Flacco Trade Reaction; Antonio Brown Landing Spots

another edition of the Around the NFL Podcast. My name is Dan Hansis and I am joined in a room filled with heroes, Mark Sessler, Chris Westling, and Greg Rosenthal. What is up? Boys? Hey? Dan? We could lose that money drop. I don't I don't like the insinuation, even us. We did it during super Bowl Week. Yeah. How about moratorium on Scott Zolac until September? I mean, or even beyond September. I mean, no one's given big z more free pub than this podcast. That's what I'm saying. It's

time to pull back the reins a little bit. Who's this partner, Sochi? Maybe it's Sochi's time to get a little shine. I can't disagree with that. All right? Wow, the four of us back together, first time since Super Bowl Sunday. And that's great, Mark. How was your weekend with the family and kids? Very enriched? Mark would have c very rewarding in what sense it made my life better and hopefully the lives of my children and relatives better. How would you how would you rate your relationship with

your father in law? Let's start there, Well, it was with my actual parents. Rate it high. How about your dad? Very high? And what's going on there? Good relationship, very strong, no issues, enjoy talking together. You got you gotta follow Mark on Instagram. I mean there's some good beats there with Ed and you would have scene they had a great time. And and your old lady and she's good too, Your old lady. I mean I wouldn't address her that way,

nor should you. She's your age, so that that ansel's out your age. That's your mom. Your mom is old lady. That's what you called your wife. In theory, you call your old mom. Yeah no, no, no, you call your old neither. You would call neither one. You definitely don't call you absolutely the wife. You don't call your mom. Here's the proof, there's the proof that you're wrong. Wonderful, who do you call the old man, neither your father.

All right, Greg, we get it. Your father is the old man that works right old or in America, when you say the old lady, it means the wife at home. Yes, it's like from a nineteen sixties sitcom and hasn't been used too much since. Right. Well, Luckily it's a stalemate because I stand by old ladys mom. Well, I don't address anyone in my family tree as old ladies, so

they're all they're all vibrant and young to me. All Right, Well, that's see, you're off to a flying star here, because I got a lot of good information out of that back and forth. All right, it seems to be going in a good place. It is great to be back. Ah yeah, alright, So today's show a lot to get to, uh, including a huge trade involving one of the more well

known quarterbacks of the last decade. Um also big news UH involving Antonio Brown, who continues to relentlessly publicize his uncertain status as an NFL player, in least in terms of his uh where he'll be playing in twenty nineteen. And also we're gonna talk about some uh you know, big names who could say goodbye to their current teams, or to be more accurate, Greg their teams say goodbye to them. I mean it's already started to happen. Better

to talk quickly before this gets out of date. Tough business, you know. But before we do that, let's get to the news. And yes, the big trade in the NFL touchdown Jacoby Jones? How does that happen in the Denver secondary fat is stunning? That were the three man rush and dropping eight guys into coverage that the dead for Bracos could misplay this to this point? Ah, Yes, the mile high miracle. There was seventy yards Joe Flacco to

Jacobe Jones in the two thousand twelve Divisional playoffs. To me, one of the great uh holy moments of the NFL newsroom. In my calling that to my high miracle, I thought you had its own Look, it has its own Wikipedia page. That's ridiculous. I'm looking right at it. Yeah. I did put up moratorium on miracles, but after the Miami one, anything before, I don't think anyone called it that at that time. I think we are that Flacco is grandfathered in.

Do you want to know something else? There is a second mile High miracle that was the divisional playoff game between the Jackson Brocos. But this goes back to the point I made a few months ago. Everyone got so crazy with a miracle thing that just got muddled and it took away actual miracles that we see, like the Minneapolis miracle, which was legit. You could argue nothing that happens on a football field is actually a miracle. Also, let's maybe start there. Um, okay, all right, here we go.

Joe Flacco. It's over for him in Baltimore. After a storied run with the Ravens, the team agreed in principle to trade Joe Flacco to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a mid round pick. NFL Network insider Ian rapp

Report reported via sources informed of the situation. Report rap Board added that Flacco, who had three years remaining on his deal, will need to rework that contract for the Broncos neither side of the deal, who don't expect to hear from them because they're not allowed to publicly comment on the transaction until the NFL's new calendar year begins on March. ESPN's Adam Schefter first had it. Wes John Elway this one wi Paxton Lynch first round pick John Elway.

He gives twenty five million guaranteed to case Keenum. That's a whiff too. Now he's getting the thirty four year old Joe Flacco with a bad back coming off some bad years. Your thoughts on this deal? So this one's for John, and all right that once for John, come to think of it, this one's for John, and also that once for John Well. I think the skepticism on Elway has been earned as far as what he's done at quarterback in offensive line over the past few years.

But I thought that this was, you know, reminded me so much of the Amari Cooper trade on Twitter. Everyone overreacted, and I think overreacted because of Joe Flacco's name in John Elway's name. It was it's fastile analysis, it's lazy snark, and it's a fourth round pick for a guy who's an upgrade on case Keenum, who I believe the Broncos players learned the last October could not make the throws

in NFL starting quarterback needs to make. I challenge anyone to sit down with me and watch Joe Flacco's game film from the first quarter of last season and tell me this guy can't play well. The The key is the first quarter, Because you're right, I thought he played pretty well the start. I think if just start last Sea makes that kick, Joe Flacco remains the quarterback. But then he didn't. He didn't play as well in his

last few starts, agree, and then he was hurt. And then you have to look at the previous two years where he was also hurt and not playing pretty well, and look at the larger sample size over the last three or four years. I'm with you West that I think I'd rather have Joe Flacco than case Keenum. But I also believe that Flacco is like a slightly better version of Eli Manning right now, different sort of player in that he needs to have everything around him be perfect.

