Sounds from the NFL Combine w/Mike Garafolo

in the last show, I'm human, you're human too. It's been proven infallible. A lot of people killing Greg for that in the UK. It's Rosen tall you know, they never they did not into hum is that way? Is that my flub? Maybe I could have stuck with that and just I'm a human. Wait, a lot of people are talking about that. I mean, I just you know, I check in. I check in on Twitter once in a while, which Greg apparently never reads his his mentions.

But it's like people saying, you have to point out your human, right, We've got a color issue with your human you're perceived. Yeah, so that I do think that you're human. So I don't know why you needed to. I don't know what you were attempting to. Are you human or are you dancers? Tell us just like sometimes the killers just just barely missed the mark. They shoot for the sun and sometimes veers to the left that what is I'm I'm a soldier, I'm not a I'm a I got sold but I'm not a soldier. That

was another one that was like that one. It's a little time sub Mark's eyes light up though when he said the best shape of I think Mark you were was that look to sort of say, like, I am in the best shape. I don't think I am, but my my but Greg, my body, my choices. It was one of these things where you said, no, we aren't well I speak for where we had talked about that on the show Greg before, and you had I felt like,

gotten better with it. You'll speaking for the podcast to be in the best shape of his life, all three of us would have to be in good shape, all right, and I am so far are off the best shape of my life. It eliminates any possibility that that that the group could be there. I think you're correcting where you were coming from on that. That was exactly where

I was coming. You could let us us how we feel about our where we're at, visit your own forms so great personal I'm not just signing some Yeah, I think you guys are assuming the physical shape. It could be like the shape of the podcast itself. True, Is it in the best shape? It's fine. I'd argue that there are there. There's a variable levels there as well in terms of where we are sitting right now at this moment. There now, there's going to be some long

like subreadt thread is the podcast in danger. Everything's fine. We're happy to be here. We love being here in Los Angeles during Combine Week, and we're going to get into Combine Week because the head coaches the GMS spoke at their podiums, their risers at the indian Indianapolis Convention Center. And speaking of which, a couple things out of the convention center, which we've been to a dozen plus times at this point. One M Andrew Gruver. Do we know

Andrew Gruver? Of course we do. Yeah. Gruver is somebody who's worked on the NFL network side, in the newsroom and remotely for years. He went viral. Wait because he he's an Alabama guy, by the way, I don't know if you knew that gruver. He posted a video of Bryce Young has arrived at the combine, which as of right now, you know, doing big numbers, over seven hundred thousand views of the video and a lot of comments about the slight nature of Bryce Young, who measured in

I believe at five ten and a half. And you're gonna hear a lot about Bryce Young, a guy who's a lot of people think could be the number one pick in this draft. And the record in the non Drew Brees category for guys that don't have the height in the league is not good. So that's going to be a major story. So Bryce Young is the first guy it's literally non existent, I mean just at that height. But also if you look at the video, it's not

the heights. The one thing I think a lot of if you listen to like a lot of personalizes, it's the weight. They're wondering if you'll even way in the bulk, if he even cross two hundred pounds, you have to drink like four gallons of milk. It's a bit of a Kyler Murray. Look to his build as well. He seems slights Kyler's got that like strong. I think they're worrying giant, giant head dude. The helmet. Ye feels like

his profile is very different. Um. And the other thing I wanted to say about the Combine and that Convention Center, I've never forgotten. So if I remember it, I'll let you know. But shout out to Groover Um. Coming up later today, Mike Garifolo, he's at the Combine and he's gonna sit down with us and talk about, uh, some

news that he's hearing. We'll get into, you know, some of the quarterback news around the league obviously remains a wide open situation, a fluid situation for various big name quarterbacks. Coming up later this week tomorrow. In fact, we're gonna have Landzierline, who's in for many years one of the great analysts of the draft scene with NFL Network, and we're gonna have him and have him get us up to speed. So that's good, good coverage. I like it.

And then the on field stuff starts Thursday. They've changed, they changed around the schedule almost every year now. They've to optimize ratings and whatnot. And we're going defensive linemen, linebackers, Thursday. We got the quarterbacks on Saturday, but four days of on field. Daniel Jeremiah's Super Bowls come in. Thank you Now, I remember what I wanted to say, Jeremiah said of Bryce Young with his skill set, if he's your classic six three two twenty dude, he's talking him up like

Joe Burrow. He's talking them up like Trevor Lawrence. So that is something that is. Everything else is there, but the size. We'll get into that with Lands tomorrow. Someone's gonna fall in love. Absolutely, someone will tuck themselves into it. It's not going to be a problem, you know who It was a problem for Baker and Kyler. Right, It's tough. The lineman in the league keep getting bigger. The defensive lineman keep getting bigger. It's to have a clean pocket

and not get half your passes knocked down. What's more frustrating than your team driving or attempting to drive and one out of every four passes swatted. I mean, I think that's as a long time Baker follower, that was a regular baked into a regular part of we're not even using that part of the field. And I think that's why, you know, he's the heavy favorite in Vegas

to be the number one overall pick. Is that nothing about his game sort of spells that out, Like the game looks more like a Borough type prospect where he's used in the middle of the field, where he sees the field like a quarterback that he finds a way somehow. But you're right, it's it's like unforeseen. Seneca Wallace was the last quarterback approximately that small that played, uh at

the NFL level. Although like, what's no busting canton for Seneca wall on one hand, then that's like, what's an inch between him and Drew Brees? Is that like that that inch makes all the difference where you have new chance? I don't know. It wasn't about the height with Drew Brees. It was between the ears and in odd a guy from New York. Let's uh get caught up on the news.

You know. I spent parts of a couple of days imagining what it would be like to retire and then imagining what it would be like to continue to play. Here's the thing, and that's Aaron Rodgers on Uh. He did a podcast with his friend Aubrey Marcus Aubrey Marcus k Mark in Unison that was unusual. I like it, and Aaron Rodgers could end up the quarterback of the Jets, and I would be very excited for a player skill

point of view. But I am just so so exhausted by having I feel like I'm being held hostage right now as a football fan, Like there's I know you guys listen to it, and that's a good job by you guys. Like an hour and a half conversation with his buddy and saying things like talking about his darkness retreat and imagining what it would be like retired and imagining He's like, holy god, boy, just make a decision. Let the Packers do what they need to do, and

let's get on with this already. It's it's so self serving and exhausting is the word that I keep thinking of.

And if a week from now he's a member of the Jets, I'm going to be thrilled because the idea of having him pilot that team after the crap that I've watched the quarterback forever is a beautiful thought, But all the other stuff that comes with it, it makes me think, God, if that actually happened, if he goes to New York, how is that going to play out when this is how he talks now all the time. I mean, first of all, if he gets to the Jets, a lot of this stuff goes away, you think, So

I'm just saying they don't know if it does. I'm not saying entirely, but just like the the off season Willier won't he stay in Green Bay part of it, and we're in a major different story and it's a new shot, Like I think what stays is Aaron Rodgers, not the football player or even like the unique guy out in the realm of professional sports. It's this this

projection of him. Now, it's like Aaron Rodgers shaman, like right, well, so that Steven Seagal ask almost I think, like you like the way you're frustration and you expressed it to Greg and I before the show a little bit like, um, totally get it. I think I've been on the I'm frustrated with Aaron Rodgers train, which it veers off into into nothingness like see offseason after off seasons. So it's like I'm there with you there. I think the thing here is I think it could have done all this

without telling anyone. You could have gone And I have no issue with what he did which has gone and like he basically talks about like the retreat that he went on where he did contemplate deeply, the fact that he spent this time in a struggle wanting to be more than just a football player, but that during his time in it, if you listen to it, I think you gain a little bit of appreciation for it. Like he came to a point where like, wait a minute, I actually I am lucky to have done what I've done.

