To Tank or Not To Tank?

as well. I think the closest I've seen is is TDS little basketball set up that he has former producer now for like four years removed from producing the show. I mean we've been around a while, sitting in on meetings with Lebron James talking strategy for Lebron's media company. I'm sure he's bringing a lot to that role. Um, welcome to our show. Uh. You know the free agency wave, It is high and it is mighty, but it crashes

very quickly and just a little. You know. Example of that is after two hours of live coverage here at on a Film Network with Andrew Siciliano, the Up to the Minute program, they cut in the middle of the afternoon to an a F game between the Birmingham Iron and the San Diego Fleet. It's actually starting to come in though. It's starting to like the muscle memory for a F terms is coming together. Um So that gives you a bit of an idea that things have slowed down.

Um on on the free agency end of things, Greg, there's still names out there, but in terms of La La it's over now. Yeah. I mean, I'm interested to see where justin Houston and Dominican Sue Ziggiata, guys like that go, but it's few and far between. There might be some surprise trades, but if we knew they were coming, they wouldn't be surprised. And that's why I'm just jumping full into the a F and the story of Luis Perez, which has now kind of Chris Westling that the a

F is a worthwhile operation. What is his story? He's an interesting guy. His father played Major League soccer in Mexico. Not interesting. So he has bowled twelve perfect gamesa bad never played football in high school because it was recruited for a bowling scholarship. I don't know what happened in his life that that somehow fell through and then uh now here he is playing football at the highest level. Well, well, you know, wait West, now you're watching. I have not

watched a single snap. I just when Greg mentioned Louis Perez, I remember that like coming out of college, he seemed to have an interesting story, and Peter Schregor has a nice video about more importantly, Mark there. I have not watched a lot of a faction, but it was on my sitting on my television at my desk, uh in the in the snippet I watched, it was Terrell Davis in the studio. They were talking Trent Richardson, by the way, who was seventeen touchdowns or something now, so our sandwich

prop could be still hanging the bed. Terrell Davis from the studio, throwing it back to the game telecast booth featuring Matt money Smith. I mean, how many jobs can you have? At what point do you go home? M J D and Marvin Lewis all men on the NFL media payroll. We haven't gotten a call yet to get get a taste of that a f guap. I did hear Greg downstairs say I'm going to get involved in this a f action next season, So I think that

you pursue it well next year. I'm saying, bring us all I think, I mean, you better, you better be careful. I didn't hear. I didn't hear we're all gotta do it. I just heard I've got I said, if you gotta. If you throw that out there, Dan, you gotta be ready to because I think they would like to know that sort of coverage that maybe a podcast could bring. Joined Vince McMahon in the XFL next year. I mean, they have Johnny Manzel now too. I'm not sure there's

a clamoring for an A a F podcast. The Around the A F pod. It has a decent ring to it. You gotta, I mean, we've spent a solid five plus minutes on you already. You gotta start somewhere. And the key is as long as those checks are, you know, clearing. I mean, Matt money Smith, he's not turning down any jobs. If you want to buy some property down here in Los Angeles area, we gotta get some new jobs. You were reading into it correctly, Mark, This is Greg He's

ambitious young man and I respect him for that. Um he wants to get his foot in the door. I threw out there. There is not at this point an A a F media insider can Ian Rappaport role. Maybe Greg could throw himself headlong into the transaction business like and what was my response that that's a joke. Who would want to do that job? And you're just talking about it. There are many things I would do, like in a different line of work than try to be

an insider. Getting your foot in the door right now is like getting your foot into the NFL in go along for the ride, Buddy, Um, Big show coming up, Big big show coming up. We're gonna go spin through the news some free agent happenings that have occurred since our last show We recorded on Friday morning, so it's been a bit so we'll catch up on all that, and Dave Gentleman speaks, and Um we listen because there's a morbid curiosity for all things coming out of northern

New Jersey these days. Mark, before we get to the news that I do want to check in with you. It is a new day, of course, for the Cleveland Browns and you, as a Browns fan. You said on Wednesday when we first talked about the Odell Beckham trade that you would need the weekend to truly process it. Take us through your mind as it floated through this magical forest of possibility surrounding your Cleveland Browns. I feel two things. I feel very realistically optimistic about what they

put together, and I also feel uh. Something that Andrew Siciliano mentioned when I did a piece with him on Friday about All That's happened is that the long time Browns fan is naturally in a position where you're waiting for something awful to happen, right, and you almost need a period of time for something not awful to happen and maybe the entire season to play out in a non disastrous way to truly shake it. Any Browns fan that's been around since the eighties, it tells me they're

just perfect. Everything is great now has not actually absorbed what's come before. So cautious optim is um. But I really like what they've done and that they're going for it. Why not? How why? Why? Why be in the front office of an NFL team without trying just to go for it and win. Give me a break, that's what they've been doing for two decades. I know you're a man who likes to, on occasion get away from it all. Maybe have a book, a Carouac book, and a glass

of wine in the corner of the bar. Did you find that type of peaceful place and instead of carouac you just looked into the air and thought about the possibilities. Did you have that moment where you processed it. I would say that the one other low level factor that I'm not sure I want to mention into too much details that the rest of my uh life feels like it's slightly on fire with responsibilities and economic woes right now,

so it's not truly a vacation land. So maybe the weekend wasn't the place now, I think it will come in time. It is funny as a family man the weekend when you're younger, but it is blah blah blah blah blah blah when you get older and you've got kids and family and money and responsibility. It's basically, you know, a landmind of rebility, has little treasures, has little treasures, But it's not a you're you're what you're doing? Not everyone's gonna want to watch on their Instagram story right

