Bunkercast XXXI: 1000th Show & Unsolved Mysteries

the week it is. Welcome to another edition of the Around the NFL Podcast. My name is Dan Hansens, and I'm joined in the city filled with heroes. Still in Bunker's up to thirty one folks, Mark Sessler, Chris Wesley, Greg Ross of all what's up boys? Okay, Dan, Well, I should say this is the thirty first Bunker cast, but according to one tabulation, this is the one thousand

Around the NFL Podcast episode. Now how about that? Well, we are blowing it out as you can see it all all the you know, when you think a thousand episode, this is what it looks like. You know, I turned forty and the Bunker and it all it's only fitting that another milestone hits now where we're in the state, Um, Mark, did you ever think we'd get to a thousand episodes? Well, I mean at various points I thought different things. Um not when we started. But it's just because that seemed

like no shows last that long. I mean, how many podcasts in our own media house coming gone? Um, we've outlived them. And yeah, when we got to about you know, six d or so, I thought, well, unless one of us was assassinated, Um, we're taken out. Um we're gonna do it. And you know we've had some run ins on that front too, but we're gonna, We're gonna, We're pushing on. I'm also feeling like a crazy person right now.

So I don't well fame to say you've talked a lot about getting a fascinating assassinated by a female that you always specify that the fleet of comes up. I said, it comes up more often now, so that is a bit of a concern. Oh, I definitely want that to happen.

We made it. That's not changed. We made it, and we had Mark along for the whole ride, and Ricky Hollywood, you've been with us for I'd estimate in the range of what two hundred shows are so now, so you are you must be at this point you might be the how you have to be the leader now for the producer that's produced the most episodes, Yeah, no doubt. You know, we love having the great Ricky Hollywood. What best you know? Greg, here's the question. Yeah, will we

do undred episodes together? Yeah? Two thousand West yes, Mark Sezler, Absolutely, I mean what else do we have to do at this point? Three thousand old Juicer? No, all right, well we'll see. It's been a great ride though, boys fifty years old dance. It took us what this is, six years, so not longer than that. Seven So that's yeah, one years. Yeah, we well we started in July, so we're coming up on Yeah, it'll be seven years, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen,

seven years. I mean, let's be real here. We are the demographic people are searching for right now. So I mean another seven years feels like um an easy. Yes, well, now that I've aged out of my thirties now it's just it's just a bunch of forty something white pros. So we are getting to the point, like Oliver from Brady bunch or the little ginger boy from Different Strokes. Uh, and even listen to my pop culture references where we need to bring in someone younger, someone who looks different

than us just to keep the show fresh. So that's something to think about. Maybe that's Erica. Maybe that's what Erica's roll ultimately is to give us that flavor, and maybe we need more to keep thriving or they just you know, replace us in mas you know, like for you know, late twenties, you know people, Oh yeah, that could happen as well. Its perilous reality. That's that is funny that me setting that up with you guys, as if we might have the ultimate decision how long this goes,

we will not. I mean, if you can wipe out the Chicago Bulls and I finally dove into that series, um, and it's it's amazing, as you've all mentioned, I mean, if you can wipe those guys out, four white guys on a podcast fields killable and you know what, there's I don't think there's a Jerry Krause type figure upstairs and are right now, but there it's only amoutter of time for a cross rolls in and we might roll out. I feel like we survived a couple of crosses everything.

Oh we have we survived sub crouses. Yes, um, anyway, yes, so if this is indeed one thousand and if it's not, it's got to be close. But according to one thing we saw, it is uh great to be around. And we got so many people reached out to us UM and said they've been a listener since the first show. So we've gotten many many listeners that have said they re listened to shows. They play the A t N podcast roulette where they just pick a show from a

random year and re listen. Uh. So we are so happy to have you guys along for the ride with us. But now we spent forward. Today's show. Took a nice Monday off after the draft. That was nice. But now it's back to work and we are going to Now the draft is in the rear view mirror. If they might, teams might think they've found solutions, that they've solved all their issues, but the reality of the situation is that there are are unsolved mysteries connected to the NFL in

the post draft landscape. I would really if I could, if we have the technology reanimate Uh what was his name. Where was the host Robert Roberts put him on the show. Oh yeah, I'd also like him to take a deep, lengthy look into where the two Patriots ball boys are at this point. No one's heard from them in years, right, and I believe they're not above Brown great up idea reboot baby all right, But before that, let's get caught

up on some news. One thousand Baby cantas Man Gregg at home is on the telephone setter around this hotel room podcast had Ricky Stu behind the glass heroes can I'm kicking world outside is burning too? At least it's not the Cleveland Browns. Then never stopped the podcast tracks keep turn on the World. Ah beautiful, beautiful composition about the show from an Irish listener, Mark Sessler. His name Hugh O'Connor, um what number one. I think we all

thought that was an amazing job. I reached out to him just to get the videos for our show and stuff, and I mean he also couldn't be a nicer, nicer guy who is a longtime listener. And if like I think the lyrics, I had a few friends listening that they thought the lyrics just from from Wired to Wired to Wire were perfect. Let's um, let's play that whole song in in full at the end of tonight today's show. Uh, Hugh O'Connor shout out, you are to me better than

Billy Joel. But that's not a high bar. All right, let's get into the news. What we got Billy Joel fans in the house. I mean, I I think there's respect that should be paid to the catalog he's produced. That a little bit. Come on. I know Greg feels way differently and despises Billy Joel's music. I heard. I heard a lot of it. It's too much of it. It's just one of those going to those guys your parents always played that you got absolutely sick of. So

it's not really Billy Joel's fault. It's Tommy's, Debbie Rosenthal's fault. He's of a time and place. I don't think his music translates to the twenty one century. See he's just buried. He's not safe with you, and you shot an arrow through him. I respect what he put out in the eighties. It was great at the time. I like, I love the band Europe, but they don't really translate anymore, you know.

