Comedown Players of the Year 2020

of friends. No, now they're enemies. You know, it doesn't often necessarily be well, it's like instead, it's kind of like a marriage. At the end, you say, would you do this all over again? I guess the question is, would you sign up with the same you know, three other people and producer equation all over again? Or would you would you scramble it and bring it a whole new bunch of people. I would do it all over That's important. I would keep our current producer. I would

That's write a rap for Mark Sussler. Yeah, during a pandemic, I'm re running I'm running this back. Who knows that other combo we might be out. We're just you know, four guys at a bar chopping it up. But what if we became four dudes at a bar slugging it out right, That's what I mean, is like less like the personnel reboot, but more just a plot twist, plot twist after seven. Well, that's what they do in professional wrestling.

It's like every once in a while, there's a staleness that sets in with a fan favorite and usually what they'll do in that realm is okay, like turn them into a bad guy. See how that plays. So maybe we just maybe not, I think we could squeeze one more drop of a baby face version of the Around the NFL podcast, but maybe like a full on heel turn only one against each other, not not outward. I've

been trying that the whole time. So actually I turned into the nice guy and you guys are all jerks like fun Yes, no, Chris Westling today west Uh is going to join us whenever you can. He's not making it this week but this show, but maybe coming up again soon. But it's still I got that kind of afterglow from west being back in the mix on Monday, So that was that was awesome and we hope to have him back again soon enough. UM, busy show, very busy show today. Um we have what do we have

to get through? Here. Oh, Hard Knocks is back. The premiere was Tuesday night. I wrote the recap that's up on NFL dot com right now, and we're gonna talk about the premiere episode, uh featuring the Rams and Chargers. Also bringing back something from last summer that I thought was kind of a fun conversation them down players of

the Year. We all know that come back players of the Year are the feel good story, and we talked about how Alex Smith is going to have that thing on hyper lock if he manages to hang around with the Redskins this year. But who are some of the players that coming off a great twenty nineteen. It doesn't mean they're gonna torpedo and find themselves out of football by next season when we're the Heel Podcast. It means maybe just aren't gonna be quite at the level of

production that we saw a season ago. Come down Players of the Year turn of phrase there. I like it. I mean, the world doesn't have enough negativity in it right now. We need to just add add on some more. Yeah, I mean, I guess I'm totally and I like the idea. We need to start getting ready for this season. It's four weeks away. It's insane. It's time players that players have helmets on now, they're they're practicing a little bit today.

People are like decoding really fuzzy images of Bill Belichick walking around on on Patriots dot Com and then tweeting that out as if that's great content here. But that's where we're at right now with Rainey Camp. Alright, that is where we're at. Very excited to get into today's show. So let's kick it off as we always do, with a little bit of news. Hey, and also, don't be

the guy that takes the poor potties. All right, I went in there about threw up all I have a little bit more uh social awareness that's to take a don't take it in the poor potties. I don't even want to give that context. I'm just gonna imagine there's a portion of our audience that did not see the premiere of Hard Knocks, and uh so you have no idea what that's all about. And it's just, yeah, the voice of Sean McVeigh, the coach of the Rams, just

hissing about the use of the old porta John outside. Well, and it's basic good life advice. I mean, whether or not you saw the episode. It kind of just works right anywhere. Well, all right, unless you are to go number two into in a hideously stinky porta potty with no I was gonna say it, who does that act someone in an emergency situation, like a child in an emergency scenario? Man, Yeah, yeah, you don't do that unless

you have to. And Aaron Donald cracked that case. And we're gonna get to hard knocks a little bit later. The NFL films personnel, and there's thirty of them. They don't have access to the buildings, so let's cut them a little break. Let's not embarrassed them. It's a human act, Greg, it's a human act. Dan clearly, you know, just used the porta potty and is feeling feeling. I seek them out.

I seek them out. All right. Let's start the news with the Buffalo Bills, who are really on the right path, it seems right now, very steady h franchise with a great roster and good leadership at the top and on the sidelines. And Sean McDermott and they know it because we just learned today that he was given a five He was given a four year extension that will take him through it's a six year deal, and obviously it's

one that he's earned very well. Yes, the Bills from a pure record standpoint, and twenty three across these uh three seasons, Uh, they haven't won a playoff game under McDermott. But that doesn't tell the whole story, not at all. Mark Well, I mean he's he's brought them to the playoffs twice, and I think especially the first time with the team that a lesser coach would not have been able to uh reach the postseason. I we're fans of Sean McDermott. I think is a group. Um he's been

on our show. We found him to be I think surprisingly engaging, where there wasn't a huge impression that I had a McDermott before. It's interesting because he came up for so many interviews before he got that Bill's job. And there's got to be a couple of teams who have been now on their second plus coach at this point thinking we could have had Sean McDermot. Well, sure, I mean there's there's that whole mill of teams that sort of went through the same guys. Sean McDermott is

perfect for Buffalo. I think he is a top ten coach. I really do. I think he does certain things really spect his special quality is coaching up the secondary defensive backs. That's translated to Buffalo. They were the only team in the league last year that didn't allow a deep passing touchdown. That's not a coincidence. That's the fingerprints of Sean McDermott.

