Bunkercast XXXII: Pressure Points & My best friend is a brick

month three? Or heading towards month three? Week seven, three week seven or eight? Yeah, I don't think calendars matter anymore, but that's probably accurate. I feel badly for them is I want to destroy them, but I also I pity them because they haven't. There's only so much they can do. And we're all in a similar situation. We all have similar sized homes, were all in this kind of like same area of the city where we don't we're not living in opulent mansions, we don't have help. The children

can't even go to a park. So I actually cut them some slack when they do things like take the garden hose and then just spray it at full power right against the side of the house, creating potentially a foundational issue because we left them unattended for fifteen minutes, like this is the stuff that that's happening. Uh, Emily and I both work, and that's you got a factor in that we are very fortunate that we're both working.

And everyone on the show has a job, and uh, it would be even worse to lose your job, which millions of people have. But it is just another reminder that everyone, unless you are in that one percent, is getting affected by this. And there's no finish line. I can't take it. I need a finish line. Someone's gotta tell me when this is over, somebody. I don't think there isn't over. I mean that that doesn't make people. I don't think of people saying, well, the old way

of life is over forever. I don't want to hear that either. It's just different. It's different, but I think there's a lot more comfortable different. Uh that's in the future, and who who knows when we're when we're getting to that. It's gotta it's gotta be different. No matter what. You're not gonna get lines that you like about this, Dan. I think in general, I mean there's probably a lot of think You've probably desire a lot of things right now,

you're not gonna get most of them. I'm at the point where I find it funny that a month ago was kind of like, hey, this is different and it's really cool to like hang out with like old friends on Zoom. Now I'm kind of like over most of those people and over the Zoom parties. Like I'm totally bored with having a beard. Um, there's no none that right.

I mean, the whole thing is just kind of we didn't do a new cycle of ultra boredom, and like I have a billion kids kid anecdotes that are happening here, but I'm bored by them, Like they're doing the same thing day after day, and I like it just feels like a zombie march through endless weeks. Zoom peaked, Yeah, so we lost that as well. Now maybe not for like the party set. I don't know, I'm just kind

of at the party. Well. There are some out there that I have actually good information on a few people that have basically told me I'm not going to say who, that they've never been quarantining at all and have been just like floating from like friends houses to friends houses, and um, that is a different existence than I think

the four of us have been UM experiencing was quite irresponsible. Actually, I just want to choke slam anyone who uses the phrase new normal more than one time in a conversation. Stop with the new normal, Like you're safely on a different part of this in a different part of the city. I didn't say new normal, did I. I don't know you're around. I mean, I just answered your question, when

were you getting back? Also, one of your favorite lines is nobody knows, and all that same thing with people saying like, listen, things aren't gonna be the way they used to be. You don't know, right, Well, I just I just mean, until there's a vaccine, I think it's a it's a fair or or a great therapeutic treatment. There's probably it's a fairer estimation that that things are just gonna be a little different. Even if even if we're back to work and there's different things going on. Yeah,

I mean, how could it? How could it not be different? This is the most seismic world changing event of our lifetime. So even if even if it gets to be in the rear view mirror like everything that it's changed is still going to be changed, you know, like this, you know this is it, Like we're gonna be talking about this for the rest of our lives. Ricky, give me something just recklessly positive about the future, um, recklessly positive. Just like, just if we can surve this, if we

could survive this, we could survive anything. I'm talking like, I'm gonna that just makes us like spoiled. I think, I like people went to war and we're like, oh, I'm stuck at home with my Netflix like this socks, Like I never want to go back to the office. I do the podcast every day, you know, in no pants, Like I can't do that at the office. Well, it

has turned me anti office. Um, I the idea of having to you know, I can I basically wear three shirts now and um you know you think, well, we all get that, we get that no one's wearing pants when they're on air and all this other business that's that's played out. But it's like we just basically can like put the same three or four items into the laundry over and over that I like. I like the

simple nature of some aspects of it. I don't need the old dog and pony show of walking around the office, you know, given everyone a high five and chatterbox, and we're getting some of the same, the same mark fire as a normal may you know. So it feels like where everything is back then? Well, I mean, where are we vacation in this offseason that's been tabled. I mean, that doesn't help the mood. Vacation in your living room, you know, when the kids go to bed. Nicky's right though, west.

You know, it could be worse. We could have turned eighteen and they put a rifle in our hand, you know, sent us off. I was gonna say, wars have for the most part dried up around the world. We don't live absolutely wars in Africa, in the Middle East would like to say hello. You know, this is the least bella coast time in history the last years. I mean, wars are not nearly the man killers that they were

throughout history. But now we have pandemics and what I believe is the biggest problem world wide and world bide. Everybody is mentally ill now and I don't see that going away ever. Mm hmmm, wow, Well, let's talk about football. I'm enjoying my time with my kids. I mean, the church parking lot. Uh, they're sick of us making a lot of noise about three hours a day. But like, I'm gonna miss that that little parking lot. We've we've been biking up and down that thing. We're we're wearing

it out. Where's it going? Where is the parking lot going? Well, I just I feel like, what, Well, it's not going anywhere. You're right. We could just keep going to that to them a lot for three hours a day. But if there's cars in it, right, then the cars will return at some point. I believe America and our intervention in Iraq still at an act of war. I don't think, well that's even technically over Afghanist stand. They did this

crazy thing. They announced the pull out, but then they didn't actually pull out that paper ones at each other every once in a while. What's going on there? Yeah, there's a lot of people dying there. Still a lot of them are still technically all the time. Anyway, nice start to the show. There's just a little bit of frustration, that's all. And I think good thing about this podcast is we get to share it with each other and the audience because I think a lot of you guys

listening feel the same way. I imagine. All Right, but now let's talk about football because it is a release, uh, and it is a good distraction. Even if the draft is over, We're about to enter quiet area on the NFL coundar made even more quiet by potentially potentially by the fact that there's not going to be any actual organized team activities and mini camps. But we still have plenty to talk about. We are going to talk about pressure points, uh, in the post draft landscape. Which individuals

does everybody? Is everybody um talking about players or their coaches or their whole teams. I'm not sure what you guys came down with, but just individuals or teams that are in a pressure point after free agency and the draft as we look ahead to the season. But before that, let's do some news Hey's week one now, first dance to show who we are. Let's play smart, lets play fast, play face do they always preach, Let's go and do this together, playmakers at Andy Dalton's time with the Cincinnati

