OBJ to Ravens + Irresponsible Conspiracy Theories (with Conor Orr)

agree with you. It's a dead desert sun. You know who else was staying at the hotel Our old friend from the NFL Media Talent Summit, Tory spelling with her family. That's great, that's all. I wouldn't know if I call her a friend, but wick we did. We didn't meet with her in a room full of people. I don't know how that happened, but she was there as well. How are you, Mark? I am fine. I heard the cask cast went off very well. I m think that I learned that your job, some of the particulars around

what you do are are tough. Um, like the hours going into a show. I'm in a different mindset. I also was dealing with incredible allergies during the actual show, so battling some things. But are you in the power chair? I did sit there. Did you make a lot of eye contact with the grave Digger? I don't think it made any difference, to be honest on that front, but I get for your the world that you're in, it seems to bear a lot of weight. Um. It was nice to be able just to see Grave Digger, who

did a nice job on the show too. How are you justin? Oh, I'm doing well. Thanks? Well heard? Yeah, I heard you went to Hawaii and the weather wasn't exactly what you had hoped. It was a little bit rainier than typical Hawaii. I would say I got banged, but it was still nice to get away and have some time alone with my girlfriend. It's almost as if they've become so entwined Mark that he'll say alone, but

it will be meaning with his living girlfriend. Yes, so there's a yin and yang to the two of them. It seems just like a lot of yin. Yeah, I agree, Just be careful with that, okay. Always sounds like he just started dating her like eight days ago, which is very endearing. Like I think what sometimes gets as Mark and I are you know, older than you and we've been through wars and um, we're appropriate word I think where I think we're sometimes surprised, justin that the passion

is is burning at the level it is. And I guess and I don't mean this in a negative way. And if you play it back for Jessica, don't tell her she will listen. I worry Mark that you know, burning too brightly could lead to issues down the line rather than having a steady burn. If you will again, I think I see where you're coming from. But I mean these too, maybe they have a special, a special situation.

I'm also sensitive to the fact that I feel that a number of times when I've spoken on this unique relationship, that it's been twisted and turned into something else. So I wish you nothing but um fine tidings to the both of you. Thank you, well done, well done. You can tell me your actual thoughts privately after I will show all right today's show good one. Uh. Greg is going to be back with us UM for our second show of the week. He is in Hawaii as well.

I hope he's not also getting what it's when he saw the weather report. Also, apparently no effort was made for Greg and Justin to link up and spend quality time together. Well Justin was alone. Remember leave it at that. And by the way, coming up our second show of the week, Eric ed Holme from NFL Media, he is very plugged in on the draft. He just put out his latest top one hundred. The draft. By the way, Mark is too away now two weeks and like three days as we tape this. How about that, I do

feel like what I feel like this? Uh, like the extras week to the season has this like insane effect on everything because it's like this offseason just feels way more compacted. Yeah, I hear you, I hear you on that. And yet it will it's right around the corner. And then and then then only then Mark Sessler will our quote unquote busy season wrap up. Then we get to

recharge the batteries post draft. Those were the great, Uh the minute we'd wrap our Saturday afternoon end of draft special, within about eight minutes after the episode ending, you'd be with Chris Westling all of us like in the closest possible tavern celebrating that kickoff. So that's that's how we used to do it. And speaking of the draft, we

are planning something a little bit different. I don't want to share all the details yet for the Thursday night UM Show and how we're going to tackle the draft this year, but we're excited about it. That's a little t industry tease. It's I think it's a good a huge departure from what we've done in the past. And uh so stay tuned for that coming up later today. One of our great buddies in the industry and personally

Connor or legend around the NFL Hall of Famer. I say, if they were to open up a Hall of Fame in San Bernardino down the line, and this is highly presumptuous that such a facility would exist, Connor absolutely has a bust. Yeah, I think he would. I mean, have you been to San Bernardino? Had not, speaking of Tim and Wes a trip to Big Bear several years ago, you had insisted we stop at the San bernard you

know tavern. No one knew how you even knew about it, And it was exactly as I would imagine one to be. It was a complete disaster. And you know, and I know that you and West did not enjoy your time there sor right, I enjoyed being with you guys. Uh. Anyway, as I was saying, Connor will be here and we're gonna talk irresponsible conspiracy theories in modern football. But first the news. Here comes third down and three spins it right side looking for Odell Beckham Junior. He high points

the football and has the six touchdown OBJ touchdown. That is a great call from our friend JB. Long, voice of the Rams. And that was Odell Beckham in the Super Bowl, not this most recent one, but the one before that, when the Rams barely were able to get by the Bengals and claim that Super Bowl title. Beckham later in that game, I think the next series maybe in fact, Mark, if not a couple series later, blew out his knee on another reception. And with that said,

he now has a new team. Odell Beckham and this went down a few days ago, is joining the Baltimore Ravens on a one year contract worth up to eighteen million fifteen million guaranteed money. I read that there are some void years involved to kind of spread out the hit, but this is big time money for a Beckham who Mark of course, now I believe he's entering his age thirty one season, and he is also coming off his second reconstructive knee surgery, and yet the Ravens needed a

wide receiver. And then there's the Lamar component of this. Your thoughts, I mean the money through me, I don't know, like there were very like minor whispers in terms of interest for Rodell Beckham at this stage. And you know, he balked at the idea that he wanted twenty million a year. Well he could get up to eighteen. So I think that him saying that was a ridiculous report

is tells us what was really going on there. He did want this money, and I don't know why the Ravens needed to pay him this, but I do think in general it creates you know, Ian Rappaport mentioned that there is this sort of feeling that there's a likelihood that Lamar Jackson's going to come back to the Ravens, and I think this is an all a branch of It's a team that's obviously struggled to draft wide receivers. They've been probably among the worst teams in the league

of drafting and grooming wide outs. The opposite of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the rivals Odell Beckham. Which version of them do you get? I guess that's the question for this kind of money. I mean, his first sixty two games in the league, he averaged ninety three yards per game, incredible. In his next thirty four games forty seven point one. That's an average below average wideout. So which version of Odell Beckham do we get for this kind of money?

