I'm Terry Fonto, general manager of the Atlanta Falcons, and this is the NFL Report.
Oh, Terry Fondo told us Steve on this very show that he was going to be aggressive going after the quarterback position, and oh was he ever?
Let him Cook?
Cook gave her cousins. Welcome back into the NFL Report, James Palmer, Steve, which with you. We have a monster show, The Condor Max Crosby star for the Vegas Raiders. I must say Open Raiders. Las Vegas Raiders is going to join the show. Baldy returns from his quest around the world as Baldi's favorite films returns. We also have Nicki Gavala from The Washington Post, who covers the Commanders better
than anyone. Will also have Mike Garratfullo the NFL Reports NFL Insider on what's going on with the linebacker and safety markets. But Steve, we saw Terry Fonto there. Who won free agency or I guess I should say who made their team better?
Yeah, we're not.
Gonna We're not to judge who won free but Terry's cooking. Terry's cooking, he gets Kirk Cousins. I think that's good enough to go take a team from seven to ten to ten and seven at the least they get Darnell Mooney. They trade Desmond Ridder for ron Dale Moore, a potential explosive player.
Right now, I'm gonna say Atlanta JP, all.
Right, I'll go with the Houston Texans getting the Deil Hunter to rush opposite of Rookie of the Year Will Anderson Junior. Could that be the best edge duo in football? There's a chance there. And then the middle of the road pieces they did, Steve just getting some other guys on two maybe a couple on three year deals to corride some depth on that defensive side of the ball.
Joe Mixon. I think they made themselves love that team that is now in that group chasing down the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC.
Yeah, b okay, okay.
We started things off talking about the teams right that we thought did something. But let's look at position groups JP, because I you know, when I look at the start of free agency, you're like, Okay, Kirk Cousins gonna go New Hunter's gonna go.
No, it was Matt Jones. These were guys like you know, you know, Jameis.
Winston, Mark Mariota, the backup quarterback market in the fact that so many teams, at least half the teams in the NFL, went and got themselves backup quarterbacks after seeing last year sixty six different starters and seventy seven in total quarterbacks have to play because the injuries.
Poor play things like that.
So the premium, and we have talked about this on the show, the premium of having a solid backup quarterback or a bridge quarterback clearly was the huge thing with the evaluators this year, especially knowing that they might not be able to get into the top three in one of those elite group of quarterbacks.
But Jay p look at this is on the gate.
I mentioned Marcus Mariota, Jacoby Brissett, Drew Locke, Gardner, Minshew Sam Darnold. Yeah, even Russell Wilson and Mitch Trabisky. I mean, I'm saying that in the same sentence Russell Wilson and Mitch Trubisky being among that group.
So again, I enjoyed the team's paying attention to it.
With the trend we've seen over the past few years with injuries to starting quarterbacks.
Yeah, and you might need more than two considering the Cardinals and the Rams each played four quarterbacks.
This Bronces and Stags to go.
Deeper than just your backup quarterback. I'm going to look at the big boys that stand in front of the quarterback, Steven. How about the guard market that went on during the early portion of free agency. I'm gonna look at this, yere look. Robert Hunt with the Panthers gets five years, one hundred million dollars, Damian Lewis with the Panthers four years fifty three, Landon Dickerson four years eighty four to
re sign with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Rams add a pair of guards as well, and Kevin Dotson and Jonah Jackson for about fifty million apiece. This is an interesting trend here, Steve, and I think it's for a couple of reasons. The main one being, and I've talked to some guards and centers about this over the course of the last season, which is there are defensive tackles that are getting more and more athletic. There are no longer just freaks playing on the outside of the defensive lines.
We are seeing more and more freak athletes on the interior, and we're seeing edge players coming and sneaking over top of the sad guys like Micah Parsons and other type of talented players that are looking to attack the weakness of the interior. And we know this is always what Tom Brady you usted to always talk about. You can go around the outside, I'll step up and still make plays, but if the pocket is collapsing from the interior, you have problems. I love what the Panthers did to try
to protect Bryce Young and here two. But the main trend we're seeing here is because the town on the other side of the ball is getting so good, you now tocounter that have to make sure you have really good guard play. Steve, And the other part of it is there's not enough of them. That's the other problem. And these guys that can do it got paid, Daves.
The money is supply and demands driven when it comes to free agency, and that's what you said, there's not enough of the stud guards. But I like what you said about the athleticism because you think about it, the majority of defenses now, a lot of them have a small athletic hybrid safety will linebacker type where you've got to get out in the open space to get to them or you've got to do things in blitz packages,
so that's part of it as well. But also remember Sean Payton used to always have his Saints teams incredibly talented from guard to guard.
Guard center guard.
Is where they put their money because a lot of these quarterbacks now are not your standard six or four guys who can see over them. They've got these shorter guards, so you've got to really measure the height and do things to keep them clean. In the pocket they can evade the guys coming from the outside.
That's part of it as well. I saw your finger. You got something to say.
JP A quick note. What team has been more successful than anybody over the last couple of seasons. I'd say the Kansas City Chiefs. That team has a dominant center and two dominant guards in the middle of their offensive line. With Joe Tooney create Humphrey playing that center spot and Trey Smith on the other side, that is a dynamic group of three in the middle for Patrick Mahomes Eve that I think has allowed them to go out and
just make different decisions at the cackle positions. That allows them to know that in the interior, Patrick Mahomes is going to be protected and he has the ability to move if guys get to them from the outside. Taking of guys from the outside, Steve, which we have arguably the best in the game in Max Crosby, The Condor coming up on the show next. He's gonna join us and Baldy's gonna join as well, because those two relationship unlike any other two maybe around. The Condor joins the NFL Report.
