Welcome to the NFL Daily, where we would never request a trade out at a Chris Westling podcast studio.
I'm here talking about a lot of news.
It's happening, Patrick Claybond, We're doing it.
We're doing it.
And I love that there's a distinction between requesting a trade because that's that's when it. You know, people report to somebody who requests the trade, and then there's the secondary somebody has formally requested yes trade, which I always wonder is that does that involve papyrus?
Hmmm?
Is there a quill in this process? But I love it. I love it no.
Matter what, just like someone delivering a handwritten letter I would I would.
Have is are you John Schneider, Yes, you're served.
Yeah.
Spoiler alert it's DK Metcalf talk at the top of this podcast. So I'm here with Patrick, and when I'm saying like we're doing it, it's happening. The free agency frenzy, I feel like it starts earlier and earlier every year, it started to bubble up more. Tuesday was a pretty busy day. Wednesday we got even more news, including this DK Metcalf trade request, which was not a shock but a surprise. I would say that it's out there in the sense that the Seahawks seem very open to it,
and we'll get into that in a second. And then later in the show, we're going to listen to myself and Allie Connolly, one of the best minds in the business, and we're going to go through the free agency list and we're just got to talk about guys we'd want on our team, guys that we would want to sign.
So it's a pack show, and it's ahead of all of this, ahead of the frenzy, to get everybody a chance to evaluate as long as again, you have a representative to call and discuss with teams, because if you want to do it yourself, that's tampering hm hmm, and that's bad. So players, we're sorry, op at fans and you know, people who have representation, this is the podcast.
That's a great point you that it is a little a favorite to the people that then have the agency. Early I have been having to update my top one oh one. Now DK Metcalf is not going to be there, but one of his teammates might be Tyler Lockett. Let's start though with the DK Metcalf news. But I wanted to mention that the Seahawks are releasing Tyler Lockett because I think these things can be talked about in tandem, because suddenly, if they're both not on the team, that's
a totally different Seahawks offense. So the DK Metcalff trade request report comes in. He reportedly prefers to be dealt to a contending team, which who amongst us would not. The compelling part of it is a that it's so formal and at B that the Seahawks are letting him explore those options. Let's start with just do you think this deal ends up happening?
Well, the letting explore thing, I truly think we've seen it right with Matthew Stafford, where there already is a relationship and you're able to go out and determine what your value is, what the circumstances can and so much of this, especially when we're evaluating players positions.
They get tagged as.
Mercurial or whatever and DK plays wide receiver and the conversation is about is this person happy? Well, it gives them a chance to say, what's the market, what could these particular situations be, and if the situation is better here in Seattle with Gino than perhaps it is, but it at least gives him an opportunity to get that information, as well as the Seahawks a chance to get information about how other teams view Decay.
Right and similar to Stafford, but not quite the same. The contract is a big part of it. So DK has eighteen million dollars in base salary this season, which is, you know, a good bargain, a four million dollar option bonus. The cap number is quite higher because they had pushed out that he is already on his second contract and this would naturally be the off season where he would
be looking for a third contract. Now if he has the feeling and maybe they were conversations with the Seahawks, that's not happening in Seattle, or it's not going to be at the level that he wants. But it actually is a logical time that these two sides would part ways because Seattle could presumably get a better trade offer, even maybe than Stafford was getting.
He was a second round pick.
Maybe not, maybe it's just a second round pick quote unquote, but it'd be a good pick, and DK would make that premier wide receiver money not only a year earlier, but presumably it would be more elsewhere. I wrote down some potential landing spots, but I have to admit after doing the exercise, it was it was harder to come up with the teams where DK metcalf didn't make sense, Like a lot of teams could use a.
Number one wide receiver.
And as I've been mentioning on the show, there's a lot of cap space out there. Half the league has almost fifty million dollars in cap space, more than half as forty million dollars, So a lot of teams could fit. DK metcalf in who stuck out to you which teams has potential landing spots?
Well, there's we've discussed right the Green Bay Packers and their need for having a in actual number one.
There's been reports that that those conversations have already happened, although they've been dismissed by different people, but that's been out there that that could be a thing.
And again the teams with space and with the need at the spot. Right, you've got a.
Denver Broncos team that.
I think services as you mentioned, Greg, like the number of teams that would be out right, because I'm also thinking about the Indianapolis Colts with their thirty four million dollars in cap space where it's it's easy to see, well, hey, DK.
Playing primarily on the outside and being a big.
Target, is that one where there's only fourteen or fifteen of these guys on planet Earth, and so behoove almost everybody if they have the money to do it, to take a shot at getting.
Broncos wouldn't make sense. And yet they didn't even make my list. Like, he wants to go to a contending team, We'll see how much he can control the process. The Patriots were interested in him and Brandon Ayuk a year ago, you would assume that they would they've got the most cap space.
The Raiders would make some sense.
Pete Carroll's there certainly could use a wide receiver. Dave Canalis was with DK metcalf, so I tried to make the connections. The Carolina Panthers could certainly use a number one wide receiver. Some of the contending teams that I think could maybe fine room for maybe the Chiefs if they wanted to get a little crazy, they did open up some room today. Maybe the Ravens. Would they be willing to give long term money. I could just see him in a Ravens uniform. They love the big, physical
type players who wouldn't love DK mccalf. The Bills might be a little tough, but you wouldn't totally shock me the Giants. Could the Dolphins get involved with like a Tyreek swap? I mean, the options are endless. I'm going to answer my own question from before. I didn't tend to think this is going to happen, because I do think there will be a good market for him, and I could be wrong, but I don't think it's getting out there in such a way. And John Schneider was
evasive when asked about DK netcalf last week. If they already weren't somewhat on board with this and open to it, I don't like the idea from the Seahawks perspective.
Now, from the seahawkspective perspective, it doesn't necessarily make a ton of sense, unless, of course, you've already made the decision down the road and you're honest with DK about it that this third contract is not coming from Seattle, and so DK has an opportunity to see where is that third contract coming from, or is it better to play this year in Seattle and then try to procure that contract.
Right, Okay, so but you get rid of DK and you cut Tyler Lockett, Like.
Within an hour we found out.
Yeah, essentially the Seahawks were receiving core non JSN.
Shake, you know, shout out to Tyler Lockett. One of the best, you know, team runs of the last decade, just kind of the classic Seahawks fans know how much he meant to them in a way that maybe the national media didn't. You arrive there in twenty fifteen immediately as a contributor, always one of the more underrated players. I think eventually people caught up to what a great route runner is. Smaller thirty three coming off a six hundred yard season, I.
Didn't put him in the top one on one. Should I feel bad about that? I don't know.
I don't know if you should feel bad about it.
Yeah, I don't know.
