Power Rankings Podcast (with Gregg Rosenthal and Marc Sessler)

mean it's got to end before the song. Well, yeah, i'd workshop my response if I knew that was coming. We're gonna try it again in exactly two months, okay, with no warning, So just have something in the can ready. Now we're on season eleven of like a sitcom where now they just said the writer's room is like, they don't know what to do, so they just start throwing stuff against the wall just to keep themselves entertained. I think we arrived there long before today. Connie. This is

the summer of Connie. I know it's confusing to people. It is southern California and really the West Coast in general getting battered by rainfall and storms repeatedly. I'm freezing. Does that cut into the Summer of Connie. Does that affect it in any way? Yes, this has been a really bad launch to the Summer of Connie. If I'm being I mean, you're here every week. That's a problem too. I'm asking you guys if I could come on the show because I am just sitting at my house watching

the rain come down, so I'm availables. What about the old wisdom that April showers bring May flowers. Why it's March twenty second right now my lawn has slugs in it and it was like dead, just like a couple months ago. It was just hey, and now from the rain there's actually slugs. But all that dog yearn will take care of that. Though in time it will offset,

it will offset it. Just think when I introduced you, Mark, you could have simply said April showers bring May flowers and the place would have went off off the roof of the time when you need to lean on the wisdom of a nursery rhyme or whatever, that would be that type of text truth truth, truth, All right, Thursday Show, we've lost I could just stopped talking at some point Wednesdays Wednesday, congratulations, you're wearing your Tokyo Swallows jersey first

time in the Sadden in the closet, it was like, I've I've never worn this. This is the day. Did you uncover it in the move Japan the WBC shoots you figured it out, Colleen. I threw out a lot of clothes and I was like, no, this is cool. Actually I'm going to keep this, And now's the time because my guy Murakami, who is on the Swallows big hitter. So you are like the Japanese team. You are cemented as one of the biggest fair Weather fans of all time.

You literally had the jersey housed inside your closet and you're wearing it now that the World champions. Wow, this is technically the team in Tokyo that Amico was a season ticket holder too, as a kidneys every year to their games. I can't say I'm an everyday fan. I've watched a great fan, watched six innings of baseball this year, and I'm yeah, I'm just a die hard fan now.

And did you when you were laying out the shirts this morning, were you concerned it all about the cultural disconnect of wearing the jersey that just giant block letters, says swallows across them. Now, I think everyone could handle that. We know, we know where the swallows come from. The it's a boyd. Right, it's a bird. Yeah, it's a boy They travel north to That's actually how my grandfather spoke a bus driver from the Bronx. Yeah it was not a bird, it was a boyd. Yeah. Um, all right,

we got a good show coming up. Baba, rest in peace. We are going to Hey, Connie. Remember remember baba also the Japanese word for grandmother. So there's a lot of this is unbelievable. Stop staring at I'm going cut my shirt back. Iron No, don't make himself conscious? No no, no, don't do it great, don't love it. Stand up your song, Colleen. You and I did a little thing called Power Rankings podcast during the season. Um, the Power Rankings returned this

week on NFL dot com. How about that. I didn't get a call to do a show though, what either? Okay? Cool? And I didn't check in. I didn't check in with the Powers to Be either. I was like, okay, how they love how'd it feel? Dipping back in a little weird? It's tough, Just like when we did Winners and Losers, a free agency with Bill Barnwell, it's like, man, how certain do I feel about any of these teams right now?

But the machine needs content it does so I did my best, and I did go through them again after I finished writing him, after I you know, went out live and you know, I did the NFL now Siciliano and I didn't check in to see if we even had to do a podcast. I went through it again this morning and I was like, Okay, what jumped out to me during the rece church and writing process, and we'll go through it and you guys can push back and say what I blew, because I actually think and

this happens all the time. I blew a few right off the bat. I was like, why why is that team there? Who wrote this? And it was literally two days ago. Well, it's a tricky time of year because now are you spinning forward to who's going to be good in twenty twenty three? Us like who played well? As exactly? I love it. I love the debrief the regrets, all right, but first let's do some Newstis randoms. That is the voice of Cam Newton. I want to know who the randoms are. Uh. I think we could guess.

I think basically almost every backup that got a job in the past week in free agency probably the target of his probably fuse like Taylor Heineke that way, it feels a little No, he's not a random. He's he's a lot of things, but he's not a random. I think it's Nickier stid up Here's I mean the thing about it is And you remember West famously had a term for Cam Newton. He called him do you remember

Mark Stege? I believe And Cam's interesting because I was never a big fan of him, and then when he later in his career, he felt more like it was maybe a little humbled a little bit, and he didn't quite have the tools anymore, and he was just kind of grinding through that Patriot season and then that forgettable final five starts with the Panthers, and then you hear that drop and it's like, oh, that's the old, that's the old Cam. Um a little bit of a disconnect though,

because he's kind of a random now. I mean, he's not a random. You can talk ability. He is a term of ability influence and sort of his career path. He's kind of iconic, like he's a player people will remember forever. At this point though, he's he's a right, one of the best college football seasons of all time, but he's I don't recognize. I don't think he's getting

a job. He's thirty four now, and I think that Carolina season was probably his last one, right, I guess I meant, you know, more, it's a fraternity of the QBS, and he's obviously a far away off from twenty fifteen at this point. You know, well, he's getting older and the players again younger. But I'd say also that like even there still during that humble era that you mentioned, he still was coming to you know, the podium in like a grandmother's cardigan and the fedora. So it was

like it wasn't a total mind. Would I trust Cam Newton for one game over Drew Locke, who got four million dollars from the Seahawks somehow that was a sneaky, terrible contract in free agency? Yes, I would. I would, okay, agree to disagree, but I don't think either you would be in a good position with either player. But we'll see if anything comes to that. He did throw at the Auburn Pro Day through to his brother. In fact, how did the brother do. That's what I want to know.

