Hall of Fame Weekend & Seth Payne on the State of the Texans

most important thing. Greg came back. Okay, I'm not saying it doesn't mean we don't have to break bread anymore, but Greg came back. Number Two, there were children involved and a responsibility, and that's where it gets a little murky. But where do you come down with some time to really think it over? Seventy two hours later, Mark, I mean, I wouldn't say I really softened um my stance from what I spoke about and what you spoke about on

the show. I do think that um the listeners o our seem almost to strongly side with Greg's um parenting decision here. I I've noticed a lot of brush back and in general, we I think Dan, we get a lot of you know, you guys are too hard on Greg or you don't stand up to Greg enough. It's like, well, you know, we're in an awkward place in this case. I think that breaking bread and circling back to discuss

this issue UM might still make sense. I'm not gonna soften my stance or move off of where I've attached to on this issue. I did get a note I haven't I did want to go back and listen to it. Haven't yet, but I want to. UM. But I didn't hear that Mark that Mark is extra was extra salty these days. That was a comment from from a friend, and I was like, what does make sense for Mark to kind of let any um like internal thoughts he has about me filter it through this idea while I'm

not there feels like on brand. You know, I don't think I was necessarily guiding the ship though Dan. I was just you know, I was seeing more Dan is coming. I know I was Dan rather boots on the ground in Vietnam. Just priorities are out of whack or something. I mean, this is what I think it's. I think there's a lot of ins and outs and what have you involved here? And um, it's a tough situation. But I'm glad you came back. I mean what we need to do is we need to get another driver's license

in that house. But I don't know if you want to have that conversation on the podcast. Yeah, I don't starting a starting a podcast on time? Would it would also help? That would be good. Like we're always starting at hands us a clock. Um, it's about seven. I love it. Seven after the hour. That's all all that time. That's not me relaxing on the couch. That's that's me trying to put together the best show. And sometimes it goes over to talk about time, and I apologize for

but anyway, we're still together. By the way, about those sandwich we would exchange for a sandwich endorsement, apologies to a listener named Doug Chin. I found some coupons he sent us for sandwiches for the Super Bowl while I was cleaning out my desk in Culver. Didn't we didn't use those, so you gave us a nice gift. I wish we had done it in San Francisco. Um, I think they've expired at this point. I would imagine very nice.

And I was actually in culver Um for the first time our home office in eighteen twenty four months whatever it's been and Um eighteen months and I picked up our Sharon a f L Australian Rules Football and I have it behind me. So all you ausy listeners out there, OZ is in UM the garage right now. That was from our friend Kristan, one of the earliest UM loyal fans from down Under. And you know, I went to the office and I was there for I am not kidding,

maybe three and a half minutes. The only things UM in possession on my desk were of an ancient photo of my children. They looked like they was from years ago, and in a notebook of film notes from like night two nineteen. That's all it took home with me. I would guess that the photos were from years ago. Well they had to be, they weren't current. But yeah, that's you know, that's how that works. I guess. Um. All right, it's Monday. The true started the season for me. It's

not the Hall of Fame game. It's not the Canton inductions, which by the way, we're gonna dig into a little bit with our Hall of Fame Pro Football Hall of Fame, corresponded, Nick shook the pipe. He's gonna be here. He was. He was boots on the ground dan rather style in Canton this weekend where they inducted both class We're gonna talk to Nick about what he saw and heard there, um.

But also coming up seth Payne. He is boots on the ground in Houston during a very odd time in Texans history, and we're gonna get the latest on Deshaun Watson and the mess going on down there in Houston. Full show. But what I was gonna say, and I lost the train thought and now it's back, is that. No, it's not Canton, it's not the Hall of Fame game. It is the premiere of Hard Knocks Tomorrow Tuesday, when the season begins, at least for the old zooster Um.

So check that out on Tuesday and Tuesday nights. My recaps go up. Football, Get ready for that. It is now happening. The train is on the tracks and it's going. I supposed to be ahead, whether Sessler's on it or not. I am on it like I have nowhere else to be, So I mean, just I'll ride with you. There is a fair amount of anxiety the minute hard knocks starts, because You're right, the machine is just it's not stoppable

at that point. Also not stoppable the news right now, The fact that that I had to go outside in New Orleans from the ages of when I was ten to fourteen in the summer on our front street wearing a sweatshirt filled with pillows up and down my sleeves and my chest so I could catch passes from you when it come in totally bruised and in pain for days after all those times. Is that if that is not mentioned in your speech and I'm not personally thanked for that, I'm gonna be a little, you know, a

little disappointed. I thought about Chris less Ling, thought about Mark Zeesler and all the other people that don't really like the Manning brother's sense of humor. I don't think that. I thought it was a little bit overrated. But you know what, I love these goofy dudes and Eli talking about what it was like growing up with a athlete of Peyton's pedigree coming up through his teen years. And by the way, doesn't that sound actually, um, really cruel.

And I had a little brother, Kevin Danger Hans is um and yeah, you get a little rough with your brother, but the idea to send him outside and be throwing this projectile at him over and over again and knowing it could hurt him to the point where you're putting protection underneath his shirt and he comes back with bruises

and in pain. And that's pretty hardcore. And it's hundred degrees and about seventy humidity in the summer there that that should not be Overlook, you don't want to go outside at all, much less to go outside with pillows

inside you. That's brother on brother stuff. Though. I remember my I have a brother, Eric and Er Danger celer Eric danger Se I'm not sure that's the middle name, but um, he when he was young enough to be wearing like footsie pajamas, you know, we'd get up very early in the morning and I'd fill from his entire pajamas with legos, like little tiny sharp lego pieces, and then walk him upstairs to my parents bedroom around six thirty in the morning with it zipped up to the

top and he couldn't move and it hurt because you've got sharp lego pieces. This story makes no I don't know why I told the story, but brothers do strange things to each other, and that seems like a fitting thing for the Manning brothers to do. And I also, by the way, I don't think I don't like their humor when they're scripted, this stuff that they do. I think they're gonna be great doing that little broadcast version of football the football games, because I think they are

good together. They are funny. I don't like the scripted mid career paytent Manning business. That to me was nonsensical. They've they've renamed that broadcast by the way, on ESPN UM two or whatever. Uh it is now just called the broadcast that is going to make Steve Leaving crazy. I knew it. This is so on your radar. How could they? How piste off are those other ESPN announcers? Now I'm gonna watch It's gonna watch them. I get it. But it's like, hey, hey, career achievement, you got Monday

night football. Oh, by the way, like we're gonna get a way bigger draw and put you on our other channel. All right. There is a chance there is is a chance that the Manning Brothers broadcast takes off, assuming they don't get overly cute and Rob Riggles in the Booth

and Anthony Anderson properties. I mean, assuming that doesn't happen, which is a big assumption, and assuming that it's as good as we think it hypothetically could be, and then assuming that the um the viewing habits of the NFL viewing public is going to want to seek out a secondary broadcast. I think it's still gonna be far and away. The ESPN telecast gets the most eyeballs and ears, but by that, but there's the audience potentially here. I get

that eagleists. Ultimately, maybe he's like, who is it Richard Ditch in the Athletic He's gonna be writing like the Week one recap about the Manning Brothers and just Brian Greasy somewhere stewing. I don't know what. Like if I was in Leavy's position as the lead play by play guy from Monday Night Football, I'd be like, that's great with the Manning Brothers. I just for me, it's about growing the game and the more people that watch it. It doesn't matter if they're watching me or listening to me.

