Welcome Inside with the Insiders alongside Ian Rappaport and Mike Garafalo. I am Tom Pelisero Jam Packed edition once again of this show. Cardinals general manager Monty Austen for going to join us on the show. Hus Marvin Harrison Junior and Kyler Murray looking together. What really happened on the clock at number four? We'll get into all that with Monty. Bucky Brooks is going to join us as well, take us through some of the quarterback competitions and drama in the NFL.
And what do you know, We've got a little of that.
Quarterback drama in New York, though it has nothing to do with a contract for the second straight day. The talk of the town, that guy who was not there, Aaron Rodgers the New York Post thrilled to have some backcoage wordplay on a at a time when Ian's metz are too irrelevant to kick around. Robert Sola second straight day for him as well, have an answer a lot of questions.
It's about the one guy who's not in uniform.
There was a lot of craziness that came off of Aaron's.
App sus yesterday as expected. Did you have any contact with him.
I talked to him after between yesterday today.
No I happened, Robert.
You said that you spoke You were aware that Aaron was not going to be here before yesterday?
Is that correct?
And Tyrod said he.
Had only found out that morning.
Is there any reason that wh wasn't communicated to him before or No.
It's a one on one conversation. It's not something that the team needed to know about.
Think you're getting some blowback from media people about the use of the word unexcused, and because you were okay with him not being here if they did use the word unexcused, I'm wondering maybe if you could clarify why.
You use that word.
And also did you tell Rod Darren though he was going to be termed unexcused and he reacted to that.
No, you're fine, talked about it yesterday, but Aaron, Aaron and I are on the exact same page. There's no issue between Aaron or his teammates for that matter. So, like I said, we addressed it yesterday. It's more of an issue for everyone outside the building than it is inside.
And that's about it.
We said it yesterday when this began with the surprise announcement. Aaron Rodgers not there in Florin Park for the start of the only mandatory session of the off season. It's two practices in June. It's probably going to have absolutely no burying on how the Jets the offense Aaron Rodgers look when we get into September.
But this is the story, the factor.
For the second straight day, You've got Jets players and coaches having to go up and try to explain for Aaron Rodgers why he had a very important event that apparently was more important than showing up for the last session of the offseason. Ian, you weren't here yesterday. He didn't get a chance to weigh in on this. Tell me what you.
Make of what has taking place right now in New York.
Well, first of all, that Robert style interview basically seemed to be like a postgame interview from like November.
It was firing squad.
It was solid, clearly perturbed, same questions over and over again.
Yes, we went over this yesterday.
It seemed like a postgame press conference, and nobody on a losing one. By the way, nobody seems to want to be part of that. Let me go through first of all, what this is not. It's not nothing. It's nothing that's going to make the team actually distracted. Like it's not like players were going to study their playbook and now because they're worried about Aaron Rodgers, they're not.
It's nothing that really affects football.
But what it is is a perception issue. It is a lightning Rodt. Look, we're all talking about it because it's June and there's not a ton else to talk about.
Real football news doesn't really come in June.
So the fact that we were able to talk about this, it's great for us, but it's not going to be great for Aaron Rodgers. And especially if things don't get off to the kind of swimming start that everyone hopes, it's going to be just another thing for fans and critics to latch onto and say, how dedicated is he to football? How badly does he want to really get
distractions out? What about minicamp? It's just another thing. And the fact that the post could very truthfully put on the back page here's what Rogers said, and here's what he did, and have all of it be accurate and fair, that at the least is a perception problem for Aaron Rodgers.
I don't know.
I mean, does it become a distraction, does it become a story because we ask about it, right, or does it become a distraction and a story or an issue inside the building because it's an issue inside the building, which I don't sense that it is.
Well, you think the players are talking about.
It, players are being asked about it.
I don't know that players are talking about it like as if like where's our quarterback?
This is a problem. I don't get. I don't get that sense.
I don't And so we sit here and say like, oh, it's an issue. It's like a distraction, it's inconsistency, it's all these things.
The only thing that.
Really matters is if an issue there And as I said yesterday, it's only an issue right now in my mind. If it's an issue for Rogers that he was basically put on blast and that Salah used the word unexcused.
What you heard that he was asked about, Yeah, I don't know.
