Roster Cuts with Nick Shook

unplanned initially edition of the Around the NFL Podcast. And back our old friend the Pipe, Nick Shook Shookie getting some get pump in before before he speaks his first words, I like the sound of those weights. Those are some old school waits. That's the type of gym I prefer, though, the old Like legitimate metal plates, none, none of this rubber casing. Nothing that protects people. There's no handles on

the weights. You can pinch and potentially sever a finger or at least get a blood blister, you know, the real, the gritty stuff. We did you work out in the Browns facility? And were there players who either were threatened by you or kind of wanted to show you, like hey, Brown's reporter, like you're not so tough, you know what

I mean? As the legend goes, they used to allow employees to work in work out in the same gym, and then I guess somebody had taken food from the cafeteria and like left it out and made a mess and just left it there. So they ended up when the Haslems came in, they built a separate employee gym that is literally right next to the team's weight room

and attached to the field house. So technically no um, but I was right next door and I did, um, you know, get some activity on the indoor field houses field and they weren't intimidated, but they liked to point it out a lot. Actually kind of say, I bet they brought it up a lot. I bet Freddie Kitchens was like, Hey, let's get this guy at blocking tight end.

Let's see if you moves for this guy. It basically like was the opener for a lot of my conversations I had with players and got to know some of the guys. So I guess it was advantageous in that regard, But ultimately, yeah, it's funny more than anything since and by the way, I think we have a lead there, Greg with how how did Shook come to leave the Browns very quickly? Maybe Shook left at Apple Cores next to the bench press or something. But you know Mark's

not here. Obviously he's getting better right now. Um, but remember a couple of weeks ago, we had that discussion about one and done head coaches and uh, we're going down the list, and we ended up missing Freddie Kitchens, who's the most recent one and done coach. And you know Cessler, you know Sessler knew it, and he just didn't bring it up. He just didn't want to bring some of those those spirits, the spirit of Freddie Kitchen.

So when whenever Mark comes back, is that to look forward to it, we'll have to bring that up with him, because I mean, the integrity of the podcast has to stand above fan leanings. Ultimately, I gotta get Freddy Kitchens some credit to because even though he wasn't a very good coach and it's really disorganized more than anything, awesome guy, great guy to spend a few hours at a hotel

bar on a road trip with. Although to be you know, to to close that circle, Steve Wilkes, I think it's still the answer, or no way, it was Freddie Kitchens after that. Yeah, Steve was on Freddie's staff. Oh Stevie alright anyway, So yes, we were last with you on Monday, and we said we'd be back Thursday. And then I think Greg and I separately, maybe even at the same time, Greg, like et style, realized, oh wait a second, Wait a second, Tuesday's got down Day. They changed it the schedule a

little different. Now it's not that labor day weekend. It is now in the middle of the week. Uh So here it is the old school Bunker Cast, and we're just gonna quickly shoot through the news everything that's happened over the last uh twelve hours or so. So great. Hey, Grave Digger, how are you doing, buddy? Big performance? I thought on the Monday show a lot of buzz about Grave Digger and Erica on a tropical vacation right now in the middle of our season. Uh. Did you get

any feedback, whether internally or outside the building about your performance? Yeah? I got a couple of people on Twitter who were excited to hear me on this show. That was cool, not necessarily expected. My parents crowd, I love it. The revolution is here with Justin Graver the Grave Digger. Let's hit the news. Five tawn red eyed Muster ready to crush its gray. It's tiger inspiring to make a star of motor sports. And now all you need justin to do do now is isolate the grave digger vocal there

and there you go. There's the drop we talked about from earlier. Perfect this week. Alright, good, all right, let's get into it. Oh that tricky Bill Belichick. Uh, he makes a move nobody saw coming. Release ing. The Patriots released Cam Newton, their quarterback, the starter that they resigned in the off season. Then they drafted mac Jones, of course, in the first round, and the two players are trading first team reps and going through the whole process through

the summer. But at the end of the day, Bill Belichick decides the future is now. Mac Jones will begin the season as the starter QB one and Cam Newton almost unbelievably, only a handful of years removed from being m v P in the league and one of the great dual threat quarterbacks the league has ever seen. On the eve of Week one, he is out of work. Greg. When you saw this pop up on your phone or wherever, uh were you shocked? Take me through it as a Pats fan, I mean I had mixed feelings. I was

surprised he's not on the team. I I'm not I wasn't that surprised that mac Jones is the starter because I've been believing in Tom Curran, who watched them every day and thought it was decisive in practice, and then I watched the preseason it's you know, it's one of the best rookie quarterback preseins I've ever seen. PFF has it as the best rookie quarterback they've ever you know, graded. So that part of it, where mac Jwan's wins the job, doesn't shock me. But the fact that Brian Hoyer is

now one snap away does a little bit. You know, that's Brian Hoyer is still in that building. Isn't he like fifty years old at this point? Like honestly, listen, shook another nice bald guy out of Cleveland, But come on,