I'm lucky to be a football player. It's given my life and me incredible things he talked about. You know, we know he's had familial issues, he's had issues with his parents, with his siblings that he went in and like contemplated and healed all that. So I think the thing about it from a human angle, and I'm not coming like, oh this is so perfect to better Roses. But maybe he comes out to this next final phase of his career, he's thirty nine, a more whole person

with some of that stuff solved. My thing is, you could have done all that without us talking about it. The only reason we're tired of it is because he cannot prevent himself from speaking publicly about it, which is is right, by the way, but I think it creates this alternate exhaustion where it's like we are not focused on the football player, We're focused on all this other stuff.

And I don't think there's anything wrong with it as he's creating that reality, the darkness retreat and all this other holistic type like that actually did cure him of his allies. I'm not saying it did, but I would say I would say the one thing is like the one thing that's annoying that it for me takes place in like the sports reporter environment. It's like it's just immediately dismissed. And a lot of the stuff that he's talking about is basically just wouldn't be the worst thing

for some human beings to do in general. Looking at the whole lives now, the darkness and traits outed a little intriguing to me to shry out. Once you you said you listen to it, Mark, and you grew a greater like appreciation you made you Like, I just I remove, like if you listen to it, A kind of removed the like football part of it, because I am annoyed that we have to track them show after show. That

part is tedious, it's ponderous. I think it must be tiring for the listeners for it's going on and on. I mean we don't we don't do full shows on it. But I just think this was just sort of an It was just him speaking about what he did versus versus some like uh scribe describing what he did with no concept of it right he makes it. There is some sort of disconnect of like him, you know, coming out of the darkness retreat and then immediately going on like a hugely popular podcast. But but it is it

is his friend. Um we've all got um mouth to feed, and and it's the way to get out his view in an unfiltered way. And these two men really love each other. That was my biggest takeaway, as they are extremely close and and but I don't have to care about his relationship. But I feel like it's being kind of put on us as football fans, like we have to follow every aspect of this man's life. And it's like they're players are more than we are. We are the media. So we could just have not included him

on the rundown, And that's a that's a choice. Can't really do that because he's one of the greatest players to ever live, who might be changing teams after eighteen years, Like we could feel like sometimes where it being Aaron Rodgers. The reason you're gonna deal with New York is like he's still gonna do Pat McAfee probably whatever wherever he goes. He could have chosen to do all this on his own. That's all I would have think would have changed. We

wouldn't be here, wouldn't be dealing. And the reason why he does the podcast, and he said it was he wants to inspire others to take a similar path that he wants. The guy he's doing the podcast with literally went from selling, uh, like as a marketer flesh lights to quickly turn it into a hundred million dollars flesh lights. Do you remember that, Uh, it's a product that people use.

Can't just say that with actual gratification. It's not you know that it is a part of life to certain marketplace and turned it as a business partner, turned it with his business partner, Joe Rogan quickly into like a motivational um kind of what Tom Brady tried to do with his company too, kind of mixing holistic medicine and nutrition and turned it into a multi hundred million dollar operation that he's sold and and that's part of this whole thing too, is it you are feeling like he

wants to sell a certain idea into in his mind, help people out and kind of be a thought leader, and that's why he's doing it, I think so publicly. Yeah, I think the one thing I would I would disagree with, although open to multiple views on it, is that he's he's doing a lot of this to try to help people. I don't I'm not saying he's a bad guy. I've never thought he's a bad guy. Um, I just think that search a lot of this is a lot of

the searching. While I think it's authentic on one level, the fact that we need to be told of it every step of the way and he has to share this. I think he likes things being projected back onto himself. He likes being the center of the news cycle. Which also it's not necessarily a bad thing. There's a lot of guys that do that, But when it's dressed up as in some type of altruistic way, I don't know

if I totally buy it. Then again, if he's my quarterback, I will take you'll be buying in a fortn He spent a day talking about what his life would be like retiring in the darkness, and this was Grant. This was day three and four. By the way, the first two days were more personal stuff, family relationships, stuff like that. Day three and four was if he was retired. Day

four was if I come back to play. It just reading between the lines, I mean, he sounds like a guy who is motivated to maybe go back to play, but we'll see. And the other side of this is like, yeah, you can come back to play. But based on what old Goody was talking about in Indianapolis, I think the yeah, I think the Penders might be ready to move on. And then I don't think it. Roger said explicitly he doesn't think they would trade him to a place he didn't want to go, but he does not have an

actual trade, no trade clause. I think they would work it out though between the two stas spending this toward more the football side of things. So Roger said in part of that podcast interview that he won't drag anyone around with his decision. And then Brian Guda kunst Um, the general manager of the Packers, had this to say about the other quarterback on the roster, Jordan Love. We're excited about him, you know. I think, you know, I've expressed to a lot of people that he needs to play.

That's the next step in his progression. He needs to play. But George has done a great job, worked really hard, you know, so he's doing everything we're asking. I think I wish I could credit who tweeted it, but I as soon as I saw the toys, like this is absolutely right. This Roger's story, part of the exhaustions has been going on for years. This will he won't he? The Packers the state of their relationship. Two years ago, when this stuff was going on, the Packers publicly were like,

we're not trading Aaron Rodgers. Last year when this stuff was going on, We're not trading Aaron Rodgers. This year. The guy behind him has to play. We're open to different scenarios. It still feels to me like a very very good chance that he has played his last down in Green Bay. I think it's a complete sea change in terms of the message coming from inside the Packers building.

It's it's such a shift in a way. I mean, and I don't dismiss the Bob McGinn report that essentially the Packers there's an element where they're disgusted with him, and I think that kind of got thrown aside a little bit because maybe it feels a little strong, exhausted, disgusted, whatever it's like. It just feels like it's not a Jordan love thing necessarily. That's certainly a motivating factor because

what we saw of him was positive. I think it's like it's time now, and Aaron Rodgers and the Packers just feel like they've come to this natural breach and it feels right for both sides. And I don't think you need to even be green Bay and worried about if there are, Like you say, I think there's gonna be a number of trade partners if this becomes an availability. I don't care abo outside of your own division where you trade him, you live with it. He's done a

great job by you, and vice versa. You move on, you get the best haul you can in return, and you try to make Aaron Rodgers happy. I don't think it needs to end in a Brett farv like cantankerous divorce. I think they should go in the opposite direction. With this, and I think there's a chance that happens that Rogers might not be maybe his feelings will be hurt if

he truly wanted back in Green Bay. But I think if they just are upfront with him, say you know we're gonna trade you, he works with him, and if this could all happen relatively quickly, so they do have a fifth year option on Jordan Love. I do buy the fact that they say explicitly they think he took a third year leap in camp in the preseason, we sought a little bit in the regular season. It all seemed to be confirmed by our eyes, but there was

reporting about that even before that. If they want to give him that fifth year option, it's like, this is the time it makes sense to do it before we do move on. Though, um, Aaron Rodgers did have something like so profound that I asked justin to clip that I did just want to like go over it leave. This could change my mind. Dumps were super smooth, and in my mind, now that's my own rasturalization, they were they were all two wipers. They were two wipers and

done so it didn't need more than two wipes. Honestly, they were more. We could check the underwear for the record, Well, yeah we could. They were multiple though that I didn't think I needed it. They are good friends. We gotta get Derek Carr in Floren Park. They spent like two minutes on what it was like to wipe in total darkness, because because Aubrey has done the darkness thing too, that it was. It was a lot of are you serious?