I think he caught some football. Okay, the media afterwards, there's always the other Cam Newton in our league that whenever you try to, like say there was a disaster like a guard or something, the other Lamar Jackson's like reporters, here's a public service announcement. Stopped doing the Lamar Jackson joke. It keeps happening. It's like Lamar Jackson just went on waivers and nobody claimed them to stop. Terrible tweet. Um, let me hear just a little more Cam J. Hottis

randoms chickens though obviously I can't wait. Oh, I love You can't tell me that he would, No, that's love him in a lock around. He's a showman. Is you can't tell me you put him next to Terry Bradshaw and Fox on Sundays. I just feel like he would fit in that. The just feel like heians closet and he pulls out the cardigans. I don't know why we still need Terry Branshaw on that that equation, but Terry's

just collecting those paychecks. Maybe Terry will come up in our conversation on NFL Media with Andrew Marshawn to The New York Post tomorrow. Probably not, but he could. And one last cam note. I had completely forgotten about that. He had he invented his own font. Remember that. Oh yeah, it showed up and this announced and I was like, Bro, you're still doing that. Thinks dedication to create a language.

Let's get to Let's get to the news, Starting with a report from our friend Ian Rappaport, who reported on Tuesday regarding DeAndre Hopkins. I'll read the tweet as the status of Cardinal star DeAndre Hopkins comes into focus, Talks are ramping up among the interested team. Sources say, similar to Brandon Cooks, a trade would likely mean an altered contract. All right, Greg, we know you're in a quiet war with agents right now. Now, even though you have an agent.

I'm just I'm just try kind of, you know, present the little guy's side. It's agents and the big media versus everyone that's always been your stock and trade to code this tweet because obviously this is in in contact with his sources, possibly and probably agents. Right well, I think it's DeAndre Hopkins and his agent sort of trying to get it back out there that Hey, Okay, first

wave free agency happened. They have been having these talks obviously, you know, I don't think rap sheet in the agent are making this up and like trying to put it back front and center as like we wanted this to happen this week. Put your best offers on the table. I'm sick of sitting around when I see Brandon Cooks and some of these other deals happen. It's about it, Like, let's get it back into the conversation now, this is a good, nice, quiet weekend. Yeah, that was kind of

my my thought on it. Connie, Like I saw the report, I saw it get aggregated everywhere, and then I looked at the report again, I looked at the tweet again. I was like, what does this actually mean? Too? Is maybe he's willing to take a pay cut, is what I read into that. And then I also saw the Browns are not interested in him. There was a lot of people that were talking about maybe some type of

reunion with Deshaun Watson. But if there was going to be a possible deal, the Panthers would be really interesting to have him and Adam Feelin there with I mean, who knows who the quarterbacks but yeah, that would be nice, but that's also that's a thirty year old new than a thirty three year old Dealers, If I want to put DeAndre Hopkins into a scenario where you don't know who the quarterback is going to be, it could be a rookie. You could have to play Andy Dalton for

a while. Andy Dalton and DeAndre Hopkins don't feel like a complete marriage to me. I think DeAndre Hopkins has to go. There's probably a smaller list of teams, and we're getting closer to the draft where I think if you're him in his camp, you don't want some of these teams feeling good about their wide receiver room because they drafted Guy A b or Ce, even though it's not a great draft for that, the Patriots reportedly have been sniffing around. They seem like the most logical. I

think he talks about Belichick's like adoration of Hopkins. There's something that goes a long way there. I think they're in a similar spot to the Packers with Aaron Rodgers, but you know, have less leverage, which is just like the Cardinals aren't in a particular hurry. What do they care about being in a hurry. If they have to wait till April to feel like they're going to get the best draft pick possible, then they'll wait till April,

and they're probably not getting a second round offer. I believe if there was any team out there that was going to give up a second round pick, I think they would just say the same thing happens every year. Like six weeks ago, two months ago, we did a segment and we were floating trade ideas and it was like, yeah, nuke for a first, that makes sense, a late first, and then all of a sudden, you get to this time of year and it's like, maybe he gets a second,

maybe a third. The veterans in the trade market seem to fetch less than you think. Brandon Cooks got a fifth and a sixth. And I'm not saying that the same player, but Brandon Cooks isn't is I would say, maybe I take them over Deanna Hopkins and the way we as fans and would not. But I hear you, I'm depends what team. It's debatable, but a third, you know, I know he's turning thirty one and that that's a

little bit of a concern. A PD suspension followed by a bit of an injury plague up and you know, up and down season. There's things that I love you man, he said, I love you man. It's years ago. But like the Broncos are sandy want, there's the Jerry Judy is going to command like a first or a second. Give me a break. How would you ever, Jerry Judy? I could see it more because at least at least

he's young. I think Jerry Judy would have higher value and you don't have him for much money, whereas Hopkins costs a lot of money and is older. For the record, mark that Nuke Belichick sound was from this past season. When did I say years ago? Well that was last year. I felt like years ago. Multiple it was the Monday Night Football Classic. Uh, Cardinals Patriots. I don't have my arguments idea of what was happening literally one year ago today, or who I was, or who the Giants were. So

that's a weird ten. The Giants getting the drop um all right? In other New Years, Lamar Jackson, Oh, the saga, the saga continues. Your old boss Florio greg is hot on this story. He's into it. And here's a report from Pro Football talk that Lamar Jackson. Per multiple sources, a representative for the quarterback has contacted more than one team and an effort to this is Florio's writing spark negotiations had aimed at a possible offer sheet. The rep

is not certified by the NFL Players Association. As the source explained it, the person has said that Jackson does not want to fully guaranteed contract. Some regard this, continuing to read Mike Florio's writing this as a possible exercise in semantics, with Jackson still wanting a very significant, significant amount of fully guaranteed money with one or more non guaranteed years on the back end. Mark Sessler, is this our guy? Is this our dude? Is it the Saint?

I don't know, but I hope it is. If you were to line up a list of suspects, I mean, st Omni's got to be on that list, if not the top of the list. Love this. The one little thing is we talked about how Saint Omni helped Laramie Tunsel in that stame like PFT reporting, Laramie Tunsel tweeted about Saint Omni in quotes he was with me every step of the way. That's an agent, and like basically the agents are going nuts because it's like you're not certified.

Um you like certified agents have to buy like malpractice insurance and go to all these union meetings and all this other stuff, and Saint Omni is just floating in on a spaceship and sealing the deal. I kind of love it, but I don't see why they don't love it, right. I think it's in violation of the CBA though, And then the end of you mean the CBA that's negotiated between the union and the NFL. Yes, and in the union that's working with Lamar Jackson to get a deal done.