can we calm down a little bit? Yeah? I was gonna say that's inn a front to bald people everywhere, and especially in northeast Ohio natives who are bald, But go ahead, maybe, yeah, And I think I think it does fit though, don't you think, Greg, Like, if if you have to go from mac Jones to somebody else, wouldn't you prefer to go to I know the skill. I don't think I have to do with it. I

think I'm it's just guessing. I would you know, we're taping this so soon after my guesses either it was mutual or that Cam Newton gave that you know, hey, do you want us to cut you now? Um, And that Cam Newton would rather go back up Dak Prescott, maybe Russell Wilson. But I kind of expect Cam Newton to be on the Cowboys because it just makes too

much sense for for everyone. Um. Then he really wants to go back up a rookie quarterback, and that Belichick also might have the feeling that I've been gassing this guy up as one of the great leaders you know, I've ever been around. He's got a lot of people who love him on this team that I don't think Cam Newton is gonna be a problem, but that it's it's almost a mixed message here. If this guy is our backup and he has so many people who who kind of follow him, let's make let's make a clean

break of it. And oh, by the way, you know he's not vaccinated, So all right, now, let's let's hit that. I was going to hit that a little later. But since you brought it up. Bill Belichick as a man, as we know who, he's maturial. He's someone who doesn't buy into excuses. He's a man who will send you home if you're late for a practice during a blizzard outside. He's done it. That's this type of stuff, Bill does.

Do you think it is at all? Can we connect the dots here that in the middle of this heated battle for the job, Cam disappears with the excused absence tied to the coronavirus mix up that Bill Belichick could have said, you know what, that's the straw that breaks the Camel's back. I'm moving on. I don't put it past them, just gonna say it. I mean they've run into the situation a year ago. I mean they had to go to Brian Hoyer in a key early game that kind of started a slide. Why would they put

themselves in a position where they could potentially deal with that? Again? Is the backup in that proposed scenario. Let's say Cam is your starter and the backup is back. Is he better than Brian Hoyer? Yeah? But ultimately you're still facing the possibility of losing one or multiple quarterbacks in the regular season. Why run through that exercise again for me once? Shame on me, you know, so on and so forth. So yeah, I think that has undoubtedly has something to

do with it. Even if you could say, well, everything else they Greg just said, which I totally agree with, it's got to play a fact more about Jones's play, Like that's the starting point. Like the note, it wouldn't happen unless Jones didn't exceed some expectations, didn't play great

in camp, didn't play great in the preseason. But yeah, I think it's absolutely possible Dan that that was kind of the thing that put it over the top, because it also gave mac Jones a number of snaps in those joint practices, which Belichick takes very seriously, always says that's as important or more important than the preseason game. Everyone said that Mac Jones had the best day of his entire UH training camp against the Giants in that second day of the of the first day of their

joint practices, that he just lit it up. And then you look at like the way they were playing time in the in the games, like Mac Jones played a lot, he didn't play a lot with the starters, but he played a lot and they got to look at him

a lot. And if it's that close, and if mac Jones was better in practice for the most part, you know it does it does make sense that the part just as a fan that that bugs me as you had one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league, whether it was mac Jones or or Cam Newton, and now you have one of the worst. So I've heard some buzz that's like, well, they're actually higher on Jared Stidham than they used to be, and he's going to

recover from this back. He's I think he's going to I are either short term I R or P P A P less we haven't heard yet, and because he's coming off of back surgery too, but that he'll be back at some point and he'll be the backup. But the Patriots are better with Cam Newton and mac Jones on the roster. I think everybody can agree with that. So there's more to it, and it I think goes back to chemistry and what they want and how they want this kid to go into his rookie season in

terms of not having a look over his shoulder. And I get that. So you might be like a leader, right. I mean it had and I think Cam might have might have wanted it to, which makes sense to meet it, right. And it doesn't mean Cam is like a cancer or anything like that. I think it was more just like, al right, we really do believe in this kid, and even if it ends up hurting us this year, if by leaving us a little vulnerable behind him, if he gets hurt, in the long run, it will help his development.

So I think that's probably where it is. And ESPN is boarding of the Cowboys, will quote begin exploring free agent Cam Newton, And it's funny because he must have known. He must have known. Yeah, like hard knocks Um this season, I was thinking about it because it's airing again tonight and I have to do the recap. I was thinking of mixing it up a little bit and just writing about Here are some like real life football takeaways from the episode so far, and their backup quarterback situation has

just been horrendous throughout the Cooper Rush. It's Cooper Rush. They thought it was gonna be Gilbert or Denucci two or three weeks ago, and Cooper Rush is the one that's still on the roster right now. They cut the other two. The one other team. By the way, the biggest bummer with that is Cooper Rush had a great chance to actually prove something in that battle, which he took the lead the week prior. In this past week, you know, granted he's playing with the backups against a

lot of Jacksonville starters. He was uh. I wouldn't say terrible. It was he didn't even register a blip on anybody's radar. It makes too much sense for everyone put put Cam Newton in there. If that misses some games, you're you're flying. I also wonder if to see how would I would think about it, because it's like, I don't know if Cameron want to back up Russell Wilson for some reason,

but it's like, you know they could. I love Geno and all, but that that situation could be upgraded for There's also another a f C East team, Greg that needs a backup quarterback with experience. And how about the playbook about learning more about that Patriots operation, the Robert Solid defense. That would bother me. I've had mixed feeling because it's like that would that would really bother me?

