Welcome in What Driving nick Wright Episode three point fifty six. This episode, as always of What Drivin nick Wright, is brought to you by boost Mobile. A ton to do today. It is officially, as we have said a few times, football season and the Cowboys, once again in August, have kind of hijacked the news cycle. But this one, I think now, I think I know that I feel at least pardon me, is a little different than the last
couple of years. We will explain why in a moment, but first straight the voicemail brought to you once again by our friends at boost Mobile. The Bills make their Hard Knocks debut, you know, to de monsee's kind of a sad thing that's happened. I don't even hard Knocks is gone. I'm not trying to I'm not taking shots. The Hard Knocks has gone from like, oh my god, appointment television too. I don't even like the Bills are one of the teams I'm most interested in, and now
it's just kind of like backburner. And maybe that's also a part of that is the way people consume media these days. I figure, if there's anything really awesome, I'll find out about it the next day anyway and be able to go back and watch. But I Hard Knocks once one a time was one of my favorite shows ever. And now there's a super interesting team that is the only real alleged rival of my team, and I know nothing about episode one, and so I think team or
something or no, that's my point. I don't think they could have picked a team other than Kansas City that I would be more interested in. And I'm still not watching it. I just think that there is now so much access and there's en season ar Knocks offseason r Knocks, that it may be lost a little bit of it's, at least for me, the flares maybe the wrong word, but exclusivity also Antonio Pierce, life comes at you fast in the NFL. One week, you've got the blueprint for
stopping Mahomes. The next week, you're wearing all Chiefs gear walking down in UH Saint Joseph, Missouri, hoping to get a job like such his life. For a lot of former Raider coaches, UH, you talk a lot of big game about beating the Chiefs. You're not able to beat the Chiefs, and then you say, hey, maybe you need a linebackers coach, and the NFL does not ban smelling salts. They banned the team providing smelling salts, which is odd, but it really seems like players were not gonna have
it like that. Have you demontey, have you ever tried smelling salts?
Yeah, I've done. I've smelled them one time. I'm pretty sure, like one time.
So it was just like they're around really, so yeah, I don't. I've never.
I don't think it was first I've never. Like it wasn't got a game or anything. It was just like a try it.
You were like at a like a music festival or something, and you like huffed the smelling salt to get going.
Not to get going, honestly, just took it just to see what do Like, I've always seen people's sad and they take that I needed to see.
When I was like ten or eleven, I was having friends sleep over and one of my friends tried to like jump down the final few steps going into our basement and we kind of had a low overhang from the ceiling and he whacked his head on it bad bad enough that it like cracked the plaster or whatever, and he I think was pretending now that I look
back on it, thirty years later to be unconscious. But we were all freaked out, and I remember vividly going upstairs and getting just table salt and putting a handful of it and like holding it up to his nose. I was ten years old. A man, I don't know what I was doing.
I just I thought you were gonna say you actually found some smelling salts, and you put.
No, no, no. I just like I thought smelling salt was smelling was killed. I was like, let me, yeah, let me try to wake this kid up, all right. Reminder, the only place you're gonna get stories like that from my childhood and Kansady, Missouri is the What's d I even think Wright podcast? Like rate, subscribe, review uh and check us out on YouTube, iTunes, Spotify, all of that.
Lever review It actually truly does help. I would not be having us lead with the Cowboys demands if I thought what was going on was a bunch of nothing. But I don't think it's a bunch of nothing, So let's start there.
So the Micah Parsons trade request drama continues, Jerry Jones saying that Micah might not play Week one or he doesn't even know if that's gonna be happening. But the weird thing is mic has already reported camp, so he has to be playing. Is this just an maneuver by Jerry to make headlines.
No, I don't think it is. Now Willy or Won'ty play Week one is interesting and that is an important clarification. Micah gave up people famously, remember a couple of years ago, Chris Jones sitting out Week one, sitting in the luxury box with his agents what watching the Chiefs lose to the Lions. The NFL rules on this are very They're
very straightforward. If you never report to training camp, that is your right, and the only punitive measure the team can take against you is financial fifty thousand a day fins and then game checks if you miss games. But other than that, they can't suspend you because of it. They can't. Your contract doesn't toll because of it, and you, in theory, could hold out all the way until the night before I think it's Week ten, then show up, play the rest of the year and get credit for
a full season. If you're willing to take the financial hit. That's if you never show up. If you do show up, you cannot leave. It's a weird thing when if you show up and then leave, it's like the NFL version of going a wall in the military. They give you a five day letter that says you got to show back up within five days, and if you don't, then you are on ice for the year. They can't even if they say all right, never mind, we're cool with
it two weeks later, it doesn't matter. You're essentially a retired player for that season and your contract does not advance a year. So that's why nobody ever shows up and then leaves. You can't do it. That is so Micah by showing up and then when Jerry says he might not play Week one, all that means is that he thinks Micah might be like, am I back? But he can't not be there. He can just be like, I'm too injured to play. And the reason so that I just kind of sets the template for where we are.