In terms of like evaluating age being a factor. The falloff of last season and kind of it comes along with the ascension of Jackson Smith and Jigbo where, you know, maybe if the targets are there, Tyler Lockett, you know, has a season where he gets into the one.
Right.
He's a guy who almost immediately goes down after catching the ball because he's trying to avoid contact, which you know, Marvin Harrison did his whole career and went to the Hall of Fame that way. It's one of the reasons why Tyler Lockett, who people thought was too undersized to play, is still playing every game at his age.
But not a yack guy.
And yeah, if they trade Dcalf DK Metcalf, it's Jake Bobo as your number two receiver right now. And I don't even know who's number three. They don't even have a number three. I kind of like Jake Bobo.
I got Jake Bobo's nice, but nice when viewed alongside DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and Jaxona's within Jigbo.
Yes, I think he fits as a three or a four in a four man rotation. I think he is due like a step up, a chance to be a red zone type of guy. So that's just two receivers a lot to watch there. I'm curious where Lockett will go. Maybe he'll go to some of those teams I mentioned, which with Seattle Connections, Carolina or Las Vegas. I thought we were going to be leading the show with a big surprising trade. Joe Tooney is going to the Bears for a twenty twenty sixth fourth round pick. Two time
All Pro including this year. Hell, he got Offensive Player of the Year votes from his ex teammates that are in the media. I don't know about that, you know, Rodney and Tom Brady. Let's take away those votes. Four time Super Bowl champion between the Patriots and the Chiefs. Football's cruel though, because you know he's compensating well and everything, but ultimately, his end in Kansas City was getting steamrolled in the Super Bowl, as your team got steamrolled in
the Super Bowl. He did individually, had a rough game, and then you get traded.
Who knows if he knew this was coming or not.
It's a bit of a shock to the system for a really great player who's gonna have a Hall of Fame resume at some point. And I actually think this is a win win for both sides, as much as it sounds crazy for it to be a win for the Chiefs.
What do you think, No, it's definitely a win for Joe Toney because, let's be honest, you talk about the way things ended, he got moved around and put in that spot.
Right it wasn't his fault. He was playing well at guard. He was playing well at guard.
And so like he gets essentially sent on a mission and now it almost with the trade kind of could retroactively feel like blame. I don't know that that's necessarily the case, but you know, maybe when all the dust settles, the Bears are going to end up with two members of the Chiefs offensive line after this, you know, get free agency and get Trace meth a spot.
Why in a trade they're going to get him too, Just.
Just go ahead and just make it happen.
Wow, But essentially right, it makes sense for the Bears, and it makes sense for Joe Touney. And you know, if the Chiefs can keep this thing going with continuing to shuffle spots on the offensive line, I'm not as confident as I would have been.
Well, tot, he's not that old either.
He's thirty two, which you know for a guard is you still have good years left. He hasn't really shown any decline at at guard, and I think it was a little bit of a sign of someone who wasn't necessarily watching when they were given Tony a lot of pop for how he played at left tackle, because he got he was one of their biggest issues. Their entire
line was an issue. But essentially they chose to keep Tray Smith and you can't keep everyone, and they chose Tray Smith, who's five years younger, over Joe Toney, and that makes sense. Bill Barnwell shout out to him on our Trades to watch podcast, Eric, we got to keep track of how many of these players get traded. He had Joe Toney and I thought he had a little too much dip on his chip for that one, Like he just that out there, out of nowhere. There was
no buzz about this possibly happening. But he put the he put the pieces together, and he said he's one year away from his contract ending. They're probably not going to be able to afford Joe Toney and Trey Smith in a year. So if you want to keep Tray Smith, then maybe you try to get something for Joe Toney now and you make that choice. And that's exactly what they did. So good job by Bill kind of sleuthing that together. If you're listening to NFL daily regularly.
We also had Ryan Poles on and yeah, he told you that they're ready to start spending on the offensive line, Connect the Dots, NFL.
Daily break in the News, and of course, if you missed it, Jonah Jackson was traded from the Rams to the Bears on Tuesday. It seems like a long time ago now. So they have two guard spots now taken up, they still need to fill their center spot. And it's crazy. They actually probably could draft a guard too. Because Tony's
on the last year of his contract. Maybe you want to extend them, but Jonah Jackson, who knows what's going to happen with him, Like, you need to have some young players there too.
So if you want to chart the Bears offseason, there is a before Greg had a conversation with Ryan Poles, and then there is an after Greg had a conversation with Ryan Poles, and the offensive line is significantly better that there's no disagreeing with that.
Let's go.
And for all the Chiefs fans that are upset, you only got a fourth, you only got a fourth because no one in the league was willing to give up more than a fourth. I actually think it's a sign that they would have considered cutting Joe Toney if they got nothing for him, because they reportedly want to spend some money at wide receiver. There's other spots in the roster that they want to spend and that they just ultimately chose a couple of people, Tray Smith and Travis Kelcey.
Now that's where the sentiment comes in. You know, Joe Tuney he got that first Super Bowl with the Patriots, and.
So you know they're loyal to Travis Kelcey.
If you were asking me which one would provide more value in twenty twenty five, I might make.
The case for Joe Touny.
Wow, you're never going to get rid of Travis kelce so you keep him at a big salary.
It was pretty is it? This feels spicy?
I don't know.
I mean maybe it's it's the last thing that's in your mind, which Travis Kelcey struggling really in that playoff run in general, but especially in the Super Bowl. All right, let's let's stick in the division. Max Crosby gets another extension. How this guy just keeps getting extensions? Three years, one hundred and six million, ninety one million dollars guaranteed. The Raiders also signed Alex Kappa on Wednesday. Alex Kapa was
just released earlier this week by the Bengals. He has a history with their new GM Also a guest of NFL Daily John Spytech, who said they would be intelligently aggressive. I believe at quarterback.
Love it.
You know, they haven't gotten their quarterback yet, but they did get Alex Kappa, who is with him in Tampa.
Tough player.
But yeah, Crosby is now the highest paid non quarterback ever.
Pretty cool.
Yeah, it's very cool, especially looking over at the situation in Cleveland where a guy who's going Campton one day decided he no longer wants to be a part of things. Things have been very frustrating for Max in Las Vegas. So yeah, go go ahead and get this done, secure a long term partnership, and.
Make it happen.
And I do want to mention if I sound a little nervous today, it's because the Girl Scouts of America are here and they're watching the show. We have an audience, and they have a new studio. They're learning how the studio is working, so that if I'm a little tight, But everyone go buy your Girl Scout cookies and good luck with all your work at the new studio.
As we as we wave goodbye to the representatives of the Girl Scouts of America. You never know what's going to happen. At NFL Media, CHICL.
Daily is filmed in front of the five Studio audio.