And are we certain that Lamar Jackson will essentially be playing quarterback in Well, here's the other thing I think too. Odell Beckham not a guy that's gonna maybe go do every single thing in the offseason, right He's at that stage in his career. He's always kind of trained on his own whenever he has that right, which is not totally atypical. But new team, we don't know when Lamar

Jackson will be back in the building. Even if they do figure it out and you've got a completely new offensive coordinator, I just I don't love that unless a lot of this gets solved quickly. Monkin, who is that new offensive coordinator? Was the OC in Cleveland when Beckham

was there. Obviously it didn't work out with Beckham, and from what we hear in the reporting that that was less about what the Browns thought of Beckham and more like an impass between Beckham and then quarterback Baker Mayfield that kind of blew up that relationship. Yeah, it's it is a lot of money. I think it's kind of I think most people think it's an overpay. But if it if it helps the Ravens get their house settled and ultimately brings Lamar back, it's worth it. And again

not to go down this road, this rabbit hole. But Lamar doesn't have an agent, and now Odell, who does have an agent, gets this like really big contract for a player coming off an injury who's been out of football for a year and a half. You know, maybe some of this money, like maybe Lamar could have been getting some of this money. It's almost like Obj is taking some of his money. But that's okay because Lamar

and Obj are celebrating in Miami. I believe when the news comes down, obviously, I don't think Beckham, who was also very much a target of the Jets. In fact, they had a meeting on Monday, and according to Connor Hughes, who covers the Jets in the New York sports scene. Beckham reached out to the Jets after this Ravens offer that night Sunday night, I believe it was, and said, hey, can you match this? And the Jets said, no, we're not going to match it. So he goes to the

Ravens and now we see if Lamar follows. And I just think Mark's part of this, like with the Ravens, and they caught heat for how they've handled the Lamar situation to let it get to this point. But doesn't it start to get you get the feeling that this is going to settle in a good place for them and a team that we were like saying, Wow, this organizations is so well is so well run for years.

I can't believe how they handled this Lamar situation. They're gonna probably end up getting him back in the building on this transition on this franchise tag that's not the exclusive franchise tag, so at a lower number and now they'll have a you know, a Marque wide receiver at least the name value, and they'll go into the season feeling pretty good about their chances. Yeah, And it was a winding, almost endless drama that might just have the most predictable result of all. I mean, there's not a

lot of interest in Lamar Jackson. We've heard nothing. We've heard nothing, so it's just a waiting game. I don't know at this point what the difference is in terms of money for a long term deal between the two. I think Odell this obviously created a different environment, and when you see him communicating with Lamar Jackson, it's like, yeah, I'm with you. I think that we're getting to a point where this is going to heal itself on some level.

I don't know what it means beyond this season if he stays on this tag, but the Odell Beckham thing is a one year deal too, and so I think they're trying to tell him we're going in all in on you. We moved on from Greg Roman, which I think matters to Lamar Jackson two to some degree. So it's like there is these there are these like elements of where you can tell they're trying to work with the quarterback, but just not on the contract. So I think we're just a waiting game to see when he

comes back. Yeah, we shall see. In other news, this went down today Tuesday, Jeffakuda in two twenty. Remember we did the two and twenty NFL draft from our area garages right as the pandemic was landing with thunder at a level that none of us had anticipated. It was

a weird draft that was on my fortieth birthday. Actually this happened, well, you had a very weird birthday that year too, where we I think God, your significant other created, you know, not intentionally, one of the weirder group zoom meetings that you'd ever been a part of. And it lasted for all of four and a half minutes. Yeah. Yes, she my wife, I love her, thought it would be nice given the state of the world at the time, and there would be no party or anything to celebrate

my birthday. In April of twenty twenty, she organized a big zoom call video call that had all of my New York friends, New York family, LA friends and colleagues. And she thought, let's just put him in a big old room. And when I walked into my living room and it was revealed that they were like had been cast on my my TV against the wall, it was I was horrified by it. I didn't know, how do you I don't like mixing world. No, it's not like it's not it wouldn't have been what I think would

have been created for you. Um. I would say that I enjoyed it more than any of my own birthday parties because of the level of bizarreness to it. And I did. I pulled the I pulled the plug on it. After about three and a half minutes, I said no more that everyone, this was very nice. This is now over, and it's still a source of tension between me and my wife. But again I loved what she was thinking. Just not my thing. I mean, would you like that? Not at all? I just I wasn't you like that?

I was dealing with it. That's understanding, not just even particularly you, but like, um, even Greg I thought was thrilled by the whole thing. It was just a car crash happening in very slow motion. Um all right. Anyway, on that day, April twenty third, twenty twenty, the Lions used the third overall pick in the NFL draft to take after I believe Joe Burrow had come off the board, Bryce Young had come off the board, Joe Burrow, I mean,

justin Herbert would soon come off the board. Andrew Thomas right after the number three pick two of was coming off the board. The Lions took Jeff Acuda with a third pick, and he has suffered injury issues throughout his young career, including an achilles tear that wiped out the entirety of his second season in the league. Well, the Lions decided to move on, and they send Acuda to

the Falcons in exchange for a fifth round pick. In this draft, and mark, it tells you that the Lions obviously were down on Acuda and the value they get back tells you that the Falcons are like, yeah, we'll take him as a reclamation project. He's interesting to us, but that's where his value is. And that's a pretty

big dip from number three overall. Well, you're right. So when you hear these reports that you know tam X wants to trade up into the top five and everyone gets all hot and bothered about it, Well, three years from now, that could be one of the worst moves you make. So it's like the draft, such a hit or miss situation. I thought a Kuda had a bit of a bounce back year last year. He wasn't great, but he was far from like the disaster that he

