Wess Love + NFL Catch-Up

days out from Super Bowl Sunday. And also the last time you heard from us, of course, that was under extremely trying circumstances in the in the wake of West's passing, and we all took some time obviously to digest everything that had happened. And I, for one, I'm feeling better having that time away from the mic and everything. Uh. And now here we are again, Greg doing doing our show,

because that's what we do. Even if you know, without West, it's never gonna be quite the same ever again, no won't, but it is what we do. I feel it was what we do did during Super Bowl week. You know, there's like that expression tweeting, you know, tweeting through it. It's like we were podcasting through it. So that was a lot um. That was obviously the toughest week we

we've ever had as a podcast. Um, but we appreciate everyone reaching out about what that that West pod meant to them because it was definitely you know, for the listeners too, because we know you guys are hurting, um that that we're listening and it's like we're all we're all going through it together. It's all different, but there's no what mark you said this, there's no roadmap for this, so we're we're figuring out as we go, and it's good to have. It's good to have Connie Fox member

of the family this today too. It's good to be here. It's been really weird these last two weeks. I m asked, who disturbed my slumber because I've just been sleeping a lot um and taking nature walks. So good, good, good solution.

I like it. Yeah, it's a super Bowl was super weird and um, it doesn't even feel like it really happened, to be honest, like even even thinking about like those the Saturday and the Sunday and Tampa were just like such a surreal blur and I feel like they were probably it was like probably the hardest weekend maybe of like maybe of my life, definitely of my career, like it, and they both coincided. They both like just kind of overlapped so much. So it's been it's been really weird.

But um here listening to the podcast that you guys did, it took me a couple of days. I wasn't sure if I wanted to even do it, or if I could really do it, or what it was going to be like. But so many of the listeners talked about how great it was and how it was just so nice to hear you guys talk about West, and when I listened, it was so comforting and it was honestly

exactly what I needed. I laughed, I cried. I was like when when Cessler was talking about the I An Eagle story, Just like, there were so many things, the real punches when you punched some Walt in the stomach. I mean there there were just so many memories that came rushing back that made me laugh and smile, and

it was it was really great. I mean, in West's memory, it should be said that it was Mark that was punching people, not Lest According to according to Zumwalt, who chimed in later, I punched him in the face, not the stomach, which is uh um problematic. But I but I would I would say also Connie, like um for you to say what you did, um that morning before the aim. I mean, I know that was incredibly challenging. I think that we were all um from a professional

covering football angle, um stretched. I don't know what the word is that day to do something that I don't think that we knew we could we could do going in but um, in the days since, like I've I've I we all have to do it differently, and I'm

closer to the nature walks um. Not that I've taken a lot, but I've just spent it in deep isolation a lot and thinking so much about West but kind of feeling um these like energy pulses of his friendship and these memories and just going through old podcasts and like they brought me some comfort. And I know also

that this isn't just about us, Um. There's such a community attached to this that it's been a completely different experience for all of us, I think than any sort of loss we've suffered of a person a close friend. And so UM, You're right, Greg, I don't know what the roadmap is. I mean, there certainly isn't one, but I do feel that it feels right to get back together and continue to do what it is that we've

done since the minute we were all together with West. Yeah, and you and you nailed it there with the word community.

And you know, West passed away Friday afternoon before the Super Bowl, which was extraordinary in terms of, you know, the timing of it, um obviously, and we wrestled with whether or not to do any type of show on Sunday night before landing on doing you know, just a conversation essentially about West and a big part of that the reasoning, as hard as it was, and it was not necessarily something that we uh felt like we wanted to do, but there was this community that's built up

over um seven years of podcasting people who and we've heard it and it's really an honor um. It's not a humble brag, but we've heard it from thousands of people, both on social media and when we've gone to different live shows, whether it's here in the States or over in London, how people said that they view us as friends that were like people that they relate to, and it's and that's part of the reason why they liked

the show. So we knew when the news was gonna go out there that West was gone that um, it didn't feel right to leave you the listeners hanging um. And uh, you know, for me, this whole this past week and a half is and that's awesome, Um, listening to old shows and watching old shows. Mark, I guess I'm not there yet, Like I It just that I think that's part of processing for me, like that he's not here anymore, is watching him and and I think

I'd like to get to that point. And I'm sure I will will be able to listen and watch the shows of us all together. And Mark, you texted right before we started, like one of the things that's gone from the show forever is his laugh. Like West's laugh was infectious and it was part of like the soundtrack of of this show, um, and the energy of this show. So it's it's hard for me to like get to that point to hear him again, but I will because

that's what we do have. That's what's left behind these hundreds and hundreds of hours of us to get there, and to me, like so much was taken from West, um cruelly and dying as young as he did. And for me, the number one thing that hit me personally is being a father was taken from him UH to LINK and being able to raise link with Lakisha and UM.

For me, I kind of just disappeared off social media, from texting, phone calls and just spent a lot of time with my family and my boys Jack and Harrison and and I did feel closer to them because I know what I get to have and what we all get to have UM UM Mark and Greg is that bond and that was what was denied West, which was just so unfair. And I feel like that to me help being around the boys. And we went up to Big Bear Mountain this weekend with my friend Bob and

his family and that was and that was nice. So UM, That's kind of where I'm at person There is this one thing that we've each sort of pointed out, and I think we all realized it in different ways that UM link does have one special thing and we'll we'll go through the machinations to make sure all of these episodes UM remain there indelibly. But you know, I, I can think of people that have lost to parents and you don't have much more than a couple of photographs

or UM maybe you know, leftover voicemails. But Link will have no question about the personality of his father because it's not just his takes on football. I mean, when I think about our show, it's like West going absolutely off on subject x um or like the video we saw of him, you know, unfurling, like a forty five minute rant on the size of of um paper towels.

I mean, these things are out there, and there's gonna just be like a lot in time for Link to dig into and realize how special is Dad with It's so nice that we that we have Link selfishly because it's like a link to West Um and Greg came over a few days ago, sat basically in this tree that's behind me, uh and and we we talked about, you know, just just Wes and and how just how much he meant to so many people in so many

different ways. And and for me last week it was just reading through all of the listeners comments on things because I didn't really get a chance to to kind of process any of it when I was in Tampa. It was like deep compartmentalizing everything um. And then once I got home, I kind of just like poured through every single comment of and of anything I could find.

I was going through deep rabbit holes on all of your social, on all of my social, like every anything that I could find, because like in that moment, it

just brought me so much comfort. And I do there were a lot of people that um responded to what I had to say on Super Bowl Sunday with well, I don't know why she had to go rogue or why, like you know, it was off script, why they wouldn't give her the opportunity to talk about West, and I I feel like I should say that they did, and they they wanted me to say something about West, and they asked me that morning on Super Bowl Sunday, And as soon as they asked me, I was like, there's

there's no way I can even imagine figuring out how to put any of this into words, how to articulate like what West meant to us just personally at the network in general. And then all day that whole day when I was doing the show, I kept thinking, all right, I'm gonna do it, Let me do it, and then I would start thinking about West and I would immediately start welling up and crying, and I'm like, Okay, not

doing it, not gonna do it, it's not happening. And I was literally deciding up until like seconds before I did it, and it was I feel like it was one of those moments where I just completely blacked out and I wasn't sure if I made complete sentences or what.