I want to further flesh out how we got here because there is an element of this story that I think it's obviously been reported. It's how I know it. I'm not going to act like demons. It hasn't been reported, but I think it has been under I don't think it's been focused on enough, and that is this, Jerry Jones has not had one single negotiation with Michael Parsons agent. I will say that again, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys have not had a single negotiation with Micah Parsons agent.
There is absolutely no justification for that whatsoever. Jerry has made it clear since Micah's trade demand he has not talked to Micah or his agent. There is absolutely no justification for that whatsoever. Jerry has made it clear he believes he and Micah came to terms on a deal. You guys know how I feel about that. That. I think that holding a non negotiating party to a deal that was struck via handshake with a negotiating party is unethical.
But even if you think that should be the framework of the deal, Jerry needs to communicate that to Micah's agent and the fact that they will not negotiate, even if we think it's a combination of while Jerry's being stubborn and thinks he and Mike have a handshake deal, and the fact that Jerry doesn't mind the Cowboys staying in the headlines so he'll just get this done in late August or early September, like he did with Dak and Ced. I think under sells the damage with Jerry's
commentary the last week he has done to this relationship. Now, is it salvageable, Sure, but there's two prongs here that, in my opinion, are pretty clearly problematic. Prong one is, even if it gets done on the timeline of Dak, the night before the first game, Dak was in, was practicing. Dak was in doing all of the stuff to get ready for the season, Mike is out there just chilling.
And if the cow like the Cowboys play the freaking Philadelphia Eagles week one, if they have any hope of having a surprisingly great season that starts with a fast start with upsetting the Eagles in Week one, and you're off to the races, You're now obviously behind the eight ball on that. But the other I think longer lasting concern is this is real damage to the trust and relationship you have between you and your best player, and no one has properly explained any justification for how Jerry's
handled this. There is no go.
Ahead and Jerry needs to be talking to his agent. Is his agent reaching out to Jerry like as Jerry, Yes, that's what we won't talk.
No. So the the one O five three the fan in Dallas, uh yesterday reported that the agent reached out twice in the last eighteen months, and then the Cowboys won't call him.
Jerry's saying, and I won't engage.
Say it again.
Jerry's just saying, we already have it in writing.
Yes, No, well not in writing that we have it. We have a handshake deal. Jerry's saying, it's not in writing, but we have it agreed upon. But here is the other problem with that, and this is you know, yesterday's price is not today's price. If you agreed to it in March and you think that's the deal you should have, that should have been done. You should have figured out
out a way to get it signed in March. But you also, Jerry know, here is the problem with Jerry's comment this week about I bought the Cowboys on a handshake deal. One hundred percent. That happens like big high level business and real estate transactions and acquisitions and mergers, all this stuff that happens over a dinner or on the golf course. General framework handshake all the time. But
that is when both parties involved. Are there? Are there organization's lead negotiator and the I used on TV yesterday that I was hesitant to use but because it has bad connotations, But I don't think anyone will listen interpret it. It's why if you're questioned by the police you say I don't want to talk to you, my lawyer is going to like, I pay this guy to do this for me. Now my lawyer cannot agree, you know, agree to a plea bargain without me signing off on it.
I am the final yes or no. But I am not engaging with you professional interrogators or negotiators, you know, depending on the analogy you want to use, when I'm not that. And so I do think like there's a lot of business that is done where you verbally in a meeting agreed to something and then you paper it later. But first of all, that has to involve the people who are supposed to be the ones negotiating, and second of all, that absolutely runs the risk of facts on
the ground changing and a deal not being signed. And so I I am listen. I have I like Micah full disclosure. I know Micah a little bit, but he hasn't been talking to me about his negotiation. But I've never disliked Jerry Jones. I have found him cartoonish at times, a bit of a carnival b Barker, But I think he serves a purpose in the NFL. But this is ridiculous, And to just once again remind the audience of before we move on the thing we did on Tuesday about
this Micah's draft class. The first overall pick Trevor Lawrence got a contract extension top of the market. The fifth overall pick Jamar Chase got a contract extension top of the market. The sixth overall pick Jalen Watdo got a contract extension top of the market at the time for wide receiver twos. The seventh overall pick Penney Sewell got a contract extension top of the market for offensive tackles.
The eighth overall pick j C. Horn, and the ninth overall pick Pat Sartan Junior Pat Sartan the second pardon Me got contract extensions top of the market for their for corners. The tenth overall pick Devonte Smith got a contract extension at the top of the wide receiver two market, and the thirteenth overall pick Rashaun Slater got a contract extension at the top of the tackle market. The top thirteen picks from that draft four years ago have not
gotten extensions. Or Zach Wilson who's been on a bunch of teams, Trey Lance who's been on a bunch of teams, Kyle Pitts who has underwhelmed, Justin Fields who's been on a bunch of teams, and Micah freaking Parsons. It's an outrage, and it's an outrage to not directly negotiate with Micah now,
I mean with Mike's agent. Pardon me. Now, if after directly negotiating with David Mullagetta, you then determine Micah wants fifty million a year with two hundred million guaranteed, and then you can break off negotiations, then you can say too rich for our blood. But to never negotiate with him and instead of hide behind we came to a handshake deal in March is absolute nonsense.