was an injury riddled disaster as well early on. I mean the Falcons, I think it's like, for a fifth round pick, why not you have aj Terrell, Casey Hayward, you have Mike Hughes, you added Jesse Bates at safety. I mean, this was one of the worst past defenses in the league last year. So if you get the better version of Okuda, you can decide what to do with his fifth year option, which they'd have to do before the season. I could see him as a one

year rental one then maybe hits free agency again. This is a very common trade that you see depressed draft asset from several years back moved for a Day three pick. The team gives up an asset at a fifth round pick, which is, let's face it, a dart throw in the league, and then the other team takes on this guy and you hope, maybe there's still that magic and we'll see if it happens for the Falcons, who did have a

lot of issues stopping the past last year. So just stockpiling bodies and seeing if Accuda takes it makes sense, and the Lions are in the market to improve that defense. In other news, speaking of the draft. So, Chris Mortenson, do you ever meet mort Mark. I've seen him in person, seen him, definitely seen him, never met him. Mort has been at ESPN forever and he is very confident, extremely certain.

Almost It seems that the Panthers, who traded into that number one pick will take Alabama quarterback Bryce Young at number one overall. Mort's actual quote, Bryce Young is the pick, yes, connecting Frank Wright to CJ. Strout in terms of the prototype of a guy that he's worked with in the past. But they all love Bryce Young, and I'll pair that with this. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that six teams have called the Cardinals about the number three pick. So

if Bryce Young goes one, if CJ. Stroud, as everyone believes, goes two, in some order those two guys, there are plenty of teams most likely calling to maybe get a quarterback at number three. If the Cardinals pulled the trigger on that. Yeah, I was trying to think about, like who those six teams might be figured out. I don't think it's that tough, because I mean, if I'd say, if you're the Cults and you don't want to get hot and scotched, Okay, the Raiders who are at seven.

Got it, we're hearing about the Titans. Maybe one makes sense. That's three. I would say the Bucks are a possibility possibly, like when we're talking about just calling. I don't think the commanders realistically like have the four or two to go do this, but I would add them, and as a spy, the Falcons maybe. But I don't know on that one, but I thought maybe a juicy one could be the Patriots, although that goes against their DNA to

do something like that. Get into that a little bit later. Yeah, interesting, Okay, that's good. Those all makes sense, um, But the card is speaking of car, I think we have new head coach, Jonathan Gannon, uh speaking on is it this report specifically or just in general the what's happening at the draft? It's just in general, okay, in general? With Jonathan Gannon. Every day I asked Monnie, I'm like, Minie, what you're doing with that pick? What you're doing with that pick?

He's like, you know what I'm doing with that pick. I don't know what you're doing with that pick. Sounds like they've got their house in order. That is manti astin Ford. He's referring to the new general manager, and you know, you get the feeling that Gannon is one of those nice guys that you see it in these in this NFL world that might not quite know what

he's getting himself into right now. Yes. The only thing though, is I've banned myself from even commenting on these things because of Nick Sirianni, who, at this time, after being a couple months on the job, looked like a flaming disaster from a PR perspective. Can I give a counter to that? I mean, there have been some disasters. Was at least joining an Eagles organization that you know, the

houses and order there? Yeah, so what maybe we should have done as the football was given Howie Roseman and company more credit for knowing and identifying someone. And there are reports out there about the Cardinals and ownership right now and all sorts of strife going on behind the scenes, and it's leaking out. You know, I just think Gannon's in a tough situation here. I think we all Gree've

been talking about that. He just seems like a nice guy that I hope, I hope they give him an opportunity. I think we'll get into that a little bit later. All right, leave it there. Let's say let's say let's see Jeffrey Simmons. Oh, let's bring in the grave digger. Yes one, Jeffrey Simmons. Now that was a draft hit

by the Titans. The defensive lineman has been an absolute maler for Tennessee since entering the league, and they signed Simmons to a four year, ninety four million dollar contract extension. So for every jeff Akuda in the draft, you could also get yourself a Jeffrey Simmons, a former first round pick who has been everything Tennessee could have hoped for and more. I'm sure you're feeling good about that move. I am, as a Titans fan, feeling pretty good about

that move. Jeffrey Simmons was a guy that was like projected top ten until he tore his ACL preparing for the Combine, and the Titans were able to get him a bit later, so that ended up working out pretty well. And now they have the guy, along with Harold Landry, that can anchor their defense, at least the defensive line for the next few years. Quentin Nelson called him the strongest defensive tackle he's ever faced, and he's you know, it gets comped too. He's sort of the second guy

behind Aaron Donald, but a totally different body. Like, I mean, they do different things, and I mean Jeffrey Simmons is the best player on their team. I think I think he is too. And you know, he's had like some of these incredible outburst games where he'll go for three sacks, Like he had three sacks in the playoff loss to the Bengals a couple of years ago. He had three sacks in that win over the Rams at Sofi Stadium. Half that team had three sacks against the True They

had nine sacks as a team. But yeah, I think that this is just a I mean, he's like when Mike Vrabel talks about the players they're looking for in the team. When Ran Carthon came on and was talking about like what makes an ideal Titan, he pointed to Jeffrey Simmons and Derrick Henry is like the guys that we that really represent our culture. And the Grave Digger had the b role ready of Simmons here or if you're watching on YouTube, he's just got just a domination.

