Boom, here it is. Here's your breaking news. Kirk Cousins is going to the Atlanta Falcons. He is leaving Minnesota. He is going to Atlanta.
Saquon Barkley now has a deal with the Philadelphicles.
Russell Wilson for next to no money because the Broncos are paying him is going to Pittsburgh.
A massive deal for Christian Wilkins, who now lands with the Las Vegas Raiders. The Green Bay Packers are signing Josh Jacobs.
The Andre Swift headed to the Chicago Bera.
Three years, twenty four million dollars for Tony Pollard and the Tennessee Titans.
Oh my goodness, it's Insiders Christmas Day, one of the legal tampering period, as we close in on the official start of a new league year on Wednesday, and yes the moon. Ooh. We're hot and heavy across the NFL, and we are here around the NFL to document everything that's happened as of four forty pm Eastern Standard time, and we'll continue to track things as we record this show. And like we said, we'll be doing shows all week. So everything you need to know about this big week
on the lead calendar. We got you. Dan Hands is here, Mark Sessler, Greg Rosenthal, and here we go, Here we go, boys. It has started, and it is a frenzy as NFL Network advertises.
I don't even know if we need to do a show after that intro. We spoiled it all that. That's it, that's it right there, Give me those bass drums and maybe we'll just just dance.
I thought that, you know, by doing an extra show yesterday, which we do we did not plan to do out of the gate, we helped ourselves that we maybe you know, cleared the deck and like about a couple hours into today, it is a bushel of frenzy, a tornado of news items.
I feel blinded.
I'm just sitting in my hotel room getting whip sawed by the news coming Van.
Ginkle in that opening credit. Some say that's a shot. It's a shot at Ben Ginkle, But you know what he's gonna.
Do with that. Look at it this way. Mark. If we didn't do it Sunday, surprise up, we're looking at a killers of the flower Moon length show today Monday. So we did take care of business and we got ahead of it as best we could. But let's get into it and yeah, the big move and you heard it there off the bat was Kirk Cousins, and you knew Cousins was gonna get paid handsomely. That's what Kirk Cousins does. You also knew.
Some balloons coming up in your room.
What just happened where the balloons just went up on Cessler's screen.
I mean, it's beautiful. We're just trying to get people to check out the YouTube. It's wonderful. I have no idea why that would have happened. I think Randy is part of all of this Randy focus.
I know your team made a lateral move at running back today in Green Bay, but we don't need to be you know, not taking this serious. Gravitas is the order of the day. As we get into the Kirk Cousins conversation after a run in Minnesota that featured a ton of production, not a lot of playoff success, but on balance, Cousins, again, over his time with the Vikings, just like in his run with Washington, proved himself to be a answer at quarterback and a stable figure and
a well liked individual. You knew he was going to get the bag. And on the first day of the legal tappering period. He does, and it's from the Atlanta Falcons, who agreed to a four year, one hundred and eighty million dollar contract that came straight from his agent. His agent broke the news, I believe, which is ouchers to
all the insiders there. So Cousins finally brings some legitimacy to the quarterback position in Atlanta greg a team that has been making incremental progress in the last couple of years, but it was always the quarterback that was holding them back. And while Cousins is not so far in his career shown us that he is a super Bowl level quarterback, a championship quarterback. Man. This is a massive upgrade and a no brainer move I think for the Falcons.
Yeah, I think it made sense for all sides, which is not a hot take, but it's starting with ownership in terms of Atlanta saying we need a quarterback, and I think they're the ones pushing this that they made this happen. Arthur Blank that he was just sick of watching what he was watching and he was going to
make it happen. I think it also makes sense that this is the time that Minnesota lets Kirk go and the minute and I started really believing Kirk was going to Atlanta was on Sunday when we just kept hearing over and over how Minnesota's really trying. Every single report was like, Oh, Minnesota's really trying. They're staying in it, And it's like that those are the reports of a front office that knows they're losing their guy and wants
everyone to know that they tried their hardest. And I'm sure they had a reasonable deal, and I think they are making a smart move. Even as Atlanta is making a smart move in signing Kirk Cousins, I think Minnesota is making a smart move in choosing now thirty six years old entering next season, coming off of torn Achilles, to be the time that you cut the cord and stop giving this guy this much money. Yeah, I'm with you. I think the time ended in Minnesota.
And you can tell that they're team building in a way where they're moving away potentially from Cousins, and it's like they have to find a quarterback. But I love the landing spot in Atlanta. I think that Cousins, you know, he is thirty six, but if you get just three more years of him, and I think it could be more than that. He goes to a place that essentially was missing only a quarterback last year, and like, if you're Arthur Smith, you're thinking if you had Kirk Cousins
a year ago, everything would have been different. I think for guys like Drake London, this is a level beyond human trigger pulled changes your career. We might finally get to see Kyle Pitts the way we've wanted to see him. It's great for Bejeon Robinson. You've got Zach Robinson. I think it's a good fit for Kirk Cousins. And like Raheem Morris, like first year coach here in Atlanta, like Lands has he came in saying we want to do this.
This was the one thing that got the last coach fired, and they went and did it in a short order. And I really love it Falcons fans because I think it changes that division entirely. And it's like you plug a quarterback into a team that probably could have made the playoffs last year if they had gotten you know, thirty forty percent better quarterback play.
The Falcons ranked twenty six than points per game last year, twenty second passing yards. So Cousins, I mean you're paying, you're paying big time. It's one hundred million we're hearing and guaranteed money for Cousins, So you're playing paying out a premium that's going to come with other challenges now
for Atlanta moving forward. But I think this was a move that, while making sense, also was one that was almost like they threw their hands up and they're like, we've tried it different ways since Matt Ryan got old, and now we're just going to throw money at the problem and hope that Cousins, yes, coming off a torn achilles tendon entering his age thirty six season, will be
that guy. I thought thinking about the deal and what it means in the NFC South, that the Baker deal in Tampa Bay, to me, which I already didn't love, it looks even a little worse now because they were the reason they won that division at nine and eight is because in large part Atlanta wasn't ready to make the leap. And I think certainly the desert is going to establish now that the Falcons are going to win
that division. How deep can they go or they is this a team that can make a run in the playoffs. We'll see, But there's pieces Greg. That's the reason why, like you guys were always more into the Falcons than I was. But this is a roster that is pretty close to making a run if they just got that competent quarterback play, and that's what Cousins.
Does, like probably, but they're totally different now. You know, their defense was overrated last year. They were good in a couple like points per game and stuff like that, but like, talent wise, they're fine. And if you kind of look beneath the hood, as you would say Dan and like Dvoa all this stuff, they were a mediocre defense.
It's gonna be a totally different different defense. I like Rahim Morris as a higher We'll see how that works out, like I think it'll work out, but it's a new offense. Kirk Cousins fits well in this offense. Drake London is a good number one? Is he a great number one? Like we'll see. He's a nice guy to have pits to me as a question mark. I'm not like suddenly saying, Okay, Kyle Pitts is gonna be awesome now. Kirk Cousins is
a very up and down quarterback. Like he is a streaky quarterback who at the end of the season looks like he's very consistent, but he'll be on fire for seven games, then he'll struggle for seven games or four games like Vikings fans know that, and I think he
was worth the gamble. But it is funny that they kind of spent two to three years getting out of their old cap hell with Matt Ryan and all the dead cap hit they hit that they had on their cap a year ago, especially, and now they freed up as much cap space almost as any team in the league, and then you spend it all on Kirk Cousins. Before I get to you, Mark, I do want to mention, like what the money is. It's essentially Daniel Jones's contract,
which makes Falcons fans, I would think feel better. That's it's like a two year ninety million dollar contract or one hundred million dollar contract with ten million dollars more in year three. That will be a penalty essentially, if they want to give up on Kirk Cousins in year three, they got to give up ten million dollars. But teams
have shown they're more than willing to do that. They've done that more so, it's basically a two year contract with like a salary cap inflation bump from what Daniel
Jones made and that's not bad. Then again, there's such little gap between like the Daniel Joneses and the Kirk Cousins and the Mahomes and the Lamar Jackson's of the world in terms of like one makes forty five, one makes fifty one or whatever it is that like, it's a nice value when you have the really really great ones, and Kirk Cousins I would not put in that category.
I guess.
So when you say like they like it's a different coaching staff and they are trying to keep their jobs and like the last they lost their job because of poor quarterback playing, it's like you got two options in today's NFL, Like you go get the best quarterback you can find, or you don't. And we just saw the Falcon Falcons team that chose to not for two or three years in a row, and it's like this was
the best option. It comes with some risk. You could also argue that Kirk Cousins was already surrounded by a ton of talent in Minnesota, especially the wide receiver position, so it's not like he's going from rags to riches. But if you're the Falcons, it's like, this was the prize. This You don't go get Gardner Minshew, you go get Kirk Cousins and it's like and you ride with it.
And I think if you're a Falcons fan, you can say, like, our team is at least they're swinging for the fences and we'll see how it goes.
And congratulations to the Atlanta Falcons, because I know one thing you've been thinking about this probably immediately what came to mind, and it is true, listeners, I do now take your team seriously. So congratulations to the Atlanta Falcons. The Zuzzer's in on a Falcons run in twenty four. Speaking of Gardner Minshew's some breaking news. This will not be the first time you hear the breaking news drop.
