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Good Morning Football.
That's right, this is Good Morning Football. Welcome inside, everybody. We're love in LA and Indianapolis today because it is the first official day of on field drills in the NFL Scouting Combine. It's Thursday of every twenty seventh. I'm Jamie at Allmantiiteo, Peter Schrager, Cody Kessler at the table. But actually, Peter, in hindsight, that was a bit of a mistake. I didn't know this kicking Specialty Exposition was happening yesterday.
That was a cool deal, really cool. Kickers usually get no love here at the combine, punters usually coming to just get the run forties. They actually got to do the actual drills. Pat McAfee hosted a very cool way to start off the combine and there was a great turnout that will be a fixture for years to come. So kickers and punters getting the love too, Jamie, we like to show all the love here at the network.
M h.
Indeed, we do and all love meaning that we don't just focus on guys working out this weekend. We have to pay attention to news around the NFL and of course current players. Rams head coach Sean McVay hung out with two of his friends, Fits and Wits on their podcast as the Rams and the coach lay out the situation that they face right now with their quarterback, Matthew Stafford.
There's no dispute and let's not get it twisted in regards to anybody wanting him to be our quarterback. Ultimately, you're saying, hey, there's a ton of interest because this guy's an incredible player, and we've had conversations where he could probably play over much longer once, but it's been on.
A year to year in terms of our dialogue. Is that one? Is that too?
Only he can answer that, But there does have to be an element of understanding, well, what does that future look like without this freaking g that's been our quarterback for the last four years.
And there's no right or wrong way to go about it.
But I do think for us to be able to make the most educated decision in terms of all, right, you know, the cash budget that we operate on, the draft comp that you would get in return, you know, you just need to be able to have all the parameters to at least explore it. He and I have had great dialogue throughout this process. I know where we want it to be able to end up. But these decisions aren't made in a vacuum, and that's kind of the challenging part about it.
McVeigh just calls it like he sees it. Peter and Tom pellasero. The guy's been a g a quarterback for the Rams, and of course there's no dispute. He wants him to stay at that position. But Peter, sometimes the books don't lay out that way. What do you two make of mcveigh's comments.
Yeah, well, look, Shawn has always been very transparent in his love for Matthew Stafford, but he was also very transparent in that the numbers might not make sense long term. Well for the short term. Do we find a way to fix it year to year or is this the year you rip the band aid off and you mix things up. As we know, Stafford's agent, Jimmy's, was given full ability by the Rams to go just seek out and see what the market would be as far as numbers go for Matthew Stafford on the open market, as
if he was a free agent. But then things have accelerated this week. Tom Pellet, Sara's with me here today. Lots of reports yesterday, lots of conflicting reports yesterday. There also have been some teams mentioned. Why don't we give a thirty thousand foot view of where things stand? And also the different individuals and teams involved right up to the minute, including all interactions at local coffee shops here in Indianapolis.
Well, let's start here with what you said, which was the RAMS gave Jimmy Sexton a couple of weeks ago commission to go and talk to other teams. So there have been ongoing dialogue with Matthew Savage agent Jimmy Sexton, multiple other teams, and the RAMS.
Everybody's trying to figure this out.
Part of this was the RAMS wanted to know if Stafford comes back into if Shefford is going to come back to the RAMS, what is that contract going to look like?
In other words, what number would make sense? Find that out?
Is if you talk to the our teams and know what's behind door number two, and you heard me Fay talk about it, it's like, hey, we can get a second round draft pickback and clear forty fifty million dollars from our cash budget, maybe spend that elsewhere. Kirk Cousins is maybe gonna pop free and be at the minimum. We can bring back Jimmy Garopolo. There's a lot of different options here, but the Giants are certainly a team to watch.
In all this, they have a clear quarterback need. It would make a ton of sense from the Giants perspective. Matthew Stafford had to figure out it makes sense for him to go there because he's got effective veto power. He doesn't have a no trade card, not that anybody who is gonna make it us money so effectively has no trade cluse. The Raiders are another team, and you mentioned some conflicting reports yesterday.
Here's one thing that did happen.
Matthew Stafford and Tom Brady, the Raiders minority owner as we now call him, also the greatest quarterback of all time.
It's trying to be reducing the Raiders owner.
Now they both have property in an exclusive ski resort in Montana. There's a bunch of people there, like Bill Gates has a place there, Mark Zuckerberg and obviously certain NFL people who also have made two hundred plus million dollars in their careers. Those guys ran into each other recently. They did talk, they did spend some time together. Didn't playing for the Raiders?
Come up? Who's this set? He didn't, But it wasn't.