Next, it's time for the lead Block, presented by T Mobile for Business. A sport as fast as football deserves America's fastest five G network, businesses go further with T Mobile for Business. Welcome back to the NFL Report, Steve White, James Palmer JP. We are joined by two superstars right now as Brian Baldinger is in the house, as is his dude, the man he brought the Moniker to the Condor, Las Vegas raidersterback hunter.
Max Crosby.
Max, thanks so much for joining us, Baldy, thanks for having us in the house.
Okay, Max, let's.
Get this started. We're gonna we're gonna get the free agency. The Raiders were active out of the gate. They got you a wing man, they got the Condor a legit wing man. Here and Christian Wilkins just want to get your thoughts about adding one of the best DT's in the game.
Yeah, super excited about it. Obviously, Christian hell of a player. I've known him all the way from back in college after my sophomore my red shirt sophomore year, we went to a it was a touchdown club in Columbus. We end up being together and spending some time together with our with our girls and and spending the night together. It was it was a great time and we got to you know, get to know each other a little bit better. And then obviously seeing what he's done in
his career, we went to the combine together. Obviously, Cleveland Farrell really good friend of mine, literally a brother to me. He was teammates with him, So we've known each other for a good amount of time now and uh, you know, we've had some conversations and you know, obviously we end up pulling the trigger and bring him here to Las Vegas. So it's super exciting. Man, he's a hell of a player. He brings all the energy in the world, and those are the type of people I'm trying to be around,
and I'm so excited for him. He earned that contract, and you know a guy like Malcolm Koontz as well, who came on, you know, super super heavy towards the end of the year. You know, we're just bringing more guys along, Tyree Wilson's, the Jannaies Robinson's. You know, we got more and more guys coming in and we're gonna go on waves and and and really have some fun this year. I can't wait.
All right, Max, I'm not gonna get entirely away from your running mate and Christian Wilkins, but you added another guy in free agency, Elsie. Roll the tape real quick. Let's go.
We go anyway, dude, nice Crosby so damn angry, right, I like the thing is like he's not I know, right, he just calls He keeps calling everybody little ass boy, Hey, little ass boy.
I'm like, I'm a little out here, but not always.
You know, yeah, sure, shure out a song. He's a big ass boys what he is he got? But uh nah, man, it is awesome. You know there's a guy's you know, not as much fun to play against, but throwing your team. I absolutely love it, man.
Excited to be with him. Christian.
Some of the best you know talkers. I've been around in the NFL. To have him on our side, to practice against him every day, it's just gonna make me better. I'm super excited about it.
Max.
We gotta ask you, what was your initial reaction when Gardner Minshew was going to become your new teammate? Do you call him?
Do you do you.
Reach out to him and talk about what happened? And also he mentioned Christian also and the two of you have a skill that apparently not a lot of people possess. Who is the better trash talker between you and your new running mate?
To answer that question, you know, I'm auld humbly say myself. I feel like I'm, you know, an elite talker. But you know, at the end of the day, it's you know, when I first found out, I just started laughing. I'm like, wow, you know, it's a you never you never expect that
to happen. But for me, I think it's hilarious. You know, Gardner is a hell of a hell of a player, and just seeing what he did last year, taking the Colts, you know, where basically everybody wrote them off, and winning a lot of football games and giving them a chance to you know make the playoffs was was super impressive to me and everywhere he's gone. You know, he was one one of the first quarterbacks. You know, I sacked when he was in Jacksonville, so I know him very well.
And I had a lot of fun in practice and talking talking mess and going back and forth. But dude, I got a ton of respect for He's going to come in and he's going to compete, so that's all you can ask for at the end of the day. And a guy like him, he's going to bring great energy to the locker room. And today I got to
got to be with him and Christian as well. I was, you know, in there working out this morning, and you know, I got to spend some time with them, so I know they're fired up and where we're definitely ready to go.
Max, you're proud to be literally first in line to be the all Energy team. I mean that's how you You pride yourself in being first team All Energy. But so does Christian Wilkins. I've seen plenty of Dolphin practices. I don't care if it's during the season or OTAs. He's the first guy in line, Max, he's the first guy on the field if you're hitting sleds. He's the first one on the sled. I want to know, Max, who's going to be first in line? Are you still
going to hold that Moniker? Is Wilkins going to beat you to the sled? Who's going to set the tempo and practice every day? Or is it you guys in stereo doing it together?
Yeah? You know, I love I love a healthy competition. So he's gonna have to work real hard to try to be being to the front of the line. So I love it. I mean, anybody that tries to step up to the plate and try to you know, out energy me, I respect it. You know, we'll see what happens. But I know Christian he's got a ton of energy. He loves football, and the way he carries himself is the way you're supposed to carry yourself. This game is meant to be fun, and at the end of the day,
it's not fun when you're not winning. So we play on winning a lot of football games together. I can't wait to have him out there, a guy that understands what it takes to win, what it takes to become better and better every single year. That's something that fired me up. You know the most about Christian is seeing
his progression. People are trying to write him off early in his career, similar to how they try to do the same with me, and the fact that he's gotten better and better every single year just shows that he's putting in the work. So at the end of the day, you know, we got to do it together. If we want to win, we got to do it together. I know he's going to be, you know, trying to out energy me and beyond that. But I'm a different breed, so I can't wait.
