The Around the NFL podcast Football is Bashed.
It's kind of.
From the Chris Westling podcast studio.
It's around the NFL. Dan Kansas Heroes, Greg Rooseveal Mark Sessler. Week one of the preseason in doubles, and now I'm gonna do my best fireman d here we go.
I'm taking it down. Let's get a lot of silence in the room, get the whole building silent, get it silent.
Then a sixty yard field goal trying to close.
Out the half.
Tucker got the leg into it as.
Josh Tucker, are you kidding me? Who said the preseason has no juice?
Some go so hard? Never heard that? That's horn.
We've never been to steep into the production.
Justin Tucker in the first preseason game, just drills one from six.
The they win by one point.
The Ravens twenty nineteen over the defending NFC champion Eagles. And now they've won goddamn near our quarter of one hundred games in a row in the preseason, the greatest streak since Joe Demagio. That's how you start the preseason.
I love it.
They definitively are angling to win these games, and with each victory, it becomes a more impossible record to reach for any other team with the way that the preseason is because think about it. Also, with one less preseason game every year, it will take that many more years for a team to even get there. And they won't. They won't get there. It's never going to be matched. If it does, you can take me out with a bullet. I'm telling you right now, it never will be. And
I also learned something about JM. L. Sas and hype. You know, best case scenario, just do the job.
But like I think, the Bells have won like ten straight or something like that, so there at least you.
Have five more years of Aaron.
Yeah, it's like when this streak started, you had children that weren't even born yet.
What that's absolutely true. Harrison wasn't on this planet yet. If a female, if an assassin.
Took you out.
Mark from the sixth floor of Amiba Records in Hollywood, right not here.
I thought, I thought, you're gonna sah Parking Ground.
And you look up.
If it has been closed for.
Many they moved and open to a new location.
Okay, and it's huge Hollywood and Vine from the Book Depository. You look up your dying breath because I know what you're thinking. You're saying, Oh, that better be like a leggy, brunette assassin. Okay, what if it's like fat, middle aged guy named Butch. Well, that's disappointing. I don't think that's rushing. Even worse than the death itself would be that's who got me after all the fantasizing about the female assassin to get a.
Book, it would be. It would be the wrong way to go. I think they I have wrong. Is like, if were I taken out by anyone's bullet, it would not be categorized as an assassination.
It would just be a murder.
We would call it that because you could. I would at.
Least frame it, and I would frame it as just because it would. Then it would have a political undertone, and it would make Greg and I see more importance. We'd say it's connected to the show somehow and taking us out.
And leverage it, and any I won't be here to stop.
You'll be a martyr.
Just imagining the person would like just getting into football. Turned on this podcast for the very first time today. The first two minutes seemed to be some sort of hallucination Uh, that's going on.
Don't worry.
This is real football fascination talk.
Because coming up later today our old buddy Ross Tucker, former offensive alignment Uh. He wrote a nice piece over there on the thirty third team dot dot com got emotional just thinking, I mean conversation. It's a website that does that some people. So Ross Tucker his tears of offensive lines. And if you don't think that that's not vitally important in this sport we call football.
Uh, you don't know what you're doing.
You're paying too much attention to political controversies and assassination attempts and not enough attention to ball. It's one in the trenches. And Ross knows what he's talking about. So he's gonna come on talk about those tears. But before we get into that, yes, preseason week one, it's done, So why don't we just have a little conversation. I think a good way to get into this is Uh
and Randy behind the glass today. Eric will be back later in the week and we'll have some things to catch up with with mister Roberts, but we'll leave it at that for now.
Randy, we're going to talk about who popped and who flopped.
Yeah, we were work shopping a different name.
But we've right.
I thought we were going with who popped it? Hoo pooped that that was a big surprise.
Uh, listen, there's a couple of different routes we could have gone, but then the poop sound effect would have been maybe not I don't ears audience, and that actually was you know, I think of children.
You typically would gamble on the fact that I wouldn't probably weigh in with ideas pre show when I'm on my way here, came in with a gem. Yeah, I mean that just came to me. I said, I have to share this with the group who was getting ha ha has on the on the.
Big old lo L's big old digital belly.
Lafe and it just gets you know, thrown out of the cab.
You can still use it. You could use this go rogue.
How about how about next week for the preseason, because I know you guys.
Don't need to have you don't need to have a sound effect for for this for you, if you talk about it, we'll give it.
We'll get better without it at that.
Well, no, it's not we'll do never, We'll do if we have if we have a segment called hohopopped?
Who pooped? And we're not having some type of poop sound effect? What do we even hear for?
I agree, So next time we do preseason takeaways, we'll call it that name.
That's fair.
How about I think it's equitable equitables right, Well, we're a team, so you use everyone's ideas.
The other words. I love it. See the togetherness, the teamwork. Football is back, kind of who popped?
In Week one of the preseason, Greg, I'll start with you.
You know I'm gonna start with the same note I started my sixty eight takeaways from.
The WHOA season. You can check you on NFL dot com.
Like I thought, you have to start with DeMar Hamlin just because of everything that we watched and went through last year that he went through rather and to see him out on the field and like we've been taking these steps in the process that like you expected him to be back, but it still was different, at least for me as a viewer watching him out on that field, and he was very active, like any any hesitation you thought he might have had any worries, Like you couldn't
see that on the field. He was knifing down, he was very active in the run game. He was blitzing like they almost felt like they were trying to get involved. And our friend Cynthia Frielan was doing the game on the sidelines and she noted, on top of Hamlin being back, and that's such a great story, He's part of such a deep safety group. There might be the best safety group in the entire NFL. With Micah Hyde his back, Jordan Poyer's back, you brought in Taylor Rap, Hamlin's out
there making plays. It was the first time since Thanksgiving of twenty twenty one, the Allied, Poyer and Turdevius White were all on the field together.
So that was just great to see.
And it's one of those things in the preseason that like when we first heard that he's coming back, you're like, Okay, that feels almost strange, but it's also exciting, like we'll see what happens, but it's happening and it's exciting.
I do wonder, I mean, if the Bills get into a weird situation. There's so deep at the position that if Hamlin, you know, has a so so preseason and from run up to the regular season, are they ever in a position where they have to part ways with him despite the great story behind it.
I don't think so, just because he was such a valuable player for them. He's a good special teamer. I think, like you carry four or five safeties, and I think if he had come back and wasn't sure of himself, but by all accounts, in terms of the practice reports and what we saw on the field, how they were using him like he's going to be a third and four safety. They love their secondary and they're not very
good at cornerback. I would say they're not sure if they're going to start their first round pick from a year ago, Ky or Elam. And what I've noticed a little bit of a trend around the league is like a lot of teams are saying, like, look, we have three good safeties, let's keep them on the field as
starters and only have two cornerbacks. I'm thinking of like the Seahawks are a little like that, the Lions are a little bit, and I think I think the Bills could be like that too, where they have three safeties on the field most of the time.
How about you, Mark, give me a pop.
I can't go flop.
Let's stay positive. Okay, We'll get there. You know, I just want to go negative.