Tom Brady flying in Matthew Stafford hosting him on the.
Visited see them at his house.
I mean, maybe there's maybe there's some people in this world who trade out trips for favors.
I don't know.
Maybe sometimes you get a little gift basket.
Who knows.
But this was something that was not quite to the extent that certain people wanted to be.
You could end up with the Raiders.
It's certainly a possibility. Tom Brady's very persuasive, but there's a lot of moving parts here. And ultimately, let's remember the Rams still hold the card. If they just say, you know what, We're not going to trade you. We looked at all the options. You're not going anywhere. That Matthew Safford has to figure out, Okay, do I take the best offer they get or do I say I'm gonna sit out.
That scenario is hard to envision, but we'll see.
There's so many layerses. But the ugly letter is the t letter, and it's tampering, So where does that come into this thing? He was given permission to speak with agents, So like, where do we stand?
Well, remember four years here.
You also have to have the team pushed charges for tampaing. It has to come from the Rams.
Four years ago, Stafford was traded after being in Cabo with Sean McVay, and the Lions.
Were happy with that trade, so they didn't push for that, right.
So the Rams then coming back after they've given Jimmy Sexton permission, would seem like this would probably be a you know a little bit much to pursue tampering charges. But let's be clear, you can't talk directly to the player unless you're given permission to do that. It doesn't salent the Rams have given that permission. Tom Brady, Matthews, saverndor an Indo train. This is honestly the gray area with Tom Brady, which is is he broadcaster Tom Brady.
Plays the ex player Tom Brady?
Is he Raiders by nor I'll say this, tom Brady has a lot of authority in that Raiders building. Anything that he is doing is at the be hesse. I would think of trying to make the Raiders better. So again, did it come up in conversation. I can't say I don't own a place there. I'm several hundred million dollars short. I think one day maybe I'll run into him on the.
SI you'll get there. Listen a couple more layers to this, though. The whole thing was Stafford. Obviously, you know what's his value. What's the team would have to trade a pick, maybe some other veterans and pay him that new number. So it's not like he's a pure free agent that it's like, hey, we could give you fifty five million, come aboard. The Rams don't want to do that. They would still to give a pick and maybe even a player or two. The Giants are a team. We're hearing the Raiders are
a team. We're hearing the Steelers early on. We're a team. I'm hearing not as much about the Steelers right now. And to your point, Stafford, Kelly, his wife, they're four kids. They would have to be open to going to that location. Stafford's brother in law, Chad Hall, is now the assistant wide receivers coach of the New York Giants, And of course Vegas is so close to Los Angeles. That's a
forty minute flight. Kelly and the girls could technically still live and have their Los Angeles life, and Stafford could go back and forth if he were to go to the Raiders. So interesting layers to this. The end result, He's still a ram. As we are on TV now, and as the drills go on today, this will be a topic that we'll all be talking about, and is what happens in all these hallways and all these hotel, local bakeries and whatnot.
Else exactly all right, here's what I've learned. Here's what I've gleaned from this conversation.
That it seems like.
Trade conversations can occur in things like a chalet and a cabana, and you can't get in trouble for it. None of us have enough money to participate in any of these recreational activities in the off season.
Did I get it right?
Don't say that we're getting there. We're working hard the show. We just got syndication rights. We're doing all right, Jamie, We're hanging in.
Let's go. You're right, Peter.
We check your local listings for GMFB overtime. Here we go, Matthew Stafford, buzz, Let's keep this conversation rolling Cody Kessler. Being a California kid, you have worked out adjacent to Stafford. You also know the impact that he's had on his teams that he has played for, both in Detroit and LA. What do you make of these conversations. Maybe from both sides of it, there's a business and there's a effect that this could have on both the team.
And the player.
Yeah, one hundred percent. And earlier in this week, even with the talks of Stafford speaking to other teams to getting the permission to do so, I was still fully convinced he was going to be in Los Angeles this next season. I'm not quite there anymore. I'm getting a little worried. But I will say this, from the football side of things, Matt Stafford, in my opinion, is one of still, at thirty seven years old, one of the most talented players in the NFL right now, especially when
it comes to arm talent. When you pair that up with his experience, his toughness, his leadership ability. For this young roster that the Rams have right now, it makes so much sense to just keep him there. I know the numbers also have to make sense, that's the big thing. But he took this young roster to Philadelphia, was one play away and bad weather to going to the NFC Championship game. And this was a team early on in the season that a lot of people rode off.
Right.
