Hello everyone, Goodmorrow. I'm James Palmer. With me is Steve Weisch.
This is the NFL Report, where we're gonna dissect the biggest storylines across the NFL. But maybe more importantly, Steve, we are going to discuss the storylines and topics that maybe are getting overlooked.
Today.
We're gonna have Bridget Condon, We're gonna have Omar Ruiz, We're gonna have Alonzo Highsmith with us, a former personnel executive around the NFL. Pull back the curtain a little bit, if you will, on what happens within NFL buildings during cutdowns. Now here's the best part, Steve. We are versatile. We're
like Dion Sanders. We are not only a podcast with NFL Report, we are also streaming on the NFL channel, on to Be, on Roku, on Peacock, what else, Pluto, all of those spots wherever you stream your television, look for the NFL channel Mondays and Thursdays at seven fifteen. So this is also a podcast twice a week, Steve, and this is number one for us. Well, let's I'll
stop promoting us. I'll stop that. Everybody's gonna watch. Anyways, Let's get right into it, and Chris Ballard, the Colts general manager, saying, pretty much, Steve, what all of us have been saying to one another privately about the situation with their star running back Jonathan Taylor.
Take a listen, I.
Mean the situation. I'm not going to sit here and give you some rosy picture like, oh, this is just everything's okay.
No, it sucks.
It sucks for the Colts, It sucks for Jonathan Taylor, and it sucks for our fans. It just it does, and it's it's where we're at, and we've got to work through it, and we're gonna do everything we can to work through it. Relationships are repairable, They're repairable, Yeah.
Jap, I don't know if this relationship is repaarable.
First of all, I love the honesty.
Yeah, I mean, I like, like it sucks, but what if? What like? What have you ever heard of management in any sport?
I've covered the NBA, I have covered collegiate football, I've covered the NFL three years. A manager giveaway any leverage by getting to the emotional point saying this sucks. We don't hear it, so now it sucks for our fans.
It sucks. For us. It probably sucks for.
Him because he's the guy trying to negotiate a way to get his star player back on the field. You have your owner and Jim ersay a couple of weeks ago, after a very public meeting in the trailer at training camp, come out and basically say, yeah, we're not paying him. After Anthony Rich, I'm sorry, after Jonathan Taylor, seems like he went in there thinking that maybe they could work something out. So now you've got all this collateral damage
and this is this is not good. Now they placed him on pup JP right, saying that the ankle hasn't healed whatever, So they've got four games to work this out, and they're still paying him.
Because he's on pup.
So maybe that's some type of ointment on this open wound. But the fact that we are here this is one of the most in all my years of doing this, all these contract disputes, this one.
Feels so personal. I don't know if it can be repaired.
And what has happened Steve, each and every time this is escalated in terms of emotion, It's almost been every time Jim Mersey has made a comment one way or the other, whether it be via Twitter sorry X, which it's called now, or speaking to reporters and saying something publicly. Because what we do have to remember, and I've been in that building over the last couple of years. You've been in that building over the last couple of years.
Jonathan Taylor has been a model citizen in that locker room, a very well liked player in that locker room, and has gone about his business during his rookie deal. You would assume watching other players get paid, and that's what you're thinking when you're a star player, thinking they're going to take care of you as a homegrown talent. You've
seen Quentin Nelson get paid. You've seen name Heines got a second contract out of the backfield with him as well, and Darius Leonard, and you're just waiting your time, and now you're maybe the best player on this team, and now you're told you're not getting an offer, any sort of offer. And I think you have to remember he was on a zoom call with Josh Jacobs, he was on a zoom call with Saquon Barkley to go over the state of where all of them stand in terms
of their position. I think this is a loss of trust, and you're right, how do you repair a relationship where you feel like the trust is lost? Because the crux of all this is one major topic. They believe he is not healthy enough to play like he played in twenty twenty one, so they want to see him go out and do it. He wants to get paid before he risks injury going out and doing it. Where do you find a middle ground in that position?
Yeah, and this is where it gets dicey because you talked to posing coaches right now, they're like, I am glad the cults are going through this because Jonathan Taylor's a beast. You know, he's a top top three running back in the NFL and a lot of guys of opposing coaches so they're loving seeing this chaos.
But you know, you talk about a lack of trust. And now we've got the.
Medical issue as well, JPE. Because let's say the four games go, when the he comes off of pop, medical staff says he's clear, he's medically cleared, he says, I have my doctor who says I'm not okay. Then you also bring the medical group in his collateral damage. It gets real ugly, but we're gonna move on from this because we've got another medical situation and potential contract situation brewing in Cincinnati.
And for that j p Let's also bringing our Bridget.
Condon, who spent a couple of days up at training camp in Cincinnati with the Bengals.
Bridget, you're coming in. We are talking about quarterback Joe.
Burrow shows up on the practice field on Tuesday, comes out and practices Wednesday. Head co Zach Taylor says, it doesn't look like he's missed any practice at all with that calf.
Injury that kept him out.
What is the latest you can tell us about his situation medically and then contractually.