But if Greg is all over this agent thing, like Greg's mentor Mike Florio is like doubly all over it, where like he is writing the NFL asking why is no one doing anything about Saint Omni and they aren't responding to him. He's on the other side of it. He's on the pro agent side. Uh. It's also, though, the same place where we were reporting all the agents saying, look, if Lamar had an agent, we'd be tampering the hell out of this. We'd be breaking all the rules that

now we care about. They're just mad that he skipped all the Zoom meetings. It's like Satan Obley doesn't have to go to the compliance plan, Like, well, it's definitely like you're not in our group and you're doing all this lags. Wait, he wasn't at the town hall, right exactly, he doesn't get to get the benefits. Um, I mean nothing about this. They were mad about Lamar for not

sort of selling himself around and the appairs. It appears someone is doing it now, and the semantics of whether like it's illegal or not, I don't think are going to matter in the end. It's more matters like is someone going to do something about it? Colts someone? Yeah, it is. It's moving so slow. I don't know if this means that he is in a situation where he's like not panicking, but I mean now he's reaching out to other options to try and get things moving. He

knows that he needs to. But I guess the longer he waits, the more leverage he kind of has. Right in other news, speaking of leverage, speaking of guaranteed dollars, our boss on some level, Roger Goodell on a very concrete level, right, I love that Roger Goodell and NFL owners are expected to finalize a multi year contract extension

for the commissioner at next week's owners meetings in Phoenix. UM. This is Roger Goodell's fourth extension or it will be UM since becoming commissioner, taking over for Paul Tagliabu in September of two thousand and six. UM Greg Goodell obviously has the faith of ownership across the league to continue to get these extensions and the big paycheck that goes with it. Hey, Roger, that was about you know, that's

February nineteenth birthday. Boys have to stick together, me and Rog and I'm hoping for a similar type extension at a similar level. There was reports years ago that this was going to be his last contract, and I think we've heard the reports. Always happened, It's happened a couple

of times. And then you get to the end and they're like, you know what, Roger Goodell has been really great at making us a ton of money, and they all want to keep him, and it's tough for him, like like many players when they get towards the end of their career and they think maybe they're going to retire, and then they get offered a great amount of money to keep it rolling. So next stop, Roger Goodell, Let's

figure out what's going on with the old NFL media. Yeah, I mean that would be the next bullet point, I guess. I mean, this isn't a secret thing. He's talked about it that they've you know, had these you know, putting it out there, trying to get a partner, and so I'm just curious what's gonna happen. It's weird because he's

always seemed we are invested in that outcome. Yes, he seemed younger than me, but he'll be older if he if he goes through the end of this extension, which he be sixty eight, that's five years older than Pete Roselle was and three older than Paul Taglibu, who both Taglibo always seemed older than me than you know Goodell.

By the assignm in Arizona outside of the coffee shop, as I was walking Watanabe's son, who is by the way, a huge tokyo swallows fan Uther sat Taglibu walking by what a large man he works out he does not look young now, um exactly? Yeah, Yeah, I think that he can have this job basically as long as his if he continues on this course, if he gets in. There's a new report from ESPN about one of the bidders,

Canadian businessman uh for the Washington Commandity. I mean, if he gets Snyder out the paint and gets a big stadium and billionaire owner there, I think that's one of the best moments of Goodell's career. It feels like he's he's helping that long time coming. All right, let's take a break and we'll be right back. All right, we're back. In other news, the Houston Texans continue to build up their roster ahead of the very likely new quarterback to

come with the second overall pick. They signed running back Devin Singletary, formerly of the Bills, one year, three point seven five million. He will join a backfield with Damian Pierce, who looked very good in his rookie season. They also I like this move. They signed tight end Dalton Schultz, formerly of the Cowboys, one year, nine million dollars. So

there you go. This is a team that Yes, justin just moments ago, as you were teeming that up, the Texans signed former Raiders linebacker Denzel Perryman to a one year contract as well. As Variants twenty twenty one, very active time for Houston. Your thoughts, Mark, Well, I think it's, you know, you want to create an environment where the rookie quarterback you bring in who is you know you've got Case Keen and who could start the season. But

build a good environment. And it's been a terrible environment for a long time, and you just move Brandon Cooks and so your light on wide receivers. But I liked their backfield, Dalton Schultz, Laramy Tunsil across from Titus Howard, a tackle with Shack Mason at guard. Their offensive line was a disaster for a long time, Like they are starting to build the semblance of an infrastructure to put

a rookie quarterback in there. And I do think that the difference is you don't have another one of these one and done coaches that are propped up as total fall guys. You got Damiko Ryan's who the players already love. Yeah, And Dalton Schultz He's going to be perfect for whoever they bring in there at quarterback as a security blanket. I mean, he did great things with Dak Prescott and I'm kind of surprised because Dak loved throwing him. He was one of his best targets or most reliable targets.

So I think that this is going to be. This is a nice little, nice little sign in here for you want you asked me like a month ago, nice job, Like I what do I consider a win for this top one O one list? Like you could look at the Dalton Schultz the lack of a market as an owl because I had him super high up and I was really surprised by that. I was shocked how why by that he didn't get more money because he got

the whole up to nine million dollars. I don't know what's up with the up to this year everything has turned to up too, which is just a way to not say their real salary, which I think based on reports we haven't gotten the details. It's gonna be like Mike Kasecki, which is about half of nine million dollars and with a bunch of incentives. I'm shocked at Schultz and Gasecki didn't really get much money, didn't get a lot of interest. They misread their market and like hayden