Well you'll probably be watching on Instagram series this is this will be cut off to be the social media clip of the day as well. So that's true. If I, if I were to predict, I might post it from my own Twitter. But I was actually thinking Dan's story about the zoom call would make love that, just don't you know. Yeah, share that with the family. Yeah, that's that's absolutely true, all right. Oh, speaking of the Cardinals,

I should have said this before. Bad job by me, but Cliff Kingsbury, former of Cardinals head coach, is joining USC to work with the QBS, according to a report. Makes a lot of sense. Who's the head coach at USC now, Lincoln Ryan Lincoln Riley's, you know, obviously very secure in his job there. Um, And this is how it works, Mark. You know, these guys go to the NFL and sometimes it goes okay, sometimes it goes bad like Matt Rule. Sometimes it goes terribly, which I almost

would put Kingsbury in that category. But then they go home to college and you know, life's okay. Works with Caleb Williams, I mean, we just had a letter from Cliff Kingsbury, a penpal letter on our last episode, and then within days he resurfaces from the Far East and gets the new jobs. Yeah. Connect the dots and finally in the news, Carson Palmer, former NFL quarterback, great quarterback. I liked him. He was like your prototypical pocket passer of the Oughts, That's what I would call him. I

loved It's like Cardinals run as much as anything else. Sure, yeah, really good player. And I'll never forget being at the All or Nothing Premier in Hollywood with our friend Jason Zumwaldt and seeing Carson Palmer belly up at the bar drinking bud heavies the sun and everyone kind of orbiting around him, check it in and just total control of

the room. That's that QB energy. Anyway, I like Palmer, but I don't like his comments on quarterbacks and the idea that Patrick Mahomes is not the best quarterback in the league. It's the guy that plays for Cincinnati. Now, I think Joe's the best quarterback in the league, and I think I know Patrick is phenomenal, but but I

just think Joe's more consistent. Joe is just there talking about not having a weakness mentally strong, physically tall, accurate, can throw it, fire enough, fast enough, gets the ball out quick, and then he can actually do a lot with his legs. He just rarely shows it and it's not I think he's his athletic outside the pocket with you know, and can do a lot of the same things Patrick Mahomes has done. He hasn't done it and showed it yet. He's played more within his system and style.

But I think he's the best quarterback in the league. Okay, So mark Um, we gotta stop doing this. I mean I did it. I did it in January, but I learned my lesson, as we all have. We should at this point, Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league. Patrick Mahomes is the Super Bowl MVP. Patrick Mahomes proved it by beating Joe Burrow's team on the path to the Super Bowl. And until Patrick Mahomes has proven that he is not that guy, we got to start stop

trying to crown other guys. Mahomes like twenty six years old. Where everything he said about Burrow is true? Yes, except why where if he says, you know, he's he has no inconsistency, he's more consistent, Like, show me Patrick Mahomes is inconsistencies right, show me like if you're if you're gonna count or anything that is there anything that he mentioned about Burrow that's less true of Mahomes. It's more

true of Mahomes. So my other comment watching the video, if you watched on YouTube, is that Jordan Palmer they look very much alike, the two brothers. Yes, Jordan Palmer looks like if Carson Palmer just colored his beard hair and went back on camera, right, less kind of younger. But yeah, what is the credit? They do a podcast together? Is that it, buddy boy? Yes, it's called the qb Room.

I think it's Jordan Palmer's podcast and Carson was on and listen, Jordan and Carson know more about the quarterback position than in there like Pinky Nail, than Mark and I. But sometimes you just come on, let's not do this anymore. Just don't target Mahomes. Just go anywhere else. All right, let's take a break. That's what's happening in the news, and our good bud counter ore up next. Hey you for your ears only, Welcome back two around the NFL

Irresponsible Conspiracy Theories conversation. This goes all the way to the top. And if we're going to do a segment on conspiracy theories that are slightly irresponsible, maybe maybe factual because we got a real journal in our midst A long time friend and former colleague. Of course we're talking about Connor or what's up, buddy? Hello, friends, Hello, what's up? You're wearing a hat hat guy now full time hat

guy honors looking good. Every time I see Connor's looking more fit than the last time I saw Connor is We saw him at the super Bowl, And I'm just kind of in awe of the man. Not that you've transformed yourself, but I feel like, just as you've evolved

is the better way. Connor's at the point where he's like, yeah, I eat one meal day and I rutten fourteen miles every morning at six, and I spend seven hours with my kids, and then I do hardcore journal reporting anchoring the greatest sports publication that's ever existed, just like I have a mortgage. It's just like, the guy has got his stuff figured out. And it's that that you didn't have your stuff figured out when we first knew you. But you've been a man that's evolved on a path

that we could all respect. You're like a star athlete because you're like twenty seven or something. What are you going to do when you're thirty eight and you've already done all this stuff. Play baseball for the Birmingham Barons, Yeah, I think, I mean, obviously tryout for the Mets. I think that's the next move. You're excited about that? That? What had are we wearing today? What is that? So this, uh, this is a good story. So this is an Arizona State hat. And I had to purchase this on the fly.

I was the poor reporter for the Chiefs during the Super Bowl and this was my first Super Bowl as a bald, as a as a ballicly challenged. You've made the decision to take it down to the base, and that's an issue. And our good friend, or a late friend, Chris Westling, we learned some from him about that, the importance to protect the dome when you do hit that road in life. So I didn't. I guess I don't

know why. I thought Arizona would be not a yeah, but standing there and when you're the poor reporter, you know, you really you have to be so locked in and you have to take attendance. But the team doesn't want you to take attendance, and so they're not going to tell you who's not there, and they're not going to give you a roster. And so I had like thirty pages printed off the team website that you're frantically trying

to cross off to make sure that everyone's there. All the while, the sun is just burning a hole in my head, like and I left practice, and I took a shower, and I felt like someone had split my head open with the axe. So the next day I told Andy Reid. I was like, Buddy, I had to

go get a hat. What big Andy said? What a big red Sid probably just say, oh yeah, yeah, all right, oh yeah yeah, sure, sure She'm gonna go in Super Bowl, okay, exactly, all right, Well, I'm glad that you're you're protecting yourself in that way. And uh, you know, because we're talking to conspiracy theories, we knew you had. We had to have Connor back on the show. Do you want to