Hey, Mack, speaking a different breed this off season, right after the season. You got the knee procedure done, you got the hand the thumb procedure done. Last time I saw you had the splint on, I just saw you don't.
Have it on. Where are you in your rehab?
You're talking about you in the facility already when you saw the guys working out today, Where are you in terms of your rehab?
Yeah, you know, me and Baldi talked about it a couple of weeks ago, and we did our podcast The Rush. Go tune into that if you haven't seen it already, Yeah, yeah, low plug, but go check it out at the end of the day. You know, I'm doing incredible. I started January twenty second earliest I've ever been in the building in an off season. I've been getting to it. I'm already back boxing. I'm able to throw this right hand in my training as well. My knee is feeling incredible.
I'm able to run in the treadmill, run in the pool, and I'm flying. My cardio is getting there back to you know, like I said, I probably myself. I'm being the best in every category and I know I'm getting closer to that every single day. So it's been an incredible off season. I feel great, my knees feeling great, my hand as well. So yeah, I got the best team around me, Rick Slay, aj Nibel, Ricky. My nutrition is everybody Alex Carrero working on my body five times
a week. It doesn't stop. And uh, those guys. Without them, it wouldn't be possible. And that's why I try to get my guys to do. You know, we got a ton of D lineen. We have almost ten D linemen in the in the building already. We've been training for over a month now together and getting after it. So yeah, we're we're focused on the best in the world, and that's what we plan on doing.
Okay, all right, I love that, Max, I love it. So I got, I got, I got two parts for you. On one, you're talking about all these things you're doing with the knee. I hear you bought a new house with a trampoline. That's that's like in the ground. Is this accurate? Are we are we able to get on this trampoline or is that Mark Davis saying no, do not jet on this trampoline.
Yeah, it's it's pretty safe. You know, I haven't jumped on it for obvious reasons. You know, still coming back getting closer to one hundred percent with it. But yeah, it is an end ground trampoline. And I've seen my buddies, uh, you know, get on it and fly around. And you know, we got we got a gym, all type of things.
But it's a it's a working progress. You know, we got some work to do on the house, but uh, yeah, it's it's beautiful and there's gonna be a lot of you know, we're gonna have a half field, you're gonna have a full basketball court, a whole gym, and you know it's gonna be another place where all the guys can get together and we can you know, just improve and just create that you know, that tight nit camaraderie that you know is necessary to go out there and and you know, win football games.
Max, I feel like these off seasons are becoming more and more important for a team that wants to get where they want to go. You just mentioned the camaraderie, Max, and how important that is. Getting to know your teammates, cutting it up with them, spending time with them so that when you get on the field, it's nothing more than a locked up brotherhood. We're literally each guy is pulling each guy like almost play to play to play. And I feel that with Antonio, I feel it with you.
We felt it.
We all felt it across the league down the second half of the season, Like how important is that to you this offseason with all the new guys, the chemistry and building that thing?
Now, Yeah, you know it's everything. You look at all the best teams in the league, they're a unit. There's no clicks and there's no separation. Obviously on every team, you're going to have certain guys you've got to pull a little bit harder, you got to push a little bit more. But at the end of the day, if everyone is on the same page and believes in each other and it's fighting for each other, you're gonna have
a better chance to win. That's something I feel like last year, you know, we took a huge step in our D line group just being so tightening, and that bled through the team. Our D line we have dinners every single Thursday. We pick a different location. Somebody's paying for it every week. You know, at the end of the year, I mean there's eighteen weeks, so we're running out of places to go to and we you know,
Davante obviously has a beautiful house. We call DeVante, We're like, yo, could we host a host a dinner and He's like, yeah, come on down. He's like, come on down and bring the guys. So we went to DeVante's one time. We went to Jimmy G's house as well, and you know, that stuff is important, so we want to bleed that through the whole team. You know, it starts with the guys leading the way, and you know, I feel like
that's something that's super important. It's just being a tight knit group because in the game, it's a direct translation. I can't if I don't have a real relationship with you, I can't hold you accountable and they're not going to respect me the same way as if I know your whole family and I know your kids, and I know what you like to do when on your downtime, it's a different type of relationship. So, like I said, right now, we have like ten guys in the building right now.
Tyree's in there, Nessa, all these young guys, Matt Butler's we're already in the building working together and we're so close and we'll go smoke cigars together, things like that and just build our relationships because on the field, it's a direct translation. When you're on the same page, you don't even have to say anything. It's like a sixth sense and you understand the guy next to you. It just makes everything come together. And that's what we're trying
to believe through the whole entire team and organization. So yeah, you know, we got we got work to do. Obviously, it's only March, but we're going in the right direction and we're very you know, very confident that we're going to go out there and you know, make some noise for sure.
Max, I love you talking about that camaraderie aspect of it, because I remember hearing your head coach be very open at the combine saying, one of Max's biggest jobs this offseason is to bring Tyree Wilson along. We know the type of rookie season he had, we know the health that he had in coming into his rookie season. What is when he says that, what does he mean by
bringing him along? You mentioned the camaraderie side of things, but how do you also bring him along in year two to make sure he's a force opposite of you.
