Patriots Opt-Outs, Aaron Rodgers on Love and Brian Baldinger

I mean what, it's a big show. It's a big show. Frankly, I really like to allow Greg to make the opening comment because it's a total dice roll on how it's gonna go. And I thought you did a nice job there, Greg, I myself would not want the responsibility. We definitely miss Chris Wesley increasingly. We definitely have had Baldy on our show in some capacity now, whether it's been on the podcast,

Twitter show. Actually he appeared on our Twitter show and um and it was actually a Chris wesleyan kind of run segment where he broke down some film with us some degree. So Greg, do you want to take a second shot. I mean, this is the podcast. Those shows, those are blasted off into the sun. I don't know if he's been on our podcast. I don't think so, because I just feel like I would remember him in the studio, and we almost never did. You would definitely

remember Greg, There's no little bit, no question. Guy's got a memory of a goldfish, all right. And just just a little bit of internal housekeeping here, Mark Sessler, you are not allowed to opt out of this podcast doctor's note or no, you're here? I mean if you were to, yeah, I mean, what is our equivalent of a hundred and fifty dollars off like a star NFL's contract twenty six bucks or something. I don't. I don't. There's no option to not be here. I am here, here, I am.

It's actually a good question. Let's say I'm just gonna throw a random number out there. I mean, we're making close to league minimum, I would imagine, so you'd have you're not. Maybe the star player comparison doesn't work. You opted, Yeah, that would be awesome in our industry? Are our industries? League? Sorry? If I gave you Mark grand as an opt out stipend, would you take it for the entire year? And just yes,

I wouldn't. I would take it and immediately, um somehow retroactively put it all into Kodak stock and just sort of flying to the skies little Stock, little Stock go on some nefarious stuff going on with It's it's really showing, um, the full breadth of the Sessler knowledge. I love it too much as Twitter middle school. Also, um weird because West obviously down right now he's in the process of fighting the big Cita for a second time, you would be down to leave Greg and I alone on the

show for your little Kodak financial gambit. I think it's you know, what I would compare it to, And I'm different than you guys a little bit. It's kind of like when um, you suddenly of the house to yourself for like a day, and it's awesome for a day, but then it's a little bit less appealing. I think the opt out would be an incredible freeing experience, and then I'd be missing this and you guys soon after. So it's probably you know, if if I had any advisors,

they should advise not to do it. Plus that like that one K or whatever it would translate to in our world. I mean, that's what I'm saying. It's like it's just alone. They're not making you know, they're basically not they're not getting paid. They just get you know, part of next year's salary fronted it. You know for them.

I mean that that that's not you're not playing the game. Well, you know what that if Cessla can dig up a doctor's note for one of his maladies over the years, he would be able to get the money at a higher level and not have to pay it back. YEA fair, that's fair. I think we're definitely I would say how many years like the Mark Sessler insurance scam related with the NFL. There there have been some of those with employees you guys knew well back in the day at

the NFL. But I feel like six seven years from that, you guys can keep pinning all these things on me and I will allow it today today alone. Yes, Brian Baldinger is joining the Around the NFL podcast for perhaps the first time, but not the first time. We've spoken with him, and we do know enough as fans of our league that he is as good as it gets

when it comes to tape dogging. With all due respect to the great Chris Westling, Baldi does it at a level that um, he's turned into a cottage industry for himself with Baldy's breakdowns and all that. So we're happy to have him on today's show, and we're gonna break down, uh, kind of just chop it up with Baldy a little bit, not necessarily tape breakdowns, but just where he's at in the league and where he's at right now in this very strange time in human history. But before we do that, yes,

let's do some news. It was Rob Gronkowski strumming an acoustic guitar, singing the lyrics. Now I'm a buck. Hopefully I don't suck. It's about right. That clip was perfect. It was like the exact amount of time that Rab Gronkowski like stays funny for. It's like for about eight at eight seconds, you're like, oh yeah, Grond's funny, and

then you're like, okay, let's move on. I also found interest in that clip a little bit when I saw it and I clicked it, and he's holding the guitar and I'm thinking, wow, you know, still waters run deep. Maybe there's a little depth to this guy. He knows how to play guitar. People always, you know, portraying him as this like lunkhead. Well, no, he's just hitting it like a preschooler. There's no there's no fingers on uh chords. You know, he's just strumming along like my three year

old wood. He has as much guitar skill as Harrison handsas basically, well, he's not allowed to also be a great guitar player. So I'm sort of satisfied to see that he that he not only mildly sucks, but outright um black skills. Rob Gronkowski jump ship from the New England Patriots, and now other people are joining him, albeit in a much different scenario. Uh. This is the big

news that came down in the NFL on Tuesday. Dota high Tower, the star linebacker, opted out of the two thousand twenty NFL season because of the coronavirus pandemic, and he wasn't alone. Six players overall for the Paths opt out, a group that includes starting right tackle Marcus Cannon, starting safety Patrick Chung, reserve running back Brandon Bolden, fullback Danny vital Vitally, and reserve center slash guard Nowhea Turan. Uh. High Tower, though obviously is the big name on top

of this list. And Greg, you're being a real trooper right now. You're not showing any signs of anger or worry. Yeah, bigger problems. Well, this is a team that lost Jamie Collins in the off season. Uh, Kyle van Noy, and now you lose the heartbeat of the center of the defense. What are the Patriots and Bill Belichick gonna do here? Well, the losing High Tower is is significant. Losing him in