No, I just I had a I was interested in a flop snare.
But you'll get the first flop.
Okay, that's fine.
Greg can't take more team because I know you're worried he'll take your flop. And then now I look it over there, I can see.
Don't let him see your screen.
I don't know why Greg does that.
I don't know either. It's it's violating.
It's sort of like an announced lack of integrity, denouncing it your trumpeting.
You see it, it's right there in front of you. Go ahead, I've been talking this team up.
Wait one second. Yeah, do you like when Greg looks at your screen.
I've made it very clear that it's weird to me, and.
I'll stop it. I'll try to stop it.
I mean you knew that. Though I'll try it, it doesn't stop you. Though you can't stop.
I'll try to stab it.
I use a lot of and when I colored five and.
You know, face as he's speaking, and the screen is just like right there, hared to avoid it.
Is in your sight line.
But they locked in on those icy blues.
Right on some level, you know you wanted that seat on the corner. You wanted, you didn't want the middle.
He was very strong about it's a little constant revenge needling.
The new listeners still like, will you ever get to that?
I have been talking this team up. I thought, you know, it was what would the Steelers look like? I love that they came out with Kenny Pickett. They didn't they didn't sit him on the sideline goes six for seven. I thought he looked very crisp George Pickens. You know, it took him a little bit of a while last year to get going, but showed a clear like chemistry with Picket. They had an excellent thirty three yard touchdown connection. I think Alan Robinson he played a lot of snaps.
I still am suspicious of him as a number two, but it seems like they want to make that work. But I just thought it was a great sign for the starters to come out. And if you're Kenny Pickett, they've been talking about him in training camp. I guess they said he's thrown one interception the whole time. I don't know what that means, because that's that's situational and what you know he's Maybe that means he's been too conservative.
He didn't look at that way in this game.
I think it's a good sign for Pittsburgh that it looked like a better version of Kenny Pickett than even last at the end of last year.
He might have the most pop. Uh.
From a friend Daniel Jeremiah, from lots of national people out of local people, just saying in terms of year one to year two, leap in what you see in training camp, picket pop has been happening. So it's nice to see that confirm to your point about Robinson. I'm riding this Calvin Austen train here. Maybe it's just because he's five eight, like sixty eight, and it's fun to see those guys on the field. He was injured most
of last year. He was their leading rusher. In this game, he was their leading receiver, caught a long touchdown like that might be your third receiver if out Alan Robinson doesn't work out.
Calvin Austin is kind of fun.
And remember that guy Broderick Jones who everyone was like, oh they stole project. This is where it's like, oh, you plug and play. He's your starter for ten years and everyone puts him in as a starter. In the depth chart, it sounds like he's probably not gonna start, which I was surprised to read that on the Athletic that Dan Moore, who was their starter a year ago, is probably gonna remain the starter. That that's really surprised, and that he would be the swing tackle. So these
are little things you learned in the preseason. Actually because he's not working with the starters.
Yeah, I got a pop that I know America might not be ready for this, and I'm not saying I'm rooting for it either, But you know what, at a certain point, we're moving forward.
Mark, the Browns are gonna be good this year. The Brown's gonna be really good this year.
We was talking about a smart for football person and shats about their defense. How he sees that as a top ten unit. We're going to talk to Ross Tucker a little later. He sees them as having one of the best offensive lines in the league. They have the best running back in the league. They have weapons at the playmaker as receivers, and it was very short, it is very small window. But I thought Deshaun Watson looked
like Deshaun Watson in his one series. Again, that's why I don't go crazy about the preseason because it's such a small sample size.
But he threw the ball well, and he scrambled well.
He looked quick, he looked agile, he looked like the guy that was a very very good, superstar level quarterback with the Texans. I think there's a better chance we see a very good Deshaun Watson to great Deshaun Watson than the bad six game sample. And it's just on my radar as the season gets closer that and we'll be making our predictions come September who's going to win that division.
I would not be surprised that the Browns have a big year here.
And whether we want it or not, Watson he's going to get another tune up apparently before were the end of the preseason. If this offense hits the ground running, it would knock shock me at all. Good start for Watson in that offense.
Well, I thought Aaron Schatz put it really well and how they kind of view what the Browns might be. It's like, do you take that six game sample size, which happened obviously after a massive hiatus from playing in in a weird situation. I think there's a lot of neck up stuff going on with the entire team and Watson, or do you take the rest of his career and assume that at his age he's not even very.
Old, that like he still has that athletic ability.
So that was the missing component or the unknown component for Cleveland if he flips the switch. Like the thing that I think people forget about the Browns in general is because Andrew Barry got pulled into all this and the whole organization was distasteful of so many for other pursuit of Watson, that you forget that Andrew Berry was one of the better young general managers in football before this, and the roster they had some holes coming into this offseason.
We talked about that short up the defensive line, the O line, where it's like sometimes's only have like a three year window on these old and like Cleveland's is still really strong. Ross Tucker will confirm that later when we talked to him. The defense seems to be better. They've got a better coordinator in Jim Schwartz, so it
is arrow up. I think for me, Greg, Like the one question is there are all these little whispers, like does Kevin Stefanski's system and the Deshaun watson skill set really marry the way you'd want.
I think that was my takeaway from that brief time was how much he scrambled and moved, Like a lot of that was just free, was freelancing. And whether he's gonna have the freedom or just chooses to do that more and that makes sense. That's the strength of his Like half the snaps, he was essentially making plays on his own, either scrambling or moving outside the pocket, and he looked effective doing it in limited time. And you can do that when you have a great offensive line.
That's that a great offensive line can really bring out the best in a great scram This.
Is final note on Stefanski.
He made the most out of Jake Brisket last year, he made the most out of Baker Mayfield. Now if he actually has a really good quarterback, I don't know, Mark feeling it, feeling a little bit.
Feeling a spicy a spicy twelve.
It's a crazy you need a couple of these teams, and like you need a couple of these AFC's team that everyone's just ticketing to the playoffs to fall off a little bit.
I just like I I can see it all. I'm more skeptical on whether it's gonna work with Watson in the offense just in general, uh, being like a top ten, top five type of offense. You look at the rest of that the Rocks division, to me, their roster as good as it is, it's not any better than the Bengals or the Ravens, and maybe not the Steelers either.
So it's just a blood bath.
Yeah.
But Dvoa like day before the season, you know, kurttailed with Watson, like Pitchakoba in the right, really affected.
With Jacobey Brissette.
Right, Uh, give me a flop Mark, I mean, I think the one that just is so obvious. And Greg's already you know, perused my screen here, so he knows where I'm going here. But uh, Trey Lance, I mean I don't know. I don't think like talk about talk about fit like and I guess that is Trey Lance coming out of that performance.
It's all relative, by the way, everybody kind of these people didn't.
Really flop it, you know, it just rhyme top right.
Well, that's why I'm staying away from like any of the rookie quarterback flop situations like whatever, like first appearance.
This is Trey Lance's third season.
Now, if you really look at his career, I mean, he barely threw the ball in college, and he's barely thrown the ball over three seasons or you know, two plus seasons in the NFL. And I thought that first March, that three and out where it's like, you're just not doing things the way that Kyle Shanahan wants them done, and yes, you can come make some plays.
