Carr to the Saints + Combine Winners & Losers

A room filled with some heroes - Dan Hanzus, Marc Sessler and Gregg Rosenthal react to breaking news: Derek Carr is heading to the New Orleans Saints (0:01), as well as Travis Kelce's appearance on Saturday Night Live (18:49), the Rams anticipated roster moves (22:20), franchise tagged players and notable cuts (28:11), and a report that the Titans are shopping Derrick Henry (33:09). Then, the heroes present winners and losers from the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine (40:34), including Anthony Richardson (41:50), an interesting wide receiver class (48:50), and a new candidate for "Marc's guy" (50:49).

Note: timecodes approximate.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Derek Carr, free agent quarterback after nine seasons with the
Las Vegas Raiders, is expected to sign with the New
Orleans Saints. They are closing in on a deal. There
can love bring outself for clap trading. He could full
fat down touchdown Raider Derek Carr. Derek Carr for faction outtown,

(00:27):
the middle front inside time, touchdown. I'm thankful for my
time a couple time. Let's just signing with austiness time.
Derek Hark Shine triggering, couldn't this comes car living had
blow up Adams. It's open to a suite of the

(00:52):
black goos Pholas Vegas, take it to Derek Carr. It's
gonna be multiple years with the Saints for Derek Carr.
So that is the committee got from them. Actually today
heading to the Saint unbelievable. In a move that has
sent shockways tremors an earthquake in our league, Derek Carr

(01:20):
has signed with New Orleans Saints and a deal that
appears to give car one hundred million guarantee. Turns out
he did have a market and he is a rich man.
Many many, many generations over, although you only get to
live in one. Its great great grandkids. Great spot, but
let's focus on the most important thing here, Mark, The

(01:42):
odyssey of Derek Carr free agent is over, and the
league has changed in a way that will never be
able to look back and at this time again and
think anything else but Derek Carr post Raiders now. See. Yeah,
I applaud the appropriate pyrotechnics attached to that messages. I'm
sorry we had that plan for months. The Derek Carr signing.

(02:04):
I'm a little disappointed it didn't happen on Sunday so
he couldn't have seen Mark's reaction to the Derek Carr
emergency podn No that I would say. Derek Carr wins
me over with the timing, which which folded in perfectly
to the start of our show. I know, Dan, you
have some jet stuff involved here, but I really like
the landing spot for Derek Carr. I think that if
for anything, just to get off to a good start,

(02:26):
when a team that always is going for it, is
always aggressive, you're in a division that's very manageable. You
go from the AFC West to a totally moribund NFC South,
where I think the Saints are automatically the favor to
win that division. No other team in the South really
has a manageable cemented quarterback situation right now. Derek Cars
automatically the best quarterback in the division. Y, I know
you hate this move for the Saints. That's not truly that.

(02:50):
I don't hate it. Well, I saw your tweet, and now,
just what are they trying to do here? I think
the Saints are very much trying to win nine to
ten games, and that they're ceiling is low, and that
they've been trying to do this, and that this group
led by Dennis Allen, which I didn't think should get
a second year, is just trying to save his job.

(03:12):
Mickey Loomis save his job, and Derek Carr is their
best alternative to do that. So, like, if you're a
Saints fan, I think you have a chance to go
to the playoffs next year. They're probably a slight favorite
in that division. So I don't hate it. It's just
sort of like a franchise. I think that's not going
anywhere in particular, and Derek Carr is the guy to
bring him there. And Mike Garifolo broke the news. Mike

(03:34):
garifolo Ian rapport has the numbers on it. One hundred
million guaranteed money during his time with the Saints include
sixty million. Do its signing the Saints or team perpetually
with salary cappy shoes they always find away his average
annual salary thirty seven point five million, good for ninth

(03:54):
highest aa V among quarterbacks. Of course, there's some guys
burrows like they're going to push him down. So this
kind of for me makes sense contractually as a team match.
It makes sense when you do a lot of the
Even though you saw some reporting out there from certain
insiders saying that Car was leaning towards the Jets and

(04:16):
seemed like the most likely landing spot, it was the
Saints who had engaged in trade talks or had met
with Car when he was still a member of the Raiders,
and so you knew there was obviously some connection there.
And then it becomes the other side of it is like, yes,
we know that the Jets had a very productive conversation.

(04:36):
We heard all good things that came out of the
Car Jets talks. And then you just wonder, Okay, now
does this mean the Jets are getting Aaron Rodgers? Does
this mean something else? Does this mean? And for me,
as a Jets fan, and like I said, it always
feels like you're Charlie Brown trying to kick the football
that now that that safety net has gone, Car was
the safety net in a lot of ways, and now

(04:58):
it's Rogers or bust, and Rogers goes back to the Packers, retires,
goes to a different team, Then what do the Jets do?
So there is there's definitely some anxiety that comes with
it from a New York perspective. But I thought Car
would have been fine with the Jets. He would have
been a big upgrade on what they had. Obviously. The
question I have, Mark is like you do the ab

(05:21):
test for instance, back to the Saints here ab test
with Andy Dalton who they had last year, and Derek Carr.
Car is a better quarterback, but is he that much
better given the mouth they just paid for him? It
was this the move to make when you really strip
away all the accoutrema and like, how much better did
they actually get at the position today? I'm not sure

(05:42):
how much well. I think what I was trying to
say before is I like to fit for Derek Carr
where he's going to. I think a team that is
like trying to be ultra competitive year after year, and
I think Mickey Loomis this is a win for him
in terms of going and getting the guy he wanted.
I don't know if I if I would ever review
Derek Carr as a true difference maker. I think he
I think that's fair to say that he's gonna nine

(06:03):
to ten win type of guy on a good roster
around him. But I think that if you get the
best version of Derek Carr, the Saints in the inter
manageable NFC for a couple of years can do well.
I mean, I just don't hate it because the Saints
are a team that has not drafted a first round
quarterback since nineteen seventy one, which was Archie Manning. I
don't like I'm not saying that's what they say. They

(06:23):
were gonna take Patrick Mahomes if the Chiefs didn't, you know,
sneak of, they very well might have, but they weren't.
That wasn't probably gonna happen in this draft. So I
think they went out and got the guy that they
can plug in. Now. I do have questions about the
fact that Dennis Allen is coaching the team. I do too.
I think Dan's point about Dalton is a great one.
I don't think quarterback was their issue last year. On

(06:44):
one hand, you could look at it and say, Okay,
Pete Carmichael, who wasn't that popular as a coordinator for
the Saints last year, actually coached that Bandy Dalton to
his highest PF grade for what it's worth of his career.
He was the sixth highest graded PF quarterback in league.
He was just above some of those peaks Cincinnati years.
And I understand why he got that great partly because

(07:06):
he didn't take chances and he made good decisions and
he didn't he was accurate. And Derek Carr is a
much higher ceiling better version of Andy Dalton. Kind of
I kind of love that Andy Dalton brought back the
integrity to the Dalton scale last year. Oh. I mean
he kind of was a like he stepped in and
he was a mid level quarter even through on that
Thursday night disaster. Keep everything kind of balance the couple.