I think it explains why, you know, younger guys like Greg and Dan who maybe we're too young to listen to some of his best stuff early on and heard it second or third hand. Interesting. I did love We Didn't Start the Fire when I was nine. I thought that was the greatest composition by anyone ever, and then he O'Connor topped it thirty years later. Um, all right, let's get into it. Jamis Winston has a job, or it looks like it's heading that way. This is not

official yet, correct. He hasn't signed officially, which makes makes you wonder a little bit. What's going that's interesting? Yeah? Who sports is? Charles Charles Robinson reports that New Orleans is finalizing a one year deal with Winston, the former Buck coming off a five thousand nine yards season, thirty plus touchdowns, thirty interceptions, and immediately eyebrows raised the idea that Winston would stay in the division go to the

Saints back up Drew Brees. He enters the mix with Taysom Hill, who is supposed to be and maybe still is the air apparent uh to Breeze. So it just leads to a lot of unsolved mysteries in its own right, Greg, your thoughts when you heard the news that Winston maybe and quite possibly is headed to the Saints. I Uh, I wasn't shocked because I I what I did this hashtag? They're set up into your own comment with a big wait whit whit? What did? Uh? You made your Greg

sound effect that you often. I wasn't gonna say anything, but then Mark reacted to it, and I can't help myself, but go ahead, Sorry, I did this Saints Twitter pot podcast just you knew our boy Dad Boy Wolf as a as a podcast in my buddy Adam and uh, they were saying they were here and this was gonna happen before the draft, so they got sources on the inside. Um and they ended up being proven right. And it makes all the sense in the world if you're Jamis Winston,

and it makes sense if you're the Saints too. I you know, I think you get a chance to get Jamis Winston in the building for a year, probably Drew Brees is last year. We haven't heard any financial terms. The Jamis Winston deal, you know, was reported on before the Taysom Hill extension came out, and the money that was involved in extension came out. So part of me does wonder is this deal for absolute shirt? Does? Did

Winston know about that before he came to terms? But either way he should do the deal because if he can somehow impress Jean Payton or if he can end up getting in the lineup and being his backup like Teddy Bridgewater, Uh, what better place to possibly learn? Because damis Winston still has allowed to learn, but he also has a lot of talent. A guy that throws for five thousand yards can do things in the NFL, and like, there's no better place to learn other than under Drew

Brees and Sean Payton. So along with this, Taysom Hill gets a new contract including sixteen million up front guaranteed, and I think you have to make uh common sense out of that. To me, the words and actions of Sean Payton over the last few years, it's obvious that he values Taysom Hill extremely high in two ways, One as option A in the succession plan to Drew Brees, and two for the versatility and mismatch issues he gives at several different positions tight end, wide receiver, running back,

special teams. He values that versatility more than he values Taysom Hill as a backup quarterback. But it's weird to say that you're back that the guy you see as your option a for succession is not your backup quarterback. And I think people have had a hard time, I guess,

reconciling those two ideas. I just see it all about because you know this went this Drew Brees windows about to close, and he they want to use Taysom Hill in all the ways you mentioned Chris and at the same time, um, you know, not have to limit Taysom Hill if he they've talked about a ballooning, blossoming role for him where he gets hurt and suddenly you don't have a backup in the Saints are in super hot water my me alone, and I understand all the issues

that come along with with Jamis Winston. Um. On the field, I like Jamis Winston better than Teddy Bridgewater as a backup quarterback any day of the week. And this the salary cap issue for the Saints, or the situation is they have less than four million available, So that makes sense to that you're not signing Winston and all of a sudden you have the highest paid backup in the league on your roster. Something Winston obviously is trying to reset his value. But Greg said it makes all the

sense in the world for Winston. I guess that's right. But it also makes me think that you only take this job, UH if you have no other options to be starting quarterback in and when you look at the landscape of the league. I guess that's true. They can self, where should what should I do if I'm not If I'm not gonna have a chance to start, I might as well go somewhere that could reset my career and maybe kind of change everything. It's gotta whoever has given

him the help with the decision making. I think he's doing a nice shot. I mean he didn't have it. He knew he didn't have any chance to start two weeks ago, so that that doesn't surprise me that those jobs are gone. So it's just figuring out, like which team which actually shows you some interest. We don't know if many teams are any other than the Saints have shown any interest would be the best UH spot to

be a backup. And I mean Winston has had some games against the Saints, I mean he is he has put over thirty points on the Saints and some comeback victories pretty often. I have to go check the wreck heard, but I think he will enter this year five hundred against Drew Brees in the Saints. The Bucks have gotten the better end of that, and a lot of it is because the Saints defense can't figure out a way to stop this guy. So he's twenty five years old, he's taking a step back. I think he'll be a

starting quarterback in the league. And and it wouldn't shock me if he's a starting quarterback with the Saints because Taysom Hill. The contract is really interesting. It's basically a two year, twenty one million dollar contract, So that's that's a lot um. It's a lot that they didn't have to give him. You know, he was a restricted free agent. I'm sure he was upset. And this feels almost like the first ever apology contract they've ever heard for a backup.