As you're I know you're trying to finish up with as you're likely maybe what if from Tuesday change with the with isn't he.
I still think it's likely the Cowboys re sign him, but I now would say maybe maybe that he just plays out this year. And the what if is what if they trade him? And yeah, and I saw the Aaron Donald if he got trades to the Rams, he'd come out of retirement thing. I don't think the Rams can make it work. But Micah, Jared Verse and an out of retirement Aaron Donald be pretty sick. Yeah, then all of a sudden, I wouldn't be so worried about
Matt Stafford's back. All right, dog days summer, which means it's time for the boys this summer to kick it into gear. And the best way to cash in on your baseball IQ is with DraftKings Sports Book. As the stretch drive begins, DraftKings Sportsbook has you covered with live betting, home run props, odds, boosts, and more. Whether you're chasing dingers or jumping in mid game, there's always action to
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Right, demonse, Let's get to shoudore.
All right, one of the most highly anticipated preseason games since I've jumped on the football. So picking and Gabriel out. Black Ow obviously isn't playing for the obvious, so it sure's time to shine. He's getting He's gonna play against Carolina tomorrow. Do you think that he has more to gain here or more to lose?
Oh? I think he has more to gain, but he has a lot to lose too. I think that what he has to gain is if he cooks and looks, you know, hand by cooks. He doesn't, it's just handles. The offense well, makes a couple of nice throws, doesn't make avoids any horrific mistakes, you know, running around back and forth, taking a bad sack, fumbles, those things. And then after game two of the preseason, when Dylan Gabriel will get to play, if Gabriel struggles, to me and
I think Gabriel is likely to struggle. And again folks can say, Nick, this is your bias against small quarterbacks, and I would say that is correct. One of two things Demons is likely to would I shouldn't say likely, would have to happen. If Sharudur plays well in preseason game one and then Gabriel struggles in preseason game two, I would think one of these two things would happen.
One should or would elevate past Gabriel on the depth chart, which is all he could hope for his Shadur's goal realistic goal was never be the week one starting quarterback. Maybe it was personally, but it was not. You know, that shouldn't have been. I shouldn't say I don't care
what his personal goal is. That's not a realistic goal for him to do as a fifth round pick with all those quarterbacks on the roster, A realistic goal, however, was when we break camp, when preseason is over, I want to be the highest ranked rookie on the quarterback depth chart. I think that's very important, and because that means when the inevitable Flacco benching happens, he can get in there. Uh So that should be his That's what he can That's one of the things he can gain.
The other opportunity thing, and this might be a better opportunity, to be totally honest, is if he plays well and then Gabriel struggles in Week two and he doesn't move up the depth chart. I wonder if another team calls Cleveland's like, hey, you know we'd be interested. You drafted him for a fifth, we'll give you a fourth, Like it didn't make sense for us a few months ago.
And the team that I keep going back to man is the Rams because if Stafford's back really is a problem, you can't, in my opinion, go into a year with your only real backup quarterback being Garoppolo because he is himself such an injury risk. But the Rams wouldn't be the only team that I would think it would make sense. Now, obviously the Steelers didn't have interest in Shore Dolphins. The Dolphins, I feel like I was thinking more a team that is not looking Adam for this year, but might look
for him long term. Dolphins. They brought in Zach Wilson, so you know what I mean, like they But that's not a bad one. I'm the The reason I said the Rams is they might have a need for spots starter this year, but also this could be Stafford's last year, you know what I mean? So like that to me is an interesting one, and I don't know if there aren't. Again, it's not a lot of obvious places the car, but I feel like, oh, that's interesting. I gotta look and
see who the cardinals backup quarterback is. I don't remember that. Oh it's Jacoby So yeah. I mean that's not a terrible one either. If I were Shador, however, I don't think not that he would necessarily have a say. I wouldn't love if the Cardinals traded for me, because the Cardinals hope is that Kyler is their guy for the next five years. Like the Browns are not a terrible spot for him, inasmuch as they have no future plan.