I said mid season I wanted Cam to be the starter and for them to roll because I've always been a Cam fan and it would just shut up all these Patriots fans who who hated Cam. I don't know if you remember my team slogan for real real ones can go back and listen, but yeah, that's you. You can feel that today in Boston. I can't tell you how like overly excited everyone is, um, but I had a similar slogan. It was mac Jones Cohen. Now that's

more like it. Speaking of the Patriots, uh more, big news around that team, they have placed their all pro cornerback Stephon Gilmour, the former Defensive Player of the Year, on the reserve pup list. Uh and he that means he's out the first six weeks of the regular season. It's connected to a quad injury that's been an issue for him since last year. And um, obviously, losing Gilmore for any period of time's gonna hurt Bill Belichick's defense. But I I wonder this shook. How much does the

injury tie into the ugly contract situation and vice versa? Yeah, I mean, because you know, if he's gonna be back in supposedly three weeks, pup gives him a little bit more of a buffer to potentially get back fully healthy. But you have to also wonder if this is kind of the response to, you know, the whole I'm unhappy with my contract. You either want more money or I

want a long term deal. I think it works out for Gilmore because at least it helps him ensure that he's healthy and kind of avoid the risk of a re injury. Still, get your right, there's there's gotta be There's gonna be some sort of factor in that. The fact that they have not been on the same page for this entire summer and he didn't participate in any of camping. Isn't gonna be able to play for you know,

the first month plus. Well, he's getting paid, but he's not getting that raised that we thought he might get, at least not yet with that wouldn't wouldn't shock me. Torn quad is one of the worst injuries a football player can have. Um not many have it, and sometimes it's really hard to come back from. So that's been a little under the radar. He did have surgery on that after the season, and that's that's a brutal injury. But you know, putting him on the pup less feels

like like kind of kicking the cam. Like, if you're Stephan Gilmore, you don't want to risk coming back too early if they're not going to pay you. And and I have asked a round about this, and it's both sides seem like they think it's a game of chicken. Like Gilmore doesn't want to go on the field unless he gets his money, and the Pages don't. They would consider giving him some money, but they don't want to

do it until they see him on the field. And even if like putting yourself in Gilmore's shoes, if he's if he's just disenfranchised and he feels like he's going to be somewhere else next year and he's looking to get a he's gonna be h thirty one or he's entering his thirty one season, he's looking to get that one last multi year contract. Are you gonna go on the field at to start the season when you feel like there's a chance you could rip that quad up

and blow your value? Um tough situation there. Things change fast their cornerbacks. To me, it looks like the biggest weakness of otherwise really promising looking defense. Their number two cornerback is Jalen Mills their number three outside cornerback. They you know, they have a good slot guy. And Jonathan Jones, the number three outside cornerback, might not be on the team. Like it's a guy that maybe it's this guy Sean

Way who they just traded for from the Ravens. But that that's pretty rough, like you know that that is that is where they will be attacked, I think from by opposing quarterbacks like Tom Brady, by the way. You know, Week four, and it does go to show you and this goes across all sports because you remember going into the season, it was like, now the Patriots gonna get back all these guys from the of it opt out

and everything is gonna be locked and loaded. But you know, then the season starts to take shape and everything is different every single year. You can never make predictions. Uh. In March, let's get into more populist news. Michael Thomas, the superstar wide receiver and former Offensive Player of the Year, we were reminded on Monday Show reportedly we'll start the season on the pu P list that will take him out of the first six games of the season. You know,

this one surprised me a little bit. Chooky, because um, I thought it was already kind of like a done deal, just like the the way everything had been explained, with the late nature of the surgery and Sean Payton being ticked off about it, I kind of in my mind it already processed. He was gonna be on the publist, but nothing had been officially announced. Well, I still don't know if it's been officially announced, but Chester says, okay, so he is out six weeks at least with his ankle.

So it's an injury suffered week one and now it's gonna eat up a portion of his Yeah, just like an ongoing saga at this point, because he's been displeased with his situation for a while now, and as we all know, he loves the tweet about it, you know, just a bunch of sub tweets, you know, vague statements

that that indicates that he's unhappy. And and now he I don't know if you could necessarily say that he botched his whole injury situation, but it's more on him than it is on the Saints at this point, waiting to get that surgery done, and even um, you know the way he went about his offseason so it costs him time, it costs the Saints their best receiver again, and now with a new quarterback, they're gonna be forced to adjust. Luckily, they've had the entire preseason to kind

of plan for it because he hasn't been around. But ultimately, when you're looking at them on paper and going to the regular season, you obviously would want to have Michael Thomas on your team as opposed to not. It just like gives a bigger runway from Marcus Callaway to be the number to be the new out pro. Uh. I was gonna say, there's so much hype around Callaway in