Yeah, I don't think anyone was surprised to see Joe Burrow on the practice field. You know, his head coach saying he hasn't missed a beat, his teammates saying that he brought an extra spark out to practice. When I was up there, it was the first day we kind of saw him in street clothes, he had that bucket hat, just kind of watching practice and at that point you kind of knew, Okay, he's gonna be ready for week one now. To be out there the week before you
really get into focusing on week one. It seems like the natural progression of that injury. I know there's a lot of talk about has he been you know, kind of maybe lingering a little bit because of that contract situation. But I think there's a lot that we have to dissect here with Joe Burrow, and I want you guys to chime in here. But the best thing and maybe even I don't know, more trendy than him being back
on the practice field. Did you guys see his Instagram story of him in the lebron James Cass jersey and it said, Okay, I don't know, are you guys familiar with snapchat? I feel like maybe not.
That's all you.
So it's definitely a snapchat like you're it's definitely but in high school. Come on, guys, it's definitely a Snapchat mirror picture because you can just tell with the like the graphic that says we're back or he's back.
It's definitely like an old picture.
But he posted it on his Instagram story to let everybody know he's back. This is a guy that he's a lot of fun to be around. His teammates like him. He has that swagger that we always talk about. I think there is no question in anybody's mind in the building that a deal is going to get done before the season starts.
It's just when.
And I think, you know, we could come down today, it could come down tomorrow. I think everybody's kind of on the edge of their seat. We also have to remember, the same agent that's doing his deal is the one doing Nick Bosas, So a busy next two weeks for you know, both of them.
I think we're seeing bridget Honestly, this seems just by watching it go down from when in the spring Joe Burrows talking about I think I've made it abundantly clear what I think I'm worth and what i think I'm worth getting. It's been pretty amicable. I do think both sides are very tough in terms of negotiations. The Brangles have never been pushed over Steve over the years by
any stretch. But I'm curious on how this contract is going to be structured, because really, if you think about it, it's Patrick Mahomes and the next best player we all say is Joe Burrow. I think the gap is probably closer than maybe some other people believe. How does he
structure this contract? How creative. Are they maybe having to be steve during this contract negotiations if Joe Burrow, who has made it clear he wants to keep this group together the same way Mahomes has said he wants to be able to structure his contract to where he can keep a lot of talent around him. You have one of your top receivers and t Higgins that has also due a new deal. Jamar Chase is already on the horizon in a sense, and that's just the guys he
throws the football to. There's a lot of other positions and positions you have to pay. How do you think Joe Burrow structures this contract because I do think he looks at success similarly to Pat Mahomes. I think this will be a record breaking deal, but I do think there's some creativity that's going on behind closed doors.
Right And you nailed JP and he said, I think he looks at success the same way. That's why he's out there on that practice field right now. And you know there was video of him. He's not wearing a sleeve or anything on that calf. He's wearing like everything is good to go. So he's a football player. He wants to be out there competing with his teammates. But the structure is important. And to your point about Mahomes, he didn't take a ton of cash over the first
three years. You have a lot of people saying, what is this guy doing to backload a deal like this in case he gets hurt. There is a potential trust issue. There's a potential renegotiation there for Mahomes. But let's look at how the market is laid out this offseason. Lamar Jackson five years two hundred and sixty million, Jalen Hurts five years, two hundred and fifty five million, Justin Herbert five years two hundred and sixty two million with a
no trade clause. Right, So these are the parameters to get a deal done. So you're gonna see the yearly average and everything be similar to those three. It is going to be the structure to see if they can keep the team together. But Bridge, I want to get back to you. You know you heard me say that Joey b didn't have the sleeve on. He's out there wanting to play football. The risk of stepping out on
that field and reaggravating that thing. Do you think there's a bond enough with that organization which has been tight with money up probably too the last five years in Joe Burrow to take care of him even if he does get hurt before a contract is finalized.
Well, I think we have to remember I think today too, he just participated in individual drills, right, I don't think we're going to see him doing a lot of team drills. And whether that's the natural progression of the injury or he's thinking contract in his mind, no one's really going to know. But I do think you're getting down to that period like you mentioned, But in my eyes, there's
no way that this organization doesn't pay Joe Burrow. Yes, there's been issues in the past, but this is a guy who's coming in and he's going to be the one to get you to it. He's already gotten you to a Super Bowl, but hopefully help you win that first super He's mentioned you know that window being his entire career. This is the face of your franchise, and
I think he's proven. He's had injuries, right, this is his fourth consecutive off season where he hasn't participated in the entire chunk of it and still has found success. So depending upon the injury I think regardless, this is the guy that you want to pay. This is the guy you want as the face of your franchise. Hopefully figure it out so that you know, for Joe Burrow's sake, he gets the money and then can worry a little bit less if something unfortunate were to happen.
Bo great stuff, really really good points quick.
I'll say this, The Bengals are not going to put him out there making less money.
Sure, sure you know you don't think they're gonna make.
Him available less money than arch Manning. Don't.
Don't you don't think we're gonna have a job in the Taylor situation. Cincinnati. Hey, really good stuff. Good because our bridget sit tight. We're gonna come back to you.