Bengals is officially over. The Bengals released the Glowing ginger Man after nine seasons. The Bengals would have taken on almost eighteen million in salary by keeping Dalton, and there was speculation that that could still happen even after the Bengals took Joe Burrow number one overall last week, but instead working with Dalton, and I thought this was a sign of good faith between team and player. Good job by the Bengals. He wants a fresh start, so they

give him one. And I will note before throwing it to you boys that NFL network Steve Wish, our boy, our friend of the show, reports that the Jaguars have quote legitimate interest in Dalton West. That makes sense to me, and I imagine Dalton should find a home relatively quickly, and it's a different situation than Cam Newton. Yeah, the Jaguars seemed like the only team that we know is interested. Um, everyone else is just speculation. They've been tied to the

Patriots through many different channels. Peter King talked about that connection earlier in the week. Um, but the Patriots have shown there's been no leak out of there that that

they're interested. Uh. I'd just like to point out, for just a little recap of Dalton's Bengals career, he has a higher career winning percentage with the Bengals than Kenny Anderson, who I believe should be in the Hall of Fame, Boomerissiasin who won the MVP in Carson Palmer, who's uh two thousand what year was that two thousand five offense was maybe the best offense in Bengals history, right up

there with the team. Um. He has a higher career winning percentage than all of those guys, and he owns some franchise record for passing volume. UM. If I can't get you to stop using career passing volume stats, uh, that should do it, because while while his numbers are higher, it's totally the result of the era in which he played. And I would say the lows with Andy Dalton were lower and the highs not nearly as high as Ken Anderson, Boomerssiasin,

and Carson Palmer. If we removed Greg Cook, who had one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history but never played again after that, I'd say he's fourth in angles franchise history, behind Anderson, Asiason, and Palmer, and ahead of Jeff Blake on the list of best quarterbacks. That's it's also for a two thousand eleven second round pick. We had very low expectations coming in, right. He he

ultimately has had a great career. And there was that one year you know, they went ten and three while Dalton was the starter in he was second in the league in yards per tampty and twenty five touchdowns, eight interception he had. He had a nice little run and um, I think he'll have another few one of those uh pressure points or turning points in Bengals history, just like Carson Palmer getting his knee blown out in the playoffs

against the Steelers. I think I'll have a nice you know, next five to six seven years as as a borderline starter and backup. And it wouldn't surprise me to see him starting games with the Jaguars at this point. Hearing that they're interested, I'd be surprised if he's anywhere else because I think they'll they'll give him a fair backup contract, whatever it needs to be, four or five, six seven. I don't think they're going to give him a starter type contract. But I just don't see another team out

there that's gonna just outbid him. Why would he not want to play with ja Gruden? He played great under Jagruen, right, I mean, and there's no indication that their relationship is anything but um, you know, cordial. And if you're Andy Dalton, you want to go somewhere where you have a chance to start if things, if the wheels fall off. And to me, I think he fits the Jaguars um because we don't quite know that Gardner Minshew is a plug

in place, sir. I mean, if I were to make a sandwich prop, I would say Andy Dalton starts six games in Jacksonville. If he goes there, no problem at all. I mean, I just think that's probably how a rough season could play out, and exactly six games, because I'll take six or more. I mean six or more, But I mean it's there are other teams though, now that he's out there, um that you know. I look at it and I guess the Falcons have just are on

a it's here eight but it is not job. It's like you want a safe guy who won't cause ways, like Andy Dalton is your next version of that. Like put him in there. He's much better than Matt Show. Why would Andy Dalton want to go to Atlanta. I'm not saying he'd want to go, he'd want to go where he's a chance to start and and that does for me feel like it's Jacksonville and little else. The Seahawks don't even have a backup quarterback right now. You know,

he's not a Russell Wilson. If we're talking about backups, I mean, there's a lot of teams that need back The Jets have no backup whatsoever. I can't imagine. I can't imagine that they would go even the way they are. Bronco say, Drift calls their guy, but you mentioned Seahawks Patriots. I think we're only gonna do it if he was at the absolute bargain then, And it sounds like I

think Jacksonville is just gonna happen there quick. How close is Dalton's got to be pretty close to the bargain ben at this maybe maybe we have no cap space either. I just don't think they're paying. They're going for a quarterback that's gonna cost any money at all. Feels like a great roll the dice. Just like Winston, that was a nice place for him to land without a lot

of leverage. If I was on Andy Dalton, I would race to the Patriots if they offered me even a low level contract, because the opportunity to start there this year if the kid can't play, And I'm just curious, do you think that Dalton We shouldn't speculate too much, We don't know, but if he did end up in Jacksonville, do you think he has a chance to win the starting job that weekly? Yes, because of its all relationships and Gruden knows how much of a safe player he

is in terms of being a relatively stable quarterback. And Gruden has no ties to Minshew. So if Minshew had a some sort of a year two flounder in a non training camp season potentially where you roll into games and you're just not getting it done the way he looked in London in that one game, Dalton would be

a quick answer to that. Well, yeah, you think about who has the advantage Normally the guy who's been there in terms of continuity, but Dalton does because Minshew has never been in Jay Gruden's offense and Dalton has, So I mean he's kind of got a leg up there if they miss, you know, assuming they miss offseason practices. To be continued on that front. Speaking of Jamis Winston, he met with the Saints media on a zoom call on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Um, here's what he had to say.