And I saw the notion that maybe, you know, the Jets should have let us know that this was coming. Here's the only problem with that. Yeah, the day that
they do that, it's a story. And then the first day of Mini Caamp, there's more cameras, there's more reports because everybody knows he's not going to be there, so they're there to do the story if him not be So that's a two day story, well one day plus the start of camp mini camp instead of the start of minicamp, which I guess it's technically now a two day story because we're still talking about it.
Well, the other piece of this is the fact that Aaron Rodgers set this up to become an issue. Back in January, we're listening to guy played four snaps. As we all know, the Jets stumbled, they made multiple quarterback changes. They actually won some games early on, but then end up finishing seven to ten.
Rogers comes out, he.
Lays down the law right after the regular season ends, and he says.
This, if you want to be a winning organization, man to put some position to win championships and be competitive, everything that you do matters, and that has nothing to do with winning needs to get out of the building. So that'll be the focus moving forward.
All right, let's welcome in our Bucky Brooks. Bucky, you played in the league, you worked on the scouting sides, you've been in front offices. You've seen this from different perspectives. What I can't get over is this Aaron Rodgers stands there says we've got to get the distractions out of the building. Even if you set aside everything over the last five months with Aaron Rodgers and political aspirations and everything else, this is the very literal definition of a
distraction mini camp. And you mean this celebration, we're fired up about the young guys, we're right a role we're peeking before we get this break before training camp. And instead the questions that they're facing and Robert saul Is, as Mike put it, looks like he just lost. The football game is all about the guy who's not on the field. In your mind, from your perspective, how much does or does this not matter right now?
Look, it matters now because we're in the middle of like with June and there's nothing going on. It doesn't matter in the bigger scheme of things. At the end of the day, the Jets are going to be judged on the way that Aaron Rodgers plays. And so even though this is a minor distraction, it's a minor hiccup. Aaron Rodgers has to know that if I play well, all of this will be forgotten, and so he just has to continue to understand that I got to play
like a four time MVP. If I play at an MVP level, the Jets are going to win and all of this will be forgiven. But if I don't play well, this will be thrown back in my face and it will be one of the many distractions that in New York jests have faced since he arrives, and so it just puts more pressure on him to play at a high level.
But right now it's probably bigger than it.
Needs to be, just because we don't have any real football to talk about.
We do have mini camps.
Though this week, Bucket, we we've got players on the field practical only a couple more days this and that we've got we had that little break in there.
Before we're seeing anybody out there again. But you know who was on the field today, Lamar.
Jackson and Zay Flowers looking like they did during Lamar's MVP season. Hook it up right here to South Florida, guys who I'm sure are going to be doing this during that break before training camp. Though we're to Lamar doesn't sound like everybody is necessarily on board with that plan.
Have you talked at all a look with the receivers A tight ends about getting together for an offseason, either for a summer break from a session, means that's something that you would like to do.
I would love to do that.
You know, some guys don't want to leave a state. They're gonna have to come to South Florida. They're gonna have to do it. We got to We're trying to get to that super Bowl, man, and for us to do that, we gotta ground.
We gotta be a chemisy.
We can start going down the list of who lives where, who might have grown up or gone to college a certain place, who might not want to take a longer flight to get down there to South Florida.
As we bring back in.
Our Mike garfula, I'm not I guys he here, Mike in that LaVar is calling anybody out with.
That particular thing.
But maybe a little public pressure because you know Lamar on the socials, he's gonna be posting everything of those workouts.
If you're like, hey, you know who's not there. He's left the.
Bread crumbs now for us to figure this thing out.
Yeah, I do.
Believe that this was half in jest, but I believe that it was also half of Lamar being a leader and saying we need to get some work in and be on the same page. Now, he wasn't there for all of the springs, so you could say, Lamar, practice what you preach, right, you should have been there for all of the OTAs there. But it is something that he's done in the past, wants to do again, and wants to have the chemistry with his whiteouts, which he seemed like he did have last year in a new
offense in Todd Munkin's offense. Now you're in year two, so I think you're gonna see a little bit even more comfortability.
Plus, when you factor.
In the defense, they're gonna have to worry about Derrick Henry and a power running game as well.
You think that that should help as well.