We're also gonna be joined a little bit later by Omar Ruish and Alonzo Heismith. But today is also a very sad day. James is one of the NFL great Gil Brandt personnel scouting legend to the point where the NFL would not be where it is today. I'm going to say this personally and professionally without Gil Brandt. He passed today at the age of ninety one. Now, the long term Cowboys executive who was there for the inception of the franchise up until nineteen eighty nine when he
was let go when Jerry Jones bought the team. He was somebody who had an incredible eye for talent. He brought computers into the game. He was the grandfather to what now is the actual NFL Combine.
Gil went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in twenty nineteen. He worked here at NFL dot Com. He was here when I started in two thousand and eight. He helped me tremendously.
My great respect for Gil Brandt comes because of his.
Professionalism, his attention.
To detail, to historically black colleges and university. He stacked the rosters for the Cowboys, a lot of small school players in HBUs. He was on the Black College Football Hall of Fame selection committee with me.
I need somebody near and dear to all of us rest in peace.
Skill.
You know he knows what he did on the field, He knows how valuable a player he is, and he knows he'll be he'll be compensated for it. So I don't think he has.
A way in his mind.
We have to strike the right mix of urgency. I don't like this.
I don't like not having one of our best players here. We've got a really good track record that I'm proud of as a group of having our players in frustration.
No, it's going pretty much exactly how I expected it to go.
That's so now it's kind of just been exactly what I thought.
Long.
Yeah, i'd a feeling it would.
You can imagine this team not having him on the team saying that if this thing goes on in the previous.
Season, Yeah, I can imagine anything. Doesn't mean I like that picture, of course. Now, you guys know how we feel about Nick, and we all know how good of a player he is, so hopefully we can come to terms soon and get him here asa as possible.
This is the guy that addresses our team every Saturday and just gives his wisdom.
We miss him and looking forward to the day he's coming back.
I just want to sack the quarterback, dude.
All right, welcome back.
That was Eric Armstead, John Lynch, Kyle Shanahan, all members of the forty nine ers talking about you know who, Nick Bosa, who just wants to sack the quarterback dude. I'm excited to hear Omar Rowiz drop a couple of dudes in here. When's this dude showing up? And when's this contract getting done with this dude?
Omar Well to borrow from Nick Bosa's sack dance celebration. I don't know, Nick, And this contract negotiation dragging on even longer than John Lynch expected. He acknowledged that yesterday press conference. When I spoke with Lynch at the very beginning of training camp, he indicated to me he knew it was going to be a tough negotiation with Nick Bosa and his representatives, but it has gone on longer than he thought. Kyle Shanahan meanwhile saying, this is about
the window that he'd thought they'd reach a negotiation. But I go back to twenty seventeen, Steve, you probably remember this Aaron Donald showing up maybe the friday before Week one. He didn't play in that opening game with the Sean McVay era in Indianapolis, and they blew the Colts out, and then he goes on to win the Defensive Player of the Year his first. Now Nick Bosa, the reigning
Defensive Player of the Year, comes in. I still don't get a sense from the forty nine ers that he's not going to be there eventually, that this will eventually get done. But obviously, in John Lynch's eyes, this has gone on longer and he thought it would.
Take Yeah, oh, I will tell you this, you know, judging by the tone, like we played a clip of Kyle Shanahan a week ago and then yesterday, there seems to be a little little bit of consternation in the tone.
But I'll also say this, and this is just years of experience.
I'm dealing with a lot of these types of contract situations. When you hear teams say like, hopefully we can get this done in the next couple of days, that process tends to be sped up to like, yeah, it's probably gonna get done the next couple of hours now. And now, maybe I'm just being this or that, but you know I heard that, you know this year in training camp with the Vikings with Daniel Hunter. Oh yeah, you know, maybe I think we'll get it done in the next
couple of weeks. The next day it was done. So when you start hearing things like that, there tends to be an accelerated clock. But here's maybe the potential. I won't say, hang up, but let's look at the market.
TJ.
Watt twenty eight mil per year, eighty fully guaranteed, Joey Bosa twenty seven million year, seventy eight fully guaranteed, Miles Garrett twenty five year, but just fifty million guaranteed. The guaranteed money is going to probably be the issue here when you look at eight he fully guaranteed. That's the money he's gonna get whatever that that's.
Always the number.
And you and you look at the Niners, They're they're putting their money on defense. But Eric Arms did Fred Warner. They just signed jon Hardgrave a big contract, so you know this is where they are going to put their money, knowing that Nick Bosha is the dude who really is the best out of all of them. But now it's just a matter of how that's gonna come and what that might do to guys on the other side of
the ball in the coming years. But there still isn't that to me financially, the fact that you've got a rookie quarterback on a seventh round contract, you still have a lot more wiggle room than other teams do JP And the fact also you're hearing the way that Lynch and Kyle Shanahan talked about this.
They're not saying, oh, this sucks. They're keeping a.
Good line of communication open to the player and negotiations.
And that's the way they they have take care of their homegrown guys.
They've done it.
They've taken care of guys like Deebo Samuel, They've taken care of other guys in the past.
I think a couple of quick points on this before we move on. Omar.
Sorry to cut you off, but I gotta jump in. I gotta say this, listen, They're not trading him. Both John Lynch and Kyle Shannon were asked, you know, would you trade Joe?
Would you trade Nick Bosa? No, that's not happening.