A couple releases that dropped on Wednesday. Christian Kirk big time free agent signing. A couple of years ago. People were all up in arms. Remember it was like, how could you seventeen million dollars a year? And all these deals end up looking okay in the long run. Not only did he play well the first year he got I think eleven hundred yards, but seventeen million dollars quickly didn't look like nearly as much receiver. Now that said, he wasn't doing that much more than that this year,
and it totally made sense. I think from their perspective, they're saving over ten million dollars against the cap because he just couldn't stay healthy the last couple of years. He had a broken collarbone, he had a muscle core injury the year before. And it's a new regime that these things happen with a new regime. But unlike Tyler Lockett, he is on my top one on one, he's in my top fifty.
I think Christian Kirk can help your team. He's about forty six.
Clear difference No Christian Kirk with Christian Kirk before the Jags, throughout his entirety, including when he was coming back from that core muscle injury where they got banged up and there really wasn't a replacement for it. Despite the ascension of BTJ right, there still wasn't that Christian Kirk value in the offense.
Like he's a little straight line and he's not a number one receiver, but he can give you pop running down the seams. Definitely kept his speed there in Jacksonville.
A broken collar bone is not an injury you want to suffer, but also is an injury that's not going to affect your speed, and that's something people come back from and they're basically all the way back, and so I think he's going to be an attractive option for maybe if the Ravens weren't going as high as a d K, maybe a Christian Kirk to throw in the mix, Like he he'd be a perfect whether he's a two, whether he's a three. To me, wide receiver rooms are
now their rotations. He's obviously not the one, but he fits in a three to four, two to four rotation as a as a quality player.
Yeah, just in terms of getting talent on the field, and he's not hurting you like his numbers against press, ability to play out wide or we're in the slot right where the majority of the snaps are coming in the ladder there, but still like he can do it and he's got tape out to do it.
So yeah, he contribute in a lot of plays A week.
One starting quarterback was released on Wednesday. Gardner Minshew kind of forgot he was still on the Raiders. He's not been a free agent. He was released. They had to guarantee some of that money into the second year, so they are eating some of that guaranteed money. But ultimately they don't see him even as a potential backup with the team.
So he is out. He's not on my one on one.
And yet if your team signs him to be your backup, depending on the situation with your starter, he's a very good backup or a good enough backup. So Minshew will continue to get work and get checks. Sam Hubbard retired. I expected him to be cut this offseason just because he just has not been the same player. Unfortunately, suffered a really serious injury on a touchdown. I can't think of a career ending this way. A defensive player makes it,
catches a touchdown from his buddy Joe Burrow. They're very close. Hubbard's a local guy, by the way, Ohio guy, and he's decided to retire. I think he's only twenty eight years Old's happy trail to Sam Hubbard.
Yeah, a nice career where you know, they came very close to accomplishing that ultimate goal and he's I mean, do you highlighted it with the touchdown? He's done a lot in this league and why go past wy Goa's the exploration? Congratulations.
Yeah, he had a few different things. It was a PCL injury. Anyhow, Hubbard had gotten a big second contract from Mike Brown and them. They if they don't bring back Trey Hendrickson this year, like we'll see, they are starting over at that position. We learned on Wednesday that Tank Dell was having ACL surgery, and I just thought that was notable because just thinking about a timeline for
him to return. We're going to talk AFC South on our next show, Patrick, and They're gonna need wide receivers because if he's only having this surgery on Wednesday after having another surgery I think it was on his PCL six weeks ago. Then it's going to be a long recovery. The Texans also re signed dary Ogunbowale, their versatile fullback. Running back Mason Crosby, the longtime Packers kicker, retired, Happy trails to him. Joel Buttonio is returning to the Browns,
so that's good news for them. He is not going to retire Zach Martin his official retirement. He's going into the ring of honor, and DAK and CD both restructured their contracts and voila. The Cowboys dolling up thirty seven million dollars in cap space.
The CAP's not real, Yeah, no, it's it's all you know, it's all relative. And so congratulations to Jerry Jones and the Cowboys and now that could be all in Greg. So they're not though they're going to take that money. They're going to spend it on players now, right.
He said that he wouldn't use the word aggressive to describe how they were going to be. So see Cowboys now have fifty four million dollars in cap space. I'm tracking this when we get to the point where half the league has fifty million dollars, that is just the unprecedented amount of cap space. I would like the research group to go back and check because over half has at least forty six million dollars.
It's too much money.
Now, it's not too much money, but I'm curious how they're all going to find ways to spend.
It when when half the league has fifty seven million dollars. Perhaps that's a good time to tell your team that you would like to seek options regarding the trade.
Hmmm, that's a very good point.
There are a lot of teams that can make this thing happen with other teams players and their own players. We're going to take a quick break, but I do what to mention. As a preface, Olli Connelly and I talked about guys we would want to sign in free agency. Part of the reason I wanted Ali Connelly on the podcast was because he had Zach Bond as his defensive Player of the Year. I thought he spoke and wrote very eloquently about how and why Zach Bond was so
important to the Eagles defense. Was really the lynchpin brought it all together that Vic Fangio was not going to let this guy leave the building. That informed my own analysis, and I wanted to hear it, you know, straight from the horse's mouth. We tape that before Zach Bond signed a three year deal for fifty one million dollars with thirty four guaranteed. He is the fourth highest paid off
ball linebacker in the league. Hell, I think that Eagles got a pretty good deal considering how great he was, but I understand him wanting to stay in Philadelphia where he was so productive. And what a come up, what a story of development. Zach Bond has been going from an afterthought in New Orleans to one of the best off ball linebackers league. I wanted to leave the start of the segment, we said free agents we wanted to sign, and the first one that came out of all his
mouth was Zach Bond. So that is going to start our conversation which will start after the break, and I think that part of it will inform you to the reason why Zach Bond is worth all that cheddar. Thank you Patrick for your contributions to today's program, but you'll be back.
Later this week.
Thank you.
Greg Here with Ali Connolly, one of my favorite guests. You know him, you love him from podcasts such as what If Kirk Cousins doesn't work out? We look pretty smart on that one. He looks like Kirk Cousins. Yes, he is the author of the Read Optional and the host of the Reader Optional podcast with John Ledyard Olly Connolly, welcome back.
Thanks for having me back.
Are you you're in on the Boston Red Sox now again they spent some money.
You're wearing a hat for our YouTube listeners.
I am hortiously putting my toe back in. I still do not trust John Henry, who owns the team, my football team. The football team is top of the league, so I will give mister Henry maybe one less chance.
Okay, you know, they did have a lot of success since since John Henry took over the Red Sox and hopefully for you for your football slash soccer team as well.
Okay, free agencies coming up.