There's no blurri nous uh And I think that's that's that's huge. Depth perception has an increased Like I can read license plates, I can read streets science. I think the precision in the vision is the biggest difference. That is my favorite sense of the offseason, Greg Rose at all, I think the precision in the vision is the biggest difference. I love Jamis and I love that the state, the Saints fans that listened to him, who I feel awkward

about this whole thing. Well, we gotta root for Jamis Winston. No suddenly like him now and just because they realized he's a crazy personality. Uh yeah. He mentioned depth perception increased tremendously. He didn't just have bad eyes, he had a stigmatism. I mean, here, this is a guy who was starting in the NFL, you know, having like a you know, almost a billion dollar franchise on his shoulders, and he couldn't see straight while he was played. What if he comes out of this and he's like one

of the best quarterbacks in the league. I mean, if it fixes the main issue that would be insane. I would say, I'm shocked. Though, that like team doctors who are all over players, and even they give coaches monthly medical checkups, I mean blood pressure, all that stuff that gets those old coaches that are eating ham sandwiches fifty days in a row and tacking on forty pounds, Well, the players get three times that treatment that you have

a quarterback with an eye issue. I mean that said, I've needed lastic surgery for a decade and haven't gotten it, So I'm not gonna kill him too much. But you know, the enemy being on the softball team. Let's say you had the equivalent of whatever what LASI does to improve eyesight, you would need the surgery on your throat that would eat, that would correct your throat and make you a way better podcaster. Wouldn't you do it if you had the

ability to do it and the resources. It's just so weird to me that he went through the first twenty five years of his life, including four for five years as an NFL quarterback, and just punted on that until his career got up ended. It just he's He's like, he's so great West for unattentional comedy. It's one of my favorite aspects of the jamis Winston experience. Right, you just summed up the problem with Jamis Winston and the idea that Lasik would fix everything. His decision making was

to put off las and lakes and surgery for five years. Yeah, that's fair, But when you have vision problem, I'll say one thing, you don't know sometimes what what it looks like. I got glasses after like a fifteen year period of not being able to see well or you know, making up signs when I was driving, because I was just assuming what the signs were like. When you get classes, you forget what it looked, what it felt like as a kid to have that clear vision, to be able

to even see leaves on a tree. So I wonder, you know, Winston didn't wasn't raised in some sort of rich household where they got immediate medical care for everything. Maybe it just never really clicked in, But it is odd. I mean, you think when you get in that college football pro world, they would have fixed that right away. I just can't wait till we're covering the NF Championship game.

Breeze got hurt and Winston is the guy that that they have that they needed to stop checking in the playoffs, that he's the guy who to put them over the top. I just cannot foresee just the way sports are and the way this guy's career is going, where he just seems to be the Forrest Gump of the NFL, where he's gonna find himself in high leverage situations with everyone watching him, that he doesn't actually end up taking meaningful

snaps this year. I don't wish Ill Andrew brees, but I just learned he's only making one million, which is really what a discount. I mean, he's almost at the minimum since the last show, so that, you know, compared to Taysom Hill, that would indicate that you know, they're not putting too much stock into Winston at least not in that that the fact that they got him at that price is is wild after a five thousand yards season. Remember that postseason press conference when he was talking about

getting a hundred million dollar contract. Improser like, I guess I'm gonna have to go look for someone else. Our our network said that he was um, I didn't really want the franchise tag because he was expecting to make more than that. The franchise tag would have been for like twenty seven eight million dollars Well, isn't that what your agent needs to step in a little bit and stay Let's take a look at reality here. I think that is the agent. I think I think the agent

did a bad job. It's one of the great sliding doors and it will be of this decade of NFL football if Winston doesn't flame out in those last two weeks and throw six or seven picks, including a season ending pick six? Uh? Do the Bucks proceed with him going forward to they give him the fact contract? Does Tom Brady end up somewhere else? Does he stay in New England? It will never ever know. Alright. Finally, one last bit of quarterback sizzle. Uh, someone got in touch

with Brett Farve. And you knew they were gonna get in touch with Brett Farve about this Aaron Rodgers Jordan's love business, because famously, when Aaron Rodgers was drafted in two thousand five, Brett Farve gave him the cold shoulder and thought the Packers were doing them dirty, and it led to, you know, a lot of histrionics around that organization for a few years. Well, now they want to see what far thinks about Rogers, who apparently is his buddy.