The Rams would not be a terrible spot because they have this great head coach, but an old, banged up quarterback. It's the same reason a lot of people thought the Steelers in theory could sign Rogers and still draft Shadoor like, you know, more as a long term piece. And so that is what he has to gain. Here's what he has to lose, though, Palell. If he plays poorly, he is fourth string and he's gonna stay there for the time being. And you don't rise up from fourth string
your rookie year ever. And so this is listen, this is pro sports. He everything, and this this is a point Danny made yesterday on the TV show that came across as harsh but is correct. Schador did not earn starting the first preseason game. Now he has handled himself really well. He has I think practiced well that that's at least according to the reports. But the Browns still
have him listed as their fourth string quarterback. He is starting because their first string quarterbacks forty, their second string quarterbacks injured, and their third string quarterbacks injured. So this isn't an instance of you know, rapid assent. This is an instance of everything falling just right to give you this opportunity. And that can be a blessing or a curse. Man that can be damn straight. This is how I get out there and show them what I can do,
and it also can be a ship. I needed another few weeks, I needed more training camp practices, And now the image everyone's gonna have of me is me.
Like it's not like even if Shador does bad, like doesn't mean the Gabriel is gonna do well. So no, I'm not saying is going to do poorly.
But it's like I just know it's that's fair, but you've you don't move if the third string and fourth string play poorly, you don't move up the fourth string, you know what I mean?
So like the but just as fun like as far as opportunity, like they wouldn't be looking to give them more shots.
I don't know. So here's the thing, Well, let me add one other thing that I'll answer that if the other thing that I think is likely to happen to Manse if Gabriel and both played poorly, is they're just more likely to keep picking. And then you know what I mean, And then there's more of a log jam like yeah, that's that's the other kind of hang up here. And so but then there, I am not. I don't believe like the Browns are setting up Shador to fail
or some of these kind of Colorado based conspiracies. I do think, however, there are some weird interoffice politics going on about who wanted Gabriel, who wanted Shador, and who gets credit for who is good? And so if it's if a lot of the speculation is true, which is the front office and coaching staff wanted Gabriel and the owner wanted Shador, does it behoove the front office and coaching staff to be on it, like to be like, well, the guy we wanted that we we're the football people
that we evaluated. We were wrong. He's no yo. And so that part I think could potentially work against Shadora a little bit. But if he's good, he's good. If he plays well, he plays well.
I think he should be a conservative or like you think he should be flashy or conservative.
Rule No, the goal should be Martin Cabrell zero mistakes. So it's gotta just be zero mistakes, no delay games, no false starts, no twelve men in the huddle. I the you know what I mean? Like and honestly, in this this setting, interception and interception is pretty low on the list of really problems. Stuff. I would say, like most problematic oddly is like can't get the play in, can't get guys lined up in time. You know, the
pre snap stuff is the stuff he's got it. Second most problematic holding onto the ball way too long, taking bad sacks. Third most problematic is trying to make a play with your legs and fumbling. And then the next problematic is interception because young quarterback, you know you haven't not on the same page with receivers. Whatever that's gonna happen the I mean you obviously hope it doesn't, but that that can happen, it's the other stuff that they're
gonna want to be really tight on. I also hope, I hope he gets three full quarters. There's no reason he can't. Uh, he can't play say it again, flag play.
I don't want to play.
No, he would be Snoop Huntley. Oh yes, yeah, But there's no reason he can't get the workload that Trey Lance got right where you know what I mean, where he's playing the majority of the game, like he can he can get that workload. All right, let's move on to the Chiefs.
So Mahomes came out and said, I'm gonna do whatever it takes to win, whether that's passing for a lot of yards or not passing for a lot of yards. So we've seen Kansas City win in a number of different ways. How do you think that the offense or the Chiefs need to look in order to succeed this year?
Listen, I do think there's an element of they need to get their swagger back and pump the ball down the field. Now. I think people need to remember how we got kind of to the point that we got to with this offense being the way it is. And I talked about this yesterday on TV, but I think it's worth revisiting. Three years ago, they're playing the number
one defense in the NFL in the Super Bowl. They score thirty eight points without a single play longer than twenty five yards, and the longest play of the game is a Mahomes scramble. The very next year they come back, they're in the Super Bowl, having the offense having struggled all year long, receivers just openly revolting against Patrick in
the Super Bowl. The biggest drive up to that point of Mahomes' life eleven play sixty four yard dank dunk dnk dunk field goal, and then in overtime one of the greatest drives in NFL history thirteen play seventy five yard drive where the longest play once again is a Mahomes scramble, dank dunk, dank dunk, no big explosives, and then last year offense just eking along and pulling games
out of the fire. So why am I saying when they gone Super Bowl win, Super Bowl win, Super Bowl loss, after being seventeen and one going into the Super Bowl with Mahomes' starter, Because I think one of the reasons Patrick started to press early in that Super Bowl demonsay is because being down fourteen for last year's Chiefs felt so different than any of the previous year Chiefs. Down fourteen teen three years ago was okay, we can start
