of you know you were your mind was drifting with the Rams, Dan, can I intrigu you can I interest you in a little nugget as the owner of Kicker Corner, as a man who likes to go to the Kicker Club. Their entire special teams unit right now, which didn't exist before the draft, is complete with only seventh a seventh round pick and undrafted free agents. Their punter,
their kicker, their long snapper. I don't know if their holder is, but it so that I don't know if that's disrespectful to the Kicker Club, but that's the entire Special teams right now is seventh rounders and undrafted free agents.
Smells like trouble Greggys, like trouble time in Seattle, Seahawks.
Mark all right, The NFC has waved farewell to Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. The Bucks and Packers are just sort of wait and see entities. The Rams and Cardinals. We just talked about. They are both overtly tanking before our eyes. The Niners are trustworthy, but gambling on the Rock Party, well, I mean.
They're not going. They're not a super Bowl team that year.
Yeah, but the Niners like, let's see, Like I love the Brock Party thing, but they are hoping that Brock Party is last year's Brock Party or Trey Lance is actually something at all. And so outside of Greg, all of America slept on the Seahawks a year ago, and I wonder if we are still asleep. Because they have the best wide out group in the conference. You've got a nasty runner in Kenneth Walker to now pair with Zach Charvina. You've got a star in Tarika Wolan across
from first round cornerback in Devin Witherspoon. You got Pete Carroll strutting up and down the boulevard like a thirty five year old.
Why are they not talked about as a team with a legitimate super Bowl window in a terrible NFC.
Daddy likes it. I don't think you're crazy. They might be my third favorite.
I don't think it almost worries me because I think there's a pretty decent case, you could make of them as like the third best team in the NFC me personally, just looking at their roster, whether whether it's the Cowboys or the forty nine ers or third or fourth like in that.
Mix, the Seahawks are right there. I think it's a great roster.
Can I ask you a question, Gregy Lions v. Seahawks NFC Title game, who you got?
Well, my heart would still be with the Geno.
Honestly, couldn't lose.
Another strike against the running back the team of atn But I.
Think my concern mark is at the edge. I know they love Witherspoon. I think it's a great value they get up there. But you have to wonder what the situation was like when the Arizona Cardinals make that trade with the Texans, because because I know the Seahawks were entertaining ideas of Will Anderson being.
There or I think they were taking Richardson based on what Pete Carroll said, if Richardson got to them, it would have just changed their lives. He basically said they were taking Richardson, which is crazy.
And also wild considering that this is a team that, as Market pointed out, can contend this year and The fact that they will be thinking about that is wild to me because there's still a glaring need at the edge, like if things go wrong or for Seattle, I really think they need to be able to rush the passer, considering they're gonna be able to score with anybody, Like why wouldn't you so?
Yeah, Mike, I guess the only water I would throw on it is are we now rolling forward with Gino? Is you know a top five passer in his conference? I know he's got great skill. I love what they did with the draft. He did come down to earth down the stretch last season, like do we get which version of Geno? Do we get? Is he consistent for another season? And if he is, yeah, they can hang with anybody in the NFC.
If he's Kirk Cousin's ish in terms of his just year to year consistency, I think they're a contender And that seems reasonable.
Doesn't it?
Feel?
Quarterbacks in the NFC that were like, which version of this quarterback do we get this year?
Yeah?
Their secondary is so good.
The legion of Boom, last team, the team everybody's chasing in the NFC West, the San Francisco forty nine ers and I how's it all going to play out? Because this is the to me, it's the Eagles conference right now, with San Francisco the clear number two and a very real I think they could have beaten the Eagles in the NFC title game with better injury luck. It didn't work out that way, but they will enter the season with questions and the hope is that Rock Party's ready.
I'm curious how this summer is going to play out. How does Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch deploy the Trey Lance Sam Darnold side of things? Does is Trey Lance the favorite there to start if Purdy's not ready? If he does get a chance to play and plays well early on, does he have a chance to keep the job. Just in general, even Purdy's great six week run, you can't lock him in as a guy that you could trust one hundred percent. Lance. Obviously, we don't know anything Donald.