He's the best defensive player in money people's minds in the NFL.
You mentioned Steve TJ.
Watts deal at twenty eight million dollars a year, you would think coming off of a defensive Player of the Year award and eighteen and a half sacks that Nick Bosa with two years also of inflation off of that contract, this is probably a thirty million dollars a year situation where this contract is going. Now, what we do need to keep an eye on because I do think a deal gets done before the start of the season. Is
he ready for Week one? John Lynch believes usually, universally it takes about three weeks for a player to get ready to play in an NFL game. But he also acknowledged that Nick Bosa is not a normal human being in terms of how he's built, how he works out. That is going to be the thing we keep our eye on once he reports, is how quickly he gets up to speak, because the forty nine ers believe it'll be much quicker than a lot of other players around the league or a lot of other players they've dealt
with in the past. Let's talk to another guy that is not in camp, and that is the Kansas City Chiefs Chris Jones, who is doing a holdout. To really describe all holdouts, his situation also is different than Nick Boss because Nix is coming off of that rookie contract and Chris Jones is coming off of his second contract Steve, So that is a situation where he's getting fined regularly. Omar about one point eight million dollars already missed. And what I've been told is it's not like the Chiefs
are upset with Chris Jones. They're just kind of scratching their head, going, I'm not sure what's going on here. Why didn't you just have a hold in. Why didn't you just show up and not participate. They're kind of just confused by the situation more so than they're angry, which is very interesting.
Yeah, look, I mean it is interesting. But let's piggyback off of the previous conversation. Chris Jones the last two years has primarily played on the edge.
Correct Poe's Nick Bosa comes in in thirty million a year.
Now the Chiefs are like, holy hell, we're not gonna pay this. He's the best offensive line.
But you know, is the interior where Aaron Donald's making thirty one million dollars this year?
You know?
Or is he the edge guy thirty million a year? This could really to me, this Bosa deal might throw another wrinkle.
It's Chris Jones holdout Omar Well.
I think I think you guys both in both both these conversations kind of hit it on the head. Whereas Nick Bosa needs to be on the forty nine ers for them to be true Super Bowl contenders. And I think it's the same thing with Chris Jones as good as Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. Are Chris Jones the centerpiece of that defense, making them a super Bowl caliber
championship defense. And I think his representatives know that, just like you said, Steve seventh round quarterback, rookie quarterback going into the second year with the forty nine ers, Nick Bosa's agents know that as well, just like Chris Jones's agents know that. You know, he is needed in the middle of that Chiefs defense, and you know, if this is what they have to deal with the start this season, it's gonna be things like this. I think that might
you know, that could derail the Chiefs. I think I think we're all bullish on Kansas City this year. I mean I know personally, I feel as strongly about them repeating this year as any team since I've been covering the NFL. When you go back to looking how Mahomes adjusted to the new look receiving cores and then you had the six rookies playing significant snaps on defense last
year and they're only going to grow. But at the center of it all is Chris Jones, and I think, you know, it's a matter of time before he gets in but yeah, little Sweaty in Santa Clair in Kansas City right now.
Gotta like it.
Man to two two likely Super Bowl contenders, I gets their best defensive lineman in there. Guys, we're gonna button this up right now because our special guest.
Is waiting on hold.
Remember, guys, we are two days away from rosters being cut to the fifty three practice squads being made, guys getting stashed, teams only keeping one quarterback on the ad active roster. Coming up next, Alonzo Heighsmith is going to tell us how the rosters as made. Alright back at
the NFL reports the White Cheer James Palmer. Now we're joined by our special guest, Alonzo high Smith, the number three overall pick the Houston Oilers in nineteen eighty seven, long time NFL personnel exec and now the general manager of the University of Miami football team.
Soh thanks so much for joining us.
Man, Hey, thank you for being on and enjoy watching you guys every day on television. So it's probably one of the things I really enjoyed the most being in college football is having an opportunity to sit back and watch the whole NFL listening to your stories, reports on what's going on around the league, and I'm not too far removed from the league, so I understand a lot of the things that are going on.
That's why we have you here though, That's why we have you here for first off, general manager of a collegiate program.
Like, what is that? That seems like a very interesting title.
Well, I think mine's is really a unique situation. Having played at University of Miami, understanding the city of Miami, understanding the culture. I wouldn't say there's a real GM in college football because that's the head coach. The head coaches, you know, he basically runs the program the way he wants to run, and all you're trying to do is is be an ear for him. One of the greatest things I really enjoyed doing is talking to the players.
You know, I have such a different perspective of college football being in it now, for athletes and understanding what they go through to play college football. It's much different than when I played college football. Social media, time consumption, there's so many things that involved compared to when I played. You know, I have a real appreciation for these kids and understanding where they're trying to get to and I try and use my knowledge of being where they want
to go to give them good advice. And you know, I enjoy when they come in my room. And you know, we've got some young running backs and they came in my room and they were talking about football, and I said, hey, let's put up some great backs on YouTube and watch and just and to sit there and watch them. I put up Nick Schubb, of.
Course, who drafted.
Brandon Brandon, Brandon Jacobs and some other backs. So just getting them to understand the expectations and where their dreams want to go. These these this is the process you're going to have to follow. So that's one of the things I really enjoy about being back at University of Miami.