So when he when they when they're talking to him about bringing Winston in, they said, no, you're you've got a big role in our team. We're gonna give you twenty million dollars to prove it, and you're gonna be under contract now for one for you know too. It's about ten million dollars a year. That's sort of in between starting quarterback and backup quarterback money. It's it's fascinated. I mean, I can't think of anything. Never give out an apology contract. I mean, I just think that's part

of it. I don't think they wouldn't give him the money and if they didn't absolutely love him and have a big role for him, like like West said, So it does make some sense. But I also think you don't bring in Winston unless you're at least open to the idea that he could be a possible succession plan to Drew Brees too, that at least that's that's in

the realm of possibility. One quick question, I mean, my where I get caught up a little bit is I would imagine the Saints, after all they've said about Taysom Hill and in the comparisons they've made to Steve Young and my belief that they do see him as a legit um potential air to Drew Brees. If Drew Brees were lost for three games or what happened last year, don't you want to start Taysom Hill and see what

you have? I mean, do we just plug and play Jamis Winston at that point, it seems like an opportunity to find out in real time what happens beyond this next season. I think Sean Payton in this Drew Brees window believes Taysom Hill is too valuable to use as a backup quarterback. He's too valuable as a Misma Jopson on offense and all the other position and on special teams. And that's why I wonder what will happen at what

point is he not too valuable? Like when Drew Brees retires a are you saying, okay, now we've got to get a new Taysom Hill to play all those other positions and the original Taysom Hill becomes quarterback. It's it's kind of it's so weird because he has touches. He has a hundred career touches. I mean, he has fewer career touches than a mediocre backup quarterback entering his second year. So it is a totally unique, I think, unparalleled, uh

you know situation. It's really crazy to me. All right, In other interesting quarterback situations, let's head to Green Bay, where our old friend Bob McGinn, writing for The Athletic, had this to say, when breaking down the Packers suspect draft class that included trading up to take quarterback Jordan's Love in the first round. According to McGinn uh, he believes Matt Lafleur, the Packers coach, quote, simply had enough

of Rogers act and wanted to change the narrative. Uh. And changing the narrative and giving the Packers leverage is adding a first round quarterback with great, great skill set to the room. Uh. So yes. If if anybody thought when they were listening Thursday Night Show that we were being melodramatic about this pick and what it could mean to the Packers and what it's gonna lead in terms of drama, No, this is going to be a huge story around this team, whether Packers fans like it or not.

This is fascinating to me the more I read about it, and I think it's important to point out Bob McGain was not reporting there. He started that sentence with my sense is this is what's going on. Brian Gooda counts. The GM had interviews with Peter King and Albert Brier and in both interviews made it clear this was not plan A going into the draft. They did not prioritize

finding a successor for Aaron Rodgers. And what I find interesting is the original plan was to help Aaron Rodgers to get an early round wide receiver for the first time in six years. Peter King in his article pointed out that since two thousand fifteen, the Packers have not drafted a wide receiver in the first three rounds and have not signed any wide receiver for more than five

million dollars. The original plan was to help Rogers. The fallback plan effectively undercuts him and perhaps even alienates him. I wonder if they can thread that needle. I mean, to me, it's it's a very touchy situation, now, was it? Was it the fallback plan though? I mean they called the Vikings, They called all these teams in front of them to trade up. They with no good information either that any team was trading up other than you know,

they thought maybe, but they did have good information. They hit him from they hit him what It didn't turn out to be good, but they thought it was good. They thought that the Cults were trading up, right. They they thought apparently incorrectly, But who knows? Teams lie after the drafting, before the draft of all the time that the Cults are going to trade up for Love, but they were calling all the teams ahead of them to move.

But if if plan A was a risk, siver and I guess, okay, you only like four or five receivers in this draft, but why not trade up for a receiver or or Gudakuns is quote saying we thought In explaining why they didn't take receiver a little later in the draft, he said, well, we thought this was only about a twelve receiver draft. But you could have you could you would have taken one of your top five in the first round. The players they they liked in the first round were off the board by about pick

twenty four, That's what Gouda Kun said. And there were guys they liked in the second round out wide receiver. They did try it up, try to trade up for those guys, but at that point the fourth rounder they had to throw in for the Jordan Love trade would have been valuable to trade up, and they didn't have

that option available. I would say this. I mean, Bob mcgainn is not reporting this as you mentioned the way he worded this, But I'm not sure there's anyone I trust more to um put little droplets of background information and in intelligence and just a vibe of what's happening

in Green Bay. And when I hear Matt Lafleur say Aaron Rodgers is our quarterback for years to come, uh, well, that would be frankly unusual with the way that they've they've set the table here, because that just doesn't happen that often. Now you've got Tom Brady and Jimmy g in that situation, and Aaron Rodgers should be looked at in the same esteem that maybe he shouldn't feel threatened at all, but like it's the person of Aaron Rodgers and the overall experience of Aaron Rodgers. It seems to

have threatened Matt Lafloor to some degree. I don't know if threatened is the right word, but it's an uncomfortable relationship after we spent all of last year wondering if they could work together, and it went off without a hitch for the most part. Um I wonder now. Honestly, I think it is a coin flip that Aaron Rodgers

is on the Packers roster a year from now. I just that's the way I'd see it at this point, because these things have a have a way to snowball and move more rapidly than one would wish that a

Packers fan would wish we had. The Power rankings came out this week and I did a show with our producer Matt Tanton, a buddy of ours in our left field er slash Pitcher West on the Shield Uh and he's a big Bears van and he was floating the idea that he can't wait for the Aaron Rodgers revenge tour with Rogers in Chicago with the Bears a year from now. And he said it as like an excited bearfa You say, stop, but how are they go? They're going to trade him to the Bears. Please that that

is not the team they're gonna give. Listen, just just keep an open mind. And when you think about Aaron Rodgers, is there anyone any player that you've ever can name or think of that is more suited for a revenge tour where he decides that a team is out to get him and he now wants to vanquish them and teach them that they were wrong because I'm Aaron Rodgers and I'm the best. This feels destined, like in the stars that Rogers will have this chapter in his career.

