Bunkercast III: Diggs and Hopkins dealt!

started yet. That will be Wednesday. But the legal tampering period did kick off today, which led to an avalanche of league activity signings, one blockbuster trade that will leave people scratching their heads for the ages. Uh, so much to talk about, and personally, I am happy in retrospect that this played out the way that it did. Uh. They could have pushed it back and nobody would have

killed them for it. And I know there are some vocal critics online Mike Florio, Greg your old boss is one of them, uh, positioning as one of the league's great potential gaffs to go off as scheduled. But I think this was the right move and it really gave all of us, both in the industry and fans something to do today and for the rest of the week. And that's not a bad thing, and that's not a small thing where we are in the world right now.

I think where I was a day ago was that I did not want it to happen, just because I just don't know how it would play out. But I'm with you. I think now that it's underway, it's really only two or three days of ultra chaos, and so why not haven't happened now when even if it weren't happening. No stores is um every everything is shuttered. You can't go anywhere. It's a perfect day just to lounge out and watch millionaires double down on their finances. Well, it's

also like a month. I mean, you can't go to a restaurant in Los Angeles. We didn't mention that yesterday that was um laid out by our mayor that there there's no going to restaurants. It's very similar in a lot of cities. And my kids and your kids, I know, are out of school for a month. So it's not like when this free agency period dies down in three or four days, like everyone suddenly goes back to work.

I'm with you. The only thing that's weird to me is people are signing these contracts into a world they're not totally sure like what that world's gonna be. But I don't I don't know when you would have ever found out, you know what I mean, Like, who knows if the like everyone's assuming the cap is gonna go up, for instance, like like Skyrocket with these TV deals in it's like, like, who knows if any of that's gonna happen.

I mean, no one can project what's coming forward, but like a a massive global depression like seems quite possible. Today was the worst day in the history of the United States stock market. So it yeah, it is a time of unprecedented uh uh, uncomfortableity across the world in terms of the financial spectrum. Uh this is great depression type anxiety to go with the Great Bug COVID nineteen.

Well to your original point, as far as everybody coming out strongly on whether this should have happened today or not, I find it to be very liberating that you don't have to have a strong opinion on everything out there one way or another. Like we let the people who are talking to the health officials and let the people who are talking to the highest level of people in the government run this thing. Let them make the decisions. I don't know. That seems like an okay stance to me.

All right, so let's get into it. There's no sense messing around here because there's so much to get into it. And like we said, this is going to be an everyday occurrence. That's our goal here the Bunker cast. Um I am in the throwback podcast garage. Greg. You are in your home, Ricky Hollywood. How are you, by the way, How you doing I'm doing good, doing good? How are

you guys? Everything? I feel like everything's okay. Um West, You're in your abode with the twinkly lights mark you of course in your area, UM hotel slash motel slash Airbnb. And you are you seem to be You look exactly the same. In fact, you're wearing the same exact outfit. It's almost like yesterday to today never changed. I mean, has there ever been a time that we've been together where I would have no reservations about not changing clothes at all? No one even knows if I showered today

or what I've done. So I mean, I feel like to have you been in the motel the whole day I've been working here. Greg. I'm a professional, and I knew that if I, you know, if I were home, it would affect this podcast. So I came here to get the most pristine version of myself on microphone now. But I will deal. I have another forty five days to be as good of a father as you, Greg. It should It should be stated that we had some

technical difficulties starting up the show. And this is of no fault of Greg, because we are in a very tough situation with kids and wives and small spaces living here in Los Angeles. Greg is dealing with looking for a quiet place in his home. Seemed like a shot across your bow there, Greg from Mark that you are not in a motel somewhere in the south Land. Your take, No, we've all got We've got all got it easy. I mean, props out to David Eally and Lakisha Jackson and Andy

Hagman and Adam My. It's like everyone, uh, everyone's doing the jobs that we used to do when when these are like the busiest toughest days of the year, we haven't rather easy all of us and uh, I appreciate it. Wow, what a classy way to defer and get out of the answering that question. Greg, Um, all right, let's get Haven't you been thinking that all day? Like they are dying right now, like grinding the last two or three That's what I've been Can I tell you I have

not thought of that once? Seven months pregnant, she's putting in stepping lunches, she's doing all of that, Greg. It's not that I'm not so far removed or I don't have any care for my fellow colleagues, but I just feel like, in the ranking of what's on my mind right now, Um, that is not near the top of the list. That's all just a lot of cooking. I'm just saying, I'm I'm hitting that refresh, I know. And then it's been it's been a lot of NFL network

watching and uh dot com surfing. But now let's get into it. I'm glad to see everyone looks well here on our Google hang out. But let's get into it. Actually a good way to get into it, Ricky, uh if if you, if you will, can we get a little bit of a missive music please to kick us off today? Affective immediately I, the old Juicer, can no longer defend the actions of one William James Bill O'Brien, head coach and front office chief executive for the Houston

Texans football Club. Famously, I have been a longtime defender of O'Brien's off controversial decision making process in Houston, but recent events have made it apparent that O'Brien's temperament and management style is harmful bat to the team he runs, and my reputation as a professional takesman. I want to thank Mr O'Brien for multiple a f C South titles that won the Sandwich Props in recent years, but this

is where we must part ways. Like Paul Cicero says, the Henry Hill and goodfellas, Now I gotta turn my back on you. That was a devastating moment on Bill O'Brien corner this afternoon, when you you're like, oh, yeah, everybody's ripping on Bill O'Brien. Here he gets a running back for free and David Johnson, and then a minute later the hammer drops just as wide receiver in the

NFL for David Johnson, who hey, negative trade value. It's a It's a great way to set it up, West, because that is how it trickled out initially to the football world that the Houston Texans had acquired David Johnson. And on this very podcast a few weeks back, one of our um you know segments where we're just trying to figure out something to talk about before this week, we talked about guys who we thought would be good

trade targets, and I threw David Johnson out there. And now the money that was coming his way was obviously an issue. I thought, maybe you could find out a way to split the money, uh, something along those lines. He would be a guy at a depressed value who could be a nice pick up. So at the time was like, Okay, Bill, I see what you're doing. This is an upgrade over Carlos Hide potentially and potentially a very big upgrade. But then, as West said, the other

shoe drops. DeAndre Hopkins is part of the trade. The superstar wide receiver and a late round pick go goes to the Cardinals in exchange for Johnson and a second round pick. It is a blockbuster trade for the Ages for free agency week and Mark I can't remember a trade whether it's free agency week or really ever in our time at NFL Media, where it was so one sided. Immediately, the Odell Beckham trade with the Giants got a lot

of negative blowback at Dave Gentleman and Company. But this was the next level because there was absolutely nothing to take out of it that made it feel like this was the right deal for the Houston Texans. The Odell Beckham trade, by comparison, where United a first round, a second round picking players essentially a starting safety. I mean,

that looks fine compared to this. I thought this was a transaction that totally exposed the Houston front office, which is basically Bill O'Brien in a former pastor, running an operation that looks totally suspect right now. And you know, a lot with a lot of these deals, there's gonna be a faction of people. They're gonna because they want just you come from the other angle, defend it in front from some from in some way and say, you know, here's the value, here's what Bill O'Brien sees that no

one else sees. And that contingent was utterly silent because I think as we learn more and more about it, there was no way to defend it. And my thing was just why why did this have to happen right now? And it is one of those deals that you basically look at your fan base and you take everyone who's under the age of who, all the young people in Houston and Texans fans who possess uh, they basically have the jersey of this incredible wide receiver. All they have

to burn these jerseys now. It's one of those deals were like, your coach has completely disenfranchised massive chunks of the fan base because the deal has no redeeming value. Well, it's the reason you don't have your coach be the GM, because if you have a GB, that GM would say whatever personal problems Bill O'Brien you have with DeAndre Hopkins, and reports came out pretty quickly that Hopkins you O'Brien

had friction, you would say, work on that. Uh. If you get a request from DeAndre Hopkins to have a contract extension because he's you know, pretty underpaid with three years left on his deal and you're not happy about that. As a front office you handle that in like an unemotional way. If you're Bill O'Brien, you can very easily see him get in his own feelings of hey, this is guy's that's a pain in the ass. Hey, he wants more money. I want to get rid of him.