get us gone? Do you want to throw? And again, these are somewhat irresponsible in some cases conspiracy theories, but we know from talking with Connor that maybe in some cases there are conspiracy theories that are rooted in fact. Sure, I don't know if we want to save that one, Connor or you know you tell me, but I know you have some type of exclusive for around the NFL, perhaps later on in the seg Yeah, I'm gonna save

that one for the end. I have a true conspiracy theory that just for you guys, I have confirmed an exclusive. All right, Okay, why don't you get us gone? Though? Was something a little less concrete? Um? Well, I think when you look at it, as everything does in the NFL, where all the bodies are buried, where all the blood is stored, it all goes back to the Manning family. And there are currently four members of the Manning family who are shadow gms for various NFL franchises, two of

which are the Packers and the Steelers. The plan would obviously be to have the little Manning child who's in Texas pipelined to one of the elite franchises, just like they did with Eli and the Giants, restore that franchise to glory and further solidify their vice grip on the NFL. So your franks as seventeen year old Arch Manning. Yeah, I forgot his name for a second, I knew it was something silly. Yes, it's Arch, Yeah, the little the

little Manning boy yes, interest. Well, so hold on, So that's there are three other teams currently, are we saying that? Are you saying that Peyton and Eli are two of these gms? I think I think I think Olivia is heavily involved. Heavily Yeah, yeah, I mean Olivia, like the mother is obviously um, the grandmother like um do you ever see um, oh god, um, the ozarks, the like the region of the country the program. Now, I watched

season one and then a lot gone. I'm not gonna spoil anything here, but I think that there is certainly an overlooked aspect to many criminal enterprises. The maternal figure is center and very powerful, like the eldest matriarch. And I do think that the arch's grandmother holds some serious weight here. I like that. So, but just in terms of being a we got Eli, Peyton, Cooper is the

patriarch Archie Archie would be right. Well, I think I think Cooper's obviously too close, right, and so you'd need him a step removed, which is why you know you you would have the grandmother sort of making a lot of the heavy hitting. She's like the kingmaker. I got it, absolutely. Yeah, Well, they're great Thespians, then two because they come across a sort of an affable like punch you in the shoulder brother Duo on ESPN, and then suddenly they're doing that

behind the scenes. Is like Eli, like the bagman. Is he the one that's really you wouldn't think, but he's the one that's, you know, when the trash needs to be taken out. He's prominently involved, no doubt. And I think this is where the definitely where the arrows and the dots were connected. For me, I was at a bank the other day, inside the inside the banks. I was inside a bank headquarters the day and gigantic photo of Eli Manning doing some sort of generic business deal.

I mean, and this stuff obviously was you know, this isn't public facing stuff. And so I do think that there are there are some breadcrumbs out there, certainly, I mean the blood money you can see it dripping from the bottom of that sack. I mean, the Eli Manning bank photo has to be my favorite part of this entire thing. All right, that's a good one. That's a good way to start things off. Mark, you want to share something. I know that Connor has some Cardinals esque

themes here. And I wonder if we're digging into some similar stuff. I want to just present what I've been working with here. This is not this does not even feel like a conspiracy theory. But the Cardinals to me feel like the NFL's next great tank job where they brought in Jonathan Gannon with a promise of like, we're not going to want and done you. You're going to

go through utter hell for the next season plus. But my theory is that Kyler Murray will never play another snap for the Cardinals, that they are that the last thing they want to do is have Kyler Murray come back from his ACL injury and guide the team to victories when they're truly aiming for the bottom of the barrel.

I think that inside the building there's a couple of different sort of a KA titles for this operation Red Dawn by those who were around in the eighties, but Scarlet Apocalypse, and then this is rising up Little Red Riding Hood is now an adult, and I just think it speaks to the phases of this program. And then Kyler Murray to me, is absolutely my number one targeted trade bait for middle of the next season. Why when it's apparent that he's healthy again or after next season.

But I do not think he'll ever play another snap for the Cardinals ever again. Shoo shoo, shoo shoe. So the plan, I think you move all assets to number one. It's like, oh, they're interested in trading the number three pick. Well, I think that's happening first of all, because you're gonna get all you can, and then you trade your franchise quarterback because once he paired with the whole vision was

Cliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray. Are you know two p's in a pod, like they can just do this thing together. They know each other so well, and it failed epically. And I don't think the Kyler Murray experience in general is made for a two to three season trip into deep hell on any level. I don't think that's how

he's built from the neck up. And I think you hit the ejector seat, get all you can over the next two seasons, and rebirth yourself as a new Arizona Cardinals Tea Connor, you you cover the league for Monday win a quarterback? Sports Illustrated. Is there smoke and fire here to this conspiracy theory that the Cardinals want to go too in fifteen and they want to blow up the entire the entire thing. Are you hearing anything like that out there? Well, it's funny. I did um which

was not wasn't very well received. But I did an article the other day called the the five teams who need to tank for Caleb Williams, and the Cardinals were number two on my list. Because now, this isn't what I had prepared for today. But I do think I think you're right, Mark. I think that Caleb Williams and Drake Maine particular are generational level QB prospects. And you know you're not going to be able to do it

this year because Kyler is not healthy. Probably aren't going to be able to trade him until like right before the trade deadline if you want it to, or obviously

early next year. So I do think it's a complete asset dump, and it would it would gibe theoretically with the fact that you know, you saw a lot of revolving door stuff with that coaching search, right, a lot of guys coming in and a lot of people saying, well, I'll take my chances anywhere else in the world than this, And you know, it's funny small world or perhaps another red string here Cliff Kingsbury now on that coaching staff

at USC Williams. I don't know that's odd. I'm just you put it on the board with the red string and you leave it there and maybe it connects back to something else. I don't know. Let's do another one. I just add I just want to read what I had written down, because fairly I didn't. I didn't take the assignment as usual. This happened. Um, I just have written down in my notes. Um, the burner phones had nothing to do with Steve Kime, the franchise is affront

