LOUD AND CLEAR Messages in the NFL

different airplanes. Really a sign of the times about what's happening with the people behind the scenes of the show. Um. We will all be flying to Phoenix for the owners meetings, where we will be UM interviewing coaches and GM's. Last year, I remember this show we were able to tease who would be talking to. But this year it seems to be coming together, UM a little slower, So we don't know yet we'll be speaking to. We We don't have any confirmed yeses. We do have six confirmed nose so

we're gonna stay were quick with those. We're gonna read them out loud. One of them is a future Hall of Famer. UM. Coach is my favorite team? Oh did Bill say no? I mean we put it in. I don't think Bill is familiar with the request ever came. He was he was door one of eight. Was like absolutely, basically that was one to just put fun on our list because like, you never know, but he doesn't give anyone a shadowy league figure came to us and said, make a list, a wish list if you will, of

coaches and some gms. We did that, and then when the list was done, we didn't even think of Belichick because Bill was kind of above it all, you know what, rightfully, so whatever, congratulations under great success as a fan, but we said, why not throw a Bill on there. He goes to the owners meetings, He goes there with Linda and he where's the Hawaiian shirts? And he has a good time. He wears the shorts, puts the calves on. We see them play. I think they played some tennis

one year. We saw them coming back. So when we were there, who knows the one thing with Belichick West and you know this as a Belichick file, he's unpredictable. So would it be completely absurd if he ended up on our podcast? Kind of but we had to ask. I think he takes a lot of pride in being unpredictable. I think that his signature moves. This felt predictable to me. That almost like an automatic reply. We got a no back within like twelve seconds, and not from Bill either,

It was from their people probably laughed. I would say, one of those, Um, we don't talk about them. Mark big show coming up today. Uh, a new seg called Loud and Clear, in which we will spin through the league and what teams are sending a very obvious succinct um on the nose message to all of us like a billboard, Like a billboard at Billboard is telling is this is this is what we're going for right now.

So we'll uh, we'll talk about the teams. We believe our doing that and we might not all agree as well, and that's part of the fun. That's the good thing about whether it's sports talk radio or podcasts, you don't want everybody in in agreement at all times, so they often ask you to manufacture disagreement. Right, we don't do that here. It's healthy, nor do we acknowledge joke and uh, and we're gonna hit the news as well, including a

couple of long time packers on the move. And but before we do that, we have to say hello to a woman who has been missed over the past week and a half. Um, Ken Brown filled in did a really nice job. But something about Ken Kent is on my radar and we're gonna deal with that at the end of the show. But otherwise, Kent really did good work in your absence. But Ricky Hollywood, Rika Tampos is back behind the glass from her trip around the world. Welcome back, Ricky, Hello boys, how are we doing? You

seem refreshed. You actually told us this morning that you actually missed us. I did. I did. It was it was such a crazy, incredible, amazing, amazing, amazing trip. Um, but I did feel a little fomo. I think Dan put it really well while you were gone that it says a lot about how we feel about you that we really didn't give you any grief whatsoever for leaving, like during the most busy time of the season, like in the most unprofessional We would we would have killed

other things. Yeah, we would have. In fact, we have like we would have been we would have been group texting cut you know. But since it's like, hey, it's Erica you know, take off. It's cute that she doesn't care. I found a refreshing well I to be. To be completely honest, I didn't know that it was pretty sorry that we don't worry. We know. Um all right, so good too good to have you back. Did anybody uh recognize you? Any couple of people? Yeah? I met up

with a couple of people. And then there's this one guy who works at a brewery in Scotland who totally hooked it up. He DM me and I happened to answer that one um, and he there was nine of us. He hung out with us, went to the bars with us after we invited him out because he was so cool. He was. He was such a great guys, really fun. So we kind of created that for you in a way. Yeah,

thank you. He made such an impression. Yeah, all right, and we'll talk about a little bit a little bit more d M talk later, but for now, let's dig into the news that is the voice of Clay Matthews during his Green Bay Packer heyday, um, and after a long run with the pack he has moved on. Officially. He is now a member of the Los Angeles rams Um Pass Rusher and he told us he's a pass rusher first and foremost. UH signed a two year deal worth a max of sixteen point seven five million. The

Rams of officially announced this it's a done deal. UM so the former first round pick overall in the two thousand nine draft, number fifty two. This guy will be in the Ring of honor UH in Green Bay one day. But west in terms of the modern day, UH, what does this? Is this a signing that made the Rams better? Do you think Clay Matthews has anything left in the

tank at this age? It's a tricky question. Anytime a guy on defense is on the wrong side of thirties two coming off a bag year and he had three point five sacks in sixteen games only twelve quarterback hits. You have one of the lowest pressure rates of any pass rusher in the league last year. When a guy has a season like that, you never know whether it's a sign that he's already off the cliff or if in a new scheme he can come in with a you know, a change of scenery and have a bounce

back year. I think he probably has a little bit left in the tank, but it was a miserable year last year. For him, and he's had one good season really at the last three or four, because he's really

struggled in twenty six. But I do remember, you know, DJ talking about and and some people have watched the the Wade Phillips defense over time, just talking about how many sacks Wade Phillips creates that when Sean Merriman won Defensive Rookie of the Year, it's like eleven of those sacks where him one on one against a running back, and so you're getting Matthews on the outside. They need just some sort of capable second pass rusher with Fowler

he's in a good defense to make him look better. Mark, is it you The Rams have been on your radar in the past, and I will say this, this is such a RAMS signing that sometimes it feels almost too cute Clay Matthews joining the Rams. And I know it's another guy that you put on the program, But is it almost like a too much of a less need era RAMS move? Do you do you think this is the right move or just like great fit for a guy that came from l A and a team that

likes to have marketable players. I don't think it's a it's not an on my radar move because they needed past rushing help and it is a little cute to you know, take a flyer on claim out, you get him back in the colisseum before you move out of it.