Hurst got way more than both of them. I like these moves through the Texans. They're like real live NFL offensive starters. So the tight end class this year is really deep and really talented, So that actually makes sense. I think teams are waiting for that. And like Schultz is a great snack, she needed a comeback take and she got it. Um all right. And before we hit odds and ends and hold on to your butts for that, let's listen to one of the forgotten important plays in

recent Super Bowl history. Out of the shotgun, Ryan gets hit, Paul is out. This is a fumble. Do anyone hasn't high Tower knocked it out? And Prance recovers for the Patriots. That was Donta High Tower of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl fifty three, the twenty eight three game. It was twenty eight twelve at that moment with eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter of the Patriots. Then it's to play this third and one? They should call at the twenty eight to twelve and eight minutes

to go on a third and one game. I know that's not as good as it's even more remarkable than just how about this, Greggy. I thought we were teeing up a different highlight because he donta High Tower linebacker

retired yesterday officially. He made the tackle on Marshawn Lynch at the one yard line before the Russell Wilson interception by Malcolm Butler, And we were sitting in that stadium high up, and when Marshawn got that ball, it looked like he was going in and that would have put New England behind in that game with less than a minutes player about a minute to play. That to me

was like v play but another great Patriot. The man was called Mister February by no Leston Bill Belichick, and that play, those two plays actually kind of summarized Dante High Tower well because he was a big guy who

could blitz. He was the only linebacker on the field in that Rams game where they held him to three points, six guys up front, one linebacker, because he could do it all blitz, run, stop, And that play where he stopped Lynch, like he has the center on him and he disengages from that block and tackles one of the toughest guys to tackle in the league, Marshawn Lynch, just a yard before, and like they literally don't win those

two Super Bowls without Dante Hyde. I think like the performance against the Rams is undersold because of those two other games he dominated Jared Goff. The Rams didn't get past New England's twenty six yard line, and it had a lot to do with how tigeh Tower, how he was dispatched. He missed the Eagles Super Bowl with a torn pectoral. You have to wonder looking at that game

with the fact that you're right. Belichick called to mister February, what happens in that insane back and forth contest if you have high Tower in there, because he's simply he delivered every Super Bowl there was the same result happened. No, I don't not at all. You get High Tower in folks face. You know, Greggy, the Patriots may not be special anymore, but you're all the kind of various homecoming anniversary halftime that's part of having this great run like

they had for twenty years. Um, those are gonna be They're always gonna be lit. Bro, You're gonna have so many big time guys that you get to roll out as a Yankee fan with old timer's day you have. You have the same thing, especially like from the fifties and sixties, those runs. So it would be like Brady is DiMaggio man in general, like all the other guys like Devin mccordy retired also, and he was another vital cog in the Patriots machine. He will be coming out

of that tunnel. You guys will always have that and I believe it's later is back. He's you know, their core special teamer. But mccordy and high Tower retiring this offseason does feel like kind of okay, this is really the end of the last embers of the players that were there for the titles. Do they still have the like the old Yankees? Am I misremembering this as a kid? Like the old Yankees would come out and play like

a squad verse squad game. Yes, slightly depressed, but they still is that they shelved that at this point or do they still bring like forty nine fifty five year old sixty two year old players out actual gray beards. They do. Yeah, they bring them out and they play like three innings. But you can do that in baseball, that's a nice thing. You can't nice. Try doing that in football pads Like, Yeah, the less said about that, the better that would be. All right. From one depressing,

scary situation and to odds and ends. Connie. Oh god, okay, different kids. I don't know if I have another key, you have another key. It's any of the time. All right, let's go high three. Okay, I don't think I can go ends. Everybody tell your friends. Ends. Oh it was very good. But where was the when it's Colleen? Though? It really hasn't here. It's not ominous. It was really funny. It's happy. It's happy, as Greg said, I thought, because

Colleen's here, it's like it's a little more pleasant. What is What are these conversations that I'm missing? There were now conversations. There was a synth there. You just didn't quite catch it. No, Dan's gonna have to talk to you after the show. Breakdown in communication. Uh, justin Graver, please report to the principal office. Doctor Hanzas will see you. I did send you a bunch of options and you never got back. It's good that that will be struck

from the record though. All right, odds and ends here we go. Okay, do we do eight o'clock de light with odds and ends? Yeah? Yes, all right, hit it? Please. The Bills make a move, adding Damien Harris to their backfield former Patriot. Great move. A lot of juice. It was terrific two years ago. More on the Bills in a moment. Yeah, don't let it stop you from getting Derrick Henry Dante Fowler returns to the Cowboys, Connie, Oh, oh my gosh. Yeah, he did a great job last year.

I think that he is going to be able to do a good one. Mark Michael Parsons to Marcus Lawrence, come on, let's go. Ronald Jones also there. I guess he replaces Zeke. Ben Roethlisberger claims the forty nineties contacted him last year. Mark, I mean they went after Jimmy Gee. They would asked about Tom Brady, they asked about Aaron Rodgers in years past, they pulled a trade for trade for Trey Lance. I think they probably don't know why the claimed it. We just assume that Ben Roths is

lying on the radio about this. I think it a weird thing. You know why why because Greg wrote that, Yeah, I know from early was Ben Roths proclaims the FOURT like why would you just come on? Aaron believes not that high octane of a thing to say, Like, so we're assuming you're coming from the place you think he's lyned. I think as journalists you want to have Devil two. Maybe if it's if it's a choice between Cam and Ben.

The Pats bring back Jalen Mills eighty Goldman unretired to join the Falcons, Andrew van Ginkl returns to the Dolphins. Isaiah McKenny McKenzie joins Colts David Blau back with Cardinals. The blowhards us a chance to start I think week one. I don't know if Colt mcquib will be there. M I don't think he has a chance to start a week one. I mean, I hope not. Geez, you're right, Tyler Murray, who's not going to play for a month plus and you've just signed another quarterback a chance? Okay,

that's fair. I guess I'm just trying to think week one. That is a tough sitch. Yeah, unless you're trying to go unless you're doing the old desert tank job. What is it? And what is the old? Uh? You learned it in journalism class, Greg going muck raker. They would put out like actual newspapers of like you know, yellow journalists, yellow journalists. All right, are you ready, let's take a break, get some power Rankings. All right, well come back, you're ready, ready,

let's go. I've never been more. Let's let's let's rush and doll this bit. All right? Go? What hey? Welcome to NFL Power rank Is presented by Energizer. Is that what we're doing? Yeah? Well, I don't know if we needed the presenting sponsor, but sure batteries with Colleen Wolf and two very special guests today, Greg Rosenthal and Mark Sessler. What's up. It's a pleasure to be here on your guys weekly periodic pod about the Power Rankings recreg Yeah, what took so long to ask us? I think it's

important to set boundaries. You know, I didn't think you guys would want to be coming in for a Tuesday Power Ranking stamping and then do what Connie and I did, which is a turnaround and drill a Tuesday around the NFL taping by that take at all, But we'll proceed forward with the today's show. Also, I've heard Mike Flame mister F might be available for an offseason sponsorship. He let me know personally. He's an expert in escra hester.