It's people watching the game. Because that's how you feel that you think would be like you'd be that selfless? Yeah, you would yeah, please, you would have someone completely taken

out if they got in your way. There Quon Barkley's back in practice for the New York Giants, and thank goodness, this comes off the news late last week reported by rap Sheet on NFL Network that s Quan could be out of action until as late as week three of the regular season for the Giants, but also with the window open that he could be there for Week one

as well. So it's still a fluid situation. But it was reported throughout social media on Monday that Barkley is expected to start practicing this week and he's going to come off the pup list as early as Monday. I don't know if that's happened. It's happened doing individual drills. So there you go. So Barkley is officially now on the path to get back onto the field. We still don't know his availability for the start of the season, but this feels like reg step in the right direction.

It is, but Ian's report late last week that he'll be back by at least week three, to me was a bigger story because doing some individual drills a month out is it's a step. I think it was, you know, part of the plan, but it's pretty far away from you know, a full load of work and the fact that they're already thinking about this a solid month in advance.

Um I, you know, I think raises real questions, as is the fact that sa Kwan Barkley wants a new contract, and I think that is absolutely part of the equation here, and it gets complicated. I think the Giants want to sign him long term, and I think he might want to make sure he's a hundred percent healthy before he hits the field again if he's not taking care of long term and he has been, you know, they studies looked impressive running, sprinting, cutting, he was leading certain drills.

Um yes, I mean it's you know, the whole reporting around it is suspicious. I don't think the contract thing that only makes sense, um it. It's kind of a tough, you know, figure to put on Sikamon Barkley. Decide what you're signing for and for how long? Seventeen games over two seasons? Why does that make sense? Like, why would he have any leverage in a contract negotiation right now? I don't think he has leverage, So what is what's

the point then? If he has no leverage. They've reports are that the they've been talking that the Giants are interested in getting him long term. And you could just imagine though he's at this point where he would maybe be a little apprehensive because if he did suffer another injury, you know, then he's in big You get the contract beforehand, that would be great. I don't know who. I don't know if they will the Giants. Do we want to do a long term deal with the running back whose

knee just blew up? Saw? Do I want to sign a deal when I'm coming off an injury or it's affecting how I'm viewed in terms of how valuable. I don't know. It might not be the optimal time for him to be pitching his skills. Corey Clement might be, you know, the the leader in the clubhouse here for week one touches. Uh, it's supposedly the four this former Super Bowl heroes looked a little better than um. Who

is it Davante Freeman who's in there? But these injuries like them coming back, it's like, Okay, they're back on the field, But oh, b J is another one. You know, he's not in our news and but there's no reason to be concerned about Oh b J. But he's not fully practicing just because he's looked great in all these Instagram videos. It's like they're taking it slowly. He's going every every other day. It's not eleven on elevens like

there are steps in this. Like I think you can wonder if O b j Ob at full Complimentar snaps week one like just because they're on the field, I guess is to me is not an idea that they're going to really be all the way back alright, And other news, let's talk some money. You start with Josh Allen. This happened last week. The Bills signed their star quarterback to a six year, two hundred and fifty eight million dollars extension that includes a hundred and fifty million guaranteed.

So he's kind of right in that window. Patrick Mahomes still the top of the mountain, as he should be. Dak Prescott who got that huge deal earlier this year, so he's right in between those dudes. Josh Allen just twenty five years old, coming off a season where if Aaron Rodgers doesn't go nuts last year, Allen's probably the reigning m v P right now. Mark. This just makes a lot of sense, and it also for quarterbacks looking

for a contract. It continues to shape the market for what a star quarterback is worth and where everyone else falls beneath that. Yeah, I think it's you know, one thing I really love about football is that you know, in one year's time, we can feel so different about players. And you know, I think that Josh Allen was one of the more polarizing prospects um at quarterback that we've ever seen. Certain scouts going absolutely nuts for him. Um,

the analytics community like, essentially we're mostly down on him. Um, there were outliers there. But you know, I think even just football watchers, some people look took the early seasons of Josh Allen and thought, this guy obviously is athletically gifted and freaky, but there's just certain things that quarterbacks need to do that he's not able to do. And I think he went and put so much work into

his game. And I look at also Sean McDermott and Brandon being this the the absolute loyalty they showed towards him. It reminds me of the Ravens and Lamar Jackson's like he is going to be our quarterback. We're gonna make this work, Josh Allen. They have never questioned on any level despite all the doubters. Um they've built a really

nice offense around him. The contract makes complete and total sense and kind of looking at how it breaks down because it does get more complex for the Bills, who have been so aggressive in their team building after next season because he makes ten million this year, he makes sixteen million next year. That still gives you a solid, you know, next year window to make moves and you know,

position for the super Bowl. But then after that his pay puts you into the position of one of those teams that has, you know, one of the highest paid quarterback. It's harder to maneuver. That said, I love it. I love it for Josh Allen. He's one of the best stories in the league. Good job by the Bills. You keep calling out, you know, the doubters of Aalen and I just want you to say my name. I can't get you to do it. I don't. I just don't think. I don't think Greg that you were like the only

I think it is more a community. I was aggressive about it on this show. Well, I mean, if I call him out about something that you've you know, been faulty on. You could turn around and name probably seventy or eighty on me. And I know the way you operate is you probably have like a written down list of things you have to let me, let me be the guy. Just kind of in between here, if we've reached a stage where Marks afraid to criticize you because you're gonna come back at him, maybe we just need

to reevaluate some things about the relationships here. We need to have that dinner like we're talking about. I mean, I'm gonna be wrong a million times and I'm gonna honk when I'm right. So look, Josh Allen would have gotten a lot of Draft Twitter fired. I don't really consider myself part of Draft Twitter. Thank you money, Like I like that feeling come at me. Uh. I thought Rosen that was a year where I did go and watch the stuff and, like, like a lot of people,

I liked Rosen better than Josh Allen. So if if Draft Twitter was actually running a team and and they happened to be up with the tenth pick, um, they would have gotten fired because they would have taken Josh Rosen, who I think might see his career, and this month he's losing to Nate Sudfeld for the number three quarterback spot in I don't know if he's gonna get it.