Cannon are really the ones that I'd be focused on. Cannon, who who's been injured quite a bit in this career and you know, misstimes because of non Hodgkins lit foma, which is which is one of the reasons. He actually is one of the medical issue opt outs, which are a little different, you get paid a different sum, and he's one of the few actually that's um declared as a medical opt out. Donta Hi Tower and Patrick Chung

was was the voluntary opt out. And if you're gonna pick one guy on the Patriots who's like Mr Patriot, who's Bill Belichick's guy more than anyone, it's High Tower. I mean, he is the leader of that group, and he's so versatile in terms of his intelligence, not only as an inside linebacker, but he could also play on the edge, where you know they're very thin in terms of a blitzer, and he keeps people in place. I mean,

he is the Patriots defense to me. Devin mccordy's the other guy I would put there as Mr Patriot, And maybe it's Julian Edelman next, and you know who's after that, it's probably Patrick Chung. I mean, Belichick loves Patrick Chung. I I haven't quite understood the fascination the last year or two. He's certainly on the decline that they drafted

a player at his position. They're pretty deep at safety, but high tower linebacker and then Cannon, who has been a very good right tackle and that I was been talking about should be a strength for them on the offensive line. Those are massive losses. Those are two of the highest paid players on the team, and so you know they're getting hit more and it doesn't look like there's a ton of more opt outs coming, at least not right now. Um, they got hit more than any

team in the league by far. I mean the snaps they've lost on defense is significant, and I know that it's you know, I myself look at the Patriots and no matter what befalls them in the off season, I just ticket them for twelve and four. Uh, this is a legit concern because it's more the kind of thing that they probably will, um find a way to navigate

the regular season better than most. And and from a positive note, you could say, I mean it's opened up um cap room for them, which they definitely needed, and they can make a few moves. What are they gonna do. I'm not saying clowney, but the idea that you could there were there. They're veterans, phil holes. I mean, it's not a great situation, but I mean, you know, it's

your point, he calls High Tower Mr. February. I mean, I don't know if they win some of those Super Bowls, I don't think they do without High Tower playing the way he did. So you know, it's a key piece gone. Um. But the reasoning behind what High Tower did and what Chung did and they both have you know, newborns in their house. Um, this is the real life scenarios we're

dealing with this situation. But I'm with you. I feel like yesterday there was a flood and there was maybe a little bit of sense of dread or panic that there could be a lot more. And today so far, when we as of when we're taping it is quiet. Well, the doubts made sense on Tuesday because that was the first day of training camp for everyone, so it was like a soft deadline. Now the actual hard deadline is only is a week after the players actually signed the

CB and they haven't done it. So they still haven't signed it. And this particular part of the c B A I guess, is what they're still talking about a little, just in terms of figuring out the language. So players technically have at least a week more two opt out, but you would think the majority of them have already happened, because that's when you're gonna do it, before you start

showing up for work. I wonder how many, if any players opted out, and the Patriots had the most players, but there are many more guys like Eddie Goldman, Starlotte Lally, Devin Functious, markis Goodwin, uh, and the list goes on.

We're affected by what happened in Major League Baseball, where the count for the Miami Marlins now is in the high teens as an outbreak legit outbreak within their clubhouse, UM shut down the Marlins for an entire week of action, and MLB is scrambling and changing up their schedule, and it was the um proof to some that the idea of trying to hold a professional sports season outside the quote unquote bubble, which the MLB is trying to do, which the NFL's that's the model NFL is trying to do.

I wonder if that affected it at all, because, yes, the start of training camp it was a a neat line up to where guys would start to opt out. But it also came a day after Major League Baseball basically went on fire. I'm sure it gave some people pause. But I mean if you look at, for instance, why Marky's Goodwin did it, um, it was very much a family situation. His wife has been through three miscarriages, and he basically said, you know, I put football first for

years and years. I'm finally gonna put my family first. I was some of the other you know, there's definitely body mass index UM, a trace between a number of these guys. Eddie Goldman is a big dude. Started Luta Lailey is a big dude. I mean, one of the best players on that defense. Absolutely, But I mean, well, these losses are real. I think that you know, star Luta Lailey is not um, necessarily playing the way of

his first name at this point in his career. But he's he was an important signing to them and they had they have depth. They're fun, just fun. Just losing Funch just for the Packers, I think, um, you know, we'll get into probably some of the stuff maybe Aaron Rodgers talked about, but they were all ticketed to draft a wide out. You went and got Funchs. So now it's nearly August and you've lost a guy who was

ticketed as a starter in certain sets. Go ahead, No, I was that could help Alan Lazar to have a bigger role on that offense. But before West went down, Uh, we've talked about Bunches as a potential breakout guy for the Packers this year. Well yeah, and he the guy who made a lot of money from the Colts last year. He got that second contract even though it was one year. You know, there was ten million dollars again from the Colts, and I think that that's a through line too for

some of these guys. Now Eddie Goldman maybe is an exception, but Michael Pierce is as a player from Minnesota, Uh, they really expected, uh, you know, to be a factor for them, and he's gotten paid before. And you look at Chung and Hightower, you know, it is sort of heartening.

I mean you you obviously respect the decision the guys are making, but I don't know if there is part of me it is sort of heartening to see someone make a decision that isn't about money, where we're just so and I'm I'm guilty of this more than anyone who's always talking about the bottom line for these guys, and and they are making a decision that's not about money. They are saying, we we just value things a little

differently this year. Hight Tower has made a lot of money in his career, but he was gonna make eight million dollars guaranteed this year, you know. And Drick Jung, is he ever gonna likes young gonna make this team in one? Maybe maybe not. He knows that, um, he's

passing up he's passing up that money. So it's it's like putting your you know, it's putting your heart where you know, it's saying I agree something more importantly, I agree with you, And I think that you know all this stuff about the Patriots, you know, but Belichick trying to dial up a tank job is absurd. They just

don't operate the way. But it is fair to say that with New England there might have been um a bit of a different complexion for certain veteran players who have basically been through everything you could ask for an NFL career. A guy like high Tower and the money is still there next year for him if if that happens, and if it doesn't, he'll be fine. I think there are probably a lot of stories we won't hear about of certain players and a certain financial bracket or um.