I mean, I guess that's part of the adorable. But the Rams are a lot less on my radar after the Super Bowl good because that's well because it was too easy of a story and a lot of it felled mate and felt made for tv TV, mostly NFL Network, And at this point they've got a harder road back that makes them more intriguing. Let me ask you a question,

Greg Rosenthal. Another move made by the Rams. Blake Bortles, cut recently by the Jaguars, the former number three overall pick, lands in l A as the backup to Jared Goff. Are the Rams today better at backup quarterback than they were with Shawn Mannion at the end of the two thousand eight This is this an upgrade at the backup position? Who knows. I've never seen Sean Mannion play meaningful snaps, so it's a tough call. Well, against Vanilla defenses in

the preseason, he's looked awful. Yeah, it's maybe they're a little better. They only have to pay one million dollars, which is, you know, the cheapest veteran backup quarterback in the league period. So so from that vantage point, they

needed to save some money to spend it elsewhere. It's fine, he's making I think six million overall because the Jags contract, right, the Jacks are still paying him five and a half million dollars and so they get to pay one million dollars less because he has off you know, offsets in his contract or whatever. Uh, that's fine. It could it does have one of those moves that has a chance to make Sean McVeigh look like like a genius, because like if he comes in and has two or three

games that everyone's just loved. I mean, I think the Rams are telling you it's a better situation. They had four years to self scout Mannion and at a time seemed like they liked him a lot, and he's gone.

They brought someone else into replace him. You spend all that time with him and you found someone, but they very low amount of money, right, And they also did that thing where it's like hey Sean manny and you know, Mike, who knows, maybe another team will take a chance on him for a third or fourth round pick to be It's like, no, all that talking up is not going to make someone give up a draft. If like twenty two quarterbacks were like eternally kidnapped, then Sean Mannion's value

starts to hike. I've compared McVeigh to this generation's Bill Walsh, who famously rehabilitated Steve Young when he was at the bottom of his career and turned him into a Hall of Famer. Steve Young did not have a major, major, major mechanical flaw that everybody has tried to fix and cannot fix. I think that's the difference. I don't know

if Blake Bortles is fixable. Marks eternally kidnapped a nice way of saying someone was you know, well, they're not coming back and we'll be looking for them for a long time. So it's a it's a kidnapp being likely a death, but the case is never solved. I don't know where you come up with likely a death. That's that's that would preclude you from being an investigator. You need it into that they've been kidnapped that much. We

know got a triple source it. So Greg stress like in some sort of what Los Angeles p I today. But you've got to actually I would love to take in. I would love to. I mean they would put me on the missing quarterbacks case twenty two disappear all at once. I mean that that's gonna be a long case. Uh, and other kind of things to find out. So Clay Matthews his history in Green Bay, so is Randall Cobb. Um. In the second wave of free agency, the slot receiver

agrees to sign with the Dallas Cowboys. UH deal worth five million, one year contracts, So essentially approve a deal for Cobb who has been in regression statistically for several years now. But the Cowboys, after letting Cole Beasley leave to go to Buffalo, get Cobb. Mark, what do you think about this move? Is in an upgrade in big day at the slot? It is not an upgrade. It's underwhelming attached to a sort of starry name of a player who, like we point out, with ten to twelve

guys who make these kind of signings every offseason. What it's beyond the name? Who are who is this player? Today? I would rather have Cole Beasley. That was such a they split there. It didn't go down. Well, and you've you've you've downgraded essentially, right, he's much cheaper that I think they were looking to save money at the position. But five millions. I'm the only one who seems to like this. I know Cobb is you know, it's more about the game name thing West and all that, But

game names doesn't it doesn't. Doesn't it feel like Aaron Rodgers, we give a total pass and we are Oh, well, Mike McCarthy was ruining him and the whole system is stagnant, rendal. Cobb was also playing, and that says maybe a fresh start and his career could be uh, you know, relaunched in a way. Well, I would retort with, if he can't do it with Aaron Rodgers, what makes you think you can do with Dak Prescott and averaging ten yards per catch and about three touchdowns per years, ain't getting

it done. I think Greg's right. The juice and the juice in his legs evaporated a few years ago when Bill Belichick when you're a extremely versatile and tough, smart slot receiver and the Patriots have no interest in you, to me, that's that's a bad signed. The Packers really had no interest uh in keeping him, So please stop it, social media managers with your this is this Cowboys offense

starting attacked is fire? Cob well, that's they're just that's there that It was like, it was like this Cowboys lineup is fire. Dak Okay, that's fine. I mean Zee is great, and then and then Cooper Cob Witten. It was like, okay, just names. Remember how they dealt with Bryce Petty on the Jets. Not everything is fire. It was a quarterback competition in New York. Well, I mean, you've got to be careful. It's like our you know, I love our NFL note social media team. But they

had one yesterday. They were like, name a better quarterback wide running back combo than and they had a picture of Lamar Jackson and mark Ingram and then everyone was like, oh, there's like twenty two ones better than that. That's not not that, and get ready, get ready, it's trope season. Remember last year, I believe it was Stephen Jones who told us that Tavon Austin, the web back, was going

to have twenty touches in Dallas's offense. And well guess what, Randall Cobb will have catches probably will be a piction. We hear at some point that he will become a Pro Bowl level slot guy once more. It's still there, by the way, a move that you know never made it to seven parts last year of our show, but he was resigned. I would I would actually take the over on. I think I would go Austin over Randall Cobbs Yards. No way, I'm just gonna lean into it

von Austin. Like circling back to the absurdity of the statement last spring about all the touches, I think he got less than ten touches total the entire year, like two and a half months, had eight receptions in six rushes, fourteen touches. Alright, Moving on, did not take long for

Vante's Perfect to find work. Day after the veteran linebacker was cut by the Cincinnati Bengals, he signs a one year contract worth up to five million UH with the Oakland Raiders, and he reunites with d C Paul Gunther, who was the d C U Cincinnati from twenty seventeen

Perfect's golden years. Uh. It also wes you might find this interesting, reunites Perfect with Antonio Brown, the man he viciously concussed in the two thousand fifteen playoffs, also or sixteen playoffs one one of the lowest moments in the history of a franchise that's had a lot of low moments that Saturday night in Cincinnati, I'd say more mused

than interesting. Okay interested? Um, yeah, I think the Raiders are really taking it back to the seventies as far as who they're bringing into their franchise right now and bringing in the guy who tried to decapitate the receiver you just traded for a guy who can't hurt him that. Let's be honest, what are the odds Vontes Perfect is on the week one roster. People have told him he shouldn't play anymore because he has concussions, and he might be the one guy who says, I don't really care.