Later on, he threw a touchdown pass.
It shouldn't even be called a touch and they have a different category essentially through an interception that deflects off a defender in a totally weird way. When you go watch like their actual tweeted replay, you have to watch it like fourteen times to actually see where the ball went. It was like a magic bullet that shot off him into the hands of the Niners tight end for a score.
Not a positive grade on a PFF scale.
Put it that way, they would they would look right past it, or they would call it essentially just a turn up.
He had a thirty seven passing grade, by the way, So they waited terrible.
I mean, like, I think the thing is just he to me, like the processing just watching him. He just does not look in a system where it feels like you could plug Dan in and he'd get eighty eight yards passing. Trey Lance still doesn't look comfortable, and I just I think if anything, they wanted a good preseason out of him to find out what he is, but maybe to shop him. Sam Darnold came in and with one off season in the Niners offense probably just a better quarterback just looked way sharper to me.
Can I just say also with this situation and he could say the same thing.
About I was just talking about with the Browns.
But of course Kyle Shanahan is going very vanilla with his scheme on offense.
It's not he's not turning.
He's not using that big brain of his to put his quarterbacks in the position to dominate in the way he will try come week one.
So it makes it hard to make judgments.
But yeah, you would think Trey Lance where he is and the Niners maybe where they are, and we want to trade this guy. If again, it'd be nice if he like lit the lit the opponent up this weekend.
They also aren't letting him run though that's a big part of.
Their their line was brutal in this game. I'm a little worried about the San Francisco offensive line. I know these well thought these were the backups, so that's a big part of it. They were the backups. But I don't think it's a deep offensive line. I don't think it's a great pass blocking offensive line. But he's never played particularly well in the preseason.
Lance Uh. He had a couple of moments in the.
Regular season, like he I think he took four sacks and a couple were on him, a couple on the offensive line. But you just look at him and then you look across the field and it's Aidan O'Connell, who is like a rookie. I'm not giving a pop here, but I just it was interesting in that game the contrast and how well O'Connell played, and he was probably one of the few rookie quarterbacks that it was that comfortable.
But then you think, like, who's played way more football in his life, Aidan O'Connell or Trey Lance.
Like it's Aidan O'Connell.
It's the guy in college that was starting twelve games a year at Purdue. And it's probably the same age because half the rookies. It feels like because COVID are like twenty five years old. I don't know what O'Connell's age was, but like it's a little concerning. The most concerning thing about the hole Lance performance was actually Kyle Shanahan spending like a minute after the game explaining why
he really liked that touchdown throw. Oh, because he thought he ultimately like made the right like that he went for it, that he made the right read, that it came open late, and that he pulled the trigger. And I think that's Lance's problem, is he's not tenant aking quick decisions, not pulling the trigger, and that actually the decision was okay. The the he thought the throw was a bit off and the defense made a nice play
on it. That was surprising, and like that if that was where you're trying to find some positives, that's.
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All right, We're back, Greg.
You got a popper flop?
Mmm, let's get to the rookie quarterbacks a little I'm gonna go flop, but I'm not gonna give it to the rookie quarterback. Give it to the Panthers offensive so you can get around it. Yes, you can get around it. Because I didn't watch the Bryce Young performance live or anything. When I went back and checked it out on NFL Plus, nice plug, bra nice nice first preseason weekend for NFL Plus experience for me. When I went back to watch, I was like, I was expecting it was gonna be ugly.
It's like Bryce second even knew anything wrong in that game. There was not really much he could do. There was one play that was kind of nice where he got to his second read pretty quickly, made a nice throw, but man, he got decked three times. There's this whole idea that Ikey a konglu and like our colleague Steve Smith said, like, look, he looks like one of the best left tackles in the league in practice. Like he was a bit of a disaster as a rookie and
he was in this game. And there's this idea that the Panthers have this good offensive line, sneaky good.
Actually a year ago. Well then you have a new coach and you have a new offensive line coach, you have a new system, and people don't really pay attention to this stuff. But oh, by the way, your two starters at guards are.
Coming off of massive injuries, one of them who's still out, Austin Corber And like, okay, that's a lot of ifs. Then, like offensive line play and we'll talk about with Ross, like is not necessarily consistent year to year, especially when you're changing schemes. And so that was very concerning seeing that man get decked that quickly. Don't I don't think he really did anything wrong. Maybe there was one ball
he would like to have back. There wasn't really much to it, but a nice job by the Jets defensive line.
Will McDonald's spin move.
I like Jets Jarmaine Johnson, hello, edge rushing group and it's Quinn Williams.
Enough.
You don't want to put it all on defense, but man, that Jets defense on paper is as talented as just about anyone.
I mean they I thought it had happened at some point. Solomon Thomas just flattens Bryce Young and like he got right up and said he didn't even feel it. I mean, I don't know why, why is that so surprising?
He's been playing football, he got a ton but all the time at Alabama. Right, he was hit as hard as like any college quarterback.
I watched that, right, But it is like it's just this thing that people were waiting to see.
So that's fine.
I mean, my problem is like I don't know how to really assess Bryce Young if he's this preseason, if he's gonna be playing behind a line like this, because it's Bryce Young under constant, well, I just I don't know.
It couldn't be.
Quarterback, especially an undersized rocky quarterback. It's that's doom.
You gotta they need to play at a average at least level you'd think.
But there's time.
But I mean it's yeah, it was a small thing, but it's Frank.
Craig's coming out being like, well, you know, listen this, I don't really take the score into account, like he's like I do.
We do.
We are accountable for it.
But it's like it's not a great it's not the score doesn't matter at all, but just sort of an uninspiring uh you know, dawn to the New Era.
It was twenty seven nothing we should we should mention the Jets are back.
Yeah, I guess we took off that tough Browns loss.
Shows that shows resilience there it is that's gonna play well on that knocks. Hard Knocks is going to play up the shut out, the shutout aspect of it big time. I don't really need that, like the I thought that in terms of the Hard Knocks epsod when it got to the Hall of Fame game, I was like, eh.
I felt like they were filling Let's let's.
Stick to what's going on in Flora Park. We'll see and the Hard Knocks podcast and this at the end of the last tart, I just tomorrow wretch it out. It was interesting Mingo started that.
Game for the Panthers. There was one one thing that was nice, Let's see.
I have one that I want to hit. I'm not gonna I don't have too many flops. If I'm a Dobins fan. I want to see Mike White play a little better because you're going to see him this year in games account.
But I'm going to stick with Popped.
And Uh, I'm gonna leave this one open because I know Greg wants to talk about it, so I'll let him do it and I'll stick with the Bears. Is a big year for eber Fluis and Company. And DJ Moore was such a big get for that offense. And he scores a touchdown Justin Fields, then dumps off a pass to Khalil Herbert third and long. He goes fifty six yards for a touchdown, stiff arms a dude takes him to the house and this was a great stat I'll credit ESPN on this one. So Fields, you know,
you look at his stats. Justin Fields, this guy's gonna win the MVP. Just basically two quick short passes. But it matters because the Bears ranked last season dead last and yards after catch eleven hundred yards. They did not have a single play rack up fifty yards after catch all of last season. Zero in seventeen games. They had two in those two series with Justin Fields. Is that going to continue week after week?
