Quarterback Island Season 2!

Gregg Rosenthal is joined by Jourdan Rodrigue and Steve Wyche for the return of Quarterback Island! In the debut episode of season two, the crew decides the twelve players starting the new season on Quarterback Island. Things start with the players who can be automatically eliminated (03:10) and given (05:55) a spot on the Island. After the automatics, discussions on whether or not there is a spot on the Island for Jared Goff (09:50), Jalen Hurts (13:20), Dak Prescott (16:55), Drake Maye (21:30), Jayden Daniels (31:20), Bo Nix (34:00), Geno Smith (37:55), Baker Mayfield (39:30), Justin Herbert (41:50), Matthew Stafford (44:10), Jordan Love (47:00), C.J Stroud (51:20), and Brock Purdy (55:15). All leading up to the final spot (58:35) and complete starting cast of Quarterback Island Season 2!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Twelve of the NFL's finest quarterbacks have left the comfort
of their stadiums and luxury suites for the adventure.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Of a lifetime.

Speaker 1 (00:10):
These brit iron heroes are used to leading their teams
on the field, but can they outplay, outlast, and outthrow
each other in the ultimate survival challenge?

Speaker 3 (00:19):
You ain't everything you have in the gobae tie you man.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
We find a way to win the No matter what,
the stakes are high and the competition is fierce, only
one can claim the title of the ultimate survivor. Who
will rise to the top and who will be sacked?

Speaker 3 (00:33):
They wrote me off, I ain't right back though, that's
the problem.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
Al right back, Let's go. This is Quarterback of Island.

Speaker 4 (00:41):
Welcome to Quarterback Island. Here we are in the Chris
Westling podcast studio where it's always island time, and we
have just been on a break.

Speaker 3 (00:50):
It is great to be back on the island.

Speaker 4 (00:53):
Yes, with the two people who have been here throughout,
Steve Weis and Jordan Rodge, who also has a co
executive producer credit for Quarterback Island. One of your favorite
days of the year. Jordan, I ask you, what is
Quarterback Island? How would you define how to get on
to Quarterback Island.

Speaker 5 (01:13):
Quarterback Island is a place and an idea. It is
categorizing in a non ranked and non listical way of
the players who define what a playing quarterback is.

Speaker 3 (01:29):
She doesn't even know. I mean even the confusing.

Speaker 2 (01:33):
There's a one winner that was like so strategic. I'm
kind of like, hey, right now, whatever the number we choose,
it's where of the twelve best quarterbacks?

Speaker 3 (01:41):
Okay, that's your definite.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
It's why the twelve best quarterback with certain circumstances.

Speaker 5 (01:45):
I love how Greg says it's confusing. I literally went
back and listened to our first episode last year of
Quarterback Island, and I almost forbad him use the exact
description that Greg co opted into defining what quarterback. Gregg's
response to me, Oh, it's confusing.

Speaker 4 (02:04):
I mean twelve twelve men will finish this episode on quarterback.
To be clear, if you listen to last year's Quarterback Island,
we did kick a few members off, made it smaller
by the end. It ended with ten. But this is
a brand new season. We're starting from scratch. We're not
kicking anyone off per se, or we're putting twelve guys.

Speaker 3 (02:26):
This is on there. It's a level set five guys. Actually,
we went and checked.

Speaker 4 (02:30):
We've now got history stayed on the island throughout all
of last season and five. I suspect those five will
be back again this season. And yeah, we all have
our different definitions and we're gonna talk about that during
the show. To me, it's like who defines the quarterback position?

Speaker 6 (02:46):
It's literally what I said.

Speaker 4 (02:49):
I mean, you kind of were going you were Hemmon
and Hein and Steve was with me. It wasn't it
was some extra verbiage in there, Joe, Yeah, it was. Oh,
I will say this next time. We have to get
Mahomes this new haircut. Yes, yes, the picture, yes, and
he's on it. You can check this show out on YouTube.
As always, I think it's safe to say that Patrick
Mahomes is going to be on it. So let's just
get right to it. There's thirty two starting quarterbacks in

(03:11):
the NFL. Although we don't know who is starting for
the New Orleans Saints, we did find out who is
starting in Week one for the Indianapolis Cold So I
thought one way to just speed through the top of
this show is let's talk about the guys who just
aren't on this island. Let's eliminate them and I will

(03:32):
read these ten names, and if you guys disagree at
the end of it, we could have a longer conversation.
I do want to talk about the Colts who named
Daniel Jones their starter on Tuesday, but.

Speaker 3 (03:44):
Here are ten guys.

Speaker 4 (03:46):
I think we don't need to really go too long
about Joe Flacco with the Cleveland Browns, whoever wins the
Saints starting quarterback job, the Giants, Russell Wilson, you know,
great career Jackson are very interesting. I don't think they're
on quarterback island right now. I mentioned Daniel Jones. That's
for right there. Last year we didn't put any rookies

(04:07):
on quarterback island going into the year. I don't think
cam Ward is going to make an exception to this role.
Justin the fields with the Jets, you know, excited to
see him play, not on quarterback on JJ McCarthy barely
played any football at this point, basically true for Michael
Pennox to not a huge body of work for Michael Pennix.
And then the last of these ten that I don't

(04:29):
even think Merrit's discussion because of how he played last year.

Speaker 3 (04:32):
Would be Aaron Rodgers.

Speaker 4 (04:34):
I think he's pretty far from this list right now,
do you guys disagree with any of those ten? And
if you were choosing someone from these ten, if you
do agree, that would make it onto the Quarterback Island
at some point this year. I'm just curious, like, pick
pick one of these ten that actually made the leap
onto the island at some point.

Speaker 5 (04:54):
Yeah, well, I agree with them. First of all, I
think that these merit, thank you. I don't think that
these merit for their discussion about being off the island
for sure. If somebody is going to ascend to the
island at the next time we do this, I would
say Mike Pennix has a pretty good shot.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
I would be either Penix or JJ McCarthy. Interesting, Yeah,
I mean Penix's gonna put up some numbers this year.

Speaker 4 (05:14):
When I thought of like the big picture of it all,
trying to answer my own questions, I am obviously an
Aaron Rodgers hater and not believing that he's gonna play
well this year. But if I take that bias away,
he is playing for a pretty great organization.

Speaker 3 (05:30):
He is one of the all time greats.

Speaker 4 (05:32):
He will be in the mix of you know, the
primetime games and everything. I think he has a shot here,
like to prove us all wrong and to become at
the center of the quarterback discussion again if I had
to choose one of these guys. But all right, we've
eliminated ten right.

Speaker 3 (05:49):
Off the top.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
That was fast.

Speaker 3 (05:51):
You're gone.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
That's good.

Speaker 4 (05:53):
Next up, I mentioned five guys stayed on the island
for all of last season. Four of them have kind
of separated themselves to me in the quarterback discussions as
the big four right now. That's Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson,
Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow. I'm I'm all ears to

(06:13):
any hot takes or anything you guys want to say
about these gentlemen in general, but it seems obvious they
are going to be part of Quarterback Island. They increase
the property there, you know, the rent, Like just having
these guys there is good for the island.

Speaker 5 (06:29):
Yeah, I don't disagree with any of these. These are
established islanders. These are guys who you think about when
you think about ay, not just the best quarterbacks in
the league right now, but also the people who collectively
define the quarterback position as it stands. Right now in
twenty twenty four, twenty twenty five. I also think it's
also fair to say that I've got one eye on.

(06:50):
I know, Greg, you've been on this too, got one
eye on. Pat Mahomes needs to play a little bit better.
I think that you know, it's still inside top ten
numbers for collectively if you look at his advanced metrics
and some of his more simple stats, still ninth and
EPA per dropbacks, still ninth in touchdowns twenty six touchdowns,
eleven interceptions, but actually a sub one hundred passer rating

(07:12):
at ninety three and a half.

Speaker 6 (07:13):
It's not a perfect.

Speaker 5 (07:14):
Stat obviously, but Pat Mahomes I think could as send
a little bit higher this year. Some of the people
they've built around him in terms of his offensive line.
You just really want to see him back in that
completely defined status of being the best quarterback in the
NFL statistically by reputation.

Speaker 4 (07:34):
Biba, the eyes give me a little sizzle, Patrick wants
to me. Quarterback on is much more of a feeling
of like how they make you feel, how center they
are and are they passing the eye test? And he
does to make the top four, can he get back
to the old Mahome.

Speaker 2 (07:48):
He is to me, he's one of the two, one,
two or three guys you could put on any team
in any system, under any head coach, under any weather conditions,
and he's going to make your team better. You're going
to add wins a significant.

Speaker 3 (08:03):
These four are the four. I think these threo four.

Speaker 2 (08:05):
I think these four?

Speaker 4 (08:07):
Who's the guy you're leaving out there? Because I was
going to ask you, guys, if you were picking one
of these fours and not be on the island healthy
at some point this year, like which one would you pick?
Because the history of the NFL would say that they're
not that consistent, and yet the all time grades kind
of are these guys?

Speaker 3 (08:22):
These guys?

Speaker 4 (08:23):
So I thought it was an unfair question because I
couldn't answer it either.