Said that you're that was reating doing darkness? A darkness thing? You so? No, I would, I don't think said, I thought you said, like ten minutes ago, are you joking? I said I was interested? What did I say? No? I think you didn't say. You were saying, like if in a perfect world where I didn't have like children and then these are just freely Like I think that sounds like an interesting thing to go try to do. Maybe I would try it once I have done. I

had done a five days silent retreat. It wasn't in darkness. It was just somewhere where you weren't supposed to speak. Can I just I would actually go make it happen. No, but like I'm not. I wouldn't want to talk about it to people in there. But you know what, Dan, it might not be the worst thing on the planet for you if you try to. Honestly, I don't want to judge. I'm not judging. I'm just saying, like I

think about things all the time about my life. I privately um consider different things, paths that I'm on, what's going on with my family and my friends. I do that, you know when I do it when I'm walking the dog, when the music, when I'm laying in bed, when you're taking them two wipers. You know, maybe it's a two wiper thing. But I'm just saying, like the idea the other thing that's like, maybe you could do maybe it

would help you to think. I think about stuff all the time, but I don't need to go lay in the darkness, right. But I think it's more like, but why does that offend you? Like he doesn't have a family, and it doesn't worry about either. I'm just doesn't offend. It's more just like, let him go do what he wants. You go walk. It's like everyone I'm not into, they're not saying stuff. It's not there. There billions of people like me do plenty of contemplation, most people without hope.

The difference is you aren't telling thousands upon thousands of people that you that you think while you walk your dog. I mean you are, but you aren't doing that. You weren't doing it the same way he was. Everyone everyone's different. I totally did that. I'm not saying that that there's no value to going different, taking different paths this way. Um, it's ancient too. It goes back to ancient times. A lot of stuff was happening in ancient times too, that

they did have light in ancient times. They you know, during the they didn't have to say of the time, all right, let's let's keep let's keep moving here. Jalen Carter. Who is Jalen Carter Mark Sessler. He is a highly prized defensive prospect who is run into some trouble. Maybe the top prospect in this draft. I would say, the consensus top prospect if you took positions in this That's why when we talked about like DJ and all these other people that are doing their mocks and like, how

am I gonna do? I know, the bears a trade in this pic. I gotta take somebody in the spot Jalen Carter because he's a top prospect defensive lineman, well, he's got some issues because he was at the at the combine in India and then he left UH suddenly because a rest warrant was issued on Jalen Carter UH for racing and reckless drive. And it's a very serious, tragic situation that he was allegedly involved with. There was

a drag racing incident in January. According to the Athens Clark County Police Department, Carter was racing with Georgia recruiting staff or Chandler Lacroix, and Lacroix and a offensive lineman on the team, Devin Willock, were killed in a single car accident that night. Carter was at the scene of the incident. He left before the police came came back, misled investigators saying that he wasn't according to the police,

said that he was not there when had happened. Well, the police think something else happened here, that he was directly involved with the accident, and now he's gonna have to turn himself into authorities. This is obviously not ideal and on any level, especially in terms of football terms.

During combine week. Yeah, the news broke shortly before he was going to have his press comments He released the statement saying this morning he received a telephone call informing that two misdemeanor warrants, and be pointed out, these are misdemeanors. Um that's being accused for reckless driving and racing. He said that numerous media reports circulated inaccurate information concerning the

tragic events. It's my intention to return to Athens and answer these misdemeanor charges, and he is no question, when all the facts are known, he'll be fully exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing. When this story popped up, I mean, it was so sad. I'm sure you guys saw a lot of it. Bubbly, even us, not as college football fans, like as it happened, like what a tragic story. A woman who's closed, you know, who worked and was involved with the students, and then another athlete and Carter was

broken up. And even just from a human angle, you can just think about like that this all happened, and this is happening like right before he's gonna have this scouting combine, and you you hurt for the families involved, and you hurt for him. You can be empathetic with him no matter what he did that night. It's like an incredibly traumatic and like life changing you almost like it almost seems like like a bad movie and kind

of a nightmare for everyone. I mean, I guess the thing that we've learned doing the show, so long as like it's got to play out, he will have a chance to tell his side of the story. He's gonna have a lot of NFL teams they're gonna want to like hear what he has to say about it. I mean, there's stuff around him that goes a little bit before

this incident as well. So it's it's all happening very publicly, and I think when you know he's like twenty one years old, suddenly this thing that could again if he were a different type of person, take place in private, is happening in front of the entire world. And it's probably a lot to bear on your shoulders. And the whole incident to start with, yeah, not good at all. Let's take a break and hit the rest of the news. All right, we're back. Let's get more into again. Everyone

at the risers at the combine. We're not at the combine, other people at the combin So here is Bengals GM Duke Tobin T. Higgins a subject of interest. They have a lot of money to hand out to Jamar Chase, to Joe Burrow, and does that leave enough to take care of t Higgins as star wide receiver in his own right? So thoughts could he be traded? Well, here's what Tobin I'd just says, go get your own stud I'm not in the business of making other teams better.

I'm in the business of making the Cincinnati Bengals better, and so trading T Higgins is not on my mind. That's their problem. They want to receiver, go find your own you know, in my opinion, you know, T Higgins is a good piece for the Cincinnati Bengals. So the trade stuff is a little ridiculous right now. See I like to hear these because you could really parse, like what's real and what's not. Te Higgins is on the

Bengals next September. Anybody disagree? No, I completely agree. I love this new energy from the Bengals because we talked to Duke Tobin a year ago when we were president at the Combine Human Form and he basically told us, Yeah, we're gonna go out and get a bunch of linemen and find a way to protect over He just went straight forward and said, yeah, this is a needer, we're gonna go address it right and they went and did it. And I kind of think this is how the Bengals

want to operate from here on out. They don't need to toy with us verbally. I don't think there's any reason that you moved t Higgins. Look at if they're If you're the Bengals right now, I would just say this real quick. You look at the Chiefs over the last couple of months. You went from a team that lost last year in the playoffs, came off a Super Bowl loss the year before, and now you're back on

the mountaintop. The Bengals keep getting close. Their window is open forever with Joe Burrow, as they said, why would you remove a guy in te Higgins who, honestly, ultimately we might look back and say he could match Jamar Chase's career, He could even have a better career. You never know all these things. I just say he played. He played the number one role all year long when Chase wasn't in the lineup and totally thrived. I thought one of the only reasons they got to where they

were is because of guys like t Higgins. I'd have to make a list, but I feel pretty safe Te Higgins would be in my top fifteen receivers in the NFL. And this story bubbled up, I think, And someone point out if I'm wrong, but I think it all came

from like some aggregating gone wrong. This used to be on my radar, as you know, we tried to have rules about aggregating roadal world and it was just like presented in an athletic article of like all the possible things that could be on the table, just to you,