If you're a young quarterback and you you fear never really you know, materializing again, you know, you don't want to be upstaged or a lot of these guys for you don't opt out and you have family reasons and you have good reasons, and they're not doing it. They're just gonna roll into it. I think there's a lot of people that are not making that choice. I I absolutely feel the same way, uh, Greg with what you said about you know, the players kind of going away

from money, which is heartening. Um, it also tells you how scary this all is that players feel that is the best decision to give up eight million dollars because you don't feel like you can be safe, that your family can be safe. Do you think do you think mm hmm. I don't want this to come off as insensitive or silly, but do you think of Tom Brady is still the quarterback in New England? There is the

same a number of opt outs? Absolutely, I don't. I also think, well, first of all, you have to break down each one. UM. You know, Cannon had had cancer and so he's he's sort of in his own you know, he's at a really high risk UM and he's had health problems. Even since then, he's had a recurrence. So he's one guy. Chung and High Tower, I think, really does speak UM two people who have done it before

have made a lot of money. And and I guess the key I am thinking about with all these guys, you don't really know, like they're they're saying a statement, okay, and and Chung did speak on CBS and talked about the people around him, but even then that's what they're presenting publicly. This is a very private medical thing to talk about, and so I don't know. I feel like a lot of these players have their own reasons, And

I think if they're if they feel that strongly. I don't think like having a chance to go win another ship is gonna is gonna be the reason that they play. But but I guess you never know. I mean from a league wide angle, if the opt outs, you know, I'm sure we'll get a few more. But if they were to pause here, the vast majority paused here, it

is an incredibly small percentage of players. I mean, basically the equal of had you had a real training camp, you would have lost far more players to injury and soft tissue maladies and all this other stuff. I mean, the number we do have one, we do have one more significant one just just dropped. Hit hit the breaking news. Ricky Nate's Soldier, a former Patriot, is opting out of the season. It was a disappointing signing for them, but still was on the books there to be their left

tackle or right tackle. Potentially. They drafted Andrew Thomas, but they also drafted a third rounder named Matt Pert. I think who who in theory Soldier was gonna battle with, But it was probably his job. He was making a lot of money, was one of the highest players in the league, and he's sitting out and he's someone who his son has had, um, you know, an incredibly tough life with a lot of heart surgeries and things like that. And I don't know what the reasoning right now behind it,

but that that immediately came to mind. Wow, so soldiers out and um, yeah he's and he signed with the Giants a couple of years ago. I think it was the biggest offensive lineman contract in the league. And he has been a huge bus for them. But still that that affects them, that's a big loss for the Giants potentially. Um, I guess I'm the only other shoe I'm waiting for to drop here that would take this to another level. Is what happens if a quarterback does it? Is that

something we'll see like a star quarterback? Is there is there gonna be someone at a higher level And if that happens, would there be a potential domino. I think that's the one part of this angle right now. I'm

waiting to see how it plays out. That's I I That's sort of what I was pointing out before that I think that there is some there is It's not equal with every position, you know, there was there were rumors that bubbled up to the point where NFL Network had to address them yesterday about the idea that Nick Foles was someone that was going to drop out. I mean, it came from a weird place and it never happened.

But isn't there way more pressure on a starting quarterback to just put football first and not even consider the idea of walking away from your team in a defensive lineman. I just think there is from a pr standpoint, everything right. It would take everything on your team right, it would take a different level. And and this is probably unfair too.

But when I saw that Donovan Smith, the Bucks left tackle, showed up to you know, work and he's not gonna opt out, and he had talked about possibly doing it, I mean, I just I just wondered, it is Brady Brady texting with him, you know, and maybe he's texting with him in a in a in a way that's like, hey man, I respect whatever you do, but whatever it is, I don't know, you know, you do wonder what kind

of if there's any internal pressure with it. It's different that have blaying Gabbert word starter in place at this point, I wouldn't Brady seems to have been from wire to wire or Cam Newton and Jared Stidham up there. I wouldn't be surprised and I would expect that if Belichick and has spoken with these guys, he seems like one of the first people to be like, make the decision

for your family like first. And I know that sounds counterintuitive, you know, coming from him, He's like, make the decision. You're gonna be comfortable first, And and they obviously felt comfortable doing that. They they've put they put the time in. And other COVID nineteen related news, thirty two players have been placed on the NFL's COVID list ahead of the start of training camp, including two first round picks, Justin

Jefferson and Isaiah Wilson, both players on the COVID nineteen list. Uh, there's all sorts of obviously hoops to get through. You gotta make sure they're healthy. Then they have to do multiple tests to prove that they have the necessary antibodies. And they're not testing positive for COVID nineteen. It's a it's a setback for those guys, and there will be more. There will be way, way more. That's to me. That number was was interesting. First of all, that the COVID

list is interesting. You're not gonna know unless the players tell us um who had it or not, because the COVID list is whoever tested positive for you know, for COVID nineteen and if you were around someone in the last x amount of days who had tested positive, And so the NFLPA is actually sending out numbers. It was only twenty one players who did test positive since the start of camp, but thirty people are on that list, so you know, do the math. Some of them were

just like around other people. You don't know who's too. But that's just the first round of testing, which was just quarterbacks and rookies last week. Uh. In theory, you know, that leaves about eighty five percent of the league who still we don't know their test results, and so I don't know, you would expect that number if if if about thirty of the rookies and other players got on there, you would expect that number to double or you know,

or even more in the next handful of days. Yeah, and I think the variable and you hear it more from veteran players than maybe really coaches are saying at this point because why go on record deeply about it, But that This requires intense cooperation, um individually making individual choices and what you're doing when people can't see you.