Now here's what he told Rich eyes And on the Rich Eisen Show on the NBC Sports Network. You do you cut me off? You think you think he will not end his career as a Green Bay Packer just like you. Um My gut tells me no. And I don't know there's certain but I guarantee you it's got the wheels turning in Aaron's mind. Which which if? If that's the case, and that means that there's a chip on the shoulder towards the organization that otherwise was not there. And so he all he needs is a reason other

than this reason, uh, to expedite that. Rogers is thirty six years old. He has four years and thirty four million left on the extension he signed a couple of years back, and when you dig into that contract, you almost cannot trade him without completely sinking your organization financially

with the cap until after next season. Uh So, if Rogers does move, it would be very difficult, uh pill for the Packers to swallow before two season Five's comments remind me so much of Tom Brady's dad about five years ago when he said it ends, it doesn't end, well, it never does. It's a business. Feelings get hurt and it doesn't end well. And who knows if that for Rogers is one year or three years. I think that

he's the one who determines that. Yeah, Jordan's love might determine it too, though, if Jordan loves a bust, it's just gonna change. It's just gonna change the equation. Um. The most interesting thing about that interview to me, with between Five and Eisen was that, you know, Five and Rogers talked that that that Aaron Rodgers gave Brett Farve a call after this and wanted to talk about it. So well, they've been working on a documentary together for

a couple of years. I mean not day after day, but there have been there has been contact in Yeah, so they really are tight. And and while Five started the interview by saying he's not going to pass along you know what Rogers said because he didn't want to be trade that confidence, I mean he basically did in

the end. I mean he basically in the clip the clip that you don't you know, the quote that we that we heard, you know, he basically that the wheels are are grinding and that he's going to have something against the team, and that that basically wasn't too fired up. Yeah, all he needed was a reason to expedite the process, essentially in play elsewhere, Brett Farve said, And then you're

you're right about the Tom Brady's father comments. I mean, that is Brady and the Patriots not not not ugly to the degree of Rogers and Farv and all that business. But you know Peyton Manning Joe Montana when he left to go to the Chiefs, that was a little messy itself. I mean, you're being someone is replacing you. But my one thing is, I don't know how we know that Jordan's love is a bust until he gets along a long leash to play and and that would itself cause

major issues with Aaron Rodgers. So Ricky, you have a take on this whole Roger saga. Yeah, um, lately on the Bachelor spinoff listen to your Heart, it's where they couple up based on music as well, and there are music for It's So Crammy Bad. But Jordan Rodgers was a guest judge this week. Looks really like the better looking version of Aaron. Well, he got cleaned up. He went the whole Hollywood angle, right, But you know they went in deep on his family relationship. Um, and that's

that's all I have to say. That's I saw him this week, all right, so there so just to put a button on that, Erica saw Jordan Rodgers on a reality television show this week, Yes, this week. Carry on. I feel like you have information and you're holding back from us. But we will get to that another time. You're keeping us in touch with the young kids. I didn't even know about this show that it existed, The

Bachelors for young kids. I think it's for like this with a lot of free time, are watching what is this called. It's called The Bachelor Presents. Listen to your heart. I mean, yeah, that's it's like it's so bad but running out of personal ideas and projects again the cousin Oliver Brady Bunch thing here, It's like, what are we gonna do here? J Jordan Rodgers was, you know, dancing during one of their performances and he's like, I could feel your chemistry on stage and then he was like,

I hate Aaron Rodgers. This is a lot of comment. Read a book, crack a book open once in a while, put the reality shows away. It's all I'm gonna say for everyone watching these shows to the point where, okay, you watched the bad sir, but that wasn't enough. Now you need the Bachelor cast off with cousin Oliver West. Get off your high horse. I just finished a big book and yesterday I listened to jazz while I played cards.

And if I want to literally relax with the glass of wine and wash some stupid TV, you can shove it right where the sun's don't shine. I love it silent. I mean, what are you gonna do. You can't help people who won't help themselves. Oh my god, I'll destroy you, all right. And what I don't think, I don't see. I think she was talking about cornhole. Remember when we used to play cornhole? Remember least each other in the same area. And I remember fred eggs and cheers. I

remember Stop your life, man, that was awesome. I only read books, all right, Erica, stop making trouble. Scram that's what she's still in the screen, by the way, bye, all right, that's what's happening in the news. All right, let's get right to it. Um pressure points under pressure. Can I do it? Everyone's counting on me. I can't let them down. Players who in the post free agency, post draft landscape. Did I explain that before the show started or after. Except's not gonna make sense to people

if they don't. You did, you did? I said it during the show. It was yeah, it was part of our show. Shut up. Um. I had a cousin, or I still have a cousin, Jimmy. We'd play whiffleball, all the cousins, and he was susceptible to mental games. So when we when he was at the plate in a big spot in the whiffleball game, we the opposing team would just start to like very kind of under our breath, but loud enough that he could hear in the batter's

box say things like pressure, pressure, everyone's counting at me. Wait, how old is cousin? Jimmy was probably seven? You know, here are any running train on his psyche? I mean we were ten, you know, nine, But uh and uh, sometimes it would it would get to him and he would get out of his mindset and struggle and you know what was you should you should agree? I mean, you grew up in a house with what seven other boys?

Six other boys? I mean, I'm sure that stuff happened all the time, everybody knew what buttons to push and how to get ahead, especially in sports. I think which buttons to push is very well said. I don't know that we ever picked on one of the others for being like mentally deficient or psychologically mentally deficient. He was just susceptible to that level. Right now, does he have

very successful Okay? Yeah, I think in backyard like whiffleball, there aren't as many like pressure moments as there might be. Saying in the World Series. I mean if yeah, if you're feeling if he's feeling pressure, then sports probably is not going to be the avenue he he goes down, you know, are probably not for you taking bullets all over the body. I still whe of O. I think

of the west household in West Cincinnati. I just think about Mama Westling bringing home that t bone and just throwing it to the bottom of depths, and then the boys just fighting for it and tearing it apart. That was more like the bucket of peanut butter, not a t bone. Today when we get together with you, please, my best friend was was a brick. Was a brick. My favorite toy was a stick in a wheel Erica Erica just came in to laugh on the screen. All right,