I love his match with Brandon being they had a lot of coach GM in fighting for years and there, and we knew somethings that you know, maybe wouldn't have been reported that we heard that was sort of on the border being shocking of how dysfunctional the team was. And they have removed that dysfunction and success comes. And so I really think that this was a no brainer

move for a team heading in the right direction. He's one of the most powerful coaches in the NFL because because I because I kind of think like Pete Carroll in Seattle and Belichick and read he his say I think matters most in personnel. Bean's executing it. Look, there's a lot of work that goes into being a GM, but it's McDermott's team. It's cool to see. I mean, you know, I like the idea of some coaches that

have some leeway. Look, if Josh Allen has a stink bomb season or whatever, and they have to find another quarterback at some point, it's like, I like the idea that they're committed to this coach because they should be. They've been a top five defense two years in a row. According to football outsiders. That's tough to do. They're actually projected to be the number one defense in the NFL,

I think by football outsiders. He's made good hires, which is really important, including being frankly because you know he was involved in that higher uh, he was involved in hire Brian Dable, not a guy a lot of people wanted, who I think has done a really good job. The offensive, which was a problem it wasn't just defensive, is stable now. Um so I love it. And I think the more teams that have a little stability, the more they can

have an identity. We're at a point right now. Bill O'Brien is one of the longest tenured coaches in the league, and he's like in the top five or six, I think six or seven. I mean, that's that's how much we churned through these coaches. And I really do think McDermott normally will be there at the end of this contractor it has a good chance. Normally i'd be skeptical, but this is a guy I can really see lasting that long. In other news, the New England Patriots have

added a player to their backfield on offense. Lamar Miller familiar name, has signed a one year deal with the team. Miller blew out his A C L and M C L a year a year ago last year. Boy, my boy. I have always liked Lamar Miller, but I liked him more when he wasn't almost thirty with a blown out knee.

I don't know what he's at at this stage of the game, but you know, it's a good little insurance signing for the Patriots who lost Brendan Bolden to the COVID nineteen opt out and Sony Michelle who had foot surgery in May. It's unclear he's on the populist right now what his availability is, and he could end up pup pupulist guy come week one, which would take him out of action for six weeks, which makes Lamar Miller a nice guy to have in your building if he

could still play the guitar. You. Yeah, you famously picked him a few different times for making the leap one of the I think the only two are three times making a leap guy. Um. I think Michelle. Sony Michelle, which who we haven't talked about on this podcast, is in is in some trouble. It sounds like he might

not be ready for the start of the season. There's a lot of buzz in New England about Damien Harris, a second year third round pick who people liked in the off season last year, then he got hurt right before the season as kind of the the latest Patriots running back who gets taken last in fantasy leagues but winds up kind of being the closest thing they have to the guy. But who knows, maybe it'll be Lamar Miller like that. That's crazier. Things have happened than that

too in New England. Well, I mean Damian Harris. Last year, whispers were generating that maybe Sony Michelle wouldn't be the lead back because of Harris, and you know that didn't come to fruition. I just would say, if you're running back looking to revive your career, you're not gonna go there and be a lead back. Necessarily they don't really seem to operate that way of late. But what a great place to go is a running back, Bill Belichick. Uh,

could we've said it before? It could turn one of us into a six yard Russier in that in that offense, maybe no more than that for the three of us be a running team. Cam Newton, I think I think they're gonna be a big time running team. Whether that works or not, we'll see or yards did him? You

know that's true. Supposedly someone noticed that again they're like looking at these grainy videos and Patriots dot Com that Cam Newton was like fourth in the rotation, behind someone behind their undrafted rookie that's in so you know, hey, he's got to move up the depth. Churt Sessler speaking Damian Harris, I'm gonna share a little later in the show, what are come down? Players of the year predictions were

from last summer. But you were, you were, You had your eyes on Sony Michelle a year ago as a guy that could be on the fade with Damian Harris on the rise. You might have missed that by one. Well, that's that's a move of mine, like to to usher a prediction that's utterly wrong. But then the year later

it becomes wasn't wasn't wrong? I mean Sonny Michelle. Well, I guess the numbers were Damian Harris as the reason that the numbers are about the same, but no one but that's based on that one's gonna be like, hey, you know when when I grow up, I'm not I'm not gonna be like, hey, you really missed out on that two thousand nineteen Sony Michelle season. Not a lot of it. I think to Dan's point that the prediction was not a home run, but now it's like closer

to a home run. And uh, up next to the news and I'm really bummed that West isn't here because I think he really would have appreciated this, perhaps been perplexed by it, maybe been angry about it. But yes, we know all about what are some of our our annual team fan clubs. Of course, last year we had the fish tank, got the Grievance Nest. We could go there less in my opinion, if we needed to the Titans.

The Titans. Ever, no, we didn't know that. I believe this year and I feel free to chime in with your thoughts, but this year, let's unveil the Bengals Den. My son like this. He spends literally hours a day pretending he's a tiger and just like biting people around the house. So this is gonna be a big fan. I'd have that checked out Greg personally, but it sounds engaging. Yes, the Bengals Den where we study the Cincinnati football franchise a team on the rise. Let's go through some news items.

Here's starting with cornerback Trey Waynes, who could be out up to two months after suffering a pectoral injury. This is so Bengals. I mean, it's it's tough to open up the Bengals then in this way because this team wouldn't spend money for years and years in free agency and they get hand out a three or forty two million dollar deal to Wahanes to fix up their secondary and then he immediately tears his pack. So we'll see how long he's gonna be out, but he will start

the season on the sideline. There's one of the positives. Oh attack, it was one of the positives. You know, I guess of this totally news list. First two weeks of training camp there were no injuries because you know, there's only like one way to get injured while lifting weights, and that is tearing your pectoral muscle. Well, that comes from Greg. Greg is plugged in on these matters in the I mean, I'm start of joking, but it seems like that's the like only way that people people heard.