I think if you go out and find a new quarterback, whether you go get a young quarterback, whether you go get a veteran someone that's proven, you're doing a disservice to your football team. Because when you have a young roster, it is it's so important to have stability at key positions. That number one spot is the quarterback. You have Matthew Stafford, like I said, one of the most talented in the NFL.
You also had a great combination between Nick Bay and Stafford outside of Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, probably the best play color quarterback combination combination in the entire NFL. Right, And if you just break that up after they won a Super Bowl together, I just think you'd take a massive step backward backwards if you were the Los Angeles Rams. So I don't know what that number looks like for
Matt Savad, I don't know what he wants. I just think they need to find a way to get some common ground and get a chance to revamp and go back in twenty twenty five and make another run at the title.
Yeah, talk about numbers and values, and I'm so glad you made that that reference, Cody.
A few days have gone by, I looked at all.
The narratives kind of surrounding this whole Rams transaction in Matt Stafford, and it kind of reminds me of the stalk market.
They're kind of treating it like the stock market.
They understand that they have an asset, which is Matt Stafford, and he's at his max value right now. It's at a value where he can win you a lot of games, and he can take you to a super Bowl. Matter of fact, he won you a super Bowl, and we talked earlier in the week that he was one play away from getting it into the NFC Championship and possibly this go again.
Now.
The Rams also understand that that value can only go down with age. He's not going to get any younger, and there's a market right now that is in desperate need of a quarterback. So I think there are teams out there that may be so desperate that talk about prices and numbers that they might present the Rams with the price that could set them up for short and long term success. And I think right now where the Rams are sitting is they're just trying to figure.
Out what that price for other teams will look like. How desperate are these teams going to be?
Now, do the Rams want to get rid of Matt Stafford? Definitely, they don't want to get rid of Matt Stafford.
But if there is a desperate team that will give.
Them the proper pieces and the compensation that can set them up for short term and long term success, I mean, it might be something for them to entertain right because.
They're the rare situation right now where they're young and they're good. Their defensive draft last year was off the charts. You still have Poka Nukua coming into his own and they decided to move on from Cooper Cup this offseason. Peter,
I'm gonna ping it back out to you. For as much as there is the conspiracy theory talk about conversations that are going on in Chalais in Montana, there's also some conspiracy theory that's happening with the fact that Malibu is a town that sits very close to Woodland Hills, where the Rams practice who would be the contingency plan for the Rams? And why does it rhyme with shmarn Rogers.
I mean it it would.
I mentioned this on Tuesday on the show, and they like set off this like crazy windfall, but it's an obvious connection. Malibu is home to Rogers. He's currently looking for a suitor. We hear that he's actually been outright, you know, saying that he still wants to play, and Los Angeles would make a lot of sense if they were to move on from Stafford. The issue is, of course,
what does he want? What is his money? If you think about it this way, and if you're trying to wait, if you're the Rams, you've got Stafford who's gonna want a little bump and pay. And I you know, the number I throughout earlier was fifty million. Outs think it would get to fifty million with the Rams necessarily, but if he's going to a new team, it would be around fifty million. That's what I've been hearing just from
other teams and what the numbers have been. So you're gonna pay Stafford that and then we just kind of kick the can along and we see if we can get to a Super Bowl. And then he's thirty eight next year. Or do you tear it down now to what Mantai is saying, trade Stafford, get draft picks in return, and then spend a lot less on a guy like Aaron Rodgers who is four years older and hasn't had the last couple of seasons that Stafford has, and then you have room to maybe bring in another free agent
wide receiver to including potentially Devonte Adams. You start weighing what this is and it's like, well, we know what we got in this hand with Stafford. We love Stafford and he's a fricking g as.
What you know.
McVeigh calls him. We know what we got. Are we gonna be able to compete and get to a Super Bowl?
We can?
Or do we look to hey, what can we get in exchange? But to me, if you're going to Rogers, you're not resetting the clock. You're going to Rogers at forty one. And is it not the same boat that you are in with Stafford? I don't know. So you
look at it that way. And then there's this third option of you go to Jimmy Garoppolo for about ten to twelve million dollars and you say, we could spend all the money in the world and get a draft pick, and if Sean thinks he can win with Jimmy, well then you're kind of really playing with fire and you say let's go to war with that. I think right now, as we sit here, I think Stafford still wants to be a RAM. I think the Rams still wants Stafford. I think money is the issue. At at some point,
figure it out. Let's roll it back one more year.
Peter, one more question. When they decided to move on from Cooper Cup, that has to be a conversation that includes Matthew Stafford, right, because it seems like everyone's on good terms. But that is a guy that he worked with four years. So is Stafford in the understanding that that was a financial decision and he hass to accept the future of this team is without Cooper Cup? Like, how did that conversation go down?