And we've been talking about, you know, looking at it from a team by team perspective, but I hadn't really gone through my top one oh one and beyond and just talked about the guys like I would want the guys that I think would be great to sign in free agency. So we're going to keep this pretty simple. Alis is one of my favorite football minds out there. I don't know how our listeners delivered. I told them
last time. Subscribe to the read optional. That's the one thing you can do to support us is to support our guests here. So I imploy you to do that because they have some great content and some great podcasts. You know, previewing the draft in great depth, an incredible amount of depth, Ollie, before we get that, I want you to bring that sort of depth, maybe not all the way, but most of the way for this are this episode. We're gonna go back and forth. It'll be
very simple. Just guys we'd want to sign in free agency. Could be various reasons. Because you think it's gonna be the right time of his career, because you think it's gonna be the right fit, because it's gonna be the right money. I will let you go because really I'm having you on just because I'm curious what your answers are going to be for this particular exercise. So start off with us a free agent you want to sign.
My number one is my beloved zec ball. Depending on where Fred Warner's career goes next season, maybe the best all around linebacker in the NFL, and I get all the which is different system, different spot. Do you bet on one year production? One year? I'll put age profile having to pay that kind of money for guy who's only done it for one season, changing schemes if we go somewhere else. But if I was the Eagles, I
wouldn't let him out of the building. And if I was another team, I would be doing anything I could to try and send him up.
Yeah.
I have been influenced by your analysis and my eyeballs when it comes to Zach Bond and my strong stance that like, they're not going to let this guy leave.
If they can't let this guy leave, I don't think.
I know they haven't paid off ball linebackers in the past, but just watching their defense this year, other than Jalen Carter and certainly putting Cooper de gene in helped solidify the secondary.
But he seemed like.
The guy who kind of made it all work, and there's not really any reason why it can't continue to work. I know he didn't do much in New Orleans, but that's old news.
Now.
Him in Philadelphia is something like you can see it with your eyes to kind of explain maybe to the listeners what you think he did for that Eagles defense.
Yeah, he kind of changed the whole front structure of the group where I essentially they were able to move them and walk them around. And usually when you get these kind of like defensive chess piece weapon ties, people talk about that all the time, right, particularly with the secondary guys or the safeties, and how we can put him in this spot and that spot, and it's just really difficult to do when you don't set the terms
of engagement. You don't know what's coming out of the huddle, right, what the offensive formations are going to be, where guys
are going to motion and shift to. So really with those kind of players, if it's not in the front in the pass rush where you can kind of set the protection in certain senses, where you put guys, you just want problem solvers, a guy who can move around to you and take as many problems off your plate as possible, where it's moving and shifting the formation in some sense, and we've borne they essentially put him into what's like a walking linebacker role where you play off
the ball or you can walk down to the edge, and it's just really difficult to find one. We have like a linebacker crisis in the league. There's like six good ones. He's one of them. It's really difficult to find a guy who can play off the ball soundly, who can go down to the edge and a thumb in the wrong game, who can give you some pass frust sauce off the edge as well, and then truly who can drop from there into coverage to pick up all the crosses and all the things the league's trying
to attack people with. And he's just the all around guy who can do that. To me, it's really similar to when Jamaine Prapp was with the Bengals. And I know no one cares about Jermaine Prep, but he was kind of the secret thoughts that made the Bengals defense go when they were making it to the Super Bowl. But he was never the kind of pass for sky or blitz the ball in is. So he really is in terms of coverage, fit in the run, and then just making plays on the ball, whether it's false footballs
and deceptions. For where the league is at right now, if you want to run a defense somewhat akin to what Vic Fango is running, God what Vic's running in Philadelphia. Having that move piece you can play off the ball and on the end is like the number one gotta have thing. And he was just the best at it by far in the NFL A season.
That's bold, and yet I buy it, like you just have the proof of concept and you say there's an off ball linebacker crisis, and I hear that. And yet that's the one one of the positions in free agency, which is pretty strong. At least there's five or six guys that you can make a case for. But Bonn is a top the list because of what he did. And I shouldn't be totally influenced by this, but I am. Did you happen to watch the miked up of the
Super Bowl with Zach Bond at all? Like he's heavily featured in that, I have.
Not seen that.
I Well, first of all, I mean you you expect him, I guess, to kind of be a general and a leader of that defense, and he's just so fired up and all you can just see how much he takes command of that defense and how important he is just as a leader. And yet just the mental side of things, like after the Cooper dejen interception. He clocks that, hey, you saw me over there, and now now I'm forgetting the total details.
And he's like, and you knew I basically.
Had the flat covered and that there were two guys over there, so you just decided to do your own thing and peel off and watch them right And and the Gene was like, yeah, that's exactly. He's like, ah, that's that's a veteran shit, you know. And I was just like so impressed. He knew everything that was happening in the moment. And it's just such a perfect fit.
It's truly impossible to overstate how much they change that defense. In like Week three, men when they crushed the Saints, the Saints we like housing everyone for two weeks. What a fun time. That was the completely defense because they moved Zack Boorne's position essentially, and it does completely transform into being the best defense quite comfortably in the league.
And to have that kind of impact when you've been a special teams guy, a situational pass rushing where the Saints like there is no situation will let you rush the passer for some reason, become truly the best all around linebacker in the NFL last season, I thought he was the defensive player of the year, and he's available in freezy. The age concerns If you've got to pay big money for the twenty nine year old he's got
one year production, it's a real concern. I can't imagine that someone like Mike Vrabel, who has all kinds of cash full, you know, fallen out of his park agency, wouldn't be tempted to go and give it a try as a kind of cultural reset, knowing you're snagging. As I said, I think there's maybe six seven difference making linebackers in the league right now, and he would be one of them.
Sneaky old. I didn't realize that he's twenty eight. He will turn twenty nine at the very end of the upcoming season. But I didn't realize that it would be funny because I was thinking Vic Fangio teams out there, you know, in terms of who runs a similar defense. I was like, Oh, he'd fit with the Saints. But yeah, they don't really, they're not going to welcome it back that that would be insane. They also don't have any cap space to sign Zach Bond. All right, I'll go
next We got it, we'll pick it up. But I want to spend a lot of time about Zach Bond. He was high on my list. One that I would want is Charvarius Ward. He is a free agent this year. He's been in the NFL for seven years. He's about tenth on my total list, and he's coming off a bad year, which needs context. He lost to his young child, and that's the most horrible thing that you can imagine a person having to go through. And he talked about and he was away from the team, how much that
affected him. And it was really a year long process of unfortunately after his daughter was born, dealing with that, and he wasn't there, and he says he needs to get out of California. And I do want to put that there because I think it adds a little context to that. He didn't look like himself this year. He was still like an NFL cornerback. He wasn't terrible, but he didn't look like himself. But then I think back
to the last few years before that. In just twenty twenty three, led the NFL and pass breakups had five interceptions, was sixth in that category in terms of pass breakups in twenty two, like I was trying to think like I was trying to think of big Charvarius Ward moments in the Super Bowl and the Conference Championship and leading up, and I went back and looked its like, well, yeah, he was never targeted. He got targeted once in those two games combines. And when I watch him, he always
seems to know the coverage so well. An incredibly smart player, an incredibly tough player. There's that touchdown by MVS actually in the Super Bowl where he's calling out to like the rest of his defense, he kind of knows they're in the wrong defense before it happens, he's not the
one that's supposed to be covering it. And just a very heady player and the type of player I often look for in free agency, who's a really good player that's coming off a bad year, but he's still young enough that you believe he has a high level of play to him. And it's Charvarius Ward, who I think might be at a little bit of a diminished value because of the year that he just had, but it's just an awesome, excellent player, right A former undrafted free agent.