He's a quarterback to be kind of a mid tier quarterback. And what John Elway has shown us, not just with the quarterback mistakes that Dan mentioned, but more with the offensive line, is that he's not going to have everything perfect around him. Okay, that's fair, that's absolutely fair that John Elway has not proven he can get an offensive line to protect his quarterbacks. But it's February. He hasn't had a chance to go out and get an offensive line yet. Let's no, but he's at six years that's

what I mean. Okay, but but six years don't mean like in two thousand nineteen he can't go get offensive line. I I think it's one of the hardest things to do. And you also just look at Okay, Matt Paradise. Their center is coming off a major injury. Max Garcia is coming off from major injury. Ronald Leary is coming off a major injury. I don't even know if all those

guys are gonna be back. Paradis as a free agent that may cut Leary, and so I just worry if you're a Broncos fan that the situation for Flacco is gonna be an uphill battle. And there's no reason that think he's gonna like overcoming up hill. But I think it's like somewhere in between, because it's not. Forget all the snark West I hear you, and Joe Flacco is

not some sort of bottom ten quarterback. But I can't think of another team allowing a general manager, if his name was not John Elway, to attempt to solve the quarterback issue this many times if you would have been I get that, And to me, it's like you, what are you telling players that you're bringing to the Broncos.

What is your long term plan at quarterback? Joe Flacco is another one year patch who will spend all offseason talking about and he'll probably have a high ankle sprain in week four, miss eight weeks, and they'll be screwed again. I mean, this is snark free. I don't think John Alway knows what he's doing at the quarterback position, which is ironic given who he is, but I just don't. Yes, when things are right west, is Flacco still a fine quarterback? Yeah,

but that's at this point in his career. You know, you can't assume any with him. His body has been breaking down. This is true, which is why the price is a fourth round pick, which is way less than the Browns traded for Tyron Taylor or Tyrod Taylor. It's way less than the Browns wanted to pay for a J. McCarron. It's less than the Redskins pay for Alex Smith, who couldn't throw downfield. Well wait, yes, but I don't care

about the trade terms though that that means nothing. Of course, it does it depends what you give up for a guy. They gave up a fourth round, there would be well, they're giving up twenty million dollars. Yeah, you're right. I don't care that the fourth Rod Vick. What does it matter. They're just choosing Joe Flacco and more important, they were there,

they're a little better. But they're also choosing to pay case Keenum six and a half million dollars this season to go away, and so they're eating a huge capit and they're ultimately paying their quarterbacks, you know, about thirty million dollars to Joe Flacco and case Keenum. So that's a problem. It makes the rest of your team harder. And it's just again, it's kind of you with all of this. Joe Flacco was not a sure thing, but in if he's surrounded with talent and John Elway has

a lot of work to do to get that. Come watch the game film with me from last September. This guy can still play. I I there's a lot of ifs. I get it. I do you know think it's it's also choosing Flacco over other options, and Okay, maybe this is the guy they felt that they could get, but they're they're choosing him over Tannehill and Bridgewater and and

this is the guy and and Nick Foles. There was a lot of rumors that they were going to be the ones that kind of made a sneaky, big push to get Nick Foles, and maybe they decided that was too I mean they stole the number ten pick two. I mean, are we counting out that you bring in a back as well? I think you have to have a part B to this plan. No, And I think we should talk about from the raven side. You know, they are eating sixteen Like people are giving them a

little credit for getting the fourth round picks. I don't care about him in let's not give them credit for a contract in which Flacco will be the highest paid person on their team this year in terms of cap charge. Like Flacco will still take up the most cap hit of any team that contract. It's a great kind of look back like and I think Ravens fans would say we'd do it, but it's really the ultimate People are like wonder, like, what would you do for a Super

Bowl title? Because that contract ended up being one of, if not the most onerous contracts in the NFL. The minute after he signed it and the timing of him having the best playoff run maybe any quarterback had all decade right before that contract. And what's happened since is connected because he's been an average to below average quarterback and they haven't been a winning team. I mean, but he brought them a super Bowl. He won so many

playoff games for them, he's been there. To think of all the quarterbacks that they had before Flacco, he really is the Baltimore Ravens quarterback as a franchise, they never had one before. I'm just curious if after Paxton Lynch, after you you're into case keenom for million essentially for one year when Joe Flacco and I feel pretty strongly about about this given the recent history when he spends half of the season on the sideline with an injury,

is that when John Elway runs out of rope? Like how much how important is Joe Flaccos staying healthy and effective now to John Allie keeping his job They just got a new head coach and and one other thing we haven't mentioned. I do think it's a really interesting story. In general. No one has said the word Rick scan Garrello on this podcast. Yet they have a brand new offensive coordinator that's never run a team before, and it's and it kind of reminds me more of how always

botched this offseason. He had the guy in place in his best buddy, Gary Kubiak, That's who he was planning to hire. That's one of the reasons supposedly they went and got Flacco because Kubiak love Flacco so much, really pumped him up to Alway, and but they couldn't make that work, and instead they have a first time coordinator that's Kyle Shanahan's was a Kyle Shanahan accoly another guy that John Elway could have hired a few years ago, but didn't want Kyle Shanahan, so instead you get like

one of his little pupils. And I don't know, I mean, it's just well, it's too too early to suggest that he's going to fail though also maybe it's maybe that will absolutely fine, absolutely, but it's a it's an X factor, and I I think I'd feel better if Kubiak was

their coordinator or if Kyle was their head. I just think, like, if you're a Broncos fan, you want this to almost play out like the Tyrod Taylor thing, where it's this headlines are all getting Flacco, but maybe you draft someone at ten because there are now we're seeing emerging more and more quarterbacks on and go high and someone that pushes Flacco off the field versus relying on a thirty four year old Joe Flacco to stay healthy for sixteen games.