(07:30):
There was a couple of spots where I got a
little sideways, but one of one of my UH followers
on Twitter said, maybe this is him passing the torch
Derek Carr. All right, and I kind of like right,
I kind of liked that too. That so maybe they
can coach up Derek car to be a better version
of Andy Dalton. But they have other issues on that

(07:52):
roster that I'm concerned with. They need to stay healthier
and that would help, and and have some weapons around
Car that that would certainly help. But I'm not sure
they're going to be a difference making defense. We'll see.
I think it's a team that's that's aiming for that
nine wins and they and they could do it well.
I would say one thing for the Jets standing because
I'd ask you, because I think the reason they do
they probably they really liked Cards sounded like two. He

(08:14):
was a safety net. But the whole Aaron Rodgers thing
waiting for that to pan out, and then Car I
thought managed this thing well because he went to the combine.
He aggressively, you know, he wasn't placid and sat back.
He wanted to find his next opportunity. You got one
team saying we want you today. You got the Jets
sort of telepathically saying we might want you if we
don't get Aaron Rodgers. Okay, I say one thing before

(08:35):
Dan's just I think that was true. From what I've heard,
I think he did lean Jets, and I think that's
why you see the money really go up that they
the deal. To me, I still need to see more details,
but I suspect it's ultimately like seventy for two years
is really guaranteed. Ten of the third gets guarantee. It's
really sixty for two years, and then ten of the

(08:55):
third is guaranteed. And that's that makes more sense to me.
And I think the Saint Tatta move up because I
think he really did like the Jets better, but he
also knew he didn't want to get caught waiting for
Aaron Rodgers for a week. He has no idea, and
so when they came up money wise, he's like, Okay,
this makes sense, but only everything we know about Derek
Carley seems to take things for you personally, and like,
if you got a team out there saying we want

(09:17):
you as our second best guy, like I think that
would Leans really want you, And it's not a deal
that we'll see what more about it that hamstrings them
for half a decade. Yeah, And I think from a
leverage standpoint, you could say, oh, why didn't if Carr
wanted to go to the Jets. Why didn't he just
wait for the Rogers thing to play out? And then
if if Rogers didn't go to the Jets, sign with

(09:38):
the team you like the most in this dance. But
then you potentially lose some leverage there in terms of
what the Saints are offering. And you got to be
fair to the Saint. Yeah, yeah, you had to. He
was put in a position where he didn't want to
be left out and called himself and end up looking
back and saying, I had this golden opportunity leverage wise

(09:59):
as a free agent before everyone else was. I need
to hit it in the right way, and I think
he did so good job for Car. I'm gonna throw
something out positive now now that I meant Andy Dalton.
I'll throw up Matthew Stafford, who was a very talented,
you know, statistically successful quarterback with Detroit. Better player than Car,
but you know, I think in the same ballpark. And

(10:21):
once he went to a team that actually had a
defense and had some pieces around him, they won a
Super Bowl in Los Angeles. The Saints are probably thinking,
let's get this guy that we know is steady, and
let's build up the roster around him, maybe you go
that route. I don't hate it from that angle. I mean,
I just think that your your options were limited. If
you were the Saints, You're not gonna get Aaron Rodgers.
They weren't going to get a less Robert Sala made

(10:42):
a comparison to Matthew Stafford after meeting with Derek Carr. So,
I think I think he'll be good, and I think
he's in a dome, and I think he's not in
the pressure cooker that is the New York market. I
think I think this was a smart move by car
And now we just need to see if this ends
in I'm sure a lot of people will get there
if it ends this way. With the Jets having egg
on their face for not playing this the right way,

(11:04):
they are now fully dependent in my mind in terms
of this to be a slam dunk for them on
Aaron Rodgers, the guy that I was just shaky railing
against last week for being a just a nonsense person
at this point on some level like him now deciding
a I'm leaving this team after eighteen years and I'm
going to go to New York and need to be
the messiah. But you know what, maybe he wouldn't, or

(11:26):
Lamar Jackson if something truly bizarre happened there, or Tannehill
as a little bit of a backup. And I to
your point about like car versus Dalton. That's why for
the Jets to I think there's enough quarterbacks out there,
even if you're taking a step down the level that
there's not that huge of a different. I mean, hell,
they might end up with Andy Daltons. I know Jets fans,

(11:47):
I was just thinking about myself. But if they end
up with like a next lot, if they will probably
won't be Teddy or whoever it is. It's like, is
that a big enough difference that I'm gonna lose sleep
if I was a Jets fan? Maybe, because this this
does feel like a big, a bit of a window
for the Jets to take advantage of these guys that there,
these rookies. It would be I think if you ended
up with Teddy Bridgewater or Gardner Minshew or insert uh

(12:10):
you know mezzanine lodge loge guy here, it's like you're
gonna be major, major lye bummed. Because we've spent the
last month, six weeks talking about the Jets having a
major upgraded quarterback. We'll see we gotta I mean, this
stuff can go down while we're recording this. And I
was actually just thinking that beautiful Derek Carr Instrow that
justin put together on short notice people they I think

(12:32):
of what happens if Aaron Rodgers makes his decision. Are
we still going to have a minute reel of Derek
deleting the show? I don't know. That's what social media
is for. It can always just start on Twitter and Instagram.
Now my first thought, what you would that you had
been cooking that up for a while with the idea
that it was a Jets leading but then you had to,
you know, switch we're doing a little for the science

(12:54):
business put that together this morning. I always genuinely thought
that car was a new is worthy, like even shorty episode,
because it moves things in this very crazy story around
the NFL and these veteran qbs. The Lamar thing is
interesting too. It's still hanging out there, and like I
said last week with the Jets, if this does go

(13:15):
against them with Rogers, I think there's gonna be names
that are not connected to and that they start kicking
the tires on. Let's see what Tannel might be one
of I mean, it wasn't that long ago when a
guy like Kirk Cousins changing teams was rare, a guy
in the middle of his career that's played at a
high level and had big contracts, and that that's what
Car is. Now we've seen it happen a few more times.

(13:35):
One last detail do you want to give you? And
that scenes offense could be interesting. Camary assume he's back.
He might have a suspension coming. But I liked Joan
He's definitely gonna have a suspension coming. Yeah, I think
he and Olave. I'd like Rashid Shahid. I'd like Juwan
Johnson Callaway's there is a four if you could draft someone.
Maybe they try to work it out with Michael Thomas.
I doubt that, but they're like one or two players

(13:56):
away from interesting. I'm just not sure the defense holds up.
One detail though, and this is from New Orleans Football
dot Com New Orleans dot Football it's a it's a
it's a pay website by Nick Underhill, and I read.
I read some of the details of how they courted
Derek Carr and their first day ended with dinner at

(14:17):
Ralph's on the Park in mid city in a private room.
Very nice. But you might think, if you know New
Orleans restaurants, well how about Galatoires, Emeralds, you know fancy,
you know, like great New Orleans restaurant. This is a
little more casual, nice place. They know Derek Carr is
a T shirt and shorts guy. He was showing up
to meetings last week with GMS at the Combine in