It is, after all, a free agent frenzy. Ian Rappaport reporting that the Raiders have agreed to terms with quarterback Gardner Minshew on a two year deal. He'll compete with Aiden O'Connell. That doesn't blow my socks off, but I guess yeah. I mean, I'm trying to processes as what I was thinking, because Justin Fields is still out there and his market continues to shrink, and I thought maybe Fields in Vegas had some and I feel like Antonio
Pierce would be able to ride with that. This one doesn't do as much for me, but it brings another body in there.
I mean, I guess it's smart of Gardner Minshew the sign right after we start taping, because if this had been like thirty minutes ago, he would be buried down in like, you know, forty five minutes in. But now here's the money, by the way, here's the money, jump all the way to the top.
Yeah, here's the money, by the way, which can tell you where they kind of want him to be on the roster. Two year, twenty five million dollar deal. It's fifteen million, fully guaranteed. So wow, that tells me that, yeah, there's your starting quarterback for the Raiders in twenty twenty four.
I'm surprised.
Like I mean, by the way, just let you know, from a showman angle, I mentioned Gardner Minshew, you know, anecdotally because I saw it in the chat and I thought we could and you and you went right off that perfectly.
But I would say even better as a showman would not Yeah, I don't mention that, No, we on this show shot.
No on this on this show. When you do something of that ilk, you mention it.
That's how it works.
But like, uh, I we were killing other teams for settling on mid tier quarterbacks, and I like Minshew as a plug and play guy in a pinch, but not as like we're gonna it's it's gonna be you know, March and we decide he's our starter right now?
Like is that is this? Where's the draft situation? I think I still draft someone Dan. I disagree though that this deal says he's a weak one starter or a starter at all. If that guaranteed money is over two years, that's that's like backup money or bridge starter money. It shows that like him and Aidan O'Connell are probably competing, but it's very possible that they add a rookie to that mix too, and then once you get to next year, it'd be even more likely than not that Minshew is
the best baker signed for last year. One year, three million dollars.
I get it. This is fifteen million. Fully, I think that this is I don't know, we'll say, we're gonna find out, but I think it's bad news for Aidan O'Connell and it's like tells me that they're serious about him as a starter potentially, I agree, certainly the favorite, he's certainly the favorite. But it's a nice threading the needle. I don't think it's that much where it's you know, it's twelve point five million per year, so it's it's above the high end backup money, but it's way below
the low end starter money for the Raiders. So I think it's fine they they targeted him, and look, I'd rather pay him twelve million dollars than Bake forty, Like, no question if we're gonna kill the Baker deal for being a little too much like this, this makes more sense if you're you're in the middle, and you raise a good point on fields and we'll get to the other teams today. But there's been nothing on fields, and there are just not a lot of places out there.
And I I've been personally as a Patriot, like, if you want me to get back into the Patriots, give me Drake May at three and fields in a trade and just see what happens. Sure, I'm with that, I mean, the field's. One thing that surprised me so far about this offseason is that I really did think the Bears had some leverage with fields that you know, even if they decided to go with the quarterback in the draft, which is obviously probably how this is going to play out,
that they would get some value back. It's looking increasingly, you know, like the fields market is just not much of one at all. Let's stick with the Let's stick with the quarterback since we're on a roll here with them, because we can't. We can't delay any longer because you know, welcome to the rust Belt. Russell Wilson is also off the board. He over in the middle of the night
we were out and about here in Austin, Texas. We're here for the iHeart Awards, and russ Belt is a thing in Pittsburgh because he signs a very low money deal with the Steelers. And you know, we talked about Pittsburgh with the idea that they might not be sitting on their hands here at quarterback, even though they were saying outwardly at the Combine and before that that they were happy with their QB room. Here comes Russell Wilson,
Mark who is a depreciated asset. But again, and you were just talking about Greg about Minshew with the money what you get for the player. This is a signing of Russell Wilson. Where Pittsburgh it's a what less than two million dollars that they're paying, it's still Denver on the hook for his massive salary. So I think it's an upgrade. Is it a progress stopper? That's where it becomes a conversation.
I think I don't have a problem financially with taking a shot at him. I think actually that's sort of a smart move for a team that needs to upgrade a quarterback, Like if you remove the Russell Wilson experience out of it, I guess for me, just sort of ruminating on this situation because again, I think it's like he could. He's more productive than I think people think over the last you know, year plus where it's like people have written him off entirely and he can still play.
I would believe in an Arthur Smith run, heavy attack. I don't hate it, but I would say this, like I cannot pick a team out of thirty two NFL teams where I would say Russell Wilson fits less with my life experience of that team. Everything I think about the Pittsburgh Steelers and everything I think about Russell Wilson. It is like two magnets on your fridge that you try to like press together and they rub against each other and they don't want to meet. It's like, I
just don't see it. It's interesting, but to me, it's a very odd fit, and I think fit matters in the NFL. Can I think Russell Wilson like announced it on his Instagram with a totally Russell Wilson announcement, and it's just like, not how I think about what the Pittsburgh Steelers have done for the last fifty years of my life.
Right, Because that announcement is kind of like, Hey, Russell Wilson's come into town, but Russell Wilson has to make the team. I don't consider that a total guarantee. Russell Wilson has to win the starting job. I don't consider that a total guarantee. When a team invests, everyone's looking at it like, hey, they're not giving up anything. It's worth a shot. Okay.
Sure.
It also means they're not trying harder at the quarterback position, but also means that they have nothing invested in Russell Wilson. And if he shows up to camp and Kenny Pickett, who all those Steelers fans were so excited about after last year, and he finished his rookie season strong, fits a little better in the Arthur Smith system.
Just Steelers fans, by the way.
Fair, I was never big on Kenny Pikett. It was a wait and see on how he finished that year. But he could improve, Like he could show up and be a better different player, and he could win that job. I think he'd have a chance, or Dorn or three. They have room here to add another player, whether it's a rookie or someone else to the mix, like Mason Rudolph coming back, Like even that wouldn't shock me. They can do that because they didn't really give up anything
for Russell Wilson. So I hesitate to just assume that he's the guy. He's he's the favorite, he's the most likely guy to start. But Arthur Smith's offense is all about like play action, middle of the field, like back to the deep, like Russell Wilson stink said all that stuff. So I don't know. I guess I gotta see it first. I disagree.
I think this is their quarterback and if you look at some of the the yeah, and he.
Also is he's the favorite, but I don't assume he might just be.
I just think he's the guy. I think they brought him in and it's in line kind of with their recent philosophy about the quarterback position and what he maybe some of the things you're talking about with the offense he doesn't do well, but they also have some talented receivers and he could still throw a good deep ball and they're going to run the ball a lot. I actually what you're saying, Mark, I'm curious kind of what you meant, because for some reason, like Wilson and the
Steelers kind of works for me in my brain. Like I don't know why, it just it does. The Magnets do connect for me on this, and I don't know if he's going to be successful, but again, like he is almost like Baker this year, where the Steelers are getting this depreciated asset for almost nothing, and you know, even if he's a league average quarterback then then it's it's a huge win at least in terms of roster building because of the money. Yeah.
So, like I said, like from a football angle and from a financial angle, I think it's a smart football move for any team in the League, and I do think he's has a chance to surprise people. And I don't think they would have done this if Arthur Smith also didn't sign off. And we've seen Arthur Smith take quarterbacks Ryan Tannehill who were you know, thrown into a scrap heap, and you know, reclamate their career. I would
so from that angle, I've known a problem. I guess it's just aesthetics, Like it's like looking at a at a painting. We could see it differently, like my experience of the Pittsburgh Steelers and what I think about Russell Wilson, like they do match, but like prove me wrong. I'm not saying I'm right about that. It just it's an odd fit. Like I could think of him going to five or six other places. The Steelers to me are just like they've always been something different.
I'm because I'm sorry, do you mean like me me meet because he's sort of all about himself.
Yeah, it is. I think like this.
I think it's also like, yeah, it's like this is like a Mike Tomlin hard newsed defensive team, where like the quarterback was Big Ben for twenty years. It's like it's something about Russell Wilson is a bit of a creation to me, and I can't separate the quarterback from like the whole Russell Wilson Broncos and like marketing campaign. And he was like in the Entourage of the movie. It's like, it's not what I think of like a Steelers quarterback. And and you know what, I don't have
a go I'm not I may not. We could probably talk about it for two hours. I may not convince you of this. It's just like it's just the way that like a player and a team would not fit to a sports fan. I find it to be like the the ot it's not the fit that I would have picked.
You don't want to convinced me. I was just more curious, what what you mean?
It just strikes me as like I think they'll I kind of surprised Mike Tomlin did it. To be honest, I seem like a Mike Tomlin guy.
What I do agree with what I think maybe was you that said a last week or earlier this week, was that he doesn't seem like a guy that would handle being the number two very well. But I don't think that's what he's there to do because so but if if he is someone that's going to get supplanted. You even mentioned Greg he might not make the team.
I just, yeah, we're kind of in different places on Wilson, and maybe that's why this we're I was saying that last night in the cab, Like Wilson is such great catnip for like podcasters and people talking football because he there's just he creates so many different like conversation points, even as his play has come down.