And he must have been included.
I don't think he was included with the decision. I think he was informed of the decision. But Stafford and Cupp are as tight as it comes, and I don't think he was necessarily punching the air upset. He understands it's a business. But I don't think less Snead Kevin Demoff and Sean McVay or sitting Matthew Stafford down and saying should we bring Cup back? I think at this point it's business and those guys get paid to do that. Stafford, I don't think was in on that decision, and I
think that's almost better off. You don't want him to be put in that position and say, hey, we're thinking about bringing back your guy. Are you okay if we trade him? That puts him in a really tough spot.
All right, Cody, let's focus on those words contingency plan at the bottom of the screen. You have watched poetically about Sean McVay. Great play caller, great young coach. Can he get Jimmy Garoppolo to a place where this team can play to the level that they expect to within their division and their conference.
That's the biggest question mark, you know, really, But when you have a mind like Sean McVay, like Kyle Shannan, guys like that, and Shanahan went to the Super Bowl with Garoppolo, it's a little bit of a different offense, and some of the pieces are a little bit different. I understand that, but where you need to build no matter who your quarterback is on the defensive side of the ball, and they're starting to do that. I can tell you personally at from you know being a former quarterback.
When your run game is working and you have a great defense, it makes your life a lot easier. So if they can build around they do let Stafford go right right. They trade them to let them walk, and they do go with Garoppolo as long as they build a great run game and a great defense around him, and that's where they use their money in free agency. I don't see why not. It's just a big if and I'm on board with shregs. Like I said earlier, I think they find a way to get the deal done.
I think Stafford, even being thirty seven, I don't want to say prime, but he's still one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. I would love to see him back in Los Angeles next year.
There are only a few teams that I think in this NFL that have a system that really caters through a quarterback. The Vikings are one of them, the forty Niners are another, and the La Rams are the third. I think whenever you're a quarterback like Jimmy Garoppolo, and you're paired up with somebody like Sean McVay. Sean McVay only does right by his quarterbacks. It doesn't matter who
you are. So regardless of Garoppolo's past and his performances and all of that stuff, when I think of Sean McVay, I always am going to be optimistic about it because of the things that he's done in the past.
I would chime in that, you know, when Stafford was injured, Brett Rip didn't played a game up in up in Green Bay, did not go well. We saw of course that you know, Baker Mayfield had a big Thursday night game and a big Christmas get, like Sean's had it pretty good at quarterback, Jared Goff and of course Matthew Stafford.
Over the last year. There are a lot of teams that have been in the Abyss and have been in the Pine Barons when it comes to quarterbacks, and you could talk about the Browns and the Jets and the Giants and like it's one of those things where you might not know how good you have it until you don't. And with Stafford still slinging it and they're five and two in the playoffs, which is a pretty good record. I really think that weighs heavy on that entire organization.
Are we willing to say goodbye to a guy who got us one pass away from the NFC Championship game last year?
Peter real quick?
I just wanted to add a little bit thing about Sean McVay and just his brilliance. I remember when we played the Rams in twenty seventeen, Jared Goff was still their quarterback, and Sean McVay had installed a system where they would get to the they'll get to the line of scrimmage fast, remember that, like there are thirty seconds, twenty five seconds left on the clock. And what he would do, because he knew the limitations of his quarterback,
he would tell Jared Goff what to run. The reason why they had to run up to the line of scrimmage so fast was because the microphone in Jared Goff's helmet goes off at fifteen seconds left on the play call, so he could get them up there quick, reveal the defense to them, and Sean McVay would tell him, hey, run this play, and then you heard all the cold words that Jared Goff would say what halle Berry, whatever it was, that was Sean McVay telling him. Now, he
doesn't do that with Matt Stafford. But to the point I made earlier, he knows the quarterback, he knows the quarterback strengths, the quarterback's weaknesses, and he designs the system around that quarterback to really help that quarterback to flourish. So I think with Sean McVay, if you're a quarterback, you're in good hands.
How hard and annoying was that to go up against?
This is unfair?
Like I'm already behind the eight ball, and now Sean McVay is telling you what's run, Like, let's lose lose for us?
All Right?
That was an awesome conversation about the Ray as we look forward to one of the most intriguing teams this off season.
If you're watching earlier, I struggled heavily with the game, saving face, and I take that very personally. But now we're playing a game that I am in control of, shreg so I'm ready to go. This is called two Lies and a Truth. What you're going to see is three statements on the screen. Two of them are lies, one of them is the truth about now We've got to know each other for the last couple of days. They don't know everything about me, so I tried to
dig deep. Me and Chris, our producer. I've been working on this for the last twenty four hours, so I take a lot of pride in this. So are you guys ready to go? That's a matter.