And this this, I mean, you couldn't ask, you couldn't picture a bigger like step toward that than what happened this week, this past week. I always say plays because of the Bears, because you know, they have him under contract for four more years, and he'd be very expensive for a year right in the next in the next two years, so you figure if if they got rid of him, it's probably gonna be via trade. But I thought it was interesting David Bactieri, who was Live man,

was it on their draft than it was? It was drafted, okay, so you know you can still you can still donate to the drafted than because it had such good info from David Bactieri who was on Live and saying he thought it was gonna fire up Aaron Rodgers. He thought that this is gonna put a little extra in him.

And when McGinn wrote um that Rodgers his attitude was imperial or what a great what a choice of word, that the Packers would gain leverage with their quote imperial quarterback and his passive aggressive style because he heard Gouda Kun's talk after the draft two they wanted to you know, transition more into like a running team, and that was with the agent, you know, and that they don't want

to hear any honking from Rogers or anything. If I'm reading the tea leaves here about like where we're going to be a running team. Okay, well we'll get rid of you in a year if you're gonna complain, well, and to emphasize that it's so weird that this could have gone the way that Aaron Rodgers ends up with

a widerss fever and he's happy. Instead, they get the biggest running back to come out of the draft in a few years, a power back, and Gouda Kuntz says his head coach wants to tie everything to the run game, even if they don't draft another quarterback. That is undercutting what Aaron Rodgers thinks of his role as the quarterback. He he thinks that he goes up to the line

of scrimmage and decides what they're gonna do. It's worth noting, you know, they drafted Brett five and he started playing better than ever and they almost made it back to the super Bowl. That was, you know, three years more of Brett Fire. Jimmy Garoppolo. They drafted in two thousand and fourteen. I know it is one round later, but that's the second round pick. They won three more Super

Bowls after that. Brady was around the same age, so that I think there is a route here where Rodgers just you know, plays his his brains out and ends up being the guy for a while. That's at least possible. Sure love frush storylines. Well, it's fresh, but it's not going to be fresh when we're still discussing this in late July. What about what about the report out there that this season they could still hypothetically have a sixteen game season that would start October. What would we do

in September and October? Do you remember how inviserible we are every August, at the end of the August, at the end of the month, talking about the same things over and over again. What would happen if that extended. I am not worried about this group filling up forty five to fifty minutes um. Even if we were on the dark side of you know, planet Saturn, we'd find

a way to discuss something. I'm just saying, you're gonna be talking about whatever you were think think of every year September, think about doing that again for another forty five days. I mean, there's times that we've taken topics and and forbid them from being discussed. I think we would just have to broaden the bands on a wide variety of discussion points that have become hyper stale. Let's hope it doesn't get to that. That's what's happening in

the news. All right, Poor James Devlon just kicked right out of the old five j games. It was a good run, you know. I mean, have we ever done a news item on a fullback retiring? Now? It's fine, that's fine. When Rosie Nixt goes out he had the Patriots All decade team, which will soon be announced, what competition at the fullback? Saying you made it. The Patriots might come up again. Great, so you'll get your chance. Okay, good, Uh, if you want to wax on, that's it was fine.

I mean, what Bill Belichick's guy, you know, that's it's probably his number one favorite player he ever drafted. All right, it is time now. Yes, teams think they have solved their roster woes, but there are still unsolved mysteries, unsolved history. He would walk down the steps of like a city library and a long trench coat stack, and then there'll be floud roll again. He just looked about the craziest man there's ever been. Well check it out on Until

You cosplayed him on our TV show earlier. This year's apparently the biggest Robert Stack. He's also excellent in a comedic role an airplane. Yeah, I forgot that, all right. So well, this is a recurring segment on the show. It's it's it's fairly simple. We're gonna take turns pointing out something connected to a team that feels like a loose end at this stage of the calendar. And um, since I mentioned the Patriots and I have them on my list, why don't I get going here with an

unsolved mystery surrounding the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick had a very Bill Bill belichicking and draft. We know that right now. Uh. He traded out of the first round. He took a D two safety with the first pick. Uh. And he completely most notably, in my opinion, ignored the quarterbacks of the college game, which leads people to believe that Jared Stidham, last year's fourth round pick, the Brian Hoyer in the backup are the guts of that QB room.