You know, I'd rather play football than care about my health long term. But I don't even see Vontes Perfect is guaranteed to be on this roster. Well, if you're Mark Davis, you're gonna have to get out you're a little typewriter and prepare all these ownership notes saying we totally believe in Vante's Perfect and we're we back him. No matter what he does, the same way that Mike Brown didn't Cincinnati ready for that. It's a it's a

reminder to that. It's especially on the pro side. Maybe not the draft, but this is Gruden's this is Gruden's party, this is his show. He is in charge. It's it's not you didn't know by now plug in. I'm just saying I don't think like Mike Mack would be signing Vont's perfect. Uh. Antonio Brown had this to say about Vonte's perfect. It's all positive, man, Maybe now it is. It wasn't then. Speaking of Brown, the former steel or his former Steeler teammate, levy On Bell becomes the latest

player to publicly tee off on Ben Roethlisberger. Uh. In a interview with Sports Illustrator Sports Illustrated it sounds like a good magazine. Also, Bell discussed his experience with Big Ben and Uh. He had this to say. The organization wants to win. Tomlin wants to win. Ben wants to win, but Ben wants to win his way, and that's tough to play with. Ben won a super Bowl, but he won when he was younger. Now he's at this stage where he tries to control everything, and the team let

him get there. So if I'm met at a player and I'm not throwing him the ball, if I'm not throwing a b the ball, and I'm giving Juju all the shine or Jesse or Vance or whoever it is, and you know consciously you're making your other receiver mad, but you don't care. Well, it's hard to win that way. Well me tee you up on this, Chris Wessling, because you know, first of all, yes, the Steelers have not won the Super Bowl and whatever it is now this

will be ten years, ten years. But in Big Ben's illustrious career, and it has been an illustrious career, maybe not always off the field, but on the field. Uh. He just came off a five thousand yards thirty five touchdown season. He's gonna be in the top five and all passing categories. He's won two Super Bowls, uh and been to three. In almost every other case, that type of resume is unimpeachable, and you don't get killed ever in the press by your players. But Ben seems to

be the exception to the rule. Consider the source Antonio Brown and Levian Bell, who by the way, are making many more millions because they played with Ben Roethlisberger instead of an Airics quarterback. They lost all credibility with with me. One guy couldn't report to his teammates for the entire season. The other guy couldn't report to his teammates in the biggest game of the year, and now they're criticizing the quarterback who does report to his teammates. I just don't

care by that. By that logic, you wouldn't care what Ben Roethlisberger had to say. This is a guy who's you know, almost lost his spot pea because he's sexually assaulted women. So that's not the same logic. I mean, but we're we've heard from teammates throughout his career. I'm saying, I don't care what these two players have to say

about anyone, right right. I do find it interesting in today's day and age, though, to hear anyone talk about their own quarterback or their former quarterbacks away because people just stay away from it. It It used to be much more common in sixties and seventies. You would talk some trash about your old teammates, about you know, good players on other teams. It was just sort of part of yeah, because it's normal. It's like, we don't like everyone in

this building. Sometimes we talked trash about him on this show. Subtly, you know, they don't like some people don't like us, like people don't like their co workers. But it's unique at a quarterback position to see it pretty widespread throughout his career, not just whispers, but people talking on the record. They have wrote they have voted team m VPS in in Pittsburgh for sixteen years of Ben Roethlisberger's career. He's

one at one. Here's the last winners. Antonio Brown, Heath Miller, Antonio Brown, Leave Bell, Antonio Brown, Leave Bell, Antonio Brown, Juju Smith. That tells tells me something that your teammates, for whatever reason, don't like, or at least enough of them, don't like the way you do business. I'm with you, but the the idea of comparing it to working in a big company doesn't fly with me, because we automatically dislike a bunch of people in our company because there's

different tiers of us. And when we rip on people, typically ripping on the people up on the third floor that didn't do enough in anyone above you. But I think to the point and I get the sourcing of of Bell and brown or is dubious on some level, and that says more about them, probably all of this

than anything else. But they're talking about the locker room, and they're talking about the fact that there's a player or players, but certainly Big Ben that is treated within within a dose of favoritism by coaches and ownership and everyone else, and they don't like that part of it. The other thing is that big Ben by now is so much older than the vast majority of the people he plays with on the Steelers, Like we just heard you. Ever hear this about Breeze or Rivers or Brady or

I think they're fundamentally different people. Not everyone's going to be a great leader necessarily, but big Ben has been there for the team. Here's the thing I've been making the case forever. I think big Ben is weirdly underrated. I mean, he has an unbelievable quarterback. It really doesn't change that much about that. It's just interesting to hear the people around him bring this up. And I should

make it clear, Greg, something you said earlier. There were allegations attached to Roethlisberger the sexual assault, and it led to a six game suspension by the league for violating the Personal Conduct Policy, And I wonder how much of that will always linger with him and inside a locker room, because you don't see any of the other big names

have that type of well, it's a character. I mean, the whole story behind them winning the Super Bowl the first time around was this guy Roethlisberger rubbed everyone the wrong way. And okay, they kind of when they won in the end, it's kind of like he want us over a little bit that hey, this guy is good that he won, But when he first came in, Heinz war Jerome Bettis, it's like they thought this guy was a jerk and so and so that much video Brown's

talking up Vontes perfect is a perfect teammate. So you never know, Let's see what I'll be interesting to see what Antonio Brown is saying about Derek carry after the season and left Bell about Jets management. I get West's side of it as well. It's it's but it is interesting because it's just it doesn't happen and usually and Carson Wentz being a perfect example a couple of months ago, if a quarterback in the face of the franchise or the biggest star or the longest lasting star of the

franchise catches fire. You'll have guys coming to his defense and saying Ben's a hero, He's a legend on his team. He's a leader that doesn't seem to happen uh in Pittsburgh. His interactions with the media, Ben Roth is the way he talks about his teammates sometimes the way just I just think for whatever reason, he rubs people the wrong way. I agree with that, and I'm not defending his character.