(14:39):
a hoodie and shorts even though it's cold, like he's
not he's not about that fancy life. And they knew
that scouting report on car little more casual, plenty of
great casual food places, right. They took him to a
you know what they took him to I know exactly
they took him. They took vendor out in the series.
They took him to an Italian restaurant in a summit,

(14:59):
New Jersey like kind of like, uh not, you don't
have to wear a tie, but you should probably wear pants. Okay,
so maybe that was the difference here. That's an annoying
expense or point report At this point, do you have
to file your probably five hundred dollar dinner with Derek Carr,
who know will not be part of your team now?
I mean, if they end up with the guy they
actually want, I think they'll be cool that, but we
shall see. And by the way, mentioned Matt Stafford, I

(15:22):
know nobody's talking about it, but the Rams seem like
they're changing direction. You're right, they probably wouldn't mind a
you know, the thirteenth overall pick or whatever from the Jets.
I don't know, it's possibility. No reporting there, No, that
is not a pell Raiser report. I'm just saying, are
the Rams really still totally married to the thirty seven

(15:44):
thirty eight year old? Is he that old um quarterback?
When they are starting to go in a different direction? Organ,
they don't seem married to anything right now? Turns oh yeah,
just turned thirty five thirty March. How about that um?
All right? By the way, from the Chris Westling podcast studio,
this is around the NFL. Just got so excited. And
by the way, that was sixteen hardcore Derek Carr minutes Mark.

(16:08):
I thought it was good informative analysis driven hold on good.
I know that this has been advertised that I was
going to like lose my cool if we had to
do a Derek car episode. All I was ever saying
was that I was not going to sign up for
a full offseason of Derek Carr turns tm X probably
the Jets into a Super Bowl contender. He just he's

(16:28):
he's a good quarter. But now that it's happened, that
was all unfounded because nobody thinks that about the same.
I was concerned that they would say that about the Jets,
though the Jets are just this quarterbatter. I think they
could have been. I think with Car, I think they
had a chance in AFC. I mean, if your car,
you have a much better chance to win the division
you've just joined. So I like it again for a Car,
I don't. We'll see what happens for the with the

(16:49):
destiny of it all. And just condolences to Mike Garafolo
out there. Great job, awesome job, big breaking story. He
didn't have to bring it out. But this is what
makes Greg greg one. You don't need to do this, he's, well,
I'm not backing out. He I've done it before. You
put the David car into Twitter and it's the breaking

(17:13):
news report. You say David Carr by a mistake instead
of Derek Carr. You can't delete that, and so you
just get seventy five Jabroni's responding with about David carr
Afemore put in like an edit button on the tweet.
It's funny you mentioned that, Mike. I didn't know this,
but you have to pay the eight dollars for Twitter

(17:34):
blue for the edit function, and Mike said, now he's
he's given that eight dollars up. Can let me just
say I am I am not on board with many
of the musk um ideologies and in general features. Now,
I will say that the editing of a tweet could
be dangerous in its own right. But if you're an

(17:55):
insider for something like that, UM, I think rog upstairs
and company should be just taking care of all of us.
Just protect us, but not even us, Mike especially Sheet. Yeah,
whoever it may be, it's breaking up. I'm not paying
us give him the edit, but I personally will not
pay a cent to Elon Musk and his camp. Well,

(18:17):
you have two tesla's though idea definitely do not all right.
From the Chris Weston podcast studios around the NFL, Dan Hansis,
Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler, The Combine wrapped up over the
weekend from Indianapolis. We're gonna share some takes, some winners

(18:39):
and losers from that particular event. But before we get
to that, let's get caught up on the news from
over the weekend and beyond. Travis Kelsey was on Saturday
Night Live as the guest host this weekend from Studio

(19:00):
eight h and I thought he did excellent. I was.
I said it to my wife. We watched it on
Sunday morning. I said it to my wife, Oh, this
is gonna be bad. Uh. And it was not bad. Uh.
There was some Q card reading, as is always the
case even with you know, seasoned actors in the in
the guest host role. But he does have natural charisma.

(19:23):
He showed a sense of humor. Jason Kelsey popped up
in a couple of sketches. I give it if you
if you're ranking it from you know, from fran Tarkington, Uh,
Eli Manning, Peyton? Who else has been on it? In
the NFL? Joe Montana famously he was the first one. Okay,
he was the first NFL player. Um he I would

(19:44):
put Kelsey near the top, if not at the top.
Peyton of course as well, did very well. Did you
guys happen to catch it? I saw I watched a
few skits and the monologue, and I would put him
at the top. I'm not saying like the skits were
all total genius and they me up, but he was
better than some actors they throw in SNL who are
just like dramatic actors and are stiff and can't do it.

(20:06):
I was kind of shocked, like he was totally what.
He was comfortable, like, he wasn't nervous at all. A
good job. I'm able to watch it, but I am
not surprised that like the NFL star player of today
and of the future will continue to just get better
and better at this kind of stuff than guys that
had Joe Montana had actually a great skit back in
the day, but you could tell Joe Montana had no

(20:28):
idea what was going on around him, right, But yeah,
that Peyton Manning wasn't really funny. He was actually he
was just funny on the scale of athletes. And I
don't know if Kelsey is necessarily funny, although he's funny
in these skits, but as a performer, he was like
good on a scale of performing, like that was a
good job by him. I was much higher on a

(20:48):
scale of athletes. I would put him number one of
anyone I saw, just like, actually he could go do that.
I think Peyton is legitimately talented in terms of this
realm for where he is and because of that comfort
in front of camera. And that's like, go watch the
Michael Phelps uh snl Like some of these go really sideways.
It's the guys that look comfortable. And it's not surprising

(21:09):
that Kelsey to your point, athletes are kind of wired
a little differently today and they have a brand and
they do they go out of their way to be
involved with other projects. And I think you see it
with a guy like what if you can roll out
like Kirk Cousins out there a true a trained stage
actor who you know, anything that has Kirk Cousins involved
with it, Like Claybone audibly laughed when I said I

(21:31):
was looking forward to seeing Kirk Cousins in this Netflix
quarterback show. I want to know more about Kirk Cousins.
He would be terrible on snlum. And by the way,
that sketch was Travis Kelsey sitting alone at a table
at an American girl cafe with two little dolls. And
I think he's like a pervert creep in the sketch.
I liked that there was a lot of weird stuff

(21:51):
going on, and that was one of the two sketches.
I was, uh, let's pause right here before we get
to the rest of the news and take a break.
All right, we are back. Let's do some more news.
Let's start with the Rams. I mentioned it. He listen.
Matthew Stafford is back. Sean mcvayh is back. But the

(22:13):
Rams are going in a different direction, or they're changing
gears at the very least. Let's go down a couple
moves that they're either making or are planning or hoping
to make. The Rams are expected to release Edge Russia
Leonard Floyd, move that would clear some cap space. Floyd
was a key member of their championship team. They also

(22:37):
are looking to get rid of Alan Robinson off their
roster after what was a bit of a disastrous one
year twenty twenty two season for Allen Robinson, in which
he came in with a ton of hype. We interviewed
h remember we interviewed him a training camp and everything
seemed to be hunky dory. But it was a really
rough season for Robinson and they have given him permission

(22:59):
to seek a trade Greggy with Robinson. Does this connect
to the fact that it's not a great free agent
market and the Ramsayn opportunity here to get rid of
this guy and offload some of this money. I just
don't think they want him on the team, and so yes,
I think they're just hoping someone will pay let's say

(23:20):
five million dollars of his fifteen million dollars. I mean
they're they're taking the l. They're accepting the LL. He
has fifteen million guaranteed. Did you say that, Heaton? That's
crazy to me that he has fifteen million guaranteed and
they're willing to It's crazy now, But remember last summer
when almost everyone was universally of the opinion this is
a perfect match, and I think it was a bad deal.