It is about one more intense tregs and out for revenge more than Cody Kessel right now in two lies in the truth.
Well, I'm worried that Peter is going to crush this too, So okay, all right, first round we are going with. I have hit two hold in ones. I first dunked a basketball in eighth grade, okay, and then lastly, I was the first player to throw seven touchdowns in a game against the Notre Dame fighting Irish Manti is laughing because I feel like he thinks he knows it. Whenever you guys are ready, Peter you can go first. Let me know which one you think is the.
Trothy I be.
Okay.
So to Cody, I have such a huge fan hears I think I revealed this on the first interaction we had. I did a Fox game maybe in twenty sixteen. You were one of the quarterbacks. You were a third round quarterback, and I did a deep dive on you, and I learned that you scored about eighteen thousand points in Bakersfield as a high school basketball star. You averaged thirty points per game your junior year of high school. If you
do that, you're probably dunking in eighth grade. I've got you more of like a Rex Chapman type than a mac McClung. I go Brett Barry from the foul line with the warm upside. I'm going the truth. The truth is that you dunked a basketball in the eighth grade, and you probably were dunking in fifth grade. You're an awesome athlete.
Okay, Peter, I see that answer, and I understand you. But this is also the man who in the last three days have asked us, so can.
I wear like a golf polo on the show?
So I think I'm going to go with a I think he has hit two hole in ones. He has kind of that secret swagger to him, like he said, too Hormon.
Okay, this is where I'm getting stuck, though, Jamie is because knowing Cody in this few days is Cody likes to compliment himself like very s screet, little slight flexes when he talks to you, and him knowing I went to Notre Dame, he did say, broke. Did you know that I threw X amount of touchdowns against you guys? So I'm going to go the truth is c that he threw seven. Because I knew it was some absurd number. I'll go, I'll go see all right, I.
Love it stumped. Yeah, so we'll start with this. A is incorrect. I have not see and I love that you t me up on this because I planted the seed actually threw six touchdowns? Happen? You are correct? Being my first dunk was there, great Norris middle hair. It was a so I had to see that year, Peter. The first one was a one handed dunk, and then I had one of that wasn't That was the same game that wasn't the dunk. And then a little bit later in AAU, I had a two handed dunk in
eighth grade. So yes, unfortunately, yes, I'm an avid golfer. I have never had a home one. But I was the first player to throw six touchdowns against Notre Dame, not seven.
Planning the seat on Kirstfield California. Yep, question Lakers Clipper, Sacramento Kings, like, what was your team basketball wise?
As a kid Lakers fan? Rest in peace, Kobe. I was a Kobe fan Diehard growing up. I'll always have been, always will be there. You go, all right, number two? Checkon round? Here we go. Peter is winning right now. First one, Here we go. I dressed up as the Blue Power Ranger for five straight halloweens. My parents named me after a dog they once had before I was born, and then I once nailed a sixty yard field goal in practice at USC that is the University of Southern California,
the real US. Sure you all right, Peter, you are on the clock. You are first.
Okay. The second one's kind of morbid. I don't want to talk about your family's old dogs when I get rid of that one Power Ranger five straight halloweens, very specific, I don't think that's right. I'm gonna go see you're one of these uber athletes that can dunk basketball's, hit home in ones and then nail sixty yarc field though. I'm going to go see, and especially it's that practice, not in the game, Okay, Okay, I.
Love dogs.
And you know, I think the impact that they have on people, especially if they have the dog before they have kids, is profound. And if I were to have a fourth child, would I name and it was a boy, would I name him Toby.
After my current dog?
Perhaps, So I'm gonna go be I think Cody was named after a dog, which is also a hilarious story.
I dressed up as sub Zero when I was a little Halloween.
Now I didn't do it.
Five straight halloweens.
Yes, I didn't do it five straight halloweens, but I.
Did dress up at sub zero.
And to Code's credit is again, how well do you know Cody? Cody has shown up here four days in a row at three am. So I'm gonna go with A.