I'd be stunned if they didn't draft the quarterback they're going to. It's just whether it's second, first, third round, whatever, it's going to be. Well Dan, I think under most owners, Elway would be gone by now. But he's operating in a power vacuum with no owner there. And I get that. I mean, not only is he a franchise legend, he also has a Super Bowl ring. Um, he's an institution, and he's an institution. He owns a lot of car

dealerships and that's good too. And they were they were the top three franchise for about four or five years in terms of wins. I mean them, them Peyton made treats. Yeah, I mean they were great for a while. In other quarterback news, uh, as we talked about on Monday show, Kyler Murray announced Monday that he's firmly and fully committed to pursuing an NFL career, the Heisman Trophy winner out of Oklahoma, Um, who a lot of people think is gonna be a first round pick, maybe even a top

ten pick, maybe a top five pick. Anyway, So that takes us to the Arizona Cardinals, who owned the number one overall pick. They of course took Josh Rosen tenth overall last year. Everything about the season sucked for the Cardinals. Let's be honest. Rosen had some moments, but he underwhelmed and it wasn't necessarily his fault. But it also wasn't a type of season where I guess the Cardinals might

think they definitely have their guy. Uh. Could they be tempted to go get Kyler Murray, who has a connection to new Cardinals coach Cliff Kingsbury. Um. They share an agent apparently, uh, and the coaches spoken highly of the quarterback in past. Anyway, Cardinals team president Michael Bidwell um through some cold water on these rumors during a radio appearance on seven in Arizona. Well, I think I think, Look, Josh is a smart guy. He's been around, He's seen

what happens year and a year out. There's always a lot of speculation that that turns out to not be true. But um is we get moving forward. You know, we're gonna continue to to build on this team and build around the foundation that we have. Mark, do you buy in that the Cardinals are still all in on their

young quarterback. I mean, if if you were to rank the amount of power that coaches have in the NFL from one to thirty two, Cliff Kingsbury feels low on the list to me, So I don't really need to worry too much about what he said before he became the coach of the Cardinals about a quarterback completely removed from the situation. But at the same time, I just don't see this going away as a story at all.

No matter what. The Cardinals have made this proclamation about Josh Rosen more than once, and I think that the likely odds would all go to Greg with all the odds stuff, But I think that Rosen is probably going to stay put. But it's just an odd situation where it's pretty clear that your coach has an obsession with

this very available other quarterback. Well, we don't know that he he said the I wouldn't watch the he he said it in early October as he was about to play Kyler Murky's all he said was if I had that and this is like week five of the college season, if I had the number one pick of the draft, I would take that guy, Kyler Murray. That's how good. Like like Belichick talking up and he said he was he was doing it on purpose to pump him up,

and and it's just it's kind of funny. And that said, he does kind of fit what you think of of what Kingsbury is accomplished in college, and that all makes sense. And I would think it's an interesting idea, not just Murray, but any quarterback there because Josh Rosen I think would have significant trade value across the NFL. I think there'd be a lot of teams that would give up nearly the value that he had last year. I think he

could still get a first round pick. I really I can't imagine there's that many teams that would have changed their evaluation that much and would look at the situation. I really think in this league, a team like who knows that might have a starting quarterback in place already,

like the Patriots. Whoever. But the fact that Michael Bidwell is the one that went on the radio that he like said, hey radio station, put me on Hey, Arizona Cardinals dot com, which I own, put this across the front cover that I want to make statements that Josh Rosen as our guy. And as Mark said, the GM is the one that took Rosen. That makes you think that they want Rosen and Cardinals twitter page they took.

It was very two thousand nineteen move. They took Kingsbury's quote Josh is our guy and splashed it with the comment y'all having fun with speculation. But West, I wanta tee you up on this. You think, um, what you saw from Josh Rosen, And like I said at the top here, he was not set up well. But do you think what he put on tape was enough to

really hurt his value around the league? No? I think you can't evaluate Josh Rosen based on last year, based on his off pensive line, based on his wide receiver corps, and based on his coaching staff that was found wanting. You cannot evaluate Josh Rosen. And I also think like nobody's drafting a five ft nine pound quarterback number one overall. So I think, but I do think it's a non issue. I do think he will go in the first round, and I have this like psychic feeling that it's going

to be the Saints. I just feel like the Saints are gonna take this guy, and my voice like that shot. I apologize. I like st. February, he's gonna be don't have a first round pick because it's in Green Bay. I wouldn't have the problem with him trading up though to get one either. I think that they this just feels like a Sean Payton type person, or maybe a

Patriots type quarterback. Moving on, Redskins Brass. They are not saying anything publicly about the status of Alex Smith, but one of Washington's key players, Uh is keeping it rail Uh. In a interview with NBC Sports Washington on Tuesday, he said, when I talked to Alex Uh, he's staying about positive about it. We know and stand that is probably not going to happen that we have him this year. He's

a hard working guy. He's gonna do whatever he can, whatever he can to get back if he decides that he wants to put that workload on his leg again. So we continue not that none of this is a surprise, but we continue to hear and now this is UH Redskins player that was talking to the quarterback himself, Alex Smith. Uh that we will not see Smith in twenty nineteen, and it does absolutely put the Redskins into the QB