Well, there's a standard. It starts with a standard, and that standard you don't break it for anything. If you have guys holding you know, others to that standard starts with me. At the end of the day, I gotta I gotta hold that standard and upheld it every single day. And that's my responsibility as a captain, as a leader, and as a guy. That's that's a game changer on a day basis, not just on the field, but I'm practicing in the weight room. I take a lot of
pride in that. So a guy like Tyree, he was hurt, he wasn't able to be with us in OTAs he was missed half of camp deal with the injury, so it kind of was a slower process to get him fully ingrained and understand what it takes to be a professional and be a part of our group and a
part of something that's bigger than just ourselves. And he came a long way from the beginning, I mean from week one to week eighteens like night and day, Aldi was very honest about it's seeing Baldy make videos of what is wise, not law and that, and it was real. You know, some people were sensitive about it. But at the end of the day, if you're not held accountable and you don't understand what you have to do and why we're doing it, then you'll never improve. And in
this business, it's a production based business. I don't care how good you look, how big you are, how fast you are, in attracts to whatever. In a combine with you know, tights on, it's what you know what matters. What you do on a daily basis, when you're in that building, when you're in practice, when you're in the weight room, when you're on the if you're not doing if all those things aren't right, then you're not going
to go out there and be at your best. And to Tyree is a guy who wants to be great. He works at it, He's been working at it, and he understands what it takes to do it on a daily basis, and I try to. I'm constantly showing him that and other guys are also doing it, and Tyree is a part of that. Now he's a part of our family and he's going to be a great player in this league. He's a guy that's got all the size, all the ability. It's just about putting it together. And
everybody's timeline is different. Some people come right out the gate and have, you know, instant success. Some people it takes five years, some people it takes two years. It doesn't matter. At the end of the day, when you come to a building, it's a fresh start, no matter if you're the number one pick or you're undrafted. The work starts when you get in the building. And Tyree understands that. Now. He's a great kid. I love being around him. I give him a hard time every single day.
It's constantly bothering him and where are you at, what are you doing, what are you eating? But it's because I care and I want him to fulfill his full potential like he wants to. So, yeah, you know, I take a lot of responsibility in that Max. Real quick.
My last question to you. You know, you've had a drastic lifestyle change, and part of that change in the commitment to becoming the best player.
To ever played that position. What you're doing right now.
It kind of started with when you watched the last dance of Michael Jordan and how you said, this is how I want to live my life. I want to be this guy. Can you just share, you know, if you go through the whole story matter, we can share a little quickly about what that did to you, you your wife and really the whole direction.
Of your life. Yeah, you know, to give you a quick summary, After my second year in the league, that was the first year I got sober, so I had about a year under my belt. I just finished my second year in the league. I had was playing through a torn labram, I had a broken hand and I
had to get surgery on both. So right after that second year, the COVID year, I went out to LA had to get those surgeries and I was in a hotel my wife for about three days and we literally sat and watched the last dance from starting to finish, and I was just sitting there and I was disappointed. I know, I took a step back in my second year. I wasn't as good as I was there, but I watched that I was so inspired by it that I literally I went back and I'm like, Babe, I'm changing everything.
I'm going back. I'm ana civil with nutritionness. I don't care how the food tastes. I want to be the best version and put everything that needs to be put into my body. I want. I'm gonna go to the strength staff. I'm gonna say, listen, what do I need to do to become the best version of myself? And I put the trust in everybody in that building because I want. I know I made it this far by just being just the ability I was. I was blessed with and my love for the game, but I didn't
have everything else in a row. So after seeing that last dance, I was like, why can't I do this? Why am I not in the conversation with TJ Whyt Why am I not in the conversation with Bosa. I should be in that conversation. There's no excuse, and it's been over three years now, and I've completely changed the outcome of my career. I'm going in a direction that I know I'm I'm supposed to be at because I
do it every single day. I'm in there at six in the morning and off season every single morning, and I'm putting in work and focus on every little detail I could possibly focus on and improve in every single day.
So that you know that inspired me. I got Michael Jordan literally tatted on my torso, like that's a guy that I inspire to be like because he wasn't the man at one point he had to go through he got cut in high school and went through everything he went through just by being ultra dialed in and every single way and having the mindset that nobody's going to stop me unless it's me, and you've got to face the man in the mirror every single day, and that's
the way you become the best version of yourself. So for me, you know, he inspired in so many ways. And ironically, I just you know it's about to get announced, but I just signed with Jordan as well, so it's a full circle moment and h you know, lessing and super fired up man, and I know I'm not at my best yet. That's what motivates me every day. You know, I know where I'm going, I plan on being the best I ever do it, and uh, you know, it's a it's a one day at a time process back.
So I'm just getting totally inspired by like just hearing that. You know that that story is amazing. Congrats on the deal with Brand Jordan. And you know one thing I know, you launched the Max Crosby Foundation this year as well. Your inaugural foundation dinner is Thursday night. I want to say, isn't it like the UFC headquarters out there in Vegas? Tell us a little bit about your foundation and why you felt now was the right time to launch it to help improve the lives to so many other folks.