playing now. Down ten in every Super Bowl they've ever played in, take the lead back in a heartbeat, And so because it was so death by a thousand cuts, they felt they needed to. I think Patrick felt like, man, we better score right because we don't have this one playability. So I think they need to get that back, and I think the better offensive line hopefully healthier receivers. Even though she's now dealing with a groin. Hollywood Brown still
out with an ankle. That's not great. That should help that. I also saw there's an unbelievable stack courtesy an unbelievable stack courtesy of Warren Sharp that I would like to go over for a moment. But so, quarterbacks record when trailing entering the fourth quarter over the last five years. Let me give you the top three from three to one demonse in third place. Best record when trailing entering the fourth last five years. Okay, Jalen hurts eight and fourteen,
so that's pretty good. I mean it's third best. That so thirty six percent of the time the Eagles are trailing going into the fourth, they win. Anyway, when Jalen starts. Second place Lamar Jackson seven and ten forty one percent of the time, So that's almost half the time. Bro that the Ravens are trailing entering the fourth, they win when Lamar's the quarterback. So third place is thirty six percent, Jalen second place is forty one percent. Lamar is again
courtesy Warrensharp. First place record the last five years when trailing entering the fourth quarter. Patrick Mahomes fourteen and seven sixty seven percent. That means the Chiefs would be an eleven twelve win team if every game they trailed going
into the fourth quarter and the other like CJ. Demonse is one two, three, four, five six seven, he's eighth on this list, two and ten twenty percent, Josh Allen is above average three and fourteen eighteen percent, Joe Burrow four and twenty three fifteen percent, Brock Purdy one in ten nine percent. Like, so I say that for this reason, it's understandable that the Chiefs kind of carry themselves like, eh, we'll figure it out. But it's harder to do that
after you've got your teeth kicked in in the Super Bowl. Yeah, and that is they need to they need to go ahead to mine say yeah, and I and I think Josh Simmons, the rookie left tackle, and Xavier Worthies ascension is going to help that quite a bit. By the way, late the Madden ratings for this year, Xavier worthy of higher rating than Marvin Harrison and Rome A doonsday to top ten now just barely, but still like that is the highest rated rookie receivers were neighbors then Brian Thomas,
then Xavier Worthy. So yeah, I do think they need to bring back, as brew would call it, the light show a bit, and I'm optimistic that they can. All right, let's talk a little more cheap before we get some other stuff.
Andy Reid's been hyping up. You got Travis Kelcey. He's saying that he's calling him, he's calling him, felt saying he looks twenty, he's all slender. A year ago, you said Travis Kelsey's got about eight more good games in him, has games great games, not good? Sorry, got eight great games left at him? Has that number changed since? Like, what would he have now at this time?
Well?
So this year?
Yeah, so I I felt he. I thought he used a couple last year. Certainly the playoff game against Houston was peak Travis. And I also thought he left a lot out on the field the Christmas Day game against Pittsburgh that if they knew they won, they were going
to get the long rest that they all desperately needed. Now, those aren't the only big games he had all year, but some of the other big games hey had I just thought, were you know, teams not being able to deal with him, or you know, the health, the game play in philadelp So again, swifties, please, because I got absolutely crushed for this take last year because people misunderstood what I was saying. I think when you are Travis's age at that position, you have to be very diligent
about when you go full throttle. And I think he knows that he only has so many full throttle games left. Now do I think that added chip on his shoulder for the fact that he didn't play up to his standard he said last year and the way they got their ass kicked in the Super Bowl, and the fact that he shed some weight, had probably a better offseason, maybe replenish some of those games that game count. Yeah, I've got to see him in Week one to give this a real answer. But I'm gonna go out on
a lemon say this. I think Travis this year will once again be one of the three most impactful players at his POSI I think Travis and brock Bowers and then maybe Kittle, maybe Laporta, maybe the kid in Arizona are the other candidates. But I think Travis and brock Bauers are going to be up there, and I think Travis is especially because teams are gonna have to respect the deep ball more this year. He's gonna have a lot more room to work with over that intermediate middle
where he wants to. All right, this is a message that applies to ninety nine percent of you listening right now, because that's how many of you can be covered by fast, reliable service on the boost Mobile network with ninety nine percent nationwide coverage. And if you don't think you deserve a deal, listen up. You got another thing coming. Why would you not think you deserve a deal right now?
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ID verification and activation on six dollars. Play in taxes. Extra five G speeds not available in all areas. All right, demonse, let's get to Travis Hunter.
So Travis Hunter is listed as a starting wide receiver and backup cornerback, playing both ways in practice, and he coach Liam Cohen actually came out and told Rich Eisen he thinks as possible that Hunter wins the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year. So my question to you is, wish bet do you like the most these Defensive Rookie of the Year is at plus eight hundred. Offensive Rookie
of the Years at plus one thousand. Either Defensive Rookie of the Year or Offensive Rookie of the Year plus four twenty five and both is at plus ten thousand.
Okay, So here's what I would ask and see if we can find this h our wonderful producers on DraftKings, what is his NFL MVP odds? Because here's the only reason I asked that if he wins, I do not let me put this on the front end. I do not think he's gonna be League MVP. I do not think he's gonna win Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year. I want to make that clear. But if he were to win Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, I think he's got to be in real consideration for League MVP.