the last couple of weeks. I feel like, is is that going to feel like an August thing that we all kind of smirk at in a couple of months, or do you think this guy is gonna step in and play like a pro bowler? Think he'll be solid, but it's a lot to ask. I think he could put up eight nine hundred yards something like that, which is amazing for a second year undrafted guy. I don't know if you can't expect him to be enough, but he's he is their number one, and they're gonna throw

the ball. They do have I I think I haven't checked the Brandon Thorn rankings. He's great on offensive line play, so shook. They would be my pick as the number one offensive line in football. And Caesar Ruis their first round pick. It was kind of a u their worst player last year on their offensive line reportedly looks way better and suddenly so okay, now you're fitting at the one guy that wasn't that good suddenly like that is

an awesome offensive line that'll help Jamis out a lot. Yeah, I would definitely put them at least the top three, if not the number one spot. I think those top three teams some have some questions. The Patriots are also up there if they can actually get healthy seasons out of guys like Isaiah Winn. But and I also would put the Browns by the top three, top four if they can also be healthy. All you know, across the starting line, alo, Okay, you know, but Jedrick Willson he

needs to be better. He needs obviously be better. But yeah, I mean, you tried that starting line up out there, and they were the best last year. They would they finished with the belt. So I think that's we're about to We're about to talk about another good offensive line at Green Bay. But but shook, did you happen to catch Monday Show when both Rosenthal and claybron did not um predict the Browns to the playoffs? But I did?

Did you hapen to catch that show? Wow? You know, Dan, I gotta tell you, if I had to pick anybody on this podcast, and even with the rotating casts of guests, you're last. You're the last person I would pick to do that. So you can't put me in. I regret it. This is gonna be a whole thing. Mark doesn't need to find something to be annoyed with, you know, by me.

But now this is is gonna be hanging over He's every time the Browns win, and they'll probably win like twelve games and they'll just be like just to stick. I gotta tell you, guys, I'm a little scarred from last year because the jaded nous in me and my brain led me to believe that the Browns weren't going to beat the Steelers in the playoffs. Um and I picked against him and I had to hear it from

well you know. But then I'm juxtaposed against Cessler, who's like fly into the night Browns all the way and into the end of the Earth and the end of days. They're gonna lead us there. So I was the bad guy no matter what. So now we're you know, releasing predictions from all the analysts to see where I put the Browns. Yeah, you're gonna cut them and the Super Bowl. That was part of it is I wanted to sprinkle

some wild card love to some other teams. And it's like June, if you don't totally buy that, it's the most likely thing agent history at this point. But did you have the Browns beating the Chiefs in the divisional playoffs? No? No, and they didn't. And I don't feel bad about that. Packers left tackle David Baktieri, one of the best in the game, shook maybe the best left tackle in the league.

I don't know, you tell me. It will remain on the physically unable to perform list to start the regular season, if you remember to is a c L late last season, so he's out the first six weeks. Uh. The team was optimistic earlier in the spring that he was going to be ready for Week one. There was that, you know, as all players are coming back from a c L, tears.

He was ahead of schedule, but turns out he's more on a typical schedule, which means he will be without Aaron Rodgers will be without his blind side protector for nearly half the season. Yeah, these these pop list news I think was ultimately bigger than a lot of the cuts. The cuts are. The cuts are interesting, but Gilmore in BACTR especially, you didn't know what was gonna happen with them too. And those are two All pros, first team All Pros. You can you can't replace that. I'm a

little anxious about the Packers offensive line. I think they're fineite left tackle where Alcton Jenkins seems like he can do anything, and he's moving from center and guard to left tackle, and he's going to make himself a ton of money I think one day be one of the highest paid players in the league. But the rest of the guys on that offensive line just kind of guys about. They they're hoping that, They're hoping this scheme makes up

for for that. What about the idea the track record of the Packers, at least especially recently, in developing talent on their offensive line and plug finding ways that to get by I think organizationally, maybe they deserve the benefit of the doubt here, Yeah, I mean developmentally to a degree. Also, their scheme helps in the fact that they play with Aaron Rodgers, who is a master of navigating the pocket. I mean they don't they don't set typical pass pockets.

They don't. They it's it's more of a fluid type of thing where rogers allowed to feel and and maybe escaped from time to time and deliver the football. And and it helps those guys, I guess, kind of avoid the type of players that would put them on a highlight for all the wrong reasons. Too. We have a trade to talk about and involves my New York Jets, who send disappointing tight end Chris Herndon to the Minnesota

Vikings for a draft pick to be named later. Herndon, once upon a time, a fourth round pick in two thousand eighteen, really flashed and me and many other Jets fans and other football observers saw him as a real hit for Mike Tannerbaum and a guy that they were going to build around with Sam Donald Uh. He had his two thousand nineteen season wiped out by a suspension and then an injury, and then he completely bottomed out in with a ton of drops and just was had

all sorts of issues. Uh. And he had been behind Tyler Croft on the depth chart this spring and summer, so that the writing scene to be on the wall, and now the Jets move on. The Vikings, who just lost IRV. Smith Jr. To a knee injury, have another option in that building. Yeah, it's it's a trade that makes sense because you have to replace him, and you replace him with a guy who has been a fantasy darling but hasn't really lived up to those expectations for

the majority of his career. I mean, it's one of those things where a guy has a pretty solid rookie year and then they just expect you, expect you to take the next step. So I give him a little bit of the benefit out because he was playing in the Jets, the most dysfunctional franchise in the last couple of years, so it's not like he exactly had a tailor made situation for him to flourish. But I also don't expect him to necessarily follow in the footsteps where IRF.