It was a year ago. They lost a j green in the first i think day of training camp a year ago and that changed their entire season. And Waynes was pretty is an interesting case because he was quite

annoyed at the Bengals. I thought that they really waited for him to be there in person to sign his contract, and while ninety plus percent of the league had their contract you know, free agent contracts tucked away, he not the case for him, and he called it publicly a giant headache, and he basically said this is terrible at one point in an interview, and like for all the Bengals progressive, free active free agency, this was sort of a case that made them look like the old Bengals

a little bit. And then he hits the scene to fix one of the worst secondaries in the league from a year ago, and uh, he's gone, you know early on, that's that's not a positive on any did have this dude Darius Phillips in the last couple of weeks of the season. I think he played both the year teams. He had three interceptions in about two games he played unbelievable. One of those games they forget if it was against the Jets and Browns. But he's gonna step in. But

it's not what you want. It's not what you want. It's not what you want. A little Joe Girardi in a big spot from Greg and other Bengals. Then news, defensive tackle Mike Daniels signs a one year deal with the Bengals. H thirty one years old. He's had injury issues his last two years. But you got Geno Atkins on the inside. If Mike Daniels could get healthy and approach his former levels of play, you know he got some cooking in there. I like Sam Harvard. Atkins wasn't

the same. But your your boy from your Europe trip, Carlos Dunlap was a beast. Sounds stretch. He's always good, but he was. You would think he'd be getting a little older. Geno Atkins looks a little older. He was not Gino Atkins um that we've come to appreciate UH last year. But Carlos Dunlap was like on fire at the end of the season when not many people were too interested in the nineteen Bengals. And finally John Ross's left Bengals camp to take care of his son UH.

The kid unfortunately tested positive for COVID nineteen. The child's mother also tested positive, so Ross steps away from the team UH to be there for the family. Tough situation, but hopefully he's back ahead of week one. So that is what's cooking in the Bengals. Dan Good Good premiere, Guys Good premiere episode Good Up. Not a lot of good news in the den, there is. I mean, we could be answering a den of sorrow, but with we're we're diving in and we're gonna we're just gonna hope

for the best. Okay, you never see you never see news like you know, another calm day in the Bengals den. You know, everything we're in great today with the Tigers that they do more carnage to come in the Bengals that I'm sure all right. In other news, Monday night football news, you know, we love talking Monday night ball and not even the games, the game within the game, the game up in the booth. Done done done, done, La la la la la la la d d d d d d dumb dumb yagya ya ye See, people

only know the instrumental version. They don't know if the one with Fox. I love. You know Andrew Marshand, he's one of our martian he's one of our favorite media guys out there covering all the happenings, uh in this league of hours, our league, and he had a nice little nugget in his mail bag. I mean, people are really stepping up with these mail bags. One thing I had not anticipated in the mail bag game was people starting to bury, you know, little nugs of like uh

uh scoops putting scoopage of mailbags. Yeah, because the I think we've shifted away from Hey, I'm just offering my opinion in the mail bag too. Now you've got to be breaking news. So now damn you've got a lot of sources, and you've got media sources in house, media sources, So you just gotta start to lean on that angle, because I think that's the hook versus hey, look at me, here's my opinion on someone's backfield you've gotta be dropping some information that no one else has and I know

you can inside. Thank you, Mark, I appreciate your belief in me. And yeah, I think it's kind of a if you want to call it a wake up call or just the challenge. I think it's the natural evolution of things that the mail bag. Yeah, used to be a place where you could have some fun and joke around with the listeners or the readers and crack crack wise a little bit and throw some football analysis in there. But now they're Scoopidge. They're Scoopidge. And why is the

Scoopidge again? Here? They're scoopid bro Marcy. He's out there in the middle of a question. Someone asks about what's up with this new Monday night football booth, and Marshawn says that ESPN talk to RAMS coach Sean McVeigh about being a Monday Night football analyst. Sean McVeigh, the thirty four year old RAMS coach who seems to be right in the middle of a career that's gonna last, you know,

another twenty to thirty seven years. But no ESPN kicking all tires, every tire in the world except for hours, apparently says Hey, Sean, do you want to come off the sidelines and be our Monday night football guy. It doesn't look like that's gonna happen. But according to Marsian, he was approached the guy who was like the most like John Gruden, and it was like him in fact, Colleen and we're gonna get to our Hot Knocks recap

in a second. But Colleen texted last night that her belief that John Gruden or McVeigh might be turning into John Gruden. Their personalities are starting to merge, and ESPN A executives think that McVeigh could be a standout in the booths somewhat like John Gruden. According to Marcian, so my one thing the records under contract, and this seems like it was never something serious, but ESPN kicked the tire. It sounds like he listened, though, which I think is

like that that's intriguing. I mean, for me, if you're you know they've they've got Levy and and and Riddick and and Greasy in there for this season, you can't help. I would just be thinking it's clearly had fifteen to twenty people they really wanted more like I remember being like a sophomore in high school and getting asked to like a homecoming at the eleventh hour by someone that I knew through my back channel information had asked multiple other people to go to the dance and they said no,

and I said yes because I needed plans. But the entire time, I'm thinking, this person doesn't really did not really choose me for this event first. And it's a hideous way to go through an experience. So it's it's kind of tough sledding for the current m n F group to have to go in there and try to prove even their own company wrong. I think about what they want to do in the future. Chip on the shoulder and a little word of advice because I see

what ESPN is doing here. Seahawks general managers Johnson Schneider. If ESPN calls you about Jamal Adams, do not even pick up the phone, because if that gets back to Jamal Adams, he will never forgive you. You You can't even pick up the phone. If there's a call, don't pick up the phone. Look at the call waiting, it says ESPN. Just in the case that Jamal adams name comes up, don't pick up the phone because you would not want to anger him because he was as a Monday Night

football contributor. You're saying that they made after Okay, I mean that's good advice. I didn't see how you can make this about the Jets, but you didn't. Uh. And finally, one more bit of media news. Happy trails to Dion Sanders, who leaves our company after many a year to join barstool. This is all over the sports media beat today and I just gotta say, guys, and I'm curious if you're in the same boat. I am a little bit sad.

