Bunkercast IV: Tom Brady Goes South

because man, it doesn't get any better than this. Well, I mean, um, there's a lot going on in the world where that might disagree, but I do admit, even as even as a Patriots fan, like a day this momentous in NFL history, Like I'm I'm loving it. I I don't know, I still like it. Oh please, Greg, I'm with you. I feel we've we were beyond a thousand episodes at some point in this show, and have we ever had a news lineup equal to what we're about to get into today. It feels totally surreal. Some

of the bullet points we will explore. What do you mean? No? Please, because Dan, I've been pretty consistent on this podcast of how I was hoping, um it might end in in New England and that the last thing I wanted was an ugly ending. And to me, this is about as close to a non ugly ending as they were gonna get. There's no injury, there's no dramatic fall off, there's not

a ton of backbiting. Clearly he's not like thrilled and as a closet Bucks fan for a while like it's it's a fun landing spot where you can still roote on Tom Brady like no one no one's feelings are well. Let me just say this, and I wish all fans could be the way you are. According to many people New England, this is one of the darkest days in the city's history in terms of pro sports. From what we're hearing from some outlets, Erika barely got out of

bed this morning. Uh, and I you know, I just say, let's I would say, just let's hit pause. In terms of saying that there's not any bad blood. I have a feeling that with Tom Brady and the Big News obviously that he is He made an announcement on the social media that he is no longer going to play

for the New England Patriots. He's continuing his career elsewhere and reports that we're servicing just as we came on the air today and you might have the news official as a listener by the time you got We have got it right now. Ian Rappaport, our guy is saying that he has agreed to terms like literally as we're starting taping for thirty million dollars a season. Unbelievable. So Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are now officially

a thing. And I, uh, I believe two days ago said I would walk through Los Angeles and shake hands and give wet kisses to everyone in the city. So I will need to be quarantined very short. So I got a little bit of egg on my face on this. I guess I just never saw it coming. And Greg, I'm just wondering how this ends with Brady and the Pats And what we'll do is why don't we kind of work from where things started today to where we

are now. Um that Brady uses a social media to drop the bombshell that it's over immediately you get statements from Robert Kraft, Um and Bill Belichick filled with all

the flowery praise that you expected. But I keep thinking of the Seth Wickersham piece from a couple of years ago, and all the buzz that's been around this team for the last couple of years, two or three years about the relationship with Brady and Belichick and the and the Patriots, and I can't help but think that we're gonna get the whether it's another kind of Wickersham esque profile or some some one of these key figures will speak out eventually,

although that's not really the Patriots way that it is shocking to me. It is stunning to me that they did not ultimately get a deal done, and this was the path they went they decided to take that Tom Brady and Robert Craft, I think his exact quote, and I found this to be very interesting. Craft told Mike Giardi of NFL Network that if Tom wanted to remain a Patriot, we would have had a deal. I mean, there's so much intrigue to this, Greg, and you just

wonder if the whole story will ever come out. I imagine it will eventually, even if it's in a book fifteen years from now. I think it will, And I think it'll be sooner than that, and and it is intriguing. And of course I think there's a lot of hurt feelings here, and there was a lot of animosity, and there was a big, you know, three or four year build up to this happening. I'm not trying to downplay that.

Tom Curran spoke today on the Rich Eisen Show, saying Tom Brady got sick of waiting, and I think he wanted to see the love. He didn't feel the love from them money wise or respect wise, and the Patriots and I think Belichick were like waiting for them to make the first move. Crafts remarks that if you wanted to be here, um, he could be here, I think

was the most disappointing thing about it. I'm just sort of when I when I say, in the scheme of things, that could have been a lot uglier, I'm thinking about this two three, four years now, because ultimately, like his year or two or whatever it's gonna be in Tampa isn't gonna change um, the twenty years that he had. It's not gonna change him. Like sending that tweet out with Patriot forever and Bill Belichick is putting all that flowery stuff up and in the long run, like nothing's

gonna take that part away. And I think from both sides it makes a lot of sense to break up. I know you would love to see them stay together if you're a Patriots fan, but the odds on him playing at a really high level much longer don't seem that high. And it's almost like they tried to manage it in a way where they did have to get rid of him, that he was going to be the one to leave himself after he got the picture that Belichick ultimately didn't want it, because if they wanted him,

they could have kept it. Give me a break up that there was also a report that he was that the final straw were were the DeAndre Hopkins and Stefon Diggs trades, that he saw other teams being aggressive to upgrade their offensive weapons and the Patriots did not. I mean with that, is that what it came down to, as simple as Tom Brady needed the evidence that the

Patriots were gonna do right by him. In I mean, it seems small in the big picture for what this relationship is all about, but maybe it is as simple as that that Brady knows that his time is short in this league, and if the Pats are gonna go their organic Pats route, he's he's kind of done with it, especially if they're not gonna give him thirty million, which

the Bucks were willing to do. And the Pats seem like, we're they were never gonna pay Tom bradd And this is where and you're gonna call me out as a Pat's hater, but this is where it's. It really does bother me as a football fan looking at the Patriots organization. They never were willing to pay Tom Brady top of the market dollars to be their quarterback, and they did it right to the very end, to the point in

the league for a number of years. Oh but you know, Greg, it's well documented Tom Brady was well highest paid player in the league, and it is it is well documented for years and even over a decade that that guy could have made much more money, but he worked with the team to let them build up a better roster around him, and they never made right with him. And I think all that stuff is what's played into the fact that he's on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, that

is ridiculous and it should have never happened. I mean, I can't even sports. I I do think it's okay to that, like you accept that some thing's end in sports, things don't have to be forever, Like it's not. It's not Joe Namath on five knee surgeries or Dan Marino like being yeah, a little you have playing on mediocre. His ugly year was twelve and four, you know what I mean? Like they're ugly ending was twelve and four,

a year after they won the Super Bowl. To me, that's it's about as good as you could hope for it the end mark. Where are you on this? Well? I mean, I think you can't have it both ways. If you're a Patriots fan. You can't prance around town telling everyone how Bill Belichick has an eye for talent and his unemotional and removes himself from previous star players earlier than other coaching staffs and other franchises due because he has a way of scouting that says this player