Speaker 5 (08:26):
Thank you for having that conversation with yourself in your
own head and talking yourself out there.

Speaker 3 (08:32):
That's literally what NFL Daily is all about.

Speaker 2 (08:34):
I will say this though, the way you went about
this is exactly how I do. I'm like, Okay, who
are the guys who are definitely on there? And right now?
So you knocked off ten and I twenty two, okay.

Speaker 4 (08:44):
And now we put on four. So they're on the
island four, right, so.

Speaker 2 (08:47):
You put on four. So I was like, okay, I
got to eighteen. Then who are who are the guys
who are definitely going on?

Speaker 4 (08:54):
And okay, so we have eighteen remaining starting quarterbacks in
the NFL.

Speaker 6 (08:59):
Oh everyone, we're getting into the math now.

Speaker 3 (09:01):
It should be easy. Oh boy, we we have eight spots.

Speaker 4 (09:04):
And what I wanted to do here, you know, eighteen guys,
eight spots, is that we go around the room and
we bring up quarterbacks for discussion and we will vote
either yes, no, or table at the end of each
one of those three. And it doesn't you don't have
to bring up a guy that you think should be on,
although you can if you want to go strong and

(09:25):
say I think this person should be on, We'll go
through these players. If you want to bring up someone
you think shouldn't be on just to kind of start
eliminating some people, that's fine too. And looking at the
final ten members of last year, and if you're curious,
it was the four that we mentioned and it was
Jade and Daniels, Jared Goff, Justin Herbert, Sam Darnold Baker, Mayfield,
Gino Smith. This happened we did the final QB Island

(09:47):
really before the playoffs happened right at the beginning of
the playoffs. Only one of those guys stayed on the
island the entire season from beginning to end. So I'm
just gonna start the process and nominate and say I
do support Jared Goff just staying on the island because
at this point, and yeah, if you're watching, we have

(10:09):
some placards. Steve Weis is holding up a yes, yes,
Jordan Rodriguez holding up a yes question, and it's just
kind of amazing that he's stamped himself.

Speaker 3 (10:18):
As like this guy that is in that.

Speaker 4 (10:23):
Area of courtback. I'm not saying he's the fifth best.
This is where I disagree with you, Steve. I don't
see this as like who is just the best, But
if you're talking about who is defining the position and
who is playing at a consistently high level, it ask to.

Speaker 2 (10:34):
Be Jared, I would agree. And I think he's to
the point now where even though Ben Johnson has left
and everyone said Ben Johnson is the guy who got
him going, I think Jered Goff is someone on autopilot
now in terms of he can dictate, he can read things, better.
He's got tremendous talent around him. You know, you've got
that offensive line, the receivers, the running backs. Again, I
think unless he's just an absolute disaster, which I just

(10:57):
don't see, I think he's a veteran quarterback now who
can step right in and keep this sting roll. Yeah.

Speaker 5 (11:02):
I don't worry as much about the changeover of the
coordinators that they're going to be going through in Detroit.
And that's partially because A, we know Dan Campbell can
identify talent at coach and B because Jared Goff's actually
doing more at the line of stridage now than he
ever used to do. And I think what really defines
where Jared Goff is right now for me in terms

(11:23):
of what this team building process has been over the
years with Detroit, he is a fixed point in the
math equation where you know, when you're going to draft
and scout talent, when you're going to bring in young talent,
when you're going to bring in free agents, you.

Speaker 6 (11:37):
Know exactly what the quarterback.

Speaker 5 (11:39):
Will give you to amplify and sort of magnify what
those players are and how they fit.

Speaker 6 (11:44):
As the rest of the pieces of the equation of
your offense.

Speaker 5 (11:46):
He is a fixed point on the map of them,
and I think that is it's outstanding first of all
for their offense, but as much change as happens, when
you have that at quarterback, you're going to be okay.

Speaker 4 (11:57):
And look, he's not above a clunker. He started off
last season slow. That playoff game turned on some Jared
Goff mistake, Yes, but I agree that the guys we
started with are the ones that you can put in
any situation and they would just elevate. And that's just
next level. That's the Hall of Fame type of players.
But the longer we do this, it's like, you got

(12:20):
to give Jared Goff the same grace I used to
think about when people would talk about Brady or Belichick
or this or you know, it's like Montana and Walston.
You can't divorce them. That's football. Like the system and
the quarterback, they work together. And this is the system
that Jared Goff is in, and this is the era
of football that he is very well built for and
found the right coaches and he's just as consistent as

(12:40):
that haircut of Jared Goff. So all right, we have
five guys on quarterbacks Island I'm just saying.

Speaker 3 (12:46):
It's like the same every year. It looks great.

Speaker 4 (12:50):
He was really good on Quarterback. By the way, I
haven't made it all the way Oh my gosh, it's
the best one. Okay, so I haven't made it all
the way through. But he has spent weirdly more time
on our televisions than almost reality, any reality television start.
If you go back all the way to like how
many Hard Knocks he's been on and All or Nothing
an NFL film, it's like it's a lot of Jared Goffa.

Speaker 5 (13:12):
He's come a long way from being the guy who
doesn't know which direction the sun rises or since great.

Speaker 4 (13:18):
Let's have you bring up someone to that you want on,
that you don't want on, just to discuss.

Speaker 5 (13:22):
I would, first of all, I want this guy on
the island. Second of all, I would like to right
a wrong that we ended the season on last year.
I think Jalen Hurts belongs on island. I'm also sort
of channeling Colleen Wolf a little bit too. She's traveling,
so she's not here.

Speaker 3 (13:36):
He's on an actual island.

Speaker 5 (13:40):
It is only right, true and fair that Super Bowl
winner my quarterback for many reasons, Jalen Hurts is on
quarterback Island, and I think the vibes just are awesome
with Jalen Hurts on quarterback Island.

Speaker 3 (13:54):
Yeah, this is an easy yes for me too.

Speaker 2 (13:56):
Yeah, let's hold a sign easy yes, easy, yes, Okay,
I mean support cast great offensive line. You don't go
by the passing numbers just you know, solely.

Speaker 5 (14:07):
Yeah, but adds such a threaten in many ways and
runs this offense. You can't, like you said, you cannot,
you cannot hold the system against the quarterback.

Speaker 6 (14:14):
Greg you just said it. And I know we're all
in agreement here.

Speaker 5 (14:17):
It's he is perfect for the environment around him and
vice versa.

Speaker 6 (14:21):
It all works.

Speaker 2 (14:22):
And I've changed his coordinators every year and continues to
be solid.

Speaker 4 (14:26):
And obviously they were a great regular season team last year,
but he was not on quarterback Island at the end
of the regular season. We have to know, I mean,
it does matter that you played your absolute best in
the biggest game. And if you're watching the show like
it's easy to forget how many big time throws he
made in huge spots in the NFC Championship Game and

(14:48):
the Super Bowl. There was the fourth and five down
the field where it's still a two point game at
midfield late in the second quarter against Washington, and he
hits that go ball to aj Brown. But some of
the other plays that he made in this game. On
a third long, on one a beautiful touchdown throw throw
where it ends up being a pass interference. It goes
through DeVonta Smith's hands, DeVante Smith's hands. But he had

(15:09):
so many different plays. And then, of course you remember
in the Super Bowl it wasn't just the big time
touchdown up the middle of the field.

Speaker 3 (15:16):
It was some great third and long.

Speaker 4 (15:17):
So it matters a little that you play your best
in the biggest of spots Dale.

Speaker 6 (15:21):
Hurt and he's and he's throwing it.

Speaker 5 (15:23):
You mentioned it a couple times in sort of the
breakdown of these plays that we're watching on screen right now.
Third and long, third and long, third and long, and
he's going outside the numbers. He's making extremely precise, difficult throws.
He's showing that he's got all of the tools that
you could possibly want or need in a quarterback. It's
just not the way that their offense needed to be sometimes.

Speaker 4 (15:41):
To the course, he struggled though, too. Chris Mabona, who's
doing the graphics in the back. Yeah, kind of nagged him,
noting that he was the Super Bowl MVP but ranked
twenty third by PFF grade in twenty twenty four. I mean,
but yeah, by the week to week consistency in the
passing game, they need to get better.

Speaker 3 (15:58):
But he got there in the end last fine.

Speaker 2 (16:00):
I mean, my own thing is they're a team that
when you get to a certain part of the field
once third down is two down territory. Yeah, right, they're
they're pushing it. They're they're they're going for it. He
plays under a different metric than other quarterbacks because of
the way they call their plays, because of those situations
on third down. It doesn't most teams on third and

(16:20):
five are throwing it. Outside of Detroit, they're going to
run the Eagles and the Lions are likely to run it.
It's not it is not they they go automatic to
third and fourth down just because of the way they're built.

Speaker 4 (16:34):
It's a great point because like that that interference on
DeVante Smithy pointed out this great pass uh that sets
him up on the goal line.

Speaker 3 (16:43):
What happens next.

Speaker 4 (16:43):
Touchbush, He's just he's just a He's a red zone
for one more so Jalen Hurts is on the island,
congratulated on slight slight apology, uh for last year. But
you know, circumstances, we got six guys on. We now
sixteen remaining. Drop the first controversy in here. Yeah, you
could go to a guy that you said don't want.
You could do a guy. I'm going with a.