The thing that's like crazy is what's the rush that the return is so bad to me? David Johnson is not even a significant part of the deal and basically was him for a second round pick. And David Johnson has West said, I think as negative trade value that you would have had to give up something to take on that ten million dollar contract. Maybe the Texans like him, and let's just call that nothing like that's neither here nor there to me to pay take ten million dollars

and David Johnson is is a pretty bad deal. But at best that's an even thing. So you're giving up a second round pick for DeAndre hapf Like, why did you have to do that? On March sixteenth? And it just made no sense? West? What was your take? Uh? If I'm an NFC West team, I'm just gonna stand outside Texans headquarters and wait for the melodrama to play out. Collect Dwayne Brown, Jadevian Clowney, DeAndre Hopkins. Just wait and see if Bill O'Brien can't get along with any of them.

I mean, that's and that is three cornerstone guys that left your team because you couldn't get along with him. And you know what, to your point, Greg, you had mentioned that this is one of the dangers of having the head coach also be the personnel guy. I'll use an analogy. You know, when you watch these these Cold war movies and they take you, take you into the situation room and then to the underground bunker to file off,

fire off the nuclear missile. You need two guys, and you need the two keys to open up the thing, and then you both have at the button at the same time. If you take out the other guy, it's just the one dude. And if that one dude is fired up, and and this is not the first time, like West is saying that Bill O'Brien is butted heads with a prominent player. Uh, there is going to be an immense amount of pressure on Bill O'Brien to field a big time winner in Houston. But here's the problem.

He has got an issue where now he needs results because you know, management's got an eyebrow arched at this point, Uh, top management. But through his moves, UH losing Clowney, which I didn't think was a terrible move, in retrospect. I didn't think it was at the time, but I understood why he caught flak for it, for the timing of it.

What you gave up to get Laramie Tunsel, which is basically mortgaging your entire future and draft picks, and now this move, trading away the number one wide receiver in your franchise history next to Andre Johnson while he's in the height of his powers, It's gonna be very difficult for the Texans to be a ten eleven, twelve win team. So I think he's kind of finally put self into a corner. I think also, if you're Bill O'Brien, you waited like five or six years to get that quarterback

to build around. You get to Shaun Watson, and what is his relationship going to be? You know, even if they if they get along as people, at this stage where building around to Shaun Watson, you've just done the total opposite the team. To me, the team building process, because there isn't a collective here, seems totally confused, and they're are already trying to garner draft picks for the

audacious moves that they made last offseason. Right. I think if you are Watson, You're thinking we were up twenty four to nothing on the Super Bowl Champions on the road. It's funny because we're saying a lot of the same things we said about Obrian last year. He's got to win. Now there's a lot of pressure, and it's like, well, they got to the divisional round and they were up

twenty four nothing on the eventual Super Bowl Champions. And my my takeaway from that game was not like, hey, we need to trade DeAndre hopk and and get a running back in a second round pick. Like it's like the defense is like totally on fire and it's a disaster. And and you know, if you want to make any case for Brian, let's see what part two is here. I gotta imagine they aren't done making big moves. The only the only thing that doesn't like make any sense,

it's just the trade value. I don't know. I'm losing my mind on this tree. West West, where's the g M app? West? Is? This is gonna be for all time the number one example why we need a GM app, The app that allows Bill O'Brien to say, and it's a it's a closed server. It's Bill O'Brien and thirty one other decision makers and it's hey, guys, I have an offer from Team X, or you say it from a r I David Johnson for a second round pick? Can someone beat it? Hit me up in my d

M on the app. That would have saved so many problems, because you're telling me, and I speak as a fan of a team in desperate and even number one wide receiver, there wasn't a team out there that wanted to give up a number one pick and and give you whatever else you wanted in terms of player compensation, compensation to get a future Hall of Famer and DeAndre Hopkins, it's mind boggling. Well, O'Brien, he's like on your screen where

the has the app updates? He hasn't done his in like six months, and he still has the coach app and not the GM app, so he's got to update that thing. Look look at this from Arizona's point of view. Your buddy Jason Zumwald is walking on Sunshine Day. He's flying flying. This is a franchise that looked a year ago at this time. Josh Rosen's your quarterback. He showed nothing his rookie year you're there's nothing to look forward to whatsoever. And now you have the quarterback who one

rookie of the Year and was fun to watch. You add DeAndre Hopkins to go with Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk, and now you're flying. This is a fun team. That one reason to not allow Bill O'Brien into the GM app thread. I mean, he'd be like the guy you're like, you think you're on the thread, but we actually have a more official other thread thread because he is going to at thirty one, other teams will find a way

to fleece him individually at some point. You don't want Bill O'Brien on this gm app getting the best possible deal. He's going to do this every couple of months. Unbelievable. What what a trade? I it's it's it's a fun trade. But and I would. I do feel badly for fans of our podcast that are Texans fans. I get the feeling a lot of you are probably Astros fans too, So that part of it makes me think, huh, okay, a little sports karma coming at you in a big spot.

But you know what, I'm not gonna be that petty. I'm gonna feel for you. I'm being an Astros fan right now either or a rocket. Well the rockets. The rockets are are you following the news? There's a reason why it's not fun to be an Astros fan. Yeah, but I know, but you make it sound like they're part of the organization. They just have this great time, and it was like suddenly it turns into a total mirage to Zapp, that's fair. But perhaps it's a vocal

perhaps it's a vocal vocal minority. But there are a lot of Astro fans that have been trying to play this down like it has been a big deal along that's all on a side, that's all a digression. We're gonna see a lot of Cardinals, I think, Yeah, they are a buzzy team. And Larry Fitzgerald. This is nice because you remember he's been a guy that's been it seems like, on the edge of retirement potentially for a

couple of years. He hung around. He mentor the kid Kyler Murray, who's going to be a very exciting player to watch this year. And fantasy heads, I know you guys are going nuts right now thinking about him being the r the Lamar Jackson of Uh, now we get to see Larry Fitzgerald potentially on a contending team again in NFC West. This is exciting. I love it. It's an exciting trade. Sucks for a Texans fan in Bill O'Brien.

Look how loaded that the vision is absolutely loaded? Now absolutely go ahead, you're Kenyan Drake gets the transition to say, while we're on the Cardinals, they kept their boy, Kenyan Drake on the transition tag. Of all the tags today, that was the most surprising. Uh. And it shows you how much value you can gain in like a month, which Kenyan Drake did as the running back. But I don't care. I'm not paying that money. Like Kenyan Drake made them more fun to watch their an explosive team.

Give him the transition tag. I'm into it. I mean that also happened before the Texans traded for David Johnson. Shouldn't not have informed if that's the timeline the Houston front office, which is one person and a pastor, that they don't even want this player. So you're not going to give away your star franchise centerpiece for a running back that the Cardinals wanted to salary dump. I mean

It's just it is inexcusable. What's happened. Uh Drake turned twenty six in January, obviously made that splash when he got to Arizona from Miami, and his salary as a transition guy, which is a tier below a franchise tag, is about eight point five million, And we'll get to the franchise tags later in the show. But Derrick Henry, who had one of the great seasons in recent memory at running back, is only making like two million dollars more than Kenyan Drake. Think about that, uh, as things

currently stand. And that's not the only big wide receiver trade we had today. It's head to Minnesota where Kirk Cousins got a new deal, and then Stephen Diggs promptly took the Twitter to remind the world that, you know, I really want to play with Kirk Cousins anymore. Well, he finally gets his wish in a really huge trade that has big implications over in the a f C East.