Well, listen, I want to talk about these teams that you used to be with Elizawa and the Packers, the Browns, the Seahawks. What was the process during the week in the years past that we just went through in the NFL in terms of cutdown? What was the preparation Because
I'm curious. Everybody knows what's going on in usually in your own building, but when you're looking at the thirty one other teams, what is the process that would go into that and making sure you were prepared to steal somebody from somebody else's squad.
Well, I think it all boils down basically to the foundation of your organization. At the Cleveland I'm sorry, at the Green Bay Packers, in the Seattle Seahawks, it's about building through the draft. It's about young players. And Ted Thompson and Ron Wolf were really big on the back
end of roster. You're always trying to improve the back end of the roster with young, more talented players, and you know, and that's one of the things we really concentrated on because we weren't a team that was going to go out and sign the twenty million dollars corner or that big defensive end. So it was about drafting precisely for your team and understanding the league and what's
out there. So when these cutdown days come out, with your scouts involved, all your player personnel people involved, you're scouring through the NFL on cutdown day to find that one diamond, to find some guys who can improve the back end of your roster.
So, you know, when I look at you know some things that happened in the NFL joint practices is one Zoe. And you know, a lot of coaches love the joint
practice controlled environment. But when I go to joint practices, I see personnel guys looking at every other team's individual drills all that person like, how much of these joint practices factor and to you guys getting a good read on talent, like, hey, if this corner becomes available, really want to go get him, or we really like this guy here, or they may want to stash one of our guys because they're looking at our guys just like we're looking at theirs.
Oh yeah, it's a huge factor because when you're have an opportunity to see the other team up in personal you're able to dig back into your college reports on players and you know what, maybe you don't get that player now, Maybe you get him in a trade six months later. Maybe you get him in a trade in the off season where they release him in the off season.
Maybe you get that player in his second contract. You had an opportunity to really watch them, your scouts really liked them in college, but because of the draft, you weren't able to get them. So you can use those joint practices in many ways to benefit your team. You know, there could be a kid that you think you're looking at that you're looking at their depth chart and you know there's five dbs that are going to make their
team based on what you're watching. There's this kid we really liked in college, and we might have had a fifth round grade on him, a sixth round grade on and he doesn't get drafted. Well, he's a free agent for that team. So you're thinking in your mind, oh, man, I really like this kid and we liked them as a group as an organization, we're getting ready for the draft. We didn't have the fifth or sixth round pick. If they released this kid, we're going to immediately jump on him.
And that's why you get scouts involved. You go back to what you saw in college when you're looking at young players. So there's an opportunity for you to make your team better at proving the back end of the roster.
Joe Quickly's a guy like Tremont Williams like that because I think he was a six round pick for Houston.
Got let go, you guys have him and turn him too a Pro Bowl corner.
Well, the thing about Tremone was I loved him in college. I had a good grade on him. I think we liked him as an organization, but those things happened weren't. We didn't draft him, and he went through the circuit after the draft. After the draft, he didn't get signed by anybody. He was hanging out and we had an opportunity because of our grades from college to bring him in and worked out. We put him on a practice squad, and the rest is history. The same thing can be
said about Sam Shields. The same thing can be said about Chris Banjo. These type of kids who who we liked. They had the athletic trace that had he They had all those sorts of things, and then there on the street, you have an opportunity to sign these guys and they become valuable members of your team.
Well, I'm always curious about this, and as opposed to getting somebody from another team, how about the process? We always talk about it, but I'm curious how it happens hiding a guy on your team essentially, you know what I mean, like where you don't want to see him play in the preseason for the rest of the league to see him, so you can put him on your practice But give me exactly how that process happens. And how an organization goes about maybe a guy hiding him that they want to develop.
Well, first of all, it's really hard to hide somebody because of the information out there, Like all thirty one teams have the same information we have about that player. Is probably more of a based on a perception on how you see that player and how you see how he fits on your team, and those sorts of things, and how all the other teams see that player. Maybe he gets hurt in the preseason and he only plays
one game. Well, as a team, looking at your team, you go, well, they're gonna try and sneak this guy on the practice squad, and it's really hard to pull players from another team's practice squad once those practice squads are set, So you may wait for him to get released and boom, you jump on him, Michael Hawk, and now he's your property. So you know, those are the things that go into players. I can think of a player every year I thought was gonna get cut at
at the Minnesota Vikings, Adam Thielen. I really liked him. He was came from a small school and watching tape, watching their scrimmages, I mean, watching their preseason games and things like that, and I go, man, when they cut this guy, we're gonna jump on him. Well lo and behold, he never gets cut. He becomes who he is in the league. And those things go on every day. You have to remember in the personnel apartment, everyone's responsible for teams.
Everybody's writing reports about all the practice squad players. So when the cutdown days it does come, you're prepared for. You know all these players, your scouts know these players. When I was in Green Bay, Reggie McKenzie would call me a Ron Woolford, Ted Thompson would call me a Byt a player. After cut down, they say you really like this kid in college, And I'm like, yeah, I really did like them. We should grab them, you know.
And and that's how that and that's how those relations start, all right.