Is the proof that's the truth? Is A? All right? I love that everyone's picking a different one. Okay, so we'll start with see, I have never even been close to a sixty yard field going practice, so that one is wrong. B No, never had a dog named Cody. The correct answer, man Tie is A. I dressed up as a Blue Power Ranger for five straight halloweens. And the backstory on that is they begged me to change to where Okay, we've done it enough. That's me on the left. That is that is my best friend Drew
on the right. That's me on the left. That is what ninety six, So that's probably like the third or fourth year. I had two more to go, and it got to the point when we got the Halloween to our don't even ask him, just pull the Blue Power ringer. Did you wear the same costume? Ye think I wore three years in a row, and then it started getting too small, and then we had to go by a new one. Yet, so it was five straight years. I was the Blue Power Ranger. So very good man. That
was correct on that. He's good though. I like it. I like it. They're not a obvious. That's what tie Breaker or Jamie can time up. Here we go. I have finished in the top fifty at the Los Angeles Marathon. While I was at USC, I was an extra in the movie Furius seven. Or I once saved Bryan from a crowd of people. These are awesome, Peter, we will start with you again. You were on the clock.
I just think of you USC quarterbacks. You're such Hollywood like you got I mean, I think of Matt Lionard in a hot tub, hanging out with like you know everyone from Paris Hill and who every else? Like you're obviously an extra in a movie. You probably could have been the leading role with Vin Diesel. I'm gonna say definitely. You were in Furious seven and you had some lines, but that it just cut off on the cutting room floor. And you've got this amazing Hollywood career. You have a
sad card, the whole thing. You're an actor.
Let's go. I love it. Yay.
I am gonna agree with Peter because of what Matt I said before. Cody does have a very specific gift of just dropping pretty epic stories into conversations. I feel like, by this point, nearly fifteen hours of television, and he would have told us if he saved Luke Bryan from a crowd of people.
So I will also go with THEE.
I will go with THEE. Okay, guys, are we all jumping in the same pool.
Let's just try that. Let's do it for this one. I'm gonna go.
I'm gonna go be because I played some music earlier and Cody could reference all the rap and all the hip hop songs Luke Brian omassee.
I'm pretty sure he listened to Luke Brian.
However, he was bumping too some raps, so I don't think it's see. I'm gonna go be with my brother Shregs and my.
Sister Jamie b All right, we're gonna start with a I have never and never will never do a marathon, so that one is incorrect. I'm gonna go with the right answer. So we're gonna go straight into The correct answer is c no, and I will tell the shortened version of the story. I want saved Luke Brian from a crowd of people. He was performing in Stage Coach from Lukington, California, HU and he's ready to be that the main stage performer that night. He was heading the show.
We go to a convenience store to get some food to throw on the grill. We're getting ready to go back and wait, huge crowd, right, So we walked by and me and my buddy one of my best friends next hurt Rest in Peace, a former teammate of mine, were walking by and we're like, there's a huge crowd of people. I'm like, okay, we don't really see it. We go inside, we come back out, it's gotten even bigger, so we peek over and I'm like, next, that is
Luke Bryant in the middle of that pile. And he's like, there's no way he's sitting here by himself at a convenience store. Shirt enough long story shorty, it is him. We walk up, We wait our turn. I'm like, man, we're gonna look weird. We don't want to get a photo. Everyone else is doing it. I walk up and go Luke, can we And as soon as he sees us, immediately rolled with it. He said, oh hey, guys, my boys are here. We got to get going. We're leaving. We're rolling.
So he used us and we had no idea. We're like, oh yeah, yeah, okay, we're here. Walk away, walk around the corner. His manager, Jay Williams, comes out and he kind of stops the crowd. We get around. He goes, hey, guys, thank you so much. I had to get out of there. I just use you guys. Let's get a photo, take a photo. Start talking a little bit. Sold when we play at USC he said, he's a diehard Georgia Bulldog fan, said he watched our game on College Game DAGA and
Stanford earlier that year. Said oh yeah, I cat so the quarterback invited us back to his house to hang out. We thought he was joking. Sure enough, we'll get in the car. We leave. His manager text me five minutes later, Hey, here's the addresser's a gate code. Go to his house, hangout.
It's him Florida or the line. His manager had an absolute blast, went to the concert, He invited us back over afterwards, went back, hung out and stead of the day good friends with Luke his entire team, and that was the gateway to getting the no Kinny Chesney and Lee Brice and all of them got really close to them. It was a cool story. It was out of nowhere. I mean we went there on a whim to grab
some stakes to throw on the grill, huge pile. Luke Bryan asked for a photo, and I mean instantaneously said, oh my boys, you're here. We got to go and Cody exactly. So yes, with that being said, we have a tie with Mantai and Peter. Yeah.
The f here was the subtle flex in that story. He said he get the manager texted me the gate code. Like the fact that you have not only Luke Brian gatecode, Tody.
Staying at a place that had a gatecoade. They were staying at a place that had a gatecode. You got to use one to get in. They were ritt in the house code. Unbelievable people his team, Luke, Brian, everybody, Cody.