I think he does have character issues. I also think every quarterback in the history of the NFL who's been with the same franchise for fifteen years as the face of the franchise gets preferential treatment. That's just the way it's done. I don't have a huge way problem with that. If you're if you if you're a fan of a team and he's been there for fifteen years, one you

multiple super Bowls. He's my favorite. Whole idea of like Bell and Brown and these guys, they're getting mad because they think that he's, you know, preferring some teammates to others. And there is that whole, you know, rumor, which is kind of nonsense that he intentionally fumbled because he didn't like a play call that Todd Haley made, which I don't find credible at all, and there's proof that that's

not true. But it's just the fact that his teammates were thinking it is just interesting and you know, unique that they Antonio Brown, by the way, for all the speculation and the whispers and insinuations that he was looking to Juju, Yes, Juju lad the league in catches or whatever, but Antonio Brown got his two. I think he was like one hundred and fifteen last year. So he used to like where it was, wanting to go around the right. Let's move on. Peyton Manning. How about that guy? He's uh,

he's you know, a little quiet. He's out of football now and he has not gotten into broadcasting like many people thought he would. Well check out those ESPN plus things or whatever he's doing. I did not check those outs. Is he trying to pump it up? But I haven't

really seen it. I'm only connected to n or something, and I'm also connected to golden moments presented by McDonald's introducing the new Big Mac with bacon, cheesy bacon fries and quarter pounder with Bacon at participating McDonald's for a limited time only? Is it the best thing to happen to McDonald's classics or to Bacon? On that note, what is the golden moment of the week? How about a golden moment for Peyton Manning finally making the move nailed

it into broadcasting. ESPN is courting the great quarterback UH to join its Monday Night Football team. This coming from the Hollywood Reporter, so from a real source. ESPN President Jimmy Pataro in content chief Connor Shell made a trip to Denver on March eleven to meet with Manning, who has been mentioned before, of course, for a broadcast role UH Monday Night Football. Coming off a semi disastrous two thousand eighteen season, UH got bailed out by the Cowboys,

who hired Jason Witten out of the booth. The Burger Burger mobile is dead, obviously, there are changes coming, and Peyton Manning sliding into the booth to me makes a lot of sense. I know I'm probably a much bigger Peyton Manning fan as a personality than everyone else in this room, but I think he could potentially be a big hit UH in this role. I don't know if he would do it, but that's my two cents. Now I'm closer to you, I would like to see what

Peyton Meeting does. I don't know. I think it's too hard to predict whether he'd be great or good. I don't it's hard to imagine him being terrible. You never you know, just because he seems comfortable on a microphone. But I think he's been great and support it. I mean, he's smart, he's got a sense of humor, he has a intellectual viewpoint of the game that is almost unmatched. Uh,

he's comfortable in front of the camera. You add it all up, and I think he has I don't want to say Romo like potential, but he has potential to be an instant star as well. And if I'm ESPN, I would roll the dice and go after him hard. Now, Peyton Manning has more money than God with between Papa John's and his playing days, he might not need this job. This is not like a like a cupcake thing where you just roll someone into It's a ton of work.

It's a ton of analysis. You're under a lot of pressure coming off the Witten thing to come in and shine and me, and I think Tony Romo has made this a much tougher gig for anyone stepping in where you've done no broadcasting and then suddenly you're supposed to jump in. Is the color analysts on Monday Night football?

You know eight months from now? That is not an easy job and it's funny at Joe Thomas was asked a couple of times this past week because he's been linked to it a few times, Hey, wouldn't you want to do this? Wouldn't this be such a dream for you? And he basically was like, I gotta be honest with you. I watched Jason Witten do this and he didn't seem like he was having any funds, so it gave him pause.

And it's like, I think, what happened to broadcasting where you go find out if you're good at it number one for a couple of years and if you enjoy it before because what if? What if Peyton Manning isn't is great, that's great, but he was an ultra dud A we have to suffer for it. It totally flames his entire The way we look at Peyton Manning the same way we look entirely different at Jason Witten. Now it's about, you know, the Pro Bowl trophy falling apart and the four or five lines he had that no

one can forget. If that's Peyton Manning in a year, if he if he flounders it because that happened, That's happened to other big time quarterbacks. And I think Johnny Unit has flamed out. Hardcore is a broadcast, that's part of the game, that's part of the industry. It doesn't happen. He has to, he has to really want it that that particular station or channel or broadcast whatever. I know,

I'm tilting night wind Mills here. I just wish they cared a little bit more about the actual broadcast of the game and a little bit less about names, bells and whistles, graphics, storylines. But this is what they're doing. They're taking a guy who's never broadcasted. Nobody has a right. He's the exception, and now everybody wants the romo. Witten was among the worst we've ever seen in any sport. I mean, Peyton Manning is not a good speaker. I

think he's got a terrible sense of humor. He's not funny, and he's probably not gonna be a good and Atlip that for your social real and I want that set down on NFL channel. I am definitely a bigger fan of Peyton Manning than other people in this. Yeah, I would like it. I think you'd be worth the shot. Here's the bigger thing. I don't think he's worried about legacy, all that stuff, or you know what, his reputation, because I think when he if he was gonna do it,

he'd want to do a great job. The bigger thing is he can do whatever he wants in his life. And this takes up. Suddenly you're back in the NFL. I know it's not like the player, but you're on the road for twenty four weeks a year. You've got some young kids, you've got a wife who you really you know, you haven't really been around at home that much. And suddenly you're like, buy from Friday to Monday. He can't go hang out in New Orleans and watch Eli

play the Saints. He can't do whatever he wants on the golf course or whatever Peyton Manning's doing. They're recording him and he is recording. Anyone's like, that's a lot to give up all right. And finally in the news, Trevor Simeon got another job. He is the new backup quarterback of the New York Jets. With Josh McCown undecided on his future, Simeon joins the room that includes Davis Webb.

Remember Davis's Webb so uh uh. And similarly, there are people that are bigger Trevor Simeon fans in this room than me. Um, I love this Jets team set up bad getting all my favorite I love I love James him all together. I love Jamison Crowder. You got Levy and Bell love him? Uh Simeon, that's a nice solid backup too. Else did they add one of those about it? Um? All right, that's what's happening, Tom Compton And then Tom Compton is a huge signing. We got Chandler Canna's arrow

back in the building. Henry Anderson, they resigned him. That was kind of an under the radar one that was like Daniel Brown tight end from the Bears. Who doesn't like Tomorrow Adams right now? Great Twitter account. I'm getting a little nervous by the way it's coming. Um. The Jets new uniforms. It's a sneaky more stressful expan experience than I expected. It's it's it's an important time and if it goes wrong, I can tell you personally, all you'll have is just a bunch of knuckleheads. To you.

