NFL Inner Monologues with Mina Kimes

It's the great borderline iconic Mina Kimes, Welcome back to the A t N Podcast. Me and how you doing? Thank you? Yeah, it's been about a year. I guess one more than a year, because um, we did a podcast in person, so it must have been pretty pandemic. You brought us treats. I recall you had been to um, some sort of favorite grocery store of yours, and you brought us some train gets, some treats, you know, in a live studio setting. How it happened? What happeny? They

were hip hop snacks. But it wasn't a favorite grocery store. It was a convenience store that I bought the treats app because I had to throw up in the bathroom. I know if you guys remember, yeah, do you remember that? Yeah? You did come on the pandemic. Um. I think it was Clayvon and Colleen was in the mix and we had no agenda. It was the most formless podcast that was. That was me in his Flue Game Flu podcast. Not

not my finest hour, that's for sure, yea. Um, so happy to have you here, Mina, And we're gonna have a great show today. Um. Coming up later on, we're gonna take you inside the minds the minds of various NFL figures and let you understand what's going on in their inner thoughts, the inner monologue, the stuff that you don't want you to hear. They don't want their teammates to hear, they don't want the media to hear. But

we're gonna hear. And that's pretty good. Um. But before we get to that, I mean, I wanted to touch base quickly with you on something based off our last podcast. We have, like a a conversation I really enjoyed, which was what does it mean to be a fan? How important is it to win a championship? Do fans put too much value on titles when we should be more appreciative of teams who routinely put together fun, competitive seasons.

Gregg was coming from this angle. We were talking about the Falcons and what they could be doing this season. Um And I think you're the perfect person to ask this question me because you're a die hard Seahawks fan. You got to enjoy the Super Bowl forty eight win. You've mixed in plenty of heartbreak and disappointment in the years before and after. You're also a massive Seattle Mariners fan, a franchise that has never won a World Series in forty five years. In fact, they're the only team in

MLB and I don't I'm not telling. I'm not breaking news to me and the kids here, the only team in LB MLB without so much as a World Series appearance in their history. Um So, I think winning a title in Mark kind of agreed with my feeling on it is a point of Catharsis that fans need to kind of let you know that it was all worth something. Where do you come down on this, because I feel like you're qualified uniquely on some level. Well, thank you

for that. Mariner's Recap just barely enjoyed that yeah, I think we're batting one, so that's does everybody else? Yeah? True, true, but the Mariners were no hit like twice in one week. The Worth people always trying to talk trash to me on Twitter about the Mariners, and I'm like, you really think I feel anything? Would you say this to me? Um?

I actually think the cs are a good advantage point for the question you raised, which is the importance of winning a championship competing versus ripping it all up and illustrative about illustrative of how in football the timelines and steaks and realities of that are different from other sports. Um. You know, in basketball, I think you really have to

have X y Z in place to compete. Where us When earlier this summer, when they were summer spring, when there were a lot of rumors about Russell Wilson, Um, there was a strain of thought, Well, the Seahawks aren't gonna win a Super Bowl anyways, uh so why not trade Russell Wilson, maximize his return, rip it up and start over, to which I said, yeah, there's no the Seahawks are not one of the five best rosters in football, but it's football. They might win. Like I don't like

who's to say, right, like, we can't. It's far more unpredictable. With the single elimination playoffs, it's far more likely that weird could happen. You can get that Nick Foles Flacco run and I believe if you have And this is this is my very long winded path towards your question. If you have a quarterback who's good, you should just always try to wait. I think, um, if you don't,

that's where it gets a little more complicated. Yeah, And it's not like I wasn't saying you're not gonna get Catharsis, like, of course it's always gonna be nice. I'm just saying, like, ultimately that's not going to be your only You're gonna get more value out of the journey and everything else or else, like what are you doing, Like you're still talking about the Rex Ryan uh days Dan and how much you enjoyed it, or like if if you can't have fun with teams that don't win the title, then

you're never gonna have any fun. But my argument is that it's like a rich person, Greg's a Patriots fans telling people with no money it's great to experience poverty. It's good for you, and it's there's something to learn from it. Like you're talking to a Seahawks fan who heart, whose heart was broken by the Patriots. Your example previously was the Falcons who were destroyed um astronomically by the Patriots. So the point was they had you had, Michael Vick,

You've had some good times. I guess what I'm saying is, like a title, it's not going to take away the emptiness that's inside you like you think it will. But after like a couple of weeks, you're just kind of back to the sad page if you pull it back above the tree tops. I think the reason, I guess, do I talk about the Rex Rant Jets all time? Maybe I do. That's all I got. I'm like with the earners, I've never even seen my team in the Super Bowl. Uh. And you know, I think competitive teams

it's a little ephemeral, whereas flags fly forever. I actually believe that you have that forever. You have the DVD, you have the memories all that. Anyway, good May twenty talking point in a big spot. All right, let's do some news is going to be angels. I don't get enough of this on ESPN platform this, Yes, that is it annoying that he's like the best player in the

you immediately I disproved. I now look like a total liar because less than five minutes ago I was I said, you can't hurt me as a merass fan, I feel nothing, and there I am being hurt all over again live like when he he decided where he was going. Yes, so we're that weren't on TV. We're in a commercial break, but the generous around the horn producers decided to share that with the world. Yeah, and it's had a lasting effect.

Is I was like, oh, yeah, that'd be kind of connect to what we're talking about the top of the show, and sure enough it was on YouTube on like fourteen different easy enough to find. The Mariners are a good example by a team that should have ripped it up early.