Smith was trending toward, which was a potential breakout season before having his knee injury. It does make sense physically, like the type of player we'll see, you know, how how quickly he can get up to speed and play a role. They are very thin in terms of their pass catchers or Smith the big loss. And the more you hear about this injury, it sounds like it could be a while. No one's put a projected timeline, but

it's now They're now. It sounds like it's like, yeah, we don't know if and when if Smith is going to be back, which which is a bummer. You know, Dan, you you kind of get, you know, we've sort of been a little more open with our just like rooting against each other's Jets, Patriots, taps and stuff. Just just you know, let's just be honest. It's almost three years.

But one of the things that you do, you know, but in that situation is like every once in a while, you see a guy on the other team, like I loved Herndon and you just give him a lot of pop. It's like, see, I'm not such an unbiased I'm unbiased. I'm not such a bad guy. And I was like I was really gassing up Chris hearned in three years ago and he hurt me, you know, putting an easil fuel into him when he needed super unletted. That's that's my theory. Uh yeah, And I don't know, maybe a

fresh start does something for her. And because there really was a good skill set there and he could block and he made a lot of big plays. In two eighteen, they have one of the Jets offensive coaches over there. I forget off the top of my head who who it was, who it is, but that's that's there is a connection got head over to the Kicker Club and this is a story that we don't know how to make sense of it really over in the Kicker Club because we always like to have a kicker on every team.

That's like one of the things that we're into. Hit it Grape bigger um Dan Campbell. Maybe it's like a John Mellencamp guy. Maybe he's a guy I don't like. I don't set foot in the Kicker Club. I don't like that electronic dance music. You could totally see that with Campbell because the lines of released Ain Gonzalez and Randy Bullet big Bone Randy. So, with about ten days to go before the season starts, the Detroit lines do not have a kicker. Now, these things could be quickly

uh fixed. In the NFL, there's always kickers floating around, including Kai Bath. And some people might say, Kai Ski, why don't you go check out that game tape with Dallas a couple of years ago. Don't look at the Rams tape from last season. There are kickers out there. The lines are going to have one soon. I would say, there are a lot of things if you're Detroit Lions fan to be concerned about this one. Calmed down. Everybody's getting their shops in on the lines because that's fun.

But everything's fun. That's a little spoiled. They're a little spoiled. You know. They had they had the strong lego Matt Prayer for a while and it could be like a next level um gaming. The system move like, no one's gonna pick up either one of these guys, so let's just use that roster spot to get players we do

want like picking up. They're gonna be high on the waiver wire and they're gonna get some veterans and then they'll just like re add one of them in a couple of weeks or in in a week or whatever. There there's some some interesting cut kickers out there. I guess we will get to that maybe the Lions, or maybe the Lions will just uh like have their safety kick the ball like the Texans did over the weekend. I don't know if you saw that one. That was

a little distresdress. It was a kicking community. They just said Eric Re'd be their kicker. They could also go to the route and this A lot of this depends on Jared Goff and I guess I don't know t J. Hockenson, but they could do what the Packers did last year and just not kick field goals. I read earlier today, I just kind of ran into it that Mason Crosby only had sixteen field goal attempts last year. How is

that possible? He made them all, by the way, good for him, and he also had sixty three point after kick attempts, making fifty nine of sixty three uh sixteen field field goal attempts. The lines might have sixteen field goal attempts by October, right, That would be a fun experiment, though, If ever there was a team to do it, it's the Lions. Let's just play four down football for a year and see what happens. I mean we could, we could test who's that high school coach? You you go

for it? Refused to put don't punt, don't punt, But like we're not gonna kick any field goals. Yeah, if you're stuck in like a fourth and twenty four at the twenty yard line or it's thirty yard lines, and then go for it. Man, what do you got to lose? A draft pick? All right? And guys getting kicked? Let go on, some guys getting booted out of the kickers. And how about the money Badger is gone no more? There's a guy that Lions could pick up money Badger.