Sunday through Saturday through Sunday. All right, there you go, checked in with Mark? How to do that? Now, let's get into the news. It's narrative. Will the Payne can't play is a croc all right. That was the voice of Dave Gentleman, the general manager and executive vice president of the New York Football Giants, whomn and as we know, Geentleman is under fire. Uh after making the incredibly um surprising decision to part ways with Odell Beckham, as we

were just talking about. So he spoke with the media apparently you know, obviously a lot of questions um about why he did it. Um you heard there the little snippet. Um he got back behind the idea of everyone wants to write off Eli, but look his numbers and how the team improved once the offensive line improved in the back half of eighteen. Uh. So we could break that down, but let's start by listening to his explanation why Odell Beckham Jr. Is no longer playing for the Giants. Odell

was a tremendous talent, making him a valuable asset. With football being the ultimate team game and you know you and you guys know I've said that a number of times. But football being the ultimate team game, we turned that fact into three assets. At the very least. Some have questioned why we signed O'Dell and then traded him. As I said publicly twice, we didn't sign him to trade him,

but obviously things changed. And frankly, what changed is another team made an offer we couldn't refuse, and as it turned out, the fact that he was signed for four for five more years made him very attractive. It enabled us to get legitimate value. Your thoughts on that, Chris Wesley Dave Gentleman has a podium podium, which means he

can disseminate whatever propaganda he wants. But there are consequences, and one of those consequences has been this team has eight wins in two years, The quarterback has some of the worst numbers in game films of any starting quarterback, and the roster is one of the worst in the NFL. Now take the skills that can be separated from surrounding talent. As the quarterback's past supposed to nose dive just before reaches the wide receiver. Is his deep buls supposed to

look like it ran into a wall of wind. Is he's supposed to fall into habits where he only trust in breaking routes. Is he supposed to be a statue in the pocket where he's unable to deal with pressure. These are the things you can see with Eli Manning outside of his offensive line, outside of his wide receivers.

This is what Eli Manning's bringing to the table. And his mis evaluation of Eli Manning going back to last year when he said he came in not to rebuild, but to tweak the roster and he said Elion man who was still a Pro Bowl quarterback. This is haunting the franchise still to this day and will continue to haunt the franchise. He has a credibility issue. Dave Gentelman. I mean, that's the problem is he's making these statements that, oh,

something came up, someone offered us a great trade. Well, yeah, someone would offer a trade after you pay a huge signing bonus to all the top players in the league. Hey, let's go trade for Aaron Donald right now and a bunch of his base salaries. But the Rams are gonna do it, Like, let's go trade for a number of like great players after you already paid for a huge

signing bonus. They're not gonna do it. So nothing. So he's lying, and he also lied by saying that it was just a football decision that it didn't have to do with the off field stuff. And that's that's part of the problem, is when you're trying to sell this idea of of the Giants as some franchise that in any way is different or better than any other franchise, It's just not believable anymore. It's not if it's just a football decision. It is a awful decision. It's decision

that you get you fired. And like I said last week, I think it's gonna be very difficult barring some magic eli season here that had he survives this, because this is as bad a pr as a general managers had in some times. But to me, the only way that move Mark made sense was if there was a lot going on behind the scenes that Beckham just for the theatrics on the sideline that will rub people arong way,

it was even worse behind the scenes. We haven't heard anything of that reported, and Geentleman now is saying as much that had nothing to do with anything else, but we wanted to get better. I don't buy into that. I think it is one of the more anti Giants eras that we've ever seen, because it feels to me like organizational confusion. And when you look at ownership. I feel that there are two narratives that have been enduring

over the past couple of years. One is a public frustration with some of the Odell Beckham behavior and antics and sort of a game of chicken, where we don't know if we can put up with this, or we might or we're gonna pay you because either we're gonna pay you where you go away, or we're gonna try to make this work and it's not working, and there's

a continued frustration. And be was the public relations disaster that happened with the benching of Eli Manning and the over correction that came with it, which I feel if I had a guess behind the scenes part of hiring Getleman and Pat Shermer, where you're going to deal with Eli Manning for the next year, and you're gonna say all the right things, and by the way, you're gonna

deal with him for a second year. And they have forty six million tied up in Eli Manning over last year and this and it's they've lost Odell Beckham ownership. I think is one out over David Gedtlman, who is essentially like a trojan horse and the guy who's getting killed publicly, but is having to verbalize what he knows

his boss wants. Well, I think what backs that up is every single person who's reported on this has said that that interview last year with ESPN and which he was asked his eli Manning a good quarterback and Odell Beckham said, I don't know which. To me showed incredible restraint on his part and maturity because he's the only one in the building building capable of evaluating that quarterback and would be to not answer the questions. Now, that

is restraint. I don't know it is a good answer because it's obvious to everyone else watching the games that he's been washed up for three years. Well, it answered to you as a football evaluator, but as a teammate in the middle of the football season. To me, that was not the right in the middle of a lost season, because it's a lost franchise that did not put a better team on the field, and he has to deal with But the Beckham decision is not in a vacuum.

It's it's the part that we're Gettleman has a credibility issue. Is he could have traded land in Collins like if they didn't believe land In Collins was worth a franchise tag. He said, well, we didn't get a trade offer we thought was worth him for him last year. Well yeah, I mean, but whatever you got might have been better than nothing. We'll see how the compensatory you know, formula works out, whether he gets a compensatory pick or not.