Speaker 2 (17:04):
Guy I want. But it's more of a projection. Oh,
Dak Prescott. Okay, Okay, And here's why I say they
got him wide receiver, right, You got George Pickens to
go with Ceedee Lamb. You got him up. The offensive
line is going to be a little bit better when
we don't talk about the Cowboys right now, we're talking
about Jerry Jones and Michael Parsons. We're not talking about
the Cowboys right That's usually when they play better at

(17:27):
shoddy And I'm talking to coaches who have coached with him,
who have coached against him. The level of respect he
has among his peers is significantly greater than the uninformed
public has of Brian Schottenheimer. They think he is the
perfect type of temperament in everything to lead this offense
and this team. I think Dak Prescott, he may not

(17:48):
make the initial list, but he will spend a majority
of the time on the island doing his thing with
those wide receivers.

Speaker 5 (17:57):
So I'm so glad you brought him up because he
plays into a massive question I asked myself when I
was going over kind of who I was going to
argue for and who I was gonna sort of sit
back on at least for now. And I ask myself
this question, who do I trust right now to not
just be on quarterback island, but you know, at the position,
with the entire collective of the offense. Who do I

(18:19):
trust right now? Or who do I not quite trust yet?
For various reasons. Unfortunately for me, Dak was someone who
I don't quite trust yet heading into this season. Specifically,
not because he has a poor body of work. I
think that he is if you're thinking about running an
offense and doing all of the little intricacies that you
need to do to manipulate coverages and make the throws

(18:40):
that you need to make, and he can move a
little bit all those things he's got, But I don't
quite trust him quite yet because, first of all, the
body of work last season is incomplete.

Speaker 2 (18:49):
Because the other Hammy yeah.

Speaker 5 (18:50):
But then also like a gnarly hammy by the way,
like the bone situation. And then but also because I
have yet to see that they are going to give
him a game which he will't need, right, and I
have yet to actually see this offense together work in
a as a collective, you know, in a real game
that matters.

Speaker 3 (19:11):
It sounds like a no or a table tat table.

Speaker 2 (19:14):
I mean, I have no problem to it, because I
think this is worthy of a discussion.

Speaker 4 (19:17):
Yeah, I have a problem with it. I'm voting him
on the island. If you're saying yes, I'm saying yes.
That's majority to me. Dak Prescott deserves to be there.
When you ultimately look at this list, I am voting yes.

Speaker 3 (19:29):
And here's why. It's kind of my argument against.

Speaker 4 (19:32):
Eli Manning taking astray for the Hall of Fame. Tell
me the point of Dak Prescott's career when he's played football.
And I know it's not all about rankings, but when
I when I looked at this list and the question marks,
tell me the point of his career when he was
playing football and he wasn't a top ten quarterback.

Speaker 3 (19:47):
He's just that dude.

Speaker 4 (19:49):
And he's worked in a bunch of different ideas of
what that offense can be.

Speaker 5 (19:52):
Yes, I am looking at it contextually through the lens
of twenty twenty five specifically.

Speaker 3 (19:57):
Sure, I feel great about him, I really do.

Speaker 5 (20:00):
I want I want him on the island. I want it,
and I think that it's going to happen. It's just
I had the table it because for me, it was
an incomplete.

Speaker 3 (20:08):
You had no choice how we voted him on it.

Speaker 6 (20:10):
I'm just explaining person.

Speaker 3 (20:13):
Three person panel. It's a little different dynamic.

Speaker 2 (20:15):
It's all right, here's why we had it. This is
the first Dak Prescott conversation that's been had this summer,
but we do it daily show Step.

Speaker 5 (20:25):
I know those people are having the Dak person got
conversation offers.

Speaker 2 (20:29):
I mean, I mean, I know that, But I'm just saying,
like when you watch NFL Network, when you watch ESPN,
they're talking about Micah, they're talking about Jared. Yeah, they're
not talking about Dak in this offense.

Speaker 3 (20:41):
Totally fair.

Speaker 5 (20:42):
And you know what I'll say is, when you think
about the situation that they've put themselves in with Micah,
you your next thought logically is, oh, thank god they
still have Dak. You know, thank God, they have someone
stabilizing the organization in that way.

Speaker 3 (20:57):
To me, he is He's getting a fifty million dollars right.

Speaker 4 (21:00):
He doesn't elevate like those first four guys, but I
think he has proven in any with any sort of
surroundings that he is elevating in general. And yeah, can
I be convinced by one day of practice that I
happened to watch at Cowboys camp and just him him
looking at trim and go and throwing bombs down the field.
I mean, he throws a beautiful football and he's one
of the smartest quarterbacks in the league yet targets. I

(21:23):
just feel good about this. So he is the seventh
man on quarterback Island.

Speaker 3 (21:28):
I'm that a lot of yes is so good with it,
good with it.

Speaker 4 (21:32):
And just because I like to mix it up a little,
I'm actually going to bring up a guy that I
don't think is going to make it. I'm gonna bring
up Drake May I love that conversation.

Speaker 6 (21:44):
You are going to bring up Drake May?

Speaker 4 (21:46):
What? And I'll say right out, when I ultimately did
this list, I thought it was too much of a
projection to put him on. So I'm voting no on
on Drake May. I think he has to show it.
I think it's starting not from scratch because he had
experience in the NFL. But it's a little like Trevor
Lawrence throwing out that year with Urban Meyer obviously went better,

(22:08):
I think for Drake May in his rookie season. But
it is a new system that's complicated. I think there's
major offensive line questions. I think he can overcome all
of that, but I think putting him on as a projection,
I don't think he showed enough to give him that
much leeway, that much grace when there's all these other
quarterbacks that we will get to that to me have
enough of a body of work to say, like, all right,

(22:29):
you got to earn it. Bro So, I even though
I'm a big believer in Drake May, I am voting
no on Drake May.

Speaker 5 (22:35):
I'm voting no on Drake May mostly for the reasons Egan.

Speaker 6 (22:40):
You're saying, how are I?

Speaker 2 (22:41):
I was good? I was going to table Drake May
to other conversations, but the nose have it.

Speaker 5 (22:46):
Yeah, and Greg I will push back on you just
a little bit, though. I actually think I don't think
this system will be too complicated, Like I think when
I was out at Viking's Patriots, the way that they
had to adjust the pressures that Brian Flores was, we're tough,
and we're really You weren't going to run the full
version or be able to run the full version of
your offense regardless against that group. But the way that

(23:09):
he and Josh McDaniels sort of navigated that together and
totally switched to being patient like a dink and dunk
more offense and really being patient and waiting for the
rotations to fail or for coverage breaks because.

Speaker 6 (23:22):
They knew that they would come.

Speaker 5 (23:24):
If you know, when you're that defense, you're trying to
communicate so much, something would happen to give them their opportunity.
I really saw two people who seem like they're clicking
so far love that I.

Speaker 3 (23:36):
Just want to see where he's at.

Speaker 4 (23:38):
To me, he's almost like a complicated just he's almost
like a rookie in the sense that I'm really curious
what he's going to look like in week ten, week twelve.
I'm not as worried about if it's not it's a
little rocket, it's not gonna take that long. It's look
Drake may I cover.

Speaker 2 (23:54):
I was I had the misfortune and the good fortune
of covering in person a couple of Patriots games last year.
He is he's got it right, Like you talk about
a guy who's he's not besides a talent, Like he's
got the tough stuff, he's got the moxie, right, he's
got He's the type of dude when Josh Mitanniel starts
eyeballing him and gritting on him, he could look right
back and be like, yeah, let's go, let's figure this out.

(24:15):
You know we can. We can if it takes an argument,
we can figure this out. Like he's not going to
with him. He's not that guy to put up what
he had to go through last year with that terrible
offensive line. They had ten million guys doing it, no
real threats at skill position, and to perform the way
he performed that says a lot. But he's more than
a tough guy. I just think he's got some stuff
to him. And once they get him more target let's

(24:37):
see when Stefon Diggs comes back. That offensive line already
is better. We've seen Trayvon Henderson ad some electricity to
that offense. If they have not had, he might.

Speaker 3 (24:46):
Be the one it should be better. Am I am?

Speaker 4 (24:49):
I a little anxious about the constant reports in Patriots
camp that the offensive line gets worse by the day
that he's getting sacked seven or eight times by you,
both the Patriots the Vikings.

Speaker 3 (25:00):
Yes, I'm a.

Speaker 4 (25:00):
Little vis vis even at Patriots practice, like their offensive
line throughout has some issues. So we put seven guys on. Okay,
he's not Yeah, he's a he's may Drake May is
a no right now, and I'm doing the math in
my head. It's a it's a little difficult, but I

(25:21):
believe we have five spots remaining, and I believe we
have fourteen guys who are eligible.

Speaker 5 (25:30):
A couple o slam dunks for our listeners. Greg just
went across it.

Speaker 3 (25:34):
Really it really hurts.

Speaker 4 (25:35):
We are going to take a quick break and we
are going to find out who are the original members
of season two. Quarterback Back on Quarterback Island. Music's like

(25:57):
a little it's a little more ominous than it should be.