That's great at the facility that everyone's behind plexiglass and distancing, but then you're away from the facility for large chunks of time, and we see players get in trouble and do things they shouldn't be doing almost weekly, if not more than that. So I just think the doorway is open to chaos unless one team. Really, I would honestly say, take your team and if you want to win the Super Bowl, everyone get into one hotel and don't leave

it for the whole year. You're gonna have far fewer issues. But you know that's it's my observed. Well, I mean, it's not gonna be fun though your your guys. Sam Donald admitted he is going to be the most boring person around this this year because he doesn't want to take any risks. Yeah, and that's gonna be a huge challenge.

We talked about that on Monday show. That Yeah, not making any excuses for them, but just asking these young men rich have the world at their feet, to stay isolated, stay inside for the greater good of their team, for their families, for for the league itself. Well, there's gonna be temptation. We're gonna see how it plays out. Let's stick a pin and COVID nineteen talk for a while. Okay until Friday now, so let's just wait until like

mid September. I'm with you. You know, the Chargers and Defensive and Joey Bosa have reached agreement on an extension five years. A hundred and thirty five million is the report out there, keeps Bosa with the Chargers for the next six seasons. That deal reportedly includes seventy eight million guaranteed at signing in a hundred two million guaranteed. That's a record for a defensive player. Um breaking your boy Mark Cecil Miles Garrett who just got that big deal

from the Browns couple of weeks back. It is huge money. Does he deserve to get paid at that level? Greg Rosenthal, Yeah, it's funny because Nick Bosa came in and he was pretty flashy. It's like, Joey Bosa is still better. I mean, Joey Bosa last season is is one of the you know, three or four best defensive player in the league. He's such a freak. Uh, they've seen him enough, he had the injuries a little bit early, he had the contract holdout.

I just think if you're gonna invest invest in a guy like him, like just entering his prime, they know him well, they know he works hard, all that all that stuff, working hard, it's great being joe Joey, bossy, freakishly talented is greater, you know. And he's he's proven that. I know he doesn't like get the attention that that

some other big time players are. But I think if if you were holding like an NFL wide draft, and uh like you have to take him by position and you're doing pass rushers, I mean, I think most gms would have him in their top two. I don't know, I'm trying to think like he might. He might be the guy that they would say, if I have to start a franchise with one pass rusher, he might be it. Yeah. I think it was a no brainer signing and I you know immediately it's compared to maybe the way the

Jamal Adams situation was treated. In the positions they played this, there were no there was no factor to not make this happen with with someone that they've grown in house. I think Tom Tals goes out a lot of talent to that defense. You know, one little and I'm not bringing up a Corona thing, but I will say something that I found hopeful. If you go back and look at what Bosa did as a rookie. He comes rolling in,

missing the first four games. He appears in week five, everyone wondering what he'd be like, two sacks, totally dominant right away. It kind of shows you that maybe a lot of these guys are gonna be They'll still find a way to thrive at certain positions. He has nine games with two plus sacks in his career. Um, you know, I think you can look at the injury situation as a little concerning He's he's missed thirteen games. Um, you know, Clowney gets killed for that all the time. Clown He's

missed six games over four years, over the past four years. But, um, no brainer, what are you doing if you don't resign him? Cornerback, left tackle, edge rusher, cornerback. These are quarterback. These are the premium positions that get the absurd a hundred million plus guaranteed h type contracts. Boastes not even twenty five yet he turns twenty five. This month. He's averaged almost the sack of game since he entered the league. He's

a total stud and um, he's getting quarterback money. Yeah if only he if only played in a bigger market, like people would pay attention to him more. You know. Yeah, they're market arguably shrunk somehow. I don't know. I have no idea what's gonna what's gonna happen with the Chargers in l A. But Uh, that effectively everything with that gets the pause button gets pushed, which I'm sure Chargers management is like, all right, that's not the worst thing

to happen. Uh this season. Uh, nobody's gonna be talking about how nobody's in that building latching Chargers games, because nobody's gonna be any in any building across the league for the most part. Uh. In other news, the Titans they use free agency to sign Vic Beasley, uh, to give them, you know, increased pass rush. But here's an issue.

Beasley did not show up to the team facility with the rest of the veteran players to begin the COVID nineteen screening, so the Titans then place him on the reserve do not report list, and no reason was given for Beasley's absence yesterday, Greg, was there anything new on this? No, I did see our old I did. No one knows, no one. I think. I think there's gonna be some

holes in reporting in general compared to most years. It's like you're not gonna be able to have any reporters at practices, like the contact between the teams, and all the reporters are at home, so you might not get

the story. Sometimes. I did see our mark. One of Mark's best friends, really his mentor, uh Di Orlando led Better um twet tweeted something didn't and he was just speculating, but he said the reason Beasley couldn't get any trade interest at the at the deadline last year when the Falcons were trying to trade him, is that the word around the team was that he didn't really, you know, love football that much. That he seemed like a guy

that maybe could take it or leave it. And so I don't know, ne Orlando lad Better recovered him for four years, five years, was putting that and putting some context. I doubt he would just put that out there without having some feel of the situation, so that that's the only context I have on that. I mean, it is odd because they said that he was present and available and you know, around for every zoom meeting they did, um obviously easier than he doesn't show up. It feels

like a very ripe scenario. And I don't know what this individual is up to, but Frank Signetti has not been on any sort of a real NFL case of late, but something of a player. He's got a lot of money attached, He's a prime position and he's gone a well. I mean that's a perfect place for a league mandated p I to step in and you know, gum shoe his way to which an answer here that would be Frank shows up, crime hits the bricks. You know, Frank Signetti,