So we're gonna ask you to sit tight for just a second, ago a quick break, and you're gonna come back. We got a lot more of Alonzo Highsmith. Plus later in the show, is Matthew Stafford and some of these other quarterbacks are they too old to relate to some of these.
Young wide receivers. What more on the NFL report, We come.
Back teach them a Lesson, Steve, Welcome back to the NFL Report. We're with Alonzo Highsmith, the general manager of the Miami Hurricanes, and we grilled you about all your time as a personnel executive, Alonso, and and I'm curious also when you're in the building every day, there's obviously some hurt feelings between player and team when it comes to contracts, when it comes to you know, not getting
the money they feel like they deserve. I know you're following love the rest of us, this Jonathan Taylor situation. How does one try to repair a relationship and move forward when things become as public like they are in Indianapolis right now.
Well, if it's all about money, I think it can be repaired. Money has a way of curing a lot of apples, and we all know that. I think the problems become when it becomes personal, when there's attacks on both sides to each other. That's when the relationship kind of goes to sour and it's irreparable. So, you know, I'm just hoping in his situation because he's a great talent. It's unfortunate what people think about running backs these days,
the value of running backs. But I think this guy, especially, he's a difference maker. The Colts are a better team with him than without him. And I'm hoping if it just comes to money, they finally say, you know what, let's just pay the guy what he's worth, and I think everyone will be happy at the end of the day.
So you're number three overall. Pick you were you were a running back come out of college. Let's let's let's hit on this. You talked early in the show about young players coming to seek advice from me. You're you're telling about running backs. Has anybody said, should I continue playing this position because it's not no longer a big money position in the NFL?
Well, you know what I thought about that, honestly, And you know, in today's football, if I was a six ' to one, two and thirty five pounds kid that played running back and linebacker, I'd probably stick to linebacker. I longevity the perception of the position, you know, I think you know, when people look at the running back position today, they look at the teams that are winning Super Bowls, they say, well, they didn't have a great running back, and then you see guys get hurt. The running back
position doesn't last very long. So if I'm a young kid, I may make that move. I think there's a perfect example of that. DJ Williams won the number one recruited kids in the nation at the University of Miami his first year. They moved in the running back and then he switched back to the linebacker and the rest is history. You know, he's a first round draft pick Denver, Broncos and all that kind of stuff. So, you know what, that is something to think about, and I've often thought about that.
Well, Eliza, everybody wants to play quarterback because we're talking about getting paid. That's where That's where you get paid, is playing quarterback in the NFL. But we're seeing just now in San Francisco a huge swing and a miss. Essentially, it seems right now. I know it's early and it's a small sample size with Trey Lance, but what is it that makes evaluating the quarterback position so difficult?
I've seen you at a.
Number of We've talked of what comes into evaluating quarterbacks and why is it so hard?
You know what, never has one position determine the fate of so many men, that quarterback position. I think quarterback is the hardest position in the history of sports. When you look at the quarterback position, your defense depends on you, your offense depends on you, the organization depends on you, the fans depending depend on you. You are the emperor the quarterback position, and if you're good at it, you'll
be treated like the emperor. But if you're not good at it, they'll kick you to the curve, throw you aside, and it sets the organization back. Sometimes. That's how important that position is, and that's why they get paid the most money and they're the most viable, I mean, and that's the thing that's interesting about the quarterback position. You don't know where they're going to come from. They come
from everywhere. You look at Rock Perdy, you look at Aaron Rodgers getting to University of California, You look at Josh Allen, not recruited out of high school. This list goes on and on of these guys, and then you have the guys who were a five star guy in
high school and all that kind of stuff. And I can tell you this, evaluating high school players now at the high school level and seeing these seeing these next generation of quarterbacks, it's even harder because really, when you see a kid, when you see a kid throw the ball fifty five times in a game, he's seventy percent completion ray four touchdowns, but he didn't throw a ball
over twelve yards. You know, there's so many different factors, and I think the number one factor about the quarterback position is these guys have it when even as a young guy, you knew that guy had it. Was he was maybe a little cocky, maybe was a little brash, he was confident himself. The media didn't bother him. He had a talented arm or, he had a talented mind
and had a tremendous work ethic. I think one of the things you have to find out about the quarterback position is what is his mindset and what is his work ethic? Like does he if he's not going to have the natural talents of the Aaron Rodgers and a lot of things, he's going to have to have so many other things. And the guys who have the talent are gonna have to have will have to have the other part of the game at one hundred percent to succeed. So I mean, you look at look at Jackson at
the Ravens. A unique kid. He's unique in his own way. He's a winner. All he does is win football games. I had the opportunity to watch Jalen hurtson high school. He was a winner. He went to Oklahoma, he was a winner, went to Alabama, he was a winner. And there was so many thoughts about him, whether it's a false narrative or positive narrative that sometimes you don't know what to believe. So you have to believe the talent.
I thought when Jalen Hurts went to the combine, he threw the balls wall as any quarterback that was there. He was he was six foot two, six ' one, ran a four to six and I thought he had a heck of a combine throwing the football. Now, what happens in the quarterback position sometimes is you don't want to believe what you see. Well, he played at Iowas, he played at Iowa State. You know he didn't play with a good team. There's so many narratives with that position.