Draft derby. We've been saying this from the very beginning that Alex Smith won't play in two thou nineteen and may never start again in the NFL. I mean, the Redskins desperately need a quarterback and his his his contract. It's hard to overstate how they have to just pretend as if he's like Joe Flacco, that he's dead. He's a he's a sunk costs. But it's crazy how costly it is. I mean, he's he's twenty million on the cap this year and his salary is guaranteed for next

year through injury as a starting quarterback again. Yet because of his because of injury insurance coverage. I know that that's sometimes it's something that you hear bandied about. I mean, he's there completely on the hook he should be in either way. He's getting paid and he's on the salary cap for next year. So it's it's really unfortunate for them and for him. First of all, but it's unfortunate

for them too. It really affects them the next couple of years that they're paying Sat. They have to just accept that they're paying him and work around it, because I think they're going to try to look and pay someone else starting quarterback money. They're gonna have to. It's like a base down. It's like a baseball team when they get stuck with a thirty million dollar guy who

can no longer play. The contracts guaranteed. I almost can't help but wonder which Gruden has more work to do this offseason, because suddenly the Redskins have a lot to fill in At the most absolutely could be heat if you get the wrong guy, and it's almost possible not to with what's out there for veteran quarterbacks. You have

to find a draft guy. I mean, there aren't that many times where this statement wouldn't be true, but there there isn't a team I think I'd want to be a fan lass of in the Redskins right now to the next You mean they've long been on your radar, but I'm just saying they're in a pretty terrible situation this this injury. Even before Smith got hurt, and we talked about it all through the last season. He wasn't playing well, but now it's essentially puts him into purgatory.

They and they're gonna probably sit there for a couple of years and and hopefully come out on the other side. They need to They need to somehow get lucky at quarterback with Bridgewater or I don't know, Tanna, I mean, could they or just someone that Tyrode. They somehow turned Tyrode and they just hope they win nine games. That's and that's the best case scenario. A three and thirteen scenario is very on the table too. Da Marius Thomas is not connected to a team any longer. The Texans

released the veteran wide out after half a season. He came over at the trade deadline. Uh Houston ship the fourth round pick to the Broncos, hoping to compliment DeAndre Hopkins. It didn't quite work out. Thomas, thirty one, who's obviously lost the burst and ability that made him a start with the Broncos, had just twenty three catches for to seventy five and two scores in seven games. Then he blew out as Achilles in Week sixteen. Uh So, who knows uh ifuld even be ready to play uh come

Week one. But given the fact that he's thirty one, given that he was in decline, Mark, you get the feeling it's not going to be a welcoming market for Damarius Thomas if he continues to play or wants to play well. I mean, Greg and West here putting together there list of free agents, and I heard you one of you to believes they would not he would not even be on the list potentially. The other had him. I believe was it eighties something, late eighties. I had

him in the nineties. Greg, I believe, didn't hit him at all, didn't him at all. I gotta do it. He's thirty one, he'll be almost thirty two when the season starts, coming off an achilles injury. Did not play well for the Broncos or the Texans last year. And look at a guy like Brandon Marshall, like we see him as a borderline Hall of Famer, his last good season was aged thirty one. At the end comes quickly,

it does, especially at that position. Finally, in the news, the Buccaneers part way with defensive end Vinny Curry, who was a big player in the Eagles Super Bowl run. He part laid that into a This is one of my favorite Rhodo World moves. They put all contracts now in quotes, three year, twenty three million dollar deal last March, so he gets paid. He made six six and a half million UM uh in twenty eighteen. But that's all. The contract ends up being one for six and a half.

They're able to get out of the deal and Curry goes back on the street. Um. He had just two and a half sacks in twelve games. Uh you got? I mean, listen, where does where does a Vinny Curry type of defensive end with some buttifides but never you know, monster seasons in his resume? Where does he fall in the free agency pecking order? Let's see, I have my list right here. It's like fifth or six on my list. I had a nine disaster there to Mary's Thomas, I

had Ny Curry. They're in the same category. It's a it's a reminder. Jason Light's got in a lot of rope in UH Tampa. He's on his third head coach. They have had quite a licked by the way disastrous UH free agent signings and his record, there's twenty seven and fifty three in five years, Mini Elway minus the Super Bowl? Are you saying, uh in the legendary pro career and the car dealerships? Um, are you saying that

maybe the Bucks should see the light on this? Hey, it's a good It was a good job that the eagle side of late not re signing. That's what good teams do. Bang the self scout, that's what's happening in the news. All right, Well, there's one other big piece of news, but that will seg ind to our next topic here Antonio Brown, who um gotta added nowhere saying that's gonna seg into our next topic. Yeah, that's just gonna this is more news segways too long a word,

it's industry jargon. Dannis mastered it. It's Dargo Bro got it. Um seg into this next day, bro, Antonio Brown, Uh, we know is having a tiff with the Steelers. Um. There was an idea that he could end up being traded this offseason, while he took the next move to try to make it a reality, sending out on all social media platforms, Thank you Steeler Nation for a big nine years. Time to move on and forward peace hashtag new demands. I don't know. I must not be following

the story close enough. I don't get the rep um, but also included a highlight reel video and some music. Really nice social media work by his team. Um, but can't go over a minute Twitter debt. You know that's a bit there a minute, and we can't play any rights music at all. But apparently Antonio Brown could go crazy. Uh you know playing who was it? Greg? I know you love rap, Greg likes rapt. I listened to it on mute. I did watch it for seconds. But do

what I want by little oozy vert. Not familiar with his work, um anyway, so you know that he's drawn the line in the city said get me out of town. And of course, why would Why wouldn't you want to play with the Steelers and play with an amazing quarterback and make a ton of dough and be competing for

the superle every year. I hope this dude ends up in purgatory himself, you know, send him, Send him to the Redskins, and then see how how much he enjoys um, you know, being the man and the new headlines all the time. All right, I'm gonna get off now, Pious and set up this next seg and get a second

to the set. Greg, and let's lay out some realistic trade options for Antonio Brown because the Steelers, I imagine um are actively going to shop their Star Wide receiver, or maybe they're not, but we're gonna throw out some realistic potential options. Greg, I want you to get his going. Oh wow, I'm I'm gonna start. And first of all, I really enjoy that he just decided to announce his goodbye with like a video that the Steelers have no