Speaker 5 (26:00):
Fun.

Speaker 4 (26:01):
I feel like we should be outside taking a little
break right now.

Speaker 2 (26:04):
We're bringing up the trauma.

Speaker 6 (26:06):
I feel a mixture of dread and fun.

Speaker 4 (26:08):
Okay, the trauma, you know, before we get back to
the eliminating these men from what could be the greatest
moments of their entire career.

Speaker 3 (26:17):
A couple things.

Speaker 4 (26:18):
Number One, I forgot to list Kayleb Williams is one
of the obvious ten guys that I wasn't going to
put on this list, like he's just got to prove
it in the same way we talked about Joe Greed.
So he's eliminated. I meant I said ten people would
be eliminated. I forgot to mention Caleb Williams. He could,
he could get there. Maybe he'd be the guy that
lifts from that list. And then I did want to
just get your thoughts a little bit on Daniel Jones
winning this job, something we predicted here, by the way

(26:40):
on NFL Daily, you know, listening to the Shane Steiken
of it all, when he says.

Speaker 6 (26:45):
He means, I yeah, great, well Cregan predict.

Speaker 3 (26:48):
The third person, Nick was there. Nick was there. He
gets a little credit.

Speaker 4 (26:53):
The reason I wanted to bring it up now is
Shane Steiken said this will not be a short least,
that Daniel Jones will be the starter for the entire season.
My vibe from everything going on in Indianapolis was the coaching
staff had lost confidence Anthony Richardson last season and that

(27:15):
this now looking at it in hindsight, was always weighted
towards Daniel Jones winning because the reality is from everyone
that's been there and the preseason games, there wasn't a
lot to separate him. They were kind of predictably good
and bad where you would expect them to be. But
I thought it was interesting, said Anthony Richardson is not
getting this job back. They asked him if he had
a future in Indianapolis and Shane Stike and said, that's

(27:38):
hard to say. You know, he's going to be our backup.
He'll have to go in there. If Daniel Jones gets hurt.
Makes me wonder if they would ever trade him.

Speaker 2 (27:45):
I would think now he is available, Like if you
want him, you can have him.

Speaker 3 (27:50):
That's what I thought.

Speaker 4 (27:51):
I did reach out and he gave me permission to
say this on the show. Ian Rappaport threw some cold
water on that privately now publicly to me, that was
just his opinion. He thought ultimately, like they're trying to
win games and they need a backup quarterback, and even
if you know all the reasons we said, they're out
on it. Anthony Richardson is true, they need a backup
quarterback and did they know that they have to win

(28:14):
games this year?

Speaker 3 (28:14):
They just think Daniel Jones the guy to do it.

Speaker 5 (28:16):
I am so glad that you brought that up from
Ian because to me, that puts off all the alarm
bells in the world in my head of like, okay,
who would be the one that would have to actually
say yes on a trade of Anthony Richardson. Chris Ballard,
who was the person talking to my colleague at the
Athletic Zach Kiefer, being so adamant that they were going

(28:38):
to have all the patients in the world with Anthony
Richardson coming into this season and Zach has a good
BS meter and in a very believable convincing way said
these things. Chris Ballard, who is the one standing up
there at the lectern right now casting doubt on the
future of the player that they previously drafted with the

(29:01):
highest pick that they had, Shane Steichen, who is the
one who is going out there and picking the guy
who is going to run his offense, who he thinks
can run his offense the way he specifically wants to
and potentially a make or break year for his own job.
Shane Stikeen, My red flag's going off here. All this
to say, I think there's a split forming.

Speaker 2 (29:21):
Does it seem like it's great? Does it?

Speaker 4 (29:23):
We've seen it before, Steve. You've seen it a million
times in the NFL when things get really hot and
coach are on, you know, the firing.

Speaker 6 (29:31):
Blox actually ominous music, right, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (29:34):
And look it's let's just also keep this real. When
they drafted Anthony Richardson, who came out and said he's
going to start right away, Jim Mersey, so you know,
mister Rose no longer is with us. So there's a
different dynamic in that building as well in terms of
who's who's got complete power. Let's not forget that. And
I'm with you. I think they lost confidence as soon

(29:55):
as Anthony Richardson tapped out last year, talking about it.
If I'm his teammate, I I can't roll with that.
If you got a dude saying I'm tapped out and
I'm an offensive lineman, get my elbows wrenched and everything
to try to protect you and your tapping out because
you're tired. I don't know if I could rock with
you now. He played better when he came back from
the benching last year, but coming in. This is why

(30:17):
I'm saying, if a team were out there said, you know,
we can rescue Dan, rescue Anthey.

Speaker 4 (30:21):
I think I thought so too, but Ian he had
to said no.

Speaker 2 (30:25):
But I mean, look, this is a coach and Shane
Stiken who won seven games at Gardner Minshew.

Speaker 6 (30:29):
That's what I'm saying.

Speaker 5 (30:30):
I'm saying I don't doubt at all that Shane Stiken
would trade him in a second. I think Ballard would
be the one saying no, got to make this work.

Speaker 2 (30:38):
I think if they could find and there's going to
be quarterbacks available when when these cuts come down, one
might be Kenny Pickett.

Speaker 4 (30:44):
If you can trade Trent Richardson for a first round pick,
if you can change trade Josh Rosen for a second
round pick, I mean you can maybe get a conditional
fourth to third for anthy Richardson. I was gonna say, like, well,
maybe there's no one in the league.

Speaker 6 (31:00):
You know, there's a I can fix him.

Speaker 4 (31:02):
There's always that I can raise, Right, I was gonna say,
there's no one foolish enough to like give up a
late second for like what like the like the like
Chris Greer and and Ownership did in Miami back then.
I was like, oh wait, they're still there in Miami,
so who knows. I guess we'll see how All right,
let's get back to it. I just want to hit
that because that's something we've talked about all off season.

Speaker 3 (31:21):
Let's go Jordan.

Speaker 2 (31:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (31:22):
I had a gut feeling this would be a pretty
automatic yes from both.

Speaker 6 (31:26):
Of you guys.

Speaker 5 (31:26):
Really excited to see what he does in year two.
But I'm going yes on Jayden.

Speaker 2 (31:29):
David slam Donk.

Speaker 3 (31:30):
Yeah, I kind of forgot you would have maybe been
the fifth guy.

Speaker 4 (31:34):
On for me.

Speaker 2 (31:34):
Yeah, we're all that's a that's a slam dunk for me.

Speaker 5 (31:37):
We're all holding up our yes signs. And I want
to say too. First of all, so excited to see
what he does with continuity at the offensive coordinator spot
in Cliff Kingsbury. We talked to Jared Goff how later
in your career that doesn't always matter as much having
that continuity. When you are as young as Jaden Daniels is,
it can matter to have that same play caller who's

(31:58):
there with you, developing that rapport and everything. I was
up at commander's camp recently. Everything I saw there, the
vibes are immaculate in terms of the love and respect
that he commands and has from his teammates, the camaraderie
that they have with each other, despite a vast age
difference between a lot of those flavors on the roster,

(32:18):
and it's going to be exciting. They're still going to be,
you know, helping him out a lot too, with some
of the things that Cliff and Anthony Lynn do in
the run game and some of the tight end personnel
usage that they use. It's going to be I think
an exciting and progressing year still for the Commanders.

Speaker 2 (32:32):
Last year, this time, they were figuring out if he
was better in the pistol shotgun or under center. Now
they know he functions mainly better under you know, off
off the ball, whether it's pistol shotgun. But they've got
different pieces around him, right, they know what he can do.
But now you've got a new left tackle. Right, you've
got a different type of wide receiver and Dee Bulls
Samuel Terry McCluin. That deal is going to get done
at some point. Yeah, they're changing running backs, right. Brian

(32:55):
Robinson clearly is out of the picture. Now they're moving
things in a little different direction offensively where they're going
to open things up a little bit more. He's not
going to be their leading rusher like he was last year. Defensively,
they're going to be better, you see, getting Trey Amos
at the corner to go with Marshall ladam or who's healthy.
They're gonna get a few more possessions per game, you know.
And defensively one thing you know, speaking to Dan Quinn

(33:15):
and Joe Witt about last year on first down they
got tagged. They were in second and fourths and stuff
all the time, where teams are just rolling down the field.
So now they built a defensive front that's to stand
up on first down.

Speaker 6 (33:27):
Johnny Newton getting some pop correct.

Speaker 2 (33:29):
Yeah, So now they can get guys in second and
eight and they could turn some stuff loose, so they
could possibly feel they can get a couple extras, at
least one extra possession of game.

Speaker 4 (33:37):
Bady mentioned Brian Robinson Yeat. He didn't play in the
preseason game on Monday night, and the reporting indicates that
he might no longer be with that team. Chris Rodriguez
was playing it our guy, Bill Bill, Corey Kraskamier in there.
All right, let's move on because we got a thirteen
guys still to talk about for four spots. And yeah,
it's never bad by the way, to just see Janianil's
doing things, scoring a touchdown in preseason, just just to

(33:59):
get back excited.

Speaker 3 (34:00):
But we have eight guys on the island. Jayden Daniels
is on the end.