I I'm hitting the ten year mark of my time at NFL Media next week and I worked at Dion Sanders the entire time he was a colleague, and yet we never spoke. I'm not even sure I ever saw hims best to ploy Well, yeah, I think it would be news to him that well. No, And in fact, on our network show, do you remember that I pitched him as the ideal candidate for a last dance scenario if we were to do that about an NFL figure.

I thought I would, and I tweeted about it and with some video I thought for sure that would stage. Um the beginnings of a friendship and uh, total dead air, no no response at all those and we got sorry. The closest we got I think was when we um left a mess of like used peanuts in the special Deon Sanders Studio like the Yeah it's a big it's a big place that I've on network. But it's pretty impressive that Dion had his own studio essentially for his

own show. But we broke in there one time. Um, we cleaned the mess, I believe, but we were also told never to use it again. Right. Well, I think we called the cleaning crew to do it. I don't think we even had enough integrity to clean it on our own, to be honest, But well, we cleaned up. We tried after ourselves, but it was messy, as I are called. And I didn't even know if that was Deon studio at that point. I think it was just his own private green room during Sundays. It was his room. Yeah,

it was just his room. They eventually repurposed it. But the other thing is we were able to access Dion's private green room with our key cards. And then shortly thereafter after that viral internet stunt gone awry. Uh you no longer had keycard access to the room, so they went into the system and took care of the heroes in a big spot. So anyway, by Dan, good luck. That's what's happening in the news. Hard Knocks time Yes season,

the acclaimed HBO docuseries premiered on Tuesday night. Hard Knocks Los Angeles. It's not a criminal procedural. Let your grandparents watch them Monday nights. It's a study of the Ramps and Chargers as they prepare for the strangest NFL season in our league's history. Um, we talked about in Friday Show. I had that conversation with Ken Rogers, the VP and NFL Films and the guy who's been running the show for years that the premier episode was gonna be a

lot different. You weren't gonna see a lot of football, And that made sense. That wasn't some narrative choice on

Tuesday Nights episode. There was no football really to cover for the most part, because, um, the first week of August for the Rams and Chargers and every other team was getting back on the uh, just getting back to the building and doing uh, you know, obviously the testing UH for COVID nineteen to make sure everything was clean and figuring out the logistics you know, you know you want you you think about what a head coach is

asked to do for a team. I thought it was interesting you're actually watching both Anthony Lenna the Chargers, but a scene with Sean McVeigh where he is hands on and trying to figure out how to build out this big overhang canopy tent where he's going to hold meetings and various walk through practices with the offense and the defense.

How much thought and work and cleaning and disinfecting is going on in a constant cycle to just try to keep your team from the absolute tragedy that would be an outbreak that would ruin their season and potentially blow up the NFL. So for me, Greg in the first episode, that was what was interesting to see. How were teams trying to keep the players and the coaches healthy and then how do you balance that with actually trying to start preparing for a season with which is five weeks away.

When they take this right, you didn't have a lot of the same beats it. It's not going to be as high octane, especially the first week or two in terms of the football you're also not going to have as much time inside the players houses for obvious reason, and in going home and sort of having that features and so on some level it was like more informational and like less just total entertaining. But I still I found it fascinating because I'm just I'm interested in this world.

I love football, and like this is this is what football is right now, and I don't love this part of football, but I am sort of fascinated to see how the NFL is dealing with this as we as we all are in different ways now we're not we're not going to work in the same way, um, but in many ways it makes the players and the coaches relatable in in a different way because they're going through some of the the same things and and you get to see kind of what people are made of behind

the scenes to I mean, just what they're like. And and as much as we've always heard about Anthony Lynn as like a guy that just everyone will run through a wall for like you kind of get it now like watching him and McVeigh for that matter, to handle this situation as grown ups as leaders and how they are going to navigate, you know, trying to lead eighty nine people and even more you know when when it comes to their staff. Yeah, I think that I agree

with Greg. And I watched it twice, and I really, to be honest, I just I didn't enjoy it the first time. UM. I didn't find it to be unlike other a lot of hard knocks vehicles. I just found it in essential. Uh that's me. At the second time I watched it, I had a bit of a different take UM, and the positives For me, I it centers almost entirely around Anthony Lynn, who I had been curious about. UM.

I think he along with Sean McVeigh. And I love your note Dan about Sean McVeigh organizing how that huge tent would be organized, because that's what you hear about Sean McVeigh is that he's in everything, and he has ideas about everything. He's ingenious and it's gonna be his program from top to bottom. Were they Anthony Lynn too? I think it's just that these coaches today, UM, they're

not gonna work if they don't relate to players. And in the opening scene with Anthony Lynn jumping on a zoom call a little bit late where you had UM, I think was Mike Pouncey about to tell a story that maybe you could have been a little off color, who knows, But Anthony Lynn jumped on and said, I'm here,