idea about. It's just like that's that could be like a new way to just like quit your job there. I'm sure they saw that. It was just what that's not up to you? Why do you keep destroying your value by by giving us no choice but to trade you getting an off field incidents showing up to radio row uh, making quite an impression on some people that you might not be sober like there was a lot. There's been a lot going on to scare teams away. You got it all wrong. He's he's playing chess, you're

playing checkers, bro. I guess he's trying to ruin his eye or wherever team he goes doesn't have to give up a lot to get him. He's over he's over leverage. I either has to admit he's been wrong all along or to fight his way. I I feel like Pittsburgh's might just not trade him. I'm not even totally having up on this. I wouldn't doubt that, right. I mean, but I'm gonna start with the Eagles. Now, the Eagles have a lot of cap issues, but they figure out

how to be. Steelers would love to trade him in state and people got a comda. I'm not going to treade him to like the Browns. Yeah, we've heard that's absolutely effective. And keep him on your team. If you're so afraid of the big bad other teams, Oh your state, give me a break. Um yeah, Greg, show no respect for borders. There's like six hours away anyways. CBS Sports reported that the Steelers would not want to trade him to the Pats or the Browns, Bengals or Ravens. Ravens okay.

So I was thinking what team could have, like kind of a culture that they would feel confident enough that they could take on his personality and in a need and flexibility to figure it out. Nelson aghilar on the hook for his fifth year option nine point three million next year, no dead money whatsoever. Bye Bye, Antonio Brown, come on over only for about what six seven million dollars more and we just got a lot better. It's Philadelphia that feels like a front office that would twelve

million dollars. He's on the hook for it. It's kind of a sneaky thing that his contract is great because you don't have to give him any signing bonus. All you gotta do is pay him twelve million next year eleven the year. You know, that's great. You gotta be Any team that trades from has to be realized that he's going to demand an extend right away. Worked after one year and one year and then you're gonna trade him a year later. That's who we're dealing with here.

That's fine. Thoughts on this move. Like, like I said, I think this is a front office that still believes they are very much in a Super Bowl window. There's a need at wide receiver, and I could they had they I could see them pulling off a deal to make this work. But I my other thing is that Pittsburgh keeping him is the ease to me the leader in the clubhouse. Interesting, I don't disagree with either of you, guys. I mean I sensed that the Steelers might be like, Okay,

we won't trade him in the state. But are you sitting out the rest of the segment? Mark, then not at all. I have an idea too of a place to go, but west continue Denver Broncos Joe Flacco's newest toy. What a nightmare that their receivers coach, Zaka Zani, was Antonio Brown's receiver's coach in college. They also have Mike Munchak, their new O line coach, who was in Pittsburgh. There's some connections there and I think, I mean, always moved for Flat tells me he still thinks he has a

contender of things break right, I'm not sure. Antonio Brown remembers college and uh Ian our insider did mention the Broncos as one of the teams that would be willing to maybe take a run at it. He said they were plotting. This was about a month ago. But he said they thought they'd give up a draft pick for him. So you might be onto something. What kind of what kind of what would they give up? Did you say?

I don't know, I don't know what Antonio Brown's value is I really don't I don't you guys, I wouldn't assume that it's your first round pick. I don't think anybody's given up the first round pick, which is crazy. It's crazy you say that. But you also famously don't think character matters, and not showing up for the biggest game of the year. I think that they don't think character, so you don't said around your team with jerks and idiots. And it's a case by case basis. Brown's offseason is

concerning because he's not in his right mind. He's fighting, so I think that does hurt his trade value, and it would make me concerned. Would because when you say that, okay, he like threw something, you know he's getting sued because he threw something off off the porch and almost hit a kid. There's been some other um these are bad things, salt alligate stuff like that. There's some concerns about his

state of mind in general. I mean, it's almost hitting for the cycle when it comes, like when he showed up. I think the fact when he showed up to Radio Row, I think that maybe got around a little bit that he just didn't he he had some very strange interviews, and I think teams are just like, what's up with this guy? He basically is kind of freaking out. At the end of last season he set up I mean, it's it's problem. It's all big Ben's fault. I heard

that on Twitter. It's all big Ben's fault. I need to plug in on this radio row thing. I totally missed it. So the blog mustache. That's a red flag on radio road what was going on? So he showed people thought he was drunk. Watched some of his interviews. He just kind of he didn't seem in his right mind. I wouldn't stay drunk Ricky for a newsdrop for tomorrow show, for Friday show. Let's find a Antonio Brown interview that was saucy. So it's not alcohol, he was under the influence.

I don't know. I don't even want to. We're not alleging anything, but he just doesn't seem that. I mean, it doesn't seem like he's a in a good frame of your On a very popular NFL podcast, you were putting a spotlight on people that are alleging It's so essentially you are as well implicated. Accept that argument. There are whispers whispers out there. I'll throw one out there. How about the Packers, I mean, here we go. Well, let me tell you something. Let me to the NFC

title game with Green Bay. Let me let me explain why, because, um, Aaron Rodgers. They're coming off obviously, back to back, very disappointing seasons. Aaron Rodgers got he got some heat for the first time ever last year for his play, which he deserved. Mike McCarthy got even more heat obviously, which he deserved as well. He got shipped out of town. But the one thing that kind of went under the radar I thought was how shoddy his supporting staff was

at the wide receiver position. Davante Adams is an all pro, He's a star, okay, but if you need more than that, Jimmy Graham right now, they're saying they're keeping him around. But Jimmy Graham is not Jimmy Graham anymore. Randall Cobb is in deep decline. That that kind of surprised me. How that how that worked out. Uh, they have some other receivers that are you could say, are promising, but did not make the leap when they were needed last year.