And then you know, in in retrospect, I'm like, I can't believe I didn't take more time and say more about him, because like he was just such an amazing special person, and go, I I even you know, as part of my I guess grieving process, I of course started going through old text messages and like the one thing that really there was a bunch of things that really like stood out to me. Um, how many times West would text me to say like how proud he was me, Okay, no I'm crying, I'm gonna want to cry.

I'm not gonna cry. I'm not gonna do it. But he was always just like so supportive. And that was the thing, Like when I was listening to the podcast and when Mark he were talking about how it was like so incredible when you would get approval from West on football stuff, and I was like, oh my god, like I feel so seen because when I first came to the network. I didn't know what I was doing.

I was like swimming and I had no friends, and you guys were my first friends when I came to l A. And I remember just trying to find my and the few times, the first few times when I would do any of these segments or or you know NFL Now when it was NFL now, or this podcast with West and he would agree with me, it was like my confidence just grew so much and I was like, oh my god, yes, you know what, I can do this, and I will go say this exact same thing to

someone else and feel good about it because West thinks it was right, so yes, and it was so huge. So that was like that was the one thing that one of the things that really um jumped out at me. And when he would he would just text me randomly, like after a Thursday night show and be like, I'm so proud of you, look at what you're doing. Like he was just always just so present and and never

just like letting things pass him by. He never took anything for granted, and he always, I think, wanted to keep everything in perspective for the people that he loved too.

And then the other thing that I noticed from going through text with him was how many times, Now, there were a lot of times that I came and hang out and we all hung out a lot, and we still do, but how many times I said, no, I can, I gotta prep for a show, or I gotta prep for draft, or like some meaningless thing that I was doing and I have now kind of I'm trying to take inventory on that and trying to create like a

better work life balance. And you guys are work, but you're also life, and so I'm I'm trying to see if I can like maybe have some type of better balance where yeah, I say, you know what, I'm not going to prep for like seven weeks for one show and like I'll come out and hang out with you guys, because that is like really the most important thing or creating those moments and we're so lucky to have so

many of them With West. I like, I like the idea of your your infamous prep a binder coming to life, growing arms and legs and attacking you for saying that. You know, it's so funny because one of my first memories with West was when we uh we traveled to it was the draft in Chicago and I had an entire carry on twocates filled with binders. What are you doing with all of this? And I was like, I don't know. I just need to have all of the

information at my fingertips. And I remember he was like, leave one behind and I was like, really you think so, and He's like, you're not gonna need it, and so I was like, okay. So we picked the heaviest one and took my name out of the front because our research department like puts your name and NFL media in the front. So I just like I took my name out of the front and then just left it at the gate at the airport and one of like the seats and that me and West just last wow. Uh

so yeah, sorry I cut you off. Greg. I know you were going to say, I don't either. At this point, I love listening to you. It is Yeah, I know we're going to get to football quickly, and like there's no like no great you know transition for that. But West is going to be like part of this show. And that's sort of that has sort of helped me. I really struggled, and you know, when we did that podcast. Even even now, it's like I'm selfish, Like I think

of those times, you know, hanging out with West. That's what I what I think of the West. And to me, that's like private and that's almost like so precious to me. Um that it's that it's hard to to share like with a mic uh in in front of your face. Um. But that's like the opposite of how West would feel. West. West would be like you know, there is no difference.

He's a hundred percent himself all the time. I try to be that way, and like he he would want to share it all with the listeners and he did. There was no like, there was no bs um to that. So I think that's like a good a good thing that that I think about. And and you did hit me there, uh um Dan talking about Link. I do know, I do know how much he he did appreciate, like

the time he did add with Link that too. I saw him more than anyone, um, I mean in my life over this pandemic and got to see a lot with Lincoln man. He really he did appreciate the time he had with him, which meant a lot. Yeah. I remember having conversations with him when Lakisha was pregnant about fatherhood and and um, yeah, I'm I'm glad he did get the time that he did have. Um, and yes, we are a football podcast, so and we've been dark.

And and again the timing of when this all went down, you know, the fact we didn't talk about the Super Bowl. So we're gonna we're gonna do some news today and and just kind of download everything that's happened. And I think Tonny, you and I were texting back and forth this morning, Um, like you're the same, I'm the same

as you, and I think it might be everybody. In addition to kind of going dark over the last week and a half, I wasn't exactly like pound and refreshed on NFL dot com and and and the like, just seeing what was going on in the NFL. So when I was going through things this morning, I was like, oh, Hamed Hameda like a lot of stuff. I gave myself a present and literally closed down Twitter except for my tennis burner account that was my self care Like my

tennis burner account still was tracking the Aussie Open. Did not see anything else until we got back. Greg. It's a very big Jess Pagoula fan. Greg, did you turn off the uh NFL network at your house, though, that would be the real test. The Twitter is a whole different story. We had no football, no nothing. I'm all right, I'm glad to hear. Yes, Jeff Pagoula, the daughter of the Pagoulas that owned the Bills, made it to the quarterfinals of the Aussie Open. Look at me, Greg, all

plugged in. I didn't even know that I was that one guy with the name that I can't really pronounce pounded his racket so hard into the ground that he damaged the ground and broke his racket. He's the same guy that hit the lady with the tennis ball at the US Open and got to squal find what's that dude steal? Greg Djokovic? Djokovic, Yeah, what's up with him? Give us some quarts of thunder analysis here before we

get into the NFL talk. Well we you know, I'm wearing my Naomi Osaka sweatshirt today in honor of what's my Super Bowl tonight, Serena Osaka. It's in primetime on the West Coast. I mean, it doesn't it doesn't get much better than that. Look at you, all right, Well, that's something to look forward to, Greg and yes, let's get before we get to the news, let's let's share some uh mini seg that I'd like to call justifiably tardy Super Bowl takeaways. The Chiefs get their doors blown

off by the Bucks. Um. I think it was thirty eight nine something like that. Um. And just curious what you guys thought. I like, you guys kind of watched the game in the haze. Um. But definitely it was memorable for obvious reasons. Um, Greg, what was your kind of you have a kind of above the tree tops takeaway? To use some corporate jargon, I do, But first I'm gonna go with like the smallest takeaway possible, which is

that like the Bulls of Sons was coming. You know, it started with the four of us doing the podcast that West is during week one of Bucks or what was it? You know, Bucks packers back in and now Bucks panthers straight to the top. Um. But now, my my bigger point was what a bummer it was for Andy Reid that and this is a sad way to think about the Super Bowl but the fact that his son, who is now no longer with the team, was suspended and then ultimately fired because of this tragic accident that

involved drinking two nights before the Super Bowl. Um, and it's going to be part of what I think, you know, I'm not saying like that the sides the game or not, but it's certainly ruined Andy Reid's Super Bowl. I mean, he's gonna be looking back on this and he's he's a guy, as you know calling and our listeners probably too, that's had a lot of family tragedy with his son, that's been very tied into with his sons, that's been tied into his teams because they they've worked for him.