But listen, I'm all for Lamar Jackson, whether it's half in jest or serious or whatever, putting some public pressure in his guys and saying, hey, yeah, we've got to get some work in if we want to get to that super Bowl. We've done a great job of getting to the playoffs, but if we want to get to that Super Bowl, Bucky.
We got to grind and you got to grind it at South Florida heat and humidity.
Look, Mike, you alluded to it.
I would probably appreciate those cinemas more if he had been there the entire offseason because then they also could have built some chemistry while they were working in the building in Baltimore. But the pressure really is on Lamar Jackson to take his game up another level. He won an MVP a season ago. This team played well for the majority of the season, laid an egg in the postseason, and as they continue to fall short in the postseason, more pressure goes to Lamar Jackson.
Can he get this team to the next level.
So I want to see the two time MVP hit the ground running from the start. So whatever they need to do in training camp to make sure they have the necessary chemistry and continuity to play well from the start, it needs to happen because all eyes on Lamar Jackson and how he gets this offense going very very quickly.
In twenty twenty four, we'll.
See about that chemistry and continuity. One thing bucket we know they have is Derrick Henry, a very unique type of a player real quick. How do you imagine Derrick Henry's presence is going to change the dynamic of that Ravens offense.
Well, if this was the old version of the offense, I absolutely would love it because we know they will be a very physical down here running team Todd Munkett utilizes a different strategy, but Derrick Henry still gives them a viable threat, two time rushing champs, someone who can close out games. Just the thought of Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson doing some power reads, some option stuff will.
Make defenses falls. This could be a huge addition for the Baltimore Ravens.
They just need to make sure they.
Do a good job of managing the load so Dereck Henry can be at his best during the last half of the season, because if he's healthy and available, he and Lamar Jackson could give upon his problems as a two headed monster in the backfield.
AFC North Top to bottom one of the most fascinating divisions in for not just because they got the raining NFL MVP, because we've got a lot going on right now in Pittsford. Mike Tomlin just signed his contract extension and they brought in two new quarterbacks, including.
That guy Russell Wilson. Shocking.
We've got a great looking photo of russ out there on the practice field. He's competing with another guy, Justin Fields, who was acquired a course back in March in a trade from Chicago. And it's take to say Justin Fields has noticed a little bit of a difference.
Is there a new energy that you get being in a different organization, going through mini camp in a different way for the first time.
I think, so, you know, just being around a new team, uh uh, an organization.
That's you know, just just with this culture.
You know, me being in two different places now, you just I realize that, you know, you don't get this cultures everywhere. I think Chicago, I think they are, you know, kind of changing the narrative now. But I mean this has just been the culture here for so many years to where I mean, you can see it. It's just the way that you know, attack each the other day,
and I'm coach, he stays honest about it. So I think I'm just having that and then reiterating fact each and every day that keeps guysing the toes.
On Guys Day day, we'll set aside these subtexts right there of what Justin Fields had to say about Chicago that they're starting to figure some things. I can see the wheels turning his head like I don't want to crush him really hard right now, because it seems like everybody's pretty excited about the Bears at this point. But ian in Chicago, we know Mike Tomlin has said over and over Russell Wilson's in the pole position. Arthur Smith reiterated it that Russell Wilson is still in the pole
position as this thing moves forward. What will you be looking for to determine exactly how the Steelers are going to use potentially both these quarterbacks come September.
Well, first of all, I'm going to go to kind of what Russell Wilson said recently, talked about feeling rejuvenated, feeling like he found the fountain of youth, which is a very good thing.
The last couple of years.
We're no doubt all, and I think he's in a much better situation this year on the field, with the supporting cast around him, with Arthur Smith, who should be a very very good offensive coordinator, just as he was before he got the Falcons job.
So feeling rejuvenated is a good thing, but feeling like.
He's young again, that to me is one where I really do wonder what he means.
Because, of course, Russell Wilson.
Was a quarterback who ran around, who scrambled, who scrambled to throw, who was really loose to who never got hit, seam never got hit hard, was kind of able to move as he wanted. He is certainly much older now, he is at a different stage in his career, and I hope he doesn't mean we are going to see the run around Russ that we saw for the first let's say decade.
That to me would be the only thing.
I would say, Let's just see how this unfolds and what version we get of Russell Wilson. I would also say, obviously he is in pole position, but Justin Fields is very confident and very very serious, and you know, if there's a small bit of opening, he is going to do everything.