I'm here, and you just saw them. Their eyes changed, their energy changed, their head coaches there, and I just think that there's a chunk of head coaches around the league that, um, when things go bad, especially, just don't have that grip over their players. Anthony Lynn is a

man's man. I loved Um. I'm not a big barbecue guy, obviously, but I loved watching him barbecue with like a wedding china spoon that his wife was a little annoyed he was using wrapped in a napkin to base various meat products. I just came away thinking highly of both coaches. Um, some of the stuff in there. Uh it was twenty five minutes in and it was all Corona, from which I get it. I totally get it. I just am excited to see where we go in the next couple

of weeks. I don't think Hard Knocks can be judged off of the first episode almost ever. Um, there I do see predictable beats heading I know we're gonna get an Austin nekel Or episode. You know we're gonna get a huge thing on basically Aaron Donald and golf and all of it. It's all coming. But they did. I think they had to tackle this a certain way, and they did it. I'm glad you had that second rewatch, Mark because you were sending off some very angry texts

last night about the premiere. Can I can I can I re real quie what's going on? Like? Um I I find one thing I'm not not gonna do again is watch the show with Twitter open. It's it's it's a hideous um tugging down of the experience that should just be watched on its own for well. But it's but even like the pressure of having to lie, I don't know the whole thing. I just want to enjoy it the way I wo a normal television show. It's not a top ten show in my world. Um, it

is an NFL based show. It's pretty good. Always got mixed feelings about I have mixed feelings. But when it's good, it's really really good. And with Anthony Lynn and it taught me about him, that's when it's really good. Yeah. Lynn came off really well in this episode. Um, I look forward to learning more about him. Just some quick notes that I had in kind of my uh recap. I want to go through here, Aaron Donald with a shirt off. I want to talk shirtless dudes for a second. Here.

We'll start with Aaron Donald. Um, your boy Mark Mark Miles Garrett to me, I thought I always thought had the most impressive Hard Knocks body, But I don't know. I mean Aaron Donald six and literally muscles on muscles on muscles. He looks like somebody from like Conan the Barbarian, if you remember that old Schwarzenegger movie. And he's the greatest player in the arguably and his best player, and like the corner could be squawking, and Aaron Donald was

just like ignoring it. He's like this huge thing that's just in Dion's like this little fly, so why and He's just like, get get away from me. I couldn't I couldn't tell if he was like a lovable team jester or just that guy that you hate to be around because he won't he won't shut up. And he felt he felt like that Hard Knocks guy, Like it just seemed like the every Hard Knocks cast, someone to

play that role, but maybe on being too cynical. I just it seemed like we're gonna be dealing with this guy for five weeks now, hanging there Mark, let's want a guy like that though. I mean, it's not like they have to cast. It's real. Yeah, those people exist. Speaking of shirtless dudes, um, does somebody want to tell me? First?

Sean McVeigh the pool scene where he says he's been teaching his dog new tricks and all of a sudden, his shirt is off and McVeigh is like, hey, make sure you get me on camera in my pool, and then he's saying, check out the dog trick I I have going on. And he's throwing a football at the dog with a basketball hoop next to him, and the ball is just clanging off the dog's face and there's no alley slam from the dog, there's no tipping, there's

nothing like that. And then it's you just start to wonder. It was like, was this all just a ruse to get McVeigh with a shirt off to show off the work he's putting in the home gym across my mind? Agree or disagree? I think it was a pleasant I disagree with that but I'm a little worried about this. You know, CT with this dog here, it's kind of like air Bud. You're watching that. You know, he took a lot of footballs off the head. I don't know that it doesn't like douldn't seem like the best thing

for the dog. I think if you're Sean McVeigh, he's obviously been putting in the work because we had a chance to meet him in person that that one summer, and he has jacked up from that time. He wasn't a dainty individual back then, but I think you've got to jump in the pool with no shirt to show it off. He lives about ten minutes from us, uh, and he has living life in a different way than we are living. Um. That is my takeaway on Sean McVeigh. Ten minutes in distance, but in every other way it

is a much different life. Tyrod tyrod Taylor's new look with the big hair and the beard. That's good. I like that a lot. Yeah, I like him a lot. Now he just feels I don't know, there's something about him though. He's got a little bit more to him. Imagine, dude, he felt he can be um frustrating as a conservative passer,

but he always seemed like a a cool guy. Well, we're gonna by the way, Melvin Ingram, Yeah, I don't know if that's on your list, but he has to be the first player ever to be in the song credits at the end that was his own song. He's wrapping. Melvin Ingram is a wild man. He is one of the most intense players I've ever um, you know, like seen in an interview situation. Feel like if if I was going to pick a guy who's gonna be a rising star out of hard knocks, he would be it.

And uh Marcus Grant of our great fantasy team here at NFL Media. Uh like in Tyrod Taylor's new look to Donald Glover Childish Gambino and that This is America video which definitely did uh sync up with me as well. And uh, let's see any of the thought I have. That's about it. I'm I'm looking forward to episode two

and and more football. But I did really like the the peek behind the curtain of how this actually works, and I was I would be interested to think other teams, the other thirty teams, what their protocols are and if it's any different than the Rams and Chargers. Did they learn anything from watching this? Because you know, every every team watches Hard Knocks, every front office does. So that's

interesting to me. Is well to think about the career where when they when you get fired and you walk into your bosses, you say like you gotta be kidding me, and then the bosses are then talking about like, hey, I like that fire from that guy. Bring him back to the taxi squad. Yeah, tight end. Andrew Vollert didn't like being cut immediately. I thought that was kind of a pretty ballsy move. And yes he did. Anthony Lynn did say to the GM Tom to LESCo that he

did admire him showing emotion. But then he also threw in a singer at the end, hold up man you a and Antonio Gates now does it bother? Well? Sorry, doesn't bother? And it honestly disturbed me too because I should know this, but that Justin Herbert was born like it just um to me. It was a defining low blow to the viewer. If you're my age, yeah that was rough. He gives me vibes from Friday Nay Light a little bit Justin hurt m And remember Peter shre