What happened to money Badger? Bad Camp? He's caught bad Camp. I forget who beat him out, but he was getting beat all all camp and um Nick Focal also got caught. Very surprising. Erica tam posts uh favorite uh player, new player, Oh my gosh, as my phone goes off, come on, I mean, this is just I mean, and that might be confusing because like Eric is only into the guy because he's a hot dude, and you would you would think that wouldn't matter to America tamp Post, but apparently

it did. She got she fell head over heels. We also missed like five kicks in one of the preseason games, but they said he bounced back well firm it. So they got they got rid of Nick Folk and uh yeah, Tristan Viscayno, by the way, is the Chargers kicker who just hear me out on this. Hear me out. Hear

me out. What if Bill Belichick's going crazy? And like nobody knows yet and he's doing all these different things like cutting Cam Newton and getting into fights with the defensive player of the year Steph Gilmore and you know, now this situation, what if he's going he's going mad. It just hasn't leaked yet. Seth worker Sham is not writing the profile until like November. That'd be pretty cool, like mad in what way? Just like he's an old man who just just to use some like dated like

parlance like, uh, he's losing his marbles. Yeah, he's getting up there a little bit. Nobody wants to say anything because he's Bill Belichick. Just is it a possibility anything? Uh? Sean Payton. Finally, Uh, in the News, Sean Payton uh said that it is very possible that the Saints begin

their season on the road in Week one. They're supposed to start the season at home, but Peyton said that the Saints are leaning towards staying in doubt the Dallas area for the next several weeks until they are able to return home following the destruction of Hurricane Ida, and there's a good chance they will host their Week one game scheduled for September twelve against the Packers in Dallas or elsewhere if they are unable to get back into

the Superdome. So we're continuing to track that. The Saints influx again with hurricane related business now reminds me of THO. Five, where I always give Jim Haslet a ton of props for how he handled that situation with grace and leadership, like leading that teams. I don't think it sounds like that.

You know, the Superdome didn't take um a lot of damage, but the city you know, doesn't even have electricity back in My heart kind of breaks for that, and and the Saints thing, it's like, well, what does the say it's really matter in the scheme of things. It's like, it's a bummer. That is about as football mad a place as possible, and what a good, you know, distraction that would be in Peyton. Yeah, seem to use the wording the first quarter of the season, um that they

would stay in Dallas. But they cannot play at Jerry World this Sunday or in Week one rather because there's some concert that's a conflict in the NFL now has a rule that they have to play at an NFL stadium, So they can't do what they did last time and just like play at TCU or play some other I I don't know, So they're they're looking for uh maybe yeah, I I have no idea what it is, but it

looks like they'll probably play too. You know, at this point, it looks like they're planning to play to two games not in New Orleans, and then they'll hang out. They're gonna practice in Dallas. It looks like regardless and talk about adding to you know, what was already gonna be a difficult transition year for them on the field. Now you gotta take them out of you know, their home two weeks before the season starts. It's gonna be tough.

They Yeah, they have road games that Carolina and New England and then they're back against the Giants October three, which is week for another road game in a bye, so I guess they would probably hope to return for a Halloween game. You know, it would be the best case scenario against the Bucks. That's the only the only bright side is it'll be that'll be a great atmosphere when when when they do get back. Celebration whenever it does happen, you want to throw out some just like random.

I just wanted to. I wanted to mention one more thing, Greg before we do that, because we had meant to hit on it. So let's just get caught up with the Deshaun Watson situation. NFL Networks ian Rappaport reports the Texans are not expected to trade Watson uh by the

league's four pm Eastern roster cut down deadline. That has not happened, so he's not moving and it's sounds likely he's gonna end up on the fifty three man roster, but more than Glee be inactive every week of the season, at least until there's any movement on the sexual assault allegations for more than twenty women facing the quarterback. So we hadn't really touched on that Greg in a week

or two. That's where Watson's that. There are some reports out there still keeps popping up with certain teams that might be interested in a trade for Watson right now, but as it is, right now, he is a Houston Texas I didn't believe those those trade rumors. I I really thought people are doing tech either the Texans or DeShawn more likely Deshaun Watson's business, and making these reports

out to be something more than they are now. Based on everything we know, it sounds like the Dolphins had some level of interest at some point, and what I think happened is that now they're pushing these reports out like trying to push someone else to top those reports. I just don't believe it. I don't believe a team is going to trade for the Shawn Watson no matter

how much de Shaun Watson wants to get traded. I just don't think as cynical as the NFL can be, I don't think it could be this cynical that they're gonna like build like it was, getting into these weird conditions of like well maybe they would make conditional picks based on like how much uh you know, jail time, not jail time he gets, but like based on how much he was punished by the league or by what happens in the cases, Like, come on, man, you don't

have to pass these these trial balloons on. I just don't buy it. I don't think any other NFL team is considering would considering it, and they're waiting for the NFL or the legal system to act. Yeah, And I think that's the result that we, you know, the solution, the temporary solution that we get, uh from this whole thing,

has been the NFL acts on it. Until then, we're kind of waiting in this gray area which allows for these types of reports to come out and and for this conversation to continue, when ultimately he probably should just stay where he is off the field until we get some sort of resolution. Right, There's there's another conversation of like should he get paid, should have Texans have him on his roster? This, that or the other. But the criminal cases like really important here there's also a criminal

case with ten women. It's like, how could I don't I just don't see it. I want to believe it to Greg. My my honest feeling is that there is a team or teams more likely that are monitoring this extremely closely, and um, the only reason they're probably not waiting into it right now and making an aggressive offer is not the legal situation so much, but the PR hit and the fallout that they would take from that. So it's scaring them off. I just wonder, and I'll

use the Dolphins as an example. And I'm not saying the Dolphins are seriously considering it, but let's say it's Week five and to his passer rating seventy one, you know, like things like that with that spur action on the trademarker. Because we know the way the legal system works with this, it's not moving at the same speed as the season is approaching us. So there's a good chance we'll go deep into the season and Watson will remain in limbo.