Speaker 2 (34:02):
I'm gonna throw an another bomb in here. I'm gonna
go controversy again because I'm the stand up for this guy,
Bo Knicks. I know, you know I love bon Knicks.

Speaker 3 (34:09):
It's a tough one. I'm right on the border.

Speaker 2 (34:12):
I know he's on the border because there's some other players.
We've got the Staffords who got the Herberts and guys
who have to get to and have a conversation about
whether we table or not. We I think we need to
have a conversation about bo Nicks because we saw him
get better and better in Sean Payton's offense. They got
him more weapons this year, including a Kamara type running
back in the draft. Offensive line is very good. The
defense might end up being the best defense in the NFL.

Speaker 4 (34:35):
That's all stuff that's not in bow Knicks though, But
so that that's the question, is that the quarterback.

Speaker 2 (34:40):
You could sit there and say that, But what bo
Knicks did for them last year one he showed besides
the athleticism, he's tough as hell. They won games because
of bo Knicks. He made plays to win them ball
games in his rookie year playing for Sean Payton. Sean Payton,
one thing we've seen about him is he always had
vetteran quarterbacks. He did with a young guy. Now he's
got a guy in his pocket, so we can we

(35:01):
can do all this. And maybe he doesn't make the
first iteration of the island. But I think he's. I
think he's.

Speaker 3 (35:08):
I think he I think he might. I think he might.

Speaker 4 (35:10):
And I think this might be something where Broncos fans
be careful what you wish for.

Speaker 2 (35:13):
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (35:14):
Not everyone can handle the heat that comes with quarterback island.
Broncos fans have been asking, oh, give us our respect,
give us all this hype, and okay, you're you're building
up the hype Sean pay and saying you're a super
Bowl CHAMPI maybe you get it all.

Speaker 3 (35:25):
We'll see if he can handle it.

Speaker 4 (35:27):
I want to table him for now because he's very intriguing.
Does he define the quarterback position right now? It's like
right on the border suade me watching him.

Speaker 5 (35:35):
Look, I think he we knew he was an old
prospect coming out, so like this is not an old
quarterback joke, but like he's beyond his years to me
at the position and some of these second year guys.
I mean he played you know, it was Jade and
Daniels and then Bonnicks at the end of last season.
By the end of it, and it was a steady
progression by Bonnicks. We did say at the top of

(35:57):
the show that we are not going to hold uh
system around the quarterback against the quarterback. We're going to
define the quarterback by what the quarterback is able to
do and how the system and the quarterback sometimes fit
each other perfectly. Well, we're not going to hold that
against the quarterback. It's a mutualistic, beneficial partnership between the two.
So I think, like for me, everything's great around him.

(36:17):
They've again similar to Jared, they've found the defining quantity
in the math equation for their offense who helps make
everything go and in reverse, that offense helps make him
better too.

Speaker 4 (36:28):
It's just him versus the other guys that are table, But.

Speaker 2 (36:33):
I think he's worth that discussion. I am a Boonix fan,
you and I.

Speaker 5 (36:37):
Will say Steve argued for Bonix last year too, so
don't I remembered the Lord.

Speaker 4 (36:43):
Okay Knicks's table. We still have four spots left. I'm
I'm trying to think if I want to eliminate.

Speaker 3 (36:48):
Guys or put him on. Eliminated, eliminated a couple, all right.

Speaker 4 (36:51):
The two guys at the bottom of my remaining quarterback
lists that I just think are worth mentioning our Trevor
Lawrence and Bryce Young. There's we've talked a lot about
Trevor Lawrence. We hit him on the top ten offense
this show with JP Acosta. That's the last one in
your feed. There's reason to believe it could get better
this year. So far, the body of work hasn't been there.
Bryce Young loved how he finished last season. To me,

(37:14):
it's not enough longevity at a high enough level to
really merit serious consideration. But guys that are kind of
on our watch list, I vote no on both Bryce
and I'm with you, Trevor Lawrence.

Speaker 5 (37:25):
I vote no on Bryce Young and Trevor Lawrence, both
of these guys. You guys, remember I said, these are
the big question. I asked myself, who do I not
trust yet for various reasons.

Speaker 6 (37:34):
Trevor Lawrence.

Speaker 5 (37:35):
Still I feel like I've been honking about this year
over year at this point, still don't necessarily know whether
he will take the next step, hopeful that he will
believe it's possible. And Bryce Young hopeful that it's possible.
But still haven't you seen enough enough data yet?

Speaker 2 (37:51):
Yeah? Okay, can we add some more takeaways discussion?

Speaker 3 (37:55):
Do whatever you want. It's your world, your boy. You're
the real Island guy here, your.

Speaker 2 (38:00):
Boy quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders. You know who
I think is going to be fantastic. I just want
to look at the other numbers and I look at
his targets.

Speaker 5 (38:11):
Did you guys notice how we were like the family
at Thanksgiving where it's like we already know the topic
that's gonna come up at some point that.

Speaker 6 (38:18):
We're going to fight about.

Speaker 3 (38:19):
We're just not going to bring up the Middle East Rosenho.

Speaker 2 (38:23):
But at the same time, I'm gonna go with my
boy too to be excluded.

Speaker 3 (38:28):
So you're already saying you're you're out on.

Speaker 2 (38:30):
Gino and and Tua cannot make the initial list.

Speaker 5 (38:33):
Wow, that doesn't seem to be categorized the same to me.

Speaker 2 (38:38):
I mean, I'm just saying, like two is my guy.

Speaker 6 (38:40):
Yeah, yeah, that's true. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (38:42):
So I just they seem like they got a little
bit more stuff going on in Miami than most teams
in the NFL.

Speaker 4 (38:48):
I hear that. It's really tricky because I think Tua
has been slighted your guy so much now that he's
almost underrated when it when it comes to playing the
quarterback position, and this is this is also he knows
how to do like him and Gino both through it
at a very high level at best. I feel like
there are tables for me though. I agree that it

(39:10):
seems like you're on the outside looking in. But I
kind of want to hear the arguments for the other guys.
But if you guys want to vote them off it, no,
let's look at it.

Speaker 2 (39:21):
Don't feel because there are some there's a trap, there's
some land. There's some land mines right here, right, let's
get it. You want to get to the land mines.

Speaker 6 (39:30):
Okay, Baker Mayfield, let's talk.

Speaker 2 (39:32):
He is a slam dunk.

Speaker 3 (39:33):
I actually don't that Mayfield, it's you.

Speaker 5 (39:38):
I am yes on Baker Man, Yes on Baker Mayfield.

Speaker 4 (39:42):
Yeah, I think here's where my personal rankings and Jordan.
Jordan told me there was some internet chatter I stay
away from all that about last week we did a
QB tears with Sando that I was somehow giving away
my QB island thoughts while talking quarterbacks with them. No
QB islands diff. Here's one way it's different to me.
Baker Mayfield clearly is one of the men defining the

(40:06):
position right now, even if I was not starting my
franchise with him personally in this year, and maybe I
should be compared to some of these guys. He clearly
the body of work where the bucks are at, what
he's done.

Speaker 5 (40:18):
Absolutely, I think I'm just traumatized, Steve, because all year
last year, I feel like I fought Greg viciously about
Baker Mayfield and advocating for Baker to be on the island.
But you know, actually a couple of weeks ago Greg
said congrats to Baker Mayfield on moving past you know
a certain level in his esteem, and so I, well,
it was that was.

Speaker 3 (40:38):
On I can fix him.

Speaker 4 (40:39):
I said, he's no longer eligible, so still I can
fix him, which we do.

Speaker 3 (40:43):
He's been fixed, he's.

Speaker 6 (40:44):
Still kind of sent him astray, you know, in a
little here's.

Speaker 2 (40:47):
The pendulum swung. Okay two years ago about Dave Canal's
got the best out of Baker Mayfield. Last year, Liam
Cohen got Baker Mayfield to his greatest year.

Speaker 6 (40:56):
King Maker.

Speaker 2 (40:57):
Baker Mayfield's the king Maker. He's got two dudes coaching job.

Speaker 3 (41:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (41:01):
Now he's got King Grizzard over there. And I think
that this is going to be fun to watch. I
know that they're dealing with some even more injuries at
the receiver position right now with Jalen McMillan.

Speaker 6 (41:10):
But that team is so well built.

Speaker 5 (41:13):
When all systems are go mid season and on, this
team's going to start rolling. I mean, it's going to
be it's going to be fun to watch the Bucks again.
And Baker Mayfield is one of the most fun.

Speaker 2 (41:22):
And they've got a culture. When we talk about teams
with culture, we do not talk about them. They've got
They step on the field knowing they're going to win.
And I'm telling you a Mecca Buka could be the
offensive rookie of the year.

Speaker 4 (41:32):
I love that, love all of it. And Baker is
the ninth guy onto the island. I'm doing the math here.
If you guys are watching this, I'm like counting. My
brain is hurt. And we have not mentioned the NFC
West quarterbacks at all. That's what I want to wait
to do that. So nine guys are on, Three guys
have been tabled to uh Nixon Gino for now. To me,

(41:53):
there's only one guy left that I would stand on
a tiny table, I would stand on a large table.
And I just feel like is a pretty safe pick
for quarterback Island to start. And then it gets really Harry,
And that's justin Herbert. Now we are kind of in
the Herbert season of like show me like I feel
like everyone there's a lot of Herbert fatigue out there,

(42:15):
and and I do.