I don't want to get into it, but the central question is should you rip it up or try to compete right in every sport And this is something that is a matter of debate amongst many teams, and I think the Mariners should have ripped it up earlier and done the rebuild and gone full of astros slash cubs slash whatever, and they're doing it now, and there's some NFL teams that might be doing that now as well. All right, let's get to it. Let's start with Bruce Arians.

Bruce Arians on top of the world Super Bowl champion coach six years old. Now, um, there was a report right around the Super Bowl that if if the Bucks won the big Game, which they did, that he would maybe walk into the sunset. No way. Arion's is a lifer, and he spoke on the Pewter Report, a type of Bay Buccaneers podcast, about the idea of how he sees kind of the back nine of his career going one that might not include Tom Brady. Here's what Arian's had

to say. I could, I could get extremely excited about have another young quarterback and going to war with one. Uh, I'd be I'll be honest with you, I'd be excited to take Blaine Gabbert go to war because I love I think he's the most underrated player in the NFL. Blaine Gabbert's listening and being like pay me. You're like, let me be a free agent for a month and gave me three billion dollars. Pay me. I haven't heard such like Gabbert, Uh defense and standing since m j

D would just tirelessly. Uh try to tell me that he was like a diamond in the rough that was just given a bad hand in life, and he's got Bruce Arians agreen with him. I don't believe this for a second really though, either. I feel like Bruce Arians, if they had a bad season with Tampa and it wasn't fun, you know, he would just as easy walk away. Of course, like right now he's having fun and it sounds like he would want to play forever. But he or a coach forever. But he he left pretty quickly

last time and seemed about done at that point. So the one thing I note though, is that you know, Arians was tied to Gabbert in Arizona too, and he I went went back and look at some quotes from seen and he gushed about Gabbert as a future starter. And so maybe there's just some of these coaches have these traits that they love. One time I talked to Bruce Arians also like the Browns fan of me about Kelly Holcomb, who was for about a season and a

half incredible for the Cleveland Browns. I mean, Arians just gushed about him for like ten straight minutes. It was like too much I could put into the article. So I think he just finds these dudes and falls in love, do you think? And of course Gabbert was a first round pick and a bust with the Jaguars, and like there's a speaking of baseballer's that saying the old scouting community, Oh he's got a good face, and they actually put

stock in someone being good looking. Gabbert's a very handsome man, do you think? And he looks the part obviously. I think he was even in draft day. Maybe I don't know, but he's pretty athletic, like he checks the boxes. Like do you think the way do you think the way that Blaine Gabert looks makes certain coaches say this guy everything makes sense here, I could fix him. He looks like a star like moneyball thing. Um, well, I'll say

this about Blaine Gabbert. He looks like someone named Blaine Gabbert, like completely, like if you had to visualize a guy named Blaine Gabberty would look exactly like I was. But um, your point mark about the arians type if you will.

I was thinking that during the draft when they took Trash, I was like, oh yeah, that's an Arians guy, like, no question, and that's not a compliment people like I. I'm I was not particularly high on trash, but I just think he can't resist the like tall pocket passer Um, he's making it work. I mean he's made it work.

But bet with Roethlisberger and Palmer he's digging. Well, there's a Mark had a big theory throughout his first season in Tampa Arians that like he was totally checked out and was like was almost that he was with Trent Green, like he was March act out than he was alongside Trent Green in the CBS booth, which is hard. Well, I would not say that he was more checked out than he was besides Trent Green. He did not want

to be in that booth. But the first year in Tampa with Jamis Winston throwing like five interceptions in the London game and pick six is he looked a little tired to me. But I am multiply wrong. No one can convince me that Bruce Arians was a broadcaster for one year. It didn't happen. Show me the proof, I demanded. I don't think it did happen. I think he was there, but his voice by the way, whenever he talks. I just did a panel with him, um, the all the women,

the diversity. Yeah, and and every time he talks. I'm surprising you, but I've heard this man thousands of times, right, and every time he speaks, there's like a softness to his voice. It's a little higher than you expect. It actually sounds like what he looks like, which is a hired assassin, like and who's been in the business for a long time. He talks like that a little bit. I don't is that an accent? Am I where is he from? Ricky? Can you find out where Bruce arians?

It's distincting. It always takes me back a little bit. Um. In other news, Jeff Schultz, reporter for The Athletic, leads a right up on the Julio Jones situation with the Falcons. Thus Lee, the Falcons would like to trade Julio Jones period end of sentence. Okay, So it's uh, this guy that's plugged in deeply to the team knows it. Now the question becomes Mark Sessler, does it happen? How do they make it happen? They have some very real problems

You've talked about. Mark often on this podcast this offseason. They have major salary cap issues to the extent that they can't sign their rookie class right now, and Julio Jones moving him off the books would solve a major real hurdle. Is it gonna happen? Is this thing? Is it fate? At this point, I think I think you've

gotta mix in what you know. Our friend Steve White has reported to they don't want to it's not really about the player, but they are in a position, you know, as as the article noted, um, they can't really even sign their draft picks right now, and so I think that they're they're kind of stuck. And like you look at Thomas Dimitroff, who's you know, not really being mentioned enough. Part of your job is GM is not to get the team if you can help it into this kind

of situation. They weren't a team that won five Super Bowls, and you know, with that as an excuse, but I think it's very real. I mean, just the reporting suggests it's very real, and that there were a limited number of teams that probably our targets. They talk about the Niners, the the Patriots, um, maybe the Ravens. I think the Cults could be a team in there, but they almost have to move him if they can't get Grady Jarrett