I forgot what the Cowboys initially before the Chiefs picked him up, but he helped that Chiefs defense so much.
He helped the forty nine ers. I think he'll help some team out there this year.
Yeah, you mentioned it. Intelligent, plays the ball in the air really well. I do just wonder what is the value going to be because I look through this cornerback class and I think you can go all the way down the list to your ending bari's and your hubbs, and there's some real great value to be at, particularly if you just want to have a true run around pressman corner all over the place. Do you want to
go to that top of the market. It just feels like every year people get burned trying to pack at the hind of the market. I like him as a bi low candidate if you think that the money's going to be down that, but I imagine every team will be thinking along the same lines you are, and the once Biran Murphy goes, maybe DJ Reed goes. I think he's going to be the top of most people's lists.
Yeah, Carlton Davis I think might get more money than him, and then he'll be in that Asante Sammon Junior might get more money just because he's younger. We'll say you're right. I hope you're not right, you know, because then I'm just basic. Every team is thinking the way I'm thinking.
But a debo.
There's about seven eight guys who are more top of the cornerback market. I have a feeling he's not gonna get crazy big money. But I could be wrong, and maybe he'll have to settle for kind of a one or two year type of deal.
All right, you give me someone else.
Trayvon Morig. Okay, worry to fun player in all the football? I think the work in Man's Buddha Baker, the guy who plays all over the formation, plays behind the line of scrimmage, and absolutely heat seeking missile, hits everything that moves as hard as he physically can. And if we can get him, ideally to one of these teams, he wants to have fun. Who isn't boring and stale? Okay, get into Vans, Joseph Brian Flores, maybe buying them leaves the Vikings, and he's looking for a safety. You can
do everything for him. Maybe even the Cardinals say, what if we had Moregan Baker together?
What fun?
Just that level of versatility playing all over the formation with that kind of fierceness. I want that guy on my team.
Yeah.
So Trevon morrig who was I feel like it was pretty quiet the first couple of years of his career. And you are not the only one who gave me some feedback that I had moreg too low. Actually heard from someone inside the league that would have him much higher. I ended up settling on him between twenty and twenty five, and I probably should have had him higher because I think a lot of people agree with you. Ali, What did he improve on? Because you know he was in
that last Mike Mayock class. Maybe a little quiet the first couple of years. I don't think much of America knows what Tron Morrigg's really been doing the last couple of years.
What he's been doing is hitting everyone in the face as hard does humanly possible. Exciting. Doesn't that sound like a Mike Mayo play he would have draft? Yeah, because he is crazy explosive downhill. They use him essentially in the like pressure and blitz packages. They'll just sub the linebacker ound and put him in the kind of muddies
up what's happening on the back end. But they get the same kind of umphuff the ball and he just makes so many plays behind the line of screamers that pass which she vanished off a cliff when Christian Wilkins went out when they lost Max Crosby, and they kind of hit on the solution off what have we just sent Trayvon every single time that we can, I think against the Chiefs, he blitzed like fifteen times an all
from depth. Paul Guy had a cardio workout and still has the bigger body, can kind of match tight ends in man coverage for you. He is often lost and clueless when he's deep and off the ball. So if he goes to somewhere like Baltimore or something like that, we may be in trouble in terms of having blitzing attack mode type defense. He's the ideal fit.
Yeah, there's weirdly a bunch of teams that don't have any safeties right now. The Jets don't have any safeties. The Dolphins actually would I think would be maybe a nice home for him.
The Bengals could use him, but I don't know if Al Golden.
I don't know enough about Al Golden to know if he's going to be that creative. It would be fun to see him in a Cardinals type defense where they totally unleash him.
I like that one a lot. All Right, I'm gonna go. Let's go.
Let's stay at off ball linebackers at least, I don't mind being risky. I want to go Drake green Law at this point in his career, Let's just get him on a one year like so many teams have so much cap space. If he's not going to sign a deal unless he gets a bunch of guaranteed money, just give him a ton in one year and see what happens. And I am inordinately affected by the like three quarters of football he played in twenty four because he's coming off a torn achilles stending.
That's very worrisome.
The fact that he reinjured it and it was a calf injury after that very worrisome. And Yet, if you're looking for a tone set or you're talking about more like Dray green Law in those three quarters made as many like monster hits and looked like the best linebacker in football for those three quarters as some linebackers hit all year. So I like taking a chance on him.
You're a year more removed from the injury. Obviously, didn't play a lot last year, so you're not spending top of the market money like you would with Zach Bond or even with the Nick Bolton. I don't necessarily think green Law is going to get that kind of deal, but I think these are the types of chances that are okay to take in free agency if you have enough cap space and you're not doing a bunch of years on it, like add Drake Greenlaw to your defensive mix and just kind of see what happens.
I like that if it's a team who is maybe trying to change the culture slightly, let's get some veterans in here who know where to be. I can see that intence you mentioned, the tone setting thing. He's he's he was pretty limited at the best of times. The ideal foiled to Fred Warner, but Warner was kind of the guy who's covering up all kinds of stuff in there, essentially, and every time they put someone next to Fred outside
of the season, everyone looks pretty good. So Achilles injury, cough injury, I would be it's it's it's pretty risky, but if it's if it's a have everyone feel good when we go to training camp and we got some.
Well, no, you could just say you don't like the pick. I mean, you're you're trying to dance around it here, you don't like it.
I know, I know, I think he's a really good player. I just don't know of coming off an Achilles injury. If you're a team who needs the position filled, if you like the Books who are crying out, we got to get some linebackers in here. I'd be really worried if that pick was let's go for Drake Green law of a Jamin Show what uor something like that.
Okay, it is fair to point out there there are younger, safer options at the position. Ernest Jones is an interesting one. Nick Bolton is another one. Jamie and Sherwood. I think from the Jets is going to be a popular choice. But you know, I don't mind taking a chance, all right, Go give me another one. Ali gon Afford Okay, yeah, he was on my list too.