But either way, like you make that trade, you you show some force that you don't make a trade for alec Ogletree and give up draft picks for that. So this isn't like a team that looks like they're trying to rebuild. I just don't feel like they're letting their true football person run the team. There are mixed desires from ownership to the coaching staff in the front office

and what we get. And I think Gedelman in Carolina did a lot of unpopular things, but we always liked him because he seemed like a straight shooter, a dude that was pulled out of He wasn't He was sort of anti political. And in New York he's unfurled these unbelievably confusing messages for two seasons now, and they don't mix, they don't match because there's not a clear football person

running the show. He is ownership's mouth. And a part of it is too that the Giants always have this big thing about tradition that they kind of never change who they are. I mean, Getleman is ernie of courses, you know, pupil like this is all like it's all part of one long Giants lineage. And because of that, I think they they don't admit mistakes like Eli. Of course, I mean Eli Manning is his show piece, Like he's the one who drafted him, He's the one who stood

by him. So of course Gentleman's gonna you know, the apple doesn't fall forward from the franchise stability and structure that you speak of is it has helped that organization run extremely well for decades. Um To me, that's what's made the last couple of years so surprising, and a lot of it maybe does at the end of the day, it does all center around Eli and their inability to kind of cut the chord. And I guess when you win two Super Bowls the way he did, beating who

he did, uh, the organization just it's love. It's a love story between these two sides, and they don't and they don't want to break up but that's the problem, is that in football terms, that that second Super Bowl over the Patriots is ancient history. It's ages ago and all the rest of the least. That's fine, but that's why they're behind. And it's it's like when your general manager is being accused of simply cow telling to like following the words of Mike Francessa on w f A N.

It's just total confusion in the Giants organization. And I don't buy that at all. I don't buy that at all, But I do I do buy the fact that Francessa and ownership they are very tight. And I'm not saying that Francessa is doing everything parody. What does Francessa's original football pain. I know Mike Frances pretty well through the years as a listener, and he says he's close to a lot of I don't know if he's actually close. I'm not saying francess is doing it's just it's it's muddled.

It's more muddled messaging from a team where there isn't one clear voice or plan. All right, let's go to another team here, the Miami Dolphins, And it is a good kind of study in two teams that are trying to build toward a future, So we'll hop in the organic fish tank. Uh. Miami does not have a quarterback, or did not have a quarterback heading into the weekend because Teddy Bridgewater met with the team decided to stay in New Orleans. Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins decided, hey, you

know what, we just want a fresh start. We're turning the page. They trade him uh to the Tytoon, so they have to make a move. Ryan Fitzpatrick becomes that move. He signs a two year, eleven million dollar deal with the Dolphins. Rap Sheet reported that Sunday the team confirmed the signing. He's thirty six years old. This is his eighth NFL franchise. It's his third team in the a f C East. The Pats are the only team he

hasn't played for at this point. West your thoughts on this move because Fitzpatrick obviously showed last year in Spurts and Tampa that he could absolutely sling it and pile up yards and some points. Uh, is this is this the right move for dovid seeing that otherwise seems to be completely tearing it down. Well, if the goal is in organic tanking, if the priority is, like Thomas Dimitrov said years ago, until you find your quarterback. The search

for him consumes you. If that's your priority, finding a quarterback in the future to attach your franchise to this is the right move. Like Ryan Fitzpatrick can play well in sports spurts if he has the bucks surrounding talent and play caller that he had last year with the Dolphins. He's not gonna have any of that. This is gonna be a bad team. But I don't think like Eli, he's not any worse than Eli, Taddy or Tanna. I mean, maybe a little bit worse than those guys. But to me,

it's a recipe to getting a good draft pick. He's a good value at that price. I mean, that's the thing. Like there's a lot of talk about whether they're tanking and whether they're you know what, what exactly they're trying to do. Because Ryan Fitzpatrick's gonna go try to win. Brian Floris, their head coach, is gonna try to win. Everyone in the locker rooms gonna try to win. But I think it's just a process that they are understandably gonna take some short term pain by getting rid of

all these contracts that the Mike Tannenbaum regime signed. Getting out from under them, stop paying mediocrity is like Ryan Tannehill what he is and and just get the best value that you can get as many draft picks as you can and move forward a year from now. And I think the Tannehill trade was instructive that they decided to pay some money to Tannehill part of his contract so that they could get a fourth round pick back. So they've got the problem is it's it's a whip

last from a year ago. When they're giving up a draft pick for Robert Quinn. It's a sudden change. But Fitzpatrick is perfect and they might get better quarterback play that I think the changes. Also, you can map it two. When they fired at him Gaze Stephen Ross the owner set on December thirty one. One of the reasons that they parted ways was that Gae wanted to win now and and we sat with him at the owners meeting

last year. We could feel a disturbance in the force when it came to Gaze and discussing the front office and some of the moves. The second thing they did was days later took Mike Tannembaum and moved him into a place where he had no decision making power over the roster. General manager Chris Career now oversees everything, and there was reports that when they talked to coaches and people that were candidates for the job, they basically set up front, this is what you're going to deal with

for the next year or two. And they are in a position they already have ninety six million plus in cap space, and if you move on from Quinn, which they're trying to trade, and when Tannehill's money for next year dumps off, you're gonna be around a hundred and

twenty five million in cap free agent. Your total cap space that we will lead the league, well, it's already already second for next year as it is, and you can't just assume you're gonna go oh in sixteen though the team, to Gregg's point, you could still go five and eleven or six and ten with this roster because they continually do that. But you're in a position to make moves where you're not attached to like they only have two players it's worth more than ten million dollars

next season. They're stripping away their bad decisions Let's look at it this like like a relevant relevancy scale. So at the top of the list you have what the Patriots have done for the past two decades, which can't be replicated. But the goal of every team I think should be the Letterman quote about Peyton Manning. He changed the skyline of the city. That's best case scenario for

your franchise on a relevancy scale. The worst cases you have no quarterback, you're you're relevant for decades, and you're a laughing stock. Somewhere in between there is where most teams fall. The Dolphins are flirting with irrelevancy laughing stock, but they're willing to take that one year penalty for a shot at the skyline, and to me, that makes a lot more sense. Chase Stewart from Football Perspective asked