let's get to it. You know what, West you and I've we've met all your brothers. They're all we're almost all of them, all well adjusted men for the most part. And I think that that helped them grow, didn't it. That a lot of character and politicians, a lot of character building and great parents, great parenting there. So yeah, no complaints. I'm just continuous now to annoy Greg. Now, wait, why are you? Why would it be annoying me? I would want to I would. I would welcome a Westling

brother podcast. I love it. Greg's almost like the eighth Westling brother. I mean, you've been you've been missing one for a while. I could just you know, step in. Greg would fit in well. Everybody talking over the other, shouting each other down, it would be Greg would fit in perfectly with the Western Greg lobbying to replace one of the brothers who's in a bit of a tough position right now. That's saying he hasn't been you know, you know, carrying his weight lately. That's all. We'll have

a chance, depends what other people say. All right, let's get to it. Who's under pressure who's facing um an added level of pressure now that the draft and the free agency uh periods of ended. Greg get us going, all right, I'm gonna start in Washington. Feel like we have not talked about the Washington football team at all. How about UM, Dwayne Haskins and Scott Turner. Remember Dwayne Haskins, I mean he was taking about five rounds before Gardner

Minshew and UM. I feel like this point, everyone's already given up on Haskins, even though he was the top sixteen pick and he at least at some moments, I don't think you could throw away his career because of a rough rookie start. They are under pressure because you know, they take Chase Young in the first round. They they take a couple of flyers on offensive guys, Antonio Gibson, who's kind of like a running back wide receiver type,

but they trade away Trent Williams. And you have a first time coordinator in Scott Turner, and you have Dwayne Haskins, and your skill position group is Terry McLaurin, Kelvin Harmon and Trey Quinn, who was kind of an intriguing young receiver group. But it's a new offense and a young quarterback who's gonna try to make all of those guys better.

You still have Adrian Peterson and geiss As you're running game like they're gonna have to go out there and try to come I forgot about that guy in and survive in in a year where teams are just loaded on offense, and it's like, here you go, Haskins, prove us wrong, because if not, you're gonna get benched. For For Kyle Allen, who we brought over from Carolina, that's a good one. He was on my list to Greg, Haskins simply has to take a big step forward. And yeah,

we look at the rookie quarterbacks. They deserve that time too if you believe in them, and especially at their premium pick. I feel like you can't bury him for having a tough rookie year. But the thing with Haskins is, and whether it was fair or not, there was that chatter that he might not love it, that he might not live and breathe this, that he might not be

working as hard as he has to work. So if that's actually a little bit of a concern in that building, he needs to rectify that and show them that he lives and breathes it and will put in the work to be a true star. Otherwise they're just gonna move on. They're gonna go get somebody else with different leadership. The only thing I'd say is Scott Turner spent a couple of months watching every snap of Haskins and whether you believe Ron Rivera or not, and I think Chase Young

has a lot to do with it. He said recently in a conference call that there was literally zero contemplation around taking a quarterback. So I don't know if that means because of Chase Young there was no debate um or were they liked enough of what they saw from Haskins in an offense that looked like it was shot out of nineteen thirty two where they wanted to which I loved. Finished games in an hour and forty five minutes by running the ball sixty times, So it's not

really wasn't really a showcase scenario for Haskins. But jury is out, it would be interesting to watch the other side of the ball at at pass rusher after dracing drafting Chase Young. Ryan Carragan is going to be thirty two years old and has a real good shot at clear in one hundred sacks for his career. Quietly they draft Montes Sweat last year in the first round. Who's

getting bench for Chase Young to play? I guess they'll find a way for everyone to get snaps, But I have a feeling Sweat and Carragan might be splitting those snaps. And one last thing, and we we reported on this and wrote it up on NFL dot com Today. Ron Rivera, the Redskins coach, uh told Good Morning Football that the idea of Cam Newton following him to Washington. Quote depends on the circumstances that, to me, would be the last thing you'd want to do. You might as well. You

might as well punt on Haskins. Now, if you bring Newton in that building, and I guess I'm of two minds. You want to get the best play possible and and have the best quarterback possible. But if you bring in Newton, you're basically telling the fans and Haskins you have serious doubt. And is Cam Newton gonna be sitting on the bench or sixteen games behind Haskins. I just don't see it. I don't see that as a healthy avenue for this team to go time with you. But I feel like they,

you know, the experience combining with Cam Newton. They went and got the Carolina quarterback they liked better, and Al Smith is still floating around somewhere. The question has to be asked, why don't you think the same way about Drew Lock and the Broncos as you do about Haskins and the Redskins. No, I mean, I I get it, That's what I'm saying. I'm of two minds if but

also I guess the investment too. I'm factoring in that, uh, the first round pick, what was at the top ten pick, a top fifteen six that I don't know, you kind of undercut any belief in him, and Drew Lock was a second rounder, I believe, But I see your point. There was fair enough, all right, West you go, I'm looking at Baker Mayfield. Um. With the offseason the Browns have had. There were a lot of years we had high expectations last year, but there were a lot of reasons,

specifically the offensive line that it didn't work out. But then to add Austin Hooper to add Um, who is a Harrison Bryant who they got, they had Geddrick Willis right tackle, Jack Conklin, Jack Conklin. Uh. They They've got a whole new offense. They're loaded, and I think the excuses are just out the window. They even got a good backup who. I'm not saying Baker Mayfield can't survive a slump at this point, but you know, first round picks have been benched for extended slumps, so there is

pressure there. I think the expectations this year they're not gonna be as high nationwide, but they should be in Cleveland. This This offense is more loaded than they were a year ago, I'd ask. I'd add also that they added someone in case Keenum, who Kevin Stefanski knows very well and trust. So I'm not saying case Keenum is a prefitable quarterback to Baker Mayfield. But it's not like you go from Baker Mayfield into an untested Abyss. There is

someone in a slumps you could lean on. I mean, it feels to me a little bit like the Browns and I mentally am doing this too. Um are not really being talked about as a playoff ready team when you see these like teams that kind of killed the off season they're kind of being left off some of those lists just because I think we're human and we were totally exhausted with that storyline that turned into UM total midnight last season. And I couldn't agree with you

more that Baker Mayfield. And there you know, Stefanski noted that he, unlike what happened with Mayfield a year ago, has given him a laundry list of things he needs to work on and accountably show that he's made progress on, which is not the case last year and a totally disastrous UM run team. I just think it was run so poorly and he was a victim of that UM