And I just love Andy Reid and I think so

many players of his due too. And for this to happen two nights before the Super Bowl where you have Patrick Mahomes and his prime and you get the doors blown off you as he said, thirty eight to nine, and that Reid had a terrible game, you know, choosing to go for the field goal right before halftime and then taking some of the most bizarre time outs I've ever seen when the Bucks just wanted to get to the half um only up one score, and Andy Reid has taken time out because he's got faith in his

defense on third and short and they go and score a touchdown. That was like game over to me. Uh, he had no answers for what Bowls was doing. That everything possible that could have gone poorly from Reid's perspective, I think did and that and that, and that is unfortunate because I think he's one of the all time greats. But now this is you know, a couple a couple of Super Bowls, but especially this one really stands out as as something that he's gonna have to wear and

and that he'll he'll try to recover from. I was really surprised that we didn't talk about it more. Um And granted, like I was in a day's um pretty much Friday, Saturday, Sunday, but I I didn't. I thought it was kind of odd that we didn't talk more about Andy Reid and the distraction that this was because it was his son and right and and so many times we're like, oh, is this good? Is juju a distraction for dancing on the logo? I mean, just dumb

stuff that we decide is maybe a distraction. Um, that is a huge distraction that is super serious before the biggest game of the year, and it's the head coach's son. So I think that that that played a massive role in the outcome of the game. And I was also just so shocked at how many penalties, uh, just the

penalties in the first half that the Chiefs took. There were just so many, and they just kept it just like wasn't there wasn't the way that they play ever, and it just seemed like, you know, they had I think they had like eight different penalties maybe in the first half that it was just it was so uncharacteristic of them to play it out. They were so bad

get dominated like that, Sony, it didn't make any sense. Um, you know that they a team that had been a proven champion, reigning Super Bowl champion, that had every chance when they faced adversity over the past two off two postseasons, they always stepped up. And then this game they get punched in the mouth, they get punched in the mouth again, they get punched in the mouth again, then they get an upper cut, then a body blow, and then they're on the canvas and they just don't get up and

it's like, wait, what happened here with this team? Mark? What's your take away? Well? I think that you know, in general, covering football a blind spot for the vast majority of people that didn't play, and I don't really

worry about that. Dynamic generally is a lack of understanding of offensive line, and I think that there, you know, with two weeks percolating to discuss this game, we knew that the Chiefs had injuries along the offensive line, but losing Eric Fisher, one of the more maligned first round picks during our time at the NFL. UM I think really UM impacted this in incredible ways. I mean, their

offensive line was dominated. To your point, Greg Todd Bowls, UM I thought was doing incredible things all game long to make life really tough on everyone. UM Tyreek Hill had like what sixteen yards at half or whatever. It was a non factor, and we wondered, how can you possibly slow this offense? And it turned out to your point on the penalties, there was that one drive that I thought the game seemed over this point. My homes had he was four for thirteen for thirty six yards.

In their defense gave up incredible the UM, I thought incredibly costly holding penalties, the first one in or in the in this one drive wiped out a honey Badger tipped ball interception. The second one turned to Ryan suck up forty yard field goal. It converted into a first down, and they marched down the field and throw a touchdown to Rob Gronkowski that also had a holding penalty on

that play. I mean, the defense was coming apart at the scenes, and we trust Andy Reid in the Chiefs and they're high faluting, you know, staff to make adjustments at halftime. And if I told you that their second half for the Chiefs would have been a field goal, an interception, UM, a drive that ended on downs on the Tampa Bay eleven, another drive that ended a downs at the Tampa Bay twenties seven, and then a Patrick Mahomes interception to end their season. Um. How many people

saw that coming. I think the level of beat down it has to be considered somewhat shocking. The Tampa Bay defense. That was, uh super Bowl history wise, a performance You're always gonna remember just the dominance of it and who it came against. And you know my point. I think Jason liked that the GM and the powers that be

um in Tampa. But since the GM is usually the face of these things, one of the great heaters I can ever remember over the past calendar year, UM that the Bucks went on um in terms of team building that culminated with the Super Bowl win. And I looked at I went and found an article before the season started, just to get a better idea of who came and

who went entering this season. And of course Tom Brady was the big import and it played out um incredibly well where he had another big season, way better than his last couple of years in New England, and then all through the playoffs. UM. But you know that was just part of it. They added uh Gronk who was an important part of the team, not the same guy he used to be, but clearly that was a nice pick up resignings that he made jpp Uh tagging Shack

Barrett Barretts. So keeping those guys in the building, bringing back in Dominan sue, that was a big move. UM. The draft picks Tristan Worth's like you said, that addition absolute stud uh this year, Antoine Winfield Jr. The safety. That guy was UM at a high level in their secondary. And then who did they let go, Jamis Winston. It's now we we laugh at it, but I'll set it

on this spot and I'll say it again. With two games to play, they the Bucks in the twenty nineteen season, they had a Saturday afternoon game in week sixteen, and the report out there by the insiders is that because Jamis Winson had been playing better, that they were probably gonna move forward with Jameis Winston and beyond. He bombs out the last two weeks and then that was what I guess their their brain trust, if that indeed was the case, needed they say goodbye to Jamis Winston, karl

Nessie Peyton, Barbara sam Accho, Darien Stewart, DeMar Dotson. Although just say goodbye to those guys and everything hit and worked, and it does tell you, and I think from the other teams looking at this, sometimes you are just a couple of players away. Because the Bucks went from eternal also ran over the last several years to super Bowl champion. And yes, you could say, oh, they got Tom Brady, that's why they're champion. Uh, in some ways that's true.

But in general, this this front office deserves a ton of credit for just hitting on just about everything and

now having a Lombardi Trophy. I would say that front office struggled for a long time beforehand, but you're right, but it's it's an argument for patients UM at the GM spot potentially, but tom Brady also, I mean, the one thing is, and I mentioned this on Sky if I can even remember this is what I said, But just the idea that you put Tom Brady in isolation for fourteen days, no distractions, to get his mind right and pull the lever on what would be an incredible

first half and everyone you know how many people tweeting about the fact that Tom Brady had not scored more than three touchdown three points in any opening quarter right away, he said, I'm gonna take that narrative and shred it into a million pieces. Um. He is different than other quarterbacks. He's like a burning sun. And I think the entire team when he came in there, UM said, we're going to revolve around him, like there is no question who our leader is. It's Bruce Arians. But it's not Bruce

Arians compared to Tom Brady. I mean, he changed everything and it I mean, I'll just I feel lucky that we are able to have watched his entire career up to this point. But I will say that I have literally no memory of that Super Bowl other than the first Gronk touchdown. So I need to go rewatch aspects of it beyond my notes, you know. But like the Winston thing, it feels like a no brainer in retrospect. The Brady thing in retrospect seems like a no brainer.