(23:41):
I think it's crazy that they have fifteen guaranteed now
and that they're just saying, we'll take the l. What's
the best we can get. We know we're not really
going to get a pick for him. We'll get like
a late round pick, swap like a sixth for a seventh,
just so it saves us money. And we're hoping you
take let's say half of that money off the books,
will take that as a win and we'll save some

(24:02):
cap space. Yeah. I mean as of now, he's also
got a twenty six million dollar price tag and deadcap money.
So I think the Rams are that's exactly right. They
got to move on from this. Jalen Ramsey is trade
bait right now. It's like this team to me, like
is basically doubling down on what happened last season in
terms of the most disappointing follow up to the previous year.
I mean they are this is Rams team looks entirely different.

(24:24):
And you know, Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay a couple
months ago, we want to do this together. I'm committed
to Sean McVeagh. I want to stick around as quarterback.
If you're Matthew Stafford and they have a lot of
work to do on their offensive line, you're taking away
Alan Robinson, who was a failure last year to begin with,
and it looked like he didn't want to play in
Chicago the year before that. I mean, the Rams are
falling apart before your eyes. How do you sell this
to Stafford? As hang around here? This makes a lot

(24:46):
of sense for you after any dangerously injury plagued twenty
twenty two. That's why they're a tough team to figure
out and why I'm wondering if there's just more to
come here about how they're gonna play their off season,
Because yes, if Floyd's gone Robinson, if they dump him,
and then Jalen Ramsey is just being traded, which sounds
like it's going to happen. Wagner gun Wagner Gune recalled

(25:08):
Wagner's gone. It's like, what are they What are they
trying to do with this team? Um? Are they just
looking to be competitive this year? Or are they going
to do something more radical? We I think they're trying
to take the pain now and set up for twenty
twenty four. The Floyd moved surprised me more because he's
had nine sacks in each of the last three years.
You're still like a decent player. If they make him

(25:28):
a post June first cut, they do open up fifteen
million dollars in cap space, They're they're in trouble cap
space wise, And I'm trying to explain this. I told
Alis about these moves on the way to school today.
What's her head? She wasn't happy. She's like, I like
Floyd Robinson with herself Robinson all season in the living room.
So yeah, Robinson was a bottle. She also took him

(25:50):
on her fantasy team, so that was a disaster. Yeah, Wagner,
she just couldn't understand Wagner and like, I'm trying to
like explain, well, they're like there's a salary cap and
like if you're trying to set up maybe for twenty
twenty four and trying to explain this to like She's like,
but that was like he was one of their better plays.
There's not really a good answer for it. And then
the heartbreaking moment was well, as long as they're not

(26:13):
trying to get rid of Jalen Ramsey And I was like,
well that, um, I mean she has that happen. She
is the same sort of pressing questions that any guy
in a tavern. That's what I mean. It's like there
actually isn't a real explanation, a real explanation that like
makes it easier, Um, I just indulge me. So if there,

(26:34):
if this is kind of like a reset year, does
that mean they're expecting to be back and ready to
contend as soon as next season? In which case, okay,
then Matthew Stafford at age thirty six. Okay, you can
talk yourself into if his body holds up, Aaron Donald,
you probably you know, he'll probably retire before you even
entertain the idea of answering a phone call about him.

(26:56):
I just seems a little bit like I think it's
everything's feels malleable, where I think a couple of months
ago it is like, of course, Matthew Stafford's coming back.
I still feel, of course, But I think that's more
of just a personal thing that I just don't think
he'd want to and I think they feel like they
owe it to him. He's a super Bowl winning quarterback.
And also the financials of it are seemingly impossible to
get rid of him, just the way they signed his country.

(27:17):
I guess you could always rework it if he was
really willing. I mean, like the cap hit on a
trade would be would end their lives. They couldn't eat,
they would have to change everything around. I think he's there.
I struggle with the they owe it to him angle,
where they're taking their biggest names and throwing them into
the mist. Right, what are they owing him like that?

(27:39):
In their mind, they're probably like if we get lean
and mean. Can we still be competitive, lean and mean
this year without these guys like they probably think they
can be, and then they're setting up to be they
played last year without half these guys to begin with,
I mean trade Stafford and signed Gino. Let's just get crazy,
all right. Um. Josh Jacobs, the Raider they made, you

(28:01):
can't kind of spin it any other way. A financial
mistake when they chose not to pick up his rookie
fifth year option, because now they've put the tag on him,
which is worth more money than what his final rookie
year deal would have been. So Josh Jacobs coming off
a year in which he led the league in rushing,
it was just a stud all season long back with

(28:22):
the Raiders on at least a one year deal. See
if they get anything done before the deadline. Also, Tony Pollard,
running back for the Cowboys, who had a breakout season
last year, unfortunately suffered that leg injury in the playoffs,
but he will be tagged as well. We'll see if
that leads to anything. And that includes Zeke Elliott maybe

(28:46):
disappearing into the mist himself in Dallas. So the franchise
tag deadline is on Tuesday. So this is really the
last opportunity now for these teams to get their house
in order. On this front. Running backs really get boned
financially compared to other positions. It's not a breaking news,
but the tag is kind of part of it. Like
you can look at a guy like Jacobs, because I'm

(29:06):
thinking about this when you think about bees On Robinson
and the upcoming draft classes, like you can get him
for five years including the fifth year option if and
then you get him on the tag. The tag this
year is only ten million dollars for running back, So
a one year ten million dollars to me, that's not
much money that because you're not paying it into the
future for all these other positions. It's like guaranteed, you

(29:29):
just get him for one more year. At ten, you're
getting the very best of Josh Jacobs, You're getting hopefully
the best of Pollard and then you say goodbye. You
kind of get the best years of their lives in
the first five or six years of their career and
they don't ever get that long term. But I think
it's it's if you're the Raiders or if you're a
Raiders fan, before you hand big money to Josh Jacobs, Well,
you know, he's been hot and cold his whole career.

(29:50):
He was all hot last season, but is that who
he is for the next three four years? Like I'd
much rather tag him. If I were the Raiders where
you sitting in the draft, you could take be John
Robinson who is getting camp to like Ladany and Tomlinson.
So I don't know if this is I'm not going
to do it, eliminate that for the road. They're not
going to do it because I think they're gonna have
to go quarterback becaus at the situation they put themselves in.
But I don't mind getting Josh Jacobs for a one

(30:10):
more year, find out who he really is, and then
go from there. Your eyes really raised when I said
this is a good number. I mean, I think that's
a good number for Tony. I'm looking at the history
of the recent history of the franchise tag it shouldn't
be a surprise. Besides kickers and punters running back as
the lowest number at ten million, this year, tight end
is absurd four years ago. And keep in mind the

(30:31):
salary cap has gone up substantially. People are getting more
money than ever before. The salary cap or the franchise
tag for running back in twenty nineteen was eleven point two,
so it's gone down. It is up slightly from the
year before when it was nine point six. But yeah,
what is the what is the fifth year rookie contract?
What did he what did they pass on giving him?