But I would I would agree. I would say more if you come out of this season and Baker Mayfield was the problem and not the solution to a stuff like a star studded offense, than anything could happen anything you hit on it there, Mark, I think the biggest thing they did it might turn out being sweeping out of woefully unprepared and unable to function coaching staff. On top of it, because the roster even going into free

agency this year, was pretty good. The line needed to be improved, and they certainly did that, But when you factor in the player, the roster improvements, the new coaching staff with Stefanski, will see what he can do in the big chair. But he's a guy who can work

with quarterbacks. There is pressure on Mayfield. But also if you're a Browns fan, Mark, I imagine you're thrilled that they basically instead of um, you know, going in a different direction or questioning the quarterback coming off a bad year, they said, no, we're gonna build up all round him and give him another shot, essentially a mulligan on Twente. They had a much more organized and and I thought effective offseason this year than last year. It's just that

I get the exhaustion around that. I mean they're loaded. They're absolutely loaded. And if they didn't make the playoffs, it's like Stefanski has done just as bad a job as Freddie Kitchens, or something crazy happens injuries, what you know, things can happen, but they are loaded. I mean we don't even mention hunting Chubb. I mean the fact that joke who is like their second or third tight end. I mean that there and unless unless the rookie or Conklin doesn't work out, you know, if Will is moving

to the left side. You know, you don't know he's a rookie that that could be an issue. But if those tackles are good, I mean they are loaded, and they should be in the mix of that second tier right behind the Chiefs in the Ravens outside of Patrick Mahomes, is there a quarterback with more to work with right

and surrounding talent? And to that point, if Mayfield got off to a slow start, how long is his leash with Keenham ready to cook and having a coach that he's worked with and it succeeded, So there is pressure. I'm the kid, But you know what, Mark, you get the feeling that he's built to handle that as long as he doesn't, you know, talk too much to the media. I think there's a little bit of like I wouldn't ask anyone to go do this because it would be

a painful exercise. But if you go watch some of the better Baker Mayfield haves and moments like he was doing some of the stuff he was doing in but you mix in a lot of stuff he wasn't doing in eighteen, which was concerning Alright, Uh, go ahead, Mark, you know, I look at Tampa Bay where I really feel like the last um kind of question mark in another very loaded offense. Beyond some offensive line issues, is

the planet running back where they were? I thought Bruce Arians openly telecasts that they're going to go find a pass catching back, UM, which makes all the sense in the world for anyone that's watched Tom Brady over the

last five six years, and they addressed in the draft. Now, they didn't address it like in round one or two, UM, but they went and got Cashawn Vaughan, who Arian called a three down back, And they also got Raymond Calais, who Arians referred to as a kind of much smaller David Johnson but with some David Johnson type skill set, so neither one of them were like premier pass catchers in college. Vaughan certainly grew towards the end um in that in that area, and someone that Arian sees could

play three downs. The pressure point for me is Ronald Jones, who I know West really liked Um moments from Ronald Jones. I thought they had a really good running back there, and I just don't see Um how he fits in. And other than anything but a really reduced um stable unless these rookies don't work out. But I mean the pass catching side of this. If they want to give Tom Brady the kind of offense that he would desire, I think matters a lot because you look at James

White and he wasn't just prolific. He caught nearly two hundred passes in the regular season over the last two years and another twenty five in the playoffs. So if this is a big part of their offense, you're looking at some developing question marks on how it all plays out. Yeah, i'd see Ronald Jones is sort of the Sony Michelle there. He's gonna play on running downs. It wasn't just that I was happy with the way he ran. The coaching staff was happy with the way way he ran and

said as much. But he they don't trust him in the passing game. They just don't trust him to keep tom Brady um clean back there. So it wouldn't surprise me to see those rookies play ahead of him on passing downs. Wait, I mean tom Brady coaches up the running backs and the receivers. I think that you know and and if he doesn't trust you, then he disposes

of you quickly. But he has had one of those guys next to him his entire career, whether it was Kevin Falk, I mean, whether it's Ben Jarvis green Ellis for a little bit, they are they all weren't stars. But then it's Danny Woodhead and James White like the guys that he ends up choosing, and usually there's like

a couple in the mix. And then like it's it's the one who can pass protect and he's the one who can think the same way Brady as and I'm sure he's gonna be anxious to get on the field with these guys like Keyshawan von because like if if you only have or four weeks, that that's something that that's going to hurt the young skill position players really at every position. Uh, let me close it with the

entire team, the Buffalo Bills. I'll narrow it down a little bit in a bit, but think about where they're at right now, and think about their roster in comparison to the other rosters in the a f C East and a draft that was successful before it even began because you filled a huge need, uh in a number one ish wide receiver with Stefan Diggs that costs you your first round pick and then they add a second round pick that everybody seems to love, a j Epenenza

et Penessa, a Penzaza that could mitigate some of the concerns people had about the defensive line being weakened with the loss of Shack Lawson and others. I think that this team is going to be dealing with something that this organization hasn't really had to deal with in multiple decades, which is expectations. You're expected You're gonna be expected to dethrone the New England Patriots. And it's not gonna be

like can they do it? People are gonna expect them to do it, and teams have wilted under less pressure in the past. And this idea that you need to be better than they went ten at six last year. They need to be better than that for the season to be successful, I think. And I'll narrow it down to the quarterback and Josh Allen, who we've talked about a lot. Some people believe in him more than others.