not even not even suggested even in the article. They kind of said, this is unlikely, this isn't going to happen, but they're gonna have to, you know, they're gonna have to start thinking about the future these are And then someone kind of went a little too hard from it, and then it just took fire and it makes no sense. In fact, I think they're gonna keep Tyler Boyd too, which people have speculated that would make more sense, but he's not really paid that much. I think they know

this is a beautiful window. Joe Burrow's gonna get his money this year. They've talked about that this is a beautiful window where they're all together. Probably not all gonna be together forever. I don't think t Higgins is getting that long term contract from the Bengals. You might get franchise tech next year, but that's next year. Keep all together. One about you send that aggregator into a four day darkness,

retreat him. Better send him all there, or send him on a walk with his dog on that you just walk around with the dog, go take that. And you know who else wins there, but the just you the dog. Yeah, ge Wize gets forty five minutes right around in a basement all day long. It's hot out hell yeah um, And I agree. And I love Joe Burrow, and you know he's got that swag and that confidence and that ability. Uh So when he says our super Bowl window is

my whole career, I'm with you. But right it's it's it's it's open as long as you don't lose your offensive lineman in almost voodoo like cruel fashion one a week for five straight weeks. So it's truly preposterous to what happened to that injury. Luck is is not great. But the point I was trying to make was that, uh with your Super Bowl window, it's never gonna be as open as it is when you, ironically the quarterback are being paid below your market value for what you

bring to your team. So the window, sure, it's open for as long as he is a quarterback. But during this rookie contract, however, long much longer less, it's too much longer. It's like that kind of that was it, and that's why I think part of the frustration if I'm a Bengals fan, it's those last two years to get that close when you had that huge advantage. We shall see. I hope they stick around. I like watching

the Bengals UM play big games. In other news, the Eagles have um repopulated their coordinator seats Sean Desai is their new defensive coordinator. Brian Johnson the new OC after Shane Steichen got a head coaching job, and so did Jonathan Gannon. Uh So the Eagles UH populate and get set there. I think I think this is um a case where I trust the Eagles uh innately with what they've done over the last couple of years with their reboot post Doug Peterson and just listen to Jalen Hurts

talk about Brian Johnson. He's basically said, this guy is he works with him one on one every day. This is the next big head coach. He has been coaching and working around Jalen Hurts, and Jalen Hurts was four years old. Johnson's dad called coach Jalen World. So that so it's like, that is that transition. I trust with the said, I mean, he's been he is a he's a good coll he's been a coordinator before. He's everyone

who's been around him. Pete Carroll gushed about him. But think about this defense like free your free agents include Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Brandon Graham, James Bradberry, Chauncey Gardner, Johnson, Lynvall, Joseph Robert, Quinn, Donickin, Sue and Kaiser White, bar T J. Edwards in there. Yes, I mean there's a lot of transition. I think that coordinator has got a bigger challenge than

Brian Johnson does. Right now, Brian Johnson's gonna be a head coaching candidate if the Eagles often stays effect just the way they they talk about him and good on Sirianni kind of talking, yeah, talking that talk, walking that walk he had three coordinators of color, like we don't see many black offensive coordinators and said Johnson is one that's risen and people love what he did in college and love it at the pros. Decide was with the Bears in Naggi's last year. Um came from the Fangio Tree.

Everyone Fangio is really influential. Yeah, half the league is the Fangio Tree, and they h infamously, at least for Eagles fans had Fngio be a consultant for the Super Bowl and well they run a lot of Fio stuff. Had had a rough game but brought into Seahawks lost some big coaches. That was like my darkness to Tree, don't anything more than that was beautiful. I have reset.

Speaking of Jonathan Ghannon, he is the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and it is going to be a transition year for the Arizona Cardinals because Kyler Murray had ACL reconstruction surgery. He is going to miss a chunk of the regular season. Gannon said on the podium in Indianapolis, They're not going to rush him back because quote part of what makes Kyler so elite, you know, are his legs. So when he's ready to play, he'll play. I don't

know exactly the timetable right now. That all makes sense to me. What doesn't make is much sense to me. And perhaps, gentlemen, you could shine a light in this regard. Is why there's so much talk about DeAndre Hopkins leaving the Cardinals. I know there's some contract things. In terms of guaranteed money left on his deal, there isn't any, so this would be a time you could move him in a painless manner. But then what does that leave for Kyler Murray when he gets back, or Cult McCoy,

for instance, while he's there. Anyway, these are questions I have. Here is what Gannon said about the uncertain future of his number one wide receiver. We are evaluating everyone. I know this. He's a premier receiver. You have to have a plan for He limits you with how you have to play defense. He's a valuable asslet for us going Why though, Well, I mean so because they're not going to be competitive this year and now is the time where his value is still high enough. And I think

that's just a restart, and he's slowed down. He's not as good a player and so what's he gonna be when he's thirty one or thirty two, twenty twenty thirty, when he is competitive. He's thirty one now and he has a thirty million dollar cap hit. You have a new general manager in a new coach. I just think it's probably trending towards Anne. It's another year were last year you didn't have Hopkins for the big chunk of the season to start. Now you don't know what you're

gonna get out of Murray and it's another mismatch. And then he's only on under contract for one more year. So I think it's like trade high, move on. It's not ideal, but they probably run out of options with the guy right when he's When they say he's not sure, I mean that usually just means it's over. I get it. I get your point. Dan. Whoever the quarterback is going to be there. He's heard some teddy whispers. He's worked with their offensive coordinator, like for while Kyler Murray's hurt,

like it's not it's not helping him. But he also isn't quite the same player. I think he could get a little rejuvenation machine. Though he's not like a separator he'd be a nice number two. I feel like, give me a perfect number two. They were coordinators. Drew Petsing like he spent all last season with Jacobe percent is a free rights. That's a nice little guy. I would love him as a Corey Davis replacement. And for the Jets playing across from a certain because I didn't get

a good pick, don't you. I think you might get a friend. And maybe he's not the same guy, and he is coming off a PD, but he's not ancient. And in just nine games last year he had sixty four catches over seven hundred yards. I mean, he's still highly productive. I would want him. I'm a team in a second. I just get why the Cardinals, with every all these new faces, might just be just gonna be a really if they trade Hopkins was like a top five receiver at one time, and maybe now he's a

top twenty receiver. He still needs somebody to catch balls and be your number one guy. I get it, though, you're spinning forward, but you're I mean, are you tanking? If you have a Cardinal? This year? Is that where this is heading? They'll never say it, but it seems like the kind of year where you got to give everyone just a free pass depending on when you get Kyler back and what the RUSSA a great job. Jonathan Anna took over a very tough gig here, and we've

talked about that. But if they start trading the assets they have in addition to all the uncertainty a quarterback, it's what's called an unintentional tank. Their offensive line. They have eight offensive line free agents off a defensive line that wasn't very good, and about six or seven defensive contributors off a defense that wasn't good. It's like, thank you, Steve. CON's a true rebuilding. Yes, yes, yes, let's see John Lynch, John Lynch Mark, who's John Lynch? He is the general

manager thing I'm just going to start doing. I don't like the open questions in general. I don't mind this one. The general manager of the Niners, who a couple of years ago when we were at the Combine, when I took a dare from west to where my bathrobe over to the convention center, looked over and wondering if it