UM to restructure, who's also getting paid twenty million. But they talked about Grady Jared Jarrett's agent not really UM necessarily like the most bendable, flexible guy on that front, maybe not totally game to wanting to do that. So you know the Falcons are in a tough spot. Well, you're so afraid of Grady Jarrett's agent that you can't keep like the greatest player in franchise history. I mean, I don't know. I see this is this is on

your radar here me and you started. You started tweeting quite a bit this week, I mean this morning about about this story. Streets are talking that this this entire column might have been like a sub tweet or like a sub column UM responding to subma times. I know no streets are talking UM. I did put out a

video saying that it didn't make sense to me. Not that the Falcons are broke, everyone knows that, but the fact that they're um looking to trade Julio to clear up some cap space doesn't square to me with everything

else they've done. This off season, which was which began before the draft with restructuring Matt Ryan's contract, which was the first sign that they perhaps we're not going to draft a quarterback right because they basically tied the team of Matt Ryan for two seasons to be really painful for them to move on before then. And then of course in the draft, they don't take quarterback, they take

Kyle Pitts. Um, you rebuild around Kyle. I love Kyle Pitts the player, but he was the highest drafted tight end ever. Um to me, if you're a rebuilding team, you take justin fields there and you don't restructure Matt Ryan months before. So I don't understand why you would do those things and then trade Julio for some cap relief and like a future optimistically second round pick. And I say that obviously based on what I'm hearing, I could be wrong. Um, you're not going to get an

impact player. You didn't get a pick that you could use this year. I just it feels like, um mixed messages from the organization, and I have yet to hear a good reason why you don't restructure Grave Jared, who's one of the most underrated defensive players in football other than Todd France is scary. That's decried like extension could be hard getting an extension for Jared, which also would

make sense. It could be hard. But literally, any player will a yes, I'll take if if you want to give me my twenty million dollars today and then spread it out over the rest of my contract, they will take it. That thing. It is not hard. The the article from Saltz made me think though that they actually they really do want to trade Julio. And this was the first time that I thought, Okay, this actually is

probably gonna happen. If I had to guess, you know, I don't really know and and I don't get it, not just like message sending of rebuilding or not, but just like this offense could be awesome. I don't know they if they could be a top five offense, they could absolutely be in the playoffs. They could absolutely have a meaningful season, And you're gonna do that for some second round pick. It just does that part doesn't make anything thing to like this. This is a team that

had four wins last year. I tweeted this. They had the Pythagorean wins of a seven and a half team win win team. Based on their point differential, they're gonna be better. They upgraded at coaching. They brought Dps out of retirement, which I feel like everyone who's kind of being overlooked or just Smith amazing offensive coach. There's totally a case for this team blowing defenses out of the water. Matt Ryan, whom I love of having a comeback season,

don't train, Julio can get it. We're all in agreement. Then restructure Grady jar and let's go. Let's not overthink this. Atlanta Flaklins and other news. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Joe Burrow recovering from that nasty knee injury is quote, all systems go for week one, and that coat came directly the all systems go from the doctor that has worked with Burrow. Week one is against the Vikings. We'll see how they handled the summer and and preseason and

all that, but that's very good news. Minna have Burrow back on the field. And on that note, I'll just throw it out there since we're here. Very nice year coming up for comeback Player of the Year race. Like we knew last year, what was gonna happen? Alex Smith if he made it back, don't even have a vote. We know this year it's wide open, and I'm gonna

give you some odds here. Um Dak Prescott leads the way come back from the fraction Ankle, Plug, Quan Burrow and CMC all plus six hundred, Nick Bosa plus seven hundred, and then some long shots for you to chew on here everybody Derwin, James von Miller plus six hundred, O'Dell Marquis plus twenty hundred, and then Jimmy g As a real long shot plus five thousand. Who do you like, Nina coins? Um, I think those odds accurately like the likelihood of every player. I don't. Um. I would say

probably Barkley is a bit of a long shot. Um I would go botha over Barkley and CMC personally, but it did seem like decks to lose Stacker Brew. How about Matt Ryan? Where is he? Plus four thousand? Get like the Philip Rivers Memorial Comeback Player of the Year where Philip Rivers came back from being like the eighteenth best quarterback and then was the sixth. Like I could see that. Then your boy Matt Ryan had catt could

not be that could be Carson. What if Carson Wentz through forty touchdowns in you know Indiana was gonna say, Like, back in I think it was seven, they gave Raphael Palmero the Gold Glove and he paid like fourteen games at first base. There had to be that year that they gave Phil Rivers come Back Player of the Year because he threw a bunch of interceptions the year before.

There had to be some nose tackle that shredded as achilles and played every snap the next year and made the Pro Bowl that just didn't get love because he wasn't He wasn't a quarterback. Can I take over and ask you guys a question that I feel like I'm not getting good answer from. You could have just asked it. I like the frameman is taking over that is here. Yeah, I'm redirecting the I didn't come on. You didn't ask me to come on and ask questions. What do you

think is the likelihood? Just give it a present that Carson Wentze is better than Philip Rivers was. It's funny we just had this conversation on some level on our last show, and I'm kind of on the Wentz wagon. A lot of it is Frank right related the Phil Rivers bar. That's the thing that maybe I'm curious what you guys think was the bar? Is it? Where is that bar? Was it pretty low bar to clear? Is it a I know it wasn't a high bar. It

was like maybe a medium bar. I think wins can clear what Rivers did last year because I think he has upside and gets the fresh start with good coaching. That's where I come down. What's their percent? I'm giving it yeah, uh. Because I'm such a Rivers fan and not a Wentz fan, I'm gonna give it seven. Seven. Rivers was like I would say Rivers was like the four teams best quarterback in the league or something. But it does matter to me that he played fantastic in