it this way, which I thought was interesting. Is it better to have Christian Hackenburg for two years or Ryan Tannehill for seven years? I would take the two year irrelevancy quarterback, and then you have if it means that the other end of it. You get your Sam Donald, you get your Baker, get your answer earlier. And the problem with IF and Dolphins fans will speak to this. The problem with what they've been doing for the past let's say two decades, is it kind of does fall

on that watch post Marino Patriots dynasty. Is they've just gotta lingered in the middle this whole time. They've never really made a hard charge, but they've never been bad enough where they could acquire big time uh, top five draft picks. Uh. So at some point you gotta reboot the model and try something different. So that's I respect that, and I also think Fitzpatrick is a perfect signing for the team because you it's a tough sell to any

fan base. We're gonna suck this year, like you know if your Dolphins, and you're most likely gonna suck, Well, we'll throw you this bone. Here's the guy. He's probably not gonna make us any better. He's not gonna give us too many more wins, but it'll be fun. And Franan Fitzpatrick I have personal experience with this. A lot of teams fans do because he's been on eight teams now.

He makes things fun for a little bit, and that's all you really If you could throw your fans of that bone and say we're still looking toward the future.

I think it's a win win. There is one other positive for the Dolphins, and I think the Browns, like when what they went through, help with this because Cleveland's you know, Cadrea beat writers were largely against the analytical approach that Sashy Brown was putting together because it was new, it was misunderstood, and it was came with a lot of losing an ugliness, and there was issues with ownership.

But already, like most of the writers that are starting to figure out what the Dolphins are doing are fully behind it, a lot, a large chunk of the fan base are behind it all weekend long on Twitter, what Miami is doing is being touted as the fresh, new way to do it. We've seen other teams do this where in New York if even if New York is trying to get to the same place, the way that Giants have messaged it and the way it's been received by media is the exact opposite. It's been one clunky

pr move after the next. The Dolphins have not announced this as a plan, but it is crystal clear what they're doing and the Giants aren't doing that. I mean I think they're not. The Giants are clear and on some hand, I can understand what Gettleman is saying when he's saying, this is the NFL we're building, We're trying to win as we build, because I think that that's an okay approach to it just doesn't make sense that the way that they're doing. I mean they just Antoine Bethet,

who who's thirty eight years old there. You know, they're signing Golden tap there. You can try to win while changing on the fly. The Dolphins have tried and failed at it. I think it's just a little more clear what Miami is doing. And it's also taking over a group that Tannin bamb Ran that just you know, spent a lot of money on a lot of agent had this whole idea to spend a ton on the defensive

line and defense and it just wasn't working. I do want to just point out the stat also from football perspective, you know FB g ch I mean, he's getting a lot of us all right. Last five years, only eight quarterbacks have more passing touchdowns in sacks. Just kind of a sneaky great stat. I like that stat. Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes, Ben Roethlisberger, Andrew Luck,

Tony Romo, and Ryan Fitzpatrick. Right, Fitzpatrick is a little you know, he's a little underrated in Well, I'm just that we're not we're not discussing that Patrick is a little offensive line proof because he gets rid of the ball so quickly that leads sometimes to quick decisions that end up with the ball going in the other direction.

But one, one last point I have thought about the Dolphins is um, they seem to be onto on the right path though they have the right idea, but they have a long way to go, and so I don't want to celebrate them too much. And it all starts like the Browns, none of this is happening if they don't finally get Baker Mayfield. It took years from them to finally get to the quarterback and they did. Um, and the Dolphins have to get the quarterback. Like, so

the everyone is right, how are they going to do that? Well, that's the thing. Do you get a draft pick? Who do you give credit to? Sashy Brown or it's not nothing to John Dorsey. It's like one person did part of the plan beautifully. And as a Browns fan, I don't care who gets the credit. But then you know, I don't know if Sashy Brown and his team would have pulled off these correct draft picks and these moves and everything the way that that John Dorsey did it.

So the Dolphins can you can get Chris Greer can put everyone in the right position and all this can happen. But you need to draft the right people and getting get all the same draft picks and shedding money is the easy tons of teams that it's pretty easy. It's pretty easy to do that. Other than like taking kind of the pr hit. You gotta get some fortune along the way. And you got like Chris Ballard did a year ago. And you gotta recognize fortune when it hits you.

I mean, he was in that three spot and he took the Jets, who are very happy with that trade for three second round picks. He hasn't he has one of them. This year he turned into, you know, a defensive rookie of the year and a starter. That that second part is the tougher part. That trade, which was one year ago yesterday, um could have franchise altering effects

for two teams in a positive direction. That doesn't happen a lot the Jets got donaled out of it, and the Colts built up roster and got their best and to the point the Jets, what was the offseason messaging that Jets fans were, you know, scam for Sam, Let's go one in fifteen. This is the worst team in football. And then they didn't. They didn't lose enough they had to make They won a couple of games and the and that's the that's the trick is like the Dolphins.

You know, I I've said it to you, Dan, just like it wouldn't really be that surprising if they came in second in the a f C S. I don't It's so early in the off season. If Brian Flores is a great coach and you get a little you get a little mojo on defense, seven games and the other two are you know. I'm just saying like, it's hard to get the number unless that it wouldn't be hard to imagine two teams with the worst record that that alone could keep you from the number one quarterback.