He possibly can to jump through that.
These preseason games, even if we sort of think Russ is going to be starting Week one, these preseason games are going to be really really interesting, especially as it relates to Justin Fields.
Yeah, Mike Tomon likes to use these preseason games to kind of get a feel for the regular season and a feel for the atmosphere that these guys.
Are going to face.
So you know he'll be using those games to evaluate how these guys, both of them respond to it, how they perform. And justin Field is certainly capable of making wold plays, So if he makes a few of those in those preseason games, it'll give us some conversation topics here on the insiders to have here.
But in Russell Wilson's case, feeling revived.
I just every time I look at this, and when you have conversations with people in Pittsburgh and around Pittsburgh and around the team, you get the sense that there's a lot of positivity, and maybe he didn't have that the last couple of years. So when you feel the revived, this is the guy early in his career and Pete Carroll and he vibed in a lot of ways, and Carol loved to preach to positivity. I think he's feeling
that more than anything right now. So that's that feeling of love and a feeling of a preciation and the feeling of being lifted up. So I can't imagine a better scenario for Russell Wilson, at least from that standpoint than what he is experiencing right now in Pittsburgh.
I'm going through the schedule of twenty one live preseason games on NFL Network. August ninth, Texans at Steelers, August seventeenth, Bills at Steelers, and August twenty fourth, Steelers at Lines.
What do you know? You're going to see every.
Single snap the Russell Wilson Justin Field's take in the preseason right here on this channel. You're also about to see this. The Steelers hosted their inaugural steel Hers event, presented by upmc McGee Women's Hospital as part of their Women of Steel platform, which unites women who share passion for the Black and Gold. The event includes on field drills with players like Calvin Austin, a Q and A with Troy and Theodora Paulamalou, locker room tours, and a
whole lot more. Looks like a ton of fun there inside the Steelers stadium coming up after this, So much more to go on this episode of The Insiders.
Let's talk about the Packers.
Jordan Love, one of the hottest quarterbacks in all the football down the stretch that last season. Can he build on it in his second full year as the starter? Are Staceydale's Bucky Brooks help us break it down? Right after this on The Insiders, how about some dance moves from the quad father himself. That's aj Dillon out there at the mandatory medi camp today.
He's got a couple of new.
Running mates, Josh Jacobs and third round pick Marshawn Lloyd. A very interesting young team in Green Bay that finished last season very much on the rise. I still got the same running mates that I do so often right here on this show. Tom Pilisaro back with Bucky Brooks, So welcome in our friend Stacy Dale's as well. Stacy, you talk to a lot of people in Green Bay. We know the arrow is definitely pointing up on Jordan
Love at the end of last season. It's going to show in the contract that he has said he expects to get.
Before training camp.
From what you're hearing, second full year as the starter in this offseason, how's Love?
How's that offense coming along?
Yeah?
I would tell you, guys, I think the word that I'm taking away from this offseason is maturity With Jordan Love. You know, this is a very young team and both sides of the football really and Jordan Love, we forget he's really entering his fifth year, which is why he'll get that extension. We think here before training camp, Tom as you alluded to. But you know, he has been extremely diligent, based upon what I've learned in Green Bay, with his preparation heading into his second year as starter,
despite really being the veteran of this offense. I would also say he's been very intentional in terms of what he wants to improve upon, honing in on where he wants to go with the football to this bevy of receivers, this bevy of young receivers on the outside, and specifically focusing on his pocket movement, really condensing that pocket movement
in terms of his footwork becoming more efficient. But when he does make the decision to break pocket, and yes there's really no pads obviously at this stage, to be very intentional with how he breaks the pocket, specifically to the right, and you know recently when we heard him talk this week, getting his shoulders and his body downhill and not drifting.
That's why Bucky I use.
The word intentional. And there's Obviously, there's a lot of talk about who's going to be the number one receiver.
It's been a big point.
Of argumentation, if you will, perhaps amongst those that follow these Packers, I would say, Bucky, any one of these guys could be the number one and have an emergent season with Jordan Love in this offense, I think they can be extremely explosive in Green Bay.
I'm with you, Stacy.
This offense can be very explosive.