(30:53):
It wouldn't have been much more, I don't think, because
he was a late round pick, but I can find
that out here, I do. I chalked it up to
regime change, like they came in and weren't totally sold
on the idea, because right I'm almost a little surprised
they kept them. But then I looked they have more
cap space than they really They're one of those teams
that more cap space than they really need need, So
I guess why not? All right? I do like the

(31:15):
Cowboys need weapons, and I think Jerry Jones has been
talking about it the combine. I think they're going to
be aggressive. I don't know how exactly, but maybe in
the trade they could be one of those teams in
the trade market. So letting Pollard go to me it
would have been a mist When Jerry Jones has specifically
mentioned Odell Beckham again still interested and They've been named
as a target for Jalen Ramsey as well. Getting Odell
Beckham and expecting that to be what put your offense

(31:37):
over the top feels like a very very Jerry Jones
team hasn't appeared in the NFC title game in twenty
seven straight years type of you to make. At this point,
Jacobs would have gotten eight million on the fifth year option,
so they only ended up paying two more that Daniel
Jones decision to not give him the fifth year option
proved more costly. And yet I can't bang on them
at all about it because it made sense at the
time and sense. No, we're not really talking about Daniel

(31:59):
Jones right now, but I feel what I feel totally
comfortable if I'm a Giants fan how they're playing this,
because like, don't don't back down here, Make him do
it over a full season before you give him a
Derek Carr's contract. Um, he's actually asking for more than
car reported all right, notable cuts, the Vikings uh cut,

(32:19):
leading tackler or Kendricks. He hits the UM free agency
list where he comes in at number for Greg He
did not crack the one thinking after hearing some feedback
that you know last year was a new scheme some
of these linebackers that they aged to bounce back. But
you I was a little worried as just like, oh,

(32:40):
there's the decline. You don't want to pay an older linebacker.
The Jagures will either cut or trade Shack Griffin and
the Titans say goodbye to Bud do Pre And speaking
of the Titans, will bring in the grave digger on
this one. Um Mike Silver or former colleague here at
n Media reports that Derrick Henry is indeed being shopped

(33:04):
by the Titans, And uh, you know Silver has connections
and this all makes sense to me. It's two words.
The analysis e gone, what do you think justin sense
for him to be on that team at this point
to me? But what do you think justin I agree,
I think the Titans are in a spot where they

(33:24):
need to plan for twenty twenty four. This team's not
winning the Super Bowl in twenty twenty three. Get what
you can now for Derrick Henry while he still has
trade value. There's also talk that the Titans have called
the Bears to see what the cost would be to
move up to number one. That would be a little
crazy to me because again, you're not in a position
to win now, Well that makes more sense then. To me,
that makes sense because I mentioned the Cardinals would be

(33:48):
my pick to have the worst roster in the league.
If the Titans get rid of Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill,
they're right, They're right there. Yeah, definitely, And Tannehill to
the Jets seems I mean this has been like there
have been rumblings about that potential connection for a couple
of weeks now, even though the Jets have been more
linked to Rogers and car until today. But I mean

(34:10):
that seems like a pretty realistic possibility. The Titans want
to go the full rebuild route. Trade Tannehill, use those
picks to come up to number one, get your quarterback,
use the rest of the picks you got from Tannehill,
or whatever. Build. I mean, they sill only build an
offensive line, So to me, bringing in a rookie quarterback
behind what they have right now could be problematic for
development sake. But I definitely think Henry is a potential

(34:32):
trade candidate. Depends like what is it worth to them
to trade him? Like, are you trading him for like
a sixth round pick? Is that worth it? I would
think he what makes him very compelling if as a
piece to move is I think he would have much
more value than a typical veteran running back. I'm not
saying first round pick, but could you get a second

(34:53):
rounder from a team A content obviously why bother? Yeah,
you're not gonna if you're trading Derek Henry. I think
you're a Bills type team, You're a Cowboys type team.
You're insert playoff team that didn't get over the hub
that's looking for a final piece. He's not gonna get
traded to a bad team. So like that, let's say
then it's probably maybe a late second rounder. Would you

(35:13):
be okay with that? As a Titans fan, I feel
like that's fair compensation for a running back approaching age thirty.
I would be okay with it. I think Titans fans
might go crazy because of a J. Brown last year
and Nick Derrick Henry this here. It's like, oh, the
two best players on offense. The franchise stinks, but it's true.
What is two years in a row? You make that
trade of the Eagles. Can you imagine Derrick Henry and
the Eagles backfield with Jalen Hurts. That would be fun.

(35:35):
That would be now Justin's eyebrows or the Bills, though
the Bills would be looking to move on Cowboys Singletary.
Cowboys would have a lot of money tied up with
Tony Pollard and Derrick Henry together. But like, Henry is
never on my team, He's never been the pass catching guy.
Pairing him with Tony Pollard could be an Really what
is in the backfield? What did Daddy just say last week? Yeah,

(35:57):
I want to run the ball. I don't like having
a offense. I want to have a running ball. I
like this guy, he's a really great runner. Run. I
Fin'm Mike McCarthy and I'm selling this Zaddie energy. I
wouldn't be standing next to Derrick Henry too much. Derrick Henry,
who we met on He's from another planet. He literally
loves There's no there's only one type of body that

(36:19):
would be something that people got very I'm also we're
at odds with this. I've never seen Mike McCarthy as
a zaddie you have. We have different philosophies about it.
I'm willing to let it. I'm just saying having masculine
curves isn't something that's a turn off to everyone. I
think it's fine to be people like you can be curvy.
I get under a blanket and get a little big
spoon action. Yeah, but you're assuming that my only not

(36:41):
is curvy nous. It's curvyness is one of the twelve
things shaming. Mike McCarthy. I am not I am zad
I'm saying he does not fit the Zaddie profile that
I think of when I think of as a Zaddie
on any level. I spoke for myself, right, But you
didn't say it. You said it as a matter of fact.
I think only that I think. I think ninety nine
point nine percent of humans standing next to Derrick Henry

(37:04):
would look lesser because of that. Like Derrick Henry, I'm
more compliment being that famous Dion Lewis picture where he
kind of looked like a munchkin. He's got a great
bodyk Henry. That's all I was trying to say. I
have a conspiracy theory about your Titans. Though they got
that stadium deal done last October, like locked up all that,

(37:26):
that's not it. It's more that we're not going to
bottom out and and stink and get rid of all
of our good players. If we didn't already have that
sweet uh money coming in and the stadium deal done,
because that's a big deal. Like it's asking a lot
for your fans to go through what the Titans appear
to be headed towards. They do have the eleventh pick overall,
maybe they don't have to go up to number one.