Speaker 2 (42:17):
Get that playoff game.

Speaker 3 (42:19):
It's like, what has he really done? What what he
has done?

Speaker 4 (42:22):
Kind of like Dak, maybe not quite as consistent as
I think provide a real advantage on a play to
play game to game basis. Overall that to me, he
still deserves And maybe it's towards the back of this
quarterback Island right now where he used to be a
little higher up. But to me, he does deserve to
be on voting.

Speaker 2 (42:40):
I'm a justin Herbert guy.

Speaker 3 (42:41):
Okay, case he's on, I'm voting yes.

Speaker 5 (42:46):
And I also want to point out last year he
didn't make it on the first iteration of Quarterback Island
because he was injured, so he was disqualified.

Speaker 2 (42:52):
Your rule, that was a rule you made on the fly.

Speaker 5 (42:54):
Yeah, well no, it was a rule we came in
with certain other people.

Speaker 3 (42:57):
There was a lot of rules on the fly.

Speaker 4 (42:58):
Yes, if you'res and your your fans of the infamous
rip chord riptide. Nobody even knows the name, what is it?

Speaker 6 (43:08):
It was the riptide, but ripcord got more pop.

Speaker 3 (43:10):
It makes more sense because it's like a chord pulling
you off.

Speaker 2 (43:13):
We want to stay with riptide.

Speaker 4 (43:15):
If we can't use that on this show, that's in
a future show each one of us and Colleen is
included too. She's gonna usually be on Quarterback Island, but
like I said, she's on the beach right now. You
can use the ripcord to what Jordan.

Speaker 5 (43:28):
To without a vote, to immediately yank somebody off the island,
which which then leads to you presenting your candidate that
still has to be voted on.

Speaker 6 (43:39):
The reason why.

Speaker 5 (43:40):
This was a big controversy last year with Quarterback Island
is because Greg used the rip chord, which was at
that point called the riptide and the change the it's good,
it's a better name, Greg, and then he put he
used it not to take someone off.

Speaker 6 (43:54):
He used it to put someone vote. We have no vote.

Speaker 4 (44:00):
Is so confusing that no one there even knows the
difference between the rules. It's it's you know, you got
to be questioning. So I'm right now, you kind of
are okay. You mentioned injuries, then let's get into it.
I will throw at Stafford because he's one of the
most difficult.

Speaker 3 (44:19):
Discussions right now.

Speaker 4 (44:20):
Now Rumors and I know you're tied in to the RAMS,
but this is not from Jordan rod Rieg.

Speaker 3 (44:26):
I talk to people too.

Speaker 4 (44:28):
There are rumors that Stafford got win that we're taping
Quarterback Island this week, and he says, and he says,
get me out there, Sean, Let me out there, Sean.

Speaker 3 (44:39):
I need to get let me out of the immortal chamber.

Speaker 4 (44:42):
I got to get out there and at least show
that I could be ready for week one and get
on because you guys might remember we were about to
yank him off at one point last season, and then
he like showed up in some primetime game right before
the vote, and he was awesome and he stuck himself up.
So it means a lot to Stafford. It means a
lot to Stafford. I don't know what to think. He
was on mine, like I wanted to see what you
guys said.

Speaker 5 (45:03):
In all fairness, and yes I am the Matthew Stafford
person on this show.

Speaker 6 (45:08):
I get that.

Speaker 5 (45:09):
But he actually falls into the same exact category of
the big question. I asked myself, can I trust this
guy right now? The answer for me was no, because
he has not been on the field.

Speaker 3 (45:20):
For Herbert last year. You met a full like the
injury wise.

Speaker 5 (45:24):
No, no, no, I've been talking about it all show, Greg.

Speaker 6 (45:28):
Greg Grace is doing math in his head. He's not listening.

Speaker 5 (45:31):
Is the group of players who I was on the
fence about, and I asked myself this question, do I
trust them to run to run this team to be available?
Some of it was injury related, some of it was
just inconsistencies or in complete record in complete.

Speaker 6 (45:45):
Bodies of data last year. Right now?

Speaker 5 (45:47):
For me, do I trust Matthew Stafford right now to
open up the island. No, because if he plays like
how he finished last season, great, but he wasn't dealing
with an aggravated day last season. And even though he's
back on the field, so I wouldn't disqualify him for
an injury because he is back on the field practicing.

Speaker 6 (46:07):
I just I don't trust it yet.

Speaker 5 (46:08):
And it's only been two days and the season starts
in two and a half three weeks.

Speaker 2 (46:12):
That's why I think again, I'm willing the table Stafford.
I think he opens Week one, but my thing with
him is getting through eighteen getting through eighteen weeks.

Speaker 6 (46:23):
That's the trust.

Speaker 4 (46:25):
Like that because I was I was thinking about it
because I'm easily swayed by the latest thing I've heard
and Sean McVay saying on Tuesday he looked better even
than he looked that money.

Speaker 3 (46:33):
I'm like, okay, all right, we're feeling better about this.

Speaker 2 (46:36):
I think I think Stafford's gonna be fine in the
open the season.

Speaker 4 (46:39):
It's just wants that wear and tear, okay, And we
do want guys it's important for guys on the island.

Speaker 3 (46:43):
We don't want injured guys on the Island's.

Speaker 5 (46:45):
And that's why he was a no for me. Not okay,
that's because I couldn't trust.

Speaker 2 (46:51):
No no, just because I'm a Stafford dude.

Speaker 4 (46:54):
But okay, so he's off first first, mild surprise, at
least to me. I was actually thinking he might get on.
So we have two spots left, by the way, Okay,
And we haven't talked to NFC West much.

Speaker 2 (47:04):
We haven't talked NC West, but I want to. I
want to depart from there because there's there's another quarterback
who I just I'm not settled on yet, and that's
Jordan Love. Like he's a guy who's just so talented.
We saw him last year. He did it, but he
just I right now, he's got the thumb thing. He's
you know, I think he's gonna be fine.

Speaker 4 (47:25):
Okay, he's practicing, and I'm not considering that that's it's
it's not and it's.

Speaker 2 (47:30):
It's not the injury thing. And I think they've they've
got some players who look really the rookie wide receiver
looks like the freaking dude there. But I look at
the other guys that are left, and I'm kind of like,
I like Jordan Love in his circumstance more than I
like a lot of these other guys.

Speaker 4 (47:51):
Interesting circumstance, you know. And but do you like the
quarterback on it? I talk about trust like I like him,
But man, you're not exactly sure where you're gonna.

Speaker 6 (48:00):
That's exactly why I put him in my large trust bucket.

Speaker 2 (48:03):
Are we going to vote on Jordan Love? Are we
just going to table him?

Speaker 3 (48:07):
I want a table, Okay, So we're going to table Okay.

Speaker 4 (48:09):
I actually think there's two guys that aren't that close
to making it to the island. I know you're gonna
go for me. They are both in the NFC West.
I'm with you, like like I was saying, there's two
spots left on Quarterback Island, but we still have some
more guys to talk about. It's Kyler and it's Sam
Darnald and Sam Donald. One of the biggest upsets, one

(48:31):
of the greatest achievements of his entire career. He finished
Season one of Quarterback Island on the ad as he
should have never would have guessed it. Now, how's he?

Speaker 6 (48:39):
And then the playoffs happen?

Speaker 4 (48:40):
Yeah, then the playoffs happened. Has he proven a year
after year he's in a different system. Does he help
define the position right now? Both him and Kyler Murray
are both intriguing. I think they could get there in
the end. It's hard for me to pick those two guys,
even over the ones that we've tabled so far.

Speaker 2 (48:59):
There's a way I can put them in there. Mean, Kylie,
we just don't know. He's a fun player to watch,
but he's he's been in this league for a little while, yep,
and we're still kind of asking what exactly is he Yeah,
he's early in his career. He elevated them. Has he
been able to do it? Is it his fault? Is it?
You know? You just don't know. And Sam Darnold, I'm
not even judging last year. I'm just looking at the

(49:22):
circumstance this year. He's got one proven receiver in Jackson
Smith and Jigba well Cooper Cup. But again, how long
is Cooper going to be on the field. Okay, they're
going to run the football. This is going to be
a different team than he played last year with Justin
Jefferson and Jordan Natterson and TJ. Howkinson. So I think
he's got the potential to get on but starting that's

(49:43):
a news.

Speaker 5 (49:43):
Yeah, I put both of those guys in my guys
I don't trust yet for various reasons, Bucket and in
the bucket.

Speaker 6 (49:49):
Not they are in the bucket. They're in the.

Speaker 5 (49:52):
Guys I don't trust, don't trust, but for various they
don't trust Bucket and so along with the staffords, along
with even CJ. Stratt, I have in there. Along with
I said I had Dak in there earlier. Those guys
all are in the same. Okay, with Sam Darnold, it's okay.
I think they're going to run the ball really well
this year. I do think that can they pass protect? Still,

(50:12):
that's still my question for them. With this offensive line
there showed a lot of promise so far in the preseason,
but I have questions about that. I have questions about
the sustainability overall, week over week over week deep into
the season. After the Kubiak offense sputtered out New Orleans
last year, I have questions.