for the modern Genovese family. And then I just have I just have three other sentences. Well, I guess like two other thoughts here. It was wind Energy um, and then um and am I allowed to I know I wasn't in the past, But am I allowed to name a large cell phone carrier on this podcast? Should go for it? And then obviously Verizon wind Energy. That's all that's all in there. So UM, you know, I think

you can see that that's a responsible conspiracy. Yeah. And by the way, you're right on target with the exercises goal, which is to make people think and again, get some red string on the board and we see what connects what. Don't laugh when you see this on pro Publica in like six months. That's all I'm saying. Let's head to New England. Let's know it, and um Connor, I'd love to hear your thoughts because I think you have a

theory there as well. But I'll start things off. You know, there's way too much smoke here with this Bellchaft Belcheck Craft Mac situation. There's gotta be some fire. There's gotta be fire. That's my walking there to be fire. It's fine. It's a six out of ten tops anyway. So what's going on. My theory is that it's an all out war behind the scenes on the Patriot Way right now and Craft. Bob Kraft is eighty one years old, and he's looking toward a final chapter of his Hall of

Fame ownership career. And I think he's looking at it without Bill Belichick in mind, just as Bill a few years back was thinking about the next phase for his career without Tom Brady, and how do I best put myself in position to be a success and cement my legacy. I think Craft is now doing the same thing. In

his mind. And as for Bill, I believe and one can surely understand his side of this that after six titles and nine Super Bowl appearances, that should be enough to have total control of the football operations, especially at the game's most important position. But Bill wants a new quarterback.

I think the reporting out there that I think Floria PFT had reported that he had put Mac Jones on the market, the report that we heard, and Tom Kern, who was a guy that we trust around here, said how Belichick was quote pissed off that Mac had went outside the building and talked to his old Alabama coaches figuring out how to fix the offense under Matt Patricia who was completely underwater. And Mac didn't hide how frustrated he was by that, And I think that showed up Belichick.

Remember Bill Belichick bench Malcolm Butler was it in the Super Bowl against the Eagles. We still don't even know why he did something to tick him off or challenge him in some way or another. I think that's a major issue. So anyway Bill wants a new QB, craft is throwing up roadblocks, and I think in the end, one way or the other, it almost certainly will bring down the curtain on a historic partnership between these two men. Really, no matter what happens this year, I think this is

it for check and Craft. I love it, and I do think that before I kind of get to the meat and potatoes behind it, I do think that he deserves the right to be old, ineffective and ineffective. And I just think I think there's something very American at stake here, you know, in this whole thing where, you know, I just don't want to see a seventy year old man get pushed off the assembly line because he's just

a little slow. And I likened it to I wrote a calumn about this, like, imagine you just have a you know, you're a legendary pizza maker and you've built this successful business and yeah, okay, now a couple of crusts are burned every now and then, and you're just gonna You're just gonna throw this guy in the middle

of the street. I mean, if Bill Belichick, if I were the owner of the Patriots, and Bill Belichick said, I want all my lacrosse buddies from and over high school to make up the entirety of the coaching staff and between the first and second quarters of every game. I'd like to just sit at a white folding table and have a cappuccino on the sideline without my headset on. I'd say, go for it. I mean, you've earned it.

There has to be this like there has to be something to aspire to in terms of like being able to slack off and be lazy. And I feel like Bill Belichick has earned that right, like senior itis as a high school student. You've yeah, you've earned that right to kind of not work as hard. Now, Mark, I guess the ownership is going to have a different viewpoint

on that, especially though, and I think they might. There's ego involved here, and I think and we've talked about it with Greg, like Kraft wants a piece of this legacy that it was him as well, not just Tom and Bill, it's me And that's why that was rose. We're not going to play it. I've asked Justin to pull it, but sorry, justin those comments that that Kraft made basically putting it out there that it felt like it was winner playoffs or else for Bell, it just

felt so strange because who we're talking about. Yeah, I lost sandwich A sandwich prop years ago suggesting that Bill Belichick would secretly meet with the New York Giants during an impass in that franchise is coaching tumult and just join up with the There was the clips of him walking through the meadowlands in the complex and just like shedding a tear over those old Giants memories and the pictures on the wall, And it just seems like there

isn't any given Sunday Alpacino type scenario where Belichick, who people are ready to write off, goes to Team B with quarterback X and starts all over and proves everyone wrong. Because I don't really take him to be a lost old dottering man quite yet. I think that the Patriots had just hit a part of their history where they're in a down cycle and he's not putting up with I think mac Jones is not on this roster come

week one at this point, that seems almost real to me. Wow, hey, Connor, what about the idea, By the way, you know Wickersham, who's a competitor of yours, let's be honest, ESPN investigative reporters licking his chops. He wants to have the long form breaking down this war that according to this irresponsible conspiracy theory is going on actively. You kind of have a leg up now because we're having this almost thought

exercise beating Wickersham to market it. I mean it nothing makes me feel better, and you know, I'll just I'll just drop this on him, you know. All along, I think that Belichick's plan has been to buy the Patriots from Robert craft Um by using his connections to you know, like he's amassing a small fortune via Nantucket real estate.

And I think that also has some prior connections unknown with a Croatian chemicals and plastics company, can be used to devalue the product of craft foods and craft enterprises to the point where you would you'd be able to lower the sale price and then sort of yank it from him and then and there just a race craft off when we when we discussed this segment, I am the one that got the entire thing wrong because I read it as completely responsible conspiracy theories. Oh no, irresponsible.