I don't know if he's gonna get another chance. Meanwhile, you know Lamar has won an m v P and and Allen, and you know Baker is going to get his contract and Alan's gotten this this money. Uh, we could have been more wrong anyone who thought Josh Rosen was better than Josh. I mean, it's such a crap shoot.

I remember the year before um Or, heading into last season at the Combine, someone that's hugely respected in the draft uh industrial complex saying to us, oh yeah, the guy to watch out and stay away from his Herbert and justin Herbert. It was one of the greatest wokies n history. Quarter Jarneal was taken ahead of him Arnald head of Josh Allen. I do think the contract structure

is just worth pointing out. I've gotten lesson to this overtime, but I think it's interesting these guys are taking these long deals and okay, it's basically five for one sixty four once you break it down. Once we got all the details, you know, before the Bills could potentially get out of it. So that's like a big commitment that's essentially guaranteed that he's getting that one sixty four, which is huge, and that's great. That's why josh One would

take it. But per year, that's only you know, thirty one thirty two, Like he's gonna be underpaid sooner than later. And both he and Mahomes made the decision, we're gonna give up leverage long term and kind of let the Chiefs and Bills control our entire careers because we're gonna sign such long contracts versus what Kirk Cousins did and Dak Prescott to a lesser degree, didn't take these shorter deals.

If you want to make the most amount of money, the Cousins and DAC routes actually is the way to go. If you want to make sure you're all good and you're you're happy with your team and you're gonna be happy them kind of controlling your situation for basically your whole career. Go to Mahomes Allen route. It's just two different routes to go. I don't think one is necessarily better than the other. In other contract news, Xavian Howard

is not going anywhere. The two thousand twenty NFL interceptions leader restructured his deal with the Dolphins. UM adds three and a half million dollars UH and incentives and guarantees. Also, the Dolphins waived the nearly one hundred thousand dollars in fines for skipping mini camp. I thought that was something that can't be done. I don't understand how this mini camp you can't. The training camp. The training camp you cannot wave those dan and the mini camps you can.

So there you for clarifying that anyway, So he gets a little bit of a raise that makes them happy and Willa. He's back at practice UM after sitting out the last couple days with an ankle injury. So there you go. Xavian Howards back. And also Darius Leonard, the star linebacker for the Cults, signed a five year, ninety nine point to five million dollar extension that takes him

through six over fifty million to that is guaranteed. He's the highest paid off ball linebacker in the league, beating out what Fred Warner just got with the forty niners. He should go Xavian Howard. Now, Fred Warner be like I'm not playing for the Niners until they richer than him anyway. So Leonard gets paid and a huge, huge victory for the entire Colts organization. I mean, take a second rounder and then all of a sudden, the next contract you give him as superstar contract. You did something

very right in your draft preparation. Well, in that same draft too, they drafted Brandon Smith, who was a right tackle who played guard in college. They moved him to tackle and they gave him a monster contract two weeks ago. So those are major wins. It's been a tough month for the Colts um, but those are those are two major wins for them. And Quentin Nelson is next up. They have a lot. All the bills are kind of come and do for how well the cults of drafted,

But those are those are good problems to happen. I get just a reminder that like Chris Ballard is a premier GM who has been through so much in a short amount of time. You have the luck retirement, you have the you know, hiring Josh McDaniels, then he backs out, You've got what's happened at quarterback? Since what's happening the injury too, that he missed a whole there was the whole thing they had to deal with before the retirement.

Either mean, it's been like five or six years of quarterback turmoil there and they continue to be a good team. I mean, what they're dealing with right now might the floor might fall out for this season. We'll see Howard. By the way, I do want to mention like he it was kind of like the Aaron Rodgers deal. It was cosmetic. They gave him a little incentives, that was nice. They guaranteed a little bit of his money next year.

But I mean, he was gonna be on the team next year anyways, unless something crazy happened and they gave him this verbal agreement. That's the thing that is interesting to me that they'll revisit it assuming his performance an injury status doesn't fall off. And it's kind of what the Right Packers did with Rodgers. I guess I'm just curious how this like verbal agreement, we're gonna revisit things

I haven't seen player. I'd be careful of that. I feel like that's something they very easily a team will walk away from if it doesn't help them on some level. Alright, Eight o'clock to light. The Athletic reports a T. J. Watt staging a holding at training camp until he gets a contract extensions. Turning twenty seven in October. One of the best defensive linemen in the league. Greg he wants to get paid the holdings they're taking off. This was such a quiet one. Stephan Gilmour on the po P

list also quietly, I think having his own holding. So I think some money is gonna need to happen for either one of these players to get back on the field. Cornerback C. J. Henderson could be on the movie. ESPN reports and multiple team executives believe the Jaguars are shopping the cornerback. He was the ninth overall pick in the NFL draft. Mark, Yeah, I just it's a reminder. I think urban Meyer clearly has his types of guys, and um,

it's happening with DJ Chark a little bit too. He didn't like his body the way he was sort of a little too light. I think with this there is a reporter down their Eugene for Net, who basically tweeted when he was When Jaguars coaches last year were exiting town fired, someone said watch out for c J. Anderson off the field. I think there's something else going on here, be John beyond just his talent. In other Jaguars news, Urban Meyer said DJ Shark had surgery on what was

the minor break in his hand? Come on, Greg, minor breaks in a hand for a wide receiver. No such thing. And they say they say I'll be back week one. I believe that. But when I start reading the camp pipe about La Kwan tread while looking good filling in, that's a little, a little considerning Will Lutz is gonna miss the start of the regular season with a groin injury. Tough news in the Old Kicker Club. Careful to comment. Eleven Saints that were starters to end last year might

not be starters this year. That's that's the big number eleven. Uh. And finally, Lamar Jackson noncommittal on getting the vaccine after receiving or getting COVID for the second time. He's not ready yet. He needs to learn more facts. Some of these quarterbacks taking these stances. It's our yeah, Cam Newton's another one. Jackson also had significant symptoms for the second time. Because he talked about how it was, it was pretty brutal. First time around, and John Harbor intimated it was pretty

brutal this time around two, which is crazy. But he's still learning. He wants to learn more. Who could teach him? Who could possibly teach the man I don't learn? Maybe back to it and Kirk Cousins is back also, as did you guys say that? Well he is and he he actually um, he ruminated to the assembled media. Hey, maybe I could build a plexiglass a little Kirk World

around my body so I won't get COVID. Maybe you can't wear that shot, bro, and he could wear that on the field he struggles with pressure, have a nice little plexiglass thing around him. Could you do that on Sundays? Though I don't think that would be allowed. Greg. I'm just so like exhausted by it all. And I understand here is the obligatory people get to make their own decision.