I saw that Kenny Chesney's playing the Sphere in Vegas in a couple of months. If you can hook me up with just a ticket, I don't need to day code. I would love to go.
Happened my story Kenny Chesney went and saw him at the Rose Bowl. He invited us on stage on Boys the Fall, took us backstage. His manager, texting the next day, said Kenny was wondering if he could have your number to text you. I said, slight, yes, please, can you like? What are we talking about? Can I have the honor of him text me? But anyways, yes, I was. I was in with the country crowd when I was at USC But yeah, that is two lies and a truth. We have a tie. So maybe whatever you win, okay,
with those stories, that's it. That's all we care about. And you said, he said, Mantai the planting the seed on the humble brags, you weren't paying attention close enough. I got him the Nerdame touchdown.
Question code look get the power er go go power bag.
Here we go forty nine or GM.
John Lynch spoke to the media yesterday at the Combine and was asked about the ongoing negotiations with the nine Ers quarterback Brock Party. Here's the answer.
We have started negotiations.
We're talking.
I won't go into negotiations, like always is our stance. Want brought to be our quarterback as long as we're here and beyond, and we'll leave it at that. I think the final thing, there's no guarantees that we get something done, but my experience has been when both sides are motivated, there's ample opportunity to do so, and we've been able to do that.
So John Lynch hoping that brock Party just as motivated, to say, the forty nine ers quarterback for a long time. Peter, your thoughts on John Lynch's take there the fact that they're going to keep a private but at least that's a pretty positive sentiment for a quarterback.
I think the Party conversation is taking a back seat to the Stafford conversation, and a lot of people are looking at those top ten quarterbacks and how much they get paid. You know, Twoa's making more than fifty million dollars, Trevor Lawrence is making more than fifty million dollars. Should Brock perty make more than fifty dollars? I think he will. And if that's the case, that's where the Stafford camp
is like, well, what are we talking about here? If you're gonna pay Purty Tua and Trevor Lawrence that money, why can't Why can't Stafford make that money? So it's an interesting offseason for the Niners. There's been some changes along the coaching staff. Of course, on the defensive side. I leave Brian Grease. He's no longer on the offensive side from what we're hearing, And now it's like do we give Purdy all the money? And then what do we do with Deebo and some of these other guys.
So weird offsea for the Niners. Usually they're coming fresh off a big playoff appearance or a Super Bowl appearance. They missed the playoffs last year, and now it's your reward party. I think he will get paid. I just don't know the timetable exactly when that's gonna happen.
Yeah, I agree that this is Brock perty served five million dollars next year, and that's what he's doing. Absolutely not he deserves more than that, right, But just what that number is going to be, I have no idea. If you look at twenty twenty two, he comes in,
plays well, goes to the NFC Championship game. Here's his UCL, right, and then he recovers, comes back twenty twenty three, plays tremendous, comes out and has thirty one touchdowns, forty two hundred yards, only eleven interceptions, goes to the Super Bowls one stop away from winning the Super Bowl against the Chiefs. And then last year, right, regresses a little bit. They struggle, they go six and eleven, they don't make the playoffs. Right,
they finished fourth in their division. He had twenty touchdowns and twelve interceptions. And now we're talking contract. I think that's the problem for brock Purty right now. And like Peter said, they have a lot of unrestricted free agents. And something that set out to me with John Lenz was the end of that quote he mentioned, look, there's no guarantee, but will endeavor to get it done. That just tells me I think this deal is going to
be a little bit more difficult than people anticipated. Now Again, like I said, brock Purtty absolutely deserves to be paid. I just don't know what that number is going to be.
Well, I agree with your Cody that the forty nine ers as a whole regressed this past year. As far as brock Purty's concerned, I think he progressed. I think he played his best ball in twenty twenty four. I remember watching him right over here across the street at Sofi Stadium in this very game against the La Rams go without a Christian McCaffrey, without a Deebo Samuel have Joan Jennings. That isn't Jeorgane Jennings, that's just number one receiver and going for like three or.
Four touchdowns in Juwan there was George Kittle was in.
And out, Brandon New York got heart. So I think that brock Purty is more than deserving. He fits their scheme. He plays with a chip on his shoulder, and for some reason, he just seems like somebody that plays beyond. He plays the game for more than just the money, and no matter how much you pay him, he's still going to show up as brock Purty number thirteen, the captain of your team and he's still going to compete. So I think he's more than more than deserving of a payday.
Yeah, so I agree with you, And that was an awesome game for him, and the fact that it is third in Juwan and he had to go first and second down to Juwan in that game, Cody, I'll ask you, Peter is right, Brian Griese is stepping away from the forty nine ers as the Brock Purty's quarterback coach or the quarterbacks coach of the team. We don't know the necessary organization is different, how that role applies to this quarterback.