So like if the bet is of see so plus thirty thousand, so he's plus ten. So you get three times better odds on him to be League MVP than you do on him to win offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year simultaneously. And I'm just telling you, man, if he were to have the type of season where he went offensive and defensive Rookie of the Year, he's going to be a real MVP candidate. Like the so, how many what was Brian Thomas Junior's numbers last year?
And I don't even think he who was the offensive Oh, Jayden of course was Offensive Rookie of the Year, but Brian Thomas Junior became closest of any of the receivers, so he had thirteen hundred yards basically in ten touchdowns. And then Jared Verse, I think was defensive Rookie of the Year. Not I think I know because that was one of our pre season bets. And Jared Vers last year had four and a half sacks, two forced fumbles,
two fumble recoveries, sixty five tackles. I mean, if the guy threw if you were to throw up a and I guess that's a bad comp because versus pass rusher, so his stats are gonna be different. My answer to this question, by the way, is Defensive Rookie of the Year. Because Greg Jennings pointed this out, He's not wrong. It's very difficult for receiver to win offensive Rookie of the Year if you're not your team's number one option. And Brian Thomas Junior will be the number one option. He'll
be a strong two. But it's just is he gonna get the volume you know, of numbers. I mean, Randy did it with Chris Carter on the team, but that year, as great as Cci was, Randy was the number one option. Randy was just you know, he came in and totally changed the Vikings lives. I here is to me, though, why I like this story. Oh thank you, and Sauce when he won Defensive Rookie of the Year had uh wow, only two picks. That surprises me, but obviously was awesome.
Was all pro as a rookie. I'm pretty sure it was all Pro's rookie regardless the no. I mean, Sauce is a great player. Seventy five tackles, twenty pass breakups. Yeah, I mean, that's an amazing season. Here's to me, though, why I liked what Liam Cohen said. It means demon's a They're gonna give this kid a chance to go both ways for real, and I just want to see it. I just don't want a false ceiling on what he can do. Now, maybe it the downside is you just have to pair it back a bit. The upside is
he changes the way your team can be run. Like that's the that to me, it prematurely going out and being like, listen, he's only playing in spots on defense or vice versa would just be silly. I understand folks talking about he's got to tackle, he's gotta cover, you're gonna run nine routes. It's not the Big twelve anymore.
I get all of that. But every coach that's ever been around this player has said he is literally built differently, So give him a try like and I think the Jags are going to and it's one of the reasons. You know what, I'm starting to think, Demansey, everybody is gonna have a bunch of you know, AFC North, you have the Ravens, you have the Bengals, you have the Steelers with Rogers AFC West, you have the Chiefs and
the Broncos and the Chargers. Like everybody is gonna have one playoff team out of the East and one playoff team out of the South. I think we could have two playoff teams from the South. I think the Texans and the Jags might end up being able to come out of the South. The Jags with the nice little resurgent uh Trevor Lawrence here. The Texans with maybe the best defense in football. Like, I think, I just think there is there's something there. That's all something there. You
ain't lying, bro. The big year for my guy and the facto a big year for me. All right, let's talk Matt Stafford.
Stafford is dealing with an aggravated disc and has been taking has been getting epidurals. You said the Rams don't work without Stafford. With that said, is this team going to be a stay away for you as far as betting with this whole injury thing?
Wow, right now, I'm staying away. I need to see you know, talk to me in three weeks. Here's the deal. Here is my glass way too full? Oh? Texans and Jags both make the playoffs plus three ninety five intriguing. Interesting that eveny interesting. What are the Jags to win the division?
Like this six hundred or something like that. No, No, plus three hundred. It's like plus three hundred three.
Fifty of them.
It's either plus three hundred to be fifty.
All right, believe it or not. When I was I was not asking you, like to just guess off the top of your head from memory, plus two ninety, but you you yeah, plus three hundred plus two ninety. Maybe we moved it already just that quick. But uh, okay, all right. These are things to consider now when it comes to the Rams. Yeah, right now, they're a stay away because the Stafford stuff here is the probably overly
optimistic view. The Rams are actually, unlike most teams that under sell injuries, the Rams are over selling this because he's actually mostly fine. But part of their negotiation member, he thought he might be traded and they will give you a little more money, and you got to do it in September.
Yeah, you know, I said this.
I said this like two weeks.
Ago, and you were like, uh no, I hope that's the case. I think you said, yeah, yeah.