I get it, Um, but don't don't tell me you're thinking about building plexiglass around your body in the in the quarterback room and then also blame the team for the reason I was a close contact was because my quarterbacks room was too small, So it's their fault. But I got sick just so I don't believe in it. Just stop stop hiding behind I need to do more researchers that it's personal. It's not personal. This is this is a public health crisis. It's other people that that

we are concerned. You're a public figure on a very public at a public workplace of football team, all this stuff. All these guys just be honest. I don't know why they're not being honest. You get the feeling. You also get the feeling that Mike Zimmers just lost patients with the whole Kirk Cousins experience. One item like big plexiglass, Like,

what a year it's been for them. I'm not happy for why it's happened, but like classrooms all over the country have like, you know, hundreds of meters of plexiglass used room. I mean, you know, plexiglass probably doing all right all the time, but now they just exploded over the last Why did you just slip into the metric system there? What was that about? What is this guy? You lived in England and you spend time in hundreds of Yeah, my English days were my best days? You

were like three? How do you? Why are you? I'm not I've also not said any of that so again, it's just it's misquotes, it's false narratives. I am hundreds of meters, and plexiglass is something that you could say visually that works. It's a measurement metric. I know, it's just unusual, especially we're a football podcast. You could have easily said yards. It was painful though, watching the Olympics and and seeing the American announcers try to convert the

meters in the shot put and auff like that. I don't know how much Olympics you watched, but it was like it was a painful exercise. It It really made me feel like, let's go America at least like mathematical graphics that would do that instantly. Why are they having to do that sort of fair point. It seemed like they were doing it in their head. They're like sixty four, that's six. Well, you know, come on, we can handle meters,

all right. So that's what's happening in the news. And now, as promised, he is the man, the myth, the legend. He is um shaved in the head area. He is very well built physically. He's an Ohio native. So going up Canton, what a ball must have been for the pipe Nick Shook, who rejoins us on the Around the NFL podcast to share his adventure in Canton for a big Hall of Fame weekend. What's up, Chokie? You hear

that made those noises this morning? You're feeling quirk bright and that all shook because you know you're on the show. You're like, Hey, I'm the big guy. I'm the strong guy on the show. Um step Pain's coming on later. Uh played at six four three oh four when he was in the NFL. There's there's enough room for the guy. Yeah, there's enough room for big guys everywhere. It's okay. I'm never threatened because when you are a large man, you are confident in your in the space that you take up,

in the space that you must give others. Listen to that list, I was prepared to answer. I like that shook. All right, So you were boots on the ground there saying boots on the ground a lot. I'm just gonna moratorium on the boots on the ground refs by the old Zuoster and the biggest of all spots on the show. For the rest of the podcast, all right, Shook, you were in attendance in canon, it was a, it was

a different weekend. Give people like a cliffs notes of why this was different, uh compared to past Hall of Fame weekends. Well, typically a Hall of Fame weekend you got a maximum of eight and Shinese. But because of COVID cancelation last year you had a little twenty eight. This year you had two classes. And you didn't just have two classes because that number mental math, Well why

why shouldn't that be sixteen? Well, last year they had the biggest class ever, known as the Centennial Class, to mark the NFL's one hund your anniversary, and then they didn't get to celebrate them. They used the Centennial Class to get some uh, some guys who had slip through the craft previous years into the Hall of Fame. Um So, as a result, I believe eight of the members are no longer with us. But that still left twenty to

be enshrined. So they had to split that up over two days, twelve on Saturday, eight on Sunday, the first time I believe that they've ever had a two day enshrinement.

And somebody who has been too many of these growing up just up the road from there, um it was it was strange to see Chris Berman used the same opening line two nights in a row, and it was also strange because like that's usually like the crescendo of the weekend, and you were like, we got done with twelve, which kind of felt like a marathon, and then you got to Sunday and you're like, wait, we're doing this again, and you were like hanging out. You're hanging out in

the little interviews and whatnot. Do your best. Burman his his one of one part of his opening line was after two long years away, all right, I'll say it were back back back here in Canton, and he did and I was like, oh, that's funny, and like it got a nice cheer. And then he did it Sunday, but like he sped through it like he knew. I can't believe I'm doing this twice. It's the all right, I said it. That makes it sound rehearsed your breath

waiting for it. It's also a baseball thing, so it's a little bit yeah, but it's part of his brand. So I guess I understand. We'll give part of all of our childhoods. We're gonna give Burman a class past

year with me. Leather alright, So I think the headliner of the weekend is Peyton in it, and I think um Manning um really and when it was good to read about him this weekend because the way things his career ended, even though he want a Super Bowl US last season, he was such a shell of his former self.

But then when you go back and kind of remember, especially those cold tears, and how we revolutionary revolutionized the game from the line of scrimmage, and just how great he was for so many years, it was just great to see Peyton any again. And and let's queue it up um with hearing uh some of that again, that

Manning humor that Mark loves so much. The two thousand and twenty one induction class wants to thank those previous inductees who gave long winded acceptance speeches, forcing us to have a whopping six minutes to recap our football careers. I want to give us special thanks to my old rival Ray Lewis for being here tonight. Ray just finished giving his speech that he started in two thousand and eighteen. Bam, And then Tom Brady was in attendance. Nice classy move

by Brady. Uh. These two men going back decades as great rivals. Also, Brady looking nice started look like George Hamilton by the way, as he gets deeper as into his forties. Uh, here is what Peyton had to say about Tommy Boy. Next year acceptance, Peaches will probably shrink the four minutes. And speaking of rivals, my good friend Tom Brady is here tonight. By the time he is inducted.

By the time Tom Brady is inducted in his first year of eligibility in the year two thousand and thirty five, you only have time to post his acceptance speech on his Instagram account. The choke, Yeah, yeah, he absolutely know the fund My favorite part about that, that sequence of jokes was something we didn't get on air, but they

got on the video boards at the stadium. Ray Lewis got out of his seat in reaction to uh, the joke that Peyton made his expense it was started walking menacingly towards that would have been that would have been something that w w He just got up and took his hat off and did the whole waving and everything else. That's my favorite thing. Reminds me of the Chiefs locker room and hard Knocks. During the dance off, people just running all over the place. Collard's greatest moment we shook.

I have to ask you real quick. I mean, you know you were there. It's the thing I love El Canton. It is a great weekend. It's a great kind of primer for football in general. It's something very pure about it. But the access you can just walk around all over the place. How I think Tom Brady to me is getting hotter and hotter. Um, he looked very dangerously summary in that clip. We just saw how close did you get to Tom Brady? That's really the only thing I

care about. Um, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of meters away? Oh okay, good ref Brady's Brady's presence there um reminded me to settle a score here on this podcast. How remember that Peyton Manning Super Bowl when he was playing the Seahawks in the big conversation was the centerpiece of our NFL dot com that day was will this would this win cement Manning as the greatest quarterback of all time?