And I got to see it going back to my time with the Packers in the mid nineties, this has always been an organization that believe that you don't necessarily need a number one receiver, that the offense is really predicated on a level quarterback playing it in the system that can evlate the playmakers around him. When when I look at this version of the Packers, Jordan Love certainly
is an a level quarterback. He has weapons around him that within this system they can't thrive and flourish as co number ones or interchangeable number ones, however you want to dub them. But this is all about Jordan Love his steady improvement as a quarterback since entering the league.
The Packers are ready.
To go to the next level.
And a big reason is because Jordan Love is the real deal.
And as he grows.
Comfortable and as he begins to kind of put his own imprint on this offense, I think you go see the other playmakers around him rise to that level and he is going to be someone that we celebrate because the playmakers certainly have the talent to get it done. And it's one of the things that the Packers have done for the last thirty years, which is why they have always been a relevant team when it comes to being a title contender.
On the other side of the ball, Stacy Matt Lafleur had to make maybe the hardest decision he's had to make as a head coach, moving on from one of his good friends, Joe Barry, the defensive coordinator after the end of last season. He brings in a guy in Jeff Hafley, who I've gotten to know because he was coaching at my alma mater, n Ttill he took this decordinator job in Green Bay. He's got a very good mind.
He's a different type of a presence. What is this actually going to look like on the defensive side of the ball in Green Bay?
Yeah, it's such a good question, Tom, and you know, obviously came from Boston College, but he just spent so many years right in the NFL as primarily a defensive backs coach. And I think what I've learned about Jeff Halfley and you guys know this, he has a very aggressive mentality. Obviously there's a shift to a four to three base defense, but generally speaking, I mean even Jordan
Love talked about it. You're going to see some semblance of what the San Francisco forty nine ers, which is somewhere Jeff Halfley stopped in his coaching career in the NFL and Seattle Seahawks, And I actually thought it was very interesting. The veteran Preston Smith and his sort of
media scrum recently talked about Richard. He contacted Richard Sherman, who spent a season with Halfley in San Francisco I believe it was twenty eighteen, and had nothing but a fusive praise for what he brings to the table and how he puts his players in position to be successful. Rashan Gary recently saying this is a pin your ears back type of approach with him. I think you're going to see a lot more pressure up front, and I think you're going to see a defensive backgroup and room
that is extremely competitive. It's all about ball and that aggressive mindset is a shift that I think Brian Gudukunst is very pleased with. I remember asking him this offseason what he sensed with the change, not only in scheme but with the defensive coordinator, and his response was, it's going to be a big play style difference in terms of what Halfley brings to the table.
I think that.
Should excite Packers fans in ash Wobanon.
Stacy Bucky, thank you very much. We will talk to you again soon. Packers. Of course, we're that close to knocking off the forty nine ers, potentially getting them and moving on where they want to face. This team they got all the way to the super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs.
They had a lot to celebrate.
They've been doing it this week, but could one of their key players soon walk away?
It's not Calas Swift.
Don't worry, We'll talk about it next on The Insiders. The two time defending Super Bowl champs on the field for mandatory mini camp this week. Can they make it a three peat and if they do, could Travis Kelcey potentially walk away one.
Of his best teammates. Chris Jones sure hopes not.
Thomas is up to your escup talking about that he knew that at the end of his career was coming sooner rather than later.
I know he's got a few years on. You don't like that kind of talk to you, But he's retiring this year.
What do you mean once you begin to think about the it's like that you're getting a feed demand those type of doughts. I don't even want my mone to even go there far to the R word. But Trail, he's pretty old. I'm just playing Trav I love you, but no man, Trail, he got like four or five more years. And what is he ben talking about retirement for. I mean, you know, we can't let a tkse hold go. It's like, if we retire, we got to retire together.
Give me like at least six years, then we'll talk about it.
I can listen to Chris Jones just talk about anything for an hour. Everything that comes out of his mouth is pure gold, even if some of it not necessarily NFL Network appropriate. Welcome back to the Inside of Town. Pella Sero joined now by our friend Jeffrey Chadia, who is there in Kansas City. Travis Kelcey certainly made some news with his comments talking about, hey, he's still leaving it all on the field, but he knows the end
is coming in the not too distant future. Here when Kelsey looks at this team, when others look at this Chiefs team, they see some new pass catchers.
What's the word on those guys so far?
They do?