No, it's not.
But I think especially with Moore, just seeing what having a true number one, how that could help and really leads lift off for Justin Fields and what's such an important third.
Year for him.
I mean that Moore is already part of one of the greatest plays in NFL history, that catch from PJ Walker. It's a fact this morning at the I'm glad this randomly came up at the breakfast table. Right, Walker's got on an NFL produced YouTube video the Greatest Throws of All Time NFL History, produced by who Walker, NFL film or Greg It was like it is a Rosenthal his NFL films.
Yeah, that PG Walker throw.
Was on it.
And how about this how we Moore caught it?
And how about we kicked the extra point? Yes, all right, now we talk about what a great win it was.
I mean they had like there was probably like one hundred and twenty five throws on this thing, but it was one of them.
There this DJ Moore took his helmet off making the extra point forty seven yards.
That was stupid. You should be allowed to take your helm, you know.
That's that rule comes and goes.
It's they're very they choose it when they want to.
They also have a healthy Darnel Mooney, which is nice. ID think Herbert's a nice player. I think there was a thought that Roshan Johnson comes in the rookie This is where you watch the snaps. Herbert gets all the snaps with the starters. Rosh On Johnson, who had a nice run, is playing pretty deep with the third teamers in the in.
The second half, So just a little fantasy.
Neck there all right, Uh Mark go ahead, Uh opera flop, I'm gonna go pop.
Oh good for you.
Yeah, it's I was at the Chargers game, and you know last year the Chargers struggled.
Un oh, King of the Castle, King of the Castle.
That's like fourteen dollars to go. That's fine. Going this week with my with with my with my children too.
Oh, really going a lot.
It really hit this time. The children were not there Saturday, No they weren't.
No, they couldn't go to that one, but they will go to the next one.
They then the Stetson Bennett fire show. Yeah.
I didn't stay for the entire thing.
With a with a diet pepsi and his binoculars and his little clipboard. That's exactly notes. That's exactly from the Offensive Lion rankings chat.
But there were some huge plays from the I think last year, like they couldn't run the ball six point nine yards per carry against I mean a RAMS defensive line that is ramshackle problematic. Yeah, two hundred and fourteen rushing yards. Elijah Dotson, undrafted out of Northern Colorado, had two crazy runs thirty seven and forty yards in the second half, they just stuck it to the Rams. Later on, I thought Easton Stick looked pretty good as a backup.
I mean, some of these teams, like the Bill's backup situation we can get to at some point is sort of a blooming disaster. And like Easton Stick looked as good as he's ever looked, and it was really like he ran the offense really well at that Quentin Johnston is gonna be I think he's gonna drive people nuts because he has some he does some stuff. You know, his hands just disappear, but then he'll make a crazy
play and you can see it all. There's this guy Darius Davis, who, another rookie, had a TCU eighty.
One yard punt return for a touchdown.
So I don't know, these guys seem like they want to be a more physical team under Kellen Moore.
On the ground. In the one game we've seen it, it showed.
I think it's going to be a story this year. He was the best returner in college football. That one return was enough for me because it wasn't really about the blocking. It was about the hesitation and the burst and the vision, and it reminded me exactly of Cavante Turpin of the Cowboys last year, who popped a couple in the preseason. You were like, oh wow, is that a guy and he ended up being a total game changer for the Cowboys, one of the best return men
in the league. Quintin Johnson's on my radar, not a guy I would want to take in fantasy.
I think he's going to be their fourth receiver.
You couldn't hear this because you were at the game, but Dan Fouts doing the coverage was like Johnston's.
He had a couple of drops early in this game. Two drops.
He was just like he's had a rough training camp because of those drops. And it's like, oh wait, that's the first negative thing I've heard any announcers say about anyone on the team that they're covering, you know, this entire weekend because they're all working for the team, and you never heard it. And it's like, I'm going to file that away. He's probably wide receiver four there behind Palmer.
If the guy's saying that for and he's getting paid by the team these guys for the preseason coverage, the guy has to look pretty bad. Although he is explosive, you could see he's getting open and he had a great touchdown.
He could be a red zone guy.
But yeah, all right, Greg, you have you have so many you have three takes too many, so you got to throw out another one.
When I go, it's.
What's like, what's the most surprising, Well, we should hit the quarterback stuff. Let's go uh, let's go Baker playing I just because I think it's newsworthy. Baker played well composed, and Kyle Trask wasn't a disaster, but wasn't good. So it was a clear and decisive Baker victory in preseason
game one. And then yeah, because I'm writing that article, I checked out a little Pewter Report action box cuts that they noticed that they noticed that Baker had like his best practice day of the year on Sunday and threw a bunch of touchdowns and Trask had a bad day.
So it feels like they're separation creating.
No big surprise there, but just just so you know, it looks like Baker is going to be the guy. Trask will get to start preseason Week two, but I think that's it's gonna be his last time in the competition.
All right, I gave you a chance, Greg and so now I'll bring it up. I thought the Saints look good and limited time at Derek Carr in the field. It's like the Joker movie The Todd Phillips won. So many things, so many Batman related things, jetson and blots him that you gotta differentiate the Todd Phillips film The Joker, right.
I think Derek Carr is good. I'm tired of pretending he's not.
I think he's going to do well in that offense playing in the Dome and Gregi Alvin Kamara did.
Look very feisty and frisky in his limited play as well.
It's unfortunate that he's not going to be around for the start of the season. That's his own doing with his suspension. And it's also unfortunate that Kendrey Miller, their rookie, injured his knee in the game. I don't know how serious it is, but we were told it's a sprain that could go in two very different directions. It's from Dennis Allend, so they don't have the they have depth depth depth issues there. Of course, hight sign someone, so
somebody's coming into that building regardless. It sounds like but Carr, Michael Thomas. I like the vibes there if he can stay on the field, And yes, Kamara looked very good. He should be ready to roll in late September.
John Johnson delivering on that Fantasy have Chris o'lave they've said has been the MVP at camp there and then it just sort of caught me by surprise when like Jimmy Graham caught a catch.
You know, Jimmy Graham is on.
This team, He's not gonna is he gonna make the team?
I asked our friend Adam over at the Saints podcast and it was called the Saints Twitter Podcast.
Now I forget what it's called. They changed the name bad job by me?
What? Because Twitter isn't it a thing?
I guess I don't know, just like a rebrand X pot is kind of kind of cool. I don't think it was related. I think they had changed it before that happened. But he thinks Jimmy Graham's making the team, so.
Well, why go through the motion of of like bringing them back just to have him there for three weeks?
Fantasy's Can't Play Sanes block party podcast?
There we go, oh, okay, but what did you say?
He thinks Jimmy Graham picking the team Michael Thomas, Jimmy Graham, it is weird. I like their their first round pick look pretty good for see.