I mean I would say that I have come up with a laundry list of responsible ones. And I'm listening to what Connor has done. I'm just like, I'm just a listener to the show. At this point and enjoying it. I mean I could just I could double check to make sure I didn't have a typo in the tech No, I because I classically gets I did come up with two quick hitters that Connor, I think you might like this. Can I just say on the point that because the one name Tucket business was not Yeah, we're gonna get

to that. I just want to say the thing that was like, how does it work for Bill Belichick because he's not he's not a B billionaire, but you're saying to depress the assets and craft enterprise market to the point where where he exits the B club, and then that opens the door perhaps for some type of bear hug backed by he would be he would be just backed by I mean I I you know, I said

obviously the Croatian chemical and plastic community. I think because I think that not a lot of people were talking about that that aspect of it for sure. And Nantucket mark well, no, he mentioned Belichick's nantuckets. You know, HiT's Nantucket connections, and there's a lot of money up there. I would not real estate like during the pandemic. I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if he had sold six or seven multimillion dollar properties. You know, interesting food

for thought. By the way, here was the text yesterday at eleven twenty six Connor or will join us tomorrow? Um, irresponsible but feasible conspiracy theories. Okay, this is the second part. I think there's there's some money, some money of intentions there, but I mean it's created and fascinating. There's nothing that Connor is thrown out there, the Croatia part maybe, but like otherwise, it's fairly feasible. Everything that's been thrown out

there's I am. It's starting to bridge a gap logically to me with each of these things. Now we're talking how the saucage gets made. Oh all right, let's pause right here and we'll be right back with more conspiracy theories. All right, we're back, Uh, Connor, who's up? Do you want to go again? Mark? I had two quick ones, Connor, I wonder if you would buy into this, and it's just one single sentence. Well, the first one was from nineteen eighty seven to nineteen ninety six, the Lombardi Trophy

was secretly made of cocaine. But that that does not fall under feasible. But how about this. I believe that the inside, like if you cracked it open like a cadberry egg, well, you can do incredible things with the processing of a cocaine. You can make furniture out of it,

all sorts of things. So I just think it was kind of like a big, big few to everyone that that's sort of what was going on for a moment in time, And like eighty seven, especially those eighty nine nine ers um, I think that the owners have a second secret owners meeting that none of us ever hear about, kind of like you know, out on that island with the Largemian growth, Yes, like a similar situation where it's like that's how they're always figuring out what to do together,

and they're in lockstep, and it's not happening at the little one where there's a bunch of nerdy reporters running around trying to spy in the lomp at dinner and stuff. It's like, no, no, no, away from all these little scribes and people and anyone else and just have our own secret gathering, kind of like skull and Bones at Yale. I think so. And I know what, I don't think there's any doubt. Can I throw just a little. I don't think all the owners are allowed. I don't think

the hassles have been invited of late. I think it's it's it's the cream of the crop. It's the real disruptors and the ones who make the product. Absolutely, it's just like a big billboard that's like eleven dollars beers a no guaranteed contract. Yeah, who leads it? Who is it? Jara? I would think he'd be at the top of the list, Like there's got to be someone with the gavel. Who's got the ga Mark Murphy? Definitely not Mark Murphy. Uh, that's good, Yes, Mark Murphy. The meeting is a journ

power players of the universe. Connor give us another one? Okay, so this is the true one. You're ready for this? Are we ready for something? So? Yeah, we're ready? All right? Nice little plug for SI dot com because you can read about this later this week. Okay. I have confirmed via ancestry dot com that there is an actual bloodline descendant of a Norse god who is flaming his way onto draft boards everywhere and by next week will be one of the hottest names in the draft. Let's hear it.

Who is it? Actually, you're gonna have to You're gonna have to go to SI dot com on Friday telling you it boom but Norse and stress ancestry actual wow, like actual Norse god level bloodline God. When you see this player, does it surprise you to learn that Connor like this person looks like a Viking, like an absolute kind of yours? Is he a skill player? When you know what I save it for? Then Friday SI dot com slash NFL some point this week. That's a that's

a fucking plog, dude, bottom. That might be one of the best plugs in the history of the show. Doneft episodes. He just did a multi day teaser involving a potential godlike figure entering our league. I wanted to the numbers on that article, that blog post, mostly because I I don't know when it's running yet. But yeah, yeah, let's see I have a few more. Elway didn't jump. He was pushed Onny Romo was quiet quitting the boot. No, let's go with this one. What are the Raiders thinking

at quarterback? They signed Jimmy g and let Derek Carr go? All right, that's fine, whatever, save some money. Kind of got the same quarterback. Whatever, Then they let a compelling backup in Jared Stidham go to a division rival on the first day of free agency. That's a little bit weird. Have you got Jimmy ge Guys like the most injury prone quarterback in the league, and we got a quarterback that we like in the building that threw for three sixty five and three against Niners on New Year's Day?

Just let him go? Why? Oh, because they had someone else they liked better. Brian Hoyer. He's like four hundred years old, Josh McDaniel's favorite. Of course, he's actually thirty seven. But clearly he's in the you know, i'm a coach on the field, third string guy phase of his career, which is a nice place to be. I know you like Brian Hoyer Mark I do as a person, but that's you know, let's be let's be serious. He's not an actual number two in our league at this point.

They have four picks in the top one hundred, and I think they know that they have enough roster holes that they want to use that to build up the roster outside their quarterback room. So how about this, They're Jimmy g contingency plan. It's hiding in plain sight. It's a guy. It's where I don't know where home is, but it's still he's working out somewhere and he's doing

the football exercises and eating right. Tom Brady is ready for the call in October when Jimmy G breaks his ankle, and I don't want that to happen, or if Jimmy G goes down Josh McDaniels, Tom Brady, it's happening. That's their backup plan. He is their backup quarterback. There was there was a lot of buzz to Tom Brady to the Raiders back then before he retired. I don't think that's a that's a I like that, and I if

they I'll be wrong. Of course, if they go and take a quarterback high in this draft, I'm wrong, and I'll raise my hand and say, hey, this conspiracy theory was irresponsible. No, I'm kidding. I'll never mention this again. But if they don't draft a quarterback book it, it is Brady, through phone calls and back channels, who is the guy that will be ready to step into the lineup. He'll know the offense, he'll be in contact with McDaniel's

throughout this summer and into the fall. Who is that guy who steps in if Garoppolo's body betrays him once more. It's I think that we all assume, and maybe even Tom Brady thinks he retired, But you don't actually retire until like the Raiders or the Titans or one of these teams that's like six and three in October calls you and is like, come and fulfill the like that massive hole in your life right now and and be our quarterback. And I don't think it's far far to reach.