We've always wondered about mister F and what his true background is, where he gained immens wealth and traveling the world still in the Hague. He is literally a math genius from Hague, the Netherlands, so knowing Escrow wouldn't be that far out of bounds. He's now in Maine. It's true. It's all math to him, so he's in exactly, it put him on retainer, so he's an Escrow math genius. I mean, I know he'sn't genius enough to be teaching, you know, hungry high school students about economics and math

and mathematical. He's laughing at this because he's like, Escrow's not complicated, and of our listeners are like, who's mister f Go back to season by all right? Power Rankings. Yes, there's a new power rankings up written by me on NFL dot com. You can find at NFL dot com slash power Rankings or NFL dot com slash hands us. And yes it's a an assignment. Did you ever get assigned by the way Mark the QB index post free

agency post free agency? Yeah, I have not, and I would rather you not bring that up, as you have to say though, because I was thinking about why why not? Like I don't think it makes as much sense for QB index scenes changed, like what why why are we putting like Ryan Tannehill in terms of its own personal

performance since it did it four weeks. If I could let me just say, like if Ali he's not going to these teams, these players, the quarterbacks that have switched teams, they change schemes, UH playmakers around them, I think maybe a pretty thorough deep dive about their new UM arrangements, how it could change where they fit UM in the league as as a whole. I think it's worth it well right because QB Index isn't just a ranking, and

it's like a culture, it's a way of life. And in the off season sometimes when you don't do the rankings, you can still have interesting looks at the QB market. There's a lot of time about I don't entirely disagree with the concept. I don't know why the two of you are trying to take us, you know, a week day of mine and completely wash it aside. Like where did Patrick Mahomes finish number one? Okay, no left tackle?

Right now? You lose Juju Smith Schuster. I mean I would assume he's probably still number one, but let's discuss it. Let's break it down nine. All right, let's get into it, because I did have to do this assignment and which makes entirely more sense. Yes, it does, it really does. Such it feel more urgency on that front then, So let's kind of go through it already. It's not me

from today. If you're trapped in your car, if I hope you're not trapped in your car right now, I call the authority, yeah, to help you get you if you could reach to the on star button if you're in danger, if you still have that is that still exists. Here's the top ten and kind of connected again to Mark's QB index. I have the Chiefs at one, Eagles they stay there. I got the Bengals still at three, the Bills at four, the Niners at five. They swapped spots.

I don't know why. The Cowboys six, Jaguars, seven Chargers, eight, board Jets, nine Dolphins. Ten. So there's the top ten, and I'm gonna you guys can jump in whenever. I kind of went through it, and I just wanted to share some thoughts, and I'll start with the Bills because we hit it quickly there in eight o'clock to light, and I think I knew your answer, Mark, But I like Damien Harris. I've always liked Damien Harris, and so

I think he's an upgrade over Devin Singletary. But Connie, do you think that they still need to do more to help that quarterback or would you be okay with them rolling forward with this and some draft adjustments. I kind of kept them where they were basically because I feel okay about it. But at the same time, it did seem to me like this is gonna be a missed opportunities to such a pivotal year for Buffalo. Yeah, I don't love what they've done so far in free

agency because they haven't done a lot here. I think that they do need to help out Josh Allen. Obviously, that offensive line was an issue at the end of the year too, so that's something that you know needs to needs to be figured out. But you know, I like the fact that they kept Jordan Poyer. Losing Edmonds though, is such a big one for them, and I think that's going to come back to bite them, like I'd struggle.

And I know, first of all, I know when you're doing the list, it's like this stuff gets into a different place and it's not because you're using some deepest mathematical formult But they were, they were five in they're now four and like the Niners lost some guys, but they didn't tangibly change to me, and so my thing is more not about where they're ranked. But it's like you mentioned DeAndre Hopkins, I think would be that's a good fit for Buffalo. It's like, go get him now,

he's got a couple of seasons left. You've got one of the best quarterbacks in the league. You can pair him with the rest of that offense. Austin Ekeler you mentioned, that's a great idea, like someone or if you want to go Derek Henry. It's like if you're the Bills and you've been this quiet and you're not going all in and you're saying the roster we had last year is good enough, when again, like this is a team that's not suffered the devastating injuries that other teams have.

They've relatively had on defense, maybe at on offense, that offense has been relatively healthy. And is this the best team in the AFC like we presumed a year ago. I don't think so at all. But I think they deserve to stay in the top five because they've earned it. They have continuity on defense. I think they're gonna miss Leslie Frasier. That was a sneaky, big loss to suddenly that McDermott maybe is calling plays again. They have more needs than they've had in previous years. I expect them

to get creative and do more. It doesn't surprise me that they're kind of second wave of free agency team because they didn't have a ton of cap space. But to answer your question, Dan, no, they haven't done enough. They got issues at receiver, they got issues on their offensive line. Now they got to replace Edmonds. Keeping Poyer was nice, But I think they're going into this part of the season with a little more obvious knee than usual that they're gonna have to address creatively or in

the draft. They signed Connor recovering on the offensive line, but like, I think they still need more help beyond that. Yeah, I just are they going in the right direction. Like I said, they gotta get they gotta get over the hump this year and you know we'll see um. Yeah with San Francisco Mark, that's just more like my kind of takeaway. I was thinking about, like, do we feel better or worse or about the same with our quarterback situation this year. I love that, you know, I was.

I didn't mention them as a winner with Barnwell the other day, but like you know, fortifying that defensive line again, which has been such a big part of what they do m was very important. So they did that in free agency. But we shall see. I want to go to some tough ones. Tough ones the Chargers at eight, and I was thinking, like, should the Chargers be dropped out of the top ten? I don't know, Like I think there's some of that twenty seven zilch stink from

the playoffs that that I'm dealing with personally. And Austin Eckler came out and said he's still wants to be a Charger if they could get a deal done. So maybe that's not over at this point. But they's just I don't know, maybe it's just a bad vibe situation. When la do you guys see them as a top time I think it's a bad vibe thing right now, Like it's they need they need more speed at the

wide receiver position, for sure. I know that they need some help on the edge too, but it just feels like, no matter what happens with the Chargers, they still can't get it done. And then when you have Austin Eckler who's trying to get paid and he's such a good player and that whole situation, I just like don't feel

great about the Chargers. Yeah, I feel like it's two years in a row where you're left like the Brandon Still experience, had these early high moments where he was lord of seen as a genius, that a great communicator, and then like that Raiders lost two years ago was ugly from a coaching angle, and last year to lose the way they did is just like his whole selling point when he came in his early Q and A's was like, I don't even understand what it means to Charger.