Very good. Uh we got Ross in a couple of minutes. So anything else I have.
I have one that I feel is somewhere in between pop and flop because it's a rookie quarterback. I want to talk about him, but like Anthony Richardson, I don't think he flopped or popped.
I mean, I just think it's like a PLoP.
Sure it's that yeah, I mean I don't want to overly critique him. I like I watching him, it's like you can see it. I don't know if he needs to really start the season necessarily bar what I saw put him underground.
I thought he looked good. Well, it was fine, kind of what you expect. There was a lot of terrible interception, which is fine. I let off anything though, like I thought it was.
Is he going to try to like run off run out of the pocket on every play, like kind of stood in there and threw the ball, had that bad turnover. He just the way he throws the ball like he's got some sidearm action. But like I think his mechanics are just a little string.
They're wacky.
He has a quick release, and I think he got rid of the ball quickly mostly and made good decision. You're right, there were like two throws that were just way off, and that's just apparently part of the package. Reminds you a little rookie Josh Allen. But then he also ran over who was that, Tron Johnson? I think of the Bills. He just like steamrolled him like it was like a two hundred and fifty pounds full back over a little child, and you're just like, oh man, that's a quarterback.
And then he made a couple of really nice throws and.
They like really went out of their way after the game to point out Isaiah McKenzie made a mistake on that interception that he didn't read the blitz right, he didn't run the right route. But Richardson made a big mistake too. Is like if your receiver messes up and you could see him almost panic in real time and then just force it. You got to just throw it
away or run to the sideline and eat it. But Reggie Wayne, our former colleague, was sure apparently very upset with Isaiah Mackenzie, who like literally apologized publicly about that interception.
I thought he showed it enough that he's going to be the weak one start.
Well, I mean it's like, of course he will be. I guess.
It's just like he could have had a touchdown that Alec Pierce. He threw a nice bar. Yeah, that was the time Alec Alec Pearce dropped it and was upset at himself. I thought on that run where he bowled the guy over, it wasn't like lowering the shoulder and getting like low, like he just basically stood up and ran through him. And it reminds you he's like as fast as people, but like fifty pounds heavier, made of muscle.
It's like it's like a young Cam I mean in terms of size and speed.
He jumps as a run like everyone would say in the Young Out Jem and just jumps off the screen.
You know what.
I want to give a little pop too, just because it's Newsworthy. It's not preseason, really, Joe Burrow out on the field not only practicing aggressively.
Kind of stretching pop. But yeah, okay, yeah.
Well he like went through this whole work out and he did it in front of the camera, So to me, that was his oh your.
Takes good behind the glass hit pop on that maybe I don't know if we need said.
Yeah, okay, listen, he's got a point shout out.
I think that was him telling the greater Cincinnati area I'm good, relaxed, So I think we'll see him back there soon and they I wouldn't be too relaxed watching, you know, Trevor Simeon and Jake Brown and stinking up. You got to get a backup quarterback Cincinnati. It's not messing around.
Did you see the Trevor Lawrence touchdown where he evaded up like eighteen people people were coming up to him.
Ur you mean Nathan Rourke, Well he had a night.
We should be so blessed to have Trevor Lawrence making that play. It was I mean, back up the Nathan Rourke Jaguars.
I thought it was too. He has a similar bill, you know.
I I just saw it on like a on a Twitter replan. It was like, that's Trevor Lawrence.
Holy Lawrence had a nice touchdown too, But uh, Rourke, seeing I was not familiar with this man, did some research CFL product was like in the MVP mix in the CFL this year before and he very that play in Bill Barnell, who's going to be on our show later this week doing some over unders with us. He said, doesn't matter preseason or not. That's play that has a chance to be the best play made by an NFL player this year.
That's one of the best players to get out I've ever seen.
Boll whoa mister.
He threw off three was incredible, three guys, and it was a great play.
As his knee is half an inch off the ground.
Throws a dime for a game when he touched down with thirty seconds left.
I mean, it doesn't I doesn't a game, but yeah.
Yeah, I just watched the NFL's greatest throws ever. I mean it would fit. It would fit that.
I would have ruled him in the grasp and I would have ruled him down and I would have waived the play.
That's not fun personally, It was a great it was a great effort.
And Mark is You're known to always say we are nothing without our fans. I mean, I can't have one conversation with Mark without him saying we're nothing without our fans.
And with that subtler.
Are you trying to suggest that I, in reality could care less about our fans? No, I mean I'm saying very much, am thankful.
Let's check in.
Via x slash whatever. Uh and uh look at this, Look at this. Reagan Cheps checks in out here at the hot ass Bank of America Stadium watching aa Ron and his Jets. Can't help but think Dan Hanss and Greg Rosenthal around the NFL. You can't see my boys Patriot cat, but he is a diehard Og Brady fan. He was born in Connecticut. After all, we love football in the atn pod. Now, that is nice to see from the fans.
It's really nice.
Wait, what's up? Face it.
It's a nice message.
She can't help but think of Dan, Greg, all the guys.
Oh there was a follow up. There was a follow up. Oh yeah, Mark too there.
Oh I got my own tweet.
You gotta follow up after someone.
Well it's a total afterthought. But yeah, I know it's I think, I know.
I don't think she was attempting.
No, no, it was well, I think she just it was Jets to you know, to try to walk to try to save her Jets. Dan and then her son Patriots hat. So there was like a connection.
So I was organic, just organically left out. That's that that does. That's no problem at all.
It's reading. If you're listening, just now, this will live inside. I'll be.
This week.
All right, let's move right along. I think we have a guest we do hit the music.
Joining us now is a former.
NFL offensive one played seven years Cowboys, Bills, Patriots, Washington.
I went to Princeton.
Hello, and now he does color for CBS Sports and with one he's got his own podcast, I mean Ross Tucker, my goodness, got his own podcast, the Ross Tucker Football Podcast, and now he joins us to talk about his latest rankings over on the thirty third team Cross.
Welcome to Around the NFL.
What's up, fellas.
Love love the music, love the intro, and nice to see all you guys.
Happy football season.
Happy football.
You mentioned there that you know we're gonna be hearing Ross on Sundays now in NFL games.
Oh hell ya, that's a first. I'm look congrats on that that gig. We are very serious about studying those teams. And to have you crack in the rotation, that's something to look for.
It and the crosshairs here, we're sometimes critical. We do ranking, so now you're you're part of it too.
You know what, I am totally fine with that. That's very fair.
I listen. I do rankings on Mondays on the.
Ross Tucker Football podcast for the press box food for the different stadiums I'm in, and I always say like, I am very grateful for the free food. I am not complaining. I'm just evaluating, right, I'm just reporting.
It's my job.
So as long as you guys are are tough but fair, I'm fine with that. I will say this, really excited to be in the booth. Three man booth. Chris Lewis will do play by flying, and the other analyst is Jason mccordy, which I think is awesome because number one, he just retired. Number two, I've known him since I think he was a senior in college.
I've known him for a while.
And then I.