Tiger as the official Hard Knocks Podcast. If you want a real deep dive on every episode, check that out. I believe you had Anthony Lynn on the debut episode, so make sure you check that out wherever you get your podcast. The Hard Knocks Podcast with Peter Schreeger. All right, let's move on come down players of the Year in

and yeah, Greg, I see you. I know you were joking, but yes, you can look at this as a negative segment, or it could just be more a segment rooted in keeping it real that you don't necessarily have to fall off a cliff and be terrible. You just might not be the same guy you were a year ago, because sometimes it's hard to kind of stack up seasons like that over and over again, so they just come down. Well maybe you guys have people that just fall off a cliff, but mine are more come down, just down,

gradual decline, gradual decline. There you go. It's good to bring that back up. It's already been used. Now it finally came through for me. He took a long time because it did. Uh, So let's let's throw out some players who we see potentially un a graduate of decline. But Before we do that, I want to um share with you what our predictions were last year. That's fun and also it's good too. That's accountability, you know what I mean? I like it. Please, here we go. All right,

let's start with the zoo, Sir. I had Patrick Mahomes and I said that it was I kind of likened it to the Dan Marino situation, where you are sometimes you just have a season that's so beautiful and so perfect that you'll never match it again. And to me, I was right. Mahomes wasn't the same player. Uh, from a regular season standpoint, he got hurt. Of course, his numbers didn't sniff what he did in twenty eighteen. In the playoffs, though, he got hot and won a Super Bowl.

So me, my prediction was that he just wouldn't be as statistically incredible as he was. So I'm taking the w there. I mean, if someone someone told you that he was gonna operate, he won the Super Bowl a dislocated decap for most of the season. We're not counting the playoffs. What is this like stats or something? Why would why wouldn't we count the playoffs? He was a top three quarterback. If I don't think he even in the regular season, I'd say in any argument, he'd be

a top three. Do you think he was just as good as Noything? He was just as good. He wasn't just as good the offense. The Chiefs offense wasn't just as good. But aside from the injury, maybe he came Maybe he just came down a little bit little maybe, but I'm saying top three, and then he won the Super Bowl. I'm not giving it. I won't give you a night that other players would not play through. I'll give you a tie. I'll take the tie. I also had a push come on. I also had Drew Brees.

I'll take the low and I'll take the lost on that one. I don't think he really came down. I believe he still Drew Brees. Uh. Claibron was on this episode a year ago. He had Aaron Donald, which I guess he came down, but not really still Laron Donald, Mark Sessler, Eric Ebron, and you predicted mo Ali Cox turning into a major factor. We don't need to mention that part of it. This is also before Andrew Luck retired.

Should be noted. I had Adrian Peterson, Greg you had Dante Fowler and Jared goth one for two there Fowler played, well that was a hit. You know that was a hit. Yeah, that was a good one. Matt Naggy. Nice job by Claibonn's that was well done. Uh Cecil you chimed in with the Bears turnover aggression on defense, which I'm sure happened. Nice job, ay you Mark really swinging for the fences here with well, you know what it's like, let's actually

give the listeners something that's going to be correct. And that's what I did. I was correct twice that you know what else can they can rely on me to get it correct and right. And then finally Sessler Damien Harris is going to be a bigger role chewing away at Sonny Michelle's job. So that was last year. Now this year, get us going, Greg Rosa, all right, I'm going to start with with Richard Sherman and the forty niners second in general, but Sherman started the leader. I mean, look,

he was the second team All Pro last year. It was kind of amazing, and I think he will be a Hall of Fame type guy, and I think a Hall of Famer. I do think this little. This second act in San Francisco was going to help him get there, and no one thought he would be that good. I think, and I think that their secondary with him as the

leader in general, really overperformed. Uh. And I look at it and I think, if the forty Niners are going to come back to earth a little bit, that's an area where they can be a tacked, a tough division. Um and uh, I think asking him to be that good again, and asking that secondary where I'm not really sure that talent is totally there, to be that good again is a natural come down. I think he was PFF's number one cornerbacks, so if we're to finish number two,

you would be correct. Technically, I would give you the w on that. I mean, if he's still an All Pro, I'm not taking it. But uh yeah, I think at this forty Niners team that you know, the the analytics like football outsiders for they think they're there's a big reason to believe that they'll regress this year. Now, on paper, it doesn't seem like that. There's a lot of forty Niners fans that think that they're going to be better, but it is true. When you improve that much in

one year. Usually you come back to the pack a little bit, you come down, Mark Sessler, how about a come down Player of the Year candidate? Well, I don't like having to pitch this because I think his story is awesome. But um, Darren Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders A. He had ninety catches, a thousand plus yards and three touchdowns last year, and I think the offense is just changing. They they're just simply they've added more weapons.

You've got rugs in there your first round pick. Uh. They added Brian Edwards another rookie hunter, Renfrover would maybe have a larger role there. I think they're just gonna diversify and spread the ball a little around a little bit more. And I could see him. I don't just mean, like, you know, eight less catches. I just think he had a bit of a breakout season that will be tough to duplicate for him. I wouldn't be surprised, you know, not by necessarily a fault of his own that the

production comes down by a third. Perhaps not really a fan of human interest stories, are you? Mark Well. I opened by saying I wasn't happy to pitch it, but nor am I a pr agency here, just like you know, throwing out feel good stories for everyone. I don't see it. I mean, he's a young player who looked at dynamic last year and he's still the best receiver on that team until until I see someone else step up. They just had no one else really step up last year.

