Sounds from the NFL Combine w/Mike Garafolo

A room filled with some heroes - Dan Hanzus, Marc Sessler and Gregg Rosenthal catch up on the news and sounds coming from Indianapolis, the site of the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. To start, the heroes discuss Aaron Rodgers' recent appearance on the Aubrey Marcus Podcast (7:25) and the troubling news about Jalen Carter (21:20). Then, we react to quotes and clips from the podiums at the Indiana Convention Center, starting with Duke Tobin (25:04), followed by Jonathan Gannon (31:47), John Lynch (35:40), Mike McDaniel (40:38), and some 8 o'clock delight (45:50). Then, Mike Garafolo provides boots-on-the-ground reporting from the Combine and talks which teams the various quarterbacks might land with (50:51), including Lamar Jackson, Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers, and Jimmy Garoppolo, as well as the QB prospects in this year's draft class.

Note: timecodes approximate.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Around the NFL podcast is in the best shape
of their lives from the Christling podcast. No, it's around
the NFL Combine week condition on Dan Hans's with Greg Rosens,
Greg Rosenthal and Mark Sessler. You would think how many

(00:23):
times I've said it, never stumble over a word. But
that's like, I mean, or you're you know, you have
a nine point nine nine nine success rate. That's maybe
the first time you flubbed that in you know, seven
times a bad flu It was whereas I pointed out
in the last show, I'm human, you're human too. It's
been proven infallible. A lot of people killing Greg for
that in the UK. It's Rosen tall you know, they

(00:45):
never they did not into hum is that way? Is
that my flub? Maybe I could have stuck with that
and just I'm a human. Wait, a lot of people
are talking about that. I mean, I just you know,
I check in. I check in on Twitter once in
a while, which Greg apparently never reads his his mentions.
But it's like people saying, you have to point out
your human, right, We've got a color issue with your
human you're perceived. Yeah, so that I do think that

(01:07):
you're human. So I don't know why you needed to.
I don't know what you were attempting to. Are you
human or are you dancers? Tell us just like sometimes
the killers just just barely missed the mark. They shoot
for the sun and sometimes veers to the left that
what is I'm I'm a soldier, I'm not a I'm
a I got sold but I'm not a soldier. That

(01:27):
was another one that was like that one. It's a
little time sub Mark's eyes light up though when he
said the best shape of I think Mark you were
was that look to sort of say, like, I am
in the best shape. I don't think I am, but
my my but Greg, my body, my choices. It was
one of these things where you said, no, we aren't
well I speak for where we had talked about that
on the show Greg before, and you had I felt like,

(01:49):
gotten better with it. You'll speaking for the podcast to
be in the best shape of his life, all three
of us would have to be in good shape, all right,
and I am so far are off the best shape
of my life. It eliminates any possibility that that that
the group could be there. I think you're correcting where
you were coming from on that. That was exactly where
I was coming. You could let us us how we

(02:13):
feel about our where we're at, visit your own forms
so great personal I'm not just signing some Yeah, I
think you guys are assuming the physical shape. It could
be like the shape of the podcast itself. True, Is
it in the best shape? It's fine. I'd argue that
there are there. There's a variable levels there as well
in terms of where we are sitting right now at

(02:33):
this moment. There now, there's going to be some long
like subreadt thread is the podcast in danger. Everything's fine.
We're happy to be here. We love being here in
Los Angeles during Combine Week, and we're going to get
into Combine Week because the head coaches the GMS spoke
at their podiums, their risers at the indian Indianapolis Convention Center.

(02:57):
And speaking of which, a couple things out of the
convention center, which we've been to a dozen plus times
at this point. One M Andrew Gruver. Do we know
Andrew Gruver? Of course we do. Yeah. Gruver is somebody
who's worked on the NFL network side, in the newsroom
and remotely for years. He went viral. Wait because he

(03:26):
he's an Alabama guy, by the way, I don't know
if you knew that gruver. He posted a video of
Bryce Young has arrived at the combine, which as of
right now, you know, doing big numbers, over seven hundred
thousand views of the video and a lot of comments
about the slight nature of Bryce Young, who measured in

(03:47):
I believe at five ten and a half. And you're
gonna hear a lot about Bryce Young, a guy who's
a lot of people think could be the number one
pick in this draft. And the record in the non
Drew Brees category for guys that don't have the height
in the league is not good. So that's going to
be a major story. So Bryce Young is the first
guy it's