Also have always kind of thought, guys that the ideal booth is a guy like Jason who played corner or receiver and is really an expert in coverages, coverage techniques, route combinations, all that stuff, with a guy like me that is really an expert in the front seven stuff, O line, D line because it's really you're not going to really find and like an offensive line or defensive lineman that really is an expert when it comes to
wide receiver dB stuff. So I kind of feel like, hopefully we'll have the best of both worlds.
Do you feel like when in a three man boot you gotta kind of, you know, elbow them out to get your comment in there? Sometimes there's one an extra human being in there.
You know. It's funny because I've done it several times now, and it is different for sure, because when you're the only analyst, there is no question who's talking.
It's right. And also play play man might not even get in there.
No.
But the other thing is greg is you know people realize and I said this to Jason already, the big difference between radio and television, right is Radio, which I love, I can just say whatever I want at the end of every play. Me, TV you gotta you gotta be talking about what's on the screen. So what that means is a lot of times, you know, as the play
is happening. I don't know if anybody's ever described this to you guys, but as the play is happening, and the play by play guy's calling it, I am hitting the button, telling the producer and director you know, fifty three blue Telly, fifty three blue Telly because the linebacker came flying through and blew up the play. It made
an awesome play. Or maybe they're telling me, you know, wide receiver corner ISO, And so you gotta look at the monitor a lot because it does you no good if you're looking at the field talking about the pass rush and they're showing the wide receiver and the corner's coverage on him.
So there's just a lot more communication on TV, a lot more in your ear. So I bring that.
Up to tell you guys, still different when it's a three man booths for TV like that, because you know what, if Jason wants to.
Talk about one thing, I want to talk about another thing.
But the way it works out is there's certain camera angles, right like the ALL twenty two, that's gonna be Jason. If we're showing the ALL twenty two, it's because it's a coverage. If we're showing a wide receiver ISO, that's gonna be Jason. If we're showing the high end zone, which is the old line that's gonna be me. So there's just things that you work through, you talk through. But there's just a lot more involved with TV stuff than the radio, I know, and.
That's sometimes and we're guilty of this as well. And you think about infamous booths like you know, Witton's run there and Bugger and and Greg. You've had it out with some people in the past, uh, and you know, guy flubs one thing or you know some type of uh, you know, error like that, and we're all killing him.
But you don't really realize what's going on and how much work it is. I have a lot of respect for the the that job and what you're doing. Ross. Good luck to you. Transition.
I'll give you guys. I'll give you guys.
One quick story, right full transition back to Tucker.
What one quick story? Saturday night?
Yeah, I did the Ravens Eagles preseason game.
I do the presing games for the.
Eagles, and uh, the quarterback for the raven I can't remember if it was Josh Johnson, who I didn't even know was on the Ravens again, or Tyler Huntley who I saw your tweet Greg about him playing in the second half, which is beyond interesting to me. But one of them, you know, rolled out to the right through the ball and just kind of had to throw the ball away right. Well, the producer says, or maybe I said, I don't know, but let's show the coverage.
Because there's nowhere to go with the ball, and then we go. So I showed the coverage, nowhere to go with the ball.
I looked down at my phone during the commercial break, and somebody was like, the reason why he rolled to the right was there was.
Great pressure from Kentavious Street. You didn't even mention. All you talked about was the coverage. Be better?
Who sent that?
It wasn't but somebody.
I mean, because.
If the producer says, we're going to show the coverage replay, yeah, but I'm talking about the average replay. I'm not talking about, you know, chasing the quarterback guys on the side, like I don't know if that was Contavious his agent or like his uncle, but it's just hilarious to me, like be better. They don't realize that we don't really always have a saying.
I hate it. Be better.
Yeah, By the way, if we could declare a more moratorium, better better, let's sucks.
Be better never never do be better.
It's so condescending and snide, and it's just like, let's lose.
It, get fired into the snud.
Be better, be better.
Be better.
Tyler Hunting, by the way, might not make that team because just the way John harvests talking, I just feel like they've been trying to replace him all off season. They played Josh Johnson ahead of him, But then again, he kept that twenty four game winning streak by hero by playing quarter.
Of one hundred games straight.
All right, talk, oh lines, Yes, let's do it, so h Ross great stuff. Over on the thirty third team dot com. You break down your offensive line rankings into five tiers elite, above average, average, below average, and poor. You could see where Ross has your team and get mad at him. Accordingly, Elite tier Eagles, Lions, and the Cleveland Browns. And that kind of connects with the point I was making earlier in the show Ross about how the brown just seemed to have a lot of things
lined up. Well, we know about the Eagles and Lions and what they were able to put together last year. Brown surprised me to be this high in this exercise.
And you know what's funny too, just looking at this. And we'll talk about the elite obviously, and I know we'll get to the ones below. If you think about it, guys, you really just if you have poor you have no shot, and if you're below average, you probably don't have much of a chance. Whereas it's great to be elite for sure or above average, but even if you have an average O line you probably can get stuff done. You
really just can't be below average and poor. But we have seen the resurgence in Philadelphia last year Detroit, I think you could argue that they were both almost led by their offensive lines, right, I mean, both quarterbacks played probably.
Much better than anybody thought they would.
I mean, nobody thought Hurts would be second in the MVP voting. And then Golf I thought that was maybe the best year he's ever had, maybe at least other than the one year in LA And I think they were led by the offensive lines. And so, you know, when I look at this list of the elite teams, my thing is, if Deshaun Watson can't play at a high level in Cleveland this year, then that's kind of
a Deshaun Watson thing. I mean, you know, I'm still fascinated, by the way, by the fact that that guy was considered a top five quarterback the last full year he played in twenty twenty, when.
The Texans went four and twelve.
I mean, is that the worst record any team has ever had when their quarterback had unanimous unquote.
Top five play.
I mean, I would have thought it's impossible to have a quarterback, you know, be top five in the NFL and everybody agreed with it and the team goes four and twelve.
How do you even do that?
I don't know. Now I'm going to I want to go look where we had it.
I mean maybe maybe you know Archie Manning or something like that. Yeah, right, it's pretty rare. I I want to ask you about the Eagles real quick.
Uh.
They have Cam Jurgens, who's gonna move to right guard there, and he's and you mentioned in your piece that he's essentially just been a center. But you you must have immense faith in the development the coaching in Philadelphia. Obviously, they pour so many resources into both lines, and it is the heart and soul of that team.
But to go from center to play guard, is it?
Is it you played?
It is the position switch kind of like no problem for some guys, or is it like a wait and see how this works?
So, uh, it is much different playing guard than center, and people don't realize that.
The easiest way.
To describe it is when you're center, there's no real neutral zone. The nose tackles right there and so you kind of just snap the ball and like grab them with the other hand and you're very rarely isolated one on one. In pass protection, you know, you usually have one of the guards helping you, at least initially. Whereas guard, there's space, a little bit of time, and a lot of times you're one on one against an Aaron Donald.
Or whoever, and they basically have a two way go.
So the pass protector, the way I always describe it is like I could have started a whole year at center and been fine.
I could have even the way we slid left so much.