Here's the unsolved mystery. Will another shoe be dropping? Or is this really what this is gonna be? And knowing the people involved here, I would not be surprised if this is how it plays out, just because Belichick doesn't want to do what you think he's gonna do. But unless you and I are in the same page here, I gotta do better in that room. Unless Jared Sidhems is the next time break unsolmisteries, I don't know. I've read that they like, Okay, you want to find out

what you have in Jared Stidham. So at that point, why does it make sense to trade a light round pick or whatever for Andy Dalton? Why do you need sixteen games to see what you have in Jared's did him? I don't think you need a whole season to experiment with a guy who was a fourth round draft pick. To me, I don't know one month worth of games is enough to know whether you've got the right game, right guy or not. I just don't buy that as the reason. Well, I think there you gotta trust the

actions at some point. I'm not saying they would be closed off to the quarterbacks. Okay, let's start with the draft pick, like going into you know, when they did those mocks before the college season and they did you know, fake mox in September. Jared Stidhon was supposed to be a top ten to fifteen pick. So if he had come out as a junior, a lot of people thought you probably would have been late first, maybe mid second.

If he happened to have been like, like, let's put that at the end of it, a mid second, late second, maybe we feel a little differently about him, about him as like a prospect that they can believe and they've got to watch him for a year, and I think there's there's no way that they would have done what they've done this offseason unless they're just comfortable with him

being their starter. I do think it's worth noting Brian Hoyler is only making a million dollars, which would be make him like the lowest paid veteran backup in the league. So they have extra room to add someone at some point, and I think they will. I don't think it's someone that necessarily is competing with Jared Stidham, and I don't think it's necessarily any Dalton unless he came at an

incredibly cheat price. Um, but I mean Plawyers making nothing, and and even if Stidham is the favorite to start Week one, which I think he's gonna be, I would expect them to add someone to I think someone will be added to that room. I just look at their actions to I mean, what one little thing on Dalton to find the Bengals. And you know there have been messier quarterback team scenarios than Dalton and the Bengals. I'm not sure I want to move him at this point.

I mean, what's the worst thing about right, I mean, there have been some reporting that the Bengals are open to keeping any Dalton and he'd be um certainly more generous to incoming quarterback than some veterans we can think of. And there's just nothing about the Patriots chasing after any of these signal callers that we keep wanting to link them with. I mean, there's just no buzz around it on any level. But that's also they're pretty buzz proof

building they are. But I mean, you know, something would leak out if they were fascinated with with Andy Dalton or Cam Newton. I just feel like we'd have a little tiny tidbit of info suggested or they did something about it. But to your point in terms of it being a mystery, if we hit late August and no one wants Cam Newton still and he's out there for almost nothing, I mean to me that then that changes

the equation. It's different than being aggressive. Or you get to camp and Stidham is a total dult, I mean, then maybe you make them. I mean they've they've they've had him in the building, they watched them play a hundred times in practice or whatever it is, and they obviously like him a lot. I kind of remember him stinking out to join against the Jets in the preseason. What if Stidham is their guy and then he plays really poorly all through the summer. I mean he he

had a solid preseason. It wasn't like unbelievable. It was easily the best rookie preseason they've ever had out of a quarterback. But what you know, it was a lot of a lot of dinking and duncan. I mean, Dan, if I were you, I just keep it, keep this tamping down. You want him playing against the Jets, I don't want I also don't want them going three and thirteen and getting Trevor Lawrence April, so you know it's

it's it's tough sitch, all right, mark Erop. You know, for me, I'm trying to think of a coach who left on worst terms. Um went into the wilderness and had one of the more um inconceivably hyped up PR

campaigns about his return than Mike McCarthy. And when we're told that Mike McCarthy is a completely new human being, that um, you know, by watching tape during his year away from football, he's learned so much, UM, despite the fact that he was a coach for plus years before that, and that we're you know, he's a perfect fit for the Cowboys. And my question is, because it is a mystery to me, is how much has Mike McCarthy actually changed,

Because there are two versions of Mike McCarthy. You get a is this one that we're told has completely um had a come to Jesus moment and sees offensive football in a completely different way, or be um the one who basically lost that power uh power clash with Aaron Rodgers unlike Matt Laflour at this point and basically rode himself out of Town on an offense that when he was last coaching, you know, it was viewed as archaic, um unmoving, uh, you know, unable to change with the

times the way the teams in the NFC were. So you know you've kept Kellen Moore. UM. I like that as a first move to say, maybe we marry what the Cowboys do will well and marry we marry a little bit of what Mike McCarthy feels at home with. UM. I want to see that. I I wouldn't keep Kellen Moore unless you wanted to use some of his ingenuity. I thought that. You know, for a time last year he roamed as the coordinator of the year material until

some of the wheels fell off. You've got no end to the talent on that offense, and there are no excuses from Mike McCarthy. He's not taking over some sort of broken down two and fourteen team with a long leaf. You've got Jerry Jones adding Ceedee Lamb to a totally stocked wide receiver room. I just wonder will we get Mike McCarthy in a way we've never experienced or the

same old thing. Is there something to be said that Mike McCarthy was viewed as the boogeyman in Green Bay, and then he gets dumped, and then they bring in a kid to be the new head coach, a bearded boy. And now that bearded boy was just behind drafting a first round quarterback because Aaron Rodgers had become a pain in the ass and maybe as part of the reason that offense isn't as good anymore. I'm not saying I'm

not defriending McCarthy. I just find it interesting that McCarthy was viewed as the problem capital t capital p and then the often stayed kind of blah last season after he left. They also won six or seven more games or whatever whatever it was, so that but he's done that before. I mean, he had a great he I think it at the end of Green Bay was not great, but he had a great run there when he had I think eight ends of ten plus games over eleven years.