It'll be your fault that the uniform doesn't work. I assume I assume that's how it was. It could be like you too, you make a disastrous uniform change and then you win six Super Bowls over eighteen years, and you know, it's like, what are you calling that you're not a fan of the Patriots current uniforms to bad uniforms by the way, But but using the page as an example, what didn't used to be such a big deal when uniform new uniforms are rolled out. They would

just show up one year. Yeah that's fair. There wasn't all the attention. But I do remember. And they switched the uniforms because they also coincided with parcels that it was like, oh my god, like everyone, at least in the New England area. It was such a like meaningful moment of like, okay, we're gonna change. Now we've got the flying ELVI. Nashville got the draft because of their uniform unveiling a year ago when they got like fifty

people in town square. But that's true story. They also had a music act that was playing, but that was seen as like a major um win for the entire downtown sector, showing how alive the city was for this unveiling of the Tytoons universe. I did not know that a little fact to it. Look it up. That's how they decide who goes to the draft. That's not exactly what I said. So it helped them. It helped in the the pitch of Nashville as the draft occasion. All Right,

I just told you it. Now, you know? Are you annoyed that we're like stunned that you know something that we did not that that happens all the time. A little surprising. Um, that's what's happening in the news. Uh, let's see what are we wanna do, Ricky? What's going on with your d ms? We talked about it before you went away. They're pretty good. You want to hear one, Yes, let's here, let's hear one of your d m s. Is that desert right? Um? That's my that's my intro.

It's going to be a sound like Joe Martin. Is that your vocals. No, No, it's just in our library. Can I hear that again? Yeah? Sure. Now it's time for Ricky's d MS. Poor man kind of like that. Yeah right, all right, what's in your d MS? Al Right, today's from at sirious m h. You are slightly bent over in every picture. It's very amusing. Okay, alright the whole give us the closing music. What are you supposed

to do with that information? Stand up straight? I was expecting something far more vile in the m Well, that's that's you know, you're starting slow, not so subtly suggestive. In my mind, it is body talk. I think it's like a bent it's a weird. It's just a weird route that you're going down to me. I mean, like when you're with other people in photos or something. I'm not sure what they mean. And this is a man or a woman or what serious is also a radio networks? Yeah it's not. No, it's like s E R I

O U S not. Maybe that code doesn't need to be correct. Speaking of if you, if you do like Ricky vocals, she broke out some rap songs that she recorded as a teen on the jin Nick and Rosenthal Van project and they are something else. Put a lot of time into them, like chairs of my life. When I was seen, it's like you had a wrap. It was shocking, natural recovering um solid production. Though solid production. I will say one of the songs was kind of

a bang her, but but the rapping was embarrassing. It wasn't it wasn't good. It would have been good to share on our podcast. But it seems be happy to play. That was the most predicted for that conversation. As I was I was like, should I bring this up for No, it's good withholding the content and pitching the other show. Same time segment time loud and click. I have any control loud and clear and this is a segment in which West what do we do? What are we doing

on loud and Clear? It's about a billboard, isn't it. Some organizations have sent very clear messages in the first week of free agency as far as how they see themselves and where they are going in two thousand nineteen. They might as well put this message on a billboard because it's that obvious. It's so easy to see the

clarity is there. It's like play like a jet that was the jet that was their old one, right, that's not really that which came from play like a raven and warped in to play like a brown or like well, that's unlike the mirage is usually trumped up by marketing campaigns. These are actual things that are happening. All right, here we go. We're gonna spend through the divisions and throw out some different teams. Let's start in the A f C East and West. The Buffalo bills. What are they

being loud and clear about. We are out of cap jail and back among the living. That's what the billboard says, and underneath it just says, really in small letters, were determined to showcase Josh Allen as our electric talent. Everything they're doing is determined to get Josh Allen a lot more help than he had last year, because they have the dollars to do it now. They also they end

up in cap jail. By the way, the Doug Whale I believe was the previous GM left them in some straits that the new GM didn't considered kind of dire, so they were willing to sacrifice two thousand eight. Usually there's you know a lot of star players or big signings that go sideways. I assume that's how it happened. From sentence No, I mean even now here are their highest paid players. It's remarkable Star Low that's their number one.

Mitch Morris is number two. I mean, so they could they have some more spending to go to your point, I mean, col Beasley's gotta be up there. Yeah, he's seventh behind Joe Brown, Trent Murphy law, John Brown. I agree that they they believe Sean McDermott I think is a quality head coach. I agree with him, and I

think they're giving him every chance possible. This is year three for McDermott to to make a real push that his coaching can coach up the defense, but that the offense under Brian Dable needed way, way, way more talent, and they were aggressive about I mean they also talk about Doug Whaley. They allowed Doug Whalley the previous ownership and this current ownership to hang around and in house fight from what we know, with multiple head coaches who

are not long for the organization. So whatever he left him in, they also had to make moves. That's an offense that needed outside of quarterback, some help at every single position, especially up front. You got, Yeah, you got a center, you got you actually got a tackle Titan and Shiky always thought is that I don't know how to pronounce his name. Always pretty good. Uh in Washington, couple receivers, pretty clear in the center, did a nice

job in free agency. And well, I mean, what are you doing if you draft a quarterback in the top ten and then you don't immediately set about trying to put him in a position to improve and succeed your loss? So Buffalo, good job. Let's move to a f C North. I'm not gonna hit every team. We're just gonna jump around a little bit. Uh West, Let's uh, let's go with the Cleveland Browns, a team. Uh. I know that you are falling in love with every day a little

bit more. Their message loud and clear. We have caught lightning in a bottle. We are galvanizing our fan base and it's high time we rere we re emerge as a glamour franchise in NFL show piece. They're gonna be one of the top eight or nine franchises in the NFL again. This sign would go where the lebron On image was. It's gonna go on, It's like a mural on the side of a building works and it's I mean again, is I guess you're referring to the eighties Browns.