I could have started a whole year at left guard been okay, And it's changed a little bit. But right guard, with the amount of one on ones they get, that's when I got exposed. Like I couldn't hold up against really good interior rushers over a long period of time, and so I was worried about Cam Jurgens, really worrying. I mean, this is a guy that played tight end his first two or three years at Nebraska. They just moved the center and he was unbelievable last year in
the preseason for the Eagles as a center. Now, I didn't watch him take any reps at garden practice. I don't even know how many did last year. But I've been a training camp a couple of times because I had Mark to your point, I had major concerns about that. Saamlo's good. Saamlo gets overshadowed because he's in between probably two Hall of famers in Kelsey and Lane Johnson.
But Saamalo was good.
But I've been to enough practices now Cam Jurgens is good. Like to answer your question, Mark, He's one of those guys that it just it just worked for him right away.
Some guy I've seen multiple teams I've been on where they will like try to move a tackle to guard and have him be the starter right guard, and it was a disaster two thousand and two Washington, two thousand and seven Washington, whereas Jurgons man, I don't know how the OTAs went, but watching him in training camp, watching him in one on ones and going against Fletcher Cox. He's not going to be a problem at all. In fact, he's going to be really really good.
That was just a good pick along, like.
The just in terms of trench talk from somebody who's done it, because you're hearing about it. You in the below average cheeria you're starting, you start with the Jets of twenty four and this is less about the Jets and more just about what you're hearing about Kai Beckton, about how drafted as a left tackle, they're trying to make it work at right tackle. And you hear these guys that get flipped on each side of the line say it's like learning a new position and having to
do everything backwards. Is that like one of those things where you know, like patting your head and rubbing your belly. Some people can do it, some people can't. And how difficult is that a task to be to flip from one side to the other and expect to pick it up in the middle of the summer with games that count right around the corner.
So have you got any of you guys ever like broken your throwing hand or you're writing hand or wrist or anything like that because that's the way I always
describe it to people. It's like I broke my I actually had a bad that's a long story, but I had a snowblower incident when I was in ninth grade, okay, with my right hand, so I couldn't use my right hand for a while as that as I was healing, So I just started, you know, playing basketball and stuff with my left hand, and I got pretty good at it, but it was never quite as good as my right hand, and it took.
Me a while.
That's kind of it's similar to that right like it's you're still just dribbling a ball or you're still just writing, but it's not hand that you've used over and over again. So it's a different stance and a different weight transfer. So picture like three hours a day, every day you're in this exact same stance, and every step you take is pushing off your left foot and left leg because
you're in a right handed stance. And then all of a sudden they have you switch and go to left And for three years you were in this one stance. Think about the hours you put in and now they put you and you have to put Now you're pushing off your right now you're using your your right hand, your inside hand. Some guys it happens faster than others. You absolutely can do it. And if you're a guy like I was, your job is to be able to do it either side at a moment's notice. That's what
you practice. You practice actually both. But it's the guys like Becton that have only ever done one that when they have to switch to the other, it's it's like they're writing with their opposite hand. And you can probably get it done to the point where people can read what you're writing, but it's not going to be like a handwriting masterpiece, that's for sure.
If you flipped me in Cecila right now, I would have a panic at just you're sitting yeah, yeah, right.
Well no, but we've been sitting in the same place for like nine or ten years. To your point, Ross Leaky.
You can't play. You can't play left host.
I want to get to the teams at the bottom of the list at some point, but I do want to ask you about two in the at the bottom of the top ten Chargers Packers. Two teams I'm kind of mentally circling that could exceed expectations Chargers. I might be doing this for about the fifteenth three years. I mean, these two offensive lines to me have a very high ceiling. I keep looking at the Chargers offensive line. I'm thinking, like, why couldn't this be the best offensive line in the
league or close to it. Rayshawn Slater's back at left tackle. People might remember Zion Johnson. They drafted him the first round last year. They're moving him back to his natural position at left tackle. They really found something in Jamari Sailor, and you pointed out Ross. Maybe it's not easy for him to go from left tackle to right guard, but he's now going to be in their starting line about right guard. They have a great center in Lindsley. Those
are four really good players. And the Packers are kind of similar to me too. If Bactieri's healthy. Of Bacdiari Jenkins, they have a second year player Zach tom which looks great. Like am I wrong to think that this Chargers offensive line, especially new offensive coordinator but the same line coach like, could be really dynamic And it's such a change from what it's been two three, four years ago in Los Angeles, not at all.
I think they had a really good chance to be a top five to zero line if Sawyer can play it right guard the way I think he will after the way he played at left tackle last year in a weird way. Greg, It's almost like a blessing in disguise for this season that Slater was hurt last season because it allowed them to discover that Sawyer is a good player and even right tackle, which had just been such a disaster for them for multiple years.
I think Pipkins is solid.
I think Pipkins is fine, so they have a real chance to be a top five zero line. I think the question mark is moving a couple guys around. Yeah, you don't see that at other places necessarily, And how Pipkins and Sawyer play next to each other is the only thing really preventing them, because I think the I think the left side and Lindsey will be awesome. And then for the Packers, it's really just about Tiari hell thing,
you know. I mean, I can't remember the last time a guy they're telling us he's fine now.
It felt like two seasons in a row, maybe longer than that. He kept going in and out of the lineup and having his knee drained.
I've really thought he was done. To be honestly, I thought this isn't gonna happen for him. I'm really happy for him. It sounds like they think he'll be able to play the whole year, which is kind of remarkable because I think he got hurt three seasons ago and this will be the first time where they really think he's all the way back. I'm sure they're managing it, but I kind of thought last year when he was in and out that he was just gonna be done.
Isn't he kind of like the offense line version of Michael Thomas, Like, you want this guy he could be a difference maker and a star, and then you pencil him in in August. Then you just cross your fingers at this point. But he has that level of upside.
I'll pro five five straight years first or second team. You're right, Yeah, he feels like about as big of like a X factor for any team.
Especially especially with a young quarterback.
Because also then if he can't play, they got to move a bunch of guys around.
I don't know.
I don't know if they'll put Elton Jenkins out there, who I think is a really good player. I can't believe DJ readers that he never heard of him. Elton Jenkins is awesome. That just goes to show you most of the time, these guys don't care. They don't pay attention to offensive lineman from team they don't play against. So that Alton Jenkins is really good, Like he's a really good player. So uh yeah, I think that's a
I mean, if Bactiari stays healthy, their top ten. If he's not, you know, then they're then they're very average at best.
So the Titans interesting case study because I think if you were a super a casual fan, you probably still think, because that's been their identity, that they still have this strong offensive line. They're a disaster. They're number thirty two on your list. That's a free fall from where they were seven hundred days ago. What is the team that in this offseason did the most to improve their their ranking?
Who did the most?
So to your point, first Mark, it's funny. My first game for CBS Week one will be the Titans at the Saints. So really looking forward to being in Greg Rosenthal City in New Orleans. They have any good food down there? I like food. If you guys didn't know, I.
Think, but it's on you if you don't find it.