But it really wasn't only one other team wanted him anything million a year. He didn't get any more than Philip Manning sweepstakes of two thousand thirteen, where he's going on helicopters and is in a half the league and everybody's falling over like there was a general belief, and I think I shared it and a lot of other

people did that. Brady probably, even though he would be an upgrade over Jameis Winston, would probably be kind of like a high level or the top level name brand, maybe like a A at this point age forty three, better than game manager, maybe like on the right side of the Dalton scale, but not necessarily the elite guy. And he was he wasn't a gradual decline and then it just stopped. And it's a reminder also, you surround

these older quarterbacks are a great supporting cast. They can come out of that gradual decline if they could still move and throw the ball, which Brady showed he could. He guys like Leonard Fournette too, By the way, one Antonio Brown is another exactly I mean, but for specifically for for Net, I feel like he was in Jags purgatory for so long and then just kind of got

this really bad rap. You know, he got ejected from that aim for throwing throwing real punches, um, and then you know, he he just I think he got a bad rap for just also being you know, just a power runner and not a guy who can catch passes, maybe a guy who's not like a team guy, maybe a guy that has like a little bit of an

attitude problem. And all of that is like when we heard about him coming out and saying he was crying on the phone with his parents just about the journey that he's been on and how happy he is that he landed where he where he is now in Tampa, and the fact that he was able to go on and win a Super Bowl, Like it's just it's such a great story of how narratives can turn so quickly. That didn't make me think of West that day, because West, I thought hilariously and correctly at a previous time when

for Net wasn't thriving. I think he called him like the SS for Net for his inability like a huge ship to kind of change direction. But that was that was accurate when he uttered different though, you know, playoff Lenny is different than the Lenny. You know, it was such a bomb and Jack Sombardi Lenny. Now they ran great. I mean, like a lot of time Brady super Bowls. It's no it's no slight to him. He got a great defensive performance. It ran great. He didn't have to

do much. I heard it like a little chatter almost like Brady didn't play like Brady was a little up and down in the playoffs, which I think is fair, but I think it's sort of has lost that he was a top ten quarterback in the season like he was.

He was much better in the regular season than I think people that didn't watch him each you know, every week, gave him credit for he was a top ten quarterback then, and they were a great team and Shack Barrett, you know, finally, just if he needed to stick at the mark one more time, he did it. Ten pressure. I mean, I've given us that one at this point, But I mean also you couldn't script the quarterbacks in the icons that Brady mowed down to get to that Super Bowl. I

mean it's like you could you never could have. And I think that they were when it did late in the year. They never lost after that, and they talked about readjusting and a lot of that is like Bruce Arians. Leonard Fournette wanted to lead the team and Bruce Arians basically said to him, you decide who you are and what you want to be and he and I think that's the leadership of Bruce Arians too. We uh, we bombed our sandwich props. I'm just checking it out now.

Mark Sessler. The Weekend creates controversy that's discussed on CNN. It was fine, The show was fine, but it was it was tapping anybody know. I know there was the theme was they're all men everywhere on the stage and the dancers and everything. There were no women. I wonder what that was about. Uh, Greg Rosenthal JPP has at least two sacks. Uh. Dan gront catches a fourth quarter or ot touchdown that gives Bucks the lead or ties the score. He did two touchdowns both your hand on

the pulse. There a little we were in the right church around, and you violated your own rule of being too specific. I know, I know, I just wanted to hang. I wanted to hang no like I hung onions on this one because I I just called my homes m v P last year, and I felt that was too safe.

So I was just like trying to balance things out. Uh. Kyle Brandt, who's on that show, said Scotty Miller will score a four yard touchdown while throwing up deuces to mock tyreek Hill and that was also right church around few because Antoine Winfield Junior mocked with some deuces at the end of that game and got a penalty for it. And Ricky had Chad Henny throwing a pass and that didn't happen. So a big old zero burger for or nothing burger or whatever the people say for the pod.

All right, those are justifiably tardy super Bowl takeaways. Good for the bucks though, good for Brady. I enjoyed it. Greg secret leaves dying. He hated it. What are you talking about? I was murdering them on all year. You tell it's just a bit Greg, You're meant to kind of you have to share him with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they look they they're one of the few teams not much salary cap issues, no one that they need to cut in particular. I mean, it's tough to repeat,

but they will be right there next year. There's no reason why they You've got to bring Shady McCoy back. I don't see any reason why you wouldn't two rings, two rings, the ultimate rings guy, two rings in two years without taking a single snap in the super Bowl. That's the that's the first always the first offseason trope storyline is, hey, I took a look at this roster. They're gonna run it back. I think always a trope. I'm just saying they feel like almost like the first

Bucks championship. That's like, okay, this was just a moment in time and whatever, and I think it is, but it might be like a two year moment in time. Would not surprise me to see them back in the divisional round or something right back in the mix. That's all. I mean, what what what a contract? Like you said, two years, fifty million, You're gonna get his age forty three and forty four season, and then you get to reevaluate where Tom's at uh, and you already got a

ring out of it. It's a house, it's a house. Money here for the bucks. Of course Tom Brady will never look at that, and he never has a right before we go, we have a lot to do. We have a lot of news to catch up. There's so much news that's happened, so let's spend through it. Well, Collen, let's let's isolate that for the future, Erica, because Connie just sounded like she was, you know, laying on the couch on an off day. You know, I'll leave it

at that. It's kind of what happened. There's so much news, man, all right, that was Colleens. That was Colleen's like kind of like soft request to tap out of the rest of the show. I think it was. It was like it was her not running back on defense and just kind of looking over at the coach. Alright, let's listen to this. I want to speak directly to you in the city of Houston, UM, so you can hear the

words straight from my mouth. UM. I have sat down with the McNair family and I have asked them for my release, and we have mutually agreed to part ways at this time. There are the words of J. J. Watts, the iconic playmaker that has been the heartbeat of the Texans defense for a decade. First round pick in two thousand and eleven, now a free agent after what and Houston agreed to mutually or they mutually agreed to part ways? And um, you know this is an ongoing storyline. So

this happened late last week. Um. Since then, according to ESPN S Edward are approximately a dozen teams have expressed interest in the former defensive Player of the Year. That group includes the Steelers, Bills, Titans. Cleveland dot Com came out and reported that Wat is seriously considering signing with the Browns. Mark Sessler and what tweeted just today that free agency is what was his word? Crazy? Wild? How about that J J. Watt on the market? I mean,

I would I the Browns side of it. Let's just wait and see, because I think he'd be seriously considering a number of teams. The Titans would be one way. Um, and there you know, they've shown interest to stick it to the Texans for a couple of years, um, which I would imagine might have something to do with where he'd land there a playoff, super Bowl type team too.

I mean my thing with it's more of a Texans story for me, and I don't want to take us off course, but I can't imagine being if you're David Culley, the new head coach, Um, if you know this is what you're adopting, a team minus J. J. Watt, your love E Smith, who who is coming back to the NFL to take over a Texans defense absent J J. Watt. I love the idea of him going somewhere else. I get that he's um. The injury history is a concern, the age is a concern. You're not getting J. J. Watten,

but he can be still incredibly disruptive. And I love reading some stuff about the idea that it's not just on the edge. You can move them all over the line. And so a team like Cleveland, a team like Tennessee, that would be a huge need um address for both of them. Uh. I just think it's an incredible scenery shift, and I'm kind of I feel energy energy around watching J. J. Watt somewhere else. I think you're gonna get an angry UM player was something to prove he was good last year.

I think people kind of sleep on where he's at because he was, you know, for three years, the best defensive player I had I had ever seen up until that point. And he's not that guy anymore. But I think he's probably a top ten to fifteen edge type player. It's just it's more about disruption in the run game and everything else. And he you know that it was strange because it's just it's a bad It makes the

Texans look inept that he wanted out of there. They probably we're gonna cut him anyways, just because it felt like the time to do so, and he was doing so much money and he probably you know, beat them to the punch and asked to be let go, and so they said, okay, um. But like I think he can help a team. He's still he's still pretty good. It's so funny because J. J. Watt, we all know that he loved his attention, so this has to be

like catnip for him. If he is getting all of these offers and you have his you know, different guys from around the NFL recruiting him, it's like perfect for him. I'm sure he's just like basking in all of the all of the attention right now, and it's got to be so crazy for him to actually, for the first time and so long, have somewhat control over his career and where he goes and what happens. But I like the idea of him going to the Titans, especially obviously

in the division. But wasn't rabel on that on that Texans staff And uh, John Robinson he he worked him out. He was on the network talking about how he worked out J. J. Watt when he was the scouting director for the Patriots um years ago and loved him. So you have so many different dots that you can connect, whether it's going to play for the Packers because he'll be back in Wisconsin, or his brothers are in Pittsburgh, or maybe he wants to play against his his brothers

in that division with the Browns. So you know, that's that's one thing I was thinking about. But also it's like, of course J. J. Watt is going to like stir things up and be like, oh, it's wild, Like I don't know if it's maybe maybe it's a ploy for him to get even more attention. Why not like live it up now. I loved him making the announcement from that log cabin that he was so proud to show off on Hard Knocks a few years back. Yeah, the Titans.