So I think it's a I think it's on the board, and it's like, well, I'm the team leader, like I you know, I don't want to not be. It's like, all right, we'll make up a back injury like that's the hope. That's the hope. It also doesn't help that I just can't take these NFL insiders, a lot of them. I don't know what the real injury report is. I'm gonna be the only person that cares about this, but I care about this. Fourth or July Najie Harris Chargers
running back is in a fireworks incident. Okay, the local newspaper in Los Angeles or some local paper report it's a this is bad man. This guy like mess up his eyes badly. The then all of a sudden, the insiders parachute in and say, oh no, no, no no, don't you worry. Talk to the agent. Minor, no big deal escaped, major injury. Well it's August seventh. Then Harbaugh can give us no update on him whatsoever. So like I don't there is so much much manicuring of injury.
Every surgery went better than expected, Every injury is reported as what a relief, He's only gonna be out four to six weeks. Everything is just put in such rose colored glasses because so much of this is just relationship building with agents that I don't know what real injury news is. So when I hear Stafford, they're like, Oh, the team's not worried, he'll be ready by week one. I have no idea if that's true. I just have none. So he could be hugely concerning. Also, maybe it's he's
just chilling. Maybe he's just he and his wife are developing the next podcast product project. I don't know. I hope he's just chilling because I like Stafford.
No, Like he just his big new contract with him, right, It was like, yeah, is that over the last year or four?
Well, no, he got he got a contract this adjustment, yeah this summer exactly, he got an adjustment this summer. Yeah.
And like the disc like that thing had to have been lingering and I just don't think they would have.
Well he's he's at a back stuff for a while. Yeah. So I don't know, man. But the short too long didn't read is yes, I'm concerned, but I'm opt you know, I'm hopeful you follow up here.
H Yeah, so you talked about them trading for Shador. Do you think that they're a candidate to go after someone like Kirk Cousins if this goes left.
No, because at this point, Jimmy garoppolo, Kirk Cousins tomato tomato, you know what I mean? Like they already have Jimmy g there, and I think Kirk is an injury concerned in a different way. So I don't you know, I don't think that's the way they would go. All right, I want to power rank coaches and fights. But before I do that, I want to I'll take care of this part demon say. I'm not gonna ask you to read this. I just want to say something to the
dumbest people in the world. Stop throwing shit on the court at WNBA games. And I'm not approved, but this is objectively fucking horrifying, Like what if we really like, oh, Nick, it, fund's fun. It if you really just peel back a quarter of a layer, Why you're throwing that at those women in that league. It's just it's the type of shit that would get eyes rolled by high school juniors, and now it's happened three times. I am not going
to overstate the danger of it. I don't think you could do real injury, but it would certainly hurt getting hit, but more importantly demons. As one of my favorite sayings goes, we live in a society like can we all just recognize a certain level of human adult decency and not do shit like this?
I think these are kids? Is I think that I got?
I got.
They showed me a picture of the last guy that did it, like that guy's like eighteen.
Maybe okay, maybe like eighteen. I'm here to tell you, buddy.
No, I'm not hold on, hold on, I'm not excusing anything, but it's like you're like, grow up. These aren't like twenty five thirty year old people going in there.
These are the type of people expect. Sure, I feel like I understand that, I get that, and I here's the I guess maybe the more refined take. I'd feel less strongly about this if there were eighteen year olds doing this across sports, just watching Mets Phillies and you know what I mean, down the third baseline, this pops up, you know what I mean. We're watching a Pacers Nicks
and it's like, stop the game. I know that once upon a time, I think it happened like in Buffalo, like a snowstorm or something I feel like I vaguely remember it a few years ago, but it just feels targeted. And throwing sex toys on the court in that league, with that gender and sexual orientation demographics of the league, I just find to be extra objectionable. And I will add, as far as the eighteen year old piece of it, you did a lot of dumb shit as a teenager.
There is nothing you did that would have made me as mad as this would have. I think of your worst five transgressions and my reaction to it. I promise you if I had gotten the phone call, I got arrested for what whatever they called it, disturbing the piece what you do well, I was at the Fever game and dot dot dot I might have left you in there.
I might have been like, you know what, figure it out like that is just yeah, okay, all right, real now let's get to ask me the So Mike Vrabel, let's let's do this together real quick before we go. Rabel got in a skill like, tried to break up a training camp fight, got his face bloodied, so top of the head.
That's another rule like that, you gotta throw that in And you said there are like three rules.
I think the.
Fourth was the coach cannot jump in and like try to stop the fight.
Well, if you're a foreign player, you can. I think your foreign player in the shape that he's in. All right, I'm try I want to all right, list of current NFL head coaches. I wish I could sort by age, But so is the number one coach Battle Royale? If they're all it's an NFL head coach fight to the death, and I'm trying to figure out. I like, I'm I know who the last draft pick is. I know that who new is it. I don't want to pick on the guy, but it's Mike McDaniel. Jeez, he's the last
draft pick. Mike McDaniel's our last pick of that draft. My I mean he just and uh, I mean there's a few Dave Zach Taylor, Ben Johnson, those guys are not doing.
I feel like Ben Johnson can get in there.