The Buffalo Bills acquire uh digs to be their new number one wide receiver and it comes at a cost, and an interesting cost, and one that makes you wonder about Bill O'Brien and what he's thinking, Uh, this evening, the Bills acquire Diggs and a seventh round pick in exchange for a first round pick. That's the twenty two pick overall, depth, round pick, round pick, and round pick.

This from Tom Pallisero, What a huge deal and what a difference in what you got back for what is a star wide receiver and one that's not even at Hopkins level, but Digs is a big time player. Mark Sessler, Yeah, I think the first reaction, if you're you know, I was on Twitter at the time, was a thousand jokes hatched by sportswriters and fans um with Bill O'Brien as the victim of those jokes. But for me, from another angle, it's the Bills two seasons in a row, off seasons

in a row, saying we're gonna go for it. I mean, the cost is high, and this would for me typically fall into the category of free agent signing that two years from now might not look um as exciting as it does for Bills fans tonight. But who knows. I give the Bills kind of credit for just saying, a FC East, we're coming for you, and I it's it's another it's another off season of patting the weapons around

Josh Allen for better or worse. Well, I think their off season man date and Buffalo was score more points in two thousand twenty. And now you have Stefon Diggs and John Brown, two are the better route runners on the full field, and then Cool Beasley one of the

better route runners in the middle of the field. And you've got Diggs going from one quarterback who really wouldn't pull the trigger often enough when Diggs was opened to another quarterback now who has the arm and the willingness to pull the trigger, who just is not a very good downfield pass or despite that arm. I mean, I love it. I think this is like an example of how good teams are run, and the Texans sort of gave an example of how bad teams are on and

I include the Vikings. You know in this, like if you're a Vikings fan, it is terrible to lose to find Diggs, but you look at how Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer kind of handled the situation, kept it low profile as much as they could, but knowing they had to get rid of them, and they got a great return for Stefon Diggs. You would rather have him, but he was making it impossible. And if you're the Bills,

like this is why you save cap space. I mean, this is why you stack up on draft picks, which they have like the it's like the NBA, like there's no point in attaining all these assets if you're going to have the process unless you use them. And especially if you're the Bills, like this is their number one need. And Digs to me is like a perfect fit for them, and and it might be hard to get free agents like that good to go to Buffalo. So it's a trade for him and give him some money and and fly.

I don't know if Josh Allen is like up for it, but it's like what are you doing if you don't go for it? And the Vikings could come out of this. Okay, yes they are very much still a win now team, but as we all know, this is a very good wide receiver draft. Maybe they end up getting someone that they could develop alongside Adam Feeling. Uh, they should be Okay, I think on offense still, and I do you know,

I do wonder with Diggs. He's a guy that is um a big time producer, but he does he's an emotional player, and he obviously had some issues with cousins. I wonder what happens when you put him in Western New York with a inconsistent young passer and Josh Allen, And what happens when Alan starts flinging balls twenty yards over his head? Will Digs start cryptic tweeting from Western New York? I don't know. I mean, I don't I

want to give him the benefit of the doubt. He seems like a good dude overall, so he's gonna be There's gonna be cryptic tweets. It's just simply in his nature. It will. They will creep out New York before long, and so it's just something to track. Dan, you and I have expressed some reservations about the player empowerment movement and the ability to force your way out of a situation.

And I think from my end it was about I don't want to see the NFL become the NBA, where there can be an inequality and an imbalance between loaded teams that players want to play for and teams that aren't loaded and players don't want to play for them. Now and Jalen Ramsey and Stefon Diggs both these cases, the teams weren't held hostage. They got very good value

in return for these players. Yeah, that's good to see because you really worry if, like what you're saying, West, these guys are able to leverage themselves out despite being under contract, and then the other team gets left holding the bag completely their former team. But that's not what's That's not what what's happening here at all. I also, I guess I'm curious where Stefan Diggs what he feels right now? Is is this something he's happy about it?

Because we know that some players the idea of going up to Buffalo is not a great thought. So is he Is he in a situation now where he's regretting ever opening his mouth? Or is he the happiest man alive. I haven't checked his Twitter, so I don't know. So he has tweeted. He responded to like, let's get it in response to uh to Josh Allen who tweeted at him, and based on his tweets earlier today, you had to feel like he knew where this was going. He sort

of broke the story. I gotta feel like he had a feeling this was the team that he's going to because I suspect he's going to get a contract with it. So as long as you get paid, everyone's going to be happy. I gotta tell you, I'm pretty excite agree with that. Have cryptic Stefan Stefan Diggs tweets coming to the a f C. East. I'm pumped about that. I mean, I think, like everything is going to be great the day that you find out you're out of your current

annoying problem. But Stefan Diggs might have been the one Vikings player that really did not fit into the culture of that team and kept bucking the system. And he's going to another team within Buffalo that has a very They're defining their culture and who they are, and like, is he going to, you know, settle down and be part of that or is he going to continue to you know, I like, I like the idea of sending out tweets that are you know, subtweet people say what

you want to say, drop mega bombs, be mysterious. But at the same time, like, if you're Stefon Diggs, if he does that for the second straight team, I don't know he's I think it's a bit of a risk for Buffalo in terms of the personality it could be. But I love the trade for the Bills and we're going to get to the Browns a little bit later. I liked what they did today. This is the big year three for these eighteen first round draft quarterbacks. And in this case again they made the big gains last

year by adding Cole Beasley and John Brown. It was clear they needed a number one guy. You may be able to argue about whether Stefon Diggs is a true number one court uh wide receiver or more kind of like okay, or like a one B type guy. That's that's suff for debate if you want. But he is obviously a guy that makes that wide receiver room a hell of a lot better. Uh. It's it's a good day for Bills fans about Josh Allen. For all of his obvious flaws as a passer, his teammates gush over him,

his coaches love him. I mean, I don't see that as a problem with Stefon Diggs not enjoying playing with him. More big wide receiver news this out of Dallas, where Marie Cooper UH and the Cowboys agreed to a five year, one million dollar contract that keeps the wide receiver in big D. This from rap sheet rapp report adds that Cooper will receive sixty million in guarantees. ESPN had this

report first. The contract comes roughly twelve hours after the Cowboys elected to place the exclusive franchise tag on quarterback Dak Prescott. So where are we at now? So you have Zeke Elliott after all his drama last summer, he's under contract long term. You got a Marie Cooper now under contract long term. You have Dak Prescott under contract right now for at least one year. You have I believe over sixty million dollars tied up in your cap to three players. But this is the game the Cowboys

are playing, and it's a risky one. But they also couldn't let Cooper out the door, right. I think this was so so obvious for the Cowboys to do, and that they've played it as well as they could have, and that Cooper especially is a huge winner because he got the money that he wanted and he clearly got the team that he wanted. Like I sort of mocked and I was totally wrong. Um that Cowboys fans like sometimes think things they want to happen are going to

happen just because they were the Cowboys. But I think in this case, like being the Cowboys didn't make a difference. Like by multiple reports, the Redskins um we're in on

Cooper and probably offered him more money. The Dallas Morning News Michael Gelkin reported that, and a couple others hint at it, at it, but he didn't want to go to the Redskins, Like it's a pretty obvious choice which team you would do if it's close enough, and Cooper stayed, and like Dac and Dack and Amari Cooper are just better off together and and they should be, even if the Dack thing is dramatic. What Jerry Jones streak continues when when does he ever identify a star player he

wants to resign and then that guy goes elsewhere? Don't happen. I should have known. I should have known. That's my bad. Come on, They're very effective at that, and I love that they have Michael Gallup there too. And it's had had had Cooper wound up anywhere else, you would have looked at Dallas and just said the master plan totally failed. And Jerry Jones gets, you know, critiqued rightfully for certain things.