And it's a reminder, you know, for you Lebron people, it's like, we don't need to decide these legacy things mid career. Why do you need to settle scores like this. I just think because they're only one year apart, became of them as like different general rations. Now it's like, wait till the end of the careers and then we can have those discussions. That's certainly fair, Greg, that's certainly fair. But I think what gets forgotten because Brady is just

what he's done no one's ever done before. A few money, right again, what what Brady's that has never been done before? And all due respect to him, and I think he is the greatest with these last five years. But what Manning did, how he changed the position, and essentially what he did in the late nineties and early two thousand's is the template for how all quarterbacks are now. Aaron Rodgers is another example. Like, I think there's something to

be said for that. Yes, the longevity isn't the same as Brady. Brady has more Super Bowl wins, But who was the more kind of important quarterback to the evolution of the position. I think that's still certainly something you could say, Peyton Manning fair unfair? Mhmm. I think I go Brady in every category that exists ever, but there isn't like that you're saying how hot he is that.

I mean, no one would have even thought Brady was in the same league of of Peyton Manning until like two thousands six even, And that's when you can even start talking about them against each other. And you're right, Dan like the just the like the mastery of it in a way, though I don't know if Manning is a symbol of like changing the position. If anything, I feel like he's the last of his kind, like he was the court. Belichick said it on that Top one

hundred show. He playing Manning was like playing the coach to the coordinator in the quarterback and one he's calling all his own plays. He it is his offense. You saw that when you go to Denver. They basically just made you know he was the coach. Like I don't know if there is a quarterback now, I don't think there is that has that much control. And that goes

back to like Johnny Unitis. I mean, I don't I don't even think Tom Brady ever was at the same exact level of running an offense the whole time as Manning was. I vastly disagreed, but I just think in terms of the way the coaches were and in more in terms of the play calling on the field like that was some old school Peyton Manning stuff. Yeah, you know, we spent some time in this past season marveling and and we've done this before with Russell Wilson a few times.

I think he might have been two years ago when his helmet, the radio shut off and he just led this drive. He was calling all the place down the field, and that was like a big deal that we made a big point that that was Peyton Manning on every possession of every game he played in for more than a decade. Yeah, he also raised the bar. Manning His dedication to his craft was and Brady gets all the love in this category and he deserves it as well.

But Manning's dedication uh to what he stayed in Indianapolis in the offseason. That's all he did. All he did was trying to get better, work hard, be the coach, like Greg said, be the best player on the field, be totally responsible. As West used to say all the time. He created that skyline in Indianapolis. He was so important

to that organization. So I don't know, I just think because Brady's Brady star is so bright, I think it's taken away on some level what Manning represented and what he is in the league throughout the late nineties, throughout the two thousand's into the two thousand tens. Everybody kind of forgets because they got destroyed by the Seahawks and that Super Bowl and that was an historic Seattle team. But how awesome man he was when he went to

the Denver and had the fifty touchdown passes. Fifty five touchdown passes, that's incredible. On jeviy, the fact that the wheels fell off at the end is kind of a bummer. Um. And I don't know if that's just the way the Manning brothers are built because Eli similar thing happened. UM. I wonder if anything could have changed, or he did have the next surgery, had some serious injuries. Um, if there's any way, Uh, if fates were different, maybe him

and Brady are are are lockstep in their forties. But it didn't work out that way. What else shook in terms of the weekend stood out to you. I know it's a big weekend for the Cowboys too. Yeah, for sure. I mean to that last point, I just just to kind of close that that topic, you know, when when writing about that on Sunday, and in the lead up to this too, I kind of always wanted to make a point that there was a time, as we just discussed that there was a debate between where you a

Painton Manning guy? Are you? Were you with Tom Brady guy? It was those two at the top of the league. And that was it. There was no other argument otherwise. And and and I think that their legacies can coexist in the fact that they were different for the reasons that we just discussed their strengths and weaknesses and and what made their their legacies stronger in one area. And and and you know Peyton and all the stats and everything else. Tom Brady with the rings, we can go

on and on. So he's got a strong top five or top four, whatever number you want to put it. On an argument Peyton Manning, Yeah, absolutely, I think so. Yeah, and his contributions of the game should not be overlooked.

And I thought that it was. It was I was surprised. Um. You know, I talked to the president of the Hall of Fame in the lead up to this about two weeks prior to Yeah, David Baker, Yeah, David Baker, and he told me that, you know, we were talking about the short and speeches, and they had a time limit. He goes Peyton has already sent his and told me beforehand that he was writing for six minutes. And when he got up there, he was he was very um.

He had like a pace to it was well paced, like he was really trying to get everything in there, and it almost as if he was a little nervous, which I was a little surprised and being kind of uh endearing considering the guy that he is speaking in front of seventeen thousand people there. That's a little bit when you're playing and you're in the moment, it's a little different on a podium in such a big moment

his life. So anyway, what else from the weekend shoking? So, my favorite experience the whole weekend was the gold Jacket Dinner,

which is on traditionally on Friday Night's. Typically in past years it would be um, you know, kind of the dignitaries of Canton and some fans would be able to buy tables and they would have meals and kind of be among the company of families of of of gold jacket you know receiver in Shrinese, those those people in the returning gold jackets but because of COVID, it just became kind of an event that they just sat down

in the rows of seats. But the lead up to it in this adjacent area called the McKinley Room, where they basically had a cocktail hour that was about two two and a half hours, and it was just all these Hall of famers one after another and their families and friends. I mean, you want to talk about who's who, and seeing football legends of you know, the past fifty plus years all meeting and talking. It was just a

great experience to witness. I've seen it before because I volunteered doing this growing up, but it's a it was a very exclusive event and to just kind of be on the fly on the wall and and hanging out, hang out in the back and and just you know, see these guys interacting and and you know, I watched Ray Lewis getting an argument with Booker McFarlane and Derrick Brooks is nearby eating shrimp and just laughing in between every bite of shrimp as they're like passionately arguing about

something over at buffet table, and then a few steps over there's Tony Dungee talking to Berman Uh. And then you know, you look over here and it's Frank o'harris talking to Alan fannaka Jackie Slater in Orlando, paced two rams, great tackles, hanging out, meeting up with Isaac Bruce. You could go on and on, but my favorite moments from those, like one of my favorites was, you know, Peyton Manning

has a son and a daughter. His son's name is Marshall, and he was dressed to the nines, but he was also very focused on making the most of his first trip to Canton. He had a football, you know, one of those white Hall of Fame footballs that are made to be signed, and he covered that thing with as many signatures from Hall of famers as he could get, doing laps for almost the entirety of the event leading up to the actual gold jacket uh ceremony, and it

was just it was great to watch this kid. You know, you can obviously see that he looks like his dad, and you just walk around his little suit getting sit one signature after another and after another, and uh, it was just quite a scene. It was quite a scene. You were a are you kidding me? You don't have a gold jacket. I don't have a gold jacket. I'm not worthy of a of an autograph in that situation, nor in any other situation. But you did a great job writing that up. By the way, neck, I think