I just think that with Rugs in there and others, that you would want that to happen if you were Grood and wouldn't you would you wanted to be based the entire passing game based around your running backs in your tight end. I don't know. I'll go with I don't know if I want to make how broad I want to make it. Let's start here, Ryan Tannehill, I just got out of trouble with Titans Nation. I thought we had a clean break. So don't take this as

an attack on your organization. You obviously made the right decision giving up on Marcus Mariotta. I don't think you made the right decision turning around and giving Ryan Tannehill off twelve or thirteen games a four year, hundred and eighteen million dollar deal um and when you look at the money, it's almost thirty million per season. Sixty two million and guarantees he's he's gonna be on the books

no matter what, probably for years with this team. And you know that's he's a top ten guy now in terms of being paid as a quarterback, and that will be all. That would be great if if he's still the guy he was in twenty nineteen. And I'm not even gonna say, I'm not even point to Greg and

feel free to tag team this one with me. I'm not even gonna point to the playoffs and back look, he was already regressing in January, because I understand the playoffs are a different beast and and Derrick Henry was running like crazy over everybody. So they played a different type of um game plan on some level. But I

just don't think it was sustainable. He's thirty two years old, and if you look at the history of our league, guys that don't break out within the first three years or so, if they do have a big season, they usually do come back to the to their old former

self more times than not. Uh maybe Towne Hills an outlier, but last year he was fifth in passing v v o, a first in yards per attempt UM playing in an Arthur Smith offense that was perfectly suited and everything kind of came together where Henry was a monster, the offensive line was great. Tannehill was playing with confidence, and I

just don't know if we can expect that again. And the worst case scenario is that he really kind of becomes that Miami guy again, and then what does Tennessee do They have a boondoggle on their hands at QB good use a boon doggar No. I totally agree with everything you said, and I think two things can be true, that Dan, you'd be right about this, and that Tannehill'll be fine, that he'll be like a top I think that's what the Titans should hope for. He There's no

way he's gonna produce like that again. I mean he was. He was one of the three years I would put him in the top five quarterbacks in the NFL last year for for when he played, and I would include in that because he was efficient and he did his job what what they asked him to do in the playoffs. Um, but I agree. He kind of reminds me a little bit of Alex Smith, who who had his struggles, kind of had his breakout with hard Bough and then he settled into a nice solid starter career, and I think

that's what you wanted to tighten. But I do think that's a pretty big step, a big, pretty big come down of where he was a year ago. I'll just uh, I wasn't gonna do it, but I'll throw it Derrick Henry with this too. Okay, that's what I was thinking, Arthur Smith and Derrick Henry and just go with it. I think it's a lot to ask that that offense to repeat at that level again. And even if you look at Henry how kind of he was a lot um slower in terms of his production in the first

half of last season versus the second. I just think it's hard to build an offense we're that efficient. I mean, their play action numbers were like among the best in NFL history. Uh and uh. I think it's tough to win, to win that way, and so I expect them both to come down a little bit. Yeah. I mean, Titans Nation, don't come after us. It's just it's just football analysis. It's not personal. I would imagine some of those guys would agree though, right. I mean, they were at peak

levels down the stretch. And if you think you're gonna get the playoff version of the Titans out of the gate, I mean off and just doesn't typically do that from year to year. You're gonna need to get better in other ways. Their defense, you know, primary among them. Alright, Greg, let's do another round. Oh. I thought that was like you just want this is how one last year? Um, I you know who I pick. I would look at.

I look at Zadarius Smith and Preston Smith who were awesome for the Packers last year and produced twenty five and a half sacks. Um, I see that coming down, and I'll throw another guy in there. And this is not trying to be on brand here, but the idea that Shack Barrett's gonna go out and have nineteen and a half sacks. We again again, Like I if my predictions are like a year too early. I was telling you that all last year and he proved me wrong. But I just think he's a he's a good player.

But I mean it's gonna mark if you're gonna come after Shack Barrett for another season and now we're gonna have to track it for another season. Let's put more numbers to this because it would be a come down season if he doesn't have twenty sacks this year, potentially, what do you think, I'm not doing this at eighteen, Like, that's not really why are we doing this? What do

you what do you predict? What is going to s Yeah down, you can say that's not a come down, but that's like that's like his production from here again that even on the big tag. Again, I'm not saying that he's it's a safe not saying this is a wash that the players shouldn't have been resigned a big problem. It just twelve from nineteen and a half is a pretty clear regression. No, it's kind of like Mahomes. Lat

picking Mahomes last year. I think it's fair. It's it's a natural pick because he had like eighteen quarterbacks, he had over fifty hurries. He was probably the most consistent pass rush for the entire NFL. So that is a come down. I would disagree on Zadarius smith Man. I love that guy, and Preston Smith's fine. I said the combination of the two, well, I just think you're not going to get that out of Preston Smith didn't have I think he was about what you would expect last year.

He wasn't A sensations and Darius Smith I think was just unreal, and you're right, maybe he can't keep up that production. To me, is that Arias Smith. You know, I think our our buddy Bob mcginney had on the show that he's, you know, arguably the best free agent, you know, one of the best free agent signings in NFL history, and I and it went, you know, for one year, and you went through the list, and I would say that's true. Shack Barrett is too. I mean,

the the productions that Arias Smith, that was unreal. I'll stay away from an obvious candidate here because I did the same thing with Patrick Mahomes last year. So I don't feel the need to go into why I don't think Lamar Jackson will do what he did last year, because he probably won't, because again, it's the Merino eight four Coral area where sometimes you just have such a special, magical season that you just never match it again on some level, even if you stay a great player, which