Is there a team that gets impatient and just says, screw it, let's go for it and deal with the PR fire to come, We'll see, We'll see, or the NFL gets involved, which is so certainly something that could happen or should happen, and puts the guy out of the mix for the time being with an exemplist designation. And then this isn't floating because this is on some level a self made story by the NFL, which I think we're all a little bit puzzled about still, but it is what it is, right and I still I

guess you're right that that's possible. I guess I'm I still think they're gonna wait for the police to act, not even the civil case, but they need to have some sort of clarity. It just doesn't make sense, all right, do we want to now, let's get back to UH football stuff. Anything else you guys wanted to throw out their shook? Did you see anything that popped up that interested you, whether it's a pup designation or a cut

or signing anything out there? Fans draft UH specifically the tenth pick will be pleased to know that Josh Rosen made the fifty three man roster in Atlanta. After playing all of one game with the Falcons, he had a promotion. He was fourth string in San Francisco. He's the backup now, although with this whole week before the season starts, you do um worry if you're if you are a Rosen fan, that you could see like a transaction in two days that he was because they found the up. But that's

why this podcast exists. So we can talk about it now before he's gone, whatever he leaves, if it's two days from an how or whatever. It's funny he did play that and it wasn't like it was the greatest half ever. I think he had a self fumble on

like the first series whatever. But um, when I the next morning, I did not watch the game, but the next morning, when I read what turned into like a flowery profile about the rebirth of Josh Rosen, that was what the gamer was, I believe on ESPN or the Associated Press, I was like, whoa, there's something cooking here. This agent deserves a raise because he went from a total disappearing act in San Francisco to getting a puff

Sunday puff piece written about overcoming the odds here. Last night, I think it was last night I found myself in a quiet moment thinking about Josh Rosen and thinking about you know, you know, this could be the situation that he needs to be in. You know, we don't know that Arthur Smith is a great developer of quarterbacks, but perhaps if he spends enough time learning from Matt Ryan, he can develop into a similar quarterback and his career could be worth something after all. And then I thought,

all right, where am I going? What time is it? I gotta get all those all those chuckle heads like me who like gave the Bills a bad draft grade and loved that Cardinals moved to to cheaply move up for Joffs. I'm sorry about that. How about how about a little punter trade. The whole buzz this preseason was that Johnny Hecker was not going to make the Rams made it makes a lot of money. Uh was losing a battle to Corey Rourke wise, I think is how

you pronounce it? Um? But no punter trade. They sent packing over to the Packers conditional late round pick, swap six for a seven. This guy has a bomb. I was there for the one of the preseason games. I watched some of the Rams preseason. Oh my gosh, he could. He can kick it like seventies six yards. But they kept Hecker, which should keep like the you know, there's not many like long time Rams favorites, and so it's nice. I'm glad Johnny heckers Hecker got a good arm on him.

It makes you wonder what's gonna happen with J. K. Scott and whether his most recent and perhaps most memorable highlight will be getting juked out on a punt return. The Packers punters like punters matter. Um, I don't know. A good punter can really change your team. That's a nice deal for the for the Packers. Here and here's some big names that surprised me. So by the way, um, everybody knows the Kicker Club. But a reminder but that

there is the Punters Punch Bowl Mixer. It's at the local gymnasium and they have a bunch of balloons and yes, a nice punch bowl in a full HOGI it's a six ft long hog and a dance floor that plays records mostly from the fifties. But it's all there for the punters. Go ahead. Hecker has got a m C that thing. He's got a lot of personality. He's been around for He's one of the all time greatcakes at this mixer. Yes, yes there are cupcakes of course. What else?

How about John Brown didn't make the Raiders. That surprised me. He still looked like he could play last year. But here's the thing. Sometimes people are like, well that's crazy, But sometimes like it's like you said, things change each year. It's like sometimes the Guys Show up and suddenly they can't play before they're just not And because the John Brown even looked like like he would be maybe the best or the second best receiver on the entire Raider's team,

but he didn't make the team. Uh, Jordan Howard got cut. And then one thing I just want to play on because we never mentioned it throughout the whole preseam, Tyler Huntley won the backup job in Baltimore. That's no surprise over Trace McSorley, who got cut. Um. If you watch him play, Tyler only look good. He was kind of the preseason MVP. I don't know if Lamar Jackson got hurt. Ravens fans know what I'm talking about. They didn't win that.