you know, big part of this podcast. What was he? You liked him when he was the Rams offensive coordinator, I believe. But he's bounced around as a quarterback, you know, according to his wiki page. That couldn't be wrong. Doesn't seem like he has a gig right now, had one last year. So well, he was always lighting, he's got some time, he's got some I mean, the p I thing was always happening kind of off the clock, right, you know, getting pulled into a case and and more

obsessed with it. But he just has more time to do what he's naturally gifted at, more so than being an offensive coordinator. You could scrub your own wiki, and you know, Frank is scrubbing the p I element of that off the wiki because he's working a case or now he's working a job, and that takes focus and it takes a level of under the radar living. You know what, he's actually at Boston College, short coordinator. It was not in the NFL, but at Boston College. Yeah,

he's in Boston. He's doing a lot of Boston. I mean, if you're working in college football, you're probably gonna have a lot of time. This fault too. I would say, Uh, connect some dots if you want to do a little Google search Boston College up there outside Boston. Um, what dot Newton if there's any missing persons in Newton, Massachusetts. God, it's a good chance that Frank Signetti is on the job. Speaking of d lad Mark Um not to keep up

bringing up COVID, but listen, it's insidious. As we've talked about another bomber. You had a press pause on that Carnival cruise to Nova Scotia that you and the d lads were gonna go on together. Sessler d led carnival cruise trip together. Yeah, I see, I see no evidence that my um admiration for him goes in the other directions. So I didn't hear about that trip personally. He may be going in And in other news, our friend Kyle

Brandt of Good Morning Football has a new gig. I guess he's moonlighting with the Ringer and he has a program called Ten Questions with Kyle Brandt. And uh, the premier episode, he starts with a bang because it's Aaron Rodgers, star quarterback of the Green Bay Packers. Uh. Really some

good stuff. Rogers was very open with Kyle on a number of topics, including what's going on with his future in Green Bay and Jordan's love, the surprise first round pick in Wisconsin, and Uh, I'm gonna play two clips for you boys. The first one is Rogers kind of throwing some cold water on people talking about the cyclical nature of life. How what happened with Brett Farve and Aaron Rodgers is a rookie was similar to what happened

now with Aaron Rodgers and Jordan's love. Here's what Rodgers had to say, in two thousand uh four, the Packers were uh ten and six in last in first round the playoffs, we were thirteen and three, and you know, one game from the super Bowl. I want a playoff game at home. Obviously want our division A little different circumstance. Not to mention that Bretta talked about retiring for a few years before that, so you know, I don't, and

I've talked about playing in my forties. So you know that when people start talking about the parallels to this and that, well, you know, I felt um they traded up and Um drafted Jordan's and Rogers also, by the way, Rogers said, when the pick happened, he was tracking the draft board in different wide receivers that he liked. And then when Jordan's Love's name was called by Roger Goodell, he poured himself four fingers of tequila because he knew

the firestorm that was headed his way. He was also, uh, very open about what this means for his future and the possibility, really the probability that he'll end his career elsewhere. I think that's probably what happens, you know, based on you know, just a circumstance around everything. You know, and you look at just look at the facts. You know, they traded up, they drafted him. I would say, they like him, they want to play him, And I get it, I really do. Like I don't harbor any ill will

about it. Like was I bummed out of course it wouldn't be, you know, like I wanted to play my entire career in green Bay, past tense. I wanted to play my entire career in green Bay. It seems like a man who's still processing it all, you know. It was like it was like talking to someone who's in the middle of you know, knowing maybe the relationship is gonna end and is putting on a tough front a little bit, but it's still it's still a little fresh.

Like he started with the kind of very cool and calm and and the whole thing is calm, but without Kyle even sort of you know, asking another question. Aaron starts. Aaron Rodgers immediately starts bringing up all those differences between his situation and Fire, like he has taken note of the differences that they are not the same situation. And when he says he'll probably you know, be playing else or whatever. I I don't know, I I you just see this little fire inside of him. That's like, I

don't know if he really believes that. I think in his heart of hearts, he believes he's gonna light up this uh, light up the field so much that they're not gonna have a choice but to ever get rid of him. Right, I mean that the story is far from over, but I think the Kyle asked the question in a good way. He basically said, he are we gonna move on from Aaron Rodgers if you're the Packers, or do you just have a first round pick that you traded up for sit on the bench and not

be used for four more seasons? As as you know, Aaron Rodgers has said he wants to play into his forties, and that's where he kind of came to the conclusion again that yeah, I just don't see that happening. I mean, it's it's the former that they probably move on from Aaron Rodgers, which you know he's sort of hinted at

that before. But um, if that's in your mind as a quarterback, as a starting quarterback in the franch the face of your franchise, that's got to be a distraction, no matter what you say, Right, I mean, it's got to be something sitting in there in your head. They brought in someone who looks like a potential replacement. He's not a sixth rounder. He's not even like Jimmy Garoppolo when they brought him and had nothing to do with

replacing Tom Brady at that point. And let's face it, the way this our league is, when you have a first round rookie on his first deal every year keep him on the bench, you're wasting away, you know, golden years in terms of cat flexibility and ability to get a champion on the field with a cheap quarterback. I just to me, it feels like a fifty fifty shot at this point that this is Rogers last year in

green Back. I mean, the financials are tricky though, to move them even after this season to something, Yeah, but I don't know you can work that out, though they could probably find a way, I would guess, because what are you gonna do. What's your other move? Either bench Aaron Rodgers or keep Jordan's Love a first round pick on the bench until his third season. That just doesn't happen.