That makes sense to me, especially after John Robinson. We're going to get to John Robinson a second. The GM with so badly with Vic Beasley and Jadamian Clowney last year. Uh, you bring in a ready made playmaker like what maybe that addresses their past rush issues, which is one of many issues they have on defensive Tennessee. But the Browns are the one I like the most. Mark. I think like he He's a guy that everybody kind of wants

to be connected to the Browns right now. They're hot, which is hard to believe, but that's just the way things are now, and want to be connected to the Browns getting over the hump, and especially if Olivier Vernon doesn't come back after blowing his was Achilles, he would just be such a great book nd um wherever they line them up. Really, But with that, he doesn't have to be the man there. That's Myles Garrett's job, and he could be maybe that missing piece on their defense.

Especially Uh. We saw in the playoffs that they could use some help in the middle there of their line, and I think they only have if you look at their lineup right now heading into the off season in the draft, like five starters on defense, five or six. I mean, I think that there's need all over the place. And imagine like what it does to an offensive coordinator to have to deal with Miles Garrett a healthy Miles

Garrett um and J. J. Watt on both sides. I mean, it's sort of a dream if you're if if you could make that happen. But he fits anywhere, Like, tell me it's outside of the you know, Green Bays a great fig. Green Bay has a lot of money tied up in the two free agent edge rushers they brought in two seasons ago. But I mean, tell me anyone that's gonna say no, I don't think we have room

for any mental cases. Yeah, any contenders, yes, other than any contender that has some money to spare, because everybody wants pass rush that they could generate without blitzing. And to what he could bring. One other thing on my radar here, J J. Watt tweeted out a like happy anniversary to his wife with I can't remember if it's a photo or a video, but it's of her eating wings in her wedding dress, which really just stopped me in my tracks. Because you like that. I think that

she I would follow her anywhere. I mean, anyone who is that brazen to eat wings in a wedding dress? Like I can't even eat anything for TNF without getting it all over me. I've had to wear shirts backwards this year on the air because you guys would be fast friends. I think that sounds to some shared interests. Yeah, she's a professional athlete. You were a figure skater. You know the golf courses of Pennsylvania, Well is very rich rich.

The wedding. The wedding dress is an interesting thing because it's the most like it's as you know, going through a wedding and being around people in that Like, it's such a huge element of the whole thing. Gotta find the dress, Gotta love the dress, Gotta watch this reality show about the dress, Gotta read about the dress, Gotta buy the dress. And then you wear the dress once and then what do you do? Like, where's your wedding dress right now, Colleen? It's in a box at my

parents house. And I actually split my wedding dress at the wedding. Um, I think I ate too much too quick, and I didn't realize that split it until like I took the dress off and there was a giant like hole down the side. So you know, I mean, who knows, maybe the dress should be in a trash can. I just want to go on the record that if he's posting a video or photos of her eating wings, he's

going to Buffalo. Oh that's not a spot. See, I thought Ritchie was gonna have a wedding dress take and then she comes in with a thunder take that really rattles the entire podcast. So that's just that's why she's great bread crumbs. Yes, maybe Rickie's right. All right, let's uh, let's move on. Talks some quarterback heat Russell Wilson. This this kind of came out of nowhere. I feel like, um he uh spoke to reporters via zoom last week

and uh said, you know what, I'm frustrated. I'm getting hit a lot, and I want to be involved with team personnel decisions to make this Seattle Seahawks team better and get us over the hump. Here's a quote, like any player, you never want to get hit. That's the reality of playing this position. Ask any quarterback who wants to play this game. But at the same time, it's part of the job and everything else. I think that the reality is that I've definitely been hit. I've been

sacked almost four hundred times. So we've got to get better. I've got to find ways to get better too. And then, um, Greg, what what happens? Immediately after that his team start picking up the phone and good job by all those gms. You want to kick the tires on the Hall of Famer like Russell Wilson thirty two years old and say, hey, you're looking to maybe get this guy out of town as he uh is this relationship in trouble and it sounds like that's not happening. But it's interesting that we're

even talking about this right now. Oh, it's because it's the intent of Russell Wilson to have us talk about it. You know, he's like a a more in prime version of J. J. Watt. This is what he wants. I mean, he's the one who is telling the country I am interested in playing for another team. Like that's how I take it. I don't think it's I don't think that's even connecting dots. Like Gara, Folo had the same response. He he thought you know, he said it on her area.

It's like sounded like a guy who has one foot out the door and wants to see what happens. And to me, it doesn't come out of nowhere because he pulled the same stuff either last offseason or the off season before. I can't remember when he went on Jimmy Fallon and he started talking about this, you know kind

of stuff. He wants people to be interested, and longtime Russell Wilson um observers have noted weirdly, if you want to know what Russell Wilson and you know more and his agent think, listen to Colin Coward, who's kind of been I think of Russell Wilson whisper for whatever reason. I don't know. That seems like a weird one to me.

But he's kind of been ahead of the game, you know, he's kind of known what Russell Wilson's camp wants, and he's been leading this charge, banging the drums at the offensive line, s things he wants to be part of the thing, wants to be part of the personnel decisions, and he's driving this. I don't think the Seahawks want to trade him like Ilive I believe that part. But it's it's really interesting to me that he's doing this.

He has a no trade clause. Um trading him would cost this isn't really negotiable, like a forty million dollar dead cap hit. Um. He's also said in one of those same interviews he wants to be in Seattle forever. I think he was genuinely annoyed that they moved on from Brian Schottenheimer. Now people feel different things about Brian Schottenheimer, but those two, for various reasons, we're close. It puts

a lot of pressure on them to appease him. But I don't know about this, like quarterbacks being involved in personnel decisions. I think that there is something to be said when you're a Deshaun Watson or your Russell Wilson or Patrick Mahomes and you're in that higher upper echelon of salary and so much is being you know, you put your way and then you've got a Super Bowl window. I get the idea of weighing in, but I mean, I don't really know what personnel decision means for me.

This thing is like I was driving around a little bit last week trying to kind of not get involved with football. And I heard Colin Coward going off on Russell Wilson and this whole thing, and I said, I

could just do without this anti drama. He's going nowhere, He's not going anywhere, and what what's an issue for the Seahawks and a an additional challenge here is yes, their offensive line could absolutely use an upgrade, but they just last summer traded their next two first round picks for safety and Jamal Adams, So that's gonna make it a little bit tougher to get the guys that will make an impact. You just have to trust your decision

makers to make the right moves. They've tried and he had a part in hiring Shane Waldron supposedly, so we we never mentioned that the former Rams coordinator who is now going to be calling place for Seattle, and supposedly Russell Wilson had some say in that too, So that would indicate the anything has never called plays um in the NFL, So that that's a bit of a mystery higher and we'll see how it works out. An other UH star quarterback news. While this man was once a star,

Carson Wentz after suffering through a miserable season. With the Eagles getting benched, he is on the trade block, and Albert Brier, our former NFL media colleague, now with s I believes that the Bears are the quote front runner for whence the other team that has been bandied about is a logical landing spot because of head coach ties is the Colts, who have reportedly offered up two second round picks. So that's where we're at on that one.