the playoff game. I know it didn't end that well, but he played as well or better than Josh Allen and m v P Canada in that game. Like he played great in that game, so that that counts for me. I would so Dan is officially a Wentz head. Um I am. I'm not on skeptical, So I'm gonna put it at forty one point six chance probably good. It's probably the right answer. All right, that's what's happening in

the news. By the way, Tim Tebow officially signed. He's number means you number fifteen, probably gonna trade him, Tebo get I mean, I don't want to go down. This will not be on the team by the time by the time Mini gets traded. I don't want to talk about it. Let's say it for another show. I just I'm still sure. I was the more I thought about this thing, because I hadn't really thought about it since that became a story. But like, why is urban Meyer

actually doing this? I almost think it's something personally. He's just doing his buddy a favor that his wife said, Tim Tebow will always be a son to us. And all right, okay, here we go, let's get into it inner monologue time. How do you feel about this? Me and you feel good about the seg um. I think it's creative. We're like we we we we had some you know, meeting of the minds here, like we were like, what can we do the next six or seven weeks.

That's not just previewing the season, which we're gonna do almost every day starting in July. So it's it's a tough. We ranked defenses last week that that felt pretty bottom of the barrel. That's that's good, just good rankings. The Mina Kim Show featuring Lonny by the Way, Oh Yeah featuring Linny um Erica tamp Post reports via the producer's Share that Bruce Arians is from Paterson, New Jersey, but he grew up in York, Pennsylvania, home of alternative Rocks,

Stalwart Live. So the most famous person to come out of York, you decide, I go okay, I am Lightning Crashes. Oh yeah, Lightning Crash and I are like Secret Live, not even secret overt live. Fans, Wait, is there another song? What's what's another song that he's done? Uh? All over you selling the drama? The Dolphins Cry? I mean We're Dolphins Cry is great? What's the one that you and I um started to love that no one else knows?

We go Deep, We go deep, cuts off mental jewelry and the Dolphins Cry would be a great money I football outro, Like you know, I maybe it was really clever, like references just whenever Lightning crashes For the Chargers too, it's always don't confuse live though with the band that did or else Dan Market very upset. You know that stummies. Those are feelings, all right, Let's get into an inner monologue, inner thoughts that people in the NFL are afraid to

share with anyone but themselves. I'll get things going, and I will. I'm gonna take you inside the mind of Las Vegas raider Is general manager Mike Mayock. Here we go. I feel that I'm under an alarming amount of pressure that Alex Leatherwood pick. I kind of wish I had that one back. People are pretty mean to me about that. Oh. When I saw John that night in the break room, he said, you outsmarted everybody again. Mikey, what was he messing with me? You kind of set it through gritted teeth?

Is that how he always talks? I need to watch one of those Corona commercials to be sure, like us a beer focus, Mike Leatherwood, It'll be fine. Need some of these other draft picks to help me out, though, rugs are Net Jacobs and Abraham. That'll have to those guy is. Last year peril was like thinking, so stupid John is a tenure contract. They're gonna come for me if these guys don't improve. I wonder if I film network would give me my whole job, Daniel Jeremy Jack,

I'm hungry, can give a taco mm hmmm. A lot of pressure from Mike. We're out of the mind. We're out of his mind. Were we also right? I was just gonna wait, you can do it anyway. You're fine, You're fine, You're fine, You're the guest. Um, you know, we we've done this enough. We all know what we're gonna turn your Yeah. I do like the idea of Mike Mayak as a as like this self doubting guy, because he never gives off that impressions whatsoever, but there

has to be a little bit of doubt creeping. And I mean you do you do feel for him as a human because he knows how like amazing this opportunity was, like it was perfect for It's not like it's a kid getting picked out of the stands to like beyond the team, but it's about as close as you'll probably get in in the NFL that it's it's virtually on precedent, and he knows that this year matters, and they've they've had so many draft picks over the last three or

four years, Like they did that part right. Everyone says, get a million draft picks, take a million swings, and they've they did the drect The team is absolutely in his image, and John Gruden's history will indicate that he will absolutely use Mayak as a scapegoat if if it

doesn't work. This is what I would say. I think one problem is, even even if Leatherwood um is a plus performer, your average fan is not going to be tracking Leatherwood on Sundays the way they would if it was, like you picked up this running back that goes for like six hundred yards or a wide receiver blowing people up a little bit difficult. It's so perfect that the hated writer's re pick this year was a lineman named Alex Leatherwood. You just you couldn't make that up, all right?

Ended up being um. Who did they take after him? The dB UM marriage? Yeah, Travan Merrick, it was. I It's simply if they had switched to the picks, everybody would have been cool with the draft. Like if they had taken marriage before Weatherwood in the exact same spots, they ended up with the same players. So it's kind of stuck to his guns. He's like stuck to his esoteric draft boards three years in a row, which does indicate I don't think he's too worried about what what

people like us are saying. You're up next, take us inside the mind of who, um I'll do von Miller first, the probably no one expect the same level of performance. I got the pressure, all right, speaking pressure, man, I'm a favorite win comeback of the year. My defense is stacked. It's been since the Super Bowl run. We are well coached. Bradley Chubb's opposite me. We resigned Shelby Harris. Our secondary is ridiculous. This is one of the best secondaries I've

ever played with. We got Kyle Fuller in the mix. We drafted that kid with the dad who everyone's excited about. But you guys know, we're not win with Drew lock. Every day I practice, I gotta watch that guy throw passes that I know our defense with intercept. So Aaron, if you're listening, whatever it takes, get out here, man. I can't. I can't go out like this. I just can't ler out. I likely said. You guys know, and then if you make a passion like you reach to