anyone should should give that a read. I do think it would be interesting, um to get some sort of a clothing type person to provide someone like me. It was like five ft eight with a Hall of Fame and a totally fitted Hall of Fame jacket and walk around Canton like you totally own the place, and people like, is that a kicker? Did he? How did this person get into this hall? Like just absolutely act like you are part of the Everybody will think you're a guy

like that gonna be my choice. Yeah, you would fit in some of the older guys. You know, gravity has its effect shrink of her time, not saying that you look old, but hype wise, statue wise, you probably I mean, I mean Drew Pearson rather played at one eighty, so I I can imagine he's not at that now, like he he just finally made the Hall of Fame, the great Um Cowboys receiver who started that number eighty eight tradition? Who's who's a big character? And like if he was

one eight in his career. Yeah, he probably, he's probably not too much bigger than than Mark Sessler right now. He pointed out during a speech he goes different pigment, but yeah, of course, and and he's got less hair than Mark does. Uh so that's where he and I was doing something else that's a little different pigment. Is that what? Um? All right, Chookie, You've said it all unless you have something else to add. I mean, the Hall of Fame game was kind of a snoozer, but

preseason football tends to be like that. But what was like, um or anything after the game and stud terms of talking to players and coaches, just being a media again at like NFL game Tames and that was great. I mean it was. There was no specific highlight other than the fact that it was just great to be in a stadium again, um, largely full stadium, a crowd that you could tell was very excited to just cheer for something together. That was awesome. And yeah, like you said,

Mark Michael Parsons is awesome. Like the Steeler and not to see there's the Cowboys nailed that. I think if he stays healthy, I'm really excited to see him on the field. In the regular season action. He wasn't on the field very much, but you couldn't you could not ignore, and he caught your eye on almost every play. Some of these opt out dudes from college, I'm keeping someone's gonna have to write like the analysis of this. But the guys that skipped playing last year, if they I'm

just curious how they're going to do. Because there's a couple Joe try and with the Bucks being another one who come out like like a house on fire. And if if players start coming into the NFL as good or better than they would have been if they had played college football in the first place, like a lot more people are just going to be skipping. I just I just read about the top prospects. He's get this final year of high school to go to before we know,

people just like just gonna skip. Everything's gonna go from like seventh grade straight to the NFL. And bick, this is the path he's going to Ohio State because he's set to make up to a million dollars in n I L money as soon as he gets there and he might not even play yet. Unbelievable. Shookie, Um, thank you buddy, Great to see you. And UH, if you would be so kind, We're gonna need your help again come regular season time with Sunday Night recaps in the

regular season. If you if you can help us out with that, we will be very, very happy. That's not even a question. You already know. I'll be here cool, I mean, and you get all the Browns games. Mark has surprisingly volunteered to just cover the Bengals almost now I'm going to be staging to hold and to have my salary doubled. That's, you know, keep doing the work, but a lot of antagonism. We'll give you an escalator for every Bengals game you do over the Browns, not

including Brown's Bengals twice a year. Negatory. There he goes the pipe. They call him um More Hall of Fame note, by the way, before we bring on Seth Paine and special congratulations to Bob Lauber, friend of the show, all time, good guy, Rockland County guy. Um And he's worked for Newsday in the New York market, UH for decades. And he received the two thousand twenty one Bill Nunn Junr Award, which is given to reporters who put in the work for years and years and years and it's a great

recognition of a great guy. So Bob Blauber, congratulations on that. That is quite a career achievement. Yeah. Well, the first time I ever met Bob here, you're here, Gregor's here, right.

He's just a total gentleman, you know, actually because he is the Pro Football Writers Association lead right now, he actually called me up a cut all right, so he was He called me up to have an earnest, honest conversation about why I could not be allowed into that, and I was like, this guy is an absolutely great guy. But the first time I ever met him was at

this other event. He came up and talked about our show long time ago when it was the four of Us with West, and he said, I want you to know something like I've been covering football for a really long time. What you have right now, the four of you is very special and it won't last forever, and it always stuck with me. But he also was dead on right. He just has good perspective. He's a good person and he's a great football reporter. Congrats Bob, love

you buddy all right now. As promised, God, we love this dude too. Another another friend of the court. He is the co host of the morning show on Sports Radio six ten in Houston. He spent ten years in our league. It's really his league with the Texans and Jaguars. Cornell Guy. Ever heard of it? It is the great, the legend Seth Paine, Welcome back to the Around the NFL VODA. One of the song is UM Live, one of the great bands ever. Of course, Pain lies by

the river Side. I think it works a lot. It's got your name in it, but also there's right now, there's a lot of pain in Houston around the Texans. UM and like the seminal at rock band, UM your legendary as well. So that's your new intro if you're cool with them. Yeah, no, that's great. I think they're out of York p A two, which is at least within six hours where I'm from. Originally, I mean, like Live you peaked, you know, fifteen years ago, my physical

bad peak, my celebrity peak, all of that. It was all. I mean, they should have figured out that the Internet grows. If you're attempting to search for Live anywhere on the Internet, it brings up everything. But the band, I mean, just a terrible express on part there. They were by far the dumbest s e O band of the midnighters. Just well, no they weren't. That was bear naked ladies. True. Alright, seven, enough of that? Do you see? You're the man you

are dealing with? What are you dealing with? I know you guys, you guys, you got that you stick at the Astros down there and you got your heads in the sand about what their reality. But that's good. They're playing great baseball and good stuff on that. But the Texans,

what's it like around the Texans? Right? It is? You know, when I first got into sports radio, I used to look up synonyms for dumb or stupid, because that's a word you use a lot or overuse, you know, like at this Incoln poop, Look at this moron, look at this dullard. Now I've I've realized, I've got I've got to start looking up synonyms for weird because I found myself saying weird over and over again. This is let me say, at this stage, uh, for like just today

today was the day of training camp. Um, we're out there discussing. Let's see, how's how's Tyrod Taylor gonna look? You know, if he starts sixteen games this year. Well, Davis Mills potentially start sometime in the first half of the season. Jeff Driscoll is your number three quarterback. I don't know. Meanwhile, meanwhile, mind you, Deshawnson is standing right there on the practice field. We're we're having these conversations about Tyrod Taylor and Davis Mills in in Deshaun Latston

standing right there. It's it's really weird. It's strange, it's um. And yet at the same time, I would say that it hasn't been outwardly as much of a distraction as I would have thought it was. It doesn't. It doesn't. You know, you can't read dysfunction or mayhem or anything at least on the faces of the players who are all just trying to make the team. Yeah, and let me set it up as I should have before we started.