I mean, how many of these insane stories have we heard of coaches just calling like forty five year old men out of pure desperation, like Bruce Arians and Kurt Warner were, um speaking of Seth Wickersham. The uh the hilariously bad text that Frank Reich sent to Andrew Luck in the middle of like a law season. Do you remember that the SOS by the police was on and he pulled over on the side of the road and texted Andrew Luck, sending out an sos care about anybody?

They don't care about anybody but themselves. And of course Tom Brady is finally gonna be like finding a purpose, like he'll be making Bonzai gardens, or he'll like he'll discover this other passion and flair for life, and McDaniels will just be like, we gotta make the playoffs. Tommy can get come in. You know, we just got to get a Reese Witherspoon to sign off on this at

this point exactly. Sending out an SOS was the first line of that text message you're referring to, and it was added that the answer was no, just flat out no, no no, like play on words like no, like every breath you take, I'll be rooting for you, just like no. I got a little bit great if he if he did respond like every move you make, every step you did. No, No, exactly, Um, so no, daddy, what was that? So? No, Daddy, I don't know that one Tom Brady Monday Night football game

right right right? All right? Anybody you got another one? Mark, go one more. I do think that over the next uh fortnite plus, we are gonna hear whispers. Fortnite is two weeks. Everybody old, love dies hard. I think we're gonna hear whispers of Trey Lance on his way out of San Francisco as Kyle shan a hand makes one more final play to bring Kirk Cousins on board. The Bryce the brock Purty thing bothers me in conjunction with all that, But I just think that there's going to

be a little bit of smoke. You're gonna hear something, a nugget of some sorts that the Niners are always looking for quarterbacks, like I don't care who's on the roster. They were connected to Tom Brady left and right. There's whispers about them having looked into Aaron Rodgers all over the place after they had taken Trey Lance. It's like Trey Lance is an unproven product that you could probably move for in a deal like that. And there's always been a little bit of a man crush between Kyle

Shanahan and Kirk Cousins. Interesting the conspiracy here is what is the conspiracy? Well, I guess it's more of a prediction. I told you, I'm not sure I nailed this exercise, but it was the last thing on my list. It could be something there, though I think they would. They'd all deny it heavily. That's an important part of a conspiracy.

There's a little doubt that they are scheming. They're always scheming, right, you know, Like there's like there's just groups of coaches, like you know the pre draft press conference where they all come up and they just be like, oh, we can't say anything, but like those guys come up always looking like they have just buried a body, you know, and that there's just something seriously nefarious going on. I got it, red String. We got the red String board.

We just went through all these connect the red string between the Patriots and the Niners. On this one. Belichick has been in heavy conversations behind the scenes about Mac Jones. That was Kyle's, Kyle's guy he wanted in the draft, that's who he wants, and if he could offload Trey Lance in that first round salary. But again there's a war behind the scenes potentially, what about them Mac Jones, Jimmy g flipped up with the Raiders, spicy all the way to the top. Connor, You've said it all and

I cannot wait for that article to land. Thanks for having me on, guys. It was good to see you. It's always fun. It's always fun. Are you going to be in Kansas City for the Draft? No way, Nor will we so when will we see each other again? Um? I don't know what kind of like a tent pole league events, like what's our what's our schedule looking like? You can have your people call my people can. I liked it, by the way, you ever since I brought up that you used a booker on me one time

you've booked me directly. It means a lot. It makes me feel incredibly special. Well that's you got a massage, the talent and you had sent through a direct channel, not even a back channel. Your displeasure there. So we had to we had to clean it up basically and make Connor feel specials absolutely, pat him on his hyeni and say we love you at the end of the day. It's what it's all about, all right, we do love you, Connor,

and thank you for giving us so much time. And follow Connor on Twitter and of course his writing and everything else at SI including the Big Scoop, a actual Norse god level bloodline connected to a draft prospect and you will learn who that is. Eat it Wickersham through connor or on Friday when it drops there he goes, I mean that's a that's a mic drop, you know, like Wickersham is like one of the nicest people around. Well, sometimes you have to manufacture um conflict, I mean and

that rivalries. Yeah, and you can't tell me that there's not there's not a little juice there, a little or sham. Guy. He did not. He did not deny it. Did you ever? Yeah, at any point did Connor say, hey, guys, lay off that. No, he didn't. He. I think he took that as a challenge. I may be overstepped by even such see that he's nice, because clearly there's some other aspect to Seth's character that we don't know about. Now. I feel like we're diving

into deep on it. But Seth, keep on doing your thing, all right, grave dig or anything else. We didn't even talk about how the day we were meeting Connor at the Super Bowl that we were just me and Mark and a couple of people and Connor and we're sitting in a bar for how long, just kind of waiting for our meetup to take place. Do you remember this, Dan, as you wandered the streets of Phoenix trying to find the bar. Yeah, and that was logistical nightmare. I'd kind

of put that out of mind. But we did see Connor briefly at the Super Bowl. That is true, that's right before the game. Yeah, yeah, so that but then then we then we actually ran into him in the upper deck at the stadium right on Super Bowl Sunday and had a nice conversation. And I love Connor. He's a good dude, a great man, a great man. All Right, that's it for today's show. We're gonna be back on Thursday.

Right Thursday, so that's not right, correct? Uh? And Eric Edholme will do some more draft talk breaking down that situation and anything else that's happening in our league until then. Good app, Mark, good app. I had fun, good good. That's important. I hold the bodiens enjoyed it. But either call s