Speaker 2 (50:29):
A whole lot more sputted out than just the offense.

Speaker 5 (50:31):
I have questions about Kyler for all of these, for
all of these reasons that Steve mentioned. So yeah, I
don't necessarily trust those guys yet, So I'm not putting
them on.

Speaker 3 (50:42):
Really, I'm really excited to see both of them this year.

Speaker 2 (50:45):
I think Seattle is going to be a really good team.
I think they're going to so much put I think
they're going to end up being really good. We just
don't know.

Speaker 4 (50:51):
When you look at Arnold can take his career to
a totally different level, become a guy that's going to
be a starting quarterback for a long time, you'll do
it again. And then Kyler this is really his last Chancelloon.
So it's a nose all around for Kyler and Sat Darnold.
We've we've been relatively efficient. Like I mentioned, two spots

(51:11):
are remaining.

Speaker 6 (51:12):
Always we've got we've tabled.

Speaker 4 (51:14):
We've tabled four guysix, Gino, Love and Tua and there's
only two players we have not discussed.

Speaker 3 (51:19):
You just mentioned one of them. It's CJ. Stroud. Yeah,
so uh's.

Speaker 2 (51:25):
For me.

Speaker 4 (51:25):
He was the hardest one for me and me to
I'll say, like, what is this list exactly?

Speaker 3 (51:32):
Because you know CJ.

Speaker 4 (51:36):
Stroud was the guy who illuminated that question more than anyone.
Because to me, do I believe that he plays football
at a level that deserves to be on this list?

Speaker 2 (51:49):
Yes? I do.

Speaker 3 (51:51):
If I was starting my team. Yes, I do do.

Speaker 4 (51:52):
I think he kind of defines a position in a
way that just like, yeah, like I I think he's
got he's got it for, he's got a lot of pop,
he's got it for lack of a better word. But
he's coming off a pretty rough season, and am I
only basing it off one rookie year? Him versus Nicks
to me is an interesting question, Like they both statistically
had two of the better rookie seasons that we've seen.

(52:15):
Stroud was another level. Yeah, frankly, but they both were
really good. So like those guys versus each other, Stroud
versus a Love, for instance, like it, I don't have
the answer for me, I.

Speaker 5 (52:26):
Would put Stroud in there over Jordan Love. Not because
I think that either of them lack different potential.

Speaker 6 (52:33):
I don't.

Speaker 5 (52:34):
I'm not trying to use it as sort of a
negative quantification of anybody. I just think that if I'm
building a franchise around a quarterback CJ. Stroud to me
separates a little bit in that conversation. Now I will
say he is also in my guys. I don't trust yet,
just this for this season for various reasons, because of
how catastrophic last year went for him, not just not

(52:57):
really because of what he specifically was doing, but because
of how everything fell apart around him and it got
so bad.

Speaker 6 (53:05):
And I just think that when you.

Speaker 5 (53:07):
Have chaos or tumultuous circumstances around you in the similar
ways Jordan Love kind of has had with his receivers room,
for example, then I think that it's really tough between
those guys, and I have him.

Speaker 6 (53:21):
I couldn't decide on c J. Stroud. I just had
him in this. I've decided trust bucket section.

Speaker 2 (53:26):
I decided because of when I go back and something
something I said about some of the guys you said
earlier and about Jalen Hurts and guys like this, I
think c J. Stroud is a type of quarterback where
you could put him in almost any scheme with any
coach and he's gonna he's gonna be the guy to
lead your team. Right, last year, they did have chaos, right,
They had injuries, like mad offensive line was terrible. Clearly

(53:48):
there was some disconnect between the O C the O
line coaches.

Speaker 6 (53:51):
And then they lost Mixon.

Speaker 2 (53:52):
Yeah, so but that's the thing. Very yes, So I'm
a yes, But like you look at it this year.
They got lost your mix it again. They've got wide
receiver concerns, They've got O line concerns. But I'm going
to say, when I look at the rest of the
guys on here, circumstance and everything on here, I think CJ.

(54:15):
Stroud is still a quarterback who I would say, I
believe a T J.

Speaker 6 (54:19):
Shroud I do too.

Speaker 5 (54:21):
And but I would ask you this because this is
going to be the question we're going to have to
ask here in a second. You might have to be
deciding to put c J. Stroud on over Geno, which
I know based on your GA that you would, but
that's going to be the thing.

Speaker 6 (54:35):
That might come up. And also c J.

Speaker 5 (54:37):
Stroud potentially, depending on how the rest of the debate goes,
potentially over Bonix.

Speaker 2 (54:41):
I would put TJ. Shroud over Bonix right now.

Speaker 6 (54:43):
Then that tells me everything.

Speaker 4 (54:44):
Okay, So to me, Steve is a yes on yeah, yes,
I'm gonna table him right now. Okay, And just and
just see, because we haven't gotten to rock pretty yet,
we have two spots left. We've tabled five guys. I
think let's determine the final two spots of QB island
after the break, will there be backroom dealings?

Speaker 3 (55:09):
Well, it's not recording back on NFL Daily. No one
accepted my bribes.

Speaker 6 (55:23):
Is anyone else sweaty?

Speaker 3 (55:25):
Yes?

Speaker 2 (55:26):
Just like this is tense, man, This is like coming
off on the final episode.

Speaker 4 (55:32):
Why shouldn't Jordan their their morals, their integrity are.

Speaker 3 (55:36):
Pristine, were intact right now?

Speaker 4 (55:38):
Yeah, So we've tabled five guys, by the way, Tua, Jordan, Love,
c J. Stroud, Gino and Nicks. We haven't talked. I
tabled Stroud in part because and I think we're at
the point where we need to just put our cards
on the table. I think Party is the one I
feel the strongest should be on the island of everyone remaining.

(56:01):
And I know I've been on a journey with Perty
and part of the reason is his his season last
year had a lot of c J. Strouds season to it.
I think he proved to me last season that he
can elevate his numbers still top ten and all the
advanced stats and all that sort of stuff. But more
importantly was it was the eye test I think, and

(56:22):
I think his situation was better than CJS for instance,
but his history now that he played well enough to
win a super Bowl, that he played his absolute best
when they absolutely needed it trailing in those playoff games,
and that he is a little longer of a track
record of all these guys remaining, I think he's the
guy that I feel the strongest should be a yes.

(56:43):
So that's why I wanted a table CJ for now,
and I say yes on Brock's it's a yes.

Speaker 3 (56:49):
Oh wow, he got a unanimous this late in the game.

Speaker 5 (56:53):
I have to tell you though, it is it is
a very well documented Like at some point I'm gonna
bribe Eric to make a a super cut of your
journey through because because as a player improves what I
really like about your journey tumultuous at times with brock.

Speaker 6 (57:10):
Perty as it has been.

Speaker 5 (57:12):
As a player improves and shows that he can do
different things, you have also evolved and adjusted your evaluation
of said player.

Speaker 2 (57:21):
Well.

Speaker 4 (57:21):
Also, I might have been like wrong for a lot
of the time too, that I wasn't seen enough of
the things that were there. Of course, I mean it's
happened with a lot of people. With Josh Allen, we
went through it on the other round. Chris Westling was
always in in in on Josh Allen and I was
I was not, and like, ultimately I just didn't see
it right.

Speaker 2 (57:38):
Well, it's like a lot of people with Justin Herbert
like oh to you what? And you know when we
live in La so we get to see a lot
of Justin Herbert and it's like that dude. Put him
on and put him on any other team, put him
on any team for the most he's gonna be pretty
dark good.

Speaker 6 (57:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (57:53):
And to your point, Greig, the the way that he
showcased making a range of different kinds of throws, having
to be the person who lifted the floor of that
offense at times last year with all the injuries that
they waked through though that is, and the fact that
he is clearly one of their so to speak, weight
bearing walls of trying to develop this roster forward this year.

(58:16):
I think all of those things are in his favor.
And yeah, I do think he belongs on the island.

Speaker 4 (58:21):
Well, he was in the original graphic with Josh Allen, CJ.
Mahomes Kyler is in there and Jalen Hurts, so that's
just a little bit of a plus for him.

Speaker 3 (58:29):
So wow, he is on there.

Speaker 2 (58:30):
He's got Christop McCaffrey back this year.

Speaker 4 (58:32):
He is on there, which means there's only one spot
remaining for five players. Now, you essentially said no to
Gino and two way way back in the show, and
we tabled him because I just.

Speaker 3 (58:42):
Wanted to see where we were at at this point.

Speaker 4 (58:45):
I'm not making the fight for either of those guys personally,
and so I will join you on the nose for
Gino too. I think Gino is closer than some of
these other guys, but ultimately I'm not.

Speaker 3 (58:56):
I'm not.

Speaker 4 (58:57):
If it was a little bigger of an island, I
would do it, but I don't think he's defined.

Speaker 2 (59:00):
So we've got Jordan love Stroud, how sad Stafford, I
am sad.