Connie and and I know we've talked about vents and you're ready to move on, and the Eagles nation seems to be ready to move on. If they did indeed move them and not get a first round pick back, how would you feel about that? I mean, at this point, it just feels like the market for him is not great because you know the money involved and the tape that he put out there. I mean, who's going to

jump at that situation? So I wouldn't. I don't really expect them to get a lot, but they should get a lot, So it's almost like a lose lose situation. But I still feel like I don't know what's if the Bears, if that is actually going to be the landing spot for him. I feel like the Colts are still the most logical, you know spot for him, and Garifolo was on a little bit ago just saying that the Cults are are still sort of it the top of the list and nothing is really imminent, but that's

something will be done relatively soon. So I don't know, like nothing is imminent, but relatively soon. Um so maybe maybe like in the next two weeks we hear something, but we know that the Colts are not budging from that offer, and they don't really that's not something that they do, like, that's not Chris Ballard's style. They like their draft picks, they use them wisely um most times, and they don't want to give them away. So I

don't think that they will. I don't think they'll they'll give anything up more for Wentz and my favorite lot of other teams doing it either. The line that I love the most out of this scenario that I read in preparation for the show was that Breer also mentions that the Bears coaching staff believes they can fix the mechanical issues whence developed in the years since his back

in a sales surgeries. I am thinking in my mind and searching for a team I trust less to fix any mechanical issues anywhere, whether it be in Wentz or a car broken down, right, I mean he got first of all, he gone. I mean, he's so gone. Are you if they really offered two seconds take now before something happens, are you kidding me? First two seconds sounds like a miracle. I don't believe that, because I think

they would take it in a second. Roman would absolutely cash in on those pics and do the right thing with them. Like I get it, I get it. He's put up some some numbers in the past, but he didn't just struggle last year. He was like the worst

quarterback in the league. He was he was it. To get two picks seems like incredibly lucky, and they're gonna do it, and it's happening, and it just shows how dumb everyone was for killing the Eagles for um only hiring a coach that needs to fix Carson Wentz because no one knew what they were talking about. Then they clearly intended to trade him the whole time. They are

going to trade him. If they get anything for him, they should be happy, because yes, it's all this dead money on their cap, but it actually doesn't you know, hurt their cap this year. It was a massive mistake in their admitiate, but get out of that mistake and get out of the shot. Gonzo, you know he's in the background. I'm just happy Connie was. I'm just happy that Gonzo was wearing clothes when he just entered the

back of that shot. Um, don't to be fine. If he were wearing less, we could have seen what we haven't seen in his nude form. Yeah that, I mean, that would have been interesting high point. And for people who are like, wait a second, wait a second, the Lions got two first round picks for Matthew Stafford, so the Eagles should get at least the first round. Now, it's totally different because the Rams had to pay to get Jared Goff off their roster, and that's why it

had led to premium draft picks. So don't don't. It's an Apple's the orange just thing, even if if you see Stafford and Wentz is somewhat similar, uh in terms of play level. Um, all right, okay, keep moving, we gotta keep moving here. Alright, alright, alright, Colleen, out of here. Ben Roethlisberger, you know, I'm under the impression that Ben Roethlisberger is gonna be there, one and done, even though his boy pound see uh and the other pency of

the Free Hernandez movement um believe that. Uh you know, the story was that if markis retired, Ben would retire. Now the center's gone, so it's Ben gone. It doesn't seem like it seems like Roethlisberger wants to play, but that the Steelers want him. Uh. Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said on Wednesday that Pittsburgh has to quote look at this current situation, referring to the salary cap when asked

about Roethlisberger being uh starting quarterback. Uh so you know this, Marcus continues, The Steelers can put the fire out at any time they want on this and say, oh no, no, Ben's will find a way to make it work. He's a legendary player in our franchise, and you know, or some type of answer that just just kind of tamps

this down. But instead, if they're starting to build things up in a way that's reminiscent almost of what the Rams did with Jared Goff different circumstances, but makes you wonder if really the Steelers are seriously looking whether it's a after somebody out there on the market to replace Ben Roethlisberger the way coming off a very disappointing end to the season. I mean, I think it's the money,

it's the the age, it's last year's performance. Is the fact that you know, they swung and missed on Mason Rudolph. But Mason Rudolph was a potential air had he really worked out. They've been looking for someone for a while, and I believe the quote, you know my ownership was something along the lines of Ben Roethlisberger right now is still our quarterback, which is probably like how like NFL Network would speak about me like he is on our payroll. It's not like we're gonna tell you a lot more

we feel about this person. And if I'm Ben Roethlisberger, I'm kind of thinking, um, yikes, that's not the reveal. I think it is usually right. I mean, I think everyone's just like they're probably like, we have to see what other options become available. You know, what else materializes, and you can't like flame openly flame Big Ben more than they did, um, but came pretty close. That's not how you treat someone that's been in your organization for

a decade and a half. According to his people, I would imagine, yeah, I think he wants to come back Roethlisberger. So it just seems crazy to me that that they that they wouldn't have him back if he wants to come back. And I know that they have to figure out the cap, and this is maybe just a way of being like, hey, you're gonna have to like figure out a way to take a team friendly restructuring of

some sort. But which that that's probably what this is, but it just it just seems insane because they were so close to to getting so far this year, and that's what everyone's expectations were really high for them. So it seems like at least with that defense, they still have like they still have a good window, I think, Um, So it just seems like kind of crazy to shut it right now with Big Ben. They did also were very close to losing sixth straight, and I think he's gone.

I mean I kind of thought it already because the owner said he's gonna have to take a pay cut, and you only you only ask a player to take a pay cut if you're ready to cut him, if you don't care if he's on your team, ultimately next year. So they said that publicly. They said that publicly a month ago, and he was like, I'll take any pick cut I want, I'll play for free. And still they're

coming out and saying, well, we're not really sure. I think he's gone, and I think the Steelers fans got to at least be and I think they'll be happy he's gone. Based on the Steelers fans, I am not happy, but they're dec think just ready to move on and maybe hope he retires because that'll help the cap a little more. Um, I think you gotta at least emotionally prepare your yourself, Steelers fans for the possibility of Week one starting quarterback Mason Rudolph. I mean, if you ever,

if you ever Haskins, I don't know, man. He played. He played pretty well against the Browns. And when you hear what the Steelers brass says about Mason Rudolph and that they kind of are curious about him going into the final year of his rookie contract, I think they have always had a higher belief in him, obviously than anyone else. And he played well in that one game. Um, it was probably the best game by a Steelers quarterback all year. Maybe he actually did play pretty on the

game to give him some credit. Um, but I don't think it's a good move. I'm just saying, be ready stealing that was the That's that's an absurd comment to say that was the best Steelers quarterback game all year. Yes, there weren't many. There weren't many good Big Ben games. Um. I I see it as posturing. Ultimately, I disagree where you're coming from makes sense, but I think it does