We know what Donald's given in his career, So lack of trust at QB obviously is one of the worst things to have entering a season. And I feel like they're there and purty, mostly because the elbow, I want to say, but also not a ton of experience himself.
If you look at like I was trying to look up a list of like late round and I mean like six seventh round or undrafted players who really succeeded.
And there is a list.
It's like the Tom Brady, It's Mark Bulger, Mark Burnell, Rich gannon undrafted guys like you got you know, Jeff Garcia, Tony Romo, Warren Boon. But half of those guys are from like decades ago. It just doesn't happen that often. And I think that brock Perty is an outlier potentially, but I mean it was a small sample size, and I think it's a real like what if, because they're
gonna catch up to him. He's gonna you know, he is who he is, and it's just like I think it's a fascinating thing, but a potential like T and T bomb you're standing on.
Because Trey Lance is also full of question marks.
And suddenly, if you're in a world where like you're hoping that Sam Darnald is your starter for a seven game stretch, there's only so much that superpower, the superpowers of Kyle Shanahan can do it quarterback.
Yeah, And one of those powers that is availability these past few years has been a defense that has been incredible, and so you've had one departure of a defensive coordinator, they're able to maintain that success. It happens again. Of course, he's always losing offensive assistance. I don't think that's a huge concern this time around. But at some point it's good.
It's gonna reveal its head and can this edition of the forty nine Ers defense be enough to allow Trey Lance brock Purty coming off of injury, even Sam Darnald to have those stretches where they don't play well and they're still putting wins up on the board, and it's it's always, at some point it's gonna hapen. Why not twenty two?
It's like the same thing every year. Though I feel like I'm not worried about quarterback. On paper, it's once again their cornerbacks look gross like Leonore and Isaiah Oliver's there's cornerback two and three, like your offensive line is underwhelming, and yet they always in the.
End like it always.
These are the same questions every year, and they always figure it out. So I'm sick of doubting, sick of doubting, doubting. The forty nine ers has been bad business for me.
What was that Modern family guy?
The facts you didn't lie?
Good stuff. We just went around the NFC in exactly forty eight minutes. You could check out the see the compendium bombshells has me questioning everything now as well. The addendum to this exercise was the around the AFC with Colleen Wolf, so check out that as well. And that is for the content we are giving to you for the week. Ask for no more because you will get no more. Yeah.
I don't think that's how you use a dndom either. I think it denim is like something you add to the end of something to sort of like clarify it.
Perhaps companion, Yeah, companion or.
Like a brother sister edition of the show. I don't know which conferences this.
Is brother and Clavon being the brother and and Colleen being the sister.
Or we could also we can also mark, have you decide who's the brother and sister and then no matter what your answer is, you get like struck from the league and any coverage of the sport.
Yeah, midway through that sentence, I don't know why where I was going.
With that, but all right, well, good stuff. Anybody else have anything to add good?
We used all our timeouts.
Yeah, Los Angeles welcomes you.
Oh I can't wait.
Thank you, Patri have a happy, happy anniversary to the beautiful Amica. This is like putting it on Instagram when when she doesn't check Instagram because she has never once listened to this podcast.
How about how about this? Patrick and Mark. It's been a while since we got the invite to Greg's house, about a decade now. He's got a new house, he just hit a major benchmark anniversary with his lovely wife. We are in this partnership together that has really become a major like kind of aspect of our existences. Maybe maybe there's an invite coming, maybe we get back.
And if we're not invited, like Greg, how would Emmica respond to the three of us showing up as like a modern day sort of singing telegram to give our well wishes to her specifically and marrying you and how the marriage.
The whole squads.
Depends what you're wearing. I think she we can make that happen, you know.
To issue.
We dressed the kids up. They've got little bow ties on.
I want to get my hands this on and The plans are to fix up this garage a little bit this summer, and then maybe when that's done, I feel like that's the time.
I told you you want to put down some rug in there. I'll go to the depot with you and we'll pick.
Up We're got to put a little rug. That's that's a plan. But there is some water leaking into it, so that's that's a problem.
Hey, you still got a landlord, though, you just call them up and then fix that.
Yeah, all right, that's it.
Until next week. We'll be back with two more shows, a lot of fun, a lot of excitement. I hope you all have a great weekend. Till we meet again, keep the calling.