Oh maybe I guess he's six to one, maybe he's bigger than I thought. But I don't want to do the bottom of the draft. I want to do number one draft pick.
Dan Campbell.
I think this is I I think I think we have a pretty strong top three. I think we are going number one draft pick. You know what, it's between two guys. Campbell to me is a clear third. It's either Vrabel or Demiko as number one. I just feel like Vrabel has fought more in his life than Demiko. So I'm going He's got all those sons. They're big, I like, So I'm going number one, Vrabel, number two, Demico number three, Dan Campbell, dude, and what what are
you laughing about? What are you laughing about? I don't even know what you're king. This guy says Daniel.
I mean not Daniel, but Andy Reid. I don't know who was gonna say this, but Andy Reid with a cheeseburg on the line.
Oh that's pretty good. And Andy's even though he's old, Andy's like, he's not a top three or a top five, but Andy he was ready to fight Travis, like Andy's not. Andy's not screwing around, all right. So there's my top three. We're going Vrabel, Demiico, Dan Campbell number four. I'm going Dan Quinn, head coach of the Commander's big dude. Yeah, number five.
Where's time with that?
Not as high as you'd think he I mean, he's gonna show up. Oh, honestly. Oh yeah, but like mcveigo is not that big. He's Jack, but not that big. I'm going so number five. I had someone, Oh yeah, I know who I'm going number five because I think he'd fight dirty. I think he's he fight dirty. Oh yeah, he's nuts. I think that you like, he could have, you know, suffer traumatic injury and just keep going. I'm going Jim Harball.
I got I got to say one of the Harbor balls. Yeah, yeah, there's Jim goug you in the eye.
I'm going. I'm going Jim now at six. Now I'll start to listen to Tomlin. I I am oh, Todd Bowles bulls beat somebody's yeah to y, Todd Bowles has whooped some acid fight. I don't care that he's sixty Tod, Yes, Todd Bowles is six. Tomlin is seven. And now once I get there, I'm taking a long, hard look at Andy I the like I'm taking a real look at Andy Reid. I think I'm going Andy eight. The thing about John Harball's sneaky old John Harbor's horrorball sixty one.
You know what.
I'm going Andy eight. Kevin O'Connell's young and really big but feels like not a fighter. Dable I'm certain has been in some scuffles, but obviously Sirianni fights. I still I gotta tell you, I mean, you don't. You don't walk around for forty years with that personality and I can. I'm just telling you. I mean that guy's got in some fights. I gotta tell you another guy who again is not going to be a high draft pick, but would you know, wouldn't stop coming. And that's the oldest
coach in the NFL. Pete Carroll Carroll, Pete Carrolls wants to mix it up. But there it is. There's my list. They don't have to go through anymore. I think, I think that was good. But it is a very very strong top three. It's a very strong top three. All right. Reminder, everybody like rate, subscribe review to the podcast. We appreciate you guys who watch on YouTube, listen on Spotify, listen on iTunes. Let's let's roll through a couple listener questions before we get out of here.
Pal ws Why Stafford so highly regarded He's never made an All Pro team as a career, losing record, only two Pro Bowls, a ninety one career quarterback rating in the passing era and a five munch of playoff record.
Jeez, this guy does not like that, So I listen. I think that it's a combination of number one draft pick who had like individual super high highs instantly his third year in the league, his first year as a full time starter, he threw for five thousand yards, forty touchdown, sixteen picks, So it was like, bam, you know what I mean? So I think I think when your number one draft pick and your first real chance as a starter you pop like that, people are like, holy shit.
So I think that. I then think the fact that people felt like, man, if only he could get out of Detroit, wonder what would happen? And then he got out of Detroit and instantly won the Super Bowl, so that you know what I mean. So it's big, strong, huge arm talent, was a big what if, and then when the what if actually played out, he kicked ass in the playoffs with the Rams. It's not only they's five and two. He has a one oh nine rating,
fifteen touchdowns, three picks. Beat Brady like you know. So I understand the raw numbers haven't always been there, but I think combination of ice, draft, pedigree, super high highs, all of it. All right, let's go to Ben.
Ben asked what was your best and worst bet from last year?
Worst bet? Best bet was Broncos over five and a half. They ended up making the playoffs. Worst bet was Steelers miss everything, and I tied that into a bunch of stuff, you know what I mean? So that one's that one the All right, let's go to uh Danny.
Danny asked what's your favorite pre Mahomes era Chiefs.
Moment about ten Jamal Charles games. Jamal was my favorite player ever before Patrick and Travis and U. I mean Jamal. Jamal had like a five touchdown game against the Broncos that was sick. He a bunch of Jamal Charles moments. Dorian says, new nickname is Nick. We live in a society, right, I like that? All right? Thank you to Booze, to Draft Gang, to Volume, to Blue Duck, to all of you guys for listening, uh, and for Mike Vrabel for giving us that great content at the end of the show.
See you guys on Tuesday. What's right