I think is his reputation, uh correctly for a long time was over paying players he kind of liked who may not have been, you know, in a Bill belly checking way at their peak. But this, this had to happen, and he's slowly he's keeping this core together. I well see. I mean, I'm not as hot about the deal, to be quite honest with you. I feel like in a couple of years, when the Cowboys are in the fiery is the fire salary cap hell uh, that maybe this they will rue it a that they committed all this

money to some of these guys. But I also understand it would have been a bad look to not find a way to keep Cooper. We'll see how it all plays out. They could have gotten the route what we were just talking about um with the Vikings, where they could have let Cooper walk, get their salary cap under control, and then go get a young wide receiver in the draft. But obviously they liked the chemistry between Dak and Cooper.

I totally get that. So I think it does come with risk long term, but in the short term, it makes them, you know, a better team, and it makes them a real NFC contender. He isn't part of it because you know the cost, the cost they gave up to Oakland to get him. If he's gone, you know, six hundred days later, it looks like a totally botched experience. I think you have to they had to keep them whether and I and I think he's he's fit as

well with Dak Prescott as anyone you could ask. And one last bit of wide receiver news before we move on, circling back to the Texans. On the day where DeAndre how Hopkins leaves the franchise, Randall Cob enters the picture. Uh this uh from James Jones on Twitter. Cobb signs a three year, twenty seven million dollar contract with the Texans to join that wide receiver group, which we didn't

really get into. What's left at that wide receiver group Kenny Stills and Will Fuller real playmaker who can't stay on the field. Well here's Cobb, who rehabbed his value a bit in Dallas last season. Um, but obviously this isn't gonna be something that's gonna help Texans spent sleep

at night. No, especially not because of the money. I mean him getting nine million dollars year indicates to me that the Cowboys who said they were going to be aggressive trying to keep Cobb probably were because that's a that's a great contract for a guy who's had that many injuries, that little production at least the last you know, three to four years as a whole, and last year signed a one year, five million dollar contract. It's like that that is a bad fill in to me if

you're a Texans fan for DeAndre Hopkins. Yeah, he's he's a slot guy and he and he doesn't come with size like like Hopkin does, where he's a boundary receiver and works the end zone. Well, So I wonder about their red zone offense going forward. Uh. In other news, the San Francisco forty Niners also made a big trade. They sent one of their blue chip defensive lineman away in a trade DeForest Buckner dealt to the Indianapolis Colts

in exchange for the number thirteen overall pick. The writing, I guess was on the wall for Buckner and San Francisco when Eric Armstead of the Niners got a five year, eighty five million dollar contract on Monday. On Monday, so they couldn't pay both of them. They chose Armstead. So Buckner goes to the Colts. He's a big time disruptor west, a guy that's um a star, and the Colts at a major piece on their defensive line. Feels like a good trade for both sides. Yeah, I like this deal

for both sides. I understand why the forty Niners did it. They basically chose Eric Armstead's versatility over DeForest Buckner being more of an inside player, and the Colts, this is what they've been waiting for. You've got all that cap room, and they got criticized last year for not using it, but they didn't want to spend it on guys who weren't difference makers. They didn't want to spend it on guys they were gonna have to cut a year later. So now they had eighty million dollars in cap room.

You go out and get DeForest Buckner making the second highest paid defensive player in football in the prime of his career, a guy who was voted m v P by the forty Niners of their Super Bowl team. This is the kind of guy you want to build around. And now you've got Quentin Nelson on one side. You've got Darius Leonard and DeForest Buckner. On the other side, you've got a pretty good secondary and you've got infrastructure.

This is a kind of deal you can make because your GM has created all that salary cap space and drafted so well that you don't have to press to fill holes in the draft or free agency. You can go get the best player of ail. Buckner will be twenty six years old tomorrow, So this is a guy that the Colts can bring to the team and uh, he could be a guy that's a building block from them on defense. So I think the Colts who will

see what happens. As of right now, they don't have that new quarterback that people are expecting, but when you add him to this player and then anticipated upgrades on offense. We talked about teams that have a chance to win the offseason. Mark you wrote a banger on NFL dot com about the dangers of that. But the Colts stand out as that team potentially, and Buckner's a major piece

for them. And the Niners, well, when you have I think they're at what point where they have four guys or five guys on their defensive line, including a guy that was essentially reserved that we're all first round picks. Uh, this was never gonna hold. So uh they they do the best thing they can do, and now they can bring in as the defending NFC champion premium draft pick. I think it's a great trade. The the Cults getting the number I mean, the forty Diners getting the number

thirteen overall pick um is good value. But ultimately I think that if they had to do it again, like they gave up a second round pick and a monster contract for d Ford and now you can't kill that trade after one year. But Ford has been injured throughout his career. He's been pretty up and down, whereas de Forrest Buckner has been one of the best players at his position to me as a pretty superior player to our Rick Armstead, and they just couldn't like afford to

keep everyone. And they also don't have any draft picks. They don't have any second, third, or fourth round pick, so they wanted to like get a pick back. I totally get why they made the move, but it's sort of just like an unfortunate um repercussion of having such a good team. They have so many good players to pay and they've kind of made their choices and made a ton of big expenses over the last couple of years, and so now they gotta just decide to make a

tough chos can get rid of Buckler. Well, I mean that said, at least John Lynch got value compared to the last trade we just discussed, and you're in a tough spot. You can't keep them all. And I to me, it's the Cults, you know, in in Daniel Jeremiah, before we came on the year to do our show here, said on NFL Network that he would be shocked and we'll get into this later if they if they didn't wind up with Philip Rivers. So I think that they

obviously have a beat on their quarterback situation. But if you're looking on both sides of the ball, as West mentioned that Chris Ballard is a certain type of player that he wants, and the Cults are not going to settle for anyone that is less than a bully, less than ultra physical, and that sort of seems to be

their identity. And I kind of like that in that division because it's a bit at this point, it's it's a counterbalance to some of what you know, the Texans are letting some of these guys go and the cults are patiently building where I think it matters along the line on both sides. In other news, tom Brady is the biggest name both in the NFL and on the free agent market. Yes, for the first time ever, Tommy b was allowed. And strangely, I was watching NFL Network

coverage all day. You can't bring up Don tom Brady right now without Don Yee coming up his agent. I mean, is is this guy does he have a deal worked out? Where anyone that says Tom Brady says Tom Brady and his agent Don ye are very busy right now. Potentially what's up with that? Probably is a deal. I think you've I think you've zeroed in on the truth there like two clients, and that it's Tom Brady and Jimmy Garoppolo. It just got suspicious after a while anyway, So let's

talk about the Tom Brady situation. Day one of free agency week, the legal tampering period, and Mike Giardi of NFL Network. They sticked Ardi up at Foxboro to just stand in front of the stadium for twelve hours and he his report coming out of Foxborough is that the Tampa Bay Bucks and I enjoyed the wording on this too, because you see the same thing on the scroll hour after hour after hour, and then they have a new discussion every block or so that is about Tom Brady.