is beyond the pale. I don't think that's necessarily the case with Tom Brady, but this is not the same same Tom Brady of years past, and I from another angle, I think that the emotional side of Tom Brady and the person that's always seeking uh new frontiers and new challenges. It's like the Hall of Fame put out a tweet about these small cast of characters that have even stayed

with one franchise for twenty years. It's guys like Jackie Slater, it's Darryl Green, it's Luke Rosa, and it's Tom Brady. And I think at this point, like the same way you see with successful bands or even a show like this or something, if you go long enough, people are gonna want to branch out and move on. And I think this was a organic I'm saying it's I think that this split between Belichick and Brady, and our job is to try to stir up what's the what's the

issue in the heat here? I think the tremendous between Belichick and Brady. But I think they've come to a natural breaking point. And I think that's been obvious for weeks. This is not that surprising. Can we stop? Can we stop? With the Tom Brady is just the same as Doanta high Tower or Dion branch Or. They moved on from half of those people to them longer than any quarterbacks played for any team. I mean that's ultimately he's being treated the same way. He's being treated the same way.

If there was one guy in the history of this franchise or any franchise for any team that should have been treated differently, it's Brady, especially if the guy still showed he had something left and I know he was slipping this past season. I just, I mean, we don't have to belabor this any longer. I just I know I'm not alone on this. Maybe I'm alone in this pot.

And if you if you're waiting for the seth Wickersham, you know reports slash novel, that means that you're acknowledging that there are large amounts of information that we don't have, and I don't think that we can just I'm just like, I'm not ready to blast the Patriots or Brady at this point yet because I'm not quite sure what the issue is here, what the breakdown was entirely. I feel like Tom Brady as a person like wanted them to come rushing towards him with an offer right away that

didn't happen, And there's a lot of pride involved. And I also think it's someone that's ready to move on from the Patriots is it all on the Patriots and

not on Tom Brady? I don't think so. To boosters points, the Patriot way, that cold, calculating, clinical way to run your salary cap and to run your organization worked because of Tom Brady and him and Tim Duncan being the most selfless superstars in sports in American sports of this generation and setting that tone where guys would come to the Patriots for far less money at the end of their careers, especially Chasey Rings that the tone that I'm

gonna take less money and I'm gonna let Build Belichick coach me however he wants. I just think it's a new era now where that stuff might not work anymore without Tom Brady. Ricky, where are you at? I don't even believe Go ahead, Greg, No, I want to hear

from Ricky? What do you think? I just can't believe that we're even talking about this and we're starting a normal podcast like you guys do for the last six years, and you realize Tom Brady isn't on the Patriots, Like it's just such a not to mention what's going on in our outside world, but what's going on on the inside of the din. You better. Just stop smirking and shaking like we're so lucky we're not in the same room,

like I would destroy you. Oh yeah, because I've been so lucky and blessed as an NFL fan in my life. You know what, all you Patriots fans, including you, just get ready. You're about to be normal again. You're not special anymore and that and that is something I say that you're gonna think it as a taunting way, and maybe it is a little bit. But Brady made the Patriots special, just like Belichick, and like I said yesterday's shows,

it's always gonna be chicken or the egg. What's the reason why they became the greatest dynasty of all time? And it is shocking to your point, Arika, that it's over, Like you know, it was gonna end eventually, and Tom Brady's dad has said it West, You've pointed it out before that it was always gonna end badly. It's it has now ended, and now I think there is a

bit of a shock and trauma to it. And it's amazing, like you're saying, Erica, that it's falling during this time where we are absolute lutely in a state of shock and trauma in the world. It's just all it's all of one piece of a mad week and a mad stretch of life. It's he, but he's I guess the thing is the perspective that he is forty two years old, like never leaves me. It always had to end. Like they won a six super Bowl on his third straight.

Probably quit the NFL. You should probably quit two. I don't have a job like Tom Brady luckily, Like we see the people who are on our network like they're they're they're right bold age, like you can keep playing. That's one of the things that's crazy. I guess it raised the question for me for sports fans, for like Dan, like what would ever be enough? Like if if you're saying the Patriots fans go back to normal, to me, they don't because they got to experience these twenty years.

Like what would ever be enough that sports achievement or enjoying the team you root for would fill the hole in your life where you would say, like that was special,

that was great, you know what I mean? Like, yeah, that they will be a normal team moving forward, But it doesn't on some level, like to me, that's not important because they they hit Patriots fans hit the jackpot and if they don't realize that now, like they should, they should wake up like they hit a lottery of a player coach partnership that has never happened in the hundred years of the NFL. And it was a beautiful

thing to watch. Like if you can't appreciate that and like you need more, like you're never gonna be think most people will greg but it's also the day of and like you just said, Rappaports confirmed it that it was like I'm not looking at this right now being like, oh, yeah, I had a great twenty years. My entire life rooting for sports has now completely changed. Like I think that Patriots fans are allowed to feel totally like heartbroken over this.

Yeah I was. I was a trader Joe's and there was like this line of four billion people with their little shopping cards waiting for the store to open, and there was this woman on her cell phone shouting about the fact that because Brady, she basically said, if he is not with the same team forever, there is no way he can be the goat. And she's just shouting into her phone. It's someone who's probably stationed on the

East coast in Massachusetts. The one thing, Greg, I mean, I appreciate that Greg is not your typical annoying Patriots fan. You're not. You're You're seeing it from a whole different pair of eyes than most people. But you you have to acknowledge Greg, that, like your Patriots fandom is on an island that is so far away, removed from the central land where most New England fans live and exist

and what they're feeling today. And I appreciate your also somewhat calculated, icy approach to this, but a lot of Patriots fans and I can think of my little nephews who live out there, who are heartbroken today. They're not over it two minutes after Ian Rappaport announces the news, And neither is Erika, who like she came into the Tom Brady experience at a totally different point in time than you did, or someone I don't think it's cold and calculated. I don't love, okay, but what I love

what is something? What is very different. I know it's different than most Patriots fans in and everything, and it's partly because we work in this and all that, but part of it is also I'm a Tom Brady fan, and I am going to root for him on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And I am a football fan, and I am intrigued to see what happens in the season. And if I was trying to come up with a fun place to go watch Tom Brady play some football and I want them to win, I would have, like