This is not that culture, and it's like, but you just it's not just you, but the whole team collectively did the biggest version of that ever and they haven't had a lot of ability to do much in this offseason, so they've stayed put outside of the Austin Ekeler news. For me, when I see the Jaguars at seven and Chargers to date, it just tells me how quickly the league drops off from teams that you could trust to make an AFC or NFC title game to absolute middle

of the pack everyone else. Right, I think, I think you have the right top five, and the Cowboys make sense as six. I think they've had a solid offseason so far and they've just got so much talent. And then after that, like you could pick almost any team, the Jaguars were the ones that stuck out to me the most. Is like, wow, seventh best team in the league.

A lot went right for them a year ago. They do have Trevor Lawrence, but I guess I'm not ready to put Trevor Lawrence with Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow and those quarterbacks just yeah, because I just want to see it like a little bit more, And I guess I'm not just assuming that they are a house on fire that starts right where they were a year ago. It's nice they're in that division. They couldn't do as much spending obviously this year because what they did last offseason,

but the Ridley trade. When you add Ridley to the rest of the guys that are there, kurg z A Jones, Evan Ingram, Travis Etienne and Lawrence in year three? Who now has mojo right? He's he would be a buzzy MVP. I don't have a logical candidate for who then even would be ahead of them at seven. You can make a million cases like the Ravens to me are low at thirteen, but that's because they're the Ravens in Lowa. Marthing confuses everything I might I might put those Detroit

lines up at seven, Why why drop them two spots? Like? I love what they did adding to the secondary. Yeah, I bumped and this Connie. You'll remember with the AFC West last year, they were the darlings. They opened Week one three teams in AFC West in the top ten,

and two of them UM flatlined more or less. And so it's this year it's the Jets and Dolphins, who I just think UM have a lot of upside this year and there's a lot of you know, positive buzz right now, and that's what I'm writing in and I just it makes sense to me that they have top ten team upside, and I guess it comes at the expense of the Lions, But I mean I have them from nine to eleven. I still I love the lines. I love what they've done in the secondary with Sutton

Mosley and Cegju. That is a big upgrade, and I guess they still need to get a little better in the in the front seven. Is the defense? Can you trust the defense at this point beyond Aidan Hutchinson. They they thought they had great depth last year and it didn't quite work out that way. They played better as the season went along. But I like that the aggressively addressed one issue. The offense is in good shape. But

you're kind of just picking your favorite teams here. I probably would have put the Jets, the Dolphins, and I would put the Lions all those guys ahead of the Jags and Chargers for now. I would have maybe bumped up the Saints a little higher. I kind of Barrett twenty two, and then you have the Browns at twenty one, the Rams at twenty the Rams there, Um, okay, so let's let's start with the Saints then, because that was one of the teams. Kind of you're on the right track, Hey,

that was one of the teams. When I was going through it again, I was like, you know what, I think I like the Saints more than I'm giving them credit in these rankings because UM. Their defense obviously was not the issue last year. UM. In fact, the Saints defense were eighth and total dvo A last year they were third and waited dvoa UM. And then you look at the offense and like, the offense has got a chance here, So you got Derek Carr. Michael Thomas is such a huge piece here and a part of the

mystery around this offense. But Alava and Thomas on the surface is one of the better pairings of wide receivers in the league. Jawan Johnson could be a Pro Bowl type player. Jamal Williams now is there and he's better than mark Ingram at the stage, and he also gives them cover if Albun kamaram. This is a bunch of time with this off off the field issue. So I think they're going to score points and I think the defense should be Maybe does the defense take a step back?

Is that the concern because this does seem like a team that can win ten games. I agree, but they're asking Dennis Allen to cook some magic in that defensive line. It's basically Cam Jordan in a lot of like who They did lose some players including Marcus Davenport, David on Yamada and brought in guys Kaylin Saunders and Nathan Shephard.

We haven't talked about these movies, but these were guys that were like three hundred, four hundred, okay snaps for other teams that the Saints are going to ask to do a little bit more. Twenty two feels low though. They feel very much like a middle of the road, closer to sixteen type of team. I mean, I'm struggling with a couple things like come get my ass. I spent we spent all this time listening to each other talk.

And you've been off Atlanta Falcons for two years and I've always thought that, like, if anything, Arthur Smith, Arthur Smith has gotten into a better record than they should have had. They were seven and ten a year ago. Imperfect, but he found a way to coach around some of their weaknesses. Is they're not the twenty seventh team in the NFL to me right now, after what they they've

they've at least gone for it. I mean, if if you're gonna take the Jets without even having Aaron Rodgers yet and propel them up seven spots, I see what you're doing. They're like, it's well set, but like, I don't understand the Jets as the seventh best or the ninth best team in football and the Falcons at twenty seven. Jets have to do with the Falcons though, because I

don't see a that disparity there, like that difference. I just think that there's I think, Okay, I Dan, I know you're not gonna want I don't see the Jets as the ninth best team yet I want to see the back because I thought we we breeze past that a little. But it's like that wasn't all Tell me audacious, and I'm totally down to hear it. Tell me um. And maybe it's as simple as you don't think Gan Rodgers can play anymore? But what makes the Jets not

a team that is least? In that conversation, I think number one, I would flip the Dolphins and Jets to start. We have the Jets at ten, I can look at that. I'd flip them with the Lions though, and put them down at eleven. And we're talking about a giant team that just made the playoffs that I think is really well coached. I think the Jets are well coached too. I think you are hoping and presuming that you're probably gonna get one year where Aaron Rodgers, that you get

a plugged in, much better version, right. But with the Ravens, they're getting dropped because they don't have Lamar Jackson right now, and we don't know what's going to happen there, right amongst other things. I mean, the Ravens to me, like, I think we're assuming we know what's going to happen

with Aaron Rodgers, right, but I don't know. I just feel to me, I guess as a as a stung Browns fan, this offseason reminds me of the offseason where they traded for Odell Beckham and they were being talked about as this thing that's just going to develop and happen, and there are a lot of X factors that can get in the way of that. And it has not

appeared to me to be a put in. Aaron Rodgers about to turn forty in a new city, in a new like it won't be a new offense, but with all new teammates, we don't know how long this is going to go on. If he's going to actually miss the entire offseason, plug him in, and they're essentially the fourth best team in the AFC for you, as my friend, I hope that I don't see that right now. I need to see more path of that of that. Dude.