They see Marquise Brown, and they see Xavier Worthy of the first round pick, and Travis Kelcey sees their potential. He talked about this yesterday when he was talking about retirement and how his career is winding down, and he says that he really loves they have talent, but he loves the kind of people that they are. They've come in here, they've listened, they've been coachable. They fit into the culture immediately. And think Kelsey knows that speed is
going to bode well for him this year. You know, Andy Reid has talked about possibly managing his usage rate because he's getting up there, going to be thirty five years old this coming October.
But Kelsey said he wants that pressure.
But he also wants his offense to take off again, and he knows having these two guys this speed.
Is going to open up things for him underneath. Once again, they.
Got weapons and other positions to Isaiah. Piceco sets the tone as well as anybody his size that I've ever seen in the NFL, and it sounds like he feels pretty good about the work.
He's been able to get in this offseason too.
He is because he's actually had a full offseason actually work. You know, the last pass last offseason, he was actually dealing with a shoulder injury, shoulder surgery, so he couldn't be out there, and he actually talked about how this year it's a nice thing not to have that gold jersey on and where people can't touch you and you feel like you're a quarterback. And Litill not as running back like as he would like to be. But as you mentioned, he's down about two hundred and six pounds.
He likes to play around two eight two oh nine. Wants to be faster since is going to be his third year in this offense, so he's going to get a lot more run because he knows pack protection better.
Keep in mind he averaged twenty.
Carries during the postseason, and so as much as this office is about Mahomes and Kelsey and these speedy receivers, he's going to once again be a big part of what they do and the success that they have.
Jeffrey, thank you very much. Look forward to talking to you again soon. Four super Bowl trips for the Chiefs and the Patrick Mahomes era, He's won three of them. The only guy to get the better of Patrick Mahomes happens to be a guest right here on The Insiders tomorrow night. That's right, It is a show fit for a goat. Tom Brady is going to join us on The Insiders. At this very moment, he's addressing the crowd in Foxborough getting inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
I imagine the appearance on The Insiders is going to have pretty much the same emotional impact on him, don't you think, Mike.
I mean, the questions we've got for him. I can't wait.
There's Matthew Stafford throwing a past or in the Rams mandatory mini camp. Sean McVay expecting that Stafford is going to do that when training camp begins next month. Why would we even have that discussion, Why would we even be talking about that possibility?
Ian rappap for it. It's because of money. I mean, that's often what we talk about when it comes to the show. How you doing.
Matthew Stafford under contract for three more years at thirty one, thirty two and thirty one million dollars, so ninety four million dollars over the next three years.
If my math is correct, it's pretty simple. It better be.
It should be actually scored higher on matth than verbal and the SAT if you could believe that. But with Stafford, despite the fact that he's been under contract for three years and this year guaranteed, he's looking at some.
Of these other numbers.
Are these quarterbacks going around that are almost double this and pretty soon will be double that?
Yeah, And I don't even know that that's the real important part for Matthew Stafford. I'm sure he wants to be paid more. Everybody in the world wants to be paid more. The issue here, from my understanding, is guaranteed money. And Matthew Stafford has his salary for this year guaranteed after that, You're right, thirty two million, thirty one million, but none guaranteed. And look, this is a guy who
did have an elble issue a year ago. I think a lot of people were wondering, is this the end for Matthew Stafford?
Are the Rams going to draft a quarterback? There's a lot of that going on.
Then he went down and had a year where he really looked like the old Matthew Stafford. Four thousand yards, twenty four touchdown, really put a really young team on his back, and it sounds to me like just once to know that he is going to be back, wants you to know that his spot on the roster is secure and that he is appreciated. Good thing for him, that it's good for the team. I should say that he's not going to sit out of training camp, He's not going to hold up.
All of those things.
But there is still a contractual issue that does need to be solved for a guy who has beens want to shoot bowl with the Rams and who's been unbelievably important to the resurgence.
Yeah, this seems like it's fixable.
He's thirty six years old, which used to be old for a quarterback, but not so much. You heard Tom talk about Tom Brady playing.
Well into his forties. Not to say that Matthew Stafford is going to.
Do that, but it's reasonable to believe he's got three, four or five potentially good years left in his body. Had that elbow issue, but was able to work his way through that. I thought that that was going to be the point at which he started the tail off, but he and the team and the trainers and the medical staff and.