Yeah, to be clear, like I think that the most likely outcome is he's their Week one starter, but he's a thirty six year old entering a new system, and I've just we've just seen this enough that there are many potential outcomes and the fact that they have nothing invested in, you know, financially in him to me, in the fact that he might be like a bad backup and and maybe there's too much like suggests to me like there's a chance here that it just goes poorly then,
you know, on the other hand, like he is the most big ben like quarterback in the entire NFL. They're both divas in totally different ways. They're both very tough physically. They both have been knocked for being maybe like a little limited in terms of like reading the defenses early in their career, but you know they can make some play. So who knows. Maybe he's he's the like thirty six year old version of Big Ben, which was, by the way, still pretty good.
We can agree on one thing, though, Dan, I think that you know, like in that cab late at night, you coined this the russ belt, you know, lexicon this tag, and I think it's gonna I think it's I think it's gonna grow.
Well, it's gonna grow.
I don't know if we want to, yeah, the curtain on that one, if we want to pull it back or not. But as people know, Mark has retired from Twitter abruptly with a flaming screed against the analytics community and then a a sign off and a wishing well of all of us. It doesn't mean Marks out of the business as a guy that can punch up some scripts. Just leave it at that.
Well, I think I think we're we're hoping the Russell Wilson era just for content just has like a little more pop than the russ Belt tweet got because we were we had very high hopes. We had high hopes that what kind of numbers that would do Dan even added at Steelers at NFL.
That's just that's called tagging, and that that typically leads to further engagement. I was also catching some flak in the are you able to pull up this tweet by any chance? Eric Roberts on short notice? I was also catching some flak about the photo that I chose, which, well, what needs to be understood. We're in a uber going from one establishment to another last night, and the news breaks and the idea is, you know, in the car. I'm not going to say where it came from because
certain members of our podcast do not tweet anymore. But someone had mentioned, oh man, rust Belt and you know rust Belt to do your research on the region in western PA. And I at that point I'm scrambling. I'm like, I got to get this up. We got to beat to market the competition rust belt as a catchphrase. So I pulled up the first photo. But I'm being told that the photo wasn't good enough. But the engagement's okay,
so fuzzy in the Broncos thing. Yeah, you can watch it on the on the YouTube now, you know, I think you.
Were told by our actual like social team that wanted to, you know, elevate it and said you've picked.
The wrong.
Not bad engagement over seventy thousand.
Catty, it's catchy, it'll be I think it could take time, but I, like I said, then, I think it's possible. Al Michaels will be welcoming us the Thursday night football in week eight.
Welcome to the rust Belt and it's got on. Did you know that Russell Wilson this I was reading Barnwell today as everyone must ranked twenty first in QBR last season, which was one spot behind Joe Burrow. Wasn't that bad last year? I mean twenty first is bad though, Like yeah, but like go check where Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph and every other JABBRONI playing in Pittsburgh was.
You don't want to look at Mason Rudolph because he'll look like he's Joe Montana. I mean he is.
There's also like a couple incredible numbers about his season, because like we've argued about, like his numbers look good if you just like to looked at a box if you landed on Earth and looked at his box score, but for the year, but like like sixty two percent of his passes came within five yards of the line of scrimmage.
That's like, that's I played. I mean, that's he doesn't get that's a corner offense. Fron Dayton coming with him.
All right, we're just getting started here. By the way, I have NFL plus up on the secondary screen to be ready with any breaking news. But let's take a break. So quarterback news done. We're gonna dig into the running back rooms of teams in next and it is interesting there because there's some big names. Not a hot draft class. So stay right there and we're gonna get into it. All right, we are back. Let's get to the running
back situation. Like I said, a lot of big names out there, and I guess, with some surprise, a lot of them came flying off the board on the first day of the legal tampering period. Let's start with Saquon Barkley, who goes from the New York Giants to the Philadelphia Eagles. And I could tell you, I could tell you, as someone who has a lot of fans of friends who
are Giants fans, this one hurt. Saquon from the Giants to the rival Eagles, stays in the division twenty six million guaranteed on a three year, thirty seven million dollar contract. So the Eagles had a big day in general, but let's start with Saquon. Who goes there gets nice money.
I love that the kind of analytically driven Eagles. Maybe the team that's most associated with the numbers over the last ten years are the team that gives Saquon Barkley the contract, because that's the thing with moneyball, It's all just about, like what the markets are saying. At a certain point, running backs have become so devalued that now it's come back around, and a guy like Saquon Barkley
actually is worth quite a bit. If you compare his salary, for instance, versus like Gabe Davis today, you could make an argument I'd rather have Gabe Davis. I think the Eagles rightly made an argument. This is a guy who can play all three downs for us and supercharger running attack that already was great to like a totally different level, and they didn't. I know, it sounds like it's a lot of money, but it's really not much more than the types of offers I think the Giants were giving
him over the last couple of years. That he just didn't want, I think, from the New York Giants, which is crazy. He's getting in a better situation, certainly a better offensive line, but he basically only got two years guaranteed, and it makes this offense crazy, Like, look for explosive difference making ability at any position and don't close your eyes to it just because you're the Eagles and you're not supposed to like like high paid running backs. Totally agree.
I think if you're right now listening to wfan out in the Tri State area, this is psychological warfare because this is a team the Eagles that stole James Bradbury away from the Giants when they couldn't figure out what to do with James Bradbury and the Giants for you know, six hundred days, couldn't figure out how to solve their issues with Saquon Barkley last year they franchised them. The season's a completely lost cause. The Giants look directionless right now.
The Eagles swoop in take you know, the star running back away from New York and they play them twice a year. This is juicy, Like, this is the kind of stuff when I tend to think that maybe the NFL is like just a deep scripted operation that you know is basically a chapter by chapter drama like this is this? This fits right because now the Eagles have
taken Saquon Barkley away from the Giants. I can see them playing each other in Week one and it's everything you'd ever want from the NFC East revenge game.
I love that for the ex Yeah, that's that's true, Greg. The Eagles also take another player from New York. Bryce Huff of the Jets goes to the Eagles on a three year deal and he gets good money too, Greg, So that you know, we talked about Huff, who is has incredible pass rush production. He led the Jets with ten and a half sacks and that despite being a part time player, I think he played about forty two percent of the snap So the Eagles projected that he
can play more than that. That they for the money that they're paying and some other moves that they're making on their defense, they're going to have a role for him and we'll see if they try to turn them into the player the Jets didn't quite think he was. But as a Jets van, you're you're afraid you let a star out the door.
Yeah, fifty million dollars over three years. Like he's not a run stopper. I think in their defense, they're not going to really worry about that that much.
They don't.
He reminds me a lot of as on Reddick, which makes me think a son Reddick is not going to be on the Eagles. Both him and Josh Sweat have been reportedly on the trade block, and you figure one, if not both of them are gonna get dealt. And to me, he's the more one to one comparison with Reddick, just a guy who younger in his career maybe didn't take advantage. And the Eagles have a good history of doing this, finding these guys who have just pure pass
rush and getting great production out of them. I mean, they're we said it coming into the week. They're not gonna be done yet. They also gave Lannon Dickerson eighty seven million dollars, including fifty million guaranteed their guard. Like that's a contract actually that I think he'll see the whole deal. But he's one of the best guards in the NFL, getting twenty million dollars a year, And like you think about that offense with Saquon too, Like that's
a fantasy football offense. J Parson, like Devonte Smith, Dallas gotter In Berkley, and just they just want their defense to be good enough.
I think is the ideot.
I think the Reddic comparison is right on because there's numbers that you know, came out after the signing were like Reddick played four hundred more snaps than Huff, eleven sacks for Reddick, ten for Huff, thirteen tackles for loss for Redick, ten for Huff. It's like the Eagles a week ago looked like a malign team, a bit of a talking point, and it's like they always find a way in the offseason to figure it out, and I think they found this one player that we've all looked at.
It's like, if you can turn Huff into like a full time devastator, you've done something that not that the Jets couldn't do, but they didn't do last year, and you've taken you've taken something away from the Jets.
So and the Jets they made the they were never they never seriously negotiated with him. So they this I think goes back a lot to their move to take Will McDonald fifteenth overall last year, and sometimes you could box yourself in with some of your decisions because you took you have Huff, who's a homegrown guy, who's an undrafted player, and you turn him into a guy that was, you know, a real breakout player, and you let him go in free agency because you have so much invested
now as a draft pick. And Will McDonald I wonder if they could do it all over again, and if they knew that Huff was going to make the leap that he made this year, if they would have made a different move in last year's draft. What else? What else?
I've noticed that we are in these hotel rooms. We each have the same painting on the wall, which is i'd say slightly uncreative on behalf of the hotel. It's a nice hotel. Not complaining about the hotel, but could have done a little more there.
Yeah. Well, they also didn't expect three bozos to be recording and showing the three hotel rooms. I asked them one more point. You're not going to get me because I know the Eagles will now have an amazing draft because Howie's the man. Everything else is still that was a problem. At the end of the year. The head coach is still there. The quarterback is still there, and I know he's very talented, but the locker room seemed like i'm and he played a role in that as well.