The Bucks have made their intentions for Tom Brady loud and clear their intentions. It's almost like a eight hundred style courtship going on between the Bucks and Brady. So the Tampa Bay is all the way in still and uh Victofer of The Athletic reports that the Raiders quote aren't totally out of the running for Tom Brady. And

then of course the Patriots are in the mix. But if you talk to the people or the people in NFL network Greg, it's it's it's starting to sound like that Brady to the Patriots could be a long shot. Maybe that's too strong a word, but that this is very real that he might not be back. I don't

know what to think. Like Mike Reaess of ESPN today saying he's starting to doubt whether Tom Brady had as much interest of going back to the Patriots was probably the most newsworthy thing I saw today, because you do get that sort of feeling to me that the actions speak louder than any of these reports, he's not getting signed and there's no one saying that a deal is close, and to me that it causes it raises questions about

the market that he has. I'm kind of of the mind the Patriots are not signing him after Wednesday at four pm, that it either gets done with the Patriots by then or he's moving on and and they're trying to drum up a market like I don't I don't know how real that market is. What's interesting dynamic. Do you have a market if you have three teams interested in you, but you don't want to go to any of those three teams. That's a problem is that when

you retire. I mean it is. It is a there's a bit of an odd flavor feeling to this whole thing, and I'm wondering about what the Patriots so that ultimately are the Are the Patriots playing hardball with Tom Brady? Is this where we're are? This is? But that you know what that does. I said this a couple of weeks ago. That doesn't strike me as particularly classy by this organization. That's how they're gonna play this. They're gonna

say take it or leave it. Tom, You try to get another job and if you want to crawl back here, we'll give you the deal we want to give you. That's how that's how this is gonna end, or that's how they want to play it. I don't love it at all. First of all, they didn't last year. I mean, he wanted a much different contract than the one he got. But that the big thing he got from them that he said was most important is he wants to be a free agent and you know, show his wares elsewhere.

And the word from New England is you know you keep getting and you're thinking that these are team type sources are like, we don't think there's that big a market for him, and in Tom Current said that like they are operating under the assumption that there's not that big a market for him and that he should go find it if if he thinks otherwise. I always, I always go back to that quote from his dad where five years ago or whatever, and he said, this is

how it ends. It's ugly and it never ends well. And you look at guys like Logan Mankins, Richard Seymour, Lawyer Malloy, I mean, how often does it end well with the Patriots Party? Baby, you just gotta be willing to take like less money than you could possibly make elsewhere. I mean, I think I guess that's what that's what Brady has been doing. Yeah, okay with that? As a Patriots fan, Greg, you're okay with how this is being Let me ask Erica, because Gregg I kind of feeling

what you're gonna say. Ricky is a die hard New Englander and Patriots fan. Are you where are you at with how the Pats are handling this negotiation with the greatest player of all time and the man that's brought a lifetime of beautiful memories to you and millions of other people in the region where you grew up. Well, you set it up perfectly. All my friends back home

are on Brady watch. I mean, it's the fact that this is even a conversation and that they would even let him look outside of the building is asinine to me and all of my friends. And I get it. They don't want to they don't want to pay for him, or they think that he can't get it, you know somewhere else. I just it's it's exactly how you just set it up. And I know you're being a little facetious, Dan,

but it's true. Like I'm not. I'm seriously not. And I know you might think that because it's the Pat's and Tom Brady, but it really does rub it the wrong way. The way this is played out. I just can't go ahead. I just can't believe. I just can't believe it. I don't know. I just I want I think that maybe that this is all some sort of big you know, to do, and that he'll end up back there. But then I'm sort of looking at Brady like, how how dare you want to go somewhere else when

we we made you? You know what I mean? Like you laugh, lest But it's true. You know, the Patriots, they didn't they didn't make Tom Brady. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady both know and they will know for the rest of their life that they were in a mutually beneficial partnership that made the two of them what they are. I don't think there's well exactly you plug. You plug either of them into another situation and it's and it's nothing.

It's conversation and the history of the NFL. But he's forty three years old, and this stuff always gets ugly. I guess my point is, none of it matters if he ends up back with the Patriots, like then this is just what negotiations happened. Drew Brees and the Saints got ugly as hell about five or six years ago, and like no one remembers, and we'll see how it ends. I did hear through some Internet that it's like total bunker mentality with Brady's representation, that maybe it's not his

agent right now that's putting out anything. That you're not hearing anything, which usually when you're not hearing anything, it's not a good thing. If Tom Brady was getting offered thirty five million dollars a year, sixty guaranteed from the Bucks and they were just like, we're gonna pay you whatever we want. I have a hard time believing we

would not know about that almost immediately. The fact that we're not hearing anything, especially about Brady, I think does not, you know, necessarily bode well for Brady getting like what they want. Greg, don't think I didn't notice that you

mentioned Brady's agent but did not say his name. Don I apologize to Don John Yee by the tame Back in the day, I tried to do, uh A, what would have been sort of a long form on Tom Brady's and I attempted um through you know, and even Don ye has handlers, so through a handler of Don Yee to get Tom Brady's cookbook. Um, you know, it's essentially sent to me, and I was. I told him, I'm gonna write, I'm gonna try to do this in a positive way. I'm not going to do one of

these undead spins. So I'm just gonna fry you as you eat something that isn't like, you know, cut from an animal's belly. I tried, I was gonna, I'm gonna try to do a complimentary piece on this, and he refused to send me the cookbook. Basically, the only interaction with done, You're you're basically gonna say I hate people who eat meat. So this is gonna be and I will, I will carry the water up and down the hill.

Just send me the book. And you want to know, no, because you actually were in a meeting or two about the stance, so you know that was not the case. But I was not going to do one of these. Send it to me so I can auto bury you and like a three word hit piece about avocado ice cream so he but but he turned me, he turned me anti TV twelve diet because he refused to send me the cookbook, had to buy them myself. In the

article got buried. What addend him to this story, because I do remember this era is that you did buy the book and it was an absurd like two cookbook, as I recall, and then you didn't get you didn't write the long form, and you didn't get um expensed for it, so you got stuck with the two rocks. I think the long form was deep six because Tom Brady like threw his cell phone off a cliff and then was suspended, and so it wasn't the right time to do all of this. But you know that, Yeah,

you're right. I did not get any money back for the cookbook. Maybe you can bring it back when he's just starting his Buccaneers career after having no off season program, and he's now eating at all the steakhouses and strip clubs that Tampa is so famous for. You can just say, like, what whatever happened to your old book? Tom, that's right up there market long form for someone else, it's right

up there in terms of expense. Report Boondoggles with Chris Westling at Super Bowl forty eight or Super Bowl forty seven when we were underneath a giant air conditioner. Great, so West was cold. So he went and bought like a hundred and fifty dollar Super Bowl winter jacket at the can session stand and then try to expense it. And that got New York conflating stories. Is the year in New York when I was walking around in a T shirt because it was eight degrees and they sent

my luggage to Miami. I needed to buy a jacket. The year in San Francisco, I had to get a skull cap in the middle of the game because my noggin was cold. Yeah, West and I were down in Jersey City while you while Dan and Greg were in like a luxury hotel up in Manhattan having like mimosas with like insiders. So there was a reason that West purchased the eating belly meat. No, but West, there was a uh, there was an expensive NFL merchandise jacket that

you attempt to get these at some point. Yeah, that was That was the year my entire luggage to Miami, so I had no jacket whatsoever to wear. Did you get the money back for that? I think that was probably a No. I was too. I wasn't high enough on the totem poll at that time. So to my point, League of York, they came up to West and made it very clear, uh in the news room that West

would not be getting his money back for that. Come West, if you thought that you were, if you were aware that you were not going to get reimbursed for that expensive League UM merchandise, would you have purchased it? Yeah, I'm not gonna wear a T shirt around in eight degree weather all week. I have a history of ronchitis and asthma. Where was this? This was in New York, This was in Jersey City. Why didn't you buy? Uh?