was an NFL prospect. I don't know what, maybe a puncher, a kicker, but he was like, why is someone allowed over here in the bathroom and that's with you then yo, we already yeah, um, I mean an established um premier general manager and too yeah, when I do that, I'm never gonna put you in a tough spot like where I'll be like you have before. No, I would never do that, And I want I'm like Mark who's before today? For instance, Mark, who's Aubrey Marcus? Like, I'm not gonna

do that to you. Okay, I'll measure whether or not you're doing this. That will be my end putting, not yours. H John Lynch GM of the Niners. I don't know if you have that right, but that is who he is. He had this to say about the quarterback situation for San Francisco, which is, you know a little bit dodgy, still with Brock Purty, still hasn't even had surgery yet on the elbow Trey Lance coming off a season ending injury. Jimmy g out the door. Here's where Lynch came down

at the combine. I felt like, felt really good going to training camp that we were kind of insulated in the event that anything happened, and you know, unfortunately it wasn't. It wasn't quite enough. It got us right at the end. And so I think we're all product of our experiences. Um,

we've learned. Um. You know, it was in some meetings today where the league's discussing potential solutions for you know, third quarterbacks such that we never have that kind of but the reality is it's it's very few and far between where those instances happen. Um, So you know, we'll see and yeah, we we may have to look into the quarterback market in addition to Brock and Tray to insulate ourselves from from whatever may happen. You could hear

it Lynch's voice. He's just kind of annoyed. He's like, I thought I had this covered and the possibly I do not. Right. It's like his house was broken into and so you get like a great security system and then it was like broken into again, and you're then you like build a form tree drop, right, you like build a fortress around it. It It was broken in again, and he just like, what what could I possibly do?

It is a good offseason, though, to just like bring in a guy, I assume that's all it's gonna be. Although they feel so desperate and hungry for to capitalize on the Super Bowl window, that you never know. I feel like they'd be a wild card in some bigger names, but if not, they can get in like the Heineke Keenum sort of market. Mariota. I don't know, maybe just as like an extra third Mike White. How about Mike White.

You know, it's interesting with the Cardinal going back to the Cardinals for a second, like if they are tanking, or if they are not tanking, we will I guess see, or or perhaps it will be hinted strongly to us like Cult, McCoy a respect mark. If they just roll with Cult for six to eight to ten to twelve to seventeen games, that's pretty good indication that they are perfectly fine with this thing rolling out a certain way. Because there are plenty of options to go find somebody

to cover you this season. If you wanted to go that route, that would be probably an upgrade over where McCoy is in two thousand. I would really push for someone like percent because I think you can you can say we're not aiming for the super Bowl, but he can get you adequate start. I think Cole McCoy with Cliff Kingsbury gone and Cole McCoy's concussion issues and the way that season ended. I'm not sure where Cole McCoy's

next season at all. He had a minor procedure U it was revealed, but we did see him at the Super Bowl Hotel thirty seven. He looked, He looked fantastic. He's kind of in great shape. Think he'll probably be released unfortunately, but we do not wish that upon him. Well, or they just roll with them and they're like, let's do this. They're not rolling. They're not gonna go Cole McCoy. That's just don't there's no connected tissue to the current coaching staff. I see what Dan's saying. Now, we might

want to win. It would be a way to like they already had that draft pick right now that I mean to put. You have a good soldier there. Cult McCoy is a good soldier, but he's not gonna lift the team. I don't need to see Cole McCoy playing anymore football. I'm surprised the people around him that love him,

I'm sure have some mixed feelings. I'm sure he has some mixed feelings, and based on watching hard knocks and stuff like, I know he loves football, but man, it's they do what Either put him in the dark room or send him on a walk with the captain my dog, I mean with your dog, well or his dog whatever. But uh, that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna undercut the market for Aubrey be Now you're gonna be charging people. He's not. He doesn't own the retreats. It's not his business.

He just goes there. Uh. Oh, he was in the fleshlight business at one point, according to all Right. Anyway, in other news, let's let's let's get Mike g in in a few minutes. Uh, da da da da. Let's see. Let's see. Oh you want to hear from uh our buddy, Mike McDaniel, Dolphin's head coach. Yeah, I love that guy. Here's a fun little exchange, reporter asking McDaniel about what he looks for in a running back. What qualities are you looking for as you build this running back room? Back? Um?

The best qualities? Funny? Uh. And then he talked about the quarterback position. You know, I think, well it's a little bit uh. And I'm sure did he go on on a long answer? Yeah, I'm sure it was great and and interesting. Um, but I just love that about it. Yeah, UM, but the quarterback position is I feel like not being talked about a lot around Miami, and it's very wide open, you would think, right, given uh the concussion issues for Tuah. UM, here's what McDaniel said about tah in the future of

that position. Well, I think, UM, you know, like any other player, you factor in every variable. UM. You know, I think you know one thing that uh you know when you're when you're talking about those types of decisions. UM, I think it's important to recognize that, UM, we have a congruence of interest by the Dolphins and the player UM toa that that we both want UM. Both parties really want him to UM play at a very high

level for a long time for the Miami Dolphins. So UM, what's the best way to to really UM engineer that or to UM help manifest that. Well, UM, those are the things that were kind of UM Wayne in terms of the various options UM with you know, the same UM desired end is as UM too would like. So you factor in everything UM as best you can. UM. But you know that that's part of this game that we're all with. So UM, you see you press forward for the organization. But like um, what a great landing.

Stop lying in the weeds a little bit here to make some type of big move accord, what about Lamar Jackson? Although I mean, I know there's there's money issues and salary cap issues for all these big time quarterbacks, but I just wonder an owner was a little like right now, I would say, Mike McDaniel do not exist in the realm of power most powerful coaches in terms of having autonomy, Like it's an owner that chased Tom Brady, um yanked him onto a yacht. It's an owner that chased Deshaun Watson.

You just never know. I mean, you could certainly have wandering eyes. Tua has. It was noted that twas taking um jiu jitsu uh this offseason to learn how to fall better, to fall more gracefully, to not create some of these issues potentially, right, They said that should work. They were trying to have it both ways. They said, like,

how I feel much better about the situation. They were like, they have that they want him as their quarterback, but also that they would take time before making the decision on the fifth year option, but they would also like to give him, you know, a long term contract if it's that if it's possible. I don't know. All I know is that the suit Mike McDaniel was wearing, I liked it and pointed out clothes Horse himself. It was

a hoodie. It was a hoodie suit, which I was like, you gotta be, you gotta be Mike McDaniel to pull that off potentially UM. Jeff Darlington, also a well dressed man, pointed out the company that made it and it retails for anywhere between seven hundred and seventeen hundred a draw

string hoodie suit, Cashmere. I liked it well. Mike McDaniel was dinged for like, oh now you're now you're dressing rich because it's a it's like it gave me shades of like a class year version of like what we saw Mark Davis wearing UM at the Super Bowl week a couple years ago. And you said, Mike, Mike McDaniel, cities grew up. He's grown up port his whole life, and he's like he's gonna be spending out money now.