Yeah, it's everything to me. I know how many people helped me when I was at my lowest, and that's what I want to do, is get back to others. I just had I just celebrated my four years of sobriety this past weekend, and it just I had all the people that have helped me the most in that room, that have understood what I had to go through to be where I'm at and it was one of the
coolest moments I've had. So this foundation is focused on you know, teen substance teen substance abuse and also animal rescue, something that you know, it's close home with me. I got three pitbulls, two rescues of my own, so it's something I really care about. And you know, the UFC APEX we're gonna be having that dinner at Thursday night,
which is which is tonight. And Dana White is a super super close friend of mine, a dude who took me under his wing since since I got out here in Vegas, so he opened up his house for me. He's going to be there as well, and you know a lot of great people. So we're super fired up for it and we're going to be you know, catching some tracks, handing out you know, some donations, and doing a lot of things in the community here in Las Vegas and also in Michigan and Texas another place around
the country as well. So yeah, it means a lot to me. It's everything, and I feel like this, you know, everything is about timing and life and you can't rush to anything, and also you don't want to wait too long either, you know. For me, I wanted to do it the right way. I want to have the right people behind me. And like I said, like we talked about before the show, Bert is incredible. He's he's running the show, and my wife as well is helping out
a ton. So I got a bunch of great people and a great team around me to go out there and maximize this opportunity to help others. So we're super fired up about it.
Well done, Well done, brother.
I love it. I love it. Max.
Thank you so much for everything you're doing. You guys can see at the bottom of the screen Max Crosby Foundation dot Org. And it's just the start of that, but it's not the start of what you've been doing giving back. I remember last time I saw you in person was on the field at the Super Bowl. You being honored as the Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee for the Las Vegas Raiders. So Max, thank you so much for joining us. Enjoy the dinner. If you got three extra spots, I know there's a lot of
flights to Vegas for all three of us. Maybe we can get there in time. I don't know, you know, maybe three of us can join You appreciate you joining the show though, Buddy, thank you so much.
Appreciate you, Max.
Thank you guys are the best. Appreciate it.
That's a rap for the lead block presented by T Mobile for Business. Sports as fast as Football deserve America's fastest five G network. Businesses go further with T Mobile for Business. Coming up on the NFL Report, A guy that Max might be chasing down? Which quarterback? Will it be for the New York Football Giants? Could it be Daniel Jones? Could it be Drew Locke? We'll find out
for Mike Garrifolo next on the NFL Report. Oh, it just feels so good to have the NFL Reports NFL Insider Mike Garriffolo back, Mike, thank you for joining us. And I just have to start with this. How many hours have you slept in the last Let's see from Sunday to we're taping on Thursday.
Now, you know there's real journalism happening out there about many important things. I don't want to make it sound here's what I love, though, it's over quickly. Like when I work out, I'd rather do the sprints. Point, I'd
rather do the sprints than the long distance running. Like I really feel for the baseball writers Lake Snell has even signed yet, like this is a six month or fourth let's see seven January a four month process, and they're just like on on alert at all times for four like ours is a blitz, but it's done in like three to four days.
We're already winding down.
So to that point, Mike Gee, we've seen, you know, we've seen a lot of things. We saw backup quarterbacks come off the board. We saw guards come off the board. But then some of the off ball linebackers, and this is always just such an intriguing position how teams value them. This has really been kind of a trickle with some of these guys, Patrick Queen, Frankie Louvu. You know, some
of these guys got multi year deals. But what about that market and the pacing of it and why there really it hasn't been so much a lot of big money spent there.
I should say, I don't know, because you know, Ziir Franklin did an extension before free agency and it came in just north of ten million dollars per year, and I actually was expecting a bunch of because there's nothing agents love more and tearing down other agents deals right as expecting a flood of texts to be like, oh got awful dealble because you know, whether it's it's not not that I'm comparing him to these guys, but Jack Leonard CJ. Mosley is the one that really blew the
top off the market. The one year got up to seventeen. So it's been seventeen. Rokwan Smith and Leonard around eighteen nineteen twenty, and these guys are now like it's And so I checked in with a couple of ages. I'm like, hey, this deal here. They're like, no, it's a good deal. These guys are not going to get paid what they used to get paid. And I don't know why this market settled back down. And you know, Patrick Queen pays the market for some of these linebackers and he's at,
you know, eleven million dollars per year. I want to say, are a little higher than that, maybe twelve somewhere in that area. And it's only the dealers only structure it. They guarantee the first year, so it's not a high guarantee or any of this stuff.
So the off the.
Ball linebackers, some team's really pouring resources into it. And then this market for whatever reason. And sometimes, by the way, when I see that, I go, oh, must be a strong draft class at a certain position, which is not a strong running back class, which is why those guys got paid. But yeah, that kind of surprised me that that market kind of settled back down again.
I kind of want to stay there, Mike, because I look at the four teams that were left at the end of this past season, and all of them had a really good linebacker. Course, And I remember having a conversation in Baltimore in the locker room with Steve Spagnolo was saying, my defense just doesn't work without a linebacker like Nick Bolton running it in the middle of my defense.
This is kind of a copycat league. Why aren't people seeing that as one of the best defenses out there starting to value this position in terms of dollars when it's valued in terms of player. Why doesn't it add up in certain positions like this.
Well, I'm guessing that Nick Bolton's agent is hearing this and saying, Okay, let's hope that well, maybe you spoke a little Yeah, maybe Spags he goes and gets a head coaching job, And that's the guy that he'll pay when he's a free agent to get over there, or maybe Spaggs is still in Kansas City and say, hey, you know how important he is, dear defense. Don't forget about that. So you know, some teams are going to value it. Teams are going to say that this is
what we do. When the Ravens did the whole thing with Roquan it was because the Bears at the time weren't willing to invest that kind of money and off the ball linebacker, and the Ravens did.