Two final thoughts on tanking number one. The high cost of irrelevance is that pulling your franchise out of an apathy phase is often beyond your control. Is the Brown Soul for two decades. You come want to do it, it doesn't mean it's gonna happen. Secondly, in every sport, the commissioner is hired to grow the game and protect the owner's interest, and he must be ever vigilant against tanking. It's an issue of public trust, just like gambling in

the Black Sox scandal. In baseball, you simply cannot have teams in any sport throwing games. You can build your team however you want in the off season, but once the games start, you have to try to win. Yes, all right, let's uh, let's move on and talk about some other news. Starting Cincinnati, a team that who I mean there, they seem to be in that kind of middle ground where they don't know what they want to

be and it doesn't lead to any real success. And they're making a move on defense, parting ways with one of their most controversial players in franchise history, Vante's perfect uh Tom peler So tem Tom Pelsero reported that the team released the linebacker on Monday. Uh it ends a seven year run filled with suspensions and uh dirty play. But also he was productive as well, so there's a reason he was able to stick around as long as

he did. Um. Ultimately, though, uh, cincinnat decides to move on and West probably not um not a coincidence that it's when Marvin Lewis is out the door to Marvin Lewis, who has been Vantes Perfects biggest champion and some would say enabler over the past seven years. Now, this is a guy who at his best was one of the most physically tough, punishing off ball linebackers in the NFL and, along with Gino Atkins, the best defensive player on some

really good Bengals teams over the past seven years. That said, it's not surprising to me that his career is at a crossroads due to concussions. With the dirty way in which he played football, it's interesting to think back on this era. I mean, they might have a future Hall of Famer and a G Green, you know, the It's Mandy Dalton moments, certainly, but don't you kind of think

of it as like the perfect era. I mean, this this decade was he was kind of the defining Cincinnati Bengal I uh, the one I was at at the combine where he was there and it was back in the days when we would actually sit around the college

players and do stories on them and stuff. And I was floating around looking for someone interesting to talk to, and suddenly Vonte's Perfect sat down at one of those little round tables, and there weren't that many people around it, but he started to gather reporters because of just who he was. And I'll never forget that when they asked

about his inconsistent play, he would blame coaches. He openly just blamed his coaches for how they put him in into the defense, penalties, he blamed the refs, and you know, why are you seen this way? A sort of a cantankerous individual, he would blame reporters, and there was Bruce Feldon of CBS Sports came out of that combine saying, I'm not sure any player here sparked a worse reaction than Vaunte's Perfect. I wouldn't touch him, and no one did touch him until Marvin Lewis picked him up as

an undrafted asset. That's a good point well as far as what's next for him, even if the concussions allow him to play. He was one of the worst linebackers in the NFL last year. Came in out of shape after suspension and really was a major reason why their defense was terrible after he got back. It was his third straight year being suspended to start the season. I mean, that's that's pretty hard to do. I don't know if

it's ever happened in the history of the league. I don't believe he's in line for a suspension to start twenty nineteen. But he's gonna have to find a team first. And other Bengals news, here's a smart move by the team. You could say two sports. Tyler Iford's back in the building. UH, the oft injured injured UH tight end twenty eight years old now signed another one year deal the team. The former first round pack pick back in two thousand thirteen.

When he's on the field, he's been a great red zone target, but he has been as snake bitten by injury as any player in football. Uh. He missed the final twelve games of last year with a gruesome ankle injury. UH. Back in he had thirteen touchdowns in just fourteen games. So that's that's why I joke about it, But I was serious when we're talking about sleepers in the free agency UM field. Uh. He is a good pick up, and any team would be good to take a flyer

on him on a prove a deal. And if he stays healthy, he's gonna be a top ten tight end, maybe top five, But I don't know if he can stay healthy. You're Tyler Eifford joke has gotten no pushback on this podcast because we all know that it's not even a joke. Andy Dalton has been a different quarterback when Tyler Iford's been healthy. Look at their one loss record in games in which Tyler Eifford has played versus when he's been injured, and it's it's not quite Gronk,

but it's pretty close. Now, I mean, miss He's been fifty two games in five seasons, and and that's not a big deal. In a free agency where Jesse James got is getting nine million dollars for two thousand nineteen, who would you rather have? That's why, that's why you dig into these contracts a little bit. It was like two years eleven million, but nine in the first year you're given Jesse would rather Tyler Croft got a big

money three years from the Bills. I like Eifford better, but who would you rather have over the next three years or two years. Jesse James games for thirty two games or thirty one games or Eifford for eight I think because I would. I want to find a guy on the street who can do with Jesse. I'm just saying, you want availability you can't find, you know, put some respect on Jesse James name. He just changed generations of his family. Uh with his ability to catch that pig skin.

I don't think it's his ability to catch us getting paid. You know, he also caught that pig skin in that game It's the Patriots a few years and dropped to his ability to move up the other large by the way, shout out, shout out to Zach Taylor. So he's this guy, thirty five year old. Um, he's the head coach of the since in Addie Bengals. I don't think he's been mentioned, former starting quarterback of the Cornascars. I just feel like Zach Taylor for a brand new head coach. Hey, wasn't

we see you out there? Zach Taylor making movie do things? Has has a head coach ever entered the league quieter than Zach Table I thought they were still looking for their head coach. Helloi not. His career is over. He announced his retirement after thirteen seasons. He does it in a very settler way. I always thought that Mark, when the time comes to quit, he'll do it in in a profound way. One one in a way that you know, again it's somewhere desolate and and and a place where

he could reflect on the journey of his life. Just don't do it during the season. Mark, you keep saying months from now, there was one you had one timetable at some point that like put you out around October, just like let us know before camp. Maybe you know what I mean. I mean, I'm gonna do it when I need to. Just like this, it's like an issue

that we're having with our fantasy baseball league. A couple of guys that ran a team together announced like three weeks before the draft, Oh, we're not doing it this year, and then you hang the whole league out to dry because you're scrambling to find somebody to fill the spot. So mind leaving this show after seven eight years of us being together. Is no more on par than with your fantasy football people. I mean, he's just sayed more

than three weeks. Notice, I mean, I mean fantasy team went back to two thousand two, though, like, well you just know each other. I mean, very telling, but I'm I'm saying, don't quit. But if you do quit, um do it like Colodi Nada, who uh posted a photo from a top Mount Kilimanjaro holding up a big old sign announcing his retirement one of the cooler ways to step away from the game. And let us not forget Mark that not it was a great player for the Ravens.