Aaron Rodgers. Is all inside the mind of von Miller. So now I have more questions. Okay, so it would have been more like maybe I should text Daron. Yeah, that's sort of an aquaman skill set potentially. You know, if I had written it, I would have thought up this through a little bit. No, No, that I man, Matt, Where where do they if they ever if they ever ever ever found a way to get Rogers there? Like where did they come down? When you like put together

the top teams in the NFC? Are they right behind the Chiefs too? That ever happened depends who they gave up. Depends like if they happened to give up like Bradley Chub and Jerry Judy and someone else, then maybe that would change something. But no, I would think I would put them number one. I mean I would even because I don't know if it was you that said this. Meaning last week, it's like there's like a lot of

rosters better than the Chiefs. It's like they just have Patrick Mahomes like the Chiefs do not Like if the Chiefs were given Kirk Cousins, They've got like the twelve best roster in the league. You know, So if you put Aaron Rodgers on the Broncos, I like where did your rank the Broncos in your defense rankings, it's gotta they've got to be top five. Had them at three and I was, But defense is incredibly stacked, and so Aaron Rodgers the number three defense and some and some

good parts around them. I think they might be the favorite. You're right, the von Mill like people on the like veterans on the Broncos have to be actually feeling this, like I don't think people if there's like a thing that I can convey about NFL players that maybe they don't express publicly. It's how sick defensive players get of playing with quarterbacks like privately, those are the like it

wears on you. And how many short fields do you deal with when you have a quarterbacks thrown an interception on your own fifteen? You know, at least Teddy is more likable. They'll they'll at least like like them in the locker room. You know, I forgot about I forgot to mention Teddy. Don't don't we having having We've had a few ted talks recently that have kind of been a little bit it's gotten a little salty. Uh, Greg, You're okay, I think I went too long. I'm realizing

now all right, here we go. Ah, this is inside the mind of Urban Meyer. Oh boy, I got this. I'm not Ship Kelly, I'm not Nick Saban jumping to the n c A at the first sign of treble. Who do these people think they're dealing with? So what if I hired a racist strength coach? What am I zip recruiter? So what if I played traffics at the end at wide receiver in many camp? There's no tackling

new nim Rods and big deal. If I want to let Timmy have his little tight end fantasy camp with us, I could play Trevor Lawrence's painting brother at h pack and we would steamroll this division. Carson Wentz, Please, he couldn't have started at North Dakota State last year the Titans. The Titans are three offensive players and Mike Brabel's haircut. That's the Sexans are right? Oh? I like that Easter b guy. Still, I got this. I've got my national media friends in my back pocket. We got Fox, we

got NFL network. I've got less media down here than I've gotten Columbus. I've got Joe Cullen, that guy who was naked in the Wendy's drive through running my defense. I've gotta I've gotta change offensive football with my beautiful Trevor and my cutting edge play color um Darryl Bevil. All I need is to schedule some nonconference cupcakes in September and we'll be top five in the coaches poll before you know it. I've got this man. That man is not at a loss for confidence internally at least

rods on people. That's not that's sharp cutting, totally clear on what the NFL schedule is, but you know, listen in time, in time, not wrong about the division Urban, Yeah, just something about just something about that he's so on my radar and the interviews he has with the with the media members who are all buddies with them and they're on my radar. He just feels like thinks he's above the rest of it. I'm not. No, We're gonna find out. He's got to put up results and he's

got the kids. I mean, who else, Like, no one has criticized these hires. No one's criticize Well, maybe people are starting to criticize it. But it's like, though, like I I now, for a lot of reasons, want to watch the Jaguars where I, you know, strongly avoided them. There's just like a lot of belief and maybe he there's a there's a total chance that he's gonna you know, be good and make them nine and seven right away. But I guess I'm not just like cashing in that's like,

oh yeah, this will work out. This could be a total fiasco. I think I think that's probably I don't think there's a lot of people that are just assuming they're gonna take off now that this could definitely I will give him credit for this that he he handled this beautifully from a timing standpoint. You know, he's the celebrated college coach. He makes a ton of money, uh, doing TV, and then he got this perfect opportunity that's franchise that backed up the brain struck for this generational

quarterback at number one overall. So he gets that and he gets full power. It seems like, uh, to set things up the way he wants. He could even do things like signed Tim Tebow because he likes him and wants to do His brow is solid, like he's set up. Well, now you have to produce though, this is the national football I mean, if they had to three win seasons. I could also see him, you know, hitting the road. He's not someone that's like, hey, let me stay stick

around for seven or eight years in places. So it's like when Reggie busch Um quit our digital television program and headed back to Fox. A similar situation to work with Urban Meyer. M Mark, you're buddy, all right, I um am going to go inside the mind of Brown's general manager Andrew Barry Music. Please, I carry secrets things nobody else could know. A trade on the table O'Dell to New England for a second rounder in the exclusive rights to special assistant Ernie Adams. Ernie, he is not

any more retired than Tom Brady. We're giving him his old office back the bunker he's slept in from nine one to right here in Cleveland. Mind exercise seven hundred and seventy seven times five hundred and fifty five is four D and thirty one thousand, two d and thirty five.

There's just things that nobody knows. Kevin Stefanski born May How we were introduced to each other in the year two thousand, right after I quietly saw the y two K bug for the Clinton White House at age thirteen, Stefanski and I were put into that special ops program for gifted minds, a lot of crazy ship astral projection remote viewing. They kept us hidden away in those caverns under Arlington Cemetery. We watch football obsessively in our downtime

cut ups old film. That's how we met Ernie at He was doing some really dark stuff for the Navy. People think the Browns just settled on Stefanski. I mean, come on, this was all pre planned. Paul D. Podesta, a baseball man, just crosses over to the NFL. Everyone buys it, makes fun of him. People want simple answers. Loan gunman us alone in the universe. This goes so

much deeper than people know. They have no idea what the Cleveland Browns really are, why they went away, why they came back, and why they're rising again at this very hour. Barry out himself. I always thought the Native American flute was something that was just inside your mind. Mark that so imagine when you're up at three thirty in the morning. But I guess Andrew Barry as well. Yeah, Kindred.