Everybody that he works with was able to work.
Through that issue and show again that he's got some good football left in his arm. So again this feels fixable. Nice little bump. Some guaranteed money, you know, the Ian Rappaport tree, they give you that yet, I don't know. We'll see working on that as well. We expect you for the start of training camp, buddy. We also expect Marvin Harrison Junior for the Cardinals start. I'm gonna start, excuse me, of the Cardinals training camp, and he's been
putting on a show. It sounds like in the spring already. We're going to talk to the general manager who drafted it. Monty Austin Fort joins the insiders.
After that, Cardinals Mini camp rolling on on a day that, according to the various weather apps high temperature around one hundred and eleven degrees out there. They practice in the morning, so it's not that bad, but certainly sweating it out before they head on to their summer break. Welcome back to the Insiders, Tom pilisero Ian Roudport, joined right now by the general manager of that football team. It is Monty Ostinport.
Monty.
First of all, thank you very much for being here today. We saw a little bit of Marvin Harrison Junior in that clip. We just you did all the homework, you watched all the tape, you did all the interviews. When you actually see him out on the field in the Cardinals uniform right now, what's your reaction.
Thanks guys, thanks for having me on. You know, it's exciting. It's exciting to get Marvin out there, as it is for all of our rookies to get out there. You know, it's been a good month here, month and a half since we last had the draft, and it's been good to get these guys in our building, get them accustomed to what we do here, get them to meet their new teammates, and we got a lot of good work
in here the last six weeks. So you know, we got to talk a positive step this spring, and you know, we're looking forward to taking a little bit of a break and then getting back here rolling for training camp. But it's been an exciting time for our rookies here getting on the field with us for the first time.
You know, Monty, one of the coolest things is you guys spend all this time on research. You have all the interviews, do all the visits, all the tape and all that, and then guys actually get into your facility and sometimes you find out things that maybe you didn't know.
And you talked about Marvin very nicely.
There's a big draft class obviously, another first runner, and Darius Robinson as well. What have you seen of some of the other guys not named Marvin Harrison Junior? And then had there been any surprises, maybe pleasant surprises with some of these rookies you brought in.
Yeah, And I think I think with anything we put, we put a lot of time. Like you said, we put a lot of time in the interviews and our scouts on watching tape, and so you know, you really we try to get as much information as we possibly can. But until we actually get people in our building and work with them on a day to day basis that you know, we really don't don't know the person. You know, we we think we do, but until we get them here and and work with them, like, we don't truly know.
So it's been great to get them here in the building. You know, it's it's it's fun. You you spend a lot of time with these guys and the and they're in interview mode, but you actually get to know guys can be themselves, let their guard down a little bit. You get to know a sense of humor, and so, you know, all of our guys just finding their role, finding their niche on the team and getting getting a
custom and learning their new teammates. That's that's been a cool process and that's that really has begun here these last six weeks and then are really going full force once we get into training Camp Monty.
Last year, at this time, there were some questions, I think publicly not as much in your building, but certainly publicly about Kyler Murray, the future of Kyler, How much would he play, would he even play at all? That was actually something that was certainly publicly, not saying in your building, but publicly being discussed. Then he goes out and certainly shows flashes of being the Kyler that we
have all seen for the past several years. Now that he is back with the whole offseason, he's going to have the whole training camp. What else is there out there for Kyler and how much will that benefit him just having being able to be available.
For the entire process. Yeah, I and I think that's huge.
I think it's absolutely huge. I mean, I think you know one thing that's that's overlooked is, yeah, Kyler had a lot on his plate last year in terms of rehabing and and getting his knee ready, and then you know, also learning a new offense, learning new coaches, learning new teammates, and so you know what's lost is that last year when a lot of that team building was taking place, and the reps were being put in in the spring and the rest were being put in in training camp, well,
the time when the team has the time to not focus on an opponent and just focus on our own selves internally, Kyler had a lot of other things to concentrate on, namely with his rehab and his health, and so for him to be able to be with the team this entire offseason, to be able to grow in the offense, to be able to grow in his leadership role, to be able to get to know his teammates, both old and new. That's been huge. It's been huge for
the team. It's been huge for Kyler. It's been a role that he's embraced and taken it and ran with and so we're excited about him continuing to do that here as we move forward, and that'll really keep going once we get into training camp. But you know, I think that's an important part for any teammate, especially at the quarterback position, and it's one that we think Kyler can has really race and one that he's going to continue to grow with.