Um selected in the first round in two thousand six. Five Pro Bowls, two first team All Pros to second team All pros um and then uh with the Ravens, you know, want to ring two thousands. I will say one thing like I'll let these guys wig in on him, the player, but I was aware of him the minute he got drafted, because there were these reports all along.

In two thousand six, I was at my parents house on some like I was not married or anything, didn't even have a girlfriend, just like one of those things where you fly to your parents house for vacation because they'll pay for everything. And I'm watching the draft in like the spare bedroom, and Cleveland had the twelve pick in the first round, and you wanted to about all

the dark age stuff. Philed Savage was their GM and spent the entire day, we learned later on on the phone with Helloi Heloi Nada saying we are taking you. You're going to be a Cleveland Brown and he's like, back then two thousand six, the Browns hadn't been terrible that long. Let's do it. I'm all on board. Then then Phil Savage makes this bizarre first round trade with the Niners. Were with the Ravens excuse me where he allows Baltimore to hop scotch them from thirteen to twelve.

The Ravens take Hello, Holoni Nada? What happened there? And the Browns take Mary and likely Hello Hellodi Nada played for a hundred and thirty three awesome games and helped to win a Super Bowl. Wimbley and okay, player was out of Cleveland in four years. Give me a break. Wasn't Daniel Jeremiah scouting for the Ravens at the time of that trade? He was more Chris Mortenson said he he remembers he might have been with the Browns by that now. He was saying, don't don't listen to the

pre draft talk that this guy takes place off. This guy's sensational and I think, uh, you know that was It was a big moment for Move the Sticks getting not a drafted name a song with Kilimanjaro in the lyrics. M m oh, it's saw the tip of My Tongue Chris, recently covered by a famous nineties band, m m it's Crosby Stills in nashev to Africa. Yes, there it is well done Chris, as sure as kilimanjar rises like Olympus above the Serengeti. One of the great videos, go watch

that video. I mean one of the great half to performances in my life is seeing Rivers Cuomo deliver Toto at halftime of a Santa Monica Community College football game. Story Steve Smith, he made it sing what Rivers doing there? He went there and he was trying to raise money for him nice Ken Ken just got in my ear and he said, well, I'm gonna before you jump in, Ken, I'm gonna put it to a vote. Got in my ear and said he has a total fact. Alright, there's

three people voting. I will abstain yes or no, give me civil yes or no. Mark, do you want the total fact from Kent? Concise one. I want the total total. I thought it would be really funny if we just said no, no, it should be the answer and then we move on. And you know, I get the audience laughs. I get the feeling. Greg. If I was started with you, that would have smung the vote the other way. But it didn't go that way. So what is the fact? Ken the lead singer of Toto is the son of

movie composer John Williams. Did you guys know that? No? I did not know that. Yeahn Williams is the Star Wars guy. Yeah. And Indiana Jones Jaws pretty mu Jolston his son needed a little more. That is a good nugget. Max Unger is done. Nice transition. He's out. Uh the center said, my body hurts. My entire lower half is killing me, so I can't play professional football anymore. He's turn at thirty three this year. Um. He missed one

year in four games with the Saints. Came over from the Seahawks in a trade, but Unger Jimmy Graham the Jimmy Graham trade. That's right, was a major name in that deal. But his career is over at age thirty three. He was so frank about it, saying goodbye just not just his body, just thought he's like he basically was saying he thought he was past his prime, that he

wasn't nearly as good as he used to be. Some of the PF numbers support that, But he didn't make the Pro Bowl still, and I guess the Pro Bowl doesn't doesn't mean too much. He made that Jimmy Graham trade look a lot better than than it probably should have. I think's inability to throw deep and from December on last season wasn't the only issue with that offense. The

interior of the offensive line really shut down. I'm I'm always impressed by someone who grew up in Hawaii and just like as a great, great career on the mainland. And then he said he's gone back to Hawaii, and which that's what you gotta do, that's the move, that's I mean, he's earned you always go back to Hawaii. If you start in Hawaii, you should have to leave. I understand why you leave, though, because you want to see what else is out there in the as Check

says on the Big Blue Marble. I get that. And then but then when it's time to bring it back down, you know, when you're getting closer to the soil once more, come back home. Well, if you read Joseph Campbell, the greatest part of the hero's journey is after you proving yourself, you get to come back a different person. That the Saints were very surprised by this, by the way, well they sound. They signed his parent successor right to a

ton of money, a guy he's struggled, NICKI. Then this entire off season has been a reminder if you don't have a good offensive line coach or offensive gm that in coaching staff that can build an offensive line, you're gonna pay for it two times over. You're gonna pay when they stink the first time around, and then you're gonna overpay for these guys in free agency. It's gonna bang it twice. What what they sounds like my household finances?

I thought you were saying it sounded like your weekend there. You know, it definitely did not sound like to hear about that. What they say about Hawaii, Mark that you always come home? Do they say that about Connecticut? I have not rised out of Connecticut. No. I was like flushed out of there the minute that I was essentially

not you know, living in my chaper here. No, but that that was at a period in time when I was twenty something, you know, doing three day a week temp chops, you know, dying Tom Salesco can afford to live in Connecticut. He signs another extension with the Chargers to remain their general manager. He's forty six years old. Hold on, by the way, your brother, his dangerousness, Kevin danger had that's some interesting Instagram stories about the St.