But I'm rich. I love that rich cash And just to put a bow on this, you have to be outside your mind to give to a long term cut object. They're not going to do that. I don't think they'll do that, right. The only thing with two of them, doesn't He seem like the quarterback that if you don't give him the fifth year option, it's in his head. They'll give him. They'll give it to him. Any thing's his head that I'm concerned about. Well, okay, but I mean the confidence. Yes, sure, I mean this is the

second thing inside. I'm with you. It would be a weird move to not give it to him. Why how would it be? It's think it would be irresponsible organizationally, if because it's a little bit of a year ago, guys, he was saying he was member. He said, he asked himself, like do I suck at this? Like I think he needs to be lifted up version versus some quarterback that's like going to take it as motivations. Don't love that either. But I don't love it at all. But it just

seems like it's just a we're guessing. Definitely pick up the option. I'm with you, guys, a long term deal outside your mind. Let's uh hit eight o'clock to light dark. Carr meeting with the Panthers as he continues his free agent tour. I think he has another meeting with the Jets as well. He's all met as we know with

the Saints. The Falcons release Marcus Mariota, the quarterback who left the team at the end of the season under mysterious circumstances that will all be revealed on a Netflix program, but they will not anoint Desmond Ritter is their QB one now. I think they're going QB hunting and Mariota is pretty low on my list of quarterback options. Yeah. Last year, Yeah, the way it ended, we don't need to see that. Leonard Fournette's time with the Bucks has

come to come to an end. He requested his release from the team and they will grant him that release, so he is out there. Johnny Johnson also on his own, now released by the Browns. And Kenny Golladay one of the biggest bus and free agents signing history of the New York Giants. He is cut mark. How about this number? He made thirty six million from the even for a total of forty three catches and one score. It's crazy to look at like his Lions career and then what

happened with the Giants. It's like there was a body switch. Multiple teams are interested in Brandon Cooks. According to a report, Leslie Fraser stepping away from A or the DC the Bills, but he plans to return. Commanders have placed a tag on Duran Payne, and speaking of the Commanders, Finally, ESPN reports that federal prosecutors are investigating a fifty five million dollar loan taken out by Commander's owner Dan Snyder in

two twenty. It's the primary focus of a criminal investigation into Snyder after the franchise's minority owners, which control forty percent of the team, accuse Snyder of taking out the loan without there required approval. This is like the messiest ownership of our lifetime, I think, or at least like the last twenty years. And I guess it's not shocking that it's ending in such a ugly, dirty way. The

last few years have been ugly for this franchise. This is all happening amid various reports conflicting from the Washington Post in different sources of Snyder selling the team but maybe doesn't really want to sell the team and doesn't want to sell it to Bezos who might who wants the team, but now he will he maybe he's just trying to drive up the price. Who knows, but I think the NFL is just trying to end this thing and land the plane before it gets any worse. And

this this seems like getting worse. Yeah, And relatedly, it was reported on Monday that Snyder is demanding protection from future legal action should he That tells you everything you need. The Washington franchise, which could happen this offseason or maybe could not. The old Dick Nixon For Commanders fans out there, who is Nixon? I believe you're you're referring to the former president, right, Yeah, resigned and was pardoned of all potential. Yeah,

well that you know, that's how that works. It's ugly Watergate hotel, tough, tough situation. The subject of the great film Frost Nixon or Presidents or a greater film starring Kirsten Dunst and the Girl from Dawson's Creek Chelle Williams. She's her career has actually transcended Dawston's Creek. I should say, yeah. At the time, I believe she's got some hardware Oscar. She's one of the great actresses of our time at the time. Unbelievable, what have you have guessed. What are

you talking about about Michelle Williams. Yeah, no, it could have been a little out there to say she would have achieved excellent. She was great on that show and recognized for it, but I still think she wasn't the big ste trophies a little over celebrated for the Fableman's which to me was about as hot as cold as it gets minus lie whoa, he didn't like the Fable feel like it got shotgun here from nineteen ninety three. Okay, I haven't seen it. So Manchester by the Sea, Oh,

that was That was a tough one. That's scene walking back to the house after walking the dog. No, he went to the liquor store. Actually, that would have been a bad beat for me if it was walking the dog. Yeah, it would have been like huge win for Aaron Rodgers. Big beat. Uh for the Zazzer. Uh, let's see including when is this? Let's see Michelle Ingrid Williams uh, nineteen

eighty baby nice. She was received various accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy, in addition to nominations for five Oscars and doesn't have the hardware yet very well that's like hoisted the Lombardi Dang five best perform and that's lead actress. Yeah, you gotta give her, you gotta give her the hardware, you know. At some point here, all right, let's take a break and uh, let's bring a Mike g on the show to get caught up

on everything else going on in Indie. Welcome back, unbelievable development here. We need an insider. We need someone boots on the ground who gets it, who's trusted in the realm of news gathering. And we have that man. Mike Garafolo joins us. That's my jam right there. I love that intro music. We give you the Silk Stockings jam, just to get you in the mood. In the mood. I don't know where you're talking about. I've never heard of it. Mike, how are you, buddy? What's going on

in Indie? We're not there this year, so we need we need a real perspective on the vibe. Let me guess exactly the same as every other year. Oh yeah, you're surprised to hear that Prime forty seven. The steakhouse here in Indianapolis is quite crowded, you know, and it's here's the frustrating part is that you try to be smart and you say, I'm gonna get out of here,

twelve thirty, right, plenty of time. Uh put in, clocked in, clocked out, And then you realize it's two thirty all of a sudden, and it's like, wait a minute, I was on my way to the door. Why why haven't I gotten there yet? And we were just ratting, you know, a bunch of coaches walking through the hallways to kind of start the show NFL Now today, and you're going, Okay, I saw that guy out. Yeah, he was out. He

was out. So I know he's feeling the way that I'm feeling today because I know what time I came home, and it was before he went home, because he was still there when I left. You should know that Prime forty seven is famously the place where former Panthers coach Matt Rule was nice to mark, which changed and shaded a lot of the analysis from mister Seiler. Well, I'm easily crafted and molded, So yeah, that's how that's how

it works for instances too. Not all of them, uh, just some of them that are a little shorter than me and uh, bleary eyed this morning, I said some thing on the air. We just did NFL. I said something on the air and Ian kind of looked at me.

It was something about Lamar Jackson. I was trying to make the point that if the Ravens use the non exclusive tag, it could be good for them because then he can go out and have conversations with other teams and they could be like, look, you know, we told you we're trying to offer you a fair deal, and if the other teams offer similar saying okay, see we tried to tell you, this is kind of how it works.

And if he gets the fully guaranteed deal, it's like, okay, great, now we can either match it or we can work out a trade or whatever. So I made this whole point that the non exclusive tag is the way that I would go because it allows him to have conversations and see what's out there. And he kind of stared at me, and then we came back and I said it again and he goes, oh, on the air, oh now I get what you're saying. And I'm like, welcome. Rhet Lewis is here. He's enjoying my camera stand, which

is a trash can. The phone is on a trash can that's been for our We have no issue with that. Yeah, And you know Rappaport, he's trying to hang with a McAfee crew to show that he's one of them, and that just going to lead to issues for him as well. That's you know, that's not his style. Well, what about the Lamar thing? Let's talk about something that obviously in terms of the big quarterbacks, it's Rogers and Lamar. So

we'll start with Lamar. Is there anything that you've kind of heard recently or through the grape vine or where is this with you? Do you think this happens? Do you think he ends up on a new team. I think there's a definite shot. And I feel like it's more than just financials right now. I feel like it's

it's feelings, right and he's made it clear. There was that one Instagram post or was it a tweet and said something about if you don't appreciate what you have, I'm paraphrasing, but he was making it clear that it doesn't feel appreciate it and he wants the kind of a deal that you know, listen for better or for worse, and right now it looks like for worse. Unless he turns it around Deshaun Watson. Last year he had teams

at the table. Now we can have a long discussion about whether he should have, and not just from a on field standpoint, but from an off field standpoint as well. But that's the situation that was created, and Lamar Jackson has not had that to this point, which is why I say the non exclusive tag for the Ravens can be like, well, let's just get on with it. Let's just get to the point where he has the chance

to go out and talk to other teams. No, that's not full blown free agency, but it's a chance for him to have conversations with other teams and say, hey, okay, let me see what's out there. Let me see if