Never mind it was It was an expense report boondoggle though, because she didn't get the money back, that's not on me. That's on the people. That's on the gate keepers. Give me a break. By the way, speaking of UM, well, not speaking of anything that's some men's outerwear stuff, but in terms of men's style. Earlier today, I reached out to the Heroes and Erica privately and let her decide how she wants to play this UM and said, as long as we are UM stuck at home because of

the coronavirus. Let's not shave, Let's just let it rip. Let's just see what happens with the Beard situation for all of us, and you guys seemed amenable to seeing how it all plays out. Let's get crazy, um and ricky Um. I think this is something we can perhaps track for social madness. Yeah, sure, whatever, whatever you want. Wow, Yeah, it's funny, Like was like, come on, think about social think about the Instagram handle that I started, and it's

gonna make me a start. And then you try to come up with an idea and it's like, yeah, cool whatever, bro, No, I think it's a really good idea. Shut up, this is embarrassing. As we are talking, we've got some some developing breaking news, which to me is part of the Tom Brady stories. I've throwed it out there that the Raiders are close to a deal with Marcus Mariota. According to Ian Rappaport, they are closing in on a contract

with Mariota. And if that would happen, that's just like another one of those Brady potential landing spots that gets filled up. Derek Carr throw a party, David head over there to Fresno. What a perfect situation. That is the guy that I want backing me up. Al a Lujah Carr family. Yeah, I'm not sure. I don't know. I know that Mayok was very high on Mariota coming out of the draft, but and reclamation projects happened, but he had declined and regressed so much as a quarterback over

the last three years. I don't see him as a threat to Derek Carr right off the bat, I don't either. But if they're two and four, like Mariota is going to be playing, you know, it's like if that actually happens and they have a losing record, then they're gonna just see what's behind door numbers. Pretty much a best case scenario. Now, there is obviously the potential still of Derek Carr gets traded and the and the Raiders draft

a quarterback or who knows, anything could happen. But if this think, if it holds the way it does, if you're Derek Carr, even though he's very from a public stance and Mark we've we've tracked this from a public stance. You know, he's been going to the groundbreaking in Vegas. He bought the house next to John Gruden. He's saying all the things he needs to say to kind of

ingratiate himself and trench himself with that franchise further. Um. But this is the first time where I would feel a little bit confident, like, Okay, I think I'm gonna get one more crack at this as the starting quarterback. I mean, or they draft someone. Because depending on where all these you know, so called Domino's fall and I and I'm exhausted with the Tom Brady is the first

Domino theory. Tom Brady does not understand how he does not understand how Domino's work, and neither any of the team, neither any of these so called suitors, because it's like the interest is not there. And I think with Derek Carr there's a part A and then the slow roll Part B would be if Gruden and Mayock and the rest of the crew fell in love with someone that they could either move up for in the draft or

just have have fall to them in the draft. I I cannot believe, after the overall feeling that we've gotten about the Gruden Derek Carr experience up to now, that Gruden wants to do another year of that. If you get stuck with it. That's fine, But I mean, there are thirty two of these coach quarterback relationships in the NFL, and has this ever really felt Here's the thing to us with a lot of that was a blooming flower,

it's the opposite that to that. To that point, Mark, I agree with you, but I feel, like us and everyone else, there's a lot of assumption about what John Gruden thinks about Derek Carr. And I know that you could say that some some things that they've done, whether it's pre draft visits or workouts or this or that, tells us that that he doesn't want him and wants to move on. But I feel like that kind of has taken a bit of a life of its own.

This idea that John Gruden has to he needs to get out of this marriage with car and from Mariota's perspective, uh, I think this is a good landing spot for him. You know, it's kind of a similar like every guy that but I'm saying like if you're a if you're a former starter, that's that lost your job. Ryan's Hannehills. Now the ultimate benchmark of what you want to try to set up yourself to do to to rebrand yourself.

He is in a similar situation here where he can overtake the starter with a team and start his career fresh. So it feels like a good landing spot from Mariota. I think, yeah, some of that with Derek Carr. That's a good point, Dan, that we're assuming so much. But some of it is just the way John Gruden has had his quarterback play. He doesn't show trust in him to throw down the field. He has a run first offense. It's based around Jacobs now and not the quarterback. So

I think that's where a lot of the doubt comes into. Yeah, and if and and and they're chasing after Tom Brady. I mean it's like they're actually this is a relationship. He is looking to upgrade and find someone better for himself if you're John Bruden. So to me, that breaks the seal of he and Derek Carr have this, you know, impenetrable relationship. I think it's I don't think that either, but I know, I know, But I just life of its own. That's fair because all these all these narratives

take on a life of their own. But I'm even going back to hard knocks. I just don't they don't. They don't feel like two p's in a pod. But that's what I mean, Like that was that was fun assumption. I I wrote about it extensively on NFL dot Com that it didn't seem like they were like natural fits. But that's all just kind of fun speculation. Anyway, We'll have plenty of time to dig into that relationship because it looks like it may continue, but who knows, maybe

it doesn't. All right, let's move on another team. So I mentioned the Cults is a team that really did stand out as a quote unquote favorite to win the quote unquote offseason. Another team that made a lot of sense is the Miami Dolphins for obvious reasons. The ross they're filled with holes, a tank job where they acquired a ton of draft picks, including three first rounders, and had the most cap space in the league. So it was not a surprise that they made a big splash

on Monday. So let's just go through it. We'll start with Byron Jones, Uh, the former Cowboys cornerback. He signed agreed to terms. Of course, everything was agreed until the league year is official, uh, which happens on Wednesday. They agree to terms with Byron Jones that will on a contract that will make him the highest paid cornerback in the NFL. We're talking five years, eighty two and a half million, including fifty seven million guaranteed forty million in

the first two years. Uh that is borderline quarterback money. And uh, Greg, this is a major piece for this team. It is. I like Byron Jones. I thought he was one of the more underrated guys in this entire free agency market. He's now, you know, according to average value, the highest paid cornerback in the league. But I think all of these numbers are gonna get passed pretty quickly.

And he's a signing that makes sense to me. Kyle Vannoi four years for fifty one million to Miami and then signing a couple of of of disappointing former first round picks Eric Flowers and Shack Mowson to three year, thirty million dollar contracts, to me, were like the among the biggest head scratchers of the entire day. And if I was Dolphins fan, like thinking, Okay, it's time to like start jumping back in and like the the rebuild

is kind of ending now. If other than Jones, that felt a little a little weird, although Van Noyd played really well for the Patriots last year. Yeah, I mean Eric Flowers five years in the league has never graded above a negative deep in the red negative ten point three from PFF and and his other four seasons were

significantly worse. And so this is this strikes me as something that the Dolphins regimes of old would have done, where we're just gonna sign someone for a ton of money, ignore what he's been on tape and who he is, and sell it to you. Is that we've solved like an offensive line issue. I'm a little surprised that this Miami front office, uh amid, you know what would it seems like smarter moves, more patient moves, calculated moves and building for the future. Look at Eric Flowers as a

big solution. Now that was it should In fairness to Flowers, he really did at least um rectify or kind of rebuild his career a little bit last year moving from tackle he was he was average well that but I'm saying according to ESPN stats and information, he had a career high pass block win rate, pass block win rate and two seventeen. So a guy that changed positions improved a little bit. Now, I don't disagree with you. I think that sounds like they're throwing money at guys uh

to upgrade what was an absolutely horrific offensive line. Will Flowers be an upgrade, That's what they're hoping, and I guess they didn't hand out major money, so they could probably survive if he doesn't work out. I mean, three years thirty million doesn't seem like a ton of money. It's fun to do what the Redskins did, get him for free, switch him from tackle the guard, and then

get a good season out of him. It's not so fun to overpay for him on the first day of free agency when he's the kind of reclamation project you look for a team to sign in April, right Like Eric Flowers had basically half a good season, Shack Lawson had about half a good season out of four or five years of being a bus and then he gets paid because he was a first round pick. It's kind of like you want to get Van Noy when the Patriots got him for virtually nothing and then they resigned

him for three or four years. I think Vanoy still has a lot of good football left in him. He's only twenty seven or twenty eight years old. So it's I don't think he's going to be a bus for them, but you're not exactly maximizing value when you kind of pick him up at the at the top of the market.