Watson um he practiced on Monday. He can't. He reported to camp July and then he we know, he requested the trade, all the legal issues. He practiced for the first five days. He's practicing as a safety or running back, some some idiocy, and then he disappeared for five days and now he's back again. Yeah, and let me ask you this. The Venerable John McClean, uh down there, um tweeted very matter of fact ly today, Deshaun Watson will never play another snap for the Texans. Do you believe

that as well? Um? I personally I would believe anything anybody tells me about what will happen three months in the future with this team. But right now if I had a handicap, but I don't think Deshaun Watson's gonna play for the Texans. I think they'd like to trade him. I think the biggest obstacle, by far is that you have this extremely murky legal situation that's not any less murky now than it was three months ago, where Deshaun Watson's being accused of sexual assault in the civil courts

by twenty two women. There are ten women who have filed criminal complaints against him for sexual assault during massage therapy sessions. Two of those women aren't part of the lawsuits. You have eighteen other women that have vouched for Deshaun Watson who are who provided him massage therapy at some point. All in all, there's about forty five women that we know of that he's pursued massage. There be from in

the past year or so. Uh. They his attorney is at least admitted to consensual sexual activity within some of these massages, which would sound a whole lot like prostitution. And guys, I'm gonna tell you, Greg, I think I heard you a couple of weeks ago talk about how largely it seems like people have stayed hands off with this because it's such a it's so complicated, and there's just almost no way to talk about it without like spending twenty minutes explaining all the vagaries of it. So

I'll stop right there trying to explain the details. There's no there doesn't look like there's any end insight. Deshaun Watson it does not want to settle. According to all reports. If he did settle, it would, according to his attorney, only be if there was no nondisclosure. So like usually somebody settles and that's it. They don't want any of the plaintiffs to talk about it. DeShawn is actually saying, no, I want to talk about it. I want to be

able to tell my side of the story. And it looks like there might not be any clarity on the legal side things until next January February, when Deshaun Watson would first be interviewed by UM, by the by the attorneys. So I I think that this is gonna be a murky situation. The commissioner is exemplest is probably gonna happen at some point and nobody trades for him until next spring.

That's my personal read on it right now, right and that that makes all the sense in the world everything you just said, except for like what's going on this week, Like someone make a decision. Someone make a decision, whether it's the Texans or the NFL. Ultimately, I understand why Watson just where he is right now is showing up to work, so you you need to take it out of his hands. Because you said it's like murk you know,

as murky as it was three months ago. It's murkier because the criminal investigation is going on, and that that wasn't the case initially, and that that's that brings a you know, potential jail time. It's everything, and yeah, everyone's saying like they're managing it great, like that's fine. The the guy who us turned your whole franchise over to is there in the building. It's it's gotta be on

everyone's mind. It's gotta be weird to use uh, to use your word, and like David Culley, like, I know everyone's gonna say, well, he's getting paid great money to do this, Like he's he's not getting paid enough to just like look like a ham and egger up there trying to answer these questions that are impossible to answer

every day. They the Texans organization are putting him in a terrible uh spot by like rolling him out there, and I just I don't understand like where and like if this is going to end before the season, like do it now? And if it's not, like I don't know, you've got to do something, NFL, do something Texans. I don't know. I think so I'll tell you my theory.

And I've received some positive feedback on this theory. But I think at least part of the Texans strategy right now is, Hey, everybody, who's gonna wait and see if DeShawn Watson showed up or not. You know, once all these allegations came out, DeShawn had Deshaun had threatened to why DeShawn had asked for the trade back in January, That was before all the allegations came out, but the question would be, Okay, what happens if DeShawn shows up? And I think there there are likely at least a

couple of things going on with the Texans. One is that they perhaps just wanted to make it as uncomfortable as possible for Deshaun Watson so that he would either consider waving his no trade clause if that were a factor, or or be that he might decide, all right, this isn't worth it, I'm leaving. Then the Texans could start finding him, perhaps getting him a conduct detrimental avoiding some

of the guarantees. There's that, and then there's also the possibility that the general manager, Nickissario just flat out doesn't want to let this precedent of a just dis gruntled player being able to just say, well, my ankle hurts and I'm gonna stay over in the training room, and

and that's where we are. I'm with you, Greg, and the Texans have not earned any They've they've not earned the benefit of the doubt with anything they've done over the last two years, except now that they're in this situation. I don't I really don't know what the what the correct avenue out of it is, you know, do you wait until next spring when you can maybe get three or four first round picks? Do you do you just

try to dump them off right now? And honesty? How about occasionally answering questions honestly because he's he's lining up as their fourth string quarterback, so it's you know, how about do something with like integrity and just tell tell the public, which you don't think you owe anything to except you're asking for season tickets to be bought. Um, how about being transparent with them? Well, that's a lot

to ask in the NFL. That's uh, that's that That might be a that's a tall glass of water to ask somebody to suck down and look, this is Look, this is the team that when they hired Nick Kissario from New England, they sat at the press conference and said, hey, we don't want to be called New England South anymore. Like you're just you're introducing a guy that you just hired from New England. This is this is what you're trying to do. You're trying to be in New England South.

So that part, that part has been super awkward because David Culley, who I'm still convinced that probably of NFL fans When I say David Culley, don't know who the hell I'm talking about. He's the head coach, um hasn't

been a coordinator in the NFL. Hell of a nice guy, almost almost too nice, I think, because he's the one that is left to answer questions every week, and I think they've given him his marching orders about what he should and shouldn't say, and he has a really, really hard time with it, And I like, I'd like to say he inherited this situation, but he accepted the job when he knew that Deshaun was was asking for a trade.

It's it's a it's an absolute mess. Do you think that the theory I have here Seth is with with Cully and I hope it's not true. But he's an older guy. He gets a chance to be a head coach, so of course you're gonna take the job. But then I wonder if behind the scenes, the Texans aren't looking

for their future at head coach. They're just looking someone for someone to manage this absolute catastrop before the organization, a good guy to take the bullets, and then when it comes time to move forward with whatever comes up next, with this organization, Cully will be shown the door as well, and I guess he'll be paid well for it. But I just wonder in terms of the integrity of the hiring process, if Cully is ever going to get a chance, uh to really lead this organization onward out of this

proteculent mess. If I think you're exactly on the right track there, Dan. And that's what's scary, because there's one thing you know about the NFL. You really can't have a master plan. There is no hey, this is how things are gonna work out over the next three, four or five years because things change every single year. You

have different different issues pop up. And and I know, look, one player told me that that Jack Easter be the director of team development or wherever the hell he is right now during the season told him that this might not be a one coach fixed, that there would be the second coach that gets you out of here. So I think that that's very much that's very much in play for for what they're thinking. So don't don't worry.