Apple have been alluding to on Twitter and elsewhere. If the Ravens won't pay me a fully guaranteed deal, well there must be four or five other teams that are willing to do so let him find out and let the Ravens find out and maybe just you know, instead of going through this next two years of playing out the tag, if he wants to get to the point where he's truly got the kind of leverage that Kirk Cousins had let's just get on with the show. I'd almost kind of that's the way that I would do

it if I was the Ravens. Let's just figure out where we are and get some clarity here. So either we're gonna have him or we're gonna move forward. But we did report Super Bowl Sunday Ian rapport, Tom Pella, Sero and I that we know that the Ravens could get to a point where they are attempted to entertaining trade authors. I mean that would be satisfying from my perspective, because then he would be in a closer situation to

the Deshaun Watson situation. The reason why Watson had so much interest is because he first of all allowed his agent to Tampa essentially when he wasn't allowed to trade, and then when he was allowed to make a trade, it was open. And we know Lamar doesn't have that infrastructure. We can't assume that they're going around to other teams and acting illegally because he's on the Ravens and he

doesn't have a formal agent. I do think, though, Mike, I'm with you, that would be a compelling way for the Ravens to go but I think you would only do that as a Ravens franchise if you're ready to say he's probably gone, because to me, that putting that out there means he's probably gone. He's a free agent

and he'll had a great contract elsewhere. There will be teams bidding, and there'll be more than they're willing to pay because there's thirty one teams out there and they're more desperate, and then you work out the trade terms and he's it might only take a few days. I just don't know how many, Like when you talk about the teams that are desperate, I just don't know how many there are. I mean this qua yeah, but they

have options. They have other options too, right, But they're not as good as they're why But they're not as good as Lamar Jackson. None of them are even closer as good. I don't think it's gonna be. Rodgers isn't even as close as good as Lamar Jackson. You gotta comment down a little bit with the Lamar stuff, at least, like just because Aaron Rodgers making sixty million dollars, I'm

not throwing Aaron Rodgers in there. That's that's fair because we don't know that whether he's available or not well. And I would also say this on the sixty million thing. Um, there are a number of folks with teams with quarterback needs that would be interested in Aaron Rodgers that I've spoke to spoken to here in Indianapolis, who say the sixty million dollars number is not gonna work. Like, he's gonna have to whether it's us or somebody else, he's

gonna have to come down off that. Now. Rodgers did allude to the fact that if I come back in Green Bay, it's not going to be at that number, but it may have to be that way for the other teams as well. I know I'm zigging and zagging here, but this is this is kind of the way the quarterback market is right now. So much is dependent on everything else that I find myself starting to talk about

Lamar Jack. Next thing, I know, I'm talking about Aaron Rodgers, and that's kind of where teams are figuring it out. I just the whole Derek Carr thing here I go

bring in another quarterback. The whole Derek Carr thing is interesting to me, particularly from a jet standpoint, because I don't see the Jets diving in with Derek Carr until they know for sure what Aaron Rodgers is going to do, because you don't want to now come to terms with Derek Carr and then be like, oh, Aaron Rodgers wanted to come here, Oh, how would you ever live that down?

Derek Carr knows that, right, and he's okay. Is he okay with that knowing that he's essentially the silver medalist for the Jets and the sweep Snakes? Yeah, But I think he's got other irons. I know, well, we know he's got other irons in the fire Right, the Saints, and the Panthers. But I also think that there's more dominoes that could potentially fall beyond that as well that could open up some things for him and give him

even more options. So he's got the luxury of getting out there and talking to teams right now before other guys who are free agents are allowed to talk to teams. But he's also got time and he can stretch this thing out to the point where he gets I mean, I'm being laughed at right now for my trash can, and you're helping your YouTube listing everyone check tweets Scott Fitterer thinks it's funny. Dam munths and tweeted something earlier.

He thinks it's funny. Somebody out of the corner of my eye didn't see who it was, thought it was funny. Another person's taking a picture. You know what this is? Fine? Mike tell the most Mike hotly viewed episode because all this promotion. Mike tell them you're on the most popular NFL podcast in the world, and that will shut him up. Oh yeah, in your face. I mean, Mike g let's say it's a month and a half from now, Okay, us not saying that you have to tell us you

know what. You know that you've got secrets. You're always sitting on explosive rumors and developments that must come out at certain time. I get that, But just play Matt team to quarterback match, Rogers Lamar Derek Carr. Where are each of these quarterbacks when all these psychotic dominoes fall, You're gonna make you gonna make Mike head explode. Well

that's what we're here far. Yeah, yeah, yeah, no. Well, I'm still shaking from when Rosenthal asked me here at the Combine a couple of years ago, do you think Philip Rivers is gonna land in Indianapolis, and I said no, and he did, and I just I couldn't get over that one. So, um, let's let's let's match him up. Let's match him up. Yeah, oh yeah, big time big uh. Um, let's match him up. I think Lamar stays in Baltimore. It's just they've done everything that they possibly can to

keep this thing positive all along the way. You got the tag at their disposal. Um, I'm gonna say, and it's it's a coin flip in my mind in a lot of ways, but I'm gonna say he stays in Baltimore, so let's keep him there. Rogers and Green Bay just feels like it's over in a lot of ways. So where do I put him? I don't know. I just feel like this Jets thing is just not gonna happen. It just feels too good for the Zeuser man. I just I just I just feel like he's I feel

that it's not gonna happen for him. So, um, let's put Derek Carr. Let's put Derek Carr with the Saints. And I think that there's a lot of things that Derek Carr likes about the Saints. You get to play to in a dome versus playing in the weather. So I'll put a car with the Saints. Hey, what the hell? I put Rodgers with the Jets. There you go. Well, that kind of goes nicely into the next tick. There's one other QB I wanted to hit, because he's not getting talked about a lot right now in relation to

these other guys. This feels like I might be setting up well for Jimmy g who's gonna hit the market. And you know these teams will have some of them swung and missed for their first choice. And does this set up well for Garoppolo getting another big contract despite you know, all the red flags about what he is as a quarterback and what he isn't. Yeah, another decent contract. I'll tell you what else is setting up nicely for Jimmy Garoppolo is the San Francisco tree. Um, And you've

got Tennessee, You've got Houston, You've got the Jets. Um. Who am I missing? Uh? Whether it's a general manager or a coach, you got the Belichick tree in Las Vegas. You got the Belichick tree in Las Vegas. That is correct, Um, They're gonna need somebody as well. Um, so it's he's he's got option, he does, and you know if he winds up in let's say Houston, because I know that

Damiko Ryan's likes him. The thing about Jimmy VG is, um, he's one of the guys in a lot of ways, and he's a competitive guy, and the coaches who have seen him operate, no, you know, yeah, he's not the most special guy from a talent standpoint, right, he doesn't have all those intangibles, not INTI those tangibles, but he's got the intent and he's he's been a winner and

when he's healthy, he's won football game. So I feel like if he winds up in Houston, it's not a long term thing, but I feel like it's a chance for him to go somewhere and play right away better than some other situations, if that makes sense. I gotta I gotta tell you, Mike, Like, we just took a look at Sam Monson's tweet. The photo we took of you was from PFF and it is just a human

adult male talking to a garbage can. That's really what it looks like from a profile, and it's fantastic and it might be the height of what you've achieved here at the COT. Does it looks like a crazy person who's had some type of psychotic break talking to a plastic trash can? Yes, Mark's exactly described how this looks. I can't tell if this is gonna be good for our podcast in the NFL in general, because the shot looks great. Again, people should check it out on YouTube.

Maybe they look at it and they think, like, why are we sending all these producers and everything to places when a trash can can do their job and we don't even need to send our podcast there? Or is it is it a bad look um that their their podcast isn't here and we have to use the trash can? Is that somehow embarrassing? I'm not sure how I stand all right, Greggy, Like, it's a it's a double edged

it's a double edged short. It is going to a result in more eyeballs, which is going to be a good thing, But it just doesn't feel like something you want to go to the wealth too often. Right, this is what is type thing. The defenses now are ready for the Philly Special. Right, It's just at some point you just use it and you get out you move

on to something else. All right, One last thing I I do want to just say, like, at this time a year ago, the whole conventional wisdom because people whold things close to the vest and the combine, is that there wasn't going to be a lot of big time quarterback movement. And then right after the combine ended, there was a ton of big time quarterback movement. So the one thing I would push back on this might be your Philip rivers this year, uh, Mike, And maybe not?

Maybe not? Is that I think if Lamar, if they didn't put the non exclusive tag, I think like seven teams will be in on it. I would start with the Deshaun Watson teams from a year ago. They were all desperate for quarterbacks. If they were in on Deshaun Watson, I would expect them to be in on Lamar Jackson. Then you can throw the Commanders, Titans, Raiders, who knows sprite. I just think there'd be enough teams to really bit

them up and he would be gone. But I am curious at prime forty seven, you're staying there late, Like what are what are the decision makers all talking about this week? Like what what is uh? What is the hot topic because because there are those league topics that that eventually, if you're having these conversations with gems and coaches, that comes back around. Please don't say the tush push, No push has not been a big It's been a topic of conversation. Uh, it has not been a big

topic of conversation. But the Eagles are very upset that they have something that's been very effective for them that they I thought it was it was just a simple play. Curiously, they talked about it like there's but but Cheriani the way he talked about it was that there's they run it better than anybody else. Of course, so you're taking away something that but it's it seems like you just get two guys behind the guy and you push, and

that's what makes it so hard. But he talked about the technique involved in that play, and they feel like they have so much, so much of an advantage there because of how they run it and the personnel that they deploy. Uh So, anyway, the toush push, what was the question again, Oh, what's the topic of conversation? I think this rookie quarterback class has been fascinating topic of

conversation because I think that there is no consensus. I think the third guy on somebody's board and the quarterback is the first guy on somebody else's board. I believe that a lot of people think that Anthony Richardson is going to h have a terrific performance here because listen, these things set up well for guys who have the top and ability, right, because you get to put that ability on display. This is why Zach Wilson pre draft all of his workouts, right. It lent itself to the

guy puts the skill set on display. It's not football though, it's not playing the position, it's not running things the way you're supposed to run in an offense. But this is a guy who's gonna come out. Richardson's gonna perform extremely well and put that talent on display, and it's going to create some conversation among some teams as far as where he are inside the teams, as far as where he ranks on the board. So there's been a wide variety of teams, and I've had a lot of

teams say that there is no short thing here. Much as we love Bryce Young, there are questions about him and his size and whether that's going to translate to the NFL. So it's gonna be a fascinating draft from a quarterback standpoint. I know that, and that's why Mike, the Bears are trading the number one pick right because there isn't a slam dunk QB that would be an upgrade in their mind over Justin Fields that would compel

them to trade the in house guy. As I mentioned the other day before the Bears even talked here, and frankly, I'm surprised that Poles left as much wiggle room as he did, to be honest with you, because my understanding was, and I was having conversation with Bear sources around the Senior Bowl, Hey, we can't wait to indianapp with because we want to field those offers for the first pick. Like that that was going to be the order of

business here. I think, you know, as far as evaluating those quarterbacks, I think polls one set out there to kind of get teams to think like they're not just selling that pick, and you've got to convince us. But there's no doubt in my mind that Justin Fields is going to be the quarterback for the Bears. Was a lot more weapons around them because they've got a lot of cap room and a lot of capital. They are going to be a very busy team in the coming weeks,

and that's gonna be fun. It's good when the Bears are fun and enjoyable. I think they're going to be. Bears have nearly a one hundred million in cap space, more than any team in the league. Mike, worry that maybe we damaged your reputation and perhaps your long term career prospects with garbage can interview hashtag. But hopefully that's not the case, and if it is, we owe you a beer. That'll do it. Well. Listen, I'll take the beer. I'll take the whiskey if you're offering that as well, sir.

But I gotta say that in this business, if you're not willing to talk to a trash can in front of all of your friends in the Indianapolis Convention Center, you know your head's too big. You haven't lived. Humble, Be humble, be hungry speaking, I'm hungry. I just got a text that my lunch is ready from Carly Lindsay, thank you beautiful right over there, all right, thank you, Mike, gee, thanks, thank you, thank you. Boys. There he goes, and what

a warrior to do that for us. Before we before we started the interview of Mike went through a period where he was thinking, should I just hold it? How long is this going to take? I said about fifteen to eighteen minutes. Ended up taking about eighteen minutes, and in retrospect, he probably should have held the camera. I don't know, he's gonna eat a lot. There's a lot of poop there. You know how those guys are. Our arms get really tired though. Minutes sneaky, you know how

sports writers are. They're like, I mean, Mike, geez, so if you if you've seen the Forearmies, he doesn't want to working out. But he was the one that raised that concern. So I thought the framing aspect ratio looked great on the garbage. Can good move? Yes? And it does, even though we're not there this year. It puts us in the conversation perhaps a little bit. Yeah, you know, puts puts us back on people's lips and in their mind right, they're like, oh, yeah, those are the trash guys. Trash.

That's what we've been aiming for, especially considering where we were a year ago. If we knew that was our destiny you know, arrow up. Um all right, that is the Wednesday edition of the Around the NFL podcast. We will be back um tomorrow. In fact, that's how we grind, especially on Combine week, whether we're there or not. And

we're gonna have land zero line. As I mentioned at the top of the show, who's gonna dig in on the draft situation and Combine and the prospects, and as Mike alluded to, there you know what's going on with these quarterbacks and how these things how quickly they shift right from oh, yeah, you know last year's quarterback class that sucks, and everybody's like, oh, but wait till next year's quarterback class, and now here we are, and all of a sudden it's like no slam books, but it's yeah,

we're gonna have two months of talk about it and maybe Lancel give us some Probably is a Slam Thursday. Here's the thing, though, The consensus is that Picket or anyone in last year's class would have been a distant fifth behind these four. I think like these four a gotta end up going in the top ten or fifteen. So it's juice. At least there's juice. Even if there's no slam dunk. The juice is loose. Thank you everybody

for listening, and yes we'll be back again tomorrow. Thank you to Mike Gee, thank you to Justin Graver and everybody behind the glass. Until Thursday. You know what you gotta do. He the call.