In my opinion, AJ Brown right now is still there and he was moping by the end of the year. I'm just saying, like before we look at them as an all star team, Remember this was a team that was in chaos by the end of last year and they didn't exactly clean house, and in fact, they've lost you know, in the center Kelsey. We also had a retirement of Fletcher Cox, some leaders out out the door. So to me, they're still a little wait and see how next season begins. I just don't have that as a no.
I think that's fair. But you know what I like is they deliver. Like the free agency year starts and it's like, hey, we're going to sign the guy, the hot shot pass rusher that we're going to take a big chance on. Hey we're gonna sign Saquon Barkley. We'll keep our own guy in Landon Dickersonto. It like what we'll bring back Brandon Grahm. It's like they're always doing stuff. And then that's to me, howie, mother, that's fair.
The Packers are doing stuff too, So Aaron Jones and aj Dillon have been there combo the last few years. It's a good guy. Has been a good combo. Now that slowed down a little bit last year. Dylan wasn't quite where he was and he's walking as a free agent. Aaron Jones is still a productive player, but he's injuries have been an issue for him and he missed a
lot of last year. So the Packers, having some extra money to spend now that they have a quarterback on a rookie contract in Jordan Love, decided to go get Josh Jacobs. So the Raiders, who had tried made an effort to keep Raiders to keep their running back and the rushing champion last year. Ultimately, though, the Packers went harder for him and they land Jacobs, and in a
corresponding move, they release Aaron Jones. So now they essentially swap out, as they kind of alluded to at the beginning of the show, they swap out Jones for Jacobs. I don't know if it makes them a better team, to be quite honest with you, but they do, so, you know, good luck to them. I don't know.
I think like Jacobs is when you get the good version of Jacobs, a violent, easy to watch runner, and if you get that version in Green Bay, that fits very well. Aaron Jones was incredibly important to them when he was on the field last year. And I'm kind of with you, Dan, like, it's not that it's apples for apples, but a healthy Aaron Jones personally, I would take over Jacob's But that's just me.
Greg.
Maybe you totally disagree. I don't know. No, Actually I agree with you. I think he's getting up there. He's twenty nine. He hasn't been able to stay on the field as much. You know, that's been a little bit of an issue for Jacobs too, who's like on one year off. I think all things being equal, Aaron Jones
is better. I think they went into the day and even signing Jacobs with the possibility that they'd have them both, but they he was paid so much money Aaron Jones that I think they just felt that was out of bounds, and they had a number where they said, like, if you take a pay cut down to eight million dollars something, I'm just throwing a number out there, then we'll keep you, and we'll keep both. And so it wouldn't surprise me if they get in the running back market, whether it's
the draft or another free agent. But they just decided he was getting paid too much. And Jacobs is three years younger, and so I guess that that's a big deal too.
Yeah, if you get twenty twenty two Josh Jacobs, the steel is gonna look amazing. He's been great every other year and like kind of curious the other years, and you mean like every other year.
Yes, So now this is supposed to be a good This should be a good year for Josh Jacobs, so other.
Times seems if that's what they were using internally, is their compass on this. I'm concerned about the Packers. They also speaking of the Giants, fans and the dumps. Xavier McKinney safety. He lands with the Packers on a four year, sixty eight million dollar deal. So that's a lot of money. It's a lot of scratch, a lot of guap for McKinny. But that's a defense in the post Joe Barry world that you know, needed some reinforcements in the back end, and McKinney can deliver that.
We just talked to Mina and she talked about the fact that, like the Packers, and we all agree that it seems like for Ages, they threw a ton of money and draft picks at safety and it kind of
never worked. And like he's only twenty four years old, Like, and I thought this was a player the Giants in another universe might have franchised tagged when they didn't ha Saquon, and they didn't, and they've lost two players, And I think the Packers like added a piece to their defense, someone who can be around for a long time based on his age and his skill.
I love McKinney. I had him really high in the top one oh one, and he got paid because multiple teams were after I forget who the third team was, but I know the Eagles were in on him. There was even a report earlier in the day that they were going to close that deal, and so that market went like very high for Xavier McKinney. But he is a good young player in that defense in that secondary's been a nightmare.
All right. Here are the other running back deals that have gone down. DeAndre Swift, So the Eagles decide to get Barkley, so Swift goes out the door and he lands with the Bears. So he had a nice season, I thought after leaving Detroit and now Chicago, as they retool their offense, most likely with a new quarterback as well, they add a playmaker and a guy that can make plays as a rusher and receiver. The Titans, they bring
in former Cowboys running back Tony Pollard. So Pollard coming off a disappointing season in Dallas where he became the Bell cow back and it didn't really take. So now he lands with the Titans. And the Titans also needed offensive line help and they get it in center Lloyd Cushionberry, formerly of the Broncos. So they get a new running back and a new center. And by the way, if Pollard is their running back, now that means Derrick Henry is, which we kind of expected, is going somewhere else and
now just we're waiting to see. I have a few I have a really strong feeling about where he's gonna land. Maybe at the end of the show we'll each share a prediction. Going into day two ahead of the new league year, Gus Edwards lands with the Chargers and the Giants. By the way, do signed a Devin Singletary according to reports. So that's a slew of running back moves.
You guys got anything, Yeah, Pollard in taj Spears is a fun backfield. I think people were a little hard on Pollard coming off of a broken angle, But I also think that they view Pollard as a one. B in Tajy Spears is probably their one on A and that I'm just a little surprised how quickly all these guys came off the market, but that when people were getting all excited to be like, oh, the running back
market is back, like it's a real thing. It's like, Okay, they're getting paid like the same as a fairly low level guard low or about half as much as like a slightly above average guards, and they're getting paid the same as like defensive you know, dotation.
They've been prioritized on the beginning first day of free age two, which is kind of different than the past, it is, and.
They're making more money than they were a year or two ago. To be clear, DeAndre Swift people will will probably forget this the minute this happens, but he will always be the first player signed during the legal tamporeine period. So congratulations to DeAndre Swift and the Chicago Bears.
I think we used to do sandwiches on that. We used to take predictions, which is one of the dumber things because it's not you know, we don't have an official time stamp on these things.
But I like, I watched this running back market and for me, it's the holes that creates an dan. I I won't steal your thunder about the Dereck Henry landing spot, but there are a couple teams out there that have like absolute nothingness at running back right now after these moves, and I still think Derrick Henry is the best back of every one of these players. I like him more than Saquon I like him more than Josh Jacobs. I like him more than Aaron Jones. I just do I know.
I get the age, I get the mileage, but it's like I cannot wait to see where he lands. I think he's going to be also quite agitated with the fact that he's like the eighth running back to go off the board here. He's going to devastate someone and destroy someone come September.
It's also funny that the Harba's are now sharing players, they share coaches, but like Gus Edward is. The first thing he does is go from John to Jim Harbab because Greg Roman is over there, and it's bizarre that that's the move the Chargers made today. I do think we're gonna get some trades, as we talked about, but that'll be later in the week.
I'm not going to hit the breaking news on this, but the Giants and their fans could use some good news. There's something floating out there right now, but let's wait until we hear it from our guys in other news. So we mentioned that the Raiders go and they get Gardner Minshew and we'll see where he fits at the
end of the day in their quarterback room. But they make a huge move mark on their defensive line, adding Christian Wilkins, formerly of the Dolphins, for one hundred and ten million, almost eighty five of that guaranteed a lot of guaranteed money being doled out to these big time players. So this is a huge move for the Raiders, a team that seems to be acting in what you hear from the coach's doing a lot of talking. He's like
they think they're closer than other people might think. But there's no denying that Wilkins is a big time talent in the middle. Is going to tag team with Max Crosby on one of the best combos of any team up front in the league.
Yeah, I mean Max Crosby having to do it alone, not onlike a Miles Garrett in years past. Before this past season, Eveland still wrecking people. And the idea of Wilkins in Max Crosby together is gives you, if you're Antonio Pierce, an identity and I think that you're that's a defensive coach. You suddenly the Raiders defense. You've got to plan for Wilkins. I think if you want to find a player like him, you would have had to use your first round pick to get a player like him.
I'm not even sure there's a player in the draft like him. You might have to go years till you find someone like him. So the money's worth it. These are rare players, and I think if you're I for me, I know, even in the last couple of weeks, I've been killing the idea of like a Chris Jones going to a lost team or do we just don't hear from him again for four years? That feels like the Raiders feel like that kind of team to me, But
I'm that's just bias. Like I actually think that the Raiders made an aggressive move here, and either you do or don't like whoever got Christian Wilkins, their defense becomes a completely different operation.
I mean, he owes the Dolphins in some level, on some level for letting him go in free agency. He got eighty four point five million dollars guaranteed in the in the Dolphins could have kept him for one year twenty million dollars, so like that change that changed his life.
They have the I don't know what the word is, like the most starting you know, we'll have to beat that out, like defensive line in the league by far, like because who annoys offensive linemen more than Christian Wilkins, Like he gets in fights like everyone like thinks he's sort of on the edge or over the edge and playing. Putting him next to Max Crosby, that's just like kind of an insane duo. They also both of them never leave the field, Like Christian Wilkins is almost the defensive
tackle version of Max Crosby. You can't stay on the field every step of fear a defensive tackle. But he's pretty close to that. I also like Malcolm Kons there at the end of last season. So that's three guys like the Raiders doing something.
I like it.