I was referring. I don't want to see Lebron James by the way of Brown's games. I don't want to see because they're gonna be a prime time like what six or seven times? I don't need the cutaways to Lebron and the suite and I know it's coming. But Lebron's Browns fan. Now, yes, now he's a brown San because him and O'Dell or Buddies and all you already made you're a Cowboys fan, yeah, you know, And we

talked about root for your friends. He left Cleveland literally from there, he's literally from and why didn't exactly he's been wearing a Cowboys he's been going to big Cowboys fan. He was after them and the Yankees fan. He was at the Rams Cowboys game. Are we talking about Lebron a games? Why do I have the least amount of problem with him rooting for the Browns on the side half this room roots from all simple teams all the time. So it's like it's that you can choose what you

want to do. It's just he he kind of played up the Cowboys pretty hard over the past, and then the same guy with the Yankees and the Lakers and the Cowboys. Give me a break. We all have friends like that front Runner Mark. The Cincinnati Bengals, what does their billboards say, Well, it's sort of you know, you drive from Cleveland down to Cincinnati, get a different message.

It basically says for me because when I think of the Bengals, I think of Wes He he had enough with the Bengals, but you still have a little bit of Reds fandom, and you have a lot of Reds fandom, all right, and the Reds are in baseball, and the Bengals are saying unlike in baseball, the NFL allows thirty two teams to compete equally from a financial standpoint, but we cutting against the grain are going to operate like a local, moneyless, family run MLB team that you can

count out before the season even starts. Wordy billboard, A little wordy. I mean it's like you're driving along the highway and you get part of the message. There's like multiple billboards in a row. Well those are three three billboards, and it's like the defensive coordinator hiring, which became a bit of a social media joke how long it took to to find their guy. It just seems like Cincinnati's

playing from behind in general right now. From what I can gather, the Bengals believe that they started out last year three in one, and every team can use injuries in an excuse. I know that the Bengals believe if not for injuries, specifically the Tyler Eiffort injury that really hurt their offense, they would have been a playoff team. Then does Zach Taylor have any power inside that building? I mean, they did lose Andy Dalton and Green first.

I still don't think that my Tyler Eiffort. My problem is the Bengals even before there was there was the two thousand and fifteen season where it looked like it was all going to happen potentially, and they were talented. But the Bengals in general going into last year, I don't care about three in one. Don't try to pitch me this idea that you're this playoff team that's going to suddenly show up in the a f C title game.

Are mediocred? They stuck with the mediocre quarterback for ages, and they were they they're the they're the ones who don't seem to care. Might be the most balanced Division two. So that's it's. Those are six tough games in the divisions. It's and I think it's a moratorium now on but remember two thousand fifteen and now too much time has passed. It's it's just a different situation with a whole different vibe. And since that it's not a good one, let's move

to a f C South. Another team that's on the rise in West's heart rankings, the Tennessee Titoons. This is the team that inspired this segment. I believe they have sent the clearest and loudest message with their moves, starting with Adam Humphries, which was the missing ingredient offense. Sides quarterback Well Mariota is much better between the hashes. He's good, he's a good passer in the middle of the field.

He's not good on the outside and down the field, which is surprising that they've never had a really bona fide slot receiver. This gives them that missing ingredient offense. Then Roger Staffeld, the best run blocking offensive lineman in free agency that was a priority Cameron Wake, which is the quintessential win. When now pass Rusher and Ryan Tannehill, they're saying this roster is good enough to do postseason

damage even if our quarterback goes down. I think they're also And what I like about their front office has been one of our favorites in the past, not so too much last year, is you're almost building around the quarterback right now because it's very possible that there is no Marcus Mariotta or Ryan Tannehill long term term at all. So you're building the rest of your roster. Maybe they're one of the teams if everyone else gets the quarterback box check, you go get one in the draft next

year and he comes to a playoff ready roster. I feel like their billboard is we still believe in you, Marcus. Now show it to us. We were giving you a team. We have a backup because we have to protect ourselves because you get hurt a lot, but you have a team. We've been patient with you. This is it. Go show us why you're the guy in the future for us. This is the alternate billboard. Take us seriously, period with

an emoji. Just pray they I think they improve more than any team in the league over the last week us because they found three quality starters at positions they needed. They were all short Other than Humphries, they're really just short term kind of gamuts one or two years. And that's basically what how the NFL should be these days when you're filling in holes and freeze. See. I love what they did. Stay in the division with the Jaguars.

I will tell you what their billboard is. It says, hey, everybody, two eight team never happened, jump back in our pool. I only wish that the billboard had audio qualities. Okay, it does. It's much better when you throw the lids Bluetooth accessible and when you sync up with the billboard, you get that guy. Uh we went. We got rid of the quarterback that we we whipped on. We replaced them with a better version, better version of a franchise quarterback, and uh, we keep most of the band we stuck

together here. On defense, we're gonna run it back and they're gonna get their mojo back, and the offense is going to be better because we have a better signal caller and everything is gonna be Okay, jump back in the pool. I think that's well said. My only concern is that the billboard that tried to sell us all last offseason wound up being every single word was a lie, and so I don't know if I trust the message. I mean, they didn't lie to us, they were just wrong.

Passers by. We're throwing eggs at that billboard because they knew it was wrong. It was a poorly thought out billboard. Ineen, But that's over Mark. What about the cults. The cults, to me, it would be a billboard with less words than my last one that just says, don't try to tell me how to live, all right, Because to me, it's Chris Ballard who all before before free agency, everyone's trying to say, we know what you're gonna do because you have all this money. We're gonna try to attach

Levi on Bell. Do you We're gonna attach maybe you go after Antonio Brown, maybe you do X, Y and Z, and Ballard just said over and over, Actually, I'm not going to do anything that doesn't fit exactly the way the Indianapolis Cults want to operate. I think the Cults are one team that thinks very much about the fact that where they are in the Midwest versus being in

l A or New York, and they are committed. Ballard came up under Dorsey through the draft, so there's not a total DNA print there in terms of not being active in free agency. But he also spent time before that with the Bears that were not huge free agent type teams. They were draft and deliver. And I think that he is truly married and believes and was hired to rebuild the Cults this way. I think there was an agreement in place that this is how I'm gonna do it. If it's not right, I'll do it. I'll

do it my way somewhere else. He's frog and the frog thing too. He's he has stuck with this message and he has not pulled a hook line and sinker where he tells you one thing at the combine like Dave Gettleman and then goes does a bunch of other stuff. He's stuck to it. Don't tell him how to live. It's funny to me how much they've been criticized, especially from Colts fans who are like, do something Colts, when you just saw the fruits of what he did a

year ago. It's very similar. And this drives me crazy every year that Patriots fans do the same thing. They get all worked up and pissy in March about during the years when the Patriots are inactive, because they tend to get active like every one or two, two or three years, and it's like, haven't you learned, Like, just just trust them. At this point, Ballard's earned some respect.