The stoutest run stuffer we have in the league right now. I don't think the Chargers should let him anywhere out of the building, but I imagine some semblance of a bidding war. This is his best season by far in terms of giving you some kind of astrosh umph to
go with the kind of early down run defense stuff. So, particularly where the league is at right now, with how many teams are trying to basically crowd up the line of scrimmage early in the down and distance, which is not where we were at even a couple of years ago. Teams are so split now with five men along the line of scrimmage to kick things off with a couple
of deep safeties. Having someone who can at least be an effort guy in the play action world, that's the only thing you need from him is can you sit down in the gaps early on and hold up against the running Can you give us some effort and some push in the passing game? And he is to me is like as the Bowling Bowl body type where it's just like plunb that guy down seal off some gaps for us. He is he is right there at the top of the league based on less season.
Yeah, and not have to have it, you know, as many down linemen like you mentioned. The only small concern I've always loved poona Ford want to mean a Kaimes's favorite players. You know, the Chargers had this magical way of taking these guys that I personally always thought were underrated and suddenly turning their careers around when they would just look like about over. Like there was like five of them last year. I Christian Fulton is another guy
that's on my list. We might as well just mention him now. So Poona Ford is one Elijah Molden who they just re signed actually, but would have been a good free agent pickup for someone. Tierre Tart suddenly popped up on the Chargers and was pretty good, and then
Poona Ford. So I don't know, is this there's some like magic Jesse Minter pixie dust that worked on Poona Ford that wouldn't translate elsewhere because he's coming off a season where he basically didn't get on the field much for the Bills and didn't get any money in free agency.
That's true in Jesse Mint to maybe a. I think he's about as good as we have right now. But I also go one on one and embarrassed Joe Toney go one on one and embarrassed Chris Linstrom makes Caesar Orwiz have night mess.
The rest of his life.
So I get put on good competition. He was not dominant, but pretty damn good, and then he embarrassed lower level competition and that was all one on one, so I don't think it was necessarily just meant it.
So yeah, it's also you know, you're playing with these other great players, you're playing for an organization that expects the best, and you raise your level. That's how I feel like I had to do today knowing Alli was
coming on. So I actually went back and like watch some more Christian Fulton tape this year, and I was actually a little less impressed than I was hoping to be because there was like an eight game stretch with the Titans I always hold on to where it's like, wow, he really looked like a number one corner I feel like he's a little undervalued.
Watching the Chargers.
A little more at length, you know, he had some tough matchups over the years, like t Higgins gave it to him for most of that game. Competitive guy. What are your thoughts on Christian Fulton? Maybe I'm not quite a sigh after going back in watching, but I do think he's a serviceable, solid cornerback that won't be at the top of the market.
Yeah, I think a serviceable guy. It's more of a zone based system and it's a lot of deep drops and a lot of make sure Christian gets the depth and keeps his eyes in front of the ball. I think that you're okay there it is, you're playing more matched up and we've got more one or more responsibilities. That's when he gets into trouble. I mean all those charges corners, you go through them, the rookies, everything, Everyone
had a good middle stretch of the season. They were doing so many unusual things coverage why Its kind of freaked everyone out, annoying to go, and it gamified some of the covered stats in particular side that back end would be the one where I'd be like, I don't want to be paying for Minta's work on the back end. The guys up front of the ones, I'd be comfortable giving Mac the deal for the deal.
Yeah, it's interesting too.
They valued Moulden or Molden maybe just didn't want to see what was behind door number two and got a deal. I don't think we mentioned that on this podcast. But a nice little slack corner. All right, give me your next.
Pick, Brandon Shove.
Okay, surprising.
Have you seen the tackle market in this for aging class?
I mean the offensive line in general, it's pretty rough.
Yes, a disaster situation. All these teams need tackles, all these team needs guards. You go to the draft and there's probably gonna be four guards selected in the first round at this point because everyone just needs any lineman that can help out. Brandon Schurf last year under the radar because the Jags season completely fell apart. He was healthy this year for the first time in a long time where he's been able to get for a season.
I think it'd be pretty cheap to get him out of there, and I know that the Bears have made a move for Jonah Jackson. But somewhere like Chicago where you can get a little bit more run centric, a really deep, vertical play action type game the way Ben Jonson wants to play. I thought by the middle part of last year he was playing at pretty much an All pro level compared to the press, probably on the thirteen.
All Pro doesn't really have the juice anymore, can't really give you some of the fun pull Brandon's chef stuff we used to get, but just a one on one guy to enforce in the wrong game and then give you just enough in the passing game to hold up I think it's a probably going to be a pretty cheap low fly bet on that guy.
Yeah, this is why I I love having you on because I think his uptick last year and he's managed to stay healthy the last few years for the Jaguars is pretty under the radar. And look he's getting up there. He's almost what is he thirty three to thirty four? He's actually the last guard. He's thirty three years old right now. To be taken in the top ten, right, there hasn't been a guard since him.
Zach Martin went six.
Right at the time, though they tried to tackle first.
So a guy that you knew was going to be a guard, which I think Shurf was like that at the time. Maybe Will Campbell will be that guy for some team they honestly, he could get taken in the top ten and just put him at guard right away, depending on what team it is. I don't think that
will happen, but that's possible. But that's interesting. Yeah, while we're here, we don't have to just stick to the same format the whole time if I don't want to, Like, are there, because I'm curious if there's any other takes you have on the guards that are available, Tevin Jenkins, you know, Makai Becton's going to be out there. Will Fries from from the cold, you know, Kevin Zeitler is coming off like a halfway decent year.
Though that's like the top of the market.
Maybe Patrick McCarry, who you move him back to guard, who is with the Ravens, But he was probably better at tackle when he was there, Like, is anyone getting you going out of this class?
It's a time McCary I thought was pretty much a mess. James Daniels, I know again, he played really well in the short snaps were able to see if him. Fries is really really intelligent. If you could just pull away Fries and Kelly together, you would actually have a come with an offensive line off you're the Patriots, for instance, saying hey, Drake, may we need to get some adults around you. Pulling off the double deal would be something
that'd be interested in if I was a team. They probably will miss from week six onwards for you and be with the medical team, but you'll feel really good for those first six weeks. But it's a pretty rough market. Even Tray Smith I thought that was a ludicrous thing to tag him at that price. I thought it was ludicrous the contracts being floated around for Tray Smith. So it's just a pretty ropey tackling god market.
You thought Smith was worth it because when he got attacked a little bit that down the stretch there by the Chiefs a.
Little bit is being very kind, Okay. I think it is a really talented player. I think that he flashes a lot in the wrong game, in the screen game, and we get the best screen coach in the NFL put in the really special talent out in space, and that stuff really pops and is good. He's just been inconsistent his entire career in pass pro. He don't pay someone over twenty million dollars a guard to be inconsistent in pass pro. And when they moved two Ney to
left tackle, teams teed off on him. They set their entire pass first plan to attack a guy who's going to be the highest paid guard in the NFL, and he Folded gave up sixteen pressures in the final three
games after Tony moved to left tackle. Once you take away the three of them together, Creed, Trey and Tony, Creed always helps the tray side and once you moved Tuny outside and they bought Caliendo and they started having Creed help towards Caliendos side, and so teams just teed off on Trey and it was a bit of a mas I just wouldn't I love the player of the talent. I get it, there's only so many cards in the NFL.