It's it's surprising because you think of Barry as this like analytics guy, you know, very you know Harvard educated, right, I believe Um, But no, like he it's not just thought about the numbers, it's about you know, conspiracy theories for him. He kind of made him a shaman or I'm not sure. Um, Big Belichick put Ernie Adams on the on the trade block like before he retired. Well, now you know that's complex. Greg. I don't know anymore than what I what I just told you. So does

the bloom? So I feel like Barry's right now the guy like everybody loves him. Everybody loves his drafts. Everybody loves with including me. I'm a big, big Berry fan. Do you think the bloom comes off the Rows if they extend Baker and he struggles in the first year A basic extension, yes, because I think that's that is a lightning flashpoint that would get essentially everyone in the media to go crazy on the Browns. So that would

be it. But I mean, you know, if he plays great and then they extend him, I don't what do you not extend him? If he has a great smart That's why Barry keeps on pushing the right buttons. He's not extending him. He's not going to make the Jared goffmus ache right now he's gonna wait another year. Well, I don't know. He's actually sound the time where Golf and you know Golf got his extension and who else am I forgetting Wentz gets the extensive? Is the summer

right before camp. That is the time that you do this. And it does sound like they're pretty interested in doing it. And I don't see the big upside. What is the gonna do if you wallion dollars more year whatever? Do it in week seven? Like if he gets off to fast start, he's gonna take that money in week seven. But let's see like a little bit of year two with one game, no play action button. So far, I don't think he's a group think guy. We'll see all right up next and to take you inside the mind.

Speaking of which of Jared Goff, Oh, fresh start for the j man. And this is exactly what I needed. I forget about my one house in Malibu and the other one near my parents place in Napa Valley. I'm in Detroit. Now. They may lakes all around this bitch, But should I buy yeah or rent? Do the lions really like me? Or did they bring me here just to get those number? Ones. Wait a second, A damn second. The Lions trade for me, so they could replace me with a draft pick they got in the trade for me.

That's messed up, Dan Campbell want to do that to me? That dude seems brat Holmes. That guy's a straight shooter, upper management written all over. He wouldn't lie to me, right, I gotta call my agent. Oh, I feel bad for him after that. So listen, there's a lot of in all of us. Uh. I'll only speak for myself, but I feel like it's quite common. There's a level of self doubt and all of us. And how could Yard goff off this offseason? I think he's being set up

for a long term stay in Detroit. Now I'll say this, I'll I'll set it up the football conversation like this, this offensive line could be awesome, potentially are very good. Okay, you go and you take um Seul with the first pick. That's great. You got Frank Ragno, they just signed him to the extension. Um Taylor Decker Um had a really big season on the other side, and you got some

solid guard play last year. Like maybe it's a really good line and that can help a quarterback and measurably as we know, the uh skill players on the outside a problem obviously unless somebody has a career year. But is is there any chance a long winded question, double question, Assessler, double question, Hey, any chance Jared Goff has a solid season and b that he's their quarterback in two years? Mm hmm. I think there's a chance. Yeah. Remember Anthony

Lynn is the coordinator. Uh yeah, Like he's not gonna throw the ball much. He might he might throw like four and eighty four times. I guess if they fall behind in games, that will be tricky. But if he's well protected, Like there's the bar is so low for him now that if he has like an eighteen or nineteen touchdown and ten interception with like seven yards per attempt, like everyone's like, oh wow, Jared Goff was better than

we thought and he's he's capable of that. I mean, it was just last August, that mean, and I jumped on the I don't know if you want to call it a bandwagon, but the Lions something or other um

and they disappointed my expectations. And I don't think that evenganizationally they're saying they're gonna be um blowing people away this year, So I don't like to set up for Jared Goff a ton and I don't think they're thinking Jared Goff's to your second question, I think they begin heat seeking a younger quarterback probably in the next draft. Do you think they should have taken the young quarterback this year? Yes, I would have taken I would have

taken Justin Fields. But the Lion's Den, by the way, it was like, it was weird how they basically decided ahead of time and throw to the Eagles, apparently like they were not going to take Dustin Fields no matter what which is. We're just writing like they were trying to trade up four sewell two four, and the Falcons wouldn't do it. Supposedly. I mean, they tried to trade up, and it made it sound pretty clear that it was going to be for Sewel. They got him at seven.

That worked out. The non rebuilding Falcons was not interested in trading down for a haul. Make it makes sense. Stop stop, I'll stop stop tweeting my sub tweet you know whatever. Um yeah, Jared, Jared knows the score. I mean, when you are publicly called trade draft kick clotter, I think, um he he seems like a guy who would pay attention to you. I don't know if he's kept that golf course thing that he put in the back of his house where he could where he could chip like

three yards below to it to his neighbors. Was already scene. He wasn't hitting the hole, and I felt like a horrible metaphor. I do know they've taken down the banana public um posters of golf on the third Avenue promenade in Santa Monica, but that's because I think all the businesses have closed, so me and it isn't just totally so when things go south and the lions, then mina do when I try to put together the imagery, are you devoured by the expectations? Do the lions devour you?