And it's also mid March. I want to evaluate his off season in June because I think some of these guys that are out there that are gonna go for less money justin Houston, Dominican, Sue, whoever it may be. I think the Colts will be active picking up a couple of these guys in their off season and look alontle, I think it's fan fomo and and honestly, the media

does nothing to help. Even some of the smartest fans in the middle of March feel like, when is my team need to go do something because everyone else is lauded forththrow tons of money or there's so many segments last Wednesday on the first day of free agency, including by is like how come this team isn't doing anything in freezezy? All right, let's move over to the NFC and starting the NFC East, the New York Giants, they

seem to be a popular topic of conversation lately. Um. I think the Giants billboard is we are starting a new era, and I know that leads to the snickers, Well, oh what about Eli. He's still there. Eli is not part of their future. Eli is part of the past, almost as much as a part of the past as Odell Beckham. Because they're gonna draft a quarterback next month

and they've gotten rid of the face of the franchise. Well, if elis the face, Odell Beckham was the most popular player, uh and the franchise they are deciding to completely change what it is when you think about the Giants, and that is a hard thing to do, and it's a hard sell to the fan base, and you're you're seeing that and hearing that about how Giants fans are reacting because Giants fans weren't ready to turn the page on

the Odell Beckhame era. But Dave Gentleman and the Mara's and apparently Pat Shermer, we're all on board with doing that. So we are. I think that one of the things they're trying to do is we want to get back to being the Giants and not being so flashy and not and this is an Odell's show where the Giants were a team that puts out a winner consistently, and we build a product that lasts. They didn't think Odell Beckham would be a part of that, so they made

their move. I don't this, I don't agree with it, but I think that's what they're thinking is we didn't like the direction that this franchise was going in with Beckham as the face of it, and we made a move to start over. Their billboard is only half right because there are two There are two qualities that go into loud and clear. It must be loud and it must be clear. Their message is just loud. It's not

clear at all. I don't I don't see. Yeah, it's it's it's half complete, like their billboard should still be. Someone's still up there pasting the little pieces of poster onto it. Because to me, also, you cannot tell me that a new era, like when I think of Sean McVeigh attached to less sneed and then you watch what

they do over a couple of months or a year. Yes, new era, other scenarios, new era, Pat Shermer, Dave Gentleman, do not scream new era to me and and the history unless you There are times when you trade your star player away herschel Walker, and you become part of history because what you get back in return creates a new era and creates that new roster and without all I will say is that the deal on its face value. Gettleman feels like someone that did not he can tell,

he can say he was blown away. I have no problem with Giants fans saying, you're telling me Thata Briel Peppers and a mid round first round pick are blowing us away. No, he's one of those. I mean, it's Latin, would fit in the loud, but not clear. It's the billboard that's on fire in Missouri in that movie, you know, it's like Grantis. McDorman is trying to put it out in the middle of the night. And Gettleman and Shermer think they're part of that new future. They are not. Well,

then they're not. I don't know who's putting quarterback who's not on the team yet he's he's the new future. And whoever the young GM and young McVeigh like head coach they hire next year that is gonna the Giants are a work in progress, and the next year's loud and clear billboard. Now their billboard this year is is whatever I said, we're lying to you, and we hope we get this. Next year it's gonna be the same

exact billboard, but with different people behind it. All Right, the NFC Northwest, the Detroit Lions, well, I think one billboard, if you are not willing to give them much at it would be can you smell the Desperation? A more politically correct one might be the bet on the media guys, make or Break here? Yeah, it doesn't feel like it would sell a lot of tickets. Make or Break here?

For the Matt Patricia it's like the picture. It's like Matt Patricia like like sniffing his armpits or something staring like a chef's hat. That is fast. Sorry, I mean you got the picture. That's what's going on in Detroit. Well, with all the all the Patriots signing way too much for a bunch of guys who some of them don't even belong in the first wave of free agency, and I don't know, it just feels like, hey, first year of Matt Patricia did not go well at all. This

team has no identity. Nobody outside of Detroit really cares about them one way or another. They're desperate to a stab, establish a culture, win some games, and save jobs. I like that about the Green Bay Packers. Greg Rosenhal. It's funny, by the way, this segments kind of turned from loud and clear to just the billboards. Now we're just billboards. But that's what a billboards. Okay, all right there, billboard would be. We heard you, We are your team. I

really feel like the Packers listened to their fans. They've been honking about not spending in free agency for so long. I think the Natives were absolutely restless that they won six games with Aaron Rodgers in the middle of his prime, and no matter what was gonna happen, Goody was coming into this month just gonna usually gonna spend crazy money if he If he thought, hey, I gotta pay Preston

Smith seventeen million dollars year, I'm gonna spend it. I mean, Zadarius Smith seventeen million dollars a year, I'm gonna spend it on Preston Smith. I'm gonna take Adrian Amos from from the Bears. I don't know if it's gonna work or not, but I just think it really is a case of there's no there's no owner there. But I think the ground swell, including from President Mark Murphy, who

who kind of acts as the owner. This is like the people's team, and the people were so sick of the way that they were doing things under McCarthy and Thompson that they had to flip it totally around this office. I mean, it helps that if you're the new GM, you're being compared to someone that essentially like crawled into a sleeping bag head first when free agency started, slept for two weeks and then came out well arrested. That's

what you're being compared against. If you're you're making any move, it's you never well arrested. But yeah, no, that's true. He never did. I mean, I just would say that listening to fans is never is not a good idea for it front. That's a little bit of my concern. It's just this, there's this excitement, Hey, we spent in free agency, now, okay that that that that to me doesn't say much good or bad. I want to see what Matt la Flora does. I want to see if