Speaker 3 (59:05):
That's a note. I don't know if you are yes
or no on those two guys.

Speaker 5 (59:07):
I want to I'm gonna on both of them, but
I do want to push back just a little bit because, actually, Greg,
I think that there's a lot of questions about.

Speaker 6 (59:17):
Gino right now moving to a different team.

Speaker 5 (59:19):
Obviously, it's a team that really wanted him badly and
a great fit with the coaching staff there and all
of that, and so, but the questions that have sort
of circulated, as I think they tend to do with
quarterbacks who move into different environments, whether it's a new
regime coming into their old spot or for whatever reason.
But I got to say, watching him and Brock Bauers
and Ashton Janty, I think we're going to be voting

(59:41):
him back on very very soon.

Speaker 2 (59:43):
Good preach.

Speaker 3 (59:44):
I mean that what am I doing here? Take it
to Final Island.

Speaker 5 (59:48):
And this is just a projection, because I'm actually shocked
that Greg went this direction.

Speaker 4 (59:52):
Well, because I look at him versus Stroud and Nick specifically,
and for how I think about the Island for some reason,
I think they deserve it more so he would be
my next guy after those two.

Speaker 2 (01:00:03):
Here's here's where I think he's going to be challenged.
We're going to find out if Gino is really that guy.
He's going to be playing from behind a lot more
than he had to play from behind in Seattle. The
Raiders defense is still going to get gashed, right, They're
still going to get tagged. Playing in that division. He
is going to have to put up shootout some numbers
for them to win ballgains. He wasn't necessarily asked to

(01:00:25):
do that in Seattle because at times he was that
defense was pretty good. We saw Gino when he's having
to play toe to toe or with the lead, he's
very That's why I think he's going to be a
little bit challenged. Like Stroud's got a defense. It's going
to keep them in games, right right, Bonnicks as a defense,
it's going to keep them in games every week, So
they might not have to show themselves as much as Gino.
If I'm using that as the barometer, got to something
we have to see when we come back tough.

Speaker 4 (01:00:46):
Oh yeah, you don't think Geno Nation is watching the
Seahawks suddenly have a cohesive offensive line and running game
and be like, you couldn't have done that. You could
have made it a little more quarterback friendly back.

Speaker 5 (01:00:57):
Then we also don't have like an old guy badass
on the island yet.

Speaker 3 (01:01:02):
Oh that's a good point.

Speaker 5 (01:01:03):
Just to Devil's advocate, it's weird that because I know,
I know you want to.

Speaker 2 (01:01:08):
Get it now is just a Stafford argument.

Speaker 3 (01:01:10):
No, it's weird to think of Gino as I don't
trust it. Old guy? How old is you know? Thirty
four years old?

Speaker 4 (01:01:15):
Now? Wow, okay, it's down to three guys and here's
The thing about Jordan Love. As much as I love
watching him play, I don't feel like there's enough support,
Like maybe maybe it's Steve. But of these three guys,
Nick Stroud and Love, I find Love to be the
harder argument, even though I think he's great and yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:01:39):
What he's health and he's on. I mean, he's he's special.
But again, when we look at these three.

Speaker 4 (01:01:44):
I would have him behind Geno for what it's worth
to Jordan left Love compared to these two guys, I
would chase it.

Speaker 5 (01:01:50):
I'm a no, I'm a no on him, But man,
the highs are so high with that guy.

Speaker 4 (01:01:55):
Looks if I was just drafting quarterbacks like to move forward,
I'd have him above all these guys except for Stroud.

Speaker 5 (01:02:02):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:02:03):
That well, that was what I was saying.

Speaker 5 (01:02:04):
That was that was what caught me mentally. I was
that was so hard because I was really just camping
those two together. I mean, either way, you're in a
great spot as an organization with either one of those guys.

Speaker 6 (01:02:14):
But for me, C. J. Stroud just had the edge
slightly there.

Speaker 4 (01:02:17):
So we're down to Straw and Bonnicks. Right, it can
only be one that's easy, And what is it c J.
Straw Right, I think it's c J. Stroud too, Broncos Nation.
I kind of want it's got time. Bo's got time
to get back in there. We're yes, it's all around
cjtra He is the final member of Quarterback Island twenty
twenty five.

Speaker 3 (01:02:35):
Here you go, at least the first one. You know
you got it.

Speaker 4 (01:02:40):
We got to give Bo Nick something to fight for,
something to be hungry. You can't get at all before
the season even starts. The Broncos fans they want it all.

Speaker 3 (01:02:48):
Oh you're not.

Speaker 4 (01:02:48):
You're not pumping us up enough. Say that they're the
best team that's ever been made.

Speaker 2 (01:02:52):
No, okay, but when we come back were thirteen fourteen,
We come back with five or week six to do
this again. Which one of the guys who didn't get on.

Speaker 4 (01:03:00):
On Well, see, I don't like to think that Liz
Bridge who didn't get out, you're going to say that
is on?

Speaker 3 (01:03:05):
That is most likely you.

Speaker 2 (01:03:06):
Did not get on. Who's going to be the big threat?
Will it be Gino, Will it be Bo Nicks? Will
it be Stafford?

Speaker 4 (01:03:13):
Now Bow Knicks has a lot of organizational support that
I think, and he's going to grow in that system.
And they could be a really great team. Right, Yeah,
that's gonna that's going to help his case. I believe
Jordan loved to be the most.

Speaker 5 (01:03:29):
His ceiling, Jordan loves ceiling is the highest of any
of those guys.

Speaker 4 (01:03:32):
He's the most likely to be in a Hey, nfl
dot COM's listing their their top four MVP candidates after
Week four. Of any of the guys not on the
QB Island list, he's the most likely to be on that.

Speaker 5 (01:03:44):
You think, Yeah, yeah, his ceiling. Like I said, his
ceiling is the highest of anyone remaining. I think there's
a good argument that because I'm thinking about how Sean
McVay offenses have historically gone to start the season when
he does have the health of the quarterback. It could
you know, Stafford could make a case.

Speaker 6 (01:04:00):
Gino I think.

Speaker 5 (01:04:01):
Still will make a case by the time we reconvene.
But if I were going to say who would be
on it if we revoted all things equal, if we've
revoted ten times, Boenix might get the vote five times
out of that tent.

Speaker 2 (01:04:15):
I yeah, I mean, wow, this is a I.

Speaker 4 (01:04:19):
Don't smoke, but I feel like I need a cigarette,
you know. Yeah, it's kind of war that I don't
even really drink much, but I need to drink, you know,
just the whole thing.

Speaker 2 (01:04:27):
Like I said, because Gino, Because I mean, I don't
think the Raiders defense is going to be that great.
But if Gino can come up here and make some
plays to save the day, yeah he got. He's got
to me, he's got more of an opportunity to be
a hero than a lot of these things.

Speaker 4 (01:04:39):
And honestly, among everyone, both him and Darnald have the
most to be angry about, in the sense that, like
we are writing Gino off, will he right back? You know,
Sam Darnold and Gino Smith finished last season on Quarterback Island.

Speaker 6 (01:04:56):
Yeah, whether legal or not, they believe that.

Speaker 4 (01:04:59):
You know, they were an important part in elevating this
franchise to the point where we got picked up for
season two. And this hasn't been publicly discoes, but we
all got huge pay bumps Quarterback.

Speaker 6 (01:05:10):
Island, I got, I got a bad joke.

Speaker 5 (01:05:13):
I have a question for you guys though, Actually, before
we wrap of the guys who for sure are not
on the island, let's say you have to pick one
of those guys to uh build the next season at
least not the long term future.

Speaker 2 (01:05:31):
Jordan Michael Pennick.

Speaker 5 (01:05:32):
Well, I'm saying, like the guys that we voted that
we voted that are not off, not the sort of
like unproven guys yet you know, like I wouldn't say
you could pick JJ. I'm saying between like Flocko Rogers.

Speaker 4 (01:05:43):
Deep Deep we answered that. Yeah, I think it's Rogers
Rogers Deep Deep Cut. Maybe it's because it's what I
fear the most, but ultimately he didn't make not the
most in my life.

Speaker 3 (01:05:56):
That's my mortality. But we've been through that.

Speaker 6 (01:05:59):
A lot of a lot of death talk, a lot
of death talk so far NFL Daily season, these.

Speaker 4 (01:06:03):
Twelve men are breathing life into Quarterback Island. We are
saying goodbye. We will be back in the feed with
forties and free agents next we switched up the order
and later in the week, but more importantly, we'll be
back on Quarterback Island throughout the season.

Speaker 3 (01:06:19):
The quarterly decision of who gets to stay.

Speaker 4 (01:06:23):
And I'm looking forward to the regular season because we've
got more Steve Weisch in the studio now that we're
at the big time, the members of Quarterback Island once again.
Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff,
Jalen Hurts, Jaden Daniels, Dak Prescott, Baker Mayfield, Justin Herbert,

(01:06:45):
rock Purdy, and the last one CJ. Stroud. Don't let
us down. You've been given a huge responsibility.

Speaker 6 (01:06:54):
I think we nailed that.

Speaker 5 (01:07:00):
S