Do you starve inside the lines that when things go poorly in the lines? Yeah? Well that isn't there talk of an actual lion on the sidelines now, So maybe you have a date with the live mascot. I liked, I actually liked the cod chan high. I mean it's it was a mistake. It was a mistake. I mean, wouldn't the lions the lions themselves would become punchless and less vicious, because that's what happens to That's what happened

to the actual Lions in the football season. So I think you're, if you're a human, you probably just get right out of there. Would you like that golf? You know, had sort of the Hollywood production value that his song changed midway through. I mean, Mina is worried about you didn't write your things out. I mean we got song changing changing. We could request songs didn't. Yeah, like in high school or something. This is just a thousand podcasts

of faking it, you know. According to Dennis Dodd and CBS Sports, Matt Campbell of Iowa State was offered an eight year deal worth sixty eight and a half million dollars to leave the college ranks and take over the Lions program from Matt Patricia. Um, that's weird, kind of weird,

Dan Campbell. First of all, guys got the same last name, and then he's getting a seven million dollars seventy million dollar offer, right and like the three I think three last years was like Matt Campbell had the leverage to get that kind of offer and you didn't take it. Kind of a weird time in Detroit Lions history. All right, now you're up. Oh, okay, um, this one's a letta be a little subversive. I think, ok well, I just

think you know, people call me a homer. I think this is going to fly in the face of that a little bit. No one costs me a homer, really, but you know, well, you know Miner's fans on Twitter. Okay, I'm waving my hand from you up there. It's okay, it's me, Brian Schottenheimer. A punchline. So many jokes in Seattle, so many memes, so many insults over the years. You wanted me to throw the ball, I did. I throw it on early downs at the highest rate in the NFL.

What more do you want from me? Yeah, our offense sucked in the second half of the season, But where are still throwing the ball? Well, like, let me correct that. Somebody wasn't throwing the ball two open receivers underneath. He was big game hunting. I'm not gonna name names. I'm not gonna name names. Ussell Wilson, I didn't draft that offensive line. I didn't pick that center. Those guards. One of the guards is okay, Damian Lewis. I think he'll be good ure, it's not my fault, and yet here

I am the subject of scorn and blame. A joke. Yeah, my vibes are makes more sense in Florida, if you know what, screw you, Seattle. I got six inches of height now to work with. Shoddy is going to show them that it wasn't my fault. The little internal pep talk and I love yeah, you know, picturing like looking

in the mirror, like shirtless just pumping his fist. That big gss connects to my um to my my conspiracy theory that Russell Wilson partly put out all the trade requests to distract everyone from his his self started m v P campaign crashing off the tracks because of the worst ten game stretch of his entire career, which for whatever reason, he got like no blame for maybe from some Seahawks fans like yourself. I mean, I think kind of notice, but I feel like nationally was just like

their offensive line Stinx and Brian Shotton. Oh oh, they stopped like trying to throw the ball. It's like now, Russell, like it happens. I'm not that worried long term, but that was the worst ten game stretch of his career, he struggled. If anything, Schottenheimer showed flexibility because you just thought you're gonna get this guy that's the same offense year after year, and he went for it last year. I mean, he kind of did everything Russell Wilson asked for.

But I think we're just so I've never really even heard any critique of Russell Wilson the quarterback on the field ever. So it was sort of probably a mental shift and adjustment that we could handle in season. And you know, it's funny to me, like there are the Baldies of the world and other people that really understand the nuances of offensive line play and what's actually going on in the trenches, and but you don't need to be that person to see what was happening in points

with Seattle's offense last year. He just held the ball too long and that was the big game hunting that was internally his offensive coordinator was thinking about in his mind shirtless with a giant cross like that. You didn't have to be an expert to see that Russell Wilson maybe was trying to do too much and that was killing the team to time. The other thing I wanted to say, but I would remembered if I had written down my script that I didn't. Um is they played

the Ramps twice, they played Aaron Donald twice. You know, I think we are like there, there's a bit of a sample size issue in competition, uh, factoring into this? Alright, Greg, you're all right, we're going to get inside the mind of Zach Taylor Beals. Oh yeah, that guy. I'm good enough. I'm smart enough, doggone it. People like me except for that Mark Sessler character. What is this deal? Always wanting to punch down on us poor Bengals because his Browns

have a little success. Well, whatever happened to Ohio unit community? That's a thing. Why don't we both rise up and take over these bullies in Pittsburgh and Baltimore? I mean, well, what's not to like about this team? Jabbar Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Joe Mixon, Joey Burrow. I dare say that group is better than the one in Cleveland, better than the Steelers, better than the Ravens in terms of offense. And here I see how Mark say, how forgettable? I

am well over and over. Sorry if I like polos instead of button downs, Mark, why don't you try winning back to back games in the NFL with Ryan Finley and Brandon Allen. That happen, It's gonna happen a lot more. Just you watch out, Mr Sessler. Oh no, I guess that he does seem like a good dad on Instagram. I mean, you know, he's made a good He's made a good case for how strong the roster is. So where are the winds? Um? I? My thing with Zach

Taylor is this, I just don't understand. I don't understand who he is at this point where two seasons in he was hired to be kind of like a Sean McVeigh Offshoot, Um, you have your quarterback now, like I think there's they're bright skies ahead. But you know if in year three you better produce so that the only thing that going in his favors. The Bengals move about with the speed of molasses when it comes to any sort of coaching change. So he's probably safe until at

least twenty one. So do we get where do you come down on me and the passing on sel for Jamach? Are they gonna are they going to rue that decision? Or is Jamar Chase a transcendent talent and how upset can you really get if that guy's a superstar. I thought it was a defensible pick. I would have taken Suel, but I didn't think it was like a wildly bad decision. I actually thought the Dolphins should have gotten more criticism

for um not taking Sue. But I dared to say on NFL a lot, this is a really great place for me to air out all my Twitter grievances and strong men whatever. I dared to say that the way what I've said, I'm probably making it sound more reasonable in my retelling of my own hot take. But I said their most pressure in this organization is on Jonah Williams in this offensive line, because the Bengals basically bet on that group being good enough to keep Joey healthy.