There's a plan. That's the uh. You know, like is a is a drunken bridge builder tells you is his pants are falling down around his ankles. Don't worry. We've got a plan. You'll be fine. You'll get through this storm. You know. You also worry about someone like Nickissario, who I think you know is very potentially talented general manager, tiring out and going back to New England like some people do if this thing gets ugly enough. But you are down there, you're dealing with you. I think about

the fans too. You've got all these people that have been Texas fans since two thousand two, and there seems to be this massive disconnect, more so than any team in the league, and more so than any franchise I can think of right now where you know, the owner,

this Jack Easterby guy and the rest of them. They're all talking left and right, and they're trying to act like there's all this integrity around what they're doing, and the fans have been completely you know, tossed out the side of a moving car by the side of the road. I mean, we're dealing with these guys calling in all the time. What is that? Are there are there fans out there that are saying, we just want to see de Shaun Watson no matter what happened or most people

thinking like this is a train wreck. They gotta find their way out of the thing. What's the mental state of this badgered fan base. I don't think there's a consensus necessarily right now. And one of the one of the weird moments out at camp this year was Deshaun was out there the first few days, Okay, that was strange. Then the first day that fans were allowed in the textans allow about two thousand fans and they've got a nice covered area and at one point during practice, a

we want to Shaun cheer started started coming up. We want to Shaan, we want to Shawn. And I think it was the next day that Deshaun stopped coming out to practice before, so that that little hiatus there they had. So I don't know if that was team motivated. I don't know if that was Deshaun motivated. Whatever it might be there, there's some people and I guess you know that Mark is the other dynamic here. That's interesting as you you ask, okay, which which GM is gonna trade

for Deshaun Watson, because there's a pr component there. You're you've got this guy that's accused by of sexual assault

by many many women. Is because of the complexity of this thing, and because of the nature of it, if Deshaun were to settle, if Deshan were to settle in Houston, and if somehow the criminal charges you know, weren't filed and you never face charges, I think because it is so complex, you know how it is with the public, If it's kind of if it's if you want the public to know a really really complex news story, it's not gonna happen because people want to hear give it

to me in three sentences and let me know how to feel about it. And this, this case isn't quite like that. It's all these individual cases with different accounts from different women. Um, some of the cases are likely

much much stronger than some of the other cases. And I think that if he gets if he were to settle and go to another town, I think that would be it would probably be easier to smooth over than than it would be locally or with some other fan bases, or with some other other types of transgressions, you know.

I think that's too But it also makes me believe the actors trying to trade Watson, now, whether that's Watson's camp or the Texans, are comically full of themselves that they think another team would go for him now with the criminal investigation up in the air. I just I just think it's so tone deaf, and I don't think it's working. I think I think you've seen like these little rumors pop up that are quickly squashed down. No one, no one's trading for a guy who could be going

to jail for sexual assault. Like sorry, like whoever is like endeavoring to want to do that? Like that's not gonna happen for you. And that's where Yeah, and that's

where it gets really confusing, because we don't know. Okay, every attorney is gonna say, well, look, my client's not settling, we don't want to settle, but is it perhaps closer to him settling, And in which case, a lot of times if the women are part of the women there's only two women that have filed criminal complaints, but that aren't also part of the lawsuit so far that we know of, So would the vast majority of those go away, the criminal complaints go away if you were to settle.

That's one of the big X factors. But you're right, Greg, I think in terms of asking for transparency from the team, if they if they wanted to be completely transparent, I think they'd have to say, look, there's no end in sight for this legal matter. We're probably not going to get the right price or the fair price for DeShawn until we know exactly what's going on there. So we're

just gonna put them on hiatus. And they might just be waiting for the league to put Deshaun on the commission as exemple lists to be able to do that. I agree from a pr standpoint. You know, frankly, I don't. I don't. I just don't think there as a depth and I don't think they have the pull in the sway with the League office that maybe some other ownership groups would. Um, you've said it all, but before you leave,

I'd love you to get in a plug. You have a podcast as well, The Deceptively Fast It's the Deceptively Fast Pot. I got a feeling that you might have been all that at some point during your career. That was a grinder. I wasn't you know that much of an athlete, But I was just a football player, damnit. Remember Gary Mueller. One time I had a really great play, and um, I had a really great play. It was actually like maybe one of the more impressively athletic plays

of my career. And Gary Mueller was was watching the play, trying to compliment me, but insulting me the entire time. But you've got here is a guy did I'll tell you he's not the fastest guy. He's not that strong, ugly at birth mother didn't love it, but look at him. That's just a football player. That's a one fail. You had the double playmark in set. You're you're a big

white guy. Yeah, and you were Ivy League educated, so you had that like what Ryan Fitzpatrick gets as well, where it's like, well he he obviously he's smart, diligent, he works hard. You have two things working simultaneously well. And just like Ryan Fitzpatrick to try to counteract that, I did some really stupid things on the football field. I mean I jumped offside three times in one half before as a nose tackle. I mean that if there's other if I can't fight, if I can't fight the

perception that way, I don't know what I can do. Alright, that's h he said it all. Let's hit says theme music as as we sign them off and again fom at, says Shirtless a lot if I remember, didn't, Yeah, all the time. I hope to have you, um, you know, talk about Nico Collins and the wide receiver battle or something else to do with the Texans at point. He's one of those opt out guys that you said might might show up really excel with a better quarterback. He

might be really excited to watch Nico. I like pain to be agitated that I do this. I think that you you've you've hit a home run with us, because you're sort of always bent out of shape and a little agitated with that franchise, which I need to take the bait with that astro's dig either, so that I mean just the class acts and then I'm immune to that. I'm immune to as Oh no, oh, did somebody sneak an inflatable trash can into the stadium and they threw

it into the right field? Oh you you clever, clever folks, tell you. Let me tell you another thing. These kids, I don't know if you guys saw this or not. This this this pavilion full of twelve year old chanting bleep l tub a bleep l tub is there is there drooling and salivating and OsO proud fathers stood around filming it on their cell phones. I just go ahead, go ahead. The one, the one guy that refused to participate, well, one of several that refused to participate in the cheating scandal.

A five ft six kid out of Venezuela, who who whose parents made about one one hundreds of what your your rich and fancy parents made. I can't wait. I can't wait until you're arrested trying to buy meth your sophomore year at Brown or something. You know that I got to that he was wired for sound in the alcs An eighteen. And you know, I'm about about all right there you go? Thanks? Wow, Okay, he painted a picture there, the meth sophomore at Brown, and I'll buy it.

Uh Um, all right, wow? I mean you want to talk about to the great contributors to the program, Seth Payn and Nick Choke. Thank you to both of them for joining us today. We'll be back on Wednesday. A little bit of a different schedule this week with some things moving around, and also with the preseason kicking off for all thirty two teams on Thursday, so our next podcast will be on Wednesday. Our NFL Network program will be on what is it air on Friday morning or Thursday?

I believe Friday morning taping Thursday, but that's of no import to anyone, but it's it will be on television, I believe Friday, although I could be wrong. Well, we'll get back to you with info on that. We're going to clarify that on Wednesday's program, But thank you to everybody for listening. Until then, he'd the call S S S S