It doesn't. But but there's a couple of factors. One, you know, Love is not going to get the build up to his rookie season that you know, the Packers would have liked. I mean, I think about Aaron Rodgers is build up, and this is back when we were we were overly eager to like, you know, evaluate O t A s and mini camps, but like Aaron Rodgers was tearing, you know, he was like infamously terrible in

the off season and he started camp bad. And everyone in Green Bay is like, Craig Noll is better than this guy. You know, acknowledge, you know, And the odds on Jordan's Love, who was very raw, to put it mildly coming out of college, like looking like a world beater right away, it's pretty long. Like I don't know if he's going to be the backup. It might be Tim, Tim Boyle, and who knows, Jordan's Love might never be

that great. I mean that's the thing, Like drafted a guy in the first rounds easy him him being anywhere close to where Aaron Rodgers was after a few years in the NFL, good luck with that. I mean it's when I see that, you know, borrowing a regime change. The front office went out of the way to trade up for him. When front officers do that, they want to see a return on investment, and they want to see the player. And how many guys have been labeled as raw and red shirt and projects and then a

year later their stars. I mean, I could give you fifteen of them, all right, let's hear well, I'll put it in a written piece and send it away. An all time for right now called him on his bluff. Well, you know what. There were people saying, well, I'm not sure Patrick Mahones, even Mahomes was spoken about that way, you know, Shaun Watson, every one. You know, it's all well, I've teased my article. I've given you two of my fifteen,

So that's how you do it. Finally, in the news, John Lynch, Oh, what a success it's been in San Francisco, the general manager who was hired without any front office experience back in January of two thousand seventeen. He's turned that organization into one of the top teams in the league, and they rewarded him for it with a new contract extension.

Mike Garifolo reported it's a multi year deal will keep him in charge of the team through good job by you and Mr Lynch and good job by the Niners for thinking outside the box, which not enough teams do, let's face and for almost letting your coach who is all you know, deciding pretty much right away when you hired Chan him, he's the key guy. Let's find someone that works with you know, every every situation is a

little different. I don't think you can expect that out of each um, but Shanahan is still the key guy, and I think Lynch is there to like execute a vision.

It's a way in which Kyle Shanahan is already better than Mike Sanahan, because Mike Sanahan, to me, was one of the best coaches of all time, and he ruined it by always being in fighting with his want with his would be general managers, and he was always fighting for power and it was always a distraction and it wasn't good at the g M part of it either. And Kyle, Kyle and John Lynch seemed like they worked

great together. And it reminds me of Pete Carroll and Schneider because Pete Carroll's the key guy and Schneider is the one okay executing what what Pete Carroll wants to do. It's similar in San Francisco. Yeah, I like the way you put that, and I'm sure Kyle Shanahan learned, you know,

infinite amounts from experiencing what his dad went through. And their demeanors are a little bit different, but you know, it was it was a year ago that that you know, people were wondering, is John Lynch on the hot seat? Is Kyle Shanahan on the hot seat? And it shows you how much can change in a year. But they always were um, well matched and married together and the best teams do that, and it's incredible how many teams in sports struggle to do that and its ego, Uh,

it's in the in the opposite is happening here. And I think that John Lynch, you know, a lot of people when he came in off out of you know, former player in the media, it's like, well, that's not where a GM comes from. Well, Mike Mayok has showing you that's not true also, and Lynch, Um, it kind of reminds you what happened in Buffalo a little bit too.

Coach and GM quickly got the right players in place to give Shanahan the right kind of players he needed for his offense, where other teams you're into the year three or four of a GM and a coach and like, oh, we're still missing like all these key ingredients to functionally operate on a Sunday. It's like, can you please get your act together? Not the case in San Francisco. All right,

that's what's happening in the news alright. As promised one of our favorites in the football Gagna cent and it just so happens that he is a colleague of ours with NFL Network, the great Brian Baldinger, better known as Baldy. Welcome to the Around the NFL podcast. Baldi, good to join you, guys man. Thanks for having me. I appreciate it. Um. You know, we we've kicked the season off. It doesn't

feel like it. I think it was officially kicked off, so uh, I know, at least there's some news to talk about here, and we could kind of get into the lee a little bit more than you know, what we've done over the last four months. Yeah, we could

definitely get into the league. But I definitely want to start because you know, we've all been with NFL media for years now and and Baldi is something of a legendary figure behind the scenes at NFL media because you're so well known for your globe trotting and your adventures.

And I was just wondering if during the this this COVID nineteen pandemic which has kept us all, uh, you know, sheltered in place for the most part, Uh, if if this were not, if this were normal times, would you be on a beach in Bali somewhere, you know, chewing eight on a beach and while supermodels dance around you in front of a bonfire, Like, are you missing out on that type of Baldi type of venture? I am? I mean, I used out. I was. I was all scheduled on a trip to Romania. I was going to

boot Rest. It was the hidden jewel of Eastern Europe. Hadn't been there one of the sixty eight country I mean, only been to sixty eight countries. So I'm trying to get some more notches on that that one. I had a trip with my mom to Sicily had one. I just wanted to go for the connol. He's honestly, I think I could have gotten here. My mom probably would have bagged the trip, but I would have. I didn't know if I could get back and friends, which is not a bad place to be stuck. But the only

person who still calls you, Brian, your mom. She's she's so, she's alone, He's alone. One left. But you know when your when your mom could call you, really, anything she wants goes by the first. I feel like, no if I ris can totally contain Baldi though, And I do see your back, your backgrounds. You're at NFL Films, so you're back. You're back in the building. They couldn't keep you out. I guess I'm on the list every day. Every day I'm on the list here. Um uh, you know,