And you know, the first week they get Daniel Hunter, Cleil Mac and t J. Watter, the first three elite pass rushers, and Bengels fans went crazy at me for because apparently treating Riley Reef like Prime Lane Johnson is a sin, and I don't I sorry. I think that we will see very quickly if it was a mistake. I worry about Jonah Williams health. I actually liked him as a college prospect, but that is a big bet on that dude, and he has not staying on the field,

So I I think it makes sense. I mean, I think like a great wide receiver is maybe a little less than a great left tackle. But you're betting that Jamar Chase is and and another level above where Sue will be like in terms of tackle ranking. And I don't doubt that that Mike Brown, who's ultimately making these influencing these decisions in and loves like big college names and everything like that, is thinking let's keep Joe Burrow happy.

His contract negotiation is in a couple of years. The last real quarterback that we had like sat out because he didn't want to play our with our franchise like that, it's getting to at least for a team like the Bengals, that there might be some NBA thinking like you do with Gianna Janice, where it's like we gotta get people around him that he likes and and keep him. And I think that makes sense. The bars low here. You can win six or seven games. If Joe Burrow, I

think he would have liked the idea. I will you know come actual games too, but I hear you should do Greg the Mike francessa move if you can't pronounce the just uh Greek freak, Greek freak. I just don't understand how people are still saying Giann. I know, sorry, Greg, but I it's we say it all the time now. The last name is because I probably never said his name out loud. But you're you're also a football person. I'm on shows with people who talk about basketball for

a living and still do it. It blows my mind. Quick sackt Taylor theory. He would be much more memorable if he had a different haircut. Yes, he looks like like me. He looks like every normal, very basic, weird, you know, white dude. So that's our That's basically been our pre issue or our issue throughout is that he

looks he's got like a polo on. He just like looks like he's about to hit like eighteen holes at like the local municipal like not even a private like private he's not going to Riviera with the pick in the whole afternoon You've got. I mean, look at La Fleur in the same coaching tree with the eyebrows and the skin. He glows the slick side part. And then you've got Zach Taylor, who looks like a real turn

next to him. I mean, don't get it started on the on the d C either, Captain Lou Albano, he's gotta put rubber bands and grow out of the air to be here to put his mark in the like. All right, close this out, Mark sel, All right, we are gonna be um looking into the rather mysterious mind of Jack Easterby. Oh boy, hit it, Ricky careful here now, Mark, I know what's this is his thoughts. Yeah, Jackie Baby, we're feeling real good about this Texans team, a real

unique squad guided by something. We're feeling real good. Ti Odd m hm. You know what might drive to seven eleven today, pick up a treat, something special, something zesty, a treat for Jackie Baby. Sometimes you feel like a nut, Sometimes you don't. Almond Joy's got nuts mounds don't from another angle. Fresh Baby Ruth, Fresh, butter finger Baby Ruth and butter Finger Fresh guaranteed like the Texans. Baby, It's Friday, Friday,

gotta get down on Friday. Everybody's looking forward to the weekend, weekend. Yesterday was Thursday. Today is Friday. We we we so excited, were so excited Texans Baby, you can feel it in the air. I love it. I love market because you're a little bit older than your commercials aren't our commercial era.

But that felt I loved it. But Rebecca Black being Jackie used to be his favorite artist is something I'll never be able to get out of my mind now, Like, how did you end up on that set of reference? I just want to just dive into your brain for a careful I just want to know. I mean, this is uh, you know, we there. It's a touchy character to to go into on the show, considering who we work for, so I tried to keep it just sort of those that go into the mind of the quiet storm,

you know, sometimes don't come out. That's I mean, this wasn't too different than you know, we We've been into the mind of Mark quite a bit. Mina's not as experience, but I think like it felt in character with that. But I felt like this was as gentle and um forgiving an evaluation of of Mr Easterby and um, what's really going on inside? And it in now that I know this is what's going on inside like it makes

a lot of sense what's happening in Houston. It's like a nicer way of viewing all the events that are going If if the secrets Bengali behind the scenes for the Houston Texans was a raving lunatic um, that would explain a lot. He's a sumple man who's looking forward to the weekend of audio. That's the best media Jack Easterby has gotten. I hope to Texas feel that way. I mean, if anything, I'm trying to recent favor. Sure, alright,

let's let's exit these minds. It's it's it's time to It was a way, all right, Mina, you said it all. He came on and you said it all. Only thank you so much? Did I I think you did. I think you had a really again, rock solid appearance. I stretched back at my my my haters perceived in real Well use it anyway you need to. I think that was a good, good way to operate. Yeah, and you know where to find me in all over ESPN and check out our podcast which is great, and we'll be back.

Well we got the network show, see we aren't. We're on TV. Two men it around the NFL broadcast Friday at a new earlier time, right after Good Morning Football. How about that. I think that's a solid time slot, so we'll see how that goes. Um, So check that out Friday and then we'll be back with another weekest shows. I have to go pick up my son at preschool, so I gotta go that. I have to say it, I have to I have to go. We're gonna sign off.

Thank you, Dan Hanson signing off for widestormed the old boss, Rookie Hollywood, behind the virtual glab and the great need at time until Friday, keep the call.