So why don't you uh, and Aaron Rodgers thirty six. It's time to make a move. It's now or never. Go give him Antonio Brown in line up, Davante Adams across from him, and let's let's see if this old dog can hunt. Let's see if Aaron Rodgers can go nuts and throw forty eight hundred yards and forty two touchdowns. If if he's as great as he is, and we've heard, and it's been setting this podcast that he is arguably the greatest pure quarterback ever. Well, let's before his prime

is up. Let's give him one of the most productive players ever to throw too. And what would it cost? All right? Yeah, I mean maybe Antonio browns and nuts and that is gonna hurt his value, but I still think he would command a first round pick. Um, So I'm gonna say a first rounder. Plus, let's get Jimmy Graham out of the building, do some and do some bookkeeping for us, because Antonio Brown is gonna cost a lot down the line potentially, So Jimmy Graham and the

first him out of the building. No, they're gonna trade him salary dump uh. And the Steelers, I know they have some tight ends they like, but They're they're gonna give it a shot. With part of the deal. They want a first rounder. They want to save face and and at least big. We have this name brand and a first rounder coming to us. Don't be mad, fans, and you get Antonio Brown's Antonio Brown in a sixth You'd be paring the most extra wide receiver and quarterback together.

It feels like a trade, a dream trade for NFL network. It's automatically months of programming just ticketed to leave everything. It's not fantasy trade. PARTA. They need that, they need the money, the Gram party forget about that. But I don't I don't think that it's an absurd idea. I don't know bas front office to be that aggressive and

pull different than the old days. Yeah, I see Antonio Brown enjoying the Green Bay nightlife, right, that wouldn't be a bad thing for me that Brett Farve get him out of Atlanta. I I think Antonio Brown is a great person to go after despite all of this, Like even though, but here's the thing, I really do believe that you're gonna get like that TiO honeymoon year out of Antonio Brown this year, Like you can't discount a that he was playing great last year even though he

wasn't quite at his level. He's still an incredible player, incredibly prideful player, and I think he's gonna want to prove to everyone in a new spot for at least a year, like he's still the man. And so I think it's a little like Randy Moss, you know, when he went to the Patriots, of like getting Randy Moss. He's not that far off that he's really not point to the numbers but he has on defense is not nearly the effect. But he's one of the great receivers

of his generation. There's just no doubt about that. I have one for you, and it's the argument against it before I put the argument for is that the team is not at the Super Bowl doorstep. But I think there's some pressure on the front office to make a move, and I think it's the forty Niners. There's already been this hubbabalou where he wants to play in San Francisco. They've got they've got the cap room, no question about it. And you have and Kyle Shanahan arguably one of the

best coaches around. But the pairing of him and John Lynch have won ten games in two seasons. You need to make some sort of a move that goes beyond the slow, you know, methodical team building scenario. They've been active in free agency and you pair them with Jimmy g and I think that would be a fresh start. He's out of the a f C. For the Steelers. I don't know what the cost would be because they sit there with that number two pick in the draft, maybe a second rounder and the second top of the

second future worth or third or something. Yeah, that could get it done potentially to it. I love it. Wouldn't they be considered the favorites at this point? Well, I mean they've got there's nothing that would be really it wouldn't be hard for them to pull it off if the Steelers were open to it. And I don't think the Steelers care about sending Antonio Brown where he wants at all, but he's expressed interests where he wouldn't be

difficult about it. I think it's a big um, as you alluded to put up our shut up here for everyone in Bob shout hand. You can give a pass because it's just been a choppy start with what's been around him. But certainly the GM who is a football and full player turned analyst that turned into a GM randomly, Uh, he needs to have some randomly it was pretty random. I mean, come on, and then all of a sudden he got that job. But um, they need to show

some real progress. They gotta win. Just like Help wanted sign at the while he was there, He's like, oh wow, It's like when you're looking for an apartment and you're just wandering around Manhattan and all of the study's in an open house, like, oh, I can you avoid the broker's fee and you wanted and you get the apartment, you look out. I think that's what happened, John John John Lynch. But anyway, I think if they don't win like eight games, at least he's gonna get shipped out

of town. Shanahan will be on the hot seat. They need to make a move this year. Hopefully Jimmy g stays healthy and they're not afraid to be aggressive. As Mark alluded to, they've spent a lot of money in free agency, and a lot of the money that they spend in free agency is being flushed out because it didn't work out this year. You know, there's a little tease for the cuts list. There half the guys that

Lynch is signed or gone, anybody else have one. I'll just throw it out there because the big fish having Silver brought it up on Twitter, and there is there is logic to it. Even though we heard about this and consider the source with the no fly list for the Steelers. But the Patriots have a real need for stealers. Will never do that, right, But what I agree, but it's they would have to pay a premium. They would have to pay a major premium. But what if the Patriots,

because what else do they have to prove? Not now they're just they have f you money, and they're like, there's nothing at this point that why not just try to get Brown in here and set some records and try to go to nineteen and o again, what if you gave up two first round picks f Antonio Brown who says no, I the Patriots say, now, as much as it would be fun and as much as I'm you know, mildly concerned right now that the number two

receiver for the Patriots under contract next year is Braxton Barrios. Yeah, but their first round back, I guess the second round pick essentially, So they need like four receivers and they need you know, one or two starters. But there's no I just don't think that the Steelers would ever do it. And then about you, if you were the Gym, No, I wouldn't because who cares After Tom Brady finally retires? Who who cares that the Patriots going to? You don't want to go. I don't want them to just I

don't want them if you leave a train. I don't want them to go against what what they have built and done it does. What about you, Ricky? You want Antonio Brown? I would say, make him for a second round pick, not for two second. I'll give you one first. I well, we're not gonna do that your Jets. I'll give you a first and you have to take Chris Hogan on your team. I know he's a free agent, but you have you have to agree to sign Chris Hogan.