is kind of what I expect with Lamar Jackson. So I'll instead go with Michael Thomas of Saints. I will say that Michael Thomas, there's no reason why you would think he is going from a from a physical standpoint fall off and not be the same guy he was a monster. But I think the Saints are are gonna continue to transition on offense and a year after they targeted UH Thomas thirty three percent of the time. Last year when they dropped back the path, one third of

the time, the throw was going to Michael Thomas. And it was okay because Michael Thomas a d eight five targets. He caught almost of the balls thrown his way. I mean, the guy was marvelous and he had a hundred forty nine records and he you know, he took fate and UH into his own hands and got risky by breaking that record that we're not going to talk about. But I just think and I didn't. I'm not gonna bring up Drew Brees either, because I think his gradual decline

has been overstated. UH. In general, I think Breeze was still excellent last year for the most part at forty years old, but with Taysom Hill in the mix there, I do I agree that McVeigh are that Peyton is going to continue to be cute and try to have the offense operating in that way um with breeze off the field occasionally. I also think that they're gonna be

a very run heavy team. And Emmanuel Sanders, which I thought was the maybe the low key the best signing team had in the offseason, He's gonna be so great for them. He's gonna be a perfect fit. And I think he could even end up flirting with a thousand yards and like seven to ten touchdowns if he's healthy, and that will just take some targets away from Michael Thomas. So I don't think he's gonna have if you if

if if Sanders says that type of season. The Saints are in great shape, but fantasy owners and Michael Thomas might feel the sting a little bit. So this was almost a little bit of a fantasy preview. Uh, come down and you know it all. It was laid out beautifully and and um with good context. But this is the type of fighterade. You know that Michael Thomas feels himself on. You know, no one is more aware the slightest, slightest bit of doubt. He can you believe that though

of their passes. That's why I agree with you. I think that do you want to know what the record is by the factor there the record mark. I'll ask you this one. I'll give you. I'll give you a hint. The record is two hundred and eight targets in one season and it was set by an NFC westwide receiver in NT seven. Mm hmm. I was gonna Rice, right, I was gonna go Jerry Rice until until you give

you another hint. Seven. You know, I'd like to bring it back a former New York Jet Isaac Bruce, Rob Moore, great tech mobile player two by the way back in the day. Um, let's do a couple more. All right, I'll do it quick. I know we got this all hands meeting, you know, all NFL meeting on zoom. We gotta get to Uh you didn't go Lamar, but I am gonna go, mark ingram As as kind of a representative of the entire red the Ravens rushing attack, because

I just I think what they did was so historic. Um. They ran to the ball at a higher rate than any team, you know since the Tim Tebow Broncos. They they you know, they got more yards than any team on the ground than any team in NFL history. They had the highest fourth down rate in NFL history. It's just like they're such a unique offense, and they add Gus Edwards there, who can take away some Ingram's shine. But I also think as as a group, Lamar is like the most unique weapon there is in the NFL.

But I don't think the rushing attack can be as dynamic as a whole. How could it be. It's just it's asking too much. And I know they're gonna, you know, develop things, but I think that will be maybe leaning on the passing game a little more, changing things up a little bit because there's only so many different kinds of runs Greg Roman can come with. And I think defenses will be a little more ready than they were a year ago. And I and I hope that mark

Ingram has three thousand yards. But I mean I I could see J K. Dobbins starting by mid season, if not earlier two. I mean they went out and invested a lot in that position. I'll give you a quick one at wide receiver. I we all love DeAndre Hopkins, but I could see his production a hundred and four catches a year ago, thousand plus yards, seven touchdowns. I think he's a perfect fit for them. But they run a lot of four wide receiver. They'll use Kenyan Kenyan

Drake to catch a ton of passes. I could see him being perfect for the team. But the numbers where you talk about Michael Thomas. They were so reliant on Hopkins in Houston year after year that and maybe in a good way for him, it will be a little bit different in Arizona out of the gate, especially and after a weird offseason where he's barely worked with the attack. His numbers that's not going that's games and four catches eleven.

You know, his numbers weren't eye popping last year. And I think I'll disagree with you on that one, Mark. I think he's gonna have a ton of targets still even with their offensive set up, and I bet he eclipses those numbers if he stays healthy. How it goes, let's track that all right. That's good. Come down players. See, we didn't bury anybody. We didn't say well, Tannehill kind of took some heat there, but not really. We're saying cold, be a top you know, an above average starter. What

more do you want? Can I be honest with you, I think he might be one of the busts. Well, now you've dropped a bit of a bottom on him. But that's I kind of I guess I should have been more clear in that. I just I don't know. I've seen it. You've seen guys that come out of nowhere in a perfect setup and have that nice year and then revert. We'll see. I wish the best of luck Ball Lauren, town of Hill, his wonderful wife, the

whole town of Hill clan has my support. I just you know, let's that's what we do here, chop it up. Football talk, all right, One more show this week, actually two more shows this week. This is fun. We will be back on Friday with a newser show where we just get you caught up to date with what's happening in the league, and then also will be uh back on NFL Network on Saturday and on the digital side

of things Friday. It's the same show. So we're taping a show on Friday, the return of the Around the NFL broadcast that will air on NFL dot Com and on YouTube on Friday and then will re air on Saturday morning on the network. So we got a lot of content coming your way that the trademark has left the station. I know we're in very uncertain times and you don't know what's coming next. But as far as our workflow is concerned, the train has left the station.

No going back to the station. UM, don't even remember what it looked like at this point. Don't feel like we spent a lot of time there. We're not. We're moving all right. Let's let's head out of here. Happy birthday to the beautiful Jack Carson Hands as he turned six today. And uh, this is Dan hands Is signing off four the old Boss White Storm a mailman. I don't know, Vicky Hollywood Still Friday,