That's why it's so hard. That's why it's so hard to choose that guy.
Sometimes a lot of that that is that is why we have you on the show because that is absolutely fantastic evaluation. You know, you really peel back some layers and some audience. Hey, bro, thanks so much for joining us here on the NFL Report. You on our initial podcas so you know you're leading things off for us.
Man. Good luck to you and really appreciate you.
All right, guys, take care.
All right, and when we come back, we're gonna talk the age discrepancy.
Can older quarterback get along with his younger teammates? You got a lot coming ahead on the NFL.
We are back for the final block of the NFL Report. James Palmer, what is going on in New England? I know we've been asking that for a while, but when you see cutdown date and Mac Jones is the only active quarterback on the roster, what are we doing here?
It's unconventional, Steve, and I think we've seen unconventional from Bill Belichick before. It was really just going out there and exposing both these quarterbacks to waivers and then they have ultimately come back to the practice squad in Bailey, Zappy and U Cunningham. I'm looking at Cunningham going, I'm looking at Cunningham going, Steve, like this is going to be Jalen Hurts for the next several.
Days, right.
I believe they open up against the Philadelphia Eagles. This is going to be Jalen Hurts in practice for the next ten days roughly. I was surprised at how they went about it, but Bill Belichick made sure everybody knew and he said it very clearly. There's gonna be some unontentional ways about how we go about this, but we're gonna get back to, you know, our fifty three in our practice cane on how we want it to be. I know a lot of people have buzzed about Brian Hoyer as a potential return.
To New England.
That is the first time that's.
Ever been saying number two job was Honestly, yeah, there was, I'm serious, but I don't think I don't think there's. The number two job with the Raiders was early up for grabs by any means, but it made people's minds. And my point of it was, it just made people's minds go right, like, what's the thought here when they were both waved in a sense.
Well, I'm telling you, if I'm an opponent, I'm claiming both of those guys. So they go to a game with only Mac Jones and we'll see how this great strategy works out. Speaking of great strategies, and I need some help with this. You got to being an omar Ruiz and Bridge of Condon back onto the NFL report as the elder statesman here, as someone who has sons ages twenty seven through thirty, I have a hard time
relating them, relating to them a lot. I'm related to them, but a hard time relating to them because you know, it was a guy who at one point had to get up and.
Turn the TV channel.
So Bridge and Condon as the real youth expert on the show. You were out at the RAMS practice earlier this week when there was a conversation Kelly Stafford, Matthew Stafford's wife. I'm pretty sure she was joking when she said.
Matt so old. He can't he can't figure out these young guys.
You know, he doesn't know how to play Yu gi oh and all of these things that these guys are playing. So let's chew on this little bit, Bridget, since you were there, what's the conversation and actually, more importantly, what's the dynamic?
Okay, I think this was blown way out of proportion. Anybody who knew was Kelly Stafford, and I don't know her personally, but I listened to her podcast, she jokes a lot, and this one hundred percent was a joke. Whether it's true or not, there is a little bit of truth to it, But I don't think that causes any concern. There's a difference right when you are even between you and I were talking about snapchat earlier on the podcast, and you enjoyed, were like, what Snapchat like,
I'm gonna get in trouble with my wife. You're not going to get in trouble with your wife if you use it in the right way. But seriously, it's a difference. There is a difference in age, of course, and almost more like culture too, right. I think the younger kids coming up because they grew up with TikTok, they grew up with Snapchat, they grew up with phones at the every second of their life, they operate a little differently.
But it's nothing to be said about, oh my god, they're not going to be able to get along on a football field together. I think that's where the out of proportion came into play.
Well.
I think the broader point and all of this is that Matthew Stafford perhaps has to try a little harder now to relate to the players because they are in their phones. They're not playing ping pong, They're not sitting around doing those bonding things like they normally would or like they used to in the locker room in their downtime. He has to actively go seek a guy, figure out, you know, where he's from, strike up a conversation what he did this weekend in order to get to know him.
So it just takes a little more planning for Stafford is what I read through Kelly Stafford's comments. Matthew Stafford that is in having to exude that leadership in that locker room, not necessarily that he can't relate to the guys. It just takes a little extra effort because a lot of the young guys are so attached to their cell phones and they're not just hanging out naturally like they
used to do. I remember Tom Brady, remember he was like twenty years older for a long time, but he always related to the guys because he would just always know their names and strike up conversations and all that.
Ja pee, let me get it here, because I'm gonna act.
Like the kids.
Hold up, Hold up, hold up. Why is it.
Matthew Stafford who's got to reach back Matthew Stafford's the ones with the with the with the skins on the wall. Why wouldn't these young folks JP be the one like, I want to get to where that guy's.
Going, so let me learn more about him.
Why is it on the old guy who's got to go fishing in the snapchat pool or whatever it is, the yu gi oh card Pool to get with his teammates because we've seen this, right, Look Aaron Rodgers on Hard Knocks, you keep talking about.
Uto.
Yeah, I got kids, you know all that stuff. But what I'm saying, what I'm.
Saying is like derailed Steve.
Well, look Aaron Rodgers was seeing a Hard Knocks he's buddy buddy with all these guys.