The Bills fans certainly do. I think we were all a little spooked by his performance in the second half of that playoff loss to the Texans. But it's interesting that they went and got that guy Jake from UH from Georgia who fell to the fifth round and was seen by many as a great move by the Bills because from had a much higher UM draft stock. People thought going into the game the draft, what happens if Alan plat toes, which I think is a coin flip. To be quite honest, I I would not be shocked

at off. Josh Allen is not the man like they want him to be. With a new backup quarterback with expectations, there is the possibility of pressure getting to this team. Or they got thirteen and three and they they are the new dogs in the a f C East. But we shall see. MH. They have to play better than last year. I don't think they were as good as their record. You're not gonna have. The Jets and Dolphins at times last year were so bad as to be

non competitive. I don't see that happening again. Um they had a pretty easy schedule this team. I think the next step is you can't tell yourself you're gonna win games with eight teen points. You gotta start scoring twenty five or more regularly in order to be what you say that they think they are or what they The pressure will be to be the favorites in the East. If you're gonna knock off the Patriots, you can't be

an eighteen to twenty point offense into the credit. I think they knew that and they've they've built up their offense. I mean that that's why you make the move for Stefan Diggs. You know they've they've done such a good job that they brought back the entire offensive line, but they have some depth there. They've got depth throughout the roster. I mean it looks great. It really does look great on paper, and Alan doesn't have to play much better. Even as much as I've been on him, I think

he's a functional NFL quarterback. I just questioned, like the the upside and whether he's ever gonna whether he's gonna be better than average. But if he, if he plays this year next you like he did last year, like they should win games. The schedule is a is a big part of it. And to your point, then the expectations can't you know, what, how do you handle being two and three because you're not going to be piling up wins over the Redskins and Giants like the the

a f C schedule just worked out for everyone. The Patriots weren't as good as the record, the Jets weren't as good as the record, the Dolphins weren't as good as the record, and this year it looks a lot tougher on paper. Well, I was gonna say one strength they have is to me, Sean McDermott. I mean, it's easy to forget he tugged a pretty bad Bills team in the playoffs three years ago, and there's been a consistent, UM I think be line towards success with him and

Brandon Bean. And you know, there are a handful of teams that UM would wish to run as smoothly as the Bills do right now. And to me, they're not a team that is, UM. You know, a bunch of big, egotistical guys are gonna clash and crumble the same way some others would. I I like what the Bills are are doing. But you're right then that is suddenly the Patriots are seven and one, and you know, with Jared Stidham and the Bills are four and four and with

a lot of issues. Then then the pressure starts to mount. But um, everything that Shal mcdermot's done up from when the minute he's been hired, and it's easy to remember how tumultuous coaches and gms were in that Bills building for so long that um, it's I just I see the arrow up for them all the way I do. They did bring in Stefon Diggs, a guy that you wonder how he'll handle a long winter in western New

York if Josh Allen is struggling. But if you want to get any great doubt, most of them are gonna be there. There's a diva factor to these guys, and either you do you stay away from not everyone who's vocals. He is on Twitter and that I'm not that worried about it. But do you think they're gonna ask Alan to do more this year? Because that's sometimes it could

be the enemy of success. I'm thinking of a guy that, like Mark Sanchez during the Jets, stays where it's like we do believe in them, and he's been pretty promising this first couple of years. Let's have him throw the ball more because we think you'd give it a star, and then that could lead to the offense taking a step back. I wonder what digs there if they if they're gonna put more on Alan's plate, and if they do, can you handle it. I think they're gonna throw more.

I mean they have Dawson Knox the tight end, Tyler Crofts coming back, you know there. I liked um pick a running back to Zack Moss behind single time. I mean they're gonna throw it a lot. I like Dable, their their offensive coordinator has done a good job, I think building around Alan's strength and kind of making him the best version that he can be. So I have no reason to think that they won't kind of um develop him that way this year to make him look good,

like play to his drinks. Over under start with US wins for the Buffalo Bills nine and a half. I'll take the over, Greg, I'll take the under. But it's funny because I'm gonna be picking them, I'm sure, like when we do all the little schedules, I'll put it that over because I do think they're gonna win. They're gonna be my pick to win the division. But that's hard.

It's hard, like so many things can happen. I go under nine and a half for almost every team in the a f C except for Greg answer Mark, I'll go I think I think there go about ten and six again in a different way than they did last year, and will that be good enough to win the division? It might. I mean, I'm not convinced that the Jets or Dolphins are about to, you know, skyrocket into the playoffs. I'm banging the under. I'm gonna say someone else is

gonna win that division other than the Patriots. Pats. I could see nine and seven winning that division. I could see it being one of the worst divisions in football, like like it's been for the most are um for the last decade. All right, good stuff, good stuff. We will be back on Monday. How about that our regularly scheduled offseason schedule. So we'll be Monday, Wednesday, Friday. What is the schedule? At least when is that happening? They ninth by by May nine, I mean they keep in.