That's the most by the way, anyone's gonna make I think in free agency other than Kirk Cousins, it's gonna be Christian Wilkins will go down that used to be up sandwich prop we used to make too. Kirk Cousins, I guess would have won it, but but Wilkins will be second.
The Vikings. So we mentioned Kirk Cousins is no longer their quarterback and that leads a gaping void for that team, but there's still other work to be done, and Jonathan Garnard there is a nice piece of the puzzle for them pass rusher. He goes to the Vikings for forty two million guaranteed four for seventy six. Blake Cashern, line veteran linebacker, also to Minnesota on a three year deal, so that defense definitely needed some enforcements. So on that
side of the ball, it's been a good day in Minnesota. Yeah.
I think he was, like again a guy who kind of was helped out by his team, which is maybe a red flag. I don't know, because Houston was not in any cap struggles. They just decided, like, we don't want to invest that much in Jonathan Garnard, but in terms of like pressures in his age and pass rush win rate and everything you would want, like he is a one for one replacement for Daniel Hunter, who is still out there. I think he's the top player left on my top one on one. I did a quick
check before we started. I think players that entered the day on the top one on one have been signed.
But that's it.
That means eighty are still out there, but twenty five to thirty more were already taken off the board, like before it even happened, as that list kept changing. But that that's a nice move. But it showed me like the Vikings knew they weren't getting Kirk Cousins because this move happened right off the bat. This was one of the very first moves of free agency. It was them making sure that they got Jonathan Grenard.
I mean even their decision and you know, the GM put out a statement like you said, and the decision that they made before last season when they decided to break off the extension talks it seemed like the writing was on the wall, and they want to build this a different way. You can't really, you can't really hate on them because when you look at what he actually did, Cousins, despite all the production, they never really got close. And now that it's time to change things up. So I
understand that it does I do have to say. I mean, I will say it. You know, I've been waiting, you know this, this this moment for Sam Darnold. Like you keep on hearing whispers about Donald and the Vikings, I've been waiting for this guy to get a fair shout at a reboot, a proper reboot since his Jets fiasco uh career, And that would work. That give me Donald as as the QB with Kevin O'Connell, uh, and have
Justin Jefferson. Hopefully they'll get under contract. Then you guys, if he if he bombs out of there, you guys can bury him for it and laugh at me. But I think that would be a nice setup for him to potentially have his own type of Baker renaissance.
They also have the eleventh pick. They could move up someone like JJ McCarthy.
I mean, some people think they might trade up with the Patriots all the way to three and take take one of the top.
Right, there just has to be another There has to be another move, like but Dan, Like, honestly, if the the whole master plan here in two off season rebuild was to get Sam Donald, like you've god of gotten Sam Donald.
It's a transition here for them. So if you go and get a guy and maybe it works, I don't.
I don't know.
I don't know how many transition years you get in a row. It's like you like, they were they they sold players on the cheap last year.
And I know they won thirteen games and what was supposed to be a transition year and then this this truly was, and they were they were kind of peaking at the moment that Cousins got hurt. I think it was absolutely the right time to say goodbye. You got to make tough decisions sometimes, and I think QUESSI made it at the right time. I think the injury ended up making it a lot easier for them to do that, And I actually do think Donald would would make sense there.
But that is the ultimate team of zeus til I mean, forget, We're not We're not doing the Vikings ever. Again, but if never again. And Dan is the most loyal team of any person I know. But uh, if there was ever going to be a strong number two for Dan, it is Sam Donald starting to freaking vit you always like for some reason, I don't really know why.
Is everyone I know as everyone knows that Jets are testing my patients like uh like never before, and uh if if that becomes very interesting to me, like like my fifty percent g my, my buddy Greg who was at the super Bowl this year is a die hard Vikings fan, So I would even have like a buddy that I could, you know, connect with on it. It's let's just leave it out there and let it hang.
They also signed Blake Cashman to a twenty six million dollar deal, a linebacker who, what I think Mina mentioned is one of her favorites. And they're definitely signing sort of like the hipster football Twitter favorites and Grenard and Cashman.
So you got that group there too, right, I said it. I said you said it. You said, oh you said that.
I mean you said that, you that he was one of your favorite guys in free agency.
No, I said that. I mentioned that in the news when we set up this spiking Dan.
Our list is still coming out, so I mean, he's not going to be on our list.
Coming out, yeah, tomorrow midnight.
So we have a lot, you know, more news to get to and everything. But are you guys a little feeling like you're getting caught with your pants down that all these free agents? I mean, you are literally reporting on the biggest names of free agency signing your list is if you are like NFL Network the first year that they did the legal tampurine period and didn't realize the big day was going to be Wednesday and not Monday.
And on Monday they only like two people on air for four hours and they were like, haman, Hamana, we didn't know this was going to be the big day. Well, yeah, we feel totally confident about.
It's coming out when it needs to come out, at the problem out.
When it comes out, which is on the eve of the new league year.
It's up for the readers to decide what they prefer, all right, And.
Yeah, I know everybody and I see it, and I see it in my mentions. People don't want to hear about Dan's always on about Darnold. It's true. I'm so happy it is finally like I was felt like I was seeing Mina Chimes, who everyone respects Mina Kaimes' opinion. I'm not alone on this, no alone on the annoience.
There's a lot of Darnald love out there in the football.
And remember, but I remember, I was thriving that if it ever turned out into something, just remember before everyone else found it fashionable?
Dan, Why would we have to remember when we will be reminded every single show about it, like.
Oh, you, I know you don't want this to happen, because it's.
Not that I don't, but it's like, like, well, I wonder we're not going to.
I mean, Jeremia had him number one with like a bullet in a class with Josh Allen and Lamar Like, there's a lot of people that are invested in Sam Darnold Sam.
All right, let's oh well say all right, let's take a break and we'll roll on a right. Welcome back, all right, diving right back in. The Jaguars are active. The Jaguars have had a busy Monday here. They signed wide receiver Gabe Davis form of the Buffalo Bills three years, thirty nine million, eleven million. It's signing Davis, who has had, you know, a checkered history in terms of being a productive player, but has always been enticing as a guy
that can maybe take the next step. They also get Darnell Savage in the building as well on the other side of the ball, so the Jags mark are busy. Yeah.
I was kind of wondering what the Jags, like, what their plan was this offseason, and also wondering where game Davis would would wind up.
I don't hate it.
I mean, I don't know what's gonna happen with Calvin Ridley, but they kind of lack a number one wide receiver to me, because Gabe Davis, to me, is the quintessential sort of hot and cold guy who like he'll go a couple of games where you're not sure he was even on the field, but then he'll explode for one hundred and forty two yards and be a deep threat.
So I like it.
For Trevor Lawrence, they've added to their offensive line as well. It's like you've got to build around him. He's a piece, That's what I'd say about him. He's just a piece. It takes away from the Bills. I don't know what the Bills are doing because I every it seems like every couple of minutes, like the Bill, something is being taken away from.
Buffalo Yabe Davis. I think has a lot of potential, but the Jaguars have tried this before. They spend a lot of money in free agency at wide receivers to pretty middling results. I'm assuming Calvin Ridley is gonna sign elsewhere or they would not make this deal because you know, Calvin Riley is a different type of player, but there's no way they're going to do both. It was not that expensive though. I mean, he's signing for like a little less than let's say Juju signed for last year,
you know, or Jacobi Meyers signed for last year. That's reasonable to me, but this is a boomer bust type office. He also signed Mitch Morse from the Bills and not yet another player from the Bills, so there's a Buffalo to Jacksonville.
I don't love the I don't love the signing. It sounds like they're trying to save money because Ridley's market got more expensive than they they wanted, you know, to do that type of business that they were scared off by that. And Davis like if Josh Allen couldn't make him a thing, M Like, I know, was it a thing? I know, that's what I mean, but not a consistent force when he wasn't even seeing the number one cornerback most weeks with Stephan Diggs already there, Like, I don't know.
We have you've seen the analytics though he put out on Instagram because they were pretty impressive.
I mean, he put him out on himself.
It actually, yeah he did. He must have gotten him from his agency or something. But they were so overwhelmingly good that I actually bumped him up the top one of one just for that.
Oh good. See it works to promote oneself. By the way, I meant to hit this when we were talking about the running running backs, but like I said, this is insider Christmas. It's a high pressure business. We have a live program on NFL Network where we have all three of our insiders and we all know who they are. It's rap Sheet, it's the Pell Raiser and Mike g Okay. And when the Josh Jacobs news comes down, it's on live television, and Jacobs and and Ian has it first.
And Ian takes out his phone and he kind of pauses and he starts to say, and then he's texting in real time while he's on live TV, and he says that you know this is this is from me and in the middle box, so it's Ceciliano in one box Andrew hell Raiser and then Mike j You see pell Raiser's face, He's like, give me the credit, loop me in on the scoop Ian didn't loop him in, So here was pell Raiser. Minutes later, when there was another bit of news to announce.
It's right, the Rams signing Colby Parkinson, the former Seahawks tight end to a big deal three years, twenty two point five million, including fifteen point five million dollars guaranteed according to me and he and c I'll give you in credit on TV And though he stiffed me on Josh Jacobs right there, Parkinson can avoid that deal.
What a lonely barren existence?
Whoa not.