But they're kind of an example too. It's like, you can't you can't kill a team like the Colts last year, for example, for not being active in free agency despite having a lot of money, and then get on a team for using all their money to try to improve the team aggressively, even if some of the signings might seem suspect on paper. It's kind of like you're you're damned if you do, damned if you don't. At this stage, when other franchise tag stuff, a J. Green is tagged

by the Bengals, we all knew that was happening. And the Titans, after signing Ryan Tannehill to that multi year extension, they slapped Derrick Henry with the tag, and as I said, tricky situation. Derrick Henry, who has uh coming off a season, really a season and a half where he was arguably as good as anybody in football at the position and just carried this organization on his back just twenty six

years old. He is potentially in line to play on a ten million dollar on tracked this year, because that is the plight of the National Football League running back in the ties. He's doing better than Melvin Gordon. I mean, Melvin Gordon is going to be looking at Kenyan Drake and thinking like, I wish I could make that kind of money. It's crazy. Let's move on to Mark's team, the Cleveland Browns, who were very active. Another team with salary cap space and some holes to fill, looking to

improve on last year's disappointment. They address their offensive line and they signed Jack Conklin Uh, formerly of the Titans. Uh It is a three year, forty two million dollar deal. According to ESPN, he was viewed as the top tackle on the market. He's a right tackle. The Browns, Mark have a lot of work to do on that line. You assume picking ten overall that they might go after one of those top tackles in the draft class two.

So they are making moves. And they also went out and spent a lot of money on tight end Austin Cooper, bringing him in Uh from the Falcons as a free agent. He is now the highest paid tight end in the league. And I will say this Mark because I tee you up here that Um, you and I both a very similar situations that we have young quarterbacks entering their third years and it's an important year for them in their development. Give them their best, the best chance possible to improve

and take the next step. And I think Day one is a success for the Browns because they're addressing the line and they've added another weapon for Baker Mayfield. Yeah. I think if you look at last year's tackles in Cleveland, they were ranked as see third worst group in the

in the NFL in all aspects that they was. It was a large um disaster that you could see right away in Week one when they were blown out by the Titans, and you could tell that something was ill with that Cleveland team off the bat, and they needed

two tackles they needed too. So I have no problem with UH spending whatever it took to get a proven veteran and then probably using the other pick at number ten to get the best possible left tackle because Conklin will play the right side and he's been an awesome run blocking UH right tackle with the Titans. And I think that that Cleveland, if anything, wants to be with Nick Chubb and they and they you know they tendered

Kareem Hunt as well. I think they're going to go forward with using both those guys um in a way that if you look at what Kevin Stefanski did in Minnesota and they've added another tight end, it's gonna it's gonna duplicate in theory what the Vikings did in some of their better performances. The Hooper contract to me um for me, I like, I don't get caught up in this. We paid this person too much or not because it never touches me. And Cleveland has been vastly under the

cap every season almost. They're never one of these if you go into over the cap, they're never hugging that number at all. They're always making moves to get way under. So get is any weapons and protection around your young quarterback. To your point, Dan, I'm fine with both moves. Um. If you want to dig into Hooper, he's probably not anywhere close to being the best tight end in the league. But but that's what free agency does. It just lit hires the value of these guys that would are not

being paid exactly where they should be. If he wanted to tear them. I think Hooper is one of the most mis evaluated guys. Everybody's been waiting to kill whatever team signs him as if he's not good. Is he as dynamic as Kiddo and Kelsey. No, but he averaged his many yards per game as zach Ertz. Last year. He averaged more yards per game than Mark Andrews Uh going back to his rookie year. This is a guy who's shown some separation ability, He's shown some red zone ability.

Nobody's claiming he's dynamic, but he's a very good tight end in the prime of his career. I have no problem with that signing. The Atlanta Falcons wasted no time filling the whole left by Austin Hooper. They trade Uh for Hayden Hurst, the four her first round pick of the Ravens. So the Ravens send Hearst and a round pick to the Falcons in return for Atlanta's second and fifth round picks in April of this month. So now Hearst is a guy who um deal with some injuries.

Is it's a it's a tight end group, Greg that is just filled with guys that can make plays. So he kind of got lost in the mix a little bit, but he still was able to produce a little bit last year, and he seems like a guy that could be a nice pick up for Atlanta, especially put him in that offense with a great quarterback like Matt Ryan and other playmakers in the fold there. Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if he has really good numbers he flashed. I mean, if he stays healthy. He is a guy

I think that can make plays. That's a perfect situation. You're not going to get double team there. It's a good scheme. He's older than Austin Hooper, so it's not even though he's in his rookie contract. You know, I think it's still a downgrade for sure. But they gave up a lot. I mean they gave up basically what the you know, Cardinals gave up for DeAndre Hopkins second round pick. So it's not like like Hayden Hurst like came at a huge discount. He was a first round

pick who went for a second round pick. And it's a crazy day in Atlanta. They they're cutting Desmond truffont is one of their best players over the last few years. They cut DeVante Freeman, and you just think about how many players are left from that Super Bowl team. It's gone. I mean, they're they're a team in transition. Two back to back bad years and just you know, at least so far talent base wise, it seems like they're taking

a step back this offseason. When we talk about Levy on Bell and that that he was a big signing last year in free agency didn't work out in year one with the Jets. DeVonta Freeman is another example of why it's it's always buy or be aware with these running backs. He's a guy that's a bowling ball type. Guy took up a lot of abuse. It wasn't so long ago when the Falcons and the Only won the Super Bowl. In seen he had over fift hundred total yards a team touchdowns. Uh, he had um back to

back one thousand yards seasons. But then he couldn't stay healthy. And then last year, as West you pointed out throughout the season, just was a step slow. Couldn't guy couldn't make, Guys missed, didn't have that same dynamic playmaking ability. Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be running backs. I mean, I understand why everybody is saying they should be paid more. But at the same time, like this is natural selection at work. Nobody cares that. Nobody cares

that fullbacks don't get paid anymore. I mean if they just aren't used as much. Right, Like I feel bad for Derrick Henry, but those player There's been a lot of players like pointing out how Tannehill is getting so much money when Henry carried him. It's like, if I'm the Titans, I'm loving that franchise tag because no one's

gonna be mad at me for giving up on Derrick Henry. Uh. And like a year from now, if Derrick Henry doesn't look the same, which is very possible after having four touches, like they'll just let him go and no one on mine. Um a few more fran chise tag franch franchise tags. Anthony Harris and the Vikings are on a franchise tag relationship right now. The safety will make eleven and a

half million. Leonard Williams of the Giants. We talked about it last week that it would not be a great look for Dave Gentleman if he gave up uh some good draft picks to get Leonard Williams for a half season rental and then let him go. Well, he's not going to It looks like franchise tag on the defensive tackle. The Steelers placed the franchise tag on linebacker Bud Dupree.

Any thoughts on those gentlemen. Yeah, I think Leonard Williams I understand the potential, but you're franchise tagging in because your wish casting that he's the player you thought he was when he was coming out of USC. There's this is not a player that you would think would be franchise tag. The production just isn't there. I think he's one of the least impressive franchise tag guys we've seen.

M hmm, let's hit some eight o'clock to light. The Ravens agree with defensive lineman Michael Brockers on a deal. Who loves it? Who hates it? Want extremes? This is like the arms race in nineteen eighties n b A. You see the Celtics have Michael and Parish, so then the Rockets get Samson and the law Joan, and then the Lakers had to get Michael Thompson to go with Kareem. Everybody's trying to stop Patrick Mahomes now and you get these twin Towers with the Ravens. So the Saints put

a first round tender on Taysom Hill. That was expected, it happened. Sessler's excited. I love it. I mean exactly. It's always The Saints have not lied about Taysom Hill all along. It said they love him, and they showed it. Nick Kayakowski to the Raiders, don't know him. Greg filled me, a, oh, he's Wesseley rib there and West has been vindicated by ranking and Ohio on the top one O one West and Mike, Yeah, I got the thing. Take board correction.