remind me um as a Yankee fan. Is the at the end of Derek Jeter's career, the Yankees did something similarly where they basically hardlined him and they said, you're not the same guy anymore. We'd like to have you back, but we're taking control of this and we're not going to give you some hometown discount to stay around. And eventually Jeter bit down and took the contract and was bitter about it. Bens has a different Ben has a

different public stance here. He's basically putting himself out there and saying I'll play for whatever you pay me. Please don't don't end my career this way. Um. I think he'll end up coming back at a at a discount for the Steelers. Wouldn't it be great if the Browns ended the big the Ben Roethlisberger era. I think they already did it. Mark we got I think you're right, because you look at those he was shedding tears on the sideline and it wasn't just about that game. I

will give you a sandwich. Bet anyone can take me up right now. Week one, Big Ben starting quarterback Houston, Texans. I see it, and I see it already because I'll take that, all right, because I could see him cozy Jack easterby Big Ben and Jack easterby two peas in a pod for about six weeks until he's replaced by a rookie. UM. All right, we'll see how it all plays out. I already got a sandwich in my back pocket, feeling good about it. Let's move on. More quarterback drama.

ESPN excuse NFL Networks Ian Rapaport reports that there is quote legitimate and real trade interests involving Marcus Mariotta, the Raiders backup who had a tremendous game uh late in the season, replacing Derek gard I think it was the Dolphins game actually that was blown hideously. I believe it was that leak Chargers that it was a prime time

meltdown for the for the Raiders. But he played incredibly well in that game, and The Athletic reported that the Raiders prefer to trade Mariotta instead of Derek carr Uh, their incumbent starting quarterback. We just have to see how it plays out. Mariotta was awesome, um in that one game. If they're able to leverage that into some value in a trade, that would be a big win for the Raiders. I believe I remember that game because it was I

don't know if it was. It was definitely like a Thursday night package game, but it wasn't on a Thursday, or maybe it was, it doesn't matter. It was definitely against the Chargers in overtime and Derek Carr he got hurt. What was that like on the Raiders first drive? I think so there was a couple people that were kind

of like, well, Mariota, Mariota. Mariota didn't didn't start any games this year, but that was kind of like a start because he basically played that entire game, and when he came into that game, he led like an eighties six yard touchdown drive and it was he led four different scoring drives in that game. And I remember we were we were texting during that game because we were like,

is Mariota still good? Like look at look at the way that he's able to use his legs still and all of the things that we liked and and that we're good about him when he was in Tennessee. He just he still has it. And I feel like that game really helped showcase his abilities that he still has. And I think that, you know, maybe a spot like who knows, maybe he ends up in New England? How

would that be? I could see it. I this this whole thing raised I raised my eyebrows though, because the car, because the car inclusion in it is basically the part that raised my eyebrows, Like okay, so you are willing

to trade car? And then I thought there was this really strange article that came out like two weeks or a week before the Super Bowl in the Las Vegas Review Journal that kind of played around with where the sources were coming from, but basically was saying there was a lot of interest in Derek Carr just out of nowhere, And I'm thinking, like, who's who's putting this out there because it doesn't really make sense for Derek car to be putting this out there, so it's in the Las

Vegas Review Journal. It kind of makes sense that, even though they kind of hid the source in away that it was like league insiders really think that David Carr is gonna Derek car is gonna have a market, but it would take two first round picks to get them. It's like it felt like a clumsy attempt for the Raiders to drum up some interest in Derek CARRS would have felt like, on the outside, to me value top

values two second rounders. I feel like that would right, it's not gonna, it's not gonna to first for Derek Carr. I do feel like the Raiders. I mean, you're into year four with Gruden. Um maybe he has his quarterback. I've always felt like they those two are a little bit um oil and vinegar. Although those things do go together, I guess um, but I would just say that Derek

Carr is this one quarterback, oil and vinegar. Don't mess though it's a brown spot in the middle, Like that's the vinegar part, right, Oh my god, that's the only way to have a I mean that's like an actual dressing. So it does go together, I know, but it's set well, it visually separates, is all I'm saying. But that's not really helping me with my point either. But I think the car just feels like a quarterback that you have to constantly kind of um prop of his feelings and manage.

He gets so stung by stuff that it's like it feels like a bit laborious. I I wouldn't hate a fresh start somewhere. Do something. Raiders. We're always talking about you, like, oh watch out, they could do something crazy, but you never do it. Give us something here, Raiders, do something crazy. You be a team that gives up way too much

for Carson Wentz happen. I mean they and in their defense, they were in on Tom Brady last offseason and Tom Brady was like, I'm not going out West, so they you know, and Derek Carr did go in the media and say that that was something that gave him um some additional fire and blah blah blah. You know, the Raiders are interesting in the sense that they have growed in on that ten year deal and it was a deep rebuild when he took over the team, and it seemed to be going in the right direction. But the

that December knows that ive. This year in particular, I thought, was um speaking of eyebrow raising. To me, it's like they're entering into tricky terrain now because the third year, that was where they were supposed to kind of get to the playoffs and and really show growth. Instead they ended up exactly where they were at the end of

the year two of the regime. So now we enter year four, and if you don't get results in year four, it's like, geez, were almost halfway through this insane contract with this guy, and are we going anywhere with this dude? So this is a huge year for the Raiders. Uh for that reason. Alright, just a quick note, we're only about sixteen quarterbacks away from covering every quarterback situation in the NFL. They did, You're right, we have a we

have a Taylor Heineke. But first I want to hit on a juicy little nugget from it is coming up on draft season now, and we we obsess over draft picks and who's the first round pick and this, and then the fan base goes nuts and used them as this guy savior for whatever position he plays well. The Titans used their first round pick on Isaiah Wilson, an offensive tackle that they thought they could view as a

lynchpin on their line man. John Robinson had a pretty rough off season UH and Wilson barely played last year, went on the COVID list twice, got a d U I UM, and coming off that, you now have John Robinson going out in the media UM today and saying this, Yeah, I think, um, you know again, we we put him on the on the reserve UH non football illness list there.

I haven't spoken to him since since that list got put out, you know, I think, um so, I think you know, he's gonna have to make a determination UM if he wants to do everything necessary to probably pro football UM. And and that's gonna be you know, on him. UM so, UM, I know what the expectation level is here. It's no different than any other player on the football team. You know, we have a certain standard that we want

players UH to prepare and and UM perform at professionally. UM. And his people and UM a lot of work to be done there. That's really bad because he was placed Wilson was placed on the reserve non football illness list on December night, So the the team to not even be in contact with him for this amount of time, a reigning first round pick. This is heading towards all time bus territory. And you didn't even There wasn't really clarity and why he was placed on that list either.