Mike Petton can integrate all these guys. I I don't know if this team solved them. They did a better job. I think this year investing in younger players, guys that they could build a core around. Last year it was older players like Jimmy graham Um who they kind of kept try to catch lightning a bottle last year and it blew up in their face. Uh. The NFC South, all right, there we go, West, give us something for the Charlotte based franchise, Carolina Panthers. We grew two old,

feeble and decrepit. That is what the billboard has said between the season ticket number underneath. Obama had hope, but this sounds like it's gonna generate more like and then it's just a bunch of pictures of some of the great Panthers that they let go, like Thomas Davis and since the end of the season, I mean that seems mean to those guys. They have cut ties with ten

players over age thirty. Had to do it, yes, because as much as Cam Newton's shoulder injury undermine that season and sunk and I believe they were eight and three when he when he really started to show signs of wear and tear. You can't have an aging roster. It just doesn't work in this league. The defense in particular just fell apart. I know Cam Newton's arm got a lot of the attention, as it should have, but the

defense did not play well. Wouldn't you want to message that like, we're getting younger, We're getting younger, and you get people all I'm son and over spin it back. Now that's what was that Raheem Morris. But it's to keep it in the NFC South and and hijack younger. No, it didn't work the first time. Okay, finally the NFC West, the Arizona Cardinals West. What's on that billboard? Let me check what's on the board. We are tired of dealing

with the tremendous talent deficit. They were left to love these billboards. I feel like that sometimes they were more like loud and clear messages. They're not as much of a billboard. This was the message saying, look, I was the GM last year. Kim Bomb is saying I'm the GM this year. I didn't. I didn't leave myself enough players. So they have signed twelve veterans, starting with their waiver claim of DJ Swear and Dury at the end of

the year. Twelve veterans that are starters are borderline starters. It's a lot. It's a lot in one offseason, but I think that's what they have to do of all teams. Good stuff, loud and clear slash billboard. I liked it, good seg I think it's got legs West. I think we'll see it again. I have to touch a few things up. I did like that sometimes loud and clear, like Greg was saying, and the billboards sometimes they were at odds, but it made it funnier when a loud

and clear messages on the billboard. No, yeah, I didn't hear anything about a billboard until he started taping this podcasts loud and clear than a billboard, like writer like next time bid billboards? Billboard's clear to me? Um, all right, there you go. Before we go, Hey, Ricky, can you get Ken Brown on the phone? Are filling producer? Uh

for our shows last week? Um? You know? And I'm gonna wait until he's on the phone to explain why it felt it was important to circle back with Kent, who did a nice shot for us last week, but something was brought to my attention that I feel like it would be wrong if we didn't address it on the show. Put it that way, Kent, what's up? Stand from the podcast studio? Hey, how are you? And well, just your tone of voice quickly changed from excitement. What

is this? UM? I just wanted to touch base with you, Ken about um something you said on the Friday show. Remember when you you jumped in with that tidbit, the Toto tidbit, the factory, the nug that you jumped in with, and we kind of like, yeah, the total one. What was it that? For new listeners? Yeah, for for new listeners. You had said that Um William's son is the lead singer for Toto, right, which was fine and that's not

necessarily um incorrect. But what you what you failed to tell the audience and us, was that you have to put some respect on Bobby Kimball's name, the founding member and lead singer of Toto four all the hits you know, Rosanna, um Africa, that is Bobby Kimball. Put some respect on that man's name and he rejoined the band in Night. He left the Band of Night in two thousand eight.

Joseph Williams. This this guy that Fly by Night, Johnny come Lately fronted as the lead vocalist from six to eighty eight when they were done, and he is now he tours with them. And now that you know there are seventies something band, I mean seventies and that's how old they are. What Ken, what you did was you misled the audience. And I just want you to know that when you do come with the factoid, we need

accurate figures, numbers, stats, information. I'm very true, but that's technically like thing like Derek Card the Pro Bowl quarterback. He's made a Pro Bowl, but he needed people to drop out in order to be a Pro Bowl. That's a good analogy. It's like it's like saying Adam Lambert is the lead singer of Queen because you can't just say that and just leave it at that. But he wasn't the lead singer for two years and is the Andy Dalton is a Pro Bowl or a fact to

look his name up. The man had a name and it was Bobby Kimball. Okay, Dan, your issue is not forget He is not incorrect to say that this gen William's son did this for a certain period of time. But the main guy was left out of the factory. Yes, and this. Politicians do this all the time. They withhold information. It's a way of not lying, but it's not really

telling that you. Thanks for explaining that to us. Joseph Williams is the current singer with the band, but I just wanted to be known that the man that sung their greatest hits, Bobby Kimball and Ken. You did a great job otherwise, but I couldn't let that go. I live in the current time, so I'm gonna roll with the current singer. He's done, Brown's done, He's not it. It's sad because you guys didn't. You guys are worried about why you know we're waiting to do this call.

Is it gonna pay? Pleasn't ken't needed to know that It last few words were, It's kind of sad because I can just imagine Ken haven't gotten through four shows with creeps like us thinking, gosh, that actually went really well. I thought they would be joy. It's perfect. He's living high off the hog the last two days and then he gets this phone call out of nowhere. Life comes at your best man, all right, welcome back, Ricky, I'm

sure you took a little pleasure in that as well. Uh. We will be back on Monday with our special show from the owners meetings and Phoenix. Uh so check that out. We're gonna have hopefully, I mean, we're getting a lot of notes right now. We'll just be totally honest, but I'm hoping we get you know, multiple, at least two coaches that will talk to us, even if it's like

a strength coach. Ultimately, we'll take anybody we can get and we will interview those people and that content will be turned into fodder for Monday show and Wednesday show as well, maybe at work perhaps. And we got a hot guest on the broadcast tonight too. That's right, the old Zusa is dropping in. I'm going to m VP Manor in fact for the tapings. That will be fun, nice turnaround. Okay, good, So check that out. Uh, And that's it. That's today's show. If you have any other

rap recordings, they have to come to our show. Of course I'll play him if you really unt that all right? Dan? He had to signing out four CLIs Star, The mail Man, The Old Boss, and Ricky Hollywood Behind the Glass Stil Monday, the tw