I it wouldn't have come to my mind first. But I love Chris Godwin and Mike Evans and Bruce Arians and O. J. Howard and like the idea of watching him do this. And I'm gonna root like the for the Patriots far more. Obviously they'll the I'm gonna be more emotional about it, but I'm gonna love Tom Brady forever too. And it's kind of a fun like thing to think about for the next season that it all makes sense, and I hear everything you're saying on that. I think a good parallel um for me, anyway, was

Derek Jeter and the Yankees. Another guy who played for twenty years. He won five rings. He was a legend for the Yankees the way Brady is for the Patriots, and I thought there was something good that he stayed there the whole time, even when he was no longer the same player he was in that cocoon where the fans loved him no matter what. He got to go out on his terms, waving walking off the field in the uniform. You lose that aspect of the end of his career. And yes, sports are the way sports are.

Very few guys get to write their own ending and it gets to end that way. Jeter was that type of player in baseball, and to me, Brady was that guy if there ever was a guy in football that that should have been able to go out that way, with the team always taking care of him and the fans getting to say goodbye knowing that the end was officially there. And that's just never gonna happen. And I think that's part of the reason a lot of people in New England and elsewhere across the world a Patriots

fans are upset. I said a couple of weeks ago that he reminded me of Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali, where they're the only guys who really stack up against him as far as accomplishments and renown and legend, and those guys are the exact same way. They needed that extra challenge at the end of their careers, and Michael Jordan went and played for the Wizards, he regretted it. Muhammad Ali went and fought against Michael Spinks or Leon Spinks and then against Larry Holmes and got his butt

kicked and regretted it and head health issues. And Tom Brady may regret this and he may not, but I think he definitely needed that challenge. And part of it is the ego and the pride that drives you throughout your career. And now it's hey, if you don't want me enough, look what I'm gonna go do somewhere else that's understandable to me, that is, and I get yep, I totally see that as well. It's obviously a fascinating uh NFL story and it makes the season all the

more exciting to look forward to. I don't know how the like, maybe you know, you seem to be good with remembering the stuff. Whether the Bucks were somehow on the patre It's schedule with the out of conference games. No next year next year, they are not this year, but they have. It's Drew Brees twice, it's Aaron Rodgers. There's a cast of characters they're gonna put the Bucks. They're gonna get the full treatment. We talked about this

on NFL never a couple of weeks ago. Which team is going to suddenly win the offseason and be all these flowery drapings put over them. They're gonna put the Bucks on five or six primetime games, and my concern is that they could be five and eleven. I just will you will see how this works out. But they there are some juicy quarterback matchups for Tom Brady, no doubt. I think I think the Bucks will be according to Rappaport, like I said, thirty million approximately per season, and it

is likely a two year packed. So he gets the multi year deal essentially gets very close to the Drew Brees deal, which we'll get to uh in just a little bit. But Tom Brady is joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It's a new era in football. Sorry, Ricky. I understand why arians would do this for football reasons, but I think there's also a part of it. The first thing I thought of was this man's memoir is titled QB. Whisperer. His portfolio is Peyton Manning, Big Ben, Andrew Luck, Carson Palmer.

Now you throw the chance to work with Tom Brady in there. This guy is the ultimate connoisseur of quarterbacks and nobody has a track record like that. And find another coach who's worked with that many legends. Bruce Arians, Yes, I I that is another fun angle of all this because to Arians is credit, he kept it, He kept a clear mind, and he made a decision at a certain point that I'm not going down with the Jamis Winston ship. I'm just not gonna do it. And he's

decided now. Uh. He obviously gotten concert with Jason Light and they made it happen to get a deal done, Uh, to bring in Tom Brady, and that's gonna be fun to see. It will be different though, right West. This offense, which with Winston was all just air it out, go crazy, throw the ball up for grabs. Sometimes the receivers get it,

sometimes they don't. The offense is probably gonna be operating a little different with forty three year old Brady Well and Greg will be the first one to tell you this that Jamis Winston might be the most underrated quarterback as far as escapability and being nimble in the pocket. Jamis Winston got that offensive line out of a lot

of trouble last year. And I think if there's one big concerned outside of Brady's for me pocket movement, it is Bruce arians offenses traditionally chuck it down the field. Wait winstant ever two and a half more yards per attempt than Brady did last year. Um, So I know we think that Brady's gonna bring his offense in and run whatever he wants. I'm sure that a large part of that is true, but I do think it's fair

to wonder how he's gonna fit in this offense. At the same time realize he's gonna have a lot better talent around him than he did last year in New England. Well, I see if if Bruce arians uh and that's I agree that his book should be titled Quarterback Whisper. He seems like one of the people that you could that would be an appropriate title for your uh self at the same feels like a good that's probably that would

be that would be a juicy follow up. But if he is a quarterback whisper, won't he be looking to concoct an offense that fits where Brady's physical skill set is. It's it's like if everyone, if every Jabroni on Twitter can tell you that Tom Brady can't throw deep anymore. I would assume that if that's if that's the case, that Bruce Arians will see that too. I mean they He's gonna have to probably break out of his mold.

This was the thing I love about Arians was that he let Big Ben, for long stretches of time in a row, call his own plays and and be a big part of the Steelers offense. And they got along so well because of the freedom he gave his quarterback. I would have to assume if you're gonna give someone like big Ben, who doesn't strike me as a like a deep intellectual, the ability to do that, that Tom Brady will be afforded such luxuries. What do you mean You don't think he has a great memoir coming out

where he's highly eloquent and teaches us. No, I understand, I understand. The other nugget, the one little like the bizarre nugget that came out was that you know, this is not a report coming from like the four or five people you linked to at this point, but that Antonio Brown, who was you know, a pupil of Bruce Arians and is friends with Tom Brady may ultimately be part of this team down the road. Sounds crazy today, but that's been out there that maybe a rehab mark

what Yeah, I saw it to West? Where how do you feel about that? I lovest afraid to ask. West loves it? Well, he hasn't here. Here's the reason why he may be allowed to play is that while there has been some police incidents, uh during his time away from the game, and obviously has been a bonehead of the highest degree, I don't know if there's been any serious charges or anything that would potentially keep him off the field for a long time. All that needs to