He would probably still be in the top ten. But I thought it was a really inconsistent down year for play who's supposed to won the three or four best his position.
Wow, you know, don't let the dulcet tones distract you from Ali just you know, massacrering Tray Smith right there, just just an assassin. Let's let's stick on the chiefs.
I'm gonna go to Sean Wharton. I thought you might take him, maybe maybe he would be on your your list at some point, but he's definitely on my He just plays with a nastiness that is obvious when when you see him on the coaches film too, Like he's always that guy like yelling after a play and like screaming as he goes to the sideline, screaming at the opponent,
screaming at his players. I like that there was that play in the Super Bowl, which you know is in my mind because because I was there that like, Tyler Stein came in for one play and then to shun Wharton like got past them with a great inside move and Stein like literally didn't touch him.
It was the first place Stein was in.
There was actually a bunch of plays where he flushed Jalen Hurts out very quickly. He pushed Lannon Dickerson back on a couple of plays. Unfortunately, you know, Hurts got out and off and made the play. But really a great playoff run in general. There was a play at the goal line where he just plants Josh Allen into the ground. He walked back Titus Howard, I'm really thinking
about the playoff run in general. But a young player a lot of moves for a guy who's two hundred and eighty pounds, I just think plays with a lot of energy and fits a very rare, you know type in free agency, which is that he's young, he has enough experience but not too much experience. So a guy hopefully that's on the ascension at a position where guys continue to get really better and better at defensive tackle kind of in their fourth, fifth, sixth, year.
Yeah, one of my favorite plays, one of the sneaky, dirtiest plays in the NFL. You mentioned this joint, and you don't really normally get the ascendant young guys who I think is actually attainable and gettable from the Chiefs. So I'm sure they'll make a good offer. And he was undrafted and has made no cash in his life, so you can go and probably get him for what
would be an affoordable right. You may have to go a Milton Williams absolutely through the nose right to get him out of Philadelphia that it seems like he's gone, But they'll probably be a bidding war for Milton Williams. Whereas Wharton I think is the next band down that is not really that much for a drop off different style of player. One is much bigger, thicker, longer. Wharton is kind of the short, more explosive, light penetrating type
upfield Russia. I actually think he gives you slightly more on the rundowns than even Williams does do at this stage in his career. So I would be really surprised that it wasn't like four or five teams really trying to get on Walterton.
Yeah, I ranked him too low. I mean you're saying there's not that huge of a gap. I mean, I love me some Milton Williams. He's on my list too. I'd certainly want to sign him. The price might get a little out of control. I should have had Wharton higher. Who do you got next?
I have Nate Hobbs.
Okay, Okay, that makes me feel well because I've looked at some other lists out there they didn't even have Hobs on it, and I have had him pretty high.
I like me some Nate Hobbs.
Nate Hobbs is just a bumper and run follow someone everywhere they go, and you'll have three brain thoughts a game and we'll all get really frustrated. Star right, we'll get those ninety percent reps where he just gives all I think the injury concerns of but twenty six years old. You mentioned not in a lot of people's lists. I think people can get him really really cheap this season.
And he's not a vestyle player. He does what he does, but for teams he want to be true man coverage teams again, the Jets who Arren Glenn going and trying to find some extra pieces, they can put the I think Hubbs would be a really good bug and pick up.
Yeah, I like that pick a lot.
Similar age in terms of coming out of his rookie contract for me, as Levi Onwuzurique big risk in terms of his health that he could not stay on the
field his first three years. You know, I listened to Lions podcasts and they talked about maybe it was a little bit of approach to professionalism and a little bit of injury, the combination of the two, and Dan Campbell started talking him up kind of going into his third year he didn't quite stay healthy, that he's really had an epiphany in terms of how he's going to approach being a pro, and then had a really good year.
I thought, from my eyes in his fourth year, like a lot of pressures sneaky high on the QB hits list if you just search by all defensive tackles own Wizourique. Is there just a big dude in a league that needs more big dudes. So you're hoping that the improvement that he made in terms of taking care of his body carries over.
The Lions can't pay everyone.
I think they'd like to keep him if they could, But he's kind of a similar type to me. Is there's only so many young guys coming off a good year. And again I keep mentioning with the defensive tackles, but it is a position where it does seem to take about three years to get used to being in the pros. And right now he is playing his best ball that we've seen by a good amount.
He definitely is. It does terrify me when you say the guy got himself into shape and cat when he was a contract season. I hadn't thought about That makes me. It makes me pretty worried that the light only just went on. So if there's going to be a batting war, I think I would look elsewhere. I think the defensive line. Klus Hay is really deep in the defensive line. Glass in the draft is outreached deep. So I think it's it's gonna probably suppress this middle band of the market.
I would have thought. So if you can get him on a decent contract, he would probably just return to the Lions and you end up just trying to outpit the Lions for not a huge needle mover. He's one of the all time, Like arrived to high five everyone that the quarterback wasn't late. But then he just turns up in high fives. Everyone says, good job. If there's a guy he doesn't have that level of impact and he only got you know, himself in shape for the contract year, that would.
Make me a bit concern that that is a little a little concern.
I think Gambell started talking off a little bit going into the third year that he was turned in the corner, but then he didn't stay healthy. And then let's do a bunch of names quickly here at the end, I kind of speed around any other fun ones that are out there. I noticed none of it. We didn't pick any receivers. I didn't have any receivers in my list.
I really like Nick Westbrook, Aikine. You know there was Westbrookikinny and Josh Parlimer. If you're looking for some kind of down the field juice, essentially, I think Akine has real gas and I could see him sliding to the Chiefs. And then we get to third and forever against the Bills in January again and he goes west Brokakinni behind the secondary and mahomes fine. If you're looking for a cheap a fly down the Field. I think that's the guy.
You like him more than Darius Slayton or Marquise Brown or Dammy Brown or just because of the value.
Because of the value, Jammy Brown probably the one ahead of him. But other than that, I think i'd been on Westbrookakine with the age and the speed.
Yeah, when I was doing this exercise, it's like, yeah, I like Stefan Diggs, but he's coming off a major injury and.
God God, when of course you like Godwin.