Yeah, really so, But Mark, it's so the Titans are like the best example maybe I've ever seen of how fast the NFL can come at you. It was it feels like it was two years ago that they may have had the best O line in the league. And it was like Taylor Lewan, Roger Saffold, Benji, Nate Davis, Jack Kontlin. Maybe that was three years ago. But now it's like they're all gone. Not one of those guys is there anymore. Like that's how fast it can change.
They need Dillard to play, to play well at left tackle. That way they can keep Skronski get guard, and if they do that, I think they'll be in pretty good shape.
You know.
It's funny, I guess to answer your question, I would say Denver. The two that jump out to me are probably Denver and Denver, Pittsburgh and Chicago.
That's three, by the way. But Denver bringing in McGlinchey in powers although that that makes to be seen.
You know, like just because a team pays to bring in two established starters from other teams doesn't necessarily mean those guys are always.
Gonna play quite as well.
In their new city or with new teammates. But certainly Denver went up in my rankings because of adding those two guys, and then Pittsburgh and Chicago I mentioned earlier in the show. I think Saamlo is a really good player, and so for Pittsburgh to get kind of his veteran presence and to have him next to if Broderick Jones ends up starting at some point at left tackle, the rookie first rounder, I think it's invaluable to have saam Olo nextra Kelsey. Jason Kelsey for Philadelphia said that Saamlo
is the smartest player ever played with. Wow, so that really helps a rookie like Broderick Jones to say Amlo can essentially just make sure he knows who to block every play. That's a big step in the right direction. And then you know, the Bears are kind of the opposite of the Titans.
Last year.
The only reason why I didn't have the Bears ranked thirty thirty is because there's only thirty two teams. I mean, last year, I thought the Bears old line would be a disaster. But what happened is it turns out that Tevin Jenkins, of all people who had been a bust for two years ago at tackle, is a good guard. And they had a rookie fifth round pick from Southern tah named Braxton Jones, who I think is a starting left tackle in.
The league and pretty good.
And then they added Nate Davis and free agency to play right guard. And they've got Darnell Wright, who I loved out of college to play right tackle from Tennessee, and that enables them to have white Hair at center, which is definitely his best spot. And now all of a sudden, the Bears go from me thinking that they were poor last year to average this year, which makes a really really big difference for fields and the offensive skill.
Guys in Chicago, very good, Ross Tucker, you've said it all. Good man, Good luck in the booth. We will be listen. Are we going to be fair, yes, but are we going to be rooting for you?
Yes?
Absolutely when it comes to time to really measuring what's going on in that booth. And let's tease it this way and again check out Ross the Ross Tucker Football Podcast and everywhere else next time on the show Ross Snowblower Incident.
That's how we lead.
Ooh yeah, that's a bad story, but I'm happy to I'm happy to tell it.
Yeah, the mystery of it might be better, but we'll just tease at that may.
People will always tease every Ross appearance going forward with the snowblower exhibit.
Never actually hit it. That's the plan. Ross, Thanks Bud, Thanks Ross, Thank you, Hey, then you guys.
For having me. Great scene. You guys, keep up the great work.
Thanks Pal. Thanks there he goes.
Uh.
Just so everybody knows, Ross's countdown one through ten is Eagles, Lions, Browns, Chiefs, Ravens, Cowboys, Falcons, Falcons.
Some of the team started.
Vikings, Chargers, Packers.
Some of the team stories a bottom are more like, yeah, we expect the Seas to be good. He had him twenty sixth. The Jaguars fans, I think will take some issue with them being.
The first mention of their attack.
Sure they drafted uh Anton Harrison, who uh looked okay this weekend. I think he's playing right tackle. You got Walker.
I mean it makes a breaks team.
If they really were the thirty first offensive line, then they're being overrated the same like Seahawks.
He had twenty six. We'll see Jets.
We've talked about those concerns the forty nine ers I mentioned, I don't think it's the best chance of hit. Might be the worst line they've had since he's been there.
The blow average tier and down is Jets, Giants, Seahawks, Bucks, Cardinals, and then started with a poor tier which he also called ross, the no chance tier Commanders. That seems problematic with a young quarterback, Rams, Jaguars and as we say tight.
I hope that is five playoff teams from a year ago.
Someone wants sad dog.
It's fair, you know. Justin Graver can't be very happy about this either. I would love our old producer.
They were a giant.
They were, I mean again and on a paper they are a disaster. They actually had one of the more surprising storylines. I know we're getting going, but like the fact that Malik Willis versus Will Levis is a legit battle and people thought it was going to be will Levis versus Tannehill, and Willis looked much better than he did a year ago, and Levis looked like a lot of the rookies a little overwhelmed and is playing behind
Willis right now. It's one of the more more surprising But again, the story lines, and they're all in deep trouble behind that ovens.
Well that's the thing, like you got hat these guys playing behind the starters of the thirty second ranked line in the league, backups to the worst lines. So it's like and you got you know that? How do we will Levis like put him. I'd start in the game or two just to see him behind some starters.
Maybe they'll flip them, maybe they'll flip them.
But I really feel like Tannehill's been done, done, dirty, done, a disservice.
Tough sitch, tough stitch.
Two quick running back notes before we say goodbye one rahaps She reports that Jonathan Taylor, who has been away from the team, getting additional rehab on his ankle.
That's one way to put it.
The other way to put it is he's pissed because they won't pay him, the Colts being the they. He's back with the Indy. As of Monday, he remained on the pup list and his stance, according to Ian, has not changed, but he has returned and in other news, Kendriy miller I mentioned him earlier in the show The Saints Rookie running Back reporting out there Now from ESPN. He is not expected to miss extensive time after leaving that game with a knee injury. According to a source Good News.
There is one other JK. Dobbins has been activated from the pup list. The hole in situation.
It's a little bundle there of running back news to close the show, backfield bundle, beautiful speaking, beautiful, great work, hinge hitting. Randy Chavez total confidence that he would succeed. Christy Stableton behind waving her arms. Why don't I get the respect.
I was gonna say, Christy's really the reason why.
This ship didn't go down.
So that's see, that's the leader that you are. And you don't have that funk music.
By the way, if you do, I'd really love to sing your praises and yeah, Christy as well, a little funk jake funk kind of. He got through the line a couple times for the Colts in limited action.
It was surprised.
Not you, not at all.
That's how it works.
They only need like four more people to get hurt or hold out.
Or he'll always find out.
He'll mind on this time.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, all right, thank you Randy and Christy holding it down. We'll be back let's keep this, let's play out with this.
We'll be back on Wednesday, the three of us with another program, not just any program, the forty seventh Annual Fantasy Extravaganza.
With special guests.
We will get you ready for your fantasy draft, hell or high water.
This is one you don't want to tell your friends about, right, you get that edge up on them, right.
But that would affect our metrics slightly, So tell everyone. I don't know.
I'm a little torn because I do want I hard listeners to do the best. But the Fantasy Extravaganza is back on Wednesday, and of course tomorrow, Colleen and I are back with Hard Knocks creakap episode two, immediately after the West Coast airing of that NFL Films HBO joint anything else, Greg, he gets it til tomorrow, he the call. Turn this up on my earphones,