be sorted out obviously, Uh. But it could be a situation where he is able to play sooner than perhaps you would think, or it could be a situation where he faces a long suspension once the NFL finally has a reason to hand down discipline when somebody signs him. Right, and and there's we don't have a huge reason to trust this source at this point. And anyways, right do we like? Well, we mentioned that, we're just saying that it was a juicy little thing floating. Yeah, there's there's

a lot. That's the biggest concern is, like I don't know, being away from that offensive line seems like, uh, worrisome. He makes offensive lines look better. But but that to me would be the big the big worry going to Tampa, like just looking at them and since the Patriots and we'll we'll have time to dig into what's next for

the Patriots in a Tom Brady free world. But now that Tom Brady's out there and they're obviously going to go into an extended period two or three decades of just not being competitive, how about we untagged Joe Tuney and let him go sign with the Jets like that was supposed to happen. I feel like that's another takeaway from today that people should be talking about. Keep talking then, I don't know, you're not gonna get a lot of

feedback from muscle Man. You're not excited for Jared's did him to to lead sixteen A f C East titles in the next twenty years we'll see about that. There is another big time Hall of Fame quarterback on the move. Officially, Philip Rivers agrees to a one year, twenty five million dollar deal with you knew who was gonna bathe the Indianapolis Cults. The two sides are in agreement, and he ends his long storied career with the Chargers, not quite

a storied as Tom Brady's with the Patriots. There were never he never won a Super Bowl, but he had a long run of great play with the Chargers in San Diego and then l A. But now he joins

the Colts team. And since the beginning West this was presented as a great landing spot for Philip Rivers, a veteran quarterback who's very cerebral, that may not have the same physical tools he once had, but he could join a gifted play called like Frank Reich, playing behind an excellent, perhaps the best offensive line in football, that you might be able to get another year or two of really top play and now it's all come together and it's

gonna happen. Yeah, you know, much like Tom Brady, another player in the gradual decline phase of his career. We saw it last year with Rivers. His interceptions went way up, his touchdown percentage went way down, um and a lot of that was because for portions of the season he was playing behind the worst pair of tackles in the league, the least effective pair of tackles in the League throwing a lot of balls up for grabs to compensate for

that line. So it's an open question how much is the Cults offensive line, which is not only the strength of their team, but now the personality of their team, how much is that going to help? And how much is it gonna help? To go back to Frank Reich and Nick Sirianni, guys he's had a lot of success with. And that's to me the two differences between him and Brady. The offensive line is without a doubt of strength with the Colts, and he's already played in this offense. He's

already familiar with these coaches. I can't imagine him like getting a better spot. Philip Rivers I think of as a guy who's had pretty bad luck of the of what's happened around him throughout his career, but he's making up for it a little bit here, Like he got incredible luck that this opportunity was just sitting there for him, Like he could not have created a better, you know,

situation that was in San Diego. I mean like like I did not think and as someone who's always rooted for Rivers to have his kind of great late career moment, I would after what happened last year and the decision making that he had, I would not have thought he could have landed on a team that you could swint in se as an a f C contender this year. That and I think Rivers can play well enough for them to be in a FC contender like he he

he lucked out. I would argue that he might be a better fit for the Bucks than Tom Brady and for Bruce Arians offense than Tom Brady. I the Cults are not They don't have an embarrassment of riches in terms of the weapons around him, but he will be protected and there seems like a tough, rugged team. And then you look at that division and say, the Jaguars have fallen off a cliff. The Texans are ostensibly selling away their best players for you know, bags of salt.

So there is a chance that would again about the Cults here. Everything else seems to be trending in the right direction. But t Y Hilton's on the wrong side of thirty, really struggled to stay on the field last year. Paris Campbell, you know, you could get excited about him, perhaps, but they also now don't have a first round pick

because of the DeForrest Buckner trade. So the idea that they would be able to then take that premium draft pick in the first round and maybe add another wide receiver that is not an option as of now, so that would be the only thing that I would look at, And like is Rivers have a supporting cast to to light it up. But ultimately I think it's it's a great move for both sides. T Y Hilton's healthy now and Paris Campbell is a good talent. Like that doesn't

bother me too much. This team has drafted well. Zack Pascal came on last year, They've got Jack Doyle. I think they're fine. They're remember first half of last year, before their wide receivers got injured, they were winning almost every week. It makes you wonder what's up with the Kobe Brissette moving forward. And there's a million Patriots rumors out there right now, and one of them is, you know, would they bring to Kobe Brossette back as a possibility?

I do like when the team go like completely opposite, Yeah, I don't want that one. Uh, when the teams go completely opposite, Like Brissette is very careful Rivers. He doesn't care like he's going for it, whereas the Bucks are going completely opposite from Jamis Winston to like the most careful quarterback in the league and Tom Brady and other massive quarterback news. The Airlina Panthers are signing Teddy Bridgewater

to be their new quarterback. The deal is expected to come in and around twenty million a year over three years. From rap Sheet, Teddy Bridgewater is the quarterback of the Panthers. So what does that mean? What about Cam Newton? What about? What about Combine week when everybody was telling us that they were expected to move forward with Cam there one time superstar m v P. Well guess what rap Sheet also reported Tuesday at the Panthers granted Cam Newton permission

to seek a trade. The discussion came at The decision came after a discussion between the organization and the QB's agents. Now that's not where the drama ends. Cam Newton with his absolutely bizarre hieroglyphic uh font style that he uses on social media. I can't believe he's still doing this. This man is over thirty years old. He's got children, use real letters, use the English language, use any language, but not your own had this to have this to say,

stop with the word play. I never asked for it. There's no dodging this one. I love the Panthers to death and will always love you guys. Please do not try and play me or manipulate the narrative and act like I wanted this. You forced me into this. Love. Cam Newton unhappy about the end of his time with Carolina and perhaps more specifically, how the Panthers have gone about it, and now we have to see whether he

draws trade interest or not. There is a lot of sentiment and Steve Weisch talked about this on the network today that nobody's gonna trade for him until he can pass the physical and nobody can even take a physical