Everything you're saying makes sense, Mark, Everything you're saying makes sense. There there is two ways this can go. I don't think there's a middle. I think they can be very competitive and be a major player in the AFC, or things can go very poorly with Aaron Rodgers. I think the reason I have them here is there is a lot of upside here and at this portion of the rankings, and also when you look at the other AFC contenders, I think they're they have the potential to be better

than any of those teams. And I, you know, pointedly have them beneath the Jaguars and Chargers, but they're right there. I just think when you look at Rogers, and this is what a lot of this is about. Their defense is ready to go. We know that that that's going to be that's going to be a strength of this team. And I think they have in Garrett Wilson, Alan Lazard and Elijah More a really good trio. I think Elijah More with a actual core back, there's still a big

time player there potentially, Okay. I think Breece Hall comes back from that injury. If he comes back, okay, And again these are ifs. He could be a star running back. The offensive line is going to be better, They're gonna use their draft to build it better, They're gonna get healthier. And I think you put those things together, there's just a lot pointing to this being a good team. And I guess my pushback to you on that mark would be, where would you have the Jets in this exercise? Who

else in the AFC, for instance, should be Well? I said, I would put them first of all, I besides the Dolphins, all right, So I'd flip them with the Dolphins. I'd flip them with the Lions, so they'd be down at eleven. I might have them above the Giants. But I still I look at the Seahawks at fourteen and say, I think the Seahawks, after what they achieved a year ago, that feels low to me. I think the Seahawks have

showed me more than the Jets right now. The Jets do have all these things, but like last year, they had a lot of those things too. They had terrible quarterback play, but they complete, that's what it's about. But they completely crumble down the stretch. That's part of your

DNA as a team. Were the Seahawks who a year ago, I don't know where they were in these power rankings, but we were laughing at the idea of Geno Smith and Drew Locke and fill in the blank doing anything and they make the playoffs because because that because of that organization. So it's the Jets are selling us a massive organizational see change. That's cool now, but it's like, you know is better than anyone. It's like when we hit when we get to October November, it could look

completely different. So it's just you feel to me last week, were you when I was talking about how I understand there could be reasons to be negative and the history is tortured. None of that actually matters. Like what matters when the games kick off on the field. I think there's an organizational trust, especially from ownership, that things that when things go wrong and there's always gonna be some adversity during the season, that they are they an organization

that's going to handle it. While like you hope it's different with this coach and GM and everything and they're more important than ownership. But there is something in me that like looks at Ravens and looks at Jet and like, if they're close, I'd probably just give the edge of the Ravens. And they're the Ravens. And I'm not pitching this disastrous scenario either. You had them at sixteen at the end of the season. The Rodgers thing is nice.

All I'm saying is I Seahawks, Lions, Dolphins above the Jets for me, right now, they're sitting down around thirteen fourteen. There's promise and we'll let's go. Or you would have them at thirteen and fourteen maybe okay, so not that far off. It's not that far off. But to vault the Jets into the top ten in this kind of exercise is a headline grabbing move, Colleen. These guys once hosted the Debate Club together. We're sitting here, as you

don't say, bystanders. I just want to say this because the one thing that does annoy me is when people twist this stuff. No one knows this has a chance to go terribly more than I do. Do not think. I think this means I'm certain the Jets are going to be great. This is a projection of what they could be. And if if Aaron Rodgers is there unhealthy, you want to their potentially never you're not like this one,

students say, I am. I'm out here saying there's no way the Jets aren't going to be awesome this year the exercize they're ranked ninth. So that's why we're discussing it now. It makes sense to me there's a borderline playoff team or like sort of lower and plaything, which which sounds about right to me. I'd probably have him eleventh or something, but that sounds their tent. But that sounds about right that one of the teams in the middle.

That shocked me the first of all. I might have the Vikings not in the top twenty two or something. Oh you know what's funny before we go to your thing, because that in terms of on social media, after I posted this on Twitter, the heat I was getting over Vikings fans that were annoyed with me that I have them at sixteen. Vikings fans not annoyed with you. Well, they do the same with Kirk Cousins. They want them rank fit QB. Now I'm ready to reset. They just

feel like a rebuilding type of team. I think they're gonna there's a decent chance. They saw on Mock Draft Live back on NFL Network hosted by for Tuesday, DJ put Hendon Hooker, the twenty five year old quarterback prospect who's coming off an injury with Minnesota in the first round. So I think they could be like using a quarterback on the first round pick. It just feels like a transition. Carolina at eighteen was as surprising as almost any team

months entire list. I mean, I know they have some players on their defense, and they do have the number one pick coming, but I just feel like they're like a bottom five or six team in the in the NFL at this point. They lost their receiver Djork Like it's just a bad it's not a great group. I know their offensive line played pretty well. I like Frank Reich in general, but just feels like they're kind of a team that's that's starting from scratch. We'll see how

the number one pick plays. Maybe he'll be awesome right off the bat, but it's a lot too expeact. No that and that's not part of my projection is not about the number one pick really, but going back to the Falcons. Now, Yeah, you could definitely make a case

they shouldn't be separated by ten spots. I just like I see the Panthers of a team that's going for it, and they're being aggressive this offseason, and they're making a bunch of moves and they're going for the quarterback they've they've wanted and they're going to get the guy they own the draft right now. And I see the Falcons as a team that's just you know, we talk about the Saints or they're okay with going nine and eight, Like what are the Falcons trying to do? Like they're

just gonna in year three of Arthur Smith. They're just gonna turn it over to Desmond Ritter and Taylor Heineke, And I'm supposed to get excited about that. I just their ranking is about me, And you know, I write it so like maybe it's not the most analytical breakdown, but it's like what team is more kind of lost in the midst than than the Falcons? To me? I