Just the job? It just sounds like it's are you ever satisfied? Are you ever?
Do you ever go out for dinner and you're not on your phone the entire time? Are you sleeping with you know, your phone next to your face?
Like?
Are you ever a human? Do you ever swim?
In a lake you mentioned gave Davis. By the way, Gabe, Davis did have eight catches for two hundred and one yards and four touchdowns in that playoff game against the Cheaps couple of years back. I mean, if there was a starmaking performance that you could ever bank on, you would have thought that would have been in. And yet the Bills felt comfortable letting him go, which I think tells you a lot. And I'm not breaking news here. You hear this all the time. There's a reason why
a lot of these signings don't work out. And the reason is a lot of these teams made internal decisions about these players that they weren't somebody they wanted to keep around or not at a certain price point. But the Jags go and get Davis, and we'll see.
What happens they have Like on a two and a three, Kirk makes more money and he's a two and maybe Davis is a three or whatever. And for the insiders, you know, I do want to I guess give them credit. At some point, I don't know how it worked, but at some point rap Sheet and pell Raiser decided, like we have to join forces because so many of these reports are the two of them. I don't know how
that how did that conversation go. I'd like to know why isn't Mike g involved in that like thing where they're sharing, because they do share a lot, but they don't share all, Like what is the decision making?
Probably I have a theory.
Nobody knows.
Here's the theory. My theory is that when it comes to scoopage, like you got to have that dog in you. M and rap Sheet and pell Raiser are both highly competitive and there had to be some type of brokerage behind the scenes, so neither would, you know, get upset with the other and but you still see it bubble up in moments like that on live television where it
can't be managed. Mike, on the other hand, I feel like he doesn't have that dog in him as a newsbreaker, Like he can do it and if he wanted to, he could absolutely be like the other two. But he chooses a different path in life and.
He wants that dinner. He wants to turn off the phone with his wife and have a nice dinner.
That's what I think. That's what.
Well, So when you're eighty, what when I'm not saying good or bad on anybody.
But that's just how I how I see it.
This is not a common on any of them.
But I would say that Mike Garrifolo seems completely secure with whatever role he's chosen.
I also think it should be said in fairness that I would imagine that Ian and Tom enjoy having dinner with their family too.
I would do say that's probably true. We're not suggesting that's not the case, all right.
Uh, Moving on, the Panthers sign guard Robert Hunt to a five year, one hundred million dollar deal with sixty three million guaranteed. That seems like a lot, but that you know, that's the guards are getting paid. Giants signed Andrew Van Ginkel to twenty million over that's your boy, Mark, that's your boy. And and also guard John Runyon gets seventeen million guarantee guaranteed. In addition, of course, he has to Devin single Tour Devin Singletary joining the Fray at running back.
I love the Hunt signing.
I mean, the Panthers I thought were lost from a front office perspective for years in a row. But he had the lowest pressure rate all out of any offensive lineman in the league last year. And you know that whole offense needs help. I don't love Van Ginkle going to the Giants right now. I mean I grew up with the Giants, but it's like I want Van Ginkle plugged into a Super Bowl ready operation or watching him in January next season.
So let me see a Van gingkle fan. Are you Mark?
This is the least one of the He's one of my favorite players in the league. I've mentioned this, you know a couple of.
What is it about? What is it about Van Ginkle that really name your engine? Like Christmas?
His name is sort of his whole like aura person. Some similarities to previous Mark favorites like Toby Gerhart and whatnot on the defensive side, But you know that's.
Not where we're going, by the way, Just like I think, I like I said, though, there were how many Dolphins games, especially under Brian Floores, were like suddenly Van ginkels having like a crazy second half where he's like blowing people up and making plays like he just stands out to me and it's go.
Do it for the Giants. Its officially your guy.
I like the Giants Giants fan should feel. The Singletary contract to me was one of the most mystifying of the entire day. Like I know it'll be backloaded, but like you really didn't have to pay that much money for Devin Singletary. I do like the Van Ginkle signing, and I do like the John we let.
The running back seat? Can we let one you know, a couple of slight overpay.
Clearly, like there was like seven guys that were worth paying available and he was like the eighth or whatever, you know what I mean. Like, and they like, if you're gonna pay him that much money, just pay an extra couple million to keep Saquon Barkley. That part I didn't get, but Runyan was at a more fair price. And the Hunt deal, it sounds crazy. Everyone was like, whoa Robert Hunt? But when they don't put the specifics, They didn't put the guaranteed money in the at least
in terms of how it was structured. They did say sixty it's probably you know, the last couple of years are fake and he's a big time player, a big time guard, and guards are getting paid, I think just because so many of them hit the market that are actually quality starters, and there just aren't many positions where like young in prime players hit the market and there happened to be like ten guards who were playing at
a pretty high level. But like the Dolphins lost so many players today, maybe this is the time to just mention it. The one of the Dolphins beat writers, I think it was Joe Shad pointed out the Dolphins need right now after are losing all these players today, two starting defensive tackles. Of course, they just lost Wilkins. They also lost Banginkle, a starting cornerback. They had cut Zaving Howard,
a starting safety, Brandon Jones landed in Denver. Two starting guards, a starting in sidelinebacker, a starting center, two heavy usage edge players, and three backup wide receivers. That's that's what they think the Dolphins redaate.
They think they're in trouble. Now, wait till they give two a forty million a year for like three years.
Might be partly what they're saving up for it, and they will make some signings. It's not like they're just gonna like sit out free agency.
But then also Buffalo is Buffalo has had to. I know everyone's like the cap doesn't matter, it doesn't even exist.
It's a ghost. But like that's that's the Buffalo. No Greg says that cap does matter. No, No, I say it's like it doesn't matter. I don't.
I think either one of them is a little too simplified.
But say, Buffalo has had to make some moves cap because of the cap, They've had to make some moves and lose some players. And it's like a year ago it was like will every team in the AFC East make the playoffs? It's like Buffalo is not better right now on any level, and the Dolphins are missing like twelve players.
Not good.
Really, you hate to see it. Another move at interior line, Rams sign Jonah Jackson for thirty four million guaranteed on a fifty one million dollar deal. Was he good last year? Was it like? What is that?
He's been very consistent, I would say throughout his career. He definitely missed some time for Detroit last year, but he's played a lot and always been thought of as a good guard. That price and Kevin Dotson's price for the Ram really surprised me. They got very similar money.
But I think they're gonna let their center Coleman Shelton, I'm guessing leave, and they're gonna move their guard last year, who was a rookie Steve Avila, who look great, and move him to center and suddenly you've got on paper one of the best interior offensive lines in the league. They must have thought they really hit on something last year with an interior offensive line that was playing well, that's like their thing. That's what they decided to spend
all this cap space on, was interior offensive line. It's pretty interesting.
Well how about this mark you mentioned the Bills? What are they? You know, are they better? Are they worse? You know? The Dolphins? Well, how about keeping Dion Dawkins in the building. There's some positive news in Buffalo. Was reported first by Schefter that the Bills signed Dawkins to a three year, sixty point five million dollar contract extension and this has been a durable rock on their team. Also a bit of a weird kind of story around this one, because yesterday, I think it was.
Now when was it, good morning? It was five minutes before the news or like twenty minutes before the news actually came out that he's resigned with the Bills.
Talk about your all time shaky bits. Five minutes before he goes on social media and basically announces his career with Buffalo is over which I don't know who. I mean, where the laughs are You're essentially antagonizing and bumming out your fans in Buffalo, and then it turns out, unless there's something more to the story, that was all just an elaborate ruse, because then the report comes out that he is staying indeed in Buffalo and will continue to anchor that line.
So cool, bit, bro, It's a it's a faulty bit because there's enough players out there on Twitter, you know, making it clear that they're learning news at the same time that civilians are at the same time we are. And like, I guarantee, unless he you know, set up this like faulty bit with everyone on the roster ahead of time, which seems unlikely because the whole thing was sort of a mess, Like he's got teammates floating out there thinking that he's leaving the team for a while.
We so what about for like twenty minutes? You're right, Daikwon Jones actually did respond to his tweet, being like, what the heck man? The tweet that he sent out was it was good while it lasted, Buffalo piece excited for this next chapter of my football career. I wonder if it's okay to eat Ran now. And I think he even did a press conference today and he just said I just woke up and felt like being a troll.
You know, he just wow, Just do you ever get it happened to me once, but I think a lot of people can relate to it. You have a buddy who breaks up with his girlfriend and the girlfriend sucks, and then you kind of share that with them after they break up, and then they get back together, and but you've shared the information your true feelings. You know. He also risked one of his teammates, like Stefan Diggs, for example, being like, whatever, bro, we didn't like you anyway,
and that would have made a massive situation. I'm just saying, like, you risked, you open the door for that scenario. You know.
Yep, you might not, but no, no, you're right. And it reminds me of people that ask you what you think of different possible baby names before they actually name their baby. Don't give an opinion. There's a chance that that ends up being their baby's name, and then they will remember that for their child's entire life. And you'll even you know, you'll know that looking at that child there, so you did that. This happened to you? You were
the sea name. No no, but I do know it was a close a close friend.
This happened to.
Lough Sitch, classic gull time, tough stitch. Just that's like a no win situation. Oh yeah, I don't like that name. It's like, oh, what do you name your baby? Oh yeah, that name I mentioned well.