right now. Um, there's concerned. My brother Nick Westling texted me and said, why doesn't a team high in the draft just go ahead and take a gamble on Cam Newton and then draft one of these young guys with with the pick and and have their bases covered and I think people to me, it reminds me of where Andrew Luck was in two thousand, seventeen and eighteen, where you just have no idea how it's gonna affect his future, the arm injury and whether he's going to throw the

same or not. So I think as much as people doubted whether Andrew Luck would ever play again, he came back, and even in that first game or two we were doubting it, he came back and ultimately was fine. We just don't know which version of Cam Newton we're gonna get. I thought this news was as jarring as the Brady news, because the Brady news was coming at us for weeks and weeks, and you knew that split was definitely one of the potential possibilities. The Rivers news obviously has been

out there forever. This is a team that's been telling us, you know, he's even as recently as a couple of weeks ago, that they're all in on Cam Newton, and I kind of I thought that one of the more stinging reports of the day were the reports of what Cam Newton, what his reaction was when he found this out. I think he was totally blindsided by it. And this is a guy that I definitely at times have been annoyed by. The Cam Newton experience is not always something

that is easy to sign up for. But if you watch like that, all or thing series with the with the Panthers, I had a totally different opinion of what Cam Newton meant to this team and into the whole area in the region and where he's been for a decade plus. And this split is about as messy as it gets because I think that he's dealing with a new coaching staff and a new group of people that did not play straight with him. It's not you know, I know, Cam Newton's not Tom Brady and Mark. You

hit it on the head. This was like the the ugly messy ending that would have been like a nightmare for something like this to happen with with Brady in the Patriots. Because the Panthers statement that they're trying to trade him not only did you know Cam Newton not like how it was positioned. It was just like an announcement that his career is over there they said literally in the statement, thus ending his career with the Panthers. And I was thinking, like, well, why don't you just

cut him? I mean, like they are going to cut him. That that statement was an announcement that we are prepared to cut here some things before the combine that they were trying to trade him and that they couldn't get anyone interested, and then I guess they decided to put a public face that they're gonna keep them because they

didn't know how things were gonna go or not. But basically, once they got to here today Tuesday, and they were happy to get Teddy Bridgewater under contract, it was like, Okay, now we're now we're done with cam and if if we don't get a fifth round pick for him, we'll

just cut him in a couple of days. And at this point, because of the points uh you made West about the medical I think he's gonna get cut because if you're a team like teams out there, but the Bears, the Patriots, and the Chargers come to mind, like why not just wait for him to get cut and then

and then figure out what's next with him. He's in a very difficult situation here because, like we're saying, with the medical stuff, he needs to prove now to a team, either a team that would trade for him unlikely, or once he becomes a free agent, that he's healthy. And the way things are set up now with the world

and the coronavirus is when does that happen? When or when is he able to have a workout where he's able to throw when I mean, maybe there are situations where that it can end up working out, maybe things change the way things are in the world right now, uh three weeks from now or a month from now,

or eight weeks from now. But it seems like just by the natural um the way things are with the schedule of the NFL and how teams are going about having to fill their roster, that he could be putting almost an impossible situation where he could be a free agent still when teams are ready to go to camp because they couldn't wait for him, they had to make

a move. Yeah, that this feels like something that could play on throughout the off season, and the off season, depending on what happens with the coronavirus, could could extend into what September who knows, don't know. And now you look back to what the Panthers are going forward, they are going to go with Teddy Bridgewater, who is not only now come all the way back from that catastrophic kne injury, he's now getting paid like a real NFL

starting quarterback. That's what he's going to be for the Panthers. Uh, Mark, I feel a little bit apprehensive about whether this team is going to get what they are expecting for Teddy Bridgewater. I love to be wrong. Everybody loves Teddy, but he's got a lot of money to be their guy. I'm with you. I I Teddy Bridgewater. The story is great. No one would would debate that. I'm not convinced on any level that it's an upgrade, and I'm not. I don't believe it's an upgrade over a healthy Cam Newton.

I also a little bit at this point beguiled by what the overall Carolina Panthers team building processes here, because we've heard reports that everyone from Christian McCaffrey to whoever else is available for trade. So is Teddy Bridgewater going to be overseen? Um? A deep cut rebuilding scenario? Is that what he's going to have to wade through as a starting quarterback? Uh? And maybe they thought that Cam Newton was not gonna want to sign up for that.

I just, you know, I don't know. If I'm a Panthers fan, I don't feel that the quarterback position got better, and I I'm probably tough for him and Teddy than some, but I just to me, nobody through shorter passes in the entire NFL then he did when he filled in for Drew Brees. And part of that is just trying to survive your quarterback going out, but it's also telling about what he has as a skill set. And I understand why the Panthers, We'll get a guy like Teddy

who's a game manager. You get the ball into the hands of McCaffrey and d J. Moore and Curtis Samuel will let him do things after the catch. I get that, but you give away Cam Newton's upside whatever it is at this point, I don't know for a guy who's a game manager, that's that's tough for the fans to swallow. I just get the feeling that maybe this is a tear down for tear down sake with a new owner, and it's this whole idea. They have a new owner and a new coach. We want everything new. And that's

why I don't know. We we haven't had any like serious reporting. I don't think about Christian McCaffrey being on the block, But are we kidding me? This guy's twenty four has had as good as start to a career as a running back as anybody in twenty five years. So he's on the block too. But what because he's not from this current regime. The whole thing is just a little bit dicey to me if I was a Panthers fan. But they are determined to start things over

their way. Well, I think the whispers that we are hearing are that they're going to try to straddle the line between a pure rebuild and trying to stumble their way into competing. So I think they're gonna try to, you know, through that eye of the needle. But we'll see. I think one you know, important thing for Bridgewater is that he played under Joe Brady, who is their offensive coordinator. Joe Brady was a Saints assistant in and so he

he saw Teddy Bridgewater up close. And the offense that they want to run is kind of an offense predicated on a point guard style type of player. Now Joe Burrow would be the best case scenario of that, but that is what Teddy Bridgewater is. Is like a wide open hopefully if you're a Teddy Bridgewater fan with a little bit of upside, and I think his contract has been misunderstood. To me, that's not big time starting quarterback money.