they take my temperature. I guess my temperature every day. I'm I'm somewhere between ninety seven points and ninety seven point nine. I guess my temperature every day. I follow the guidelines here. But I'm on the third floor. Honestly, there's two guys in I t that are there, Thank goodness, because they helped me out. And that's it. So I feel like I've got my own floor, my own desk,

film lie library. I mean really, And I joke with people about this situation that we went about practicing citing, you know, social distancing. I'm like, I practure I practice social distancing every day up here, you know, And everybody wants to come into the film room, and usually what happens is they fall asleep, but I kick him out and I don't let him come back in. Um, there's a lot of things. I really haven't changed that much

for me here. But you know, obviously we're through some some trying time, so I'm not I'm not being cavalier about it, but really, I mean, I'm glad I've kind of have really changed my lifestyle much at all. And you're right, I haven't. They haven't really been able to contain me. I'm beginning all over the country. Been going to a bunch of different camps. Over the last couple of weeks. I was at a quarterback camp for high

school players, the top high school quarterbacks in Indianapolis. I saw Frank Wrich and Chris Ballard and and honestly, the wave of quarterbacks that are gonna come our way here pretty soon. They are there advanced. I mean, they've been well coached by a lot of people. Wow, give us the next Joe Burrow that no one has even heard

of yet. Good, good, good, good question. I tell you this, Caleb Williams, who's the number one high school recruiting the country out of Washington, d C. Is going to Oklahoma. You're coming up on a senior year. I sat him in the film room and there wasn't anything that he couldn't spit back at me the game. But if you put him in Indianapolis at this year's combine, you might have thought that he could throw the ball with Joe Burrow every day any day. I mean, take the names

on the back of the jersey's. I mean, this guy is six three to twenty and he's got a cannon, but he's smart. He knows where to go with the ball. I mean, he's what we're talking about him in probably like three or four years right now. Mm hmm. You know I thought the I think the last time I saw you in person, and this was a chance running wasn't at the Century City Mall here in Los Angeles, and I um had it was a day off from work.

I had just come out of seeing Jennifer Lopez and Hustlers, and I'm not sure that he asked what I had watched. I'm not sure that I was honest with you about what I had seen, because I was I'm dealing with that's still on this show, but a good film, but that feels like a different time. We can't do any of that these twodays, and we can. We can still discuss some of these issues. We had a lot to get to it. I I want to ask, because we were talking a little bit of forty ninersa John Lynch,

they just gave him the extension. I have been super pro Kyle Shanahan on this show for a long time. And tell me if you think I'm right or wrong when I just think that he is the greatest in game play caller that the NFL has today. Um and that I am I'm not seeing. I think the ceiling for Jimmy g has not been found because of his coach and because of the way that he calls offense. I completely agree. Uh you know, look, Kyle is I mean, obviously he's been trained by his dad, he's been around

in his whole life. But I think that Jimmy Gan, any quarterback that would ever play for him, from Matt Ryan, you you name the guy that's play for him, They're they're always gonna get challenged. They're gonna get challenged every day in practice, during games. Um, how he calls a game, I mean there's just a rhythm to it. There's uh, there is a next level of how he the run game is amazing. Um, you go back and you watch

him against Carolina this year. I mean there are plays they didn't block lou keekly, but they knew they we're gonna block him. They knew the play action and motion and um, the quarterback play fakes. We're gonna take care of one of the premier players in this league. I think that the play action game that he has is is creative and innovative as we not as we have in the game today, but as we've ever seen in the game. About the history, I mean, he's just a

difference maker. Um. I think that the best is yet to come. And and people could point to the fourth quarter of this most recent Super Bowl game or the Super Bowl against New England, you can you can point fault at Kyle and some of the things that he might have done wrong. Um, but it's not gonna it really. I know it irks fans of those teams, but I don't think it irks him. I don't think he stays up at night thinking about the play call that he could have done with Jimmy g this year or Matt Ryan,

you know, four or five years ago. I think he's just looking for the next game, um, to try to to try to win. And I don't think it's gonna change whether it's regular season or postseason or Super Bowl. Mm hmm. I want to talk about, uh, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because you did an NFL Network hit today, I believe where you discuss their front seven and how it played as well as any front seven in the

entire league in the last six weeks. Uh. And everyone knows what's going on the offensive side of the ball with Tom Brady there? Do the Bucks to you? And you you study all these teams as well or better than anybody they are. The Bucks are one of those teams that to you is a little bit under the radar as a Super Bowl contender. You know, you have the teams of the obvious contenders, but can the Buck The Bucks have the talent and the ability you think

in the coaching to maybe go on a runner. And are there any other teams that you've been studying that's like, Wow, this team is way better than people realize. Well, I think Tampa. You know, I to watch them play football. The last six weeks, they scored four defensive touchdowns. Um, you know, they brought everybody back. And so if you look at J P. P and Shaq Barrett on the edges, and you look at Vita Villa and in Dominican su domin who has never missed a game. I know he's

been suspended, He's never missed a game. I mean he's a complete pro. So a guy like Vida Vella watches and Dominicans sue, how he takes care of himself, how he prepares, how he gets his body ready. I mean he is a Polynesian power, just a tsunami of power inside no one guy can fly. And then if you look at what really Devin White did the second half of the season, I mean he's gonna be the Pro Bowlman. A linebacker for a long time, Nick Lavante David that

front coached by a very good coordinator, Todd Bowls, God Bowls. Baby. Well, I look, I know people Bowls in New York. I mean they think, but Todd Bowl has always been a I think he knows how to communicate and I think he knows how to really put players in great positions to make plays, and he's got a lot of talent. Now you can say the back end, okay, the back end.