But you can't not look at how these two were tethered and brock Purty's drafting, because there is a great takeout there that Greasy ranked Purty above a ton of quarterbacks in this draft that everybody.
Passed on him.
So what's that relationship like and how could not having Brian Greasie their effect?
Rock Berdie Absolutely, I mean, you spend more time with these coaches than you do your own family. Right, you go the offseason, you go OTAs, you go fall camp, you do all these different things. When you're home and you're sending videos to your coaches. I had multiple coaches when I was in the NFL, I had multiple coaches in college. I had five different coaches my three years at USC. It's so tough when you don't have continuity,
when you don't have consistency. But at the end of the day, he still has Kyle Shanahan, right, That's who calls the plays. But for me, the biggest thing for them to take the next step is being able to
have enough money to spend on their defense. They're losing some key unrestricted free agents Tallahoah Hafunga, Tarvarius Ward, Javon Hargrave, Drake green Law, these guys are all due to be gone next year if they don't spend their money in the right place and build this defense that was twenty seventh in scoring defense last year, which we're used to seeing a very good San Francisco forty nine or defense carry them a little bit along the way, have a
good run game. They've got to take control of a lot of other things instead of just playing or paying rock party. So it's going to be difficult to see how they.
Navigate this all right, So in terms of bolstring and defense, Cody, I'll take your queue in going for two, Let's go on to our next topic. Brown's All Pro defensive end. Miles Garrett requested a trade out of Cleveland earlier this month, and he put out a statement as follows. There's a lot of sentiment in there, but really his goal was to go from Cleveland to Canton, and it's always to
compete for a Super Bowl and win. But he feels that what's happening right now won't allow him to be complacent, and it's hindering him from that pathway that being said. Head coach Kevin Sefanski then spoke about Miles Garrett yesterday at the combine. Let's take a listen to those thoughs.
I think the world of Miles.
You know, I understand the business of football, and I understand these things happen from time to time. But I expect Miles on our team this year, next year, the year after that, and so on. He's a part of the president, He's a part of the future.
Peter, this feels a little awkward.
Miles Garrett is asking to leave and the head coach saying he saying he is a part of the future.
Your thoughts not so awkward. I mean, Miles Garrett spent Super Bowl week doing radio row and talking about his trade requests and where he'd like to go and dictating his future. And then now the microphones are on the Browns brass and both to fans, ke Andrew Berry like, well, we're not going anywhere. It could get contentious. But also you're under contract. We pay you a lot of money. And this is where they're gonna put their their feet on the ground. They view themselves as a real organization
and Miles Garrett as a cornerstone to that organization. Why should they ship him off because he subjectively feels they're not going to Watcher Bowl. He didn't not take the money when they offered him a giant contract extension. He signed that deal, So I believe they're gonna not be looking to move him. They had the number two overall pick. You got to assume they're gonna be at least considering quarterback that they're going to turn a page. He's twenty
nine years old. I'm sorry, I'm usually player first in a lot of ways. Listening to the Browns organization, they're not even entertaining this thought. So he could do all the talk and he wants they're gonna expect him at camp, and they're not looking at them, they're not even having discussions.
Well, Peter, we have somebody here at this table named Cody Kessler who was at Cleveland when Miles Garrett was there, a young Miles Garrett. He knows Cleveland, he knows that front office. So Cody, I got to toss it to you, like, how do you fill about this situation knowing Cleveland, knowing Miles Garrett in that whole situation.
Yeah, I was in Cleveland for Miles Garrett's first year when we first drafted him. He is an unbelievable specimen. Watching him on the football field, He's one of the best players I've ever been around I've ever seen. The thing that concerns me the most, and like Peter was talking about, is is Miles didn't come out and say I want a new contract, I want to be paid X amount of dollars. He came out and said, I want to play for a team that's going to compete
and win a Super Bowl. That's what he wants. That puts all the pressure on Andrew Berry in this Brown's front office. They have to be perfect this offseason. This is one of the most important offseasons that you can remember in recent Brown's history. They cannot miss with that number two pick. If you find a quarterback that you love, pull the trigger, don't hesitate, blunt all the outside noise away, put it all away, and focus on what you can can and that's what draft picks you take, and then
also what decisions you make in free agency. Now there's going to be some hurdles with their cap space, but overall they have to make the right decisions this offseason. And I'm with you. I think they can really turn it around and go out there and find a quarterback and I fully expect Miles Garrett to be a part of that team.