(37:47):
This is a class with at least two quarterbacks. I
think people are really intrigued by, if not three, if
maybe four, Right, if not four, maybe maybe they just
end up going up to five or whatever it is
and they get their quarter Because Mike Rabels never started
over from scratch at quarterback. He's just been taking other guys, uh,
you know, never had his own rookie. It's about a

(38:08):
year ago that Greg when utterly nuts on like the
Bills stadium situation, telling telling you and I either like
you know this is this is about people's real jobbos
that whole situation. Greg, you were like deep in the
weeds on the funding for the well yeah, it's like
civic shaming, Dan and I well, I just mean these
billionaires were civic minded enough. We're seeing it with the commanders.

(38:30):
You can you can literally be the worst owner in
in one of in the history of the sport up there,
and then you can sell the team for like six
billion dollars, So I don't need you to be uh
taking money out of Peter and in Mary's mouth to
make a stadium figure. Mary what Rob Paul. No, you're

(38:50):
absolutely right, Greg, and you are a champion of the
common man. You've proven it with this take, and you
reservice it was a powerful yeah wind mill dunk, just
as powerful your right on behalf of the common man.
I mean, it's it's obvious. I side with the billionaires,
take advantage of the city, take your leverage and make
me and all my friends are jerks. Um, all right,

(39:12):
let's uh, let's take a break and we'll be right back.
All right. I think that covers it. That's what's happening
in the news before we move on. I really hope
Aaron Rodgers doesn't make even if even if it's the Jets,
I'll still be annoyed because it will put us in

(39:33):
a very difficult position with our Derek Carr. Open. If
Aaron Rodgers makes a decision today before this show goes
live and we have to do surgery, no think about
us for once. Please I can't. I can only think
about Derek Carr. Get finish this show. Let's get it out,
get it out, and then if the Rodgers news happens,
we're doubling up, doubling up, double header at m double header.

(39:53):
How about that? Mark? So if I'm you know, driving
around LA, I have to cycle back to the office
to do an episode here. That's I mean, it's it's
a gargantuan story in the NFL. We might we might
have to be here, might be remote. Yeah, right, find
out where I am at that point. We'll see that
garage set up. You know, I might be with you
in your garage at that point. Uh, let's talk about

(40:17):
the combine. Let's put a put a bow on that
um in Indianapolis, some winners and losers. I um. I
was on the thread the text thrend with Mark Edward
Sessler and Greg Peter Peter come enhal out Peter Stewart.

(40:41):
That's my brother's name. I don't know how you pulled
that out, because I think I did mention he went
by Greg Michael Rosenthal, very very traditional, very nice. I
like it. H is it well? Greg's traditional non traditional spelling?
Is Michael have a different spelling now, Mike k e No,
Michael is spelled as you would expect anyway. On the

(41:04):
text thread, Mark doubled down and was saying how much
he was into the draft this year. So you have
a number of winners and losers, and Greg, I want
you to dive in on this as well and share
things that really jumped out to you. Who were the winners?
Who were the losers? You just raised your eyebrows. Now, Greg,
do you not have winners and losers? No? I do? Okay, good?

(41:24):
Good Mark? What jumped out to you a winner from
the combine? Well, I'd start with the quarterbacks with Anthony Richardson,
because I mean, I think that if you I don't
know if quarterbacks in the combine, whether you throw or
you don't, are going to really change your destiny that much.
I would be concerned if teams were wowed by that alone.
But the workout of Anthony Richardson, I thought it was

(41:45):
well illustrated by what NFL research put out. Is a
tweet that shows how unusually is He is six four
and a quarter inches, which is taller than George Kittle
as a quarterback. He weighs more than Hassan Reddick. He
has bigger hands than DeAndre Hopkins, a higher vertical jump
than Davante Adams, and a longer broad jump than Odell Beckham.

(42:07):
I mean he really essentially worked out as a star
wide receiver. He's also as a quarterback, though I think
you have to realize, like there's obviously the project aspect
to him. His completion percentage is about as low as
possible for anyone who would be drafted. It was under
fifty five percent. He's only started thirteen games, But I
think from the physical angle, when you watch his tape,

(42:28):
it's like, wait a minute, someone is going to be
absolutely fascinated with the idea of turning him into what
he could be. Yeah, I'm looking forward to dive in
more to his tape, but from what I've watched, like
if you compare him to previous prospects and think about
who he's closest to, those guys went high, Like, I

(42:49):
think his profile is better or similar to Trey Lance's.
I think his profile is very similar to Josh Allen's,
but it was in a s see offense. I think
he's not as limited in terms of like the type
of quarterback trying to stay in the pocket as people
are making out to be. And the numbers are just outrageous.

(43:10):
There there there Josh Allen freak, Cam Newton freak, except
even faster somehow numbers and you look at like how
Jalen Hurts was able to develop who you know, you
would think Richardson can be that sort of runner, and
you can just imagine a team wanting to take him.
And I know Lance brought up Malik Willis. It's like,

(43:32):
there's no way that Malik Willis would have even though
he got pushed up in by the mock drafters, if
Anthony Richardson was in that last draft, I still think
he would have been the first He would have been
the first one taken there. They were very different prospects
to me, and so to be off the charts this athletic.
He still might be the third quarterback in this draft
behind Bryce Young and c J. Stroud, But it's just

(43:54):
hard for me to think that he's gonna slip past
the top ten and so he's gonna be a big story.
You never know, he might he might sneak in front
of one of those two quess He is a huge, huge,
huge gamble for obvious reasons. That you guys just brought
up and you know Lance who knows this stuff, and
he said, you know, he's a He cited him. He's
the first name that Lance said, Like, he's gonna come

(44:14):
out of this and people are going to be in
love because he's so athletic. But then the people that
are that are connecting him to Josh Allen, Josh Allen's
a unicorn. Like it's very rare to see a guy
be a scattershot, big athletic passer with accuracy issues, clean
that up and become a plus actor. He wasn't accurate
on Saturday, by the way, either. He missed throws on
the field. Like if if you draft him, you have

(44:36):
to prepare for like two potentially very different outcomes here.
And he I think he referred to himself as a
Lamar Newton when people are asking Richardson to comp himself
favorite player, right, he used to be ten years ago
when we were doing this, people would say, Michael Vick.
Now when that hyper athletic, it's a Cam Newton type
of Lamar type. Yes, Grave I think he actually said
he was Cam Jackson Jackson. He was fascinating with Newton

(45:00):
because Lamar it's a named pops, I would have went
lamar nude. But there is to your point about I mean,
wearing wind up is all over the map because only
two quarterbacks, Christian Hackenburg and Trace McSorley were selected in
the draft with lower completion percentage than him at at
the college level. Trey Lance also, but you know he
that was because of a Corona altered season. But I

(45:21):
guess you're hoping, oh, what happened to Josh Allen with
his completion percentage, with his accuracy over a couple of seasons,
you duplicate with this, But Josh, because they're the similar size,
and that's an outlier that you can do that with
a quarterback. You're going to improve, no doubt. But like
that also came with a Bills team that was blessed
with Brian Dable working with Josh Allen. Like, the team
that takes them better have the right guys around to