Maybe he got old. I get that side. I think there's some reason to believe that he's gonna let Kellen Moore be Kellen Moore and that he's going to be more of kind of executive type coach. That's what he said. I mean, Kellen Moore is going to call the plays and Kelly. There was some talk that Garrett kind of stepped in, and people wanted to blame Garrett for why the offense got a little more conservative under Kellen Moore down the stretch. Maybe maybe McCarthy him turning the new

leaf is kind of letting Kellen Moore fly. I would ask you this though, So they hired Mike McCarthy uh to play executive role, not because of Mike McCarthy's offensive playbook or ingenuity that that is that alone would be that would make sense to me, because I think that was his strength. You know, his his plays were not his strength. His his strength I thought was kind of

an organizational cohesion. Like he was an adult leading the room who hired good people who kind of it works, seemed to work well, and and like he always seemed good at that part of the job, just play calling. You know, he's fine. What to your point, Dan, I think we all kind of bought, by all of us, I mean the COGNICENTI bought. We bought the storyline that McCarthy's offense had grown stale, and that's the reason why

he left. That's the reason why he was pushed out the relationship with Rogers didn't work anymore because McCarthy's offense had grown stale. If you're reading between the lines on Bob McGain and if you're watching Rogers play. We talked about it at the end of last year when I was saying, look at all these plays he's passing up because he wants to make the spectacular play. Maybe the truth is a lot closer to both of them were

at fault. Maybe the offense did grow stale, but maybe it wasn't working because Aaron Rodgers wouldn't work with the offense. And when you hear guys like James Jones, who played quite a few years under McCarthy, say nothing but great things about him and say, of course, the Cowboys got a great coach. To me, maybe we should shift away from the narrative that McCarthy only left Green Bay because

his offense was stale. Alright, Chris Westling, you're up. Albert brial Brier did a really nice job on his post draft column looking at the quarterbacks and why they were chosen and what people liked about them. When I read that Joe Burrow piece, I mean, I don't want to sound like this guy, but it feels like it's about to be cool to be a Bengals fan again. And I can't remember ever thinking that that it's it's going to be cool. And this guy is gonna save Zach

Taylor's job, That's what. That's the sense I get that he is so beloved by his teammates and everybody in every building he's been in. He's a natural leader. He has the mind that you want in a quarterback and the personality you want in a quarterback. Um, if he's going to save Zach Taylor's job, to me, the unsolved mystery is is Zach Taylor are a good coach? What are we gonna find out about Zach Taylor's coaching ability through Joe Burrow? Ye? I, well, no, I I had

a very similar mystery about Zach Taylor. They have a O C and d C who are both with one year of experience at that role, and Zach Taylor, I mean, I get number one. I love that they didn't fire him because I don't like these one and done situations when what they were dealing with a lot last year. But I cannot imagine or remember a first year of coach that you know when coach sixteen games and came

out with less of an identity. I have no concept of who Zach Taylor is or what the coaching philosophy is in Cincinnati at all. Now that could change entirely, but I'm totally with you on that being an unsolved mystery. Now he has a chance, and yeah, not just a chance, like it's he is set up pretty well. And I like their draft because I like the idea of it

turns out. Now if at the time a few months ago, it felt like Bengals being Bengals, but now the idea that A. J. Green is there makes a ton of sense, and it gets you even more excited because he is potentially back to his old self. And now you have Tee Higgins, who they took him the first pick of the second round, another explosive receiver. So you're lined up

really well at wide receiver. If this if this guy can play, and you get the offensive lineman back that didn't didn't even play a snap last year, there's a real chance that they become one of those teams. And it happens every once in a while that it goes from two and fourteen to playoff contender in December, like I would not be stunned if they're hanging around in the a f C, especially with an extra playoff spot to meet. Quarterbacks for the most part, make coaches, not

the other way around. And Burrow, I mean, there was some negativity about his arm strength and like, oh, is he like a you know, rich Man's Alex Smith or Andy Dalton. It's like, give me a break when you look at his athleticism that the third and seventeen play he makes against Texas early in the year, where there's three or four clear rushers coming at him and he moves in the pocket and makes it ridiculous throw o

on the move, which saves their undefeated season. They maybe don't win that game, Like that's the type of next level like quarterbacking you can't teach and like Alex Smith and end it all, they don't. They don't. They don't got that. This guy can make Zach Taylor, you know, look a lot better than Zach Taylor is. Well it's been a long time now, but I remember Greg specifically liking what he heard from Zach Taylor last year coming

out of all the press conference. I think publicly he he does a really good job still and I even think that now when I when I watched him in these interviews, and we were really impressed with him in Week one when they went into Seattle and almost upset the Seahawks, and then after that everybody got injured and

they went months without winning the game. Well, I would just say this, though, You've got guys like Brian Flores to who were given absolutely nothing to work with, and we're coming out of that season thinking that Brian Flores is a huge asset, and I I'm glad again, I'm glad they kept Zach Taylor. It would have been unfair to they were competitive when they led. They led ten games, which I think is an NFL record to only get

two wins in the second half. So it's they weren't like a terror, you know, as two and fourteen teams go or did they win to or one? I can't even was two. I kind of it's funny you brought up Brian Flores to me. He's in the same boat on the kind of the opposite end where you know nothing about Zach Taylor, who had a terrible roster and

injuries and went too and fourteen. Flores was very it was very publicly being set up that this is the worst roster perhaps ever, and then by getting to the five wins with the strong finish, he looks like a coach that's gonna be there for a decade. But now he has a big test ahead of him now, which is actually some expectations, and going five and eleven is

not gonna be drawing a parade anymore. So it's it's tough business being a head coach in the league, and I don't think anybody's safe that year two is gonna be big for both of those guys. Greg, You're up all right? Um? Like Colleen Wills, sometimes I'm not sure I totally understood this exercise because my unsolvedst know I had to be team specific. But I think this works because to me, you know, we're living in an unsolved mystery. I mean, the world, the world is a mystery. I'm

waiting for that music to come in. You know, the world is an unsolved mister right now to the NFL solved mysteries. What happened America, however, relates to the NFL at least to start, I'm going to start with, is I'm really interested? And I know this sounds weird about this whole supplemental draft. I know this sounds crazy, but I really think we're living in this fascinating time college football.