One of our reporters said to keep an eye on the seventh as the date. So that's your favorite time of the year schedule at least time. I mean every year, it's bad enough they tell you, hey, can't wait for these games that are gonna happen in seven months. Now, it's like, can't wait for these games are gonna happen in an indetermined future. Well, you're gonna have to company man this one. I'm sorry, you gotta. I want you to write. I want you to lead your article about

the schedule at least with that. Yeah, here, analyze these games. What what do you mean? Analyze them like the place in an uncertain future. You have an incredible appetite for

reading and knowledge. You should know that. Our features editor Ali bam Party connected with me this morning to ask if I will be again writing the Revenge Games about the schedule at least, and I said absolutely, sir, yep, I have the easiest schedules, so I'm assuming West he'll be ringing your doorbell soon with the request of his own. I have to top ten offenses due on Monday. That's

not that I've got. Yeah, I've got tough schedules. I got TOPI happy to write the schedule article as long as they print what I write, as long as they pay you. It's always they print how I write it. How about the you know, I do like finding out like the Thanksgiving games, and we'll see at least what

their schedule for the London games. Yeah, we world, West stand like I loved when the schedule would come out and I'd find it in like USA today and wore over it for hours like you that also did nothing freezing somewhere West like. At no point in my life was a May schedule release that's baseball season like that? No, at the point am I pouring over a schedule to see what could happen in seven months? Was the simple rube and I enjoyed it as a child when the

schedule release. We all have our likes and dislikes. That was never doing it for me downstairs playing with my brick. I didn't need a schedule. Ricky West says, we all have our likes and dislikes. I'm sure you have a take there after what he said to you, but personal that felt uh yeah that felt was just shook his head, Yeah it was West. Are we okay? Yeah? Hey, watch The Bachelor. I'm just not sure you need to watch The Bachelor Jr. In The Bachelor, like Part seven in

The Bachelor, like the whole Bachelor family. To keep all these people lining their coffers with money. The Bachelor some reduced version of your show space. You guys should go back and watch this week's episode us to see Aaron Rodgers Brother because it will give you a lot of insight for your jobs. So you should do that, all right, good idea? All right? Speaking of books, West, I just got delivered in the mail today, the Definitive Michael Jordan's

um biography by Roland Lastin by who wrote that one. No, what's the title? What's like the the the definitive Jordan book Playing for Keeps? Playing for Keeps by Hard Stamp. Yes, that that's the best one. I think that's been overdue. I've been meaning to read that one for a long time, and obviously the ESPN series finally led to the purchase. I'm looking forward to that. It's it's a great book, It's and I think I would put that right behind Breaks of the Game, also by Halberd Stam is the

two best NBA books? Mark When are You going to break Down? Too Hot to Handle? On Netflix? Well, as I mentioned to you that that's that took off that right,

love that show. And then I got to episode two or three and everyone on the show was you gotta have a likable person, you gotta see kind of yourself and someone even if they're a mess, and there was just real quick before we get off the premise of two ought to handle sput So it's like content on the on Netflix right now, and you basically it is like twelve to fourteen, like insanely hot, young in shape um men and women put together on some truck tropical locale.

Very original, and uh, you know, they are not allowed to do anything physical with each other, but they found they seem to have found like super amped up high libido people where that is like, um, you know, I'm not going to meditate for a month. They simply cannot handle that challenge. And they're all starting to like fall for each other. And then they'll jump a few people and bring in like new if you kiss, it's like

three grand. There's a hundred thousand dollar prize, and you know, depending on the act, it's like twenty dollars could be deducted, depending on if they break the rules. What happens if you're into minute depends on depends on the level. I mean the most intimate of intimate effort. I think it's thirty six thousand ortis gone from this thou dollars out of out of a hundred thousand. But then but then like someone has to win at the end, and all the other all the other people hate you be that

you have no like stuff. Now, I will say this West, the description is somehow juicier than the show itself. The show I'm a very quick cliff, and I already know you wouldn't watch to begin with. Has been peddling it my way for a while and and I'm like, okay, so how is this different from the other thirteen shows? Just like it? Except you're allowed to have sex? If I mean, the book isn't really reeling me in here.

If I was on that and I had my way and I and I got what I want, I would at the end of the show, oh the money, and I just like, that's fine. That was an amazing three months I had on the island. That's how I would play it. Who needs forget about the prize? What about just enjoying yourself on the island? Get Well, you've got to find a female with the same you know, devil make care attitude as you. Some of them were very money oriented, so it's not quite as easy as you're

making it out to be. I'm just saying, in in an ideal world, well, it's all they're also meant to be operating as a team. We are discussing this way too long. This is longer than our stegment. This we have gone on way too long. Alright, there's a book of it was. I'll send it to you nothing the book version. There are so many good books, why waste time with the bad one? West? Did? Did you get

a lot of picture? It's a you know, like forwards for page, but you know you get a lot of pings West about the author that lives next to you. I did quite a few guesses. At least two or three people got it right, but quite a few got it wrong. Okay, there you go. Did you tell them they got it right? I did? Oh you did? Yeah? See this is this is entering potentially a tricky situation. Now that's how you formed the friendship, West, is to to you know, allow this author that you're trying to

get into his good graces. I've just told people on the internet from like Scotland to like North Africa to Middle America, where you live, Well, they don't know where I live. First, they can find that out in about eight minutes. M M. I could find that on Google. Maybe we don't encourage him just saying we have this sign off because Mark said he is somewhere to be at one. I do have to go in anew minutes, so let's go. Where are you going? I have another

media thing to do. It's a Brown as a Brown's podcast, and I'm not you know, Mark's doing a nice afterwards when it's available. I'm not sure. You never you never know. Right now, you gotta set up other potential work opportunities in case we get the old You know that's fair. I'm not quite that savvy, all right, this Dan had to signing off four quiet darned the mail Man, the Old Boss and Rick Hollywood in What Hollywood? Rick Hollywood and what Hollywood? Until my day