And I do remember a GM.
That I pretty much respect and have a good opinion for what he does is it's like, you can't you can't pour that kind of money into that position.
They did. It's their philosophy.
It fits what they do.
You got to pay what fits your franchise and your coaching scheme at the time.
Well, I'd say one position again that falls in line with that is safety. So you have some teams who really value the safety position, especially now the most teams are playing more and more teams are playing a three safety thing, and then.
Others, like this year, that's not the case.
So the Bills basically cut their safety squad three deep and let those guys at the market. Now this the safety market is still rather saturated.
Mike.
Yeah, and some of these guys who did get paid on the market, the free agent market, I think we're expecting some higher deals than they actually got. Know, Xavier McKinney did well. Kyle Dugger with the Patriots was an interesting one because I think the rest of the league got the impression that no matter what they offer Dugger, the Patriots are going to match it, and that's why they put the transition tag on him at around thirteen
million dollars in exchange and change. My understanding is they were trying to get a deal done at thirteen So at this point, if you're Dugger, you know, maybe you sign the tag. You could even play on it if you want. Because a lot of times these markets, and the defensive tackle market is one of them, there are certain guys now that are starting to get paid after they did smaller deals, shorter deals, and all of a sudden they come up and it's like, wait a minute,
this guy only got three a couple of years ago. Well, you know what, he's healthy, he produced, and all of a sudden, teams are putting more money into that right now, and those guys are getting to Sheldon Rankins got a huge deal. He's glimbing the ladder as he's gone. Along with regard to how much money he's gotten now, he was coming off in Achilles the first time, and he
is coming off I believe six sacks this year. So a lot of times about the timing and what's happening in the market at your position.
Yeah, and we know there's not a whole lot of defense and some tackles coming out of this draft, at least from who I'm talking to, doesn't think it's the deepest draft in that sense. That probably helps guys like Sheldon Rankins out there. And you're sitting there in Hoboke and Mike, I have to ask you about one of my favorite guys in the league, Drew Locke, coming to
the New York Football Giants. Was that one of the ones that kind of surprised you a little bit, going, well, this is a guy that maybe has a chance week one to be their starter after kind of getting his career back together in Seattle. It was not on my radar at all.
In fact, I had had people say if Andy Dalton gets moved from Carolina, which the indications are that's not going to happen at this point. I don't know if it ever was in the Cars.
I know they value him highly.
Look for Drew locked tohead to Carolina because of the connection with Dave Canalis and all that stuff and whatever.
So when it.
Happened, I was kind of surprised at the team. But then the more I thought about it, I'm like, you know what, Drew Locke played well that Monday night game where he came in for Gino Smith right off the bench and played well a lot of time. How do you get signed by a team and paid good money by a team play well against them the previous season.
That's what happened with Drew Locke.
And I also did expect the Giants at some point to add a veteran option, and it doesn't.
You're seeing that six pick.
In the draft right there in your screen.
Doesn't procrude them from taking a quarterback in the draft, and it doesn't preclude them from starting Daniel Jones week one.
I mean it sort of semi.
Resembles the Eagles situation back when they took Carson Wentz. They had Sam Bradford, then they went out and signed Chase Daniel and then they drafted Carson Wentz and then they wound up trading Bradford right before the start of the season when Teddy Bridgewater got hurt. Not saying that Daniel Jones would be a hot commodity, but potentially you could do something like that if it gets to that point. So the Giants would that six pick, if they stay
at six or if they potentially move up. I'm still looking at them as a possible quarterback situation.
Yeah, it would seem on if they don't address it with Daniel Jones's injuries and you just don't know what he's gonna do, you know after this year, if they don't address it, all of a sudden, they get caught next year in a bad situation.
And also think about it in terms of this, right, you do that, and now you don't need to do it. So maybe it's a little bit of playing cat and mouse with teams when it comes to the draft. Let's say, oh, what Giant signed a guy like no That still allows you then to explore trades because a you're not desperate for it, you can't have a fallback situation, and B they don't think that you're necessarily about to jump up and bite right.
Hey, Mike Tee, really good stuff.
I mean, I love talking about some off topic stuff after a great start of the week. Really appreciate what you Ian and Tom do for our franchise. Well done. Now go get some rest and now coming up after the break, we're.
Gonna talk Washington Commanders.
I said early on, this is gonna be one of the busiest teams this offseason. We're gonna be joined by the Washington Post beat writer Nikki Jabala to talk about all of the moves Dan Quinn and this new regime have made in the nation's capital. We are back at the NFL reports see why James Palmer and now we're joined by Nicki Gabala, the Commanders beat writer for the Washington Post, one of my former stopping grounds back in
my writing days, and Nikki. Earlier on Thursday, Commanders made a trade which seems to kind of clear the path for them even more to draft a quarterback with a second overall pick, any quarterback Sam Howell and a fourth or six rounds draft pick in Seattle and they get back a third and a fifth. What about that move?
Who?
Yeah? I mean they now have six picks on the top one hundred. They had five previously. They began free agency with the most salary cap space, They've signed the most veteran free agents, so they are loaded to continue their roster overhaul. They're also loaded going into the draft to give them some flexibility if they want to cut another deal and try.