There's a good chance it's not going to be played in the phone because schools are going to have to be back. I mean, our California governor said like he did not expect anyone to attend every any sporting events until there's some therapeutic treatment. Maybe that'll pop up. Who knows.

If there's no college football in the fall and there's not gonna be much information out the next month or two before players have decide, are like seventy players gonna come out and this supplemental draft is it gonna be a totally different experience than any supplemental draft in history. Because if you're at Missouri right now and you were like a borderline third round pick and you were thinking of coming out but you thought, no, let's go back to school one more year, try to bump that up.

What is the point of going back to college? Like there might not be a college to go back to, there might not be college football to go back to, and you could go start your NFL career and earn a living. It's gonna be tricky. To decide who who can make it and who who doesn't. But I feel like it's something. It could be this wave that's gonna happen and and it's gonna give us something to talk about. Maybe I'm totally wrong, but we might be doing some

supplemental drafts from now. They've talked and this has been out there, that supplemental draft could be a huge option for people. And there there is you know, when you go through the potential scenarios for college football, there's one where you know, yes, you don't have the autumn because it's different than the pros. Don't You don't just go playing an empty stadium the students in in like back at school for this to happen. So there's a world

where maybe college football the season begins in February. They've said, well, that's completely ridiculous with the NFL calendar. I mean, that's fine for the idea of college football games being played, but if you're looking at the draft versus just playing out your senior season and becoming an accountant, well, you don't play that season, you don't get hurt two months before the draft, And it just seems completely unfeasible to me.

And I think that there's got to be agents talking to certain prospects and players saying, supplemental draft maybe your best chance to maximize a draft pick. Handsome Hank might have to farm out his supplemental mock draft this year. If that goes on, you might have to break Jeremiah back from break. I guess he's not going anywhere this year. So it's like, alright, for the supplemental draft for three weeks, get ready? Well what happens if there's no college season

and then the two NFL draft? Right? I mean, I just want the Yankees back. Good luck with that. We're living in an unsoved mystery? Are humans soon to be history? Who's got the next line? It's so clear for all of us to see. Um, that's the next line, So clear for all of us to see bad line, that we're living in an unsolved mystery. All right, we're swimming in a pool of pa That's not exactly Bob Dylan, do you want to do one more speed round? Real quick?

Anybody got any in the chamber? I had one ready, but I don't. I don't need to. Why do we not even give? Why don't why don't we we don't even need to like dig in. Let's just run some music, Ricky, and then everybody take turns until you run out. Okay, I'll go first. Where the hell as Jadaveon Clowney go Seattle took to Leo type guys. So this is a true speed round. We just I'll throw it out there. I want to know, um who Baker Mayfield and Sam

Donald dark. I would wonder I'd be concerned if they if they flopped this year, that those both those teams might quietly start looking out to her. I want to know the day the NFL season starts and the structure of that regular r Cam Newton's days as a franchise quarterback over. Have the Lions ended the curse of Barry Sanders, DeAndre Swift come out? Will Kyle Shanahan let Jimmy Garoppolo throw the ball more than five yards down the field

this season? How about this? He is Matt Nagy an NFL head coach or someone pretending to be an NFL head coach? Out of the draft, I you've decided that Nick Foles is where you're going this season. Good luck with that one. Eagles were cool with that once. Pot All right, looks like we're fresh apple. Uh did you know that the Reggie? Remember when Reggie ran for one thousand and six yards and then bought everybody on the

team those scooters in Detroit? Was Reggie Bush, our old friend. Um. That was the last lines one thousand yard rusher two thousand thirteen, one thousand and six yards, and the lines have ranked in the bottom half of the NFL and rushing and every season since Barry Sanders retired after campaign. Well, they went into last year wanting to be a run, orient to the offense and finish. Remember west who read who led the Lions in rushing with four hundred and

three yards last year? Carry on Johnson correct, he still gotta folks. Don't forget about the west Hill Scarborough heads. Remember when Reggie like lost seven yards on a pitch play in Buffalo and ended up negative yards for the season. That's his career ended, I think. Sorry, Remember when he was on our show for like five straight weeks and then he disappeared and we never saw him again. Didn't that happen to? Barry sand drives around in Santa Monica in a golf cart all the time, but I have

never once seeing that golf cart. Maybe it's a different Maybe it's a nicer part of Santa Monica than I I know. Mark. I think Barris Sanders, I think that's where you go. I think he had a negative game in the playoffs against the Packers. Well, I thought that he crossed two thousand, then got stuffed for a loss and went under two thousand, and then got back over

two thousand. I don't think. But that's because he had like a I remember it against the Jets, and it was about a sixty yard run that put him well over. But I could be wrong. Who knows. Another unsolved mystery. Alright, have have an unsolved conundrum for you guys, all right, hit it, ricky. So my neighbors on one side are the happy hour neighbors. They're great, this older couple, they're very nice. On the other side was the black sheep