mean not many you could from the quarterback angle. They believe in Desmond Ritter if they stick with him, way more than you do, and way more than a lot of people do. That's fair, but they've been as aggressive as any team out there to try to improve both sides of the roster. Bringing Jesse Bates was good, but I just don't feel like the Falcons have a ton

of Jews. Also, I want to know, like, what are some of these other regrets that you have with Let's let's go through that because the whole episode once we should remember we regrets. I have the Commanders too low, and I think that's like, if the Giants are twelve, the Commanders can't be twenty nine. I was annoyed about that, but also I think some of that is like I feel like the organization is just trapped in purgatory until

they figure out this ownership thing. So I'm just kind of don't you feel like when you're doing this lists too, it's like, crap, what someone's got to be between there's very little separating like twelve, wow, that's also to them down on the Giants, but very little separating twelve you know, to fifteen and like some of the mid twenties teams, but like the Giants is to cycle back to them. Like the reason why I have the Jets above the Giants is a lot of this, especially this timing of

power rankings is like kind of a projection. I just think the Jets have a higher ceiling than the Giants right now. So that's why I have them ahead, and I guess they if I could do it again, maybe the Giants are down a couple spots in then the Washington Commanders are up about three or four or five spots. But that was probably the big one that stuck out

to me. Go ahead, Greg, I'm been surprised that the Packers are still I just have a feeling this is gonna be one, you know, my one of my takes that we end up repeating for five months because ways to go. But I think the Packers were incredibly unlucky last year in terms of the close games that they lost, some of the injuries that they had. Certainly I think I'm giving Lafleur some credit and their front office some

credit for winning thirteen games three straight years. I'm taking into account Aaron Rodgers wasn't peak Aaron Rodgers last year, and I'm taking layer evaluation of Jordan Love into account, and I'm thinking, like, if I look as a Lions fan, now that's what we all are, like, who are the Who's the team I'm worried about. In the NFC North, it's still the Packers. Like if you told me the Packers come out this year and they go eleven and six and they've still got a lot of good players

on the roster, that wouldn't shock me at all. And that's the organization of the coming down right now in the NFC North. It's so early, But my guests would be Detroit would be a slight favorite over Green Bay and Minnesota. How about that? Vikings fans are gonna come after you now. I think I think the Packers they haven't done anything, which is very annoying. Like if I'm a Packers fan, why aren't you signing Dalton Saults? Like you have no one it right? Tight end? Like you

haven't you? Just I know they'll do something eventually. But there's some there's some pieces there that you like a lot in terms of both sides of the ball. Really and you know the Ravens at number thirteen, which Connie is, we know number thirteen? What is number thirteen? It's like the twilight Zone. Yeah, it's like the team that I don't know what to do with them. They kind of confuse me. It's hard to figure it out because so I kind of just slap them at thirteen and move

on with my life. And like the Ravens, the reason why they're they're perfect thirteen and why they're they're outside the top ten is because, yeah, maybe Lamar's back, maybe is not. It's probably still leaning more towards that he's not back, But I don't know. This may be one of the rare times where they think they belong at thirteen.

They don't know what great what's going on. But because of the Lamar thing, and maybe not because of some of their moves in recent years, I just feel like the whole organization is is fro because remember even when Lamar was there last year, and I know they changed the play caller and all that, but like the offense wasn't so hot after the first couple of weeks, and they it was very clear like we need to like

build around this quarterback. We need to add some more weapons, give him a chance to develop it as a pastor Is that happening right now? They haven't able to do anything. Where is the forward momentum of the Baltimore Ravens. And that's why I couldn't. I couldn't have him in the top ten. That's why I have him behind the Dolphins and the Jets and the Charges and the Jaguars because I can't. Usually I would just plug that that's a top ten team in this exercise last in recent years,

this time of year. But I can't do it right now because I don't know what they're doing. I say, one of the thing for them that is this sort of raging X factors. You went out and got Todd Munkin as your offensive coordinator, and they're actually like probably having him go look at quarterbacks you like in the draft that we can get somewhere, because this is a guy that right now you're in the deep shadows trying

to figure out a completely new offense. You're moving away from Greg Roman, away from Lamar Jackson Central potentially, Like that's not a good set up because it seems like we're a billion ways years away from the season, not in this not with this kind of stuff where you're like, what do the Ravens even look like on offense? To our parts, to our players even fit the drafts, Like four weeks away, they lost Bend Powers, they cut Klas Campbell,

who is visiting with the Falcons. They just had those those veterans that Okay, it makes sense, you're not going to keep them forever. We'll see if any of them come back. But they were kind of key pieces for their team last year, justin Houston, Marcus Peters, even a JPP who came in late. Like, I'm not worried about that, but they just feel like they have a lot more moves to go. And when Devin Duvernet is still your number two, it is a little concerning. They seem to

me like the most likely Hopkins. They haven't made any feel like they feel that feels right right, just because I mean, and I guess I don't know, does he have a no trade clause or anything? Like why would Hopkins want to go there right now? I don't see what. Oh no, that might be part of it too, that it's like what offense are we going to build? We have to find out who our quarterback is too. There's got to be like we talk about like they talk about like, um here, what are the Jets gonna do

if Aaron Rodgers doesn't go there? Like what are the Ravens gonna do if Lamar Jackson's there. What is their backup plan right now? What is their plan if he's not there? Yeah, like the first round picks and you can like tr the quarterback, have a little McCorkle jones, let's go, let's go, let's give it to you, and that from the Tokyo Swallows. All right, there you go. Any other I think we covered it pretty well there. Just a mccorkill for Lamar straight up, you know, challenge

trade that's suppressing. All right, good stuff, great job anything else, anything else anyone wants to share. Talking into a microphone being opportunity for all everyone in the room right now, justin you as well. Thanks Dan. I have nothing night right now, but I need to have bigger heads up to think of things to say. God bless you. All right, let's go, I mean unless somebody had something. Oh we're going out with the outra. I don't hate this song.

It's a good song. You know, it's a banger. Gets me ready for more power rankings. All right, we're gonna be back with one more show this week. Connie, Thank you, you said it all of course, anytime until next time. Heed the call.