To move up.
You need a partner to do that. But you know, if they want to give her to try, they certainly have enough ammunition to do so. But it also just helps them fill out the roster and really, you know, make a move and try to get a younger quarterback, which seemed likely when they signed Marcus Mariota, a guy you would think comes on to either you know, be a backup and mentor a younger guy or step in to start early if necessary.
And let's stick to that quarterback spot and making you talk about the young guy they're picking. You mentioned all of them, but the first one they have is number two. Overall. Does this move make you feel like number two is one hundred percent a quarterback or do you see them moving out of that spot at all? Given the fact that everybody just assumes they're really starting the draft at two, right, Yeah, I.
Mean, I think they have to take a quarterback no matter what the question is, will they take it at two or would they try to trade back and try to get, you know, one of those second third tier guys and try to continue to fill out the roster and maybe grab you know, a tackle later on. So yeah, I mean I still to me, it still feels like number two, you go and grab the guy you want there,
especially again with bringing in Mariota. You have that veteran that sort of that mentor type that can that can back them up.
But we'll see.
I mean they've they've done a lot in really four days of the open negotiating a period of free agency. So I don't think they're anywhere close to that. I don't even think they've come close to denting their cap space. I mean, you just had so much, so I think anything is fair game going into the draft.
Yeah, it's interesting, you know, you talk about we'll see if they trade back. I think the guy they just traded away is a prime example of what happens when you have when you have an opportunity to draft a quarterback high and don't. So to that note, the new offensive coordinator is Cliff Kingsbury, former Arizona Cardinals head coach, coach Kyler Murray, coach Caleb Williams last year at USC's or Caleb Williams to be the first overall draft pick of the Chicago Bears.
However, do you think.
With all the moves we've seen Adam Peters and Martin Mayhew in that front office make with the commanders, they may be aggressive and trying to bring Caleb home to the DMV.
I would not roll out anything. I learned that less than a long time ago in Washington. I will not roll out anything. I will say based on their approach so far, it does feel like they're being very methodical about completely rebuilding this roster. I mean, they resigned only three guys from you know last year that were free agents.
They have completely overhauled it. Their approach has to bring in veterans who can mentor and develop and kind of lay the foundation and really use the draft to build the core this roster. So would they trade up maybe, but they've also said many times they don't want to mortgage their future to one player, and if that means giving up a hall of draft picks, that would certainly,
in my mind count as mortgaging the future. But you know, if they feel strongly enough about a guy and I goes willing, you know, I again wouldn't rule anything out.
I love it.
I love it.
Do you feel like Nikki, there's a sense at all that there's somebody that's just a front runner in your opinion at the quarterback position in this draft, that you just feel like fits what they're looking for, maybe more than somebody else.
I know it's early, yeah, and I feel like there's like it's split debate, especially locally between the Jayden Daniels and Drake May if they stick it to and you assume Caleb Williams is going on.
I think it's interesting to me that, you know, some are fully convinced that it's going to be Jayden Daniels, especially now with Marcus Mariota on board, because Marcus is his style is more like Jayden Williams. So you know, I do think if I had to guess now, I'm
leaning more towards Jayden. But I also think that could change, you know, as they go through pro days, as they bring him in for top thirties, possibly have private workouts, are going to get to know these guys even more so I'm leaning toward you know, Jane Daniels, pub we'll.
See, well, James knows.
I'm leaning towards Jayden too, because quarterbacks at Cliff Kingsbury's offense have to be on the hop.
Because a lot of times there's a free runner.
There's a free runner coming at that quarterback, going back to the days of Texas Tech.
So but again, he's grown. You know, he knows how to coach this NFL game. No, I's not going to get this quarterback killed.
Here's a question, and I just don't know if he had enough time to decipher. But do you think you know and seeing these moves right, the fact that Dan Quinn coached against this group of guys for the past couple of years, twice a year and got to see what's there, do you think that has gone a lot into the thinking of the shaping of this roster, like we destroyed that guy, we can't have him here, or this guy's really good, we want to keep him in the MiG.
I think in part I mean Dan has said that, you know, every stop in the past has helped him kind of get to where he is, and the fact that he knows what he likes more, he knows what he doesn't like. I mean, they did bring in guys who are very familiar to a number of guys on staff. You know, Austin Eckler with Anthony Lynn, zach ERTs with Cliff Kingsbury. You've got a couple former Cowboys players, former forty nine ers for Adam Peters, a former Lions player
for Lance Newmore at the assistant GM. But you know, I think he has really evolved his defense and he's one of the few that actually say we're going to tailor it to our personnel and actually does that. So yeah, I think there have been players and opponents in the past that have influenced, you know, the way he approaches this and the way he's doing it and you know, his second chance to be a head coach.
I love it, Nikki. It also feels like, as we say goodbye here, I want to put this into your you know, just your quick thought. Am I right to say that a lot of these a lot of these free agent signings that they've made. Culture is a big part of it. If you look at the type of guys that they are just yes, very quickly, it's huge.
I mean, they have to redo everything Washington.
So yes, well said they do have to redo everything Washington.
This is not a four years this is everything in Washington.
Absolutely. Hey, Nikky, thank you so much for joining us.
We really appreciate the latest on the news and all the quarterback talk. You're at the NFL report coming up. We got Brian Baldinger. Oh he's back and we're talking AFC Salry.