That is actually bridge quarterback money. That's Tyrod Taylor what he got in Cleveland money, but just updated for NFL inflation three years later. And I don't think it's gonna be a lot of guarantees. And I wouldn't be surprised at all if Teddy Bridgewater is competing with the top ten pick at the position. Uh come September, we will see how it all plays out. In other quarterback news, I mentioned it Drew Brees and the Saints. They officially put pen to paper on a two year contract worth

roughly fifty million, per sources informed of the situation. Until rap sheet, this was never a situation. Uh, never any doubt here. Now. The only question Greg is whether Drew Brees sees the amount of set snaps as he's seen in the past, or with Taysom Hill, who just got the first round tender, is really going to take a

bite out of his playing time? That is, I think as we get closer to week one, assuming there is a week one, uh, as we get closer to that, that's that's what everyone's gonna be talking about about this team. It's gonna take on a lot of that assumes that Taysom Hill, isn't your starting quarterback for the New England Patriots coming on? Some whispers about that that would be

a fun, a fun story plot line for this podcast. Well, I always said I would believe that Drew Brees would take less than market value when I saw it, and now I've seen it, because he took four or five million dollars less than Ryan Tanel. It's a shock. Take that, Greg, What can I do? Good? Good job by Drew Brees, I guess. Uh, anybody else have any comments on Breeze? I feel like we all saw that coming and he's locked and loaded. And that's how you take care of

an all time great. You don't let him out the door like he's just another guy, same old, same ole. Right. I appreciate any quarterback narrative minus endless drama at this point, and this one came in, and UH like it. Very nice, very nice and smooth. That's how I like it. This time around, the Raiders needed to get better on defense, and they made a big took a big step in that direction, signing former Rams linebacker to a three year deal where thirty six million. Rap sheet reported bass salary

of eleven point seventy five. So he goes from l A to Vegas gets a big pay bump. Uh. He was playing on a one year deal for three million last year, but he really jumped out. In fact, he was where we are now Chris Westling or where we were entering today. He was up to number seven on the free agent Top one oh one Scientists list. So this feels like a good get for I love this

linebacker pairing. They set up Nick quick Kowski, who's better against the run, and Corey Littleton, who's great against the past, great special teamer. This is a defense where I think we've been waiting as long as we've done this podcast for them to get an impressive front seven, and they are finally working on one. They also signed Maleak Collins from the Cowboys. They signed Carl Nassib, who flashed for the Buccaneers the last couple of years. They added Jeff

Heath from the Cowboys at safety. They are finally adding some NFL starting caliber talent to their defense. That had also that you're gonna get Jonathan Abram back at safety, and the little window of time that we saw him in the in the early part of the city preseason, he i thought he looked great. And you can see Mike Mayock and his ability to it's not just beyond TV and tell us which players should go where in the draft. He's able to slowly build a cohesive defense.

And I look at the Rams flip side and say how many more players can leave the Rams at this point? I mean, there's a bunch of signings today of x Rams. They weren't all there last year, but that are no longer in Los Angeles, and there's rumors that a variety of offensive players on the Rams are available too. That is this team that's sneaky close to looking totally different than they were in the past in the wrong way. Looks like they are being aggressive in the sense that

they are looking to turn the page. And they got to the Super Bowl after a nice two or three year run and now they're looking to perhaps maybe not tear it down, but remodel the whole thing over. Reported earlier this week on Monday that both Todd Gurley and Brandon Cooks are on the market depressed assets as they are, But as we saw David Johnson yesterday, that doesn't mean those guys can't be moved if you get the right

guy on the GM app. Aren't too many of those GM s, but there one was hit up yesterday on the app. In other news, you know, it's good to be a cowboy, even an ex cowboy, because it seems like when you go to the Cowboys, it has a habit of getting you paid, even if it's not the Cowboys doing it. We saw it with Randall Cobb getting a nice deal from the Texans after the new New Copkins trade yesterday, and Robert Quinn he gets a big

deal with the Chicago Bears. The edge rusher is signing a five year, seventy million dollar deal uh with the Chicago Bears. This from Rappaport and Tom Pella Sero thirty million, fully guaranteed. Uh. He'd kind of fallen off the radar playing with the Dolphins, but he landed with the Cowboys. Last year had eleven and a half sacks, thirty four tackles, two force fumbles, and four team games and then he gets a pay day out of it. West You like

this signing. I was surprised how much money he got, but that's not that has nothing to do with the way he played last year. We're used to him coming into September, having a great first month and then sort of gradually declining as the season goes on. And last year he was great from the minute he stepped on the field until the end of the season. He would explosive first step, just like he had early in his career, and he had eleven and a half sacks and still

missed a few games. This guy was relentless as a pass rusher. The Bears, the Khalil Mac Robert Quinn paring is very intriguing for them. They do lose Leonard Floyd, but they upgraded there. Greg. Maybe Greg, maybe Robert Quinn will be somebody that helps Khalil Mack, who had a bit of a down year by his standards, put a better guy on the edge, and maybe that will lead to um Mac regaining his dominant ways. If I'm ambarrass fan, I'm not loving this offseason. You signed Jimmy Graham too

good money, and you signed Robert Quinn too superstar money. Quinn, he's coming off a great year, but if you look at the last five years, he's average about five and about seven sacks per season, and he has he has back troubles. Yeah, I'm with Greg. I think that Chicago's offseason has to be at this stage right now. You look at what's happened this week, a directionless drift into darkness. I'm not sure what this team is doing. Fan base know they're giving they're giving the fan base no hope.