All he did was they made their mistakes. They played a ton of young guys, rookie second year of players last year, Jamaldine, you go through the list of all the guys, I think they're just gonna get better in the front. Andybody knows that everybody's back into their defense plays better when the front is dominant. And so look at Tom Brady. I mean you look at they had seven pick sixes last year, including the final play of the season against the Falcons in overtime. That's how the

season ended. What jameis Winston throwing a pick six might still be on the team if he didn't throw that ball. Was that I think he might still be on the team if he didn't throw that ball. Season ended on a pick I mean seven, that's never been done. We've seen a lot of quarterbacks that have dubious distinctions, and the hun of your history of this sleep seven pick sixes.

It's hard to do. And they're seeing that way. And we know that Tom Brady, if he throws one, he's not sleeping for a week and he's just gonna make up for it. So I mean, I think if you cut down on the mistakes on offense, if you look at what they're bringing back on defense, and if anybody knows Bruce Arians, I know you'all do, but he's the anti Belichick. I mean, you can get a great joke from Bruce Arians ten minutes before kickoff. I mean, he's

just now, he's gonna jump the officials. He's not gonna be happy during the game, but he's loose all you know. I mean, you know, you know the thing that always irked me as a player is when coaches would tell you all week long, you know, go back, you know, like all week long they're just all tight. They're worried, you know, they're they're like they're scaring their own shadows. And then the pregame speeches. Go out and have fun. Well, players go out and have fun every day. I think

Brady is gonna love him now. He he may not love the the exact culture right now, but he'll I've already talked to Ryan Jensen about Tom Brady. He gets a dissertation every days with him on thirty minutes or just snapping the football, you know, where he wants the towel what like how damp he wants to tell that he wears where the laces need to be shotgun understanding,

I mean he gets a dissertations happened the ball? I mean this is what you're gonna get from Green, right, You're gonna get an offensive line coach along with the quarterback because and I do think there's a concern with their line. You know, the tackle positions. Will see if you know the rookie works out worse. We'll see if Donovan Smith plays a little bitter. But ultimately Brady is gonna make them look better. He always does. He makes his line better. I think how he would want, like

a longer off season. He's tried to have it with the workouts that he have. But you've been in the league, you know as a player. You've been in this broadcasting business for over twenty years now too, so you're a vet. You've been to these camps a ton like we're never gonna see in August like this. I guess I'm wondering if someone who's been there, who knows what it's like to prepare for a season, what do you think is gonna happen in it. Let's say it all goes well

like it goes how they want to. You've got about two weeks really to get ready, two or three weeks. You've got a couple of weeks where you're actually tackling in pads, like what do you think is going to be the fallout of that sort of run up to to season. But even before this pandemic, I mean, nobody was playing in August, and so September was the new August, you know, I mean we saw a lot of bad football.

We saw the Patriots get off to horrendous starts wanted to start so until we saw them get off the bad starts and then fix and they use September to really fix what was broken and figure out the best way to win football games. I mean they were, I mean, they were the poster child for being able to do that.

So if that was the whey it was before this pandemic, and we're looking at basically six weeks now to ratch it up for the season, I think the teams that handled the next six weeks the best are gonna get off to the best start. But regardless of what kind of start we see, I mean October is gonna be the new September. I mean, we may not see really good football until October this year because we're gonna get a lot of injuries where you know, I mean whoever.

I mean, I could look at everybody's starting lineup. I doubt anybody's gonna start their twenty two that they have right now lined up. I'm we're just gonna see injuries because they're just not gonna get battle tests now. I talked to some teams like the Eagles. Um, they're gonna have two scrimmages, you know, once you put the pads on starting August seventeen. I mean they they want to try to get to as much full speed contact and work.

And I'm sure other teams have other things. But I'm sure Jim Harball is not gonna go, you know, three weeks about a lot of contact. I mean, it's just who he is. But so, I mean teams are gonna do it differently. But how you handle these next six weeks, how do you come out of it? You know, from the COVID nineteen positive negative stance, how have you come out of an injury wise? How you get the bodies ready to play? How you get teams prepared to play

at high levels starting September ten or the thirteenth. Whenever you start. I mean, whoever does that the best? He's gonna get off to a good start. Um, get off to the best start. And I think it's gonna be really important this year. Ball. They thank you so much for joining us. You really are like the Tony Stark of NFL media, but also knowing better in the business realm to give a alright, follow Baldy everywhere. He's the best in the business. Thanks buddy, Thanks, thanks for having

appreciate Thanks Baldi. I I do remember him like doing some Fox games and I was in college. Baldi has been part of our lives. Oh yeah, for a long time before he was colleagues. Um, all right, that was excellent. So this boys and girls, you could come back now. This brings an end to my time here in Texas. I just want to say thank you to Bill O'Brien for having me here. Uh. In his attic, things did calm down after last week's issues and uh, and I look forward to heading back to l A and rejoining

you guys in the same city tomorrow. And I want to also thank of course the Gatesville Messenger. Oh yeah, not not this headline not vehicle theft leads to extensive man hunt, respect shoots, found this guy or what. I don't know, but it doesn't matter because the zeuser is on the front page of the Gatesville Messenger this week. Uh, it's been great being here. I look forward to returning and and we'll be back as a group maybe Friday. Are we planning Friday show? Did we ever decide that?

I think it's a probable. It's a probable, assuming we have may be a mini show if if if so be if that's all we have. Yeah, what I'm saying network exactly, So make sure uh to tune in for that and thank you everybody for listening. Um. Until then, this is Dan hands Is signing off for Quiet Storm, the mail Man, the Old Boss, and Ricky Hollywood behind the Glass. Yeah, I said mail Man, because he's with us, he always is. Jill. Maybe Friday,