(45:43):
develop them quickly, because you're gonna want to. No fan
base is gonna sit there in a losing situation with
this player on the bench. See it seems like um
like a guy will talk about plenty. I feel like CJ.
Sprit Stroud's gotten weirdly lost than this shuffle here and
then d Jay saying that's one of the best just
throwing performances he's ever seen at the Combine. And you

(46:04):
watch him and he's like just like deadly accurate, and
that reminds me a little bit of Baker Mayfield. But
I don't think, you know, in a good way and
in a bad way that like Baker, who is incredibly accurate.
But I think CJ. Stroud definitely has a better reputation
for the way he can see the field and manage
the game. It's funny to see like quarterbacks come out
now and like they're facing criticism that he didn't run enough,

(46:25):
and like we'll see he didn't really run there at
the Combine either, but he had some moments in the
in the National semifinals. But like just the way he
spins it, I mean, I think you would feel really
good if he ends up, if your team gets him,
and it doesn't feel like it's a total lock that
we know who's gonna go one and two. We kind
of know that the Bears are trading this pick. At
this point, Pulse has essentially said Fields is our guy

(46:49):
all but said that, and that we're likely to trade
the pick, and who knows. It sounds like some teams
will like Stroud better than Bryce Young, who measured in
at five ten, because strouds just like a little more typical.
And yeah, he's not, like, I don't know, like one
of the great quarterback prospects of the last five years.
But he's a guy who I think would probably go

(47:10):
in the top five every year. It's not like he's
a weird prospect that's getting pushed up. He was, by
the way, Bryson was barely five ten. Yeah, now that's
something Lance kind of tamped that down a little bit.
He's like they could structure all that and help him
with those things, but that is not He can like
process on the field like Patrick Mahomes in chaos and

(47:31):
that he's probably tougher to catch than Kyler Murray. So
you know, he's armed with gifts that can you know,
fend off some of the size concern. But I think
durability will always be an issue. It's gonna be a
fun draft unless that trade comes really early, because I
just gotta think that who goes one is going to
depend on who makes that trade. Like Trayvon Walker went one,

(47:52):
I think he only went one because the Jaguars picked first.
If anyone else was picking first, Trayvon Walker wouldn't have
gone first. But but I think that's going to be
the case here where different teams have different quarterbacks. For
I think you could have four quarterbacks in the first
five choice for selections if you have the right people
trading up. This isn't twenty twenty hindsight, but that always
felt so strange last year, the way that whole top
of the draft played out with Walker being the number

(48:15):
one pick. Do you agree with me on that? Justin
though even you know in the moment it was like, Okay,
you're so sure about this guy, But that's part of
the process. Hej did have your Voice Sauce number two
overall on his board, and I think he had Hutchinson one,
and either of those picks looked like they would have
been a better idea. Um, all right, how about a loser?

(48:36):
Oh loser? I thought you gave a winner. I thought
Stroud kind of showed out a little combines more about
the winners. But that that's fair. Who do I want
to go with? Lozard? You got a loser? There's a
clear there's one very clear loser. Andrew Vorhees the USC
guard or towards ACL Like, that's about the worst possible
scenario at all. I think the only thing I'd kind

(48:59):
of like watching the whiteouts. Um, it's kind of a
small group of wide receivers where, unless you're wide receivers
in general were losers, but Jordan Addison would have been
the one that stood out as as a loser you
wanted if you wanted one. I think Quinn Johnson, if anything,
can say I'm a different, like looking wide receiver than
the rest of these guys. He's like six four, but
it's it's a it's a weird group, which I think

(49:20):
also sort of makes guys like Odell Beckham a winner
in free agency if you can't rely on the drafts
in past years to completely change your passing game. So
Addison is a smaller receiver. DJ's got him one, but
a lot of other people might have him four or five.
It doesn't seem like it's a great receiver class compared

(49:42):
to the last few years. They might get pushed up.
But Addison didn't run the forty fast and then he
didn't finish his work out just because I mean and
you gotta be. I do worry. I know, like like
wait's not as big a deal as it used to be.
But Devanta Smith is like strong as hell and fast
as hell. So if you're one hundred and seventy four
pounds and you're not like super fast, Uh, that worries me.

(50:05):
I think Jackson Smith and Jigba had a great day though.
His three cone was like insane just the way he
moves on the field. Uh, he looks like one of
those like amans Row Saint Brown type of guys are
just gonna get open no matter where you put him,
So he might be one. He looked the part and
a lot of people's wide receiver list. How about another winner, Mark? Uh,
let's see, I will Mark Mark Mark Mark. I will

(50:28):
go with my dude, Um, Lucas van Ness, because I
think there was is he just is he just a
hot bot? It's like he I thought he did really
well and I think he's someone that's going to continue
to climb because it's like he had a seven point
zero two three cone, a excellent ten yards split short shuttle. Um,
he looks just amazing. I mean it's the kind of

(50:48):
thing that you're all these guys. Yeah, I mean for
his position, I think he's up there. Yep. I mean
there's a kind of thing where it's like, if I'm
a fan of a team, if he's on, he's immediately
my favorite defensive player. Yeah. I think he's just so
like strong looking. He reminds me of like a little
bit of like a poor man's clowney coming out Nolan Smith.

(51:10):
Maybe he goes maybe he goes high, like how high though?
Top fifteen? Who knows? How about Llijah Canty? I just
like saying that name. You're a defensive tackle that can
run a forty that fast. All the cornerbacks it felt
like we're super fast and the wide receivers were slow.
It's so it's a I looked at it and I'm

(51:30):
not I'm just like kind of diving in. And so
it's interesting to see what positions are good in this
class and which ones aren't. It seems like a great
cornerback class if you need one, A bad safety class,
a really bad linebacker class. Maybe not a good uh
class for offensive line. Maybe it's like an average offensive
lineman class. But yeah, wide receivers. I feel like this

(51:53):
is gonna be the first year where they don't get
pushed up. Like if there was a Garrett Wilson in
this class, like he might be going top five because
he would just stay out so much, whereas last year
there was so many good reasons. Nolan Smith, the edge
rusher out of Georgia, ran a faster forty times four
point three nine than everything, where Like they showed him
running against DeAndre Hopkins and Stefan Diggs and this is
an edge rusher running faster than that. Now you've got

(52:14):
like these guys on defense that are faster than wide receivers.
Christian Gonzalez might be the number one cornerback and you
mentioned it just like looking the part, and I'm I'm
no like scout, but Christian Gonzales just like when he's
in those drills and his numbers like were amazing, and
he might be a top ten pick, he might be
a top five pick. Who knows, he might be the
top cornerback. He just he just looks like kind of

(52:37):
like Sauce just looked like a real great cornerback right
off the jump. He's not at that level of like
a prospect. But it will be mentioned a roughly fifteen
thousand times between now and then that his sister is
Mark's newsletter subject as wife from Hard Knocks that David

(53:00):
Blau's wife who was on that Olympics team is Christen Gondalas' sister.
What a family, and I think this could be an
extension in a real bump for the newsletter good Good
Blood lines. Did you guys mention that Nold Smith ran
the same forty times justin Jefferson, Well, not exactly, but
faster than I mean stuff thought that is outrageous. That