That's part of the deal. I think Levy on Bell is gonna end up on the Jets, but do not go near Antonio Brown. Um, all right, good seg what's seg to the next? Seg? Bro? Big names getting cut? Greg? I know you're working on this. Greg has a whole like um outlined, I've noticed this, Greg. We've worked together

long enough now once we hit off off season. If you look at Greg's calendar of events, he has like locked and loaded ten different columns that take him basically from early February till about I don't know June or so, and you just roll one after and another some variations. But yes, you even do, and they do well, and they promote him well, and Greg says, hey, if it ain't broke, roll out again. It's like this is one of like this little preambo we did this last year.

I believed this is the brand. This is like if you ever try to get on Greg's corner, he'll literally bite you if you try to write something like this like it would be, it'll be amazing. Mark. If you go through Greg's archive and see whatever is the next one, and then you go to Ali and then and write it out from under Greg's feet and just see how Greg react. You'd find my body lifeless and with the

blood drained out along the ten Highway Black Dollyhood. Anyway, Greg, so you is it up on the side or it's coming A FC version is up? Okay, NFC will be That's the other trays. You break it down by com ference, it's a double cover. It's too long. Otherwise I like to get into the nitty gritty anyway. So, yes, the big names that could be cut. So let's start with the a f C. Why not Greg, Why don't you throw throw a name out there, Let's let's discuss. I

like doing this. This is an exercise for like free agency prep, which is I really do enjoy free agency, and because some names come up that you wouldn't have thought about. And Justin Houston was the name that surprised me the most. That in Kansas City. I think it's almost the expectation that Justin Houston uh is going to get caught even though he's playing at a high level of twenty million dollar cap hit. They're changing to a four three defense. We didn't really talk about them hiring

Steve Spagnola, but that's a pretty big sea change. And when you listen to their GM Brett Beach talk about how all the their players are gonna fit, it was pretty notable. How they've already committed to de Ford is gonna be back, whether it's a franchise, tagger a contract, He's back. They mentioned Derek Nandi As, here's where he's gonna start. They kept saying, start Chris Jones, this is how he fits. And then when they asked about Houston, they just were like, oh, yeah, Houston has done a

lot of great, great things for us. And so that's a guy that is interesting to me because I think he'll be in our top ten West when you think in our top ten free agents when he's available. No, he will not be once all the tag Once all the guys get tagged, he'd be in the top twenty at the vision A. I have a big gap around twelve thirteen, and I think he'd slide in there. But he's old to be in the top ten. He's not

quite as old as you think though. How old is he he is to be about thirty right, yeah, you know he got some years left at thirty. He's gonna get paid. He he is a guy. He just turned thirty in January, and I think there's a good chance he gets cut. You don't have Eric Barry as a cut candidate. He he's another one certainly you could throw

on there. As I think Chiefs fans, as much as they adore Eric Berry, I think that he hasn't given them anything since he signed a six year, seventy eight million dollar contract that's like a complicated one with injuries and everything, and I think there would maybe try to rework his contract. But you're absolutely right. He is another

one that could get cut from the Chiefs. Throw another one out there, Greg, I mean, you guys can throw any I noticed that you appropriately packaged a bunch of Dolphins together, and I feel like that team you're getting, you're dumping Ryan Tannehill, Devonte Parker, Robert Quinn, Erica's future husband, potentially Danny Amendola, who's gonna need, you know, some financial support after if this comes true. I mean he made six million, isn't either one with the modeling contract? Yeah, no,

he's the one that cheats on models. They're back together. They're back together. What's up with that they forgave each other? Yeah, they both cheated. So then didn't she like sell his rolex or something that she you know what, I don't care, It's gonna work in the long run. Adult. Wait, if how annoyed are you that that he's back together with this? It was annoying because we're totally flirting on radio row

and then she's like Instagram storying around Atlanta. I was like that that I know she literally she tagged me. It was crazy. That list is a reminder that, like the Dolphins have made basically every different type of personnel mistake you can possibly make. Like Andre branch here's the guy that was on our team that we signed for, resigned for way too much money because he had a contract. Here Tannehill, we should not have given him that contract last year. Parker is a first round bus that we

sort of stuck around with too long. Uh. Who else was on that list? I mean Robert Quinn was a guy they traded for which everyone knew that wasn't gonna work. It ended up not working. And like they've made every type of mistake. It's crazy how they've won between six and eight games in nine of ten seasons. I mean, that's hard to do. Let me ask you a question, Davante Parker, they picked up his fifth year option. Can

they just drop it now? Yeah? That's that's like I almost could have made that a different category of like these fifth year option guys that are on the books for a lot of money. Kevin Johnson, the cornerback of the Texans, is another one. That comes to mind. Yes, they can just cut him as long as he's not somebody's gonna pay for him. I wouldn't doubt it. I mean, not not that much of my not not nine millions at a name that really interests you is someone that

would command a saucy market. I um saw this. After the season, there was some talk about certain Ravens players, and Michael Crabtree did not surprise me. Jimmy Smith surprised me a little bit, but the was there were whispers that Eric Weddle could be gone, and Eric and Gregg's got him on his list. He would He got a lot of talk for Pro Bowl and played at a pretty high level last year. But he is what going

on thirty three, going on thirty four. Maybe he's like a vocal leader on that team, important guy in that locker room. To right, he's hearing it too, because he said at the end of the season, I'll either retire or play for the Ravens. I don't want to play for anyone else. And then a week or two later he kind of was like, well maybe I would play for someone else. Makes it sound like Bruce Arians approach to careerism. Well they're trying to They're probably trying to

reduce his contract. But yeah, they've got a lot of defensive backs. When you look at the Ravens roster, I was thinking about who who said that they could fall through the floor last episode was that Western Dan when't wasn't one of you? Or no, may have been Check. Maybe it was somebody I remember it being said. Maybe it was Checked. That great they they have, they have so many questions and so many players they're gonna cut.