Also the situation just a little more context. What gets tricky is when you're having that conversation with your buddy, and of course this can happen with you know, the fair Sex as well. In a reverse scenario. You you're trying to cheer him up, and you're trying because he's down in the dumps about it, and he's like, I can't believe it didn't work out, and and you're like, and you're just trying to make him feel like he
didn't lose the greatest thing he ever had. So you're also trying to feed him from that side, and then it all blows up in your face. So just be careful with that baby name thing. Sure that as well. There's a lot of minefields out there.
The bills, by the way, are also bringing back aj Epanessa, which is breaking right as we're talking.
So, uh, that's.
Another point in my thing that the cap is real, but teams keeping play.
My thing that the cap is real in my favor.
Is like, Okay, they signed, they got rid of all these guys in Buffalo. It's like, oh, this is this is sad. The cap is is very hard, That's all true. Dion Dawkins who is getting paid a lot of money but actually still playing at a very high level that they think will continue. They figured out a way to change his contract around, give him even more money because he's playing at such a high level. So if you have players you want to keep, you keep them like they kept Upanessa too.
I'm Switzerland in the is the cap real or not? Camp I just don't give a all right, let's let's keep let's keep moving, Let's keep it because we must. Michael Pittman, this works out for everybody. We didn't need to figure out whether Mike Pittman was really good or not. Are worth a lot of money, just let the cults keep them, and they seem to like him. So Michael Pittman gets a three year, forty six million dollar deal, uh, or a three year deal forty six million of it guaranteed.
Where does that stack up, Gregie in terms of the wide receiver market, is that tier two as to use a Steve smithism, is that tier two money? Tier one low? Tier one or tier two money?
Yeah, it's like on that borderline. I think it'll wait makes making like tier two money. It's perfect for Michael Pittman. It's like a little more than the franchise tag. But it's not like you're the man.
Is Michael Pittman the Dalton line for wide receivers like have as you're like number one.
Guy for number one it's a little weird to make number one receivers the Dalton line. But yes, for like a number one to number two receiver, I think he would he would be that line.
Wait, do we have a new offseason series.
It's time like spending the Darne universe right to say you're a number one, then you're like in the top you know, in theory two twenty five in the league whatever it's gonna be. So yeah, sounds like a chore.
But to the point where the Dalton line is that at that point you don't have a solution as a true playmaker, Mark, it's something for you.
It's s'er confusing because every team needs two to three receivers and he's not the sixteenth best receiver in the league. Isn't that where the Jaguars are.
They don't have an They don't have a number one teams out there like the do the Titans have it? Did you consider DeAndre Hopkins the number one?
At this point? Christian Kirk looks more like the Dalton line someone.
I'm just like, this might be something to chew on. That's all Mark, something to chew on. You want me to say it's a fully formed idea, but something really to get in the lab and try to see if we could make.
I will heavily consider it. While we're on the Colts, they're sort of like, to me, one of the more forgettable teams from the twenty twenty three seasons. Sorry, I know you were in the mix, but once once Richardson was hurt, it was just to me, they weren't a fun watch. They've had those the Colts. I'm saying sorry to the Colts.
To the Cults. Yes, I think Mark was in on the Cults as well.
They've had the most boring Day one of free agency too, which is they just resigned all their players. They resigned Taekwon Lewis, they resigned Grover Stewart to a surprisingly big deal. But I like Grover Stewart, and they resigned Pittman. So it's just like Chris baal is just like we like our guys. Let's let's stick with.
Him and hopefully Richardson's healthy and and maybe we take the leap. They comported themselves with grace and dignity considering the injury mark.
And that was my comment.
And I thought that their defense was, you know, nasty on a week to week basis, and they made the playoffs with a backup quarterback.
They didn't a lot about that team. They did not make the playoffs, but they were felt it felt like it was a battle. It was like the play in game for the NBA, the battle for the fourteenth seed in the NFL.
Which they barely lost. Tough stitch for them. But Garner, there's no such thing as barely lost. Either one or you lost.
In this case barely that it all right.
We got to take one more break and then we'll finish the news. All right, we're back, let's close this out. This is more in the in the realm, of speculation, but keep an eye on it because we've been talking about wide receivers all show and that market is fast drying up. But there are still teams out there that are desperate to add wide receivers. So t Higgins, who got tagged by the Bengals, their number two guy, that's
a good example. T Higgins is the number two on his team, but I think he's almost certainly better than Michael Pittman, right like or you know, I thines, yes, that type of thing. So Tiggins Higgins is that type of guy. So when he he looks around at the landscape, he says, all right, you're gonna tag me, but you're not willing to give me the long term deal. I request, I request the trade, he said, he declared it. So we'll see did they grant him that request.
Well, he's a free he's a franchise tag, so he's it's kind of funny because he's allowed to. We don't need to get you don't need to give permission. I mean, you get it a little early. But any team can sign a franchise tag player he's unsigned. They just to give up a lot, but they can. They could.
But he has the tag fixed to him. Correct, Correct, they have to give them and grant him. Grant the team that has affixed the tag. Doesn't it preclude that player from being in the mix and free agency with a certain designation.
Well, in theory, teams could sign him to an offer sheet and they would have to give up two first round picks, which everyone knows is going to be too rich for t Higgins. So yes, I guess the Bengals would have to give permission on some level to talk about different trade terms. But we know how this works.
They but liked with Kansas City as another example in this realm. They're on board with this. Yes, we don't have any indications that the Bengals are entertaining offers, but he would like to be on the move.
But the Chiefs or the Bengals could accept less than the you know two number one like remember this happened with Jimmy Graham back in the day. Was like they could if they really wanted to move Higgins or it became a thing like you can accept your different terms.
Right, you can do what you want. Matt Castle, I think, was one of those guys back in the day knowing the Bengals they're not gonna him like declaring the trial is right is only going to make them be like, sorry, bro, we want you for one more year. I don't think they're going to do anything. This makes them want.
Him more, like, oh, you really want to go, You're not going anywhere. Eric Armstead, also of the Niners. He is expected to be released by San Francisco, so he'll he'll enter the fray. The Commander's sign.
Yes, I think he's in my top thirty of my free agency list. I was quite surprised he was still playing pretty well last year. They did sign Leonard Floyd as we were taping, to a two year, twenty million dollar contract, so they basically decided to get a similar ish player. I know, Floyd's more of an outside guy, but good run stopper, but for much less money than Armstead was making. But a weird move.
Weird move. I'm looking at a name right now that I'm really I'm in trouble. I'm gonna say it right now. The Commander's signed former Cowboys defensive end Doran This is this One's not that he's easy. Durrance Durrance Dorance Armstrong Darrence Armstrong thirty three million over three years, but also center tyler.
Biadaci and as Biaci as we were taping. Also our number one or my number one out off ball linebacker Frankie Luvu to a three year, thirty six million dollar contract, so they're active if nothing else, and two of those guys were dan Quinn's players in Dallas Armstrong. I thought was is a nice value there. I really liked how he played.
Frankie Luvu is sort of for me like a Van Gingkle type where it's like, I, I really I think Frankie Luvu is an excellent addition, big higher constantly creating problems.
Why are you making a face? I don't know.
I just like I like Mark's kind of nebulos guys.
I got stuck watching the Panthers a lot early in the year last year, and I just noted that, like whenever he's writing my notes for our show, like Louvu kept just doing things over and over, and I think it's like a I don't know, I never I never trust the Commanders as a landing spot, but I have to remove what's happened my like the last twenty years up until now.
We'll see, right, these these actually seem like the sort of like mid wattage, the solid NFL players that are improving and in the middle of the career that you want in free agency, very uncommanders like so I think I think it's a nice day for the commanders. I really liked Armstrong coming into this whole thing. He was one of my guys that I wanted.
Uh, pinch me. Patriots talk. Kendrick Bourne resigns with the Pats nineteen million over over three years. He's coming off in ACL, so it is an ACL, right, so hopefully he'll be healthy and a contributor. DeVante Parker another a big time move that they made a couple of years back, did not work out, so he's been released. Greg I mean Bill Belichick.
Signing Devonte Parker to another contract the last offseason is you know, one of the more regrettable moves that didn't involve the name Juju Smith Schuster for the Patriots. Patriots also added Antonio Gibson. Oh yeah, that's kind of fun.
I do like wide receiver room is pretty rough the last few years in general, just the decisions and the production and the highlight plays or lack thereof.
It's pretty rough. I do like them as the last second fields option, although I wouldn't want that to stop them from from drafting one.
You know you brought up Belichick. Imagine you know Kirk Cousins signed with Bill Belichick's team today. That would have been cool if the Falcons made that move. But maybe Raheem Morris will be better. All right, Eight o'clock to light hit it. The Colts signs Aiar Franklin three years, thirty one million. The jag signed former Bill center Mitch Morse ten million over two years. Graham Glasgow re signed by Detroit twenty million bucks he gets in that deal.
The Bengals bring back tight Andrew Sample on a three year contract. The Patriots signed Antonio Gibson the running back Cardinals signed cornerbacks Sean Murphy, Bunting and Bilal Nichols. The Colts hang on to defensive lineman Tyquin Lewis and Grover Stewart, and the Texans signed one time top three pick of the lines Jeffer Kuda to a contract. They also bring in former Titan Denico Autry.