(53:21):
doesn't seem right. I do like some some zave flowers.
He's nice. How about tu Lane as a winner? That'll
be my last? Okay, go ahead. Dorian Williams, an off
ball linebacker, might be the number one week side guy
in this class. It might not be a he had
a monster workout and then people people are finally catching
up to Taje Spears two lanes running back who's gonna,
you know, really live up to the legacy of Maulde

(53:44):
Moore and Matt Forte. Just the way he moves. He
really is the type of running back that I would love,
regardless of he went to two lane. It's probably more
of like a second round pick, maybe the third or
fourth running back. But he had an he just looks
you know who we gotta check back in with. It's
been a couple of years. Bob Batestide. Yes, my father
in law, Baylor Booster and m He came on the

(54:05):
show a few years back to hype up Denzel Mims.
That was a tough one. That was a bad beat. Um.
Although Mims is still under contract with the Jets, he
hasn't made a big impact. Let's see what's going on.
He's got some big twelve takes and some Bears takes.
I'm gonna check in with him. I think it's it's
the right time to do that. Absolutely, it's Straft season,
baby jack pot baby um anything else? Boys, what did

(54:29):
you think of Will Levis? I know you mentioned him.
I thought he looked very good with his shirt, his
shirts sleeveless. He's totally confident in his own ability. He's
buff as my boys like to use that term a lot.
He showed accuracy, which was a major issue. Now do it?
Does that mean much to me? Like you're throwing in
an empty stadium to guys, running alone doesn't mean a

(54:52):
ton to me. Were we're told it's not supposed to
mean anything too, so right, I just assume I do.
I still do wonder why more and more teams aren't
sending their staff to the Combine, Like, as a football fan,
what am I to take of this weekend? It's a
bit of a lot of Ravil Magnifi call to me
on that front. So I struggle with the Combine every year. Yeah,

(55:13):
in terms of it's just for me, like a good
place to start even just learning about players, even if
the Combine itself is And then you mentioned Andrew Avore's
blown out his acl and that's o us Wanya Morris
blown out his hamstring, And it's just like you already
got all the game tape, you already got the pro day,
you know, for these guys. But I will say this,
I will end all that who cares. I will end

(55:36):
it with a positive note about our colleagues here at
the NFL Network does an awesome job with the Combine
because it could be a very dry watch because it
is highly repetitive. But I really do love how they
take all the past prospects who became stars and impact players,
and now especially in the HD four K era, like

(55:58):
you have all this footage from the last ten years
even where you could splice in this stuff and it
all looks so good. They really do almost gamify it
a little bit. So shout out to UK and Q
and everybody their teams for making an event that I
don't have a ton of interest in. Like when I
do tune in, I'm like, oh, this is cool. I
like seeing Aaron Donald racing against so and so, Like

(56:20):
this is this is like thirty hours of live television
is not any easy. Rich Eyes and Daniel Jeremi do
an awesome job. It's good to hear kind of the
DJ download and it like of just all the information
he's built up, and it just makes me think, like,
why not start a podcast about the draft? Jeremiah? It
just seems like some bigger and bigger every year. At

(56:40):
a certain point it goes you could say the bosses
should be coming up with this idea, but DJ, there's
there's an asset here make something in yourself. I mean,
you just think DJ, who I thought was a visionary
on some level, would show some vision on that on
that front. All right, I do like that. Darnel Washington,
by the way, he's like six foot seven tight end
for George it's a very good tight end class. Interesting

(57:02):
the way he was blocking the tight end prospects in
this stretch. I loved like the comparisons for him because
you think tall tight end like they're usually a little
stiff like they was kind of compared to Marcedes Lewis,
and Marcedes Lewis was a high pick coming out, so
maybe he tested well too. But Darnel Washington was moving
around like a man that big should not be moving around.
And yeah, there could be three or four tight ends

(57:23):
taken in the first round or the first thirty five picks,
and yeah, JDJ think it's the best tight end class. Yeah,
you know years round one tight end too hit like
truly hit, but like who really has hit? The last
guy Hawkinson, I'd say was he was. I think Hakinson

(57:43):
was fantastic class it was he was. Yeah, I think
I think Hawkinson was like a solid single to left,
if not a if you with a big stretch, maybe
he returns the three rounded first big turn. Really he
was probably about what you would want for a top
ten pick. But you want a little you're hoping for

(58:05):
a little more. You're hoping you go back to you know, O. J.
Howard Um. He was a chemist, Noah Fan I would
I would be a little bit buyer beware um in
the first round just because of the history of the position.
But um, but you're hearing a lot of big hype
about some of these tight ends, right Mayor who didn't
like run like crazy as kind of the Jason Witten type.

(58:27):
Maybe a first round guy Kincaide who DJ has in
the top ten or twelve picks overall, now Washington, maybe
Luke Musgrave is up like it's a lot of good options.
Can you remind me, mister gravedigger, we're gonna try to
get Jeremiah on the show. Maybe we could pitch the
idea of a draft related podcast. Um. I want to
talk to him about the tight ends and why maybe

(58:49):
it doesn't always translate and why he thinks these guys could.
And that's that's good. Little yeah. Another reminder, the Ravens
drafted Hayden Hurst in the first round another same year
they took Lamar. They took Hayden Her before they took
that's amazing. We do through the left side of the infield. Yes,
we have some breaking news, not even a big round news. Yes,

(59:09):
Mark out of Jacksonville, Calvin Ridley has been reinstated by
the NFL. I thought it was one of the quietly
great trades of last offseason. More like big balloping news.
But what what was your breaking news the other week
that like, you're don't use your Greg as the bar
your grandparent like repainted is deprecating on the breaking news. Ah,
my grandparents are dead, so it's well, that would be

(59:30):
breaking news, would be news. We knew that was happening.
But it's good to know that Jacksonville Jaguars are going
to have many weapons with a you know, a really
ascendant young quarterback good sitch, good sitch, classic good sitch.
We need, you know, we need, we'd uh breaking news
to bust out of the slump. We need like Aaron

(59:51):
Rodgers to happen in the middle of the show. It
needs its dignity. Back to breaking news drop, we would
ruin ruin that great Derek Carr and we can't have
you ever been that hot in Las Vegas? Not that hot?
It's probably why I'm going somewhere else. I like Derek Carr.
It would have been cool he was on the Jets.

(01:00:12):
But good luck to mister Carr in the Saints. All Right,
we will be back on Wednesday. Of course, we are
on call for any big news. Uh really, what is
the biggest Lamar or Rogers? Now right, that's what we're
on call for, unless there's something else that we don't
see coming, which happens in sports breaking newsworthy. You mean something, Yeah,

(01:00:36):
if Daniel Jones and the Giants come to terms before
the franchise tag deadline Wednesday. No, that's no, that's earth shaking,
but no, probably not. Otherwise you'll hear us on Wednesday.
Do we want to check in with the League of
thirty two in a certain type of way looking ahead
to next week? And what is next week, Greggy, the

(01:00:58):
start of free agency? Boom boom, the new league year,
free agency. It's all happening. Thank you to everybody until Wednesday,
or perhaps before those are signing off for the Old
Boss and Quiet Storm and Great Digger. Till Wednesday hear

(01:01:19):
the call.