Well ask Christian Watkins and all those guys, those young players last year in Green Bay if he was that nice to them, right, So that you know, it's like I said, it takes like, hey, I've got to make an effort on both sides.
All right, James gets back on the rails.
I'll say, I'll say, Steve, if you remember, it's it's pretty much Julian Edeman's claim to fame, right, he is the one that went and said I'm going to attach myself to Tom Brady. I'm going to follow him in every spot that he goes, every corner of the earth he wants to throw a football, I'm going to go there and be with him. That is the young guy approach to the veteran quarterback you're talking to. And look
what it did for Julian Edelman. Omar brought up Brady by the way and and being down there in an elderly woman's home used as an airbnb for thirty seven straight days.
Hold up, I got a chance to be a fly on the wall. Yeah, yeah, that's where we put in an elderly listen. Go on YouTube.
Well, wasn't offered. Wasn't offered back then, guys, But you can go on YouTube. You can watch my Tampa Diaries as I broadcast live from that home during COVID. But I got to watch Tom Brady being a fly on the wall. So few of us were allowed at those practices to be right there on the sideline and watch Brady interact with an entirely new group of guys. And everything I heard from every player I spoke to on that Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster was like he has found
a way to connect to everybody inside this room. And he always heard in New England that the first thing that happened when you came into that locker room is Brady was one of the first people that went up to you and introduced himself. He like he has to, but he would introduce himself, you know, I'm Tom Brady, and reach out himself. That is I think, Omar, maybe one of the greatest traits that Brady showed over the years was his ability to relate to every single guy
in the locker room. And it was a big aspect for his success in Tampa, even though it was also a big aspect for success throughout those years.
In New England.
Yeah, not just creating that chemistry, but just to buy in then that those young guys Tom Brady knows my name, and just how that just set the foundation for the entire season and obviously all that success they had. I mean, not only was he a phenomenal talent quarterback, but just the leadership, like you said, James, just tremendous on and off the field.
Real quick though, if we have a second, I was around the Packers this training cab, but I was talking to people who are around that team, and they said, it's such a different vibe with Jordan Love because like he's their boy, whereas with Aaron Rodgers he was seen more as like a godfather figure. Right, don't speak unless spoken too. But now we see on hard knocks it's can hardly different in New York. So I one hundred percent think it's on the older guy to determine which
way they want it to go. Yes, the younger guy should be like respecting and trying to make an effort, but the older quarterback is the one kind of in charge. Do you want me to be in your circle or not?
Bridget this is that that's such a great point because this isn't going away. Quarterbacks are playing into their forties now, no, right, running backs. Running backs are playing to their twenty nine before they get let go. So you know, this is something And this is where I'm glad, Like I'm here, I'm fifty seven. You are not as old as me, right, and so so this is.
Something where I'm eighteenth birthday coming up.
There you go so generational things like, let's is there something where in life?
Right?
You just got married, right, you're going through all these familial stages and generations of people and things as well.
What are some of the generational.
Things yet, like people like me or an older quarterback like Aaron Rodgers, whatever that you think need to take place to establish harmony so there is a successful workplace relationship.
I think you just have to could be putting in the effort. Like I think back to when I was in like the Triangle Raleigh and Durham, and I think about coach Cutcliff and Matt Brown. Why the players loved those guys who were such older coaches. It's because they come in the locker room after and do a little dance or something. Right, They're not the best at it, but it's showing, Hey, I want to be a part of your world.
Right.
So I think these older quarterbacks have to almost say like Okay, I don't understand what these ulio cards or whatever they are that's going on, but like let me play a hand, or let me come in this TikTok for like once a week or something. Let me be a part of your world and show that I'm making an effort. Almost.
Yeah, I mean I think that's it, you know, just the effort and the leadership and you know, as a game has changed over the years, so too has relationships in.
The locker room.
And you know it's not going away because, like you said, it seems like every quarterback now Steve says they want to play till they're forty five and follow Tom Brady's lead.
There.
You know, we've heard Russell Wilson say it, we heard Drew Brees say it. You didn't quite get to that age. But yeah, it's going to be an issue or not one for years to come.
Good stuff.
Can you imagine like Bill Belichick walking through like Andy Reid, you know who's got that great connection?
How about them Patriots?
Can he did a lot.
He already admitted he loves Taylor Swift, so he's taking steps in the right now.
Yeah. Yeah, that's a major dub.
That's a major dub, all right, Bridge of Conn and Omar Wesh, thank you so much, James Palmer.
Bring us home.
I appreciate you guys.
And also, Taylor Swift had something done to her Steve that so many Patriots players wishes that was said to them, that she is tough, that she is able to handle the elements. All these Patriots to play for Bill Betchery want to be called tough at some point. Now, this was the introductory episode of the NFL Report, which was just a podcast version. But you can see these smiling faces of Steve Which and myself on the NFL channel.
Whether it's on Pluto or tub or Roku or Peacock, it is the NFL Channel Mondays and Thursdays at seven fifteen.
Steve see that.
Yeah, the NFL Fast channels. You remember the word fast. That's where we are because we're not just old. We're keeping up with the new trends in television and the new trends in Phantom for JP, for Steve Weitch, We're out of here, just