And I know you've had your hands kind of full with football stuff, you know, through the majority of the past several months here, but I do also want to ask you about the Civics Matter Arizona program, the Cardinals partnering up with the governor, among others, sending a bunch of students to Washington, DC.
It sounds like a cool program. Tell me about it.
Yeah, Tom, it's it's a really cool program. You know, this is the third year that our owner, Michael Bidwell has done this, and you know, this year they have. I think it's upwards of two hundred and seventy five kids that are that are leaving, that left Arizona here the other day, and and get on the team plane, the same plane that we used to go to play all of our road games. And for some of these kids, it's the first time they've ever been on an airplane.
And then to go to you know, one of the greatest cities in our country, Washington, d C. And to see all kinds of sites that have experiences to uh, to sit down at the Senate and meet some of the leaders at Arizona. I mean, it is a It is a cool program that Michael has put together. It is a great experience for these kids. And you know, I'm anxious for my daughters to get old enough to take part in this. But it is a really really cool program that Michael has done and really an experience
that that these students will will not soon forget. So it's awesome that the Cardinals have been able to sponsor this and to continue to continue this and just a really great experience for those students.
Hang on, was Michael flying the plane or did they get the experience.
That Michael actually was not flying this this specific plane. I'm sure he could, and he'd be a great He's a great guy to have on board in case anything went went down, because I know he'd be able to handle it. But this specific route, he was not behind the controls of this this.
Flight, Bonnie, thanks a lot, Man. Make sure you get some rest over these next six weeks. Before you know it, me and Ian will be down there in Tempe sweating it out with you.
I'm sure let's go.
Hey, we'll turn the heat up for you, guys. You guys are welcome anytime, but enjoy summer, get some downtime, and we'll have a nice and toasty for you come July. And so come on out.
God who will appreciate it?
Man, I appreciate it, Thanks guys.
MANI ausin port one of Minnesota's finest. Meanwhile, there's officially a QB one on the depth chart in Minnesota, at least for the moment, and it might not be who you think. We'll break it down right after this on The Insiders. Tom Brady honored week one last year before the Patriots game tonight, being honored again by his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame. We'll honor him one more time. We welcome into the Insiders family.
Tomorrow seven pm Eastern Time.
Tom Brady coming on talking about young quarterbacks within the NFL, talking about his new broadcasting career a whole lot more. It'll be the goat of shows. Don't miss it Thursday night. That's tomorrow, seven pm Eastern Time. Tom Horse wrapped up his career down there with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was succeeded by Baker Mayfield, who I'm sure was on the throwing end of that catch by Mike Evans right there. Baker also and his wife Emily, welcomed a daughter into
the world earlier this year. Sounds like a big Father's Day weekend ahead for Baker.
Speaking, good time off. You get to celebrate your first Father's Day. It's the weekend any planned, I don't think so. Maybe you're around a golf probably just watching golf on TV.
Yeah, that sounds basically like the in Rappaport plan I believe as well. So that is that a pretty close match. You already got the shirt on.
I mean US Open is this week and it just happens to be on Father's Day weekend. Like there'll be some lovely family time. Will have a great dinner. But will I tape the US open, make sure nobody talks about who wins, and then sit and watch it by myself.
Maybe it's definitely possible.
Yeah, another family time on Father's Day?
Or is it your day? That's the key question. It never winds up being your day. Like Father's Day is not a thing. So you got to ask for a period of time. How much time? About that much time? That's what I'm asking for right there? That is a l Seti seventh Father's Day El Septimo, my seventh Father's Day. Bought a Chelli Sacred Arts Collection. This is an amazing stick right here. That's all right, Hello, this is just this much right here?
Got me?
They can't hear me, you know what I'm saying.
Like your kids probably they probably you know, painted mugs for you or you know there's like a mouse pad or something. You should actually ask him for the best gift of all being quiet during the A block.
You heard that?
Huh?
I wasn't sure if you heard it.
It's not Father's Day, every a block every day only for Father's by on the show Mike McDonald too tomorrow, Big Father be there