Patrick's Day activities in Pearl River. I'm just gonna give you one takeaway. It looks like an ultra beautiful town. It looked absolutely beautiful to do good work with the property. I didn't see he somehow did not capture on film the entrance to the coal mine. I only saw sort of glee. Where did you create it? On the parade route? Well, was this beautiful? Almost like downtown downs JFK Central curving,

the curve in the streets there. It's rich white that that's certainly not not true, But that wouldn't be a horrible thing either. Greg Um at the bottom of the hill that's the entrance, I think that might be what you know, It was just beautiful, and what happened and what happens is and it is it looked like everybody's having a great time. It didn't look like it's one of the more Irish towns in the entire state of New York. And everyone has a great parade to celebrate

their heritage. And then when they get to the bottom of the hill west, they put down the Irish sweaters and and they're guinness and they pick up a hard hat. I think it's always a better idea to the mine at the bottom of the hill, in the top of the that's lower down, you know, I get closer. I don't know why he didn't capture like the entire payoff on his story. I didn't see any evidence of, you know how those things I know, No, you must have

even swept up. Congratulations Tom Talasco. But he's done a nice job at in his tenure. But they're they're treading in the right direction. Well, he's showned the ability to to build great rosters. And even before when they were losing games to injuries and special teams play and kickers who couldn't convert, we knew all along that this this team had a good roster. He hits on first most

first round picks. He found Keenan Allen in the third not found him that he's the one that you decided we're taking this guy, Denzel Perriman in the later rounds Hunter, Henry Derwin, James Joey Bosa, Melvin Gordon. I mean that's you know a number of GM's just with on all this stuff. Dominique Rogers Gramardi signs with the Redskins. UM he was retired, as you recall, uh, just five months ago. He decided to walk away from the game. UM, but

changes his mind. So with Redskins, he reunites with Landon Collins, his former Big Blue teammate, who just signed a six year deal of course with Washington. UH. DRC turns thirty three next month, so we'll see what he has left in the tank. But Washington decided this is a move worth making. Greg. I mean, it's good to see DRC back. I remember when he threatened to retire five years ago. But I think West had heard some some report about

this story which blew my mind. What was that? My guys, the sports junkies out of Washington, d C. I've been listening to these guys. Shoot. I used to pull him down at midnight from Westwood One Radio in the days right after I quit the Post office and started at a law firm. This is going back years. Um, They've been on this scene for that long, and they don't

usually report like news hard news. Where you go with this, They said this morning reliably informed that Bruce Allen is making all decisions for the Washington Redskins without consulting Jake Gruden in the least. So Jake ridden isn't the dark on all of these moves. The head coach um, and they pretty much said they're never going to admit to this because it's not the way any NFL team wanted

to be known at the running a franchise. But as soon as Jay Gruden is fired, which will probably be after the next season or during the next season, they fully expect Jay Gruden to come out and say, Hey, I wasn't consulted on anything. This is all Bruce Allen's doing. And I think it goes to show that like Bruce Allen is so insulated, I don't think I don't think the Redskins realize how they're viewed outside of that of team headquarters. They talked about Gruden with the Landon Collins

signing that would be your big offseason move. He just found out about it the way that we did through the media. It's it's totally why Bruce Allen's has been around. He's an interesting character. I mean, he's the son of one of the most legendary football coaches in NFL history, right built the Buccaneers with with John Gruden. You know, started started with the Raiders. Uh was an executive there. And he reminds me of like the rest of the

world kind of operates this way. He seems really good at just amassing power and controlling power and having control of the business that he's running. This is a country where that's rewarded quite heavily. I mean, that's how it's pretty much that's that's supposed to be a great thing. Like he's he's essentially you know, hitting home runs by making Bruce Allen a top level executive for the longest time, with very little track record that any of it is

working or doing well. But he seems uniquely excellent in Oakland, Tampa and here at amassing power, getting rid of enemies and and just I don't know, surviving. I once sat next to him on an airplane and route to an NFL event, And I want to tell you, I could feel that like energy and that power ouzing off him, but that was the opposite of what I felt. Yeah,

it seems like a nice guy when he talks. And I don't know about you guys, but I've worked most of my adult life to separate myself from people who want to a mass power and think only of themselves, right, but power for power sake, Which is funny because like in the rest of like the world, or at least in this country, it's like that's almost like applauded, like, oh yeah, well he's he's actually he's a great success. Like that's but in sports you don't really get applauded

for that. Also to be good at what you do too, right, But I'm saying, like how many executives? Is that? Right? But how many? That's what That's kind of my point is like executives all over this country making you know, tens of millions. Yeah, many of them aren't good at their job. E there, they're just good at amassing power. But we're not writing, we're not like focusing a fan base around the CEO the media. They just they're collecting

page I'm a huge one. Stead In Johnson. I don't know what um great stuff they're rebuilding correct, very corrupt, dig into it a few more moves, let's hit him quickly. Bryce Callahan, the slot corner for the Broncos, um signed a excuse me, signed a three year deal where twenty one million with the Broncos. Uh missed the end of last year with a foot injury, but slots into a secondary that looks like it could be better on paper.

Chris Harris, Kareem Jackson's in town and Bryce Callahan, well, I thought he was the best slot receiver in the NFL last year until he went down with that foot injury. And part of that, of course, is because they got so much consistent pressure up front, and he was playing with two great safeties behind him, so that makes his job easier. But it's also reuniting him with Vic Fongio, who was running it. The Eagles and Ronald Darby agreed to a one year contract. Rap Sheet reported this one.