It sounded like he was just placed on it because they were done with him. They never said he had an illness. Yeah, I mean, I love bot. I found that. We're sorry Mark that were like that jumped out at me. Um Robinson said that we did a lot of work on him leading up to the draft. The player that was here in the fall was not the player we evaluated. He's going to have to make a determination if he

wants to play pro football. That's on him. And then Mike Rabel told the Tennessee and I can't comment on idaiah Um. He said that I wouldn't even begin to be able to eloquently have an answer for you. So clearly things are not going well. They're pissed. There's they're epically pissed because I think if you read between the

lines and it's not hard, he's making them look really bad. Yeah, you know, if they failed in the evaluation, and now this guy is essentially stealing money from the team, and that reflects directly on the people that were responsible for bringing him into the building the first time he got Corona, I mean, is attached to the fact the police had to break up an off campus party at Tennessee State University where he was frolicking around, um, you know, untethered

during training and Isaiah at night right, And like John Robinson mentioned, you know, they loved him. They did love him in the pre draft process. And that's an old HR thing. Um, when an employee goes south, where is the person I interviewed? And that's what they're saying. This is not the human being we thought we'd get. John Robinson said he was impressed with um even his laugh that he laughed like Andre the giants during the all the research part of this. But I think that what

is that? Why? Why would that make him more draftable? That was I mean, he laughs like a gigantic giant laugh. If you don't know, like jose West Rivera, if we're not at this point, I mean I feel anymore. I feel like I you know, I used to be in a hiring position. I made some some bad hires, even as you know, as a group we've made some we made a what are you saying what we don't need it, Greg, We don't need it right now for the float right now? Greg? Uh.

Finally the news. Yes, Taylor Heineke speaking of having one game and a change the quarterbacks, changing how go away, Ricky, changing how things um and how your portrayed. Heineke went from a practice squad quarterback in December to a guy that was slinging it throw for throw with Tom Brady and the wild card round of the playoffs for the Washington football team. The team lost that game, of course, but it led to Heineke signing a two year, eight

point seven five million dollar contract. Just five r K is guaranteed, So it doesn't mean that Washington paid out the butt uh for this guy off one game. But it does show you, but spilled with one to there, that sometimes one big game can change your life and it might have done that for Taylor Heinecky. Yeah, they might. They might have to cut Alex Smith, which is awkward because I think if Alex Smith wants to continuous career,

you know, might not be there. But it is amazing if you think about the Bowls of Son stand to circle it all the way back around. Bowls faced four quarterbacks in the playoffs, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, and Taylor Heineke. Unquestionably the best performance came from Heineke. It wasn't even it wasn't even close. He was really good in that game. That the diving touchdown that he had briefly made you think Washington col do something insane

in that game. Um, and he played. He was nails in that game. I mean that's the kind of game. Sorry, I keep cutting you all, damn it. I was reading this like crazy article and now I'm taking us down a rabbit hole. But you're going to come into the rabbit hole with me. That I went done this morning, um, reading about Heineke, of dreading about this game that he had at Old Dominion where he threw for seven hundred and thirty yards. Did you guys know this? Because I

did not know? And I end up doing all these like dumb deep dives on prospects around combine time and draft and this I did not know. He in that game he had like seventy nine attempts, which is just wild. Seven thirty yards. How about we see that. This is why why some people, oh, why don't you watch college football? That's why I don't watch college football. I mean, when you're you're playing, it's like, oh yeah, Penn State is playing in our Lady of the Worthless Miracle. Um, you

know on Saturday afternoon. It's like what, like, who cares? You play half your schedules against teams that are at your level? And then everything's just like big money grab playing these smaller schools and it's just like a total slaughter. I don't know why think Old Dominion is taking you off their mailing list as of as of today, Dan, and some people ask like, why are Colleen's binders so full? It's because of information like that, you know exactly? All right?

Um kay want short a J. Bouwier and uh Boyer and Tybrolle Williams among the early cuts for veterans as we head towards the start of a new league, yeard and a salary cap that uh it will be less. I don't know if it's official yet. I think around a hundred eighty million, that's what they were saying. Um, and there will be more veterans that end up on the chopping block here as teams try to get under the cap and reset for all right, no wes, there's

a new phase for the show. Really sad um, But we're just going on and talking, talking ball and doing what we do. But please, please please, the go fund me um with everything, every every cent collected by the go fund me goes to Lakisha and Lincoln and unbelievably and thank you by the way to Greeby, who's one of our Matthew Graver who who um organized this and was in direct contact with Lakisha when West was battling

cancer for the second time, uh, setting this up. And he also has done great great work on the subreddit bringing fans together over there. He organized this and it is closing in on two sixty thousand dollars raised by people who love the West and are trying to support his family in this um really difficult time. Over UM five and a half thousand donors and uh yeah, over a quarter million dollars raised for Lakisha and Link and that is awesome. Keep it up. Let's go five under it,

Let's go half a mill Why not? I was thinking we should have like a roast maybe. I was originally thinking to just be a roast of Dan Hansas Um that goes to this like West fund Um, but then I thought maybe we should open it up to everybody else and then maybe the listeners get involved. So I'm just fitballing right now live and just figured to throw it out there. I like that a lot. Yeah, yeah, I would participate. I I feel like you guys would, and um, I don't know. I don't know if I'm

really like I would be good at that. I don't know if I would handle that well. I think, Colleen, you have a way better temperament for being roasted, so I think maybe the roast should be towards you. You get that like look from Dan, like twenty minutes in where he's like not as pleasant to be there as he thought, and not enjoying some of the slights, not

sure if they're real or not. So this was exactly my thinking because originally I was like, it should definitely be a roast of Dan, and then I was like, mm, I don't know if Dan would be good with that, but Greg definitely would be able to handle it, so let's definitely open it up to Greg. And I was like, but then there's so much material with Mark too and Rick, so it should just be everybody get real, to get

very real. Um all right. So that's that's one idea we're gonna you know, we're gonna continue to like figure out and exactly not in a milliona years um uh to you know, of course remember Wes and uh we will. We haven't started putting it together yet, but it's definitely

something we are um going to do. We're going to have a kind of a separate show from the standard podcast week where we'll be remembering West in our favorite moments um with West uh during the you know thousand plus episodes over the years, and we'll do you know kind of talks talk about um talk about him and then play some clips that that's coming down the line.

And I think that could end up being something we do on an annual basis, because, like Greg said, West is gone here um uh in from this earth, but he's his spirit is with the show and with everyone that loved and cared about him, both personally and family and friends and also the listeners. So that's it. Um. Any final thoughts, Colleen, great work here. You've done it

again and you've said it all thank you. I guess there's nothing left for me to say then if I've said it all, and I did, like every time every time you accidentally stepped on Mark, I think was really a professional of the time. Sorry. Mark, We're gonna get better at this. It's this is the way it is.

I mean, I would say, at least we're offering a little bit less of a devastating time delay than you had to deal with on most of your TNF broadcast show I did besides this one, when the few times that I was on the podcast during the season were the only times that I was doing a show that did not have at least a three to five second delay. So it is really such a joy to talk to people without like laughing all over dump jokes that happened like fifteen minutes ago. And I do that anyway. But still,

this was this is really really nice. So it's great. Yeah, you really lost a lot of like the Michael Irvin has like a piece of cracker on the corner of his mouth humor with that delay. You know, he just I need this pandemic to end. It took an hour and sixteen minutes, but it finally got the time delay talk that the listeners really they were looking for. Um. All right, we'll be back on Friday, so please come on back. And yes, as I said, the go fund

me is out there. Um, it's pinned to top my Twitter page and I'm sure all the everyone else on the show has been plugging that so you can find it anywhere. Um uh and uh we love you when we miss you, wes. Um, all right, this is it. Dan has a signing off four Quiet Storm, the Old Boss, the Tiny Box, trapped in a tiny box within a tiny box, so many boxes, and Ricky Hollywood until Friday, and has others