of the neighborhood. They moved out. Nobody ever talked to them because when they came in, they had just decided they weren't gonna be friendly with anyone. So a new neighbor moved in, and this is the nicest house in the block. We have the smallest house in the block. The new neighbor told me he was coming from Clia del Rey, where he had the highest house with the best ocean view in all of Clio del Ray. The guy's got plenty of what right I'm trying to He's

a really nice guy. We've been trying to figure out, you know, what he does? Who he is. The other neighbors tell us yesterday he's a writer, and I know his first name, so it kind of jugged something in me, and I looked it up and I don't want to ruin his privacy or anything, so I'm not gonna say who he is, but he's I've read one of his books. He's written multiple best sellers that have turned into like

blockbuster movies. Like you guys would know who he's his name is now in order to have a normal, friendly neighborly relationship, should I ever let on that I know who he is and I've read his books? Or should I just say nothing of your neighbor is John Grisham. I'd say he's sub John Grisham on the celebrity scale, but absolutely, you you know, honesty is the best policy. Why not? I mean, what what writer doesn't like caring that you like his buck? But there's a fine line

between like famboeing out on him. It's fan it's more of a fan boy to like go out of your way to not be real with him when Chris Wesley is one of the more, you know, most real guys. I know, yeah, I don't don't have it like you

don't only the fanboy DNA do you really like? I think you're gonna hand It's about how you'd handle it versus withholding your knowledge of him, and I think you'd handle it pretty Maybe wouldn't roll over there after twenty two beers or something, but you know how the first meeting be real nice. This is where the big great green egg comes in handy for Standen King and Chris Wesley, not Stephen King, You and Charlie Kaufman. Uh is a

screenwriter and an author. He said it's been turned into movies. You and Michael Sabin, you know, just kicking back in the old name of that ILK. Michael of that ILK, I'd say a better writer than him, though, Michael Hardon, I mean, that's a Politz erprise. You're saying he's better than that. Maybe maybe that's my own personal bias, but when I read this guy's first work, which came out like fifteen years ago. I remember thinking for that genre,

for like the thriller genre, the literature is fantastic. Oh you just dropped the breadcrumb for the audience. There you go. Also from the Northeast, but now lives in Los Angeles. Obviously he's not gonna be happy when there's seven people outside his house. Chris Westling sent us, well, they don't have to figure out where I live first. Um, all right, that's good. Nice goods there. All right, all right, let's let us know who you think it is. I guess, but don't don't get it right, I like it. Um,

all right, that's it. We'll be back on Thursday with our really it's our third show of the week. The Saturday show went up late. Really is a Sunday show, and then, uh, I believe gentlemen, will get back onto our normal off season schedule. We do Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Is that what we're doing? Yeah, yeah, so that's the plan. And this was Yeah, this was indeed our one thousandth episode.

Good stuff, and thank you everybody. And remember a reminder for more information, resources and details on how to support nonprofits providing relief for those significantly impacted by COVID nineteen pandemic. Visit NFL dot com slash relief Greg will Matt every dollar donated by a t M listeners. Nice, nice job, Greg, it's got that Comedy Central gaap. That's right, not for much longer. But the uh what is that? Are you

breaking something here? Well? The uh if you're gonna you know, the last episode of season two of the Jesson, Luck and Rosenthal Vanity Project goes up on Wednesday, and uh, yeah, you know, listeners of the show will not be surprised. You know, I don't know if there's gonna be a season three at Comedy Central. Might have to go elsewhere. We'll see, here's an unsolved mystery. You're the producer of that program. Do you think you've produced your last episode

of the j r VP podcast? Yeah, we're I think this is it. No, no worries on I would say, very little concern that it would be the last episode, but it might be might be the last with Comedy Central. Yes, well there's another unsolved mystery. And as promised, we will go out today with a great HUO Connor who authored up really let's call it a celebration of the one thousandth episode uh Nay parody of Billy Joel. You ever

overrated Billy Joel? We didn't start the fire? His version here, O'Connor's version dedicated to the Round They NFL podcast Take It Away, Hugh Hants his man, and Gregg at home is on the telephone. Sessler Round his motel room podcast Happen in Nova Zoom, Rickey still behind the glass heroes canst I'm kicking as world outside is burning down. At least it's not the Cleveland Browns. But then ever stop the podcast? Not the tracks keep turn while the world

is burning? Then ever stopped the podcast? Yet? Despite the one, they just keep recording. Dang it. Story's triple source. Gregg is on the tennis Court's Westerner's Football History marks a man of Mr gree What's more likely? Sandwich prompts time to bring on Connie Fox, one of the ten best friends. She will give us something that picking team of a t f ah. It's also well Colts is undertok once your favorite type of frog? Then ever tump the podcast?

Nor the tracks keep turning while the world is burning? Then never stopped the podcast? Suser in the morning. Despite all the morning check in with the Throne of Sleeves Brades Council, Gregg is pleased marks of course, the Cleveland Brands West has left as Midwest Town. Dan is hopeful for Gang Green. Could they meet his Braves team and spend more time in Kicker Club kai is Kaya, there's the rock when the world is looking leave. These guys give five shows a week, killing it most every day

while there's two eyes to say. Then never start the podcast. Nor the tracks keep turning while the world is burning, then never stopped the podcast. When the world hit Zeals, we still got Heros, then and stop the podcast. No, the tracks keep turning while the world is burning, then never start the podcast. When the world hits Zeros, we still are our heroes.