Oh, this NFL report. We can't get enough of Baldy.
Roll the Tate elsie, No, you cannot.
All right on a bombshell, lay it out, brought a bombshell ratt let's have one.
Here we go.
Sources say the Tennessee Titans are signing Jaguar star receiver Calvin Ridley. Listen to this massive deal four years, ninety two million dollars for Calvin Ridley, fifty million dollars fully guaranteed in this deal negotiated by David Mulgeda.
And res As. I'm a athletes first.
Calvin Ridley turns thirty this season, thirty, and he gets a massive, massive deal from the Titans. Everyone has been assuming, I think this whole time, that it was going to be the Jaguars is going to.
Be the Patriots.
No, no, it is the Tennessee Titans, quietly lurking, working and now landing a top free agent received for a massive, massive move for the Titans.
This is the NFL report that was Ian Rapidport on free agent frenzy on Thursday, on Wednesday breaking the news about Calvin Ridley, James Palmer, Brian Baldinger back here, Baldy saw the move by Calvin Ridley one of many by the Tennessee Titans. So let's focus on the AFC South and let's start right there, Baldy with.
The moves that the Titans made in the direction that they're headed in.
Well, I mean, all these teams in the AFC South are led by top flight quarterbacks picked, you know, at the top of the draft. You know, whether it's Anthony Richardson, you know, CJ last year, Rookie of the Year, you know, all the way to Trevor So you know, and then Will Levis.
So you.
Make the selection, you identify your franchise quarterback, and then you just never stopped building around that franchise quarterback to give him every opportunity to be successful. And so here comes Calvin Ridley. Kind of caught me off guard. He caught a lot of other people off guard, just not just where he went, but the amount of money they committed to. Calvin Ridley and Steve we All, you know, followed him from the stage when he was first drafted
by Atlanta. I mean, it was pretty clear that he became the number one receiver in Atlanta.
He was the number one wide.
Receiver Jacksville a year ago, and now he's going to get that opportunity along with DeAndre Hopkins to kind of fill that role with Will Levis. Is they try to build this thing and kind of compete with what we saw the Houston Texans do a year ago.
Yeah, bod, it's no longer just handed off to Derrick Henry with the Tennessee Titans anymore. And you look like, get Lloyd Kushenberry to protect him in front, and you also get Tony p to surround Will Levis. Let's go as you mentioned CJ. Stroud in the Houston Texans. I love what this team did baldi in the offseason so far, with what they've done in free agency, I think Daniel Hunter and Will Anderson Junior could be the best edge duo in football possibly, but also the other moves on
the defensive side of the ball. Not huge, massive deals, but they create more depth as a group for Damiko Ryans. What's your take on what Nick Casseio has done in this offseason?
Well, I thought Nick Cassio struck gold last year, both in the draft and in free agency, whether it was Dalton Schultzer and the linebackers or de Elite Collins, all the guys they signed up front. But you look at just that, the guys on the screen right now, and you look at fully fut of Casi. All right, you got yourself just a space eater. You got denikeo Autry to win inside or outside. I mean, he's a ten sat guy just if he stays anywhere near healthy. And
then you get Daniel Hunter. Look, we all like Trynathan Greenard. We all saw the development that he had in the year that they put together in the first four years starting Okay, Well they upgraded from greater when they went and got Dadel Hunter. And let's face it, Danel Hunter is from Katie, Texas. He's a Houston kid. He could have taken more money in other places. He wanted to go to Houston. It's the destination, you know, Demiko Ryans
has this teleora about him. Players want to play for Demico. He knows that, like I just like coaches that are active, they're responsive, they're in guy's ears picking them up. I think we all saw that from Demico a year ago. And boy, they're building something I think pretty special in Houston right now.
Baldy all got about ninety seconds. So looks combo the Jags and the Colts. The Colts basically just re signed everybody who was a free agent on their team, whereas the Jags they got out first and they made a trade for Mac Jones to back up Trevor Lawrence.
Well, I mean if you just look at yes, Indianapolis, they brought in Flacco to really kind of help mentor you know, the young quarterback Anthony Richardson, which is a good move. But you know, you look at Grover Stewart and Taekwon Lewis and Kenny Moore and Pittman and Zaire Franklin. Those are all resignings. They're all really good players. So that's good. And then look, Jacksonville had this collapse last year that nobody saw coming. We saw a quarterback in
Trevor Lawrence. Maybe it was injury related, but suddenly he didn't look like he was on the same trajectory that we saw the first two years. And so I got to see what Jacksonville does to kind of bounce back and get back on top, and if they have what it takes ship back on top, because I think the momentum is going in other places in the AFC South right now.
Yeah, Baldi, I mean a bad collapse by Jacksonville, it's going to show some mental stomach for them to kind of build themselves back up.
Baldi.
We appreciate the conversation always everything. Thanks for joining us with that great Max Cosby interview as well.
Now the NFL.
Report we will be back next Monday at seven pm Eastern Time on TV, on streaming look on the NFL channel, and as a podcast.
And guess what with the hits don't stop coming. As Commander's head coach Dan Quinn.
Is going to join Shad and I on Monday.
So this is what we give you at the NFL Report.
You give you the great interviews, we give you the real talk, and we give you Baldy. Everybody have a fantastic weekend again, chuck us out on Monday.
I missed Baldy.
I missed it.