They have a lot of issues. I feel like i'm their roster there, Mark, including all those guys that West just said is gonna cut. What about your boy Jamie Collins? He seems like a relic from a dark period in the franchise when they had to overpay to bring in stars. He's never quite broken through. Would you be all right if they decided to cut the cord. I'd be surprised

if he's on the team. I mean there have been whispers, as you noted in your Peace, Craig, that Jamie Collins is someone that's been called out various Sundays by viewers and others for his effort level. But also you're right he was a sashy brown you know, sort of by low but pay him way too much money type of guy that has been fine, but you never got the best of Jamie Collins. You got part B and so

I don't think he's going to be there. There there's some pretty like big money defensive guys that at least the local writers thing might get cut. Gerald McCoy for the buckssed someone will pay him that, Like, I'm kind of shy. I'm really surprised by that. He's just injured a lot. Yeah, I mean he's great when he played.

He played really well last year. And then Olivier Vernon, who hasn't really lived up to the contract that the Giants gave him a few years and going strong at the end of last year, right, and hasn't really been healthy, but you would think would have a big market. And then Shan Lee for the Cowboys, and that's I don't think he would necessarily have a big market, but it would It would be very Cowboys to just like keep him around for another year at ten million dollars. But

that just seems insane. What about um shots on the Cowboys in their business model, but they're they're a competitive team in this league. Business shots about the cowboys and who they pay it. They can't have punching bags. I don't think they could afford because they have to pay Lawrence, they have to pay Doc, they have to pay Mari Cooper eventually. I mean, these guys all neat. Yeah, you gotta get rid of sorry, Uh, anybody else want to

throw it out there? I see Charles Clay made your list, Greg, because he really needs to be on this type. Well, there's like kind of a list way at the bottom. Yeah, he's thirteen, like you know, like it says, yeah, just like a laundry list. He probably could. He probably could be put on a relative He probably could have been put on one of that. Like your boy Isaiah Crow. Well, he did not make the top list. I think it was a report that he's done that he's just being

they're cutting ties with them. You should put instead of other players in trouble, other millionaires in trouble, just to really kind of put it in context that these guys are fine, everything will be all right. Yeah, how much trouble are they getting? White collar drama? I mean it's gotta be. It's still pretty devastating to you know, get fired. Not all these guys are set for life. Is it fired in the same Well, yeah, I can't speak to that, but it's part of the business. They say it all

the time. Everyone on this list pretty much is going to get a job somewhere else, right. I mean they're loaded, but they probably have so many hangers on types around them and people just training them of money and funds that if they're not as rich as you think. Sometimes Jason Peters is someone who's should be very rich. Uh and we'll be in the Hall of Fame someday that.

I think a lot of other teams are watching to see what the Eagles do because I think they're trying to figure out a way to keep him and lower his money. But he's thirty seven years old, do a ton of money, had been injured a lot and speed rushers, right, and if he if he did become available, I think someone would just pay him like crazy because it's impossible to find tackles. I just want to say, I hope no one gets cut. I'm Jack the River. Um. All right,

good talk, guys. Check it out NFL dot com Slash Rosenthal. All right, before we go, Greg Mark, here are the options if you want to swipe one of Greg's columns. I just went through his archive from last year. All right, cut candidates, I mean half missed that one tag primer, no free agency rollout and you know like the big list that there's a lot of pub there, Well that's West too. You gotta get on West's corner or you compare with No, I don't next quarterback rankings, Yeah, I'll

do that. I did. Why did I think that was like, hey, you have to do this because some sponsor had bought it. That's that we're not doing that. I actually, early in Greg's run here had a quarterback rankings piece and it was quickly so that sounds that take back what was yours? Well, I wouldn't say it was mine, but it was also. I don't think that that's an original. I think I came up with that. I have more options you. No, I did roster reset, No about this one, projected starters,

factured joke, weak spots asked to me about football. Oh no, I'm not doing that, making the leap get back. Definitely not. In fact, I am happy for Greg and his uh what he's doing here, I'm not. I don't want I'm just trying to help you if you want, I don't want. They are his QB Rankings basically doing all the things that you guys didn't want to do anymore, and you said sign them out and now just do it all right.

QB Rankings talked to Ali about this. Um. We will be back on Friday with another exciting edition of the Around the End Felt Podcast. Anything else? Anybody else have something to add before we go? Oh? Yeah, one of our great listeners, j C. Carmichael from Cincinnati, had kidney

transplant recently. I hope you're doing well. Jac See that's exactly That's great, j C. And thank you Clark for giving us all books that that was so thoughtful that not only did you give us books out kind of through mark under the bus there, No, I can't take it with me that night. I had a backpack and it was it was weeks ago. Now I could have recovered it anytime we've been uh, like two ships passing in the night. I had to take like five Why

was that necessary? Betsy? I loved that we will coordinate West and I and I will get that book as soon as probably had to take like five ubers to retrace my steps and find my book bag that I had my backpack that I had left at a bar that night, but Ben got it, found it. It was just sitting there on the table. Yes, all right, that's it. This Dan had a signing off Boor, Quiet Storm, the mailman, the old boss Ricky Hollywood behind the glass, Nick Shook,

going away bash tonight. Oh yeah, let's get crazy Stil Friday m hm