And if you're gonna try to go, you're gonna try to solve all your issues hope. Oh no, hole, that's fine. I don't have a problem with Robert Quinn, but what is the Bears fans thinking about the overall team right now? I would be very get Cam. Robert Quinn does not allay the concerns with what's happening overall with this general manager who feels outclassed by you know what, the general manage the rankings right now. No, I think it's absurd. It's year eight in a row, all right, Well, they

were one of the best teams in the league. You're a season ago. They maybe could get things back on track. However, however, Greg, you just made the point. They make so much sense, uh to be a team that takes a gamble on Cam Newton and see if it works out, and if

it doesn't, you just start over at the position. I like that, Greg, Well, if you look at quarterbacks, who's left Cam Dalton If you want to throw for set in Jamis And there's only like three teams that you know, the Chargers and the Patriots, and I would throw the Bears in there. Don't forget Gino greg I mean Gina week one Patriot starter, how about that? Oh my god? Uh. And on the subject of the Bears, who the market markets with a holy passion, they released. I like their fans.

I feel bad for their fans. I don't think they're being treated fairly as a fan released former first round pick Leonard Floyd cutting with Louis before his fifth season. He had seven sacks as a rookie. But it is not really happened for Floyd. So that was a whiff by Bears management. In other news, the Chargers, you know Jim Trotter, very serious man, Jim Trotter, and he's a man that when he reports something, you know that it's

gonna happen. Uh. He said on NFL network air waves right as the Brady stuff was going on, that Tom Brady took the Chargers out of the mix because he wants to stay East and he wanted to stay close to his son who's uh younger is young and Brady didn't want to be on the on the left coast, So the Charges instead have to settle for Brian Bulaga, who signs a three year, thirty million dollar deal. Uh move that Mark. I is gonna make their offensive line better.

They needed to do that. But there are another team now when you look at where they're at, I do not want to hear. I don't want to get us something. You know how Mitch Drabsky and the Bears get your goat, Mark. I don't need to hear. Tyrod Taylor is a guy they actually believe in, uh throughout the summer entering Week one. They gotta do better than that guy. I'm sorry, And Tyron's a nice guy in a very good backup, but please do not tell me that he's a guy they're

comfortable with as their starter. I'm we do. I would pair the Brian Bulaga signing with Trey Turner and say they've don't they've They've helped a critical week spot on their roster by this offseason so far. But this is not nineteen seventy six. We are not reading you know, two paragraph Chargers updates two times a week in the newspaper. You can't snow us over with Tyrod Taylor chit chat.

You've got to address the position Otherwise, savvy fans know that the season is a lost cause, and you're gonna be having the same conversation next March, assuming that there is a next March. With what's happening in our world right now. I like that. I like that's a good point that you It was much easier to pull the wool over a fan base is eyes in ninety six than it is now. You've got to have answers. Fans are savvyer well. Plus, the Chargers fans thought they were

maybe getting Tom Brady. They were basically the one team that went all in on Tom Brady and they didn't get him, which for the fans that are out there are probably disappointed. Um. Speaking of over the hill, tight ends still getting paychecks. Jimmy Graham got paid with the Bears, and Jason Witten he's still an active NFL player because he comes to terms on a contract with the Oakland Raiders. It's a one year deal, rap Sheet reported. The Las

Vegas Review Journal first reported the deal. Uh So, the Raiders add the thirty seven year old who got in the end zone a few times, four times with the Cowboys last year, but we continued to get slower and slower. But now he's reunited a little uh Greg, a little bit of a Monday Night football reunion here of x n F M m n F booth dudes, Grouden and Witten.

I am not looking forward to the press conference when they're just like, we wanted to bring in a real man to show these raiders what being a real football player is all about. We're gonna we do not need I don't need Mike Mayock to tell me that they now have another coach on the field. I don't you know, it doesn't do much for me. Uh, do you guys want to do a little uh twelve eight o'clock to

light please? Why not? Let's do it, Ricky. The forty Niners resigned safety Jimmy Ward to a three year, twenty and a half million dollar contract. He stay, he struggles to stay healthy west but he can all coming off his best season. I think he was. You know, their front seven got all the credit for them, but he was one of the better safeties last year. The Dolphins agree with ex Eagles running back Jordan's Howard so a team. Mark,

You've made a good point on Twitter. One of the strangest seasons ever the twenty nineteen Dolphins leading rusher Ryan Fitzpatrick. Jordan Howard, Well, he's a guy. Well, it's yeah, it's We will see other teams where, especially with the way the quarterback position is, where a quarterback leads the team and rushing. But we will go a thousand generations before an NFL quarterback leads the team and rushing with two

hundred and forty three yards. Hopefully they can improve on that next next week, Mark tough situation for the Blowhards because Chase Daniel has reached an agreement with the Detroit Lions on a three year, thirteen and a half million dollar deal that includes avoidable clause that is some saucy backup money. Blow Hard. He gone well, very trying morning from the Blowhards and where there was a couple of conference calls on just you know, how do we deal

with this going forward? But they the Lions also turned around and shopped Kyle Sloterer off the roster, So people, Loudhards are safe for now and one of the NFL's highest most intriguing organizations. The Detroit Greg there's a brand of veteran backup quarterback that straddles the line between we hope he never has to play, yet we're still going to give him four million dollars and Matt Shop and Chase Daniels are sitting pretty right there they now at Greg.

Ryan Shazier has been moved to the reserved retired list by the Steelers. Uh that uh points towards the end of his career. He's he's valiantly come back from that back injury, but his goal of getting back on the field seems like a long shot. Yeah, that's disappointing. I think if I'll take this moment to just remember Ryan Shazier like what he was like as a player, I think people forget what a dynamic, speedy, instinct of just fun linebacker he was to watch when he was healthy.