I've been calling him quiet Kowski because he reminds me of this might go back to when Gregg was a college basketball fan Nebraska sharpshooter Eric Kowsky, but he's really pronounced quick Kowsky. The Jets from can Loves on their offensive line. They add former Seahawks office tackle George Fants, another thirty million, three year deal. Man. He's a guy that people are buzzing about. Get the Vets into the show. There's no way fan signing would make it if it

was with the Texans or something. This is behavioral science at work. Every time the Seahawks played him at left tackle, they had to bench him a couple of games later. Every time they use him as a sick lineman. They liked what they saw. Yeah, you guys know more than Joe Douglas. Whatever. The Seahawks, the Lions. I like George Fan. I'm gonna George Fan Jersey. Yea. Lions are signing former Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins. Rap Sheet reports that's a new one.

Also giving big news to Halle you know my guy in by time, big V not even gonna go with the first name. It's a very Lion's day signing Jamie Collins. Inside the Packers land Christian Curtsy to the mix that will solve everything. Did he stays healthy? I mean, I think you know he's he also was one of the linebackers, and I you know, he's on Cleveland's defense for most draw all of his career, and he led the NFL

and tackles one or a few seasons. But sometimes that's not a great sign, Like it's because you know, people are blasting through your defensive line over and over and Curtsy had to like stack up tackles. He's a good player when he's healthy, but really made like nine starts to last two years. Speaking of the Giants, they add James Bradberry to the secondary. The cornerback gets three years or forty five billion dollars. Once upon a time was

the Josh Norman replacement in Carolina. Now he's got some good lap and Ghettoman reunites with him after drafting him in Carolina. He's a guy who tends to cover guys like Mike Evans bigger receivers really well, and then struggles a little bit versus quick and the Chiefs pick up an option on Damian Williams, so they keep him in the mix. And finally the NFL announced that the draft is still on, will still be held in but it

is now closed to public. The whole Vegas thing is blown to smith reens and it could be something as simple rap sheet reported on Network Today as Roger Goodell sitting in front of a camera making the announcements. But something tells me they will think of something to blow it out and make it for of a entertaining watch. That will be the attempt they will make, but it will not be huge crowds of Vegas, and damn it

would be insane if it was. So. That was the no branding move represent it along with the news that the NFL um is the lane team activities indefinitely. Today makes me wonder about this rookie class, like you saw in the lockout, how not having options and practice really hurt that rookie class like this where might not be an off season like they're not might not be anything until training game, and that affects like the rookie and in effect, like how the creatings are going to be

going in the new team. Don't you know that if you're Tom Brady, make you give you pause about going to Tampa Bay versus I mean like you're gonna go go somewhere else. You're gonna be The NFL is gonna put Tampa Bay on seven national televised games, and you've got like eight, eight or nine days to install an offense with a bunch of newbies. Good luck with that. Nothing should give Tom Brady pause about going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The pirate ship in the stadium wouldn't mean.

Part of me just wants to see the world burn and and uh I would root for Tom Brady. Greg. I don't know if you're following the news, but the world is already burning. We don't need more. You're good. We're covered on that end. How about some normalcy, Keith Tommy, keep Tommy in New England, all Erica's friends. They're freaking out. I can't even imagine the text chain, some of the horrific language that's being used in their just defensive talk. Hey,

don't stereo tight stereo. I'm trying to some semblance of professionalism. While Walker my Son just starts, you know, they've done a good job. They've done a very good job. You know. A plus, the kids are all right, all right, h Walker? Why did the Bears sign Jimmy Graham? Oh? Yeah, the Bears signed Jimmy Grant Bears. That's a tough day. One signings made a play in three years Chicago a lot of money too. It's good to be a tight end. Tight ends are getting paid. The Hooper contract looks fine

after that Jimmy Graham deal. Yeah, that's nice to be a named brand as well, was David Johnson. That trade also tells you a little bit about how things work in the league. You to think everyone's geniuses running the league. Sometimes it's just like, oh, that guy was awesome on my fantasy team three years ago. He's like, I'll trade for him, you would hope not conversation between Ryan Pace and that ne I'm just saying, like you, the more you kind of get if you get in contact with

these people and you follow this league. The problem which makes it so terrifying as the football fans is that sometimes these guys aren't nearly as smart as you hope or wish them to be. That's all no shot against Ryan Pace circles around the league for two decades, right, I think like Ryan Pace mistakenly woke up at like four pm Chicago time, was like I better do something. I mean, I don't know what. What was the plan in Chicago? If you're a Bears fan, there was what

the one? It was absent of one. Supposedly Nick Foles might be coming. Tune back in on Tuesday. Yeah, we'll be back tomorrow with another rundown of all the action the news and will offer a recap of it all and analysis that will both be trenchant and done with a touch of mirth. That's what we do. And I think a good way to sign off for today's show, because again it is it is good to just talk about football and not think about how the world's on

fire right now. You know, we don't want to think about the fact that across the street from NFL Network is a gun shop and there was a line around the block this week. I have enough think about that. That's something I don't like to think about. That disturbed me and has disturbed me ever since that picture. And can I tell you EI there yesterday twice and I drove slowly to see what was going on, and there was no longer a line, but business was booming. My

wife has officially broached the topic of us driving to Texas. Uh, And I said, Honey, all due respect. Um, if you're if you're spooked by some of this gun stuff, the people buying guns in in l A. Driving to Texas maybe not the solution to ease your fears about guns to shape. But I understand where she's coming from. It it's it's a scary time and we're all alone out here. So have you walked her out of the house for this episode as you did last time? No? No, now

is her chance to turn the tables. I am now in the garage and when I return now to the home, we'll see if any of the doors are in fact open again a reminder to everyone, a reminder wash your hands and everybody washes the inside, need the outside, you need the cuticles, as West points out rightly. And also if you're you know, among that small segment of the population, get the webbing. And we'll be back Tuesday. And we'll

be back Tuesday with more breakdowns of everything. And yes, because we want to keep things light when you're listening to the show, because God knows it's heavy everywhere else. Um Sam Stringfield our runner up in our Connie Fox theme song competition. Uh he wrote another bang or a full song all about Mark Sessler's encounter with a great

Peter shre Tiger at the Indianapolis Scouting Combine. Um, the elevator encounter, as we all know, uh, the infamous moment the two men met face to face and uh Sam wrote a song about it and it's quite interesting. So that's a good way to send us all back into our homes, into the safety of our locked doors. Remember social distancing is important. Anything else, guys, well, it'll be another completely beguiling moment for Peter Schreeger, who's not tracking this.

I don't think minute by minute, sou but Stringfield he's a talent. Thanks for listening to multi times. Thanks thanks for listening. To Be Around the NFL Podcast presented by into a Quick Books, official sponsor of the NFL. This is Dan Hanson signing off for the Quiet Store and the Mailman, the Old Boss and Rick Hollywood behind the Glass Springfield take it away, will see you on Tuesday.

My perception of time has slowed. Cowboys in a rodeo in this INDI elevate or instead of eight seconds, honorable, it's eight floors. The streger could have let the door close on him, but decided to let on man talk man to man about what's spent. Circulate and get to the bottom of this as we listen, Q elevator music, m H two sree awkward talk. This small brings the universe to acroll so much unsaid, the need for leather in the football sick? Why has it taken so long

for these numbers to change on that wall? Finally we've reached my floor. It's time for me to go at two the hall. Sir, So you say ye I love you? Barrol M quite a second? What I just say? Nine, ten, eleven, twelve, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, fifteen, I'll replay miss right in my mind a thousand times, trying to decide of what I said was right. Yess, I'll be taking stairs the rest of the combine. Let me wrong.