Like that Autry move, I like those, you know, Textan seems like you're doing smart things. Very deserting.
Team, a little weird to me the Grenard thing, but they must know something that we don't.
Also, if you're a fan and your team didn't make this show, or or you're Nick Westling and you're texting us, I mean, what are the what is the Bengals plans like?
Same old stuff. Just calm down.
They want a free agency. There's gonna be a lot of more stuff that's gonna happen.
The Jets signed Greg Zerline, but they bring back Greg the leg and I think Will Lutz had a change of heart. Should we leave that as a cliffhanger? Yes, you need to find that out on your own.
The report was he was going to go to Jacksonville and and Sean Payton would not let his man go, and he brought him back to Denver. Dan, you we're gonna give us here Derrick Henry fantasy.
Oh why don't we do it? When I when I say I'll go one, two, three, go, and then we'll all say where we think is the perfect landing spot for Derrick Henry. Okay, well, all right, Greg, sit it out because you can't go along with anything, all right?
Me and you Mark Eddy, I to think of something one two three go ings.
Yeah, it just makes so much sense, does can't you You talk about you were talking about Big Ben, you were struggling with him in Pittsburgh, Like God, he just he would. You could pour him into that Raven's purple and it just today. You could see him running in January and finally getting him over the hump and closing out some ball games, and.
They's Baltimore is the perfect place to pick up a veteran. That's apparently everyone else, including the Smart Titans, have decided we're done with this guy. And he rolls into a Baltimore operation that probably goes two playoff games deep because of him. I love the fit. You could see it today and he would destroy people left and right post November.
And you kind of alluded to this regarding the Giants earlier. We have had some mild confirmation from Albert Breer that that Brian Burns and the Panthers are in talks with the Giants for a possible trade, but nothing finalized. And that's been apparently going on for a while, so that that would be a spicy meatball.
I mean, you know, cave On Thibodeau, friend of the show, is strong, but certainly took a big leap forward in year two Thibodeaux and Burns. Okay, there you go, Giants fans, that would be something to hang your hat on. Now we'll see what the what the Panthers are asking for? I mean, would that cost them geez? First round pick?
I could see it. Maybe next year's first round picks.
Yeah, they can't do it this year, right, It would maybe a two this year and a one next year and then all of a sudden, this that's all.
It's like, go ahead of ourselves. It's not going to be that much. It's not gonna be that much. I know they turned down two first but the markets it's different now. It's because you have to pay them right now, and it's just different. You might be able to get him for a two, and then I would be I would be happy with that if.
I love Panthers management turning down two first round picks for Brian Burns.
And just remember Dan, it's cave on Burns and Van Ginkel.
Hmmm.
Now we're now, Now we've got something going on in New York. Things are. The tide is turned in this very day for Singletary, because hey, you got it, you gotta get a Singletary in the building right right off the bat. You drafted them in Buffalo and you don't want to pay sake.
On I think unless they they're going to get a quarterback, the Giants, I think they got to really think hard now and checking in on Justin Fields if they haven't already, that could be all right. All right. See, there's a lot more to come in and as soon as we finish this podcast, more news will break and it will be annoying. But also we did threatened vengeance upon any newsmakers and you know teams that break our our code
of not dropping news right after we finished recording. So hopefully news breaks overnight at the earliest or early tomorrow, and then we'll be back. We're getting on a board. We're getting on a bird tomorrow, hopefully with a trophy in hand as we go to the iHeartRadio Awards tonight.
Had a nice time last night. They had a private party and it was you know, all the nice, nice little crowd, intimate gathering at this really nice hotel, Saint Cecilia Hotel here in downtown Austin, and we saw the Black Keys, who did a nice forty five minute set of you know, good like Heartland Americana rock. Good stomped to it, a good kind of dirty Detroit style rock from the Cleveland based Black Keys. Mark was enjoying himself. Greg seemed to be okay with it. Everybody was. I enjoyed it.
What are you talking about?
You had a great time? Well you you were to You know what I noticed because I moved, I moved it. You were on the side of the stage. And then when I rotated around to the front of the stage for the second half of the show, it was like, Oh, these guys actually sound great. From the side of the stage. You couldn't hear it as well, and I was like, ah, Greg would have really like this.
Well, you flagged us. We should have texted down. It was only like twenty feet away, or just come come over.
You seem to be because I could see you. I had a good sight line. It was a very small gathering, and you seem to be engrossed conversation. So I said, I'm gonna let Greg be. But then I did. I caught the Cess Dog's eye and I waved my arms and Cess Dog rolls over and yeah, you know, we had a great time.
I miss quite an interesting crowd I'll leave it right there. It's always it's always tricky at a concert. Do you want to be on the side and have like a direct view, you know, we were only like what twenty feet from I remember whatever, fifteen feet from him? Or if you're a smaller man like myself, do you want to go in the more ass in the front and either not be able to see or burrow your way up to the front, which is possible when you're you know,
a troll like figure like myself. You know, there's a lot of decisions that go into it. I just felt like a chill night. I'm just gonna chill on the side with a great sight line. But you're right, probably no judgments, bro, no judgments at all. And tonight we're gonna meet up with our old buddy Mats Tanton, who's worked on our show in the past.
He's living out here now. We're trying to get some good Texas barbecue, and then yeah, head to the award show. Mark, you have predicted victory for us, as I understand.
I feel strongly that we will win. That's what I've said that the feeling grows. Initially I thought we had no chance. We're going against you know, Travis and Jason Kelsey, who seemed to have Like America in their vice grip at the moment. So it would be an incredible upset. But I believe that we're that type of We're that type of show. We've always been that type of show, and we're hours away from a colossal American story.
Now.
When I found out Club says is like Us also distributed by iHeart, but even more directly, I thought that was possibly a bad bit of news for us. Mark brought up this theory that we're going to win around a couple of iHeart executives, I believe last night, and one of the women said, you know, it's just all about being dominated. I oh, shoot, she that.
That's not a week go.
That's not because I think she knows. I think she knows.
I believe that we will lose. I believe that we will will lose. Uh tight end. Will Disley agrees to a three year, fourteen million dollar contract with the Chargers. So Greg did not give Disley any respect h in his free agency one oh one, but obviously the Chargers thought highly of him. And I do believe that Jim Harbaugh knows a little bit about ball, So heads up on that.
I mean, I agree, he just didn't make the one oh one, I mean.
Two thirteen he made us. We had a nice blurb, I said.
Colby Parkinson from the Rams, So I mean, let's not get too crazy. I do think the Chargers are going to be the team of the next couple of days. By the way, maybe they'll sign the Neil Hunter. They'll sign some like crazy players and make some trades. They're going to do lots of crazy stuff.
Mark your will, your will? Disley, Uh, what was your blurb? Blurb was unbelievable. It's unfortunately it's going to be lost and the edit, but that's okay. It's part of the process.
I think you just have to enjoy the process and realize that some of your better work is going to be you know, invisible, but not to yourself.
We've lost we've lost roughly twenty one hundred words of content so far with guys coming off the board.
But you guys are like Sophia Coppola's Elvis movie, was it? Was it good?
Was it? Baud?
Who knows? Because an Elvis movie came out like right before it and no one wanted another Elvis movie.
I'll just go again, Mark, I got this No, just a no, Actually I saw the Coppola.
It is a solid B minus.
That is Coppola. Coppola. Sorry, yeah, Coppola. All right, that's it. That's it for this show. Yes, we'll be back. If we have a trophy, that would be amazing. Like with the Oscars that just happened on Sunday, they everyone gets an Oscar right when you win, like if you win, yes, you know, best cinematography, Like everyone on the team gets an Oscar, right, Like we're gonna get three trophy right.
Yeah, Like everyone in our building apparently, even people deep in the IT department have Emmys, and we are the three people without Emmys apparently in the entire building. Right, and so yes, they give it to everyone except for us, apparently, So this is our vengeance? Yes are you asking? Well one of the three, one of us get a trophy and who's I.
Mean supporting actor? You know, just one guy gets it?
There? Well, we could keep it in the Chris West podcast studio, or we could kind of have a rotating We could have Eric maybe work up an Excel spreadsheet and we could kind of share it throughout their year.
Have you know, just cut it into three parts and we each take apart home.
Yeah, well that's an option as well. Big Funk chimes in in the chat, like the Stanley Cup. Yeah, you take it home, you get drunk with it, you have it, you have a good old time with your friends, and then you hand it to the next person, hopefully without a dent.
Don't do you get it into the music? Don't they have enough at this point? They have enough? Who the Kelsey's they've been given, they're not going to get. You got forty speeches. I don't like anything you do. One interview that goes viral and now we're going to give him awards.
I think it's very popular in general.
But Eric, you could hit the music literally anytime.
There is a trade though. We have developing news. The Lions are acquiring cornerback Carlton Davis from the Bucks, according to the Pell Raiser, and he's not sharing this scoop. He's putting this out all by himself. That's a player who makes, you know, over fifteen million dollars a year. That's what some deep people would consider a number one cornerback at the Big Time Trader.
You're getting played off like it's the OSCARS. Congratulations Hill. Tomorrow he the call.