D G a Reader and the Bengals um agree on a four year, fifty three million dollar contract. West what is going on? They also signed Trey Waynes. The Bengals are spending money, but the Bengals have been drafting these like refrigerator sized nose tackles in the mid rounds. The last few years and none of them have panned out, so they go get DJ Reader, who's one of the best in the NFL. At it the Trey Wayne's one

blew my mind. I think that is the one where I saw the contract terms and thought the Vikings have been trying to hide this guy for four years and the Bengals want to give him fourteen million a year. Thomas Davis to the Redskins, Vic Beastley to the Titans, Joe schober to the Jacks, Blake Martinez to the Giants, Mario Addison to the Bills, David anya Mata to the Saints, and Darquis Denard headed to the Jaguars. Oh my goodness, eight o'clock to light complete congrat congrats the Dave Gentleman

for putting together that Packers linebacker corps. Just gotta do it. I gotta do it West. How about now you let's let's now, let's now take some stock in what's happening. It is a new era for the NFL. Tom Brady is no longer a Patriot. Everything is different in the a f C. The Bengals have the number one overall pick and a generational talent potentially walking in that door free agency. We're being told that this is a new

um way of doing business in Cincinnati. They are signing players, they're looking to improve that offensive cores sneaky, not too bad. Are you in? Are you getting close to and you're thinking about being in? Are you looking down in your family members back in the Midwest where Yet this is the first time I thought has been put in my head that this would be like an opportunity to get in. It had not occurred to me that this is something

that I would do. I think of them the same way I always do, with a little bit of bemused detachment, hoping that they lose every week. You know, Wes, I just you know, I have to hit the hit the

drum on this one again. You have people that you love in the Midwest, in the Cincinnati area and the on the west side of Cincinnati where you grew up, who when they wake up in the morning on football Sundays, they pull on their jerseys and they put on their caps and they have a great day when the Bengals win.

And yet you, due to some rigid sense that you were wrong by this football team that doesn't really know who you are, You want them to lose and in in effect, make your family the people that you love unhappy. I don't. I just doesn't. It doesn't check out the logic. Well, most of the people I love and my family and friends, they're like, they're not chumps. So they got out somewhere along the way over the last thirty years when it became obvious that the move was to get off the ride.

And the other ones have enough going on in their life. Where the Bengals, they're like, their happiness does not rest on what the local football team does, So there they'll be fine. It's even I love that we've had this conversation four eighties seven times and the result has not moved one inch. Nothing has changing. And you know what,

I'll never I'll never stop. I feel like because Tom Brady is now finally out of the a f C East, this is Dan's great white you know what, you might be right, and you know it's especially cold blooded to hear West replying that way while he's wearing giant reflective aviators. It just it makes you seem like like the T one thousand assassin from a terminator. I want coming, all right, so Ricky, I want to before we sign off. I

just want to t you up one more time. Is there's this I heard one thing on NFL Network where they're playing some radio call ins from w e I, which is the big station or one of the big stations up there for sports talk radio, and one especially angry New England fan said, Hey, Patriots, I want to remind you that this was a Red Sox town before Tom Brady came, and you just signed your death warrant

that it's gonna be a Red Sox town. Do you think do you think do you think, Ricky Hollywood, that New England fans will ever love the Patriots uh the way they did during the Tom Brady era? Do you think it was will officially essentially be a twenty year period of time and then it we'll go back to the lay it used to be. Or did Tom Brady and Bill Belichick change things forever? And knowing about how that team is seen, I think it'll take a little while to bounce back. I really do. I think that

people are really upset that he left. I think, you know, we are a Red Sox town in Boston for sure, Um, but we were a Celtics town and then Paul Pierce left, and everyone said that they weren't going a route for the Celtics anymore. I mean, come on, everybody comes around eventually and we're We're a sports town. Boston is one of the biggest sports towns in America and it's going to stay that way. But I think the Brady news is is really upsetting for a lot of people have

measured well thought out. I dismiss all of that. Dismiss all of that, and in a cold way, no, that was that was a lovely answer. I will note though, that Bill Belichick is still there, and Bill Belichick is a few years away from trying to break Don Shula's all time coaching wins record, which I believe he will hang around and try to accomplish. And so one half of the duo that made them what they are is

not going anywhere. Well, that's that's fair, And I'm curious, just I want to take a boat here is does anyone here think the Patriots do not win the a f C East in right now? Oh? I think the heavy favorite. I mean, I'm not gonna go against the team. I'm taking the Patriots. I mean, let's wait and see who they get a quarterback. But I have no problem. How about how about Stidham and Cam Newton combination? Right, you were just saying how you can't wait to be

a Bucks fan this year? You got you know, sports big as. I'm gonna route on the Bucks too, But I'm a Patriots fan through and through there. I mean, there will be no greater embarrassment than you know. All these Jets, Bills and Dolphins fans are in their house getting like super hammered tonight over this news. But the Patriots might still just go twelve and four and win

the division. The other issue is these other three teams Bills excluded because they've made improvements, have to actually learn how to win games on their own. They're not just gonna be handed in NFL division because Tom Brady and aging Tom Brady moved to Florida. It's not how I learned nothing. That an assumption that because one random team has a tenant six and or eleven five season like the Bills, oh, let's just pencil them in for eleven

more wins or twelve more wins, everything changes. And yes, I am as as happy as I am. The Patriots will never be the same because they will never have Tom Brady again. But to write them off as an an FC East champion in twenty I cannot do that. Well, let's look at the Patriots. Let's look all they played in the second half of the season. They weren't a good team. So it's not just about losing Tom Brady. This was not a good team from November on. Mmmmmmmmmmm

the best team in that division. What a world. But these are these are the good days, guys. These are the days we look back and smile. Yeah, all of us at our separate houses and quarantine and Tom moving to come on, I'll see you America in a couple of hours. We gotta we gotta tape an episode of the Jeff le Nick and Rosenholty Project. Yeah, and they won't let me do it remotely. So when I die, you know who to blame. And speaking in which I

know I have to go. I have to go door to door and stop, start knocking on some doors and do some handshakes because this Brady Bucks thing happens. So I'm a man of my word. The old Zeuzer keeps his words. So I Am going to brave it. And I'm sure a lot of people will be down for hugs and kisses and handshakes. There's only one way to find out. I gotta get to work. Feel free to call us when you're arrested for minutes from now. I mean,

this is how you know there's no police anymore. That's a good point that actually opens up new horizons for what this evening. There's no parking tickets. I'm not saying it's worth it, but it's not nothing. Thanks for listening to the Around the NFL podcast, presented by Into It Quick Books, the official sponsor of the NFL. This is

Dan Hand. Oh and remember wash your hands. And I don't mean just the insides, the outside, cuticles, webs, any any type of connective how your tissue connects between the fingers. Get in there twenty seconds at least, warm water, soap, Get in there. This Dan Hands a signing off for the Quiet Storm, the Mailman, the Old Boss, Ricky Hollywood in their respective bunkers will be back tomorrow, the official start of the league year till Wednesday eight