I don't think he's gonna get to the open market, but he's coming off a serious injury. And I do remember the last time he was coming off when it took a while to get going there. There's other names like Elijah Moore out there. One name I threw out there was and this is just I have a hard time quitting him. Is like Mike Williams. Mike Williams and Marcus Davenport would fall into the category of like, you're
not the dumb team that paid him last year. Okay, so if you're gonna do this, actually they're a year you know healthier. In theory, Davenport comes up with like a new way to get hurt every but this is the their value is going to be so depressed that it really is truly just a flyer. Do they have
anything left in their career? Would it shock me if Mike Williams is a better version of himself this year and helps you out as a third or fourth and Marcus Davenport helps you out with four hundred and five hundred snaps for like two or three million, it would not surprise me, because these guys, Yeah, they were pretty talented in their in their peaks, they were pretty good.
William I mean, Williams never have that any evolution to his game as he agescy. If you'll the Ravens all someone who's a contender things, could we steal this guy pretty cheap and we we least get certainty and what the player is. I like that for the contenders, for the Bills and the Ravens.
Yeah, he's going to be like a fourth receiver. I'll throw out my my final just sort of speed round guys.
Third round.
But you know, you don't usually pick up third down backs and free agency, but like if Ty Johnson or Kenny gain Will only costs you like two or three million dollars, just like Okay, let's settle that position. Those are two good players. It's like one last thing that you have to work about, worry about. And then of all the backups, I always rank Jameis Winston too high, and I stand by that, but it's actually I wouldn't hate getting Jimmy g as my backup this year.
I feel like he's a pretty good backup.
Are you sure?
I mean, maybe it's that Week eighteen game against Seattle where you got you saw the McVeigh sprinkle on him and the fact that they were sneaky. Okay, I think with going into this year with Jimmy Garoppolo and a rookie, if they didn't keep Stafford, I was like, okay, maybe like a Garoppolo that's had a couple of years to just be healthy as your backup. Can he come in for three or four games? I'm okay with that, but maybe you're not.
I would know. I would just draft to guys that guy in Canada who's playing. I just take two guys to draft and hope to the best. Let me throw a couple more aways. I think josh Ucca well the stringest freeze AND's available last season for the Patriots of the year before I should say, unbelievable production off the edge. Then he basically isn't interested in play this season. He gets traded to the Chiefs. I really thought you would have a serious third down impact for them in the playoffs.
Just one of those. It's flashing up on. Collinsworth is losing his mind, like how did they get this guy? Where's he come from? And just nothing happened. I'm sat there thinking, would I rather a Hassam Reddick fifty million dollars or take josh uj for three million dollars and see if there really is the player from the Patriots two years ago in there.
Okay, it's a little worry Simmy could just not get on the field for the Chiefs and not like shocking he couldn't get on the field for the Patriots a lot. I don't know what's going on there.
It is peculiar. Noah Enigbari, the corner for the Commanders, I think is going to be hidden lost corner in the free aging class. He is consistently lost on the field all the time, which I know sounds concerning, but they do run some pretty complex stuff. He looks confused there. But if you just again have a true man to man corner. If you're a man heavy system like Nate Hobbs, I think that he is a good cheap pick up there.
Then Baron Browning with the Cardinals. He gets traded to the Cardinals out.
Of no way.
He's having an unbelievable year off the edge. You look at some of the pressure rate and pass fish win rate, Stuffie's right there with Miles gowert and the very best in the league. I don't think that's necessarily true of the play he is, but he has real, real juice off the edge. So I think I'd probably rather do the Uch Browning pair and see who's healthy he wants to play football than I would sign maybe some of the top guys.
Yeah, Red be out of a job.
I'd lose my mortgage. I would I would run a franchise.
I mean spending money on Hassan Reddick or whoever. It would be, even a Josh Sweat who's gonna be reliable but probably overpaid. That that traditionally hasn't worked that well in free agency. Redicks a fascinating case that people just throw out that year not. I can't believe we made it through this whole thing without mentioning Kaisier White. I feel like it's the north Star for both of us.
We've lost cells now if anything.
I know there's there's too many off ball linebackers available.
There's too many names. But I'm glad we got through.
Like there's the big names on top of the market, we had a couple of those. Oh I forgot one of my favorite ones. I'm throwing them in. It's Malcolm Koons. I know he's coming off of torn acl which is pretty major, but man, that last eight games of the season that he had for the Raiders, the way he like dipped around the edge. It was against really good players too. It is like against Rashwan Slater and some really good that he just made look silly. So that's
that's a young pass rusher. In theory, he got injured so early last year he missed the whole season that he's had some time to get ready. That's one where I always think injured players, like, why not sign them for like a two year deal. It's going to be cheaper than other teams and give a shot for a pretty young, good pass rusher Malcolm Coons.
I'm ending with.
Yeah.
I moved on that one as well, structure the contract the way you do the two year deal. You mess around with the numbers however you want. If it hits, you've got a cheap guy for the second season. I'm all on that. One of all true dip and rip pass for shatists, which guys don't really win that way in the league that much anymore. They used to get shame rate out of the league. You kind of have
to play with more power. It's funny though, as we went through the list, I've well, together, we have three guys that have young raiders, guys for you that we defensively though. I really like Patrick Graham, so I wonder if they just try and retain them all if they truly hit the market.
Yeah.
I asked John Spytech about that very thing last last week at the Combine, say you know, on our show, and he didn't really have a strong answer for that other than you know, those are good players.
There are some good play he said, some which I clocked.
He's like, yeah, there's some good ones, and we do want to keep those, so we'll see.
Yeah.
I just remember you have a look in his eye that said I have to ask Tommy before I get back to you.
No. He in fact said the words, I don't just have this job because I'm friends with Tom, and he pointed out, and I was glad. I asked this, like did you even know Tom Brady in college? And his answer was essentially now now it's like I was like, people are like, oh, he was like college teammates, he' his buddies, Like, I don't think he even knew him. He was on the he was on the freshman's scout team and Tom Brady was, you know, playing against Alabama
as the senior quarterback. He said Tom was cool. He would like sit with all the freshmen every once in a while. But that's like one guy at a table of twenty. So he was full to point out, Yeah, he didn't even know Tom Brady back then, but Malcolm Coons, that's a name to know. I just remember he wore Garrett Bowls out a couple of years ago. So that's when I like freegency just a couple of days away. You guys are very draft focused right now. In terms of your podcast, are you going to do any free
agency coverage with with John? We gotta have John back on the show too.
We will do two long freegency breakdowns, probably Rogan levels of analysis on why Jaman Shilwood going to a team really mates them. By November, I'll feel silly, but yeah, well we'll hit the freeency.
Yes, it is strange to hear Ollie talking at normal speed because I have to admit I do crank it up to one point five because because of what you said, the Rogan levels of just like twenty minutes on a defensive tackle.
I love it, but just just speed it up.
Ali one of the best to do it fun breaking down the free agents with you. That's it for this show. This has been a packed week, but we are not done yet. We still have a couple of visions to look ahead in terms of their offseason preview Got My Show with Daniel Jeremiah. Free Agency is back, so as football We'll see you next time.