They didn't break that record because Lamar Jackson. They broke it because of Tyler Huntley. They might have something here with Tyler Huntley, maybe a little like you know, Tyrod Taylor, late round or undrafted type of guy who ends up carving out you know, a nice a nice career like Tyrod did when they when they found him a long time ago. Any Packed twelve fans will remember Tyler Huntley's days at Utah very fondly. So you know, in case

of emergency break glass, pull out the former you. I'm saying, like, if there's another Lamar Jackson, you know, no, you better not go on the COVID list again. But if if he misses the game and there's like a Wednesday matinee against the Steelers, I have I think it'll be more watchable this year with Tyler Huntley. Yeah. Three, Um, anything else SHOOKI No, I think that's it. Greg Now we handled it. Tavon Austin made the jack Wars. I mean,

we're kind of at the in there. But and so he's he's hung around pretty good for a guy that was a first round bust. The fact that he's still collecting paychecks is pretty good. The reason I mentioned yeah, I wrote a debrief, you know, just kind of a quick round up today of these and the reason was just like, Wow, the names that he made the team

over in Jacksonville. I didn't know they were there. La Kwan Treadwell, former first round pick, Philip door Set super Bowl hero and former first round pick, Pharrell Cooper, former first team All Pro. I don't know if you remember Phara Colin Johnson. There's just like a lot of guys over there in Jacksonville, Tavon beat him all out. Desmon Trufont cut by the Bears a very steep decline for him.

That was that was surprising. They are really young at cornerback, like the Rams have to be looking at week one, feeling pretty good there and uh, finally this happened actually two days ago, but let's make sure we get into the show. The Cardinals part ways with safety Chris Banjo. Turns out he couldn't play the guitar. Uh, this is like Dan's moment that like Adam Schefter had where people got on him for like fist bumping by breaking a

guy getting released and they were like, that's insensitive. We're talking Cargo's secondary. My guy Malcolm Butler may retire. We just don't know. So it's um a little uh strange timing wise. But Mike Garifolo reported that that would that would be a shame or it's something's going on there that was personal that he didn't want to get into. Garifolo broke this story. But they were counting on him to start and gave him money to start, and that he's been away from the team for a minute now

and may not may not be coming back. That would be a sad way to end. I I hope he comes back at some point. Come on the super Bowl hero all right, there you go. That is a t N guest. By the way, I missed the show somehow, But do you remember, you know, you had him in the studio. Who's that? Oh? Yeah, yeah, he was good. We had a nice conversation with Malcolm. I interviewed him in that locker room right after the game, and it was even as a Patriots hater, he was an easy

guy to root for. And you could just see the look in his face like he hadn't yet processed what had happened in that game. It's legacy, you secure, he'll be all right, he's the old He'll never have to buy another drink again in that town. Alright, But is that actually true? Probably not, alright. I don't know. For some guys that hang around, I feel like, hey, hey, hey, you know, but they'll have to buy another meal in that town. It's one of those things everyone says and

does that ever. Actually, people are resentful of millionaire athletes. They're like, I'm not, but yeah, you should be buying me drinks. I will say Sunday night last week after the Brown's preseason game against the Giants, I walked down the street and who was having dinner outside with a couple of people. Bernie Kozar cannot confirm whether he paid for it or not. Now, Bernie, he's the ultimate. Don't it doesn't have to pay m Okay, good Chuck, Thank

you buddy. And as a reminder, Nick Shook not only hugely personable and an excellent physical condition, is a lifeline for us on Sunday nights during the season in our recap of every game that is played during the season. So Shookie, you will be back with It's hard to believe, Nick, but a week from Sunday we're back with our Sunday Night recaps, hitting up every game that was played in the week that was and looking forward to it. Nick,

Thank you, buddy. Yeah, of course, you know. It hit me this week with the cuts that that we're basically here, and I'm excited for it because you know, as much as I know Greg loves watching every player number nine on the roster in the fourth quarter of a week two preseason game. Come on, just go with it, Just go with it. I know we're all excited to watch the actual legitimate players for a full four quarters and we're expecting you. We're not gonna We're probably not going

to be in the studio week one. Sounds like we two is a more likely target. You know, they are opening up the building. We're expecting you to commute. Nick, I know you're in Cleveland, but yeah, you know, fly coach. Um, let's see they'll pay. We're we're a huge operation. Now. There's no money's too much to spend on our podcast, especially in a brand new studio. You know. Yeah, apparently there is tech that allows that to happen, uh seamlessly,

We're being told. Um, so we look at Oh that's all exciting, And I apologize to Chris Banjo and his entire family. Entering the league is an undrafted free agent and here he is fighting for jobs eight years later. Only only apologize if you if you cut it for social because like the celebration dance was even even worse than this sounds. It's like when um John Cena had to apologize and Mandarin for saying something that offended the people of the region. Um, all right, what okay, that's it.

We'll be back on Thursday. Unless something else crazy pops up um. But thank you for everybody for listening until then, heat the call sight. We have this meeting in one minute. M