ESPN first had it. He suffered a torn a c l this past November, so he's in the recovery phase, but the Eagles and Darby stay in business. We'll see if he can help the team. That's not too far off, far long ago. Now a c L turn November that will set him back in his offseason planning. Both these last two contracts made it on my best con tracks West his favorite piece of content that I've produced. Now, I like these short term deals and I think that's like,

that's basically the future. Like the smartest teams are doing essentially these cheap one year deals, and they're not afraid of the unknown, Like they're not afraid of going into each offseason just having to figure things out with these one year contracts. Is he gonna be ready for Week one? That's like I said, November, we'll see if he if he finally the Raiders, uh, finally part ways with Donald donald Penn. I feel like this has been years in

the making. The veteran tackle who has been with the Raiders for five years, um moves on. He they cut ties and um at an age now where his career could keep going. But I believe he's thirty four. Uh, it could be a situation where he's got to kind of catch on wherever he can, Um Donald Penn. Does he bring value to the team, does he have anywhere would he be on the top of one oh one. How about that. I believe he's thirty six years old.

The Texans are showing interest reportedly, Um, the word out of Oakland is that he became more troubled than he was worth as his skills started to decline. The locker room lawyer, uh like the Coulton Miller, like draft pick, did not help give me a locker room lawyer. He was always trying to get paid regardless of how well he played. Was sort of the way I heard. Because he's great when he's on NFL network may be just like he strikes me as one of those like the

coaches don't like it when the players are smartest. I mean, he seems like he might be one of the smartest people in the room, in any room. And the Grooten era began with Donald Penn as this big Grooden guy who knew him from the ages ago, and they were vows, they were real tight. They both loved it. And then look where it ends. He um. He spent some time at Tony PA's and Marina del Rey and one of

my old hangouts. Donald Penn, known to frequent that big big Man, Big huge Man, met him at the Odors meetings last year, Mark at that soire they threw on Monday evening. Do you remember that party last year? I do remember that it was meeting a giant of a man. That's all I recall. I mean, I can't say anything else. Drafted by John Grun and Bruce Allen at all. It's life all right coming up this week. So, yes, this is Monday's show. I hope you enjoyed it. We'll have

another show on Wednesday. Friday, we won't have a show because we'll be traveling. We'll be traveling off to Phoenix, Arizona, lovely Phoenix, UH to meet with multiple players owners excuse me, neither players nor owners, but coaches and some gms, maybe a lot of them in fact. So we'll get to talk it up, chop it up, hopefully get some info on where their teams are headed. That's gonna be fun. Those were fun shows last year. It was the first

time we did it. They're bringing us back. It seems like a good son got some good content meeting these coaches and we're still finding out. By the way, we have not been told where it is. This is the one event where you have an opportunity to stay in the same hotel as the owners, so you can only imagine it's a nice hotel. Well, I heard today from a shadow leak figure, I have not decided if we will be staying in the luxury hotel. I was told

the same. It did not sound, um we could be in the days In, it'd be It'll be just like a little one star down about an uber right away, right because because the the Orlando set up, we actually didn't stay in the same hotels and they were just connected, so it all sort of worked that way. Borrowing from Kent's approach, here, I have a factoid about days In. Should we vote on it? Do I get to vote no? Chris? I mean I've already piste off West enough with this contract. Sorry,

I don't want to go. I knew that was going to say days In started on Tybee Island, Georgia. Wow, that's pretty good. Better than the It's great. Sorry, I don't know. John Williams Son being the lead singer Toto, that's a pretty good fact. I mean, yeah, disagree if you're like a huge John Williams fan, But it's two thousand nineteen. You know, Greg, You're always you know denigrating anything. You just said. It was a terrible I wasn't going after John Williams's career. The man is a titan in

his industry. He's great, he's great. Yeah, he's a legend, he's timeless, he's still working. I'm I'm all the way back when I watched like a documentary about him. Now, shout out to Rosanna or Quette who inspired to eighties hits because lead singers were going after Yeah, what's the other one? I think it's from Rio Speedwag and I'm not sure which one? All right, definitely Wait, So there

was more. There was more sniping between West and Greg after I like, no, I just it was one of those things where well West made a one of I think, more convincing arguments to not go with a different type of segment today, and Greg was very I thought, amiable about the whole thing, and then it comes up here in the show. I couldn't agree more with West. That's why I can with friends. That's what you do with friends. I thought you were insinuating that something else happened after

I left the room. Now I am insituating it just stuck in. It's some it's somehow stuck in Greg's It was a little hot and heavy for a Monday Morning's not often that I really fight for or against. I appreciate it. I wasn't that into the segment either, which I, you know, indicated multiple times You're you were not like pushing that on a scrag either. But it did come up two or three times during the show about west reaction of an indication that's sticking with you a little bit. Yeah,

that's what that's what friends do. Then you get you have a little fun with him. Greg taught us about friend chat today and that was good. All right, So that's it. We're excited to go back close to the owner's hotel. Hopefully we get security clearance before the big weekend. I was told the staff that we're going with are

being de prioritized versus us. It's not a package that they're going to try to get the four of us in the in the a hotel, even if it means, you know, people that we know and don't want to mention on the show who are sort of coming along as the caravan going to the second hold. If Brickie Hollywood ever shows up again in this country, she may be b hotel hearing. I'm hearing whispers that she may not be part of a hotel. Pretty funny, the hotel

scenario would be pretty funny. That's not gonna go over well, all right, that's it. Ken, You've done great work for us for four episodes and we just want to, personally on the show take a moment to say thank you. Yeah, thanks, thank you. Great job not taking a vacation during the busiest time of the year. Wait to wait to be can alright good, that's uh, that's it. Dan Hands is signing off four. The Quiet Storm, the mail Man, the Old Boss, Ken Brown behind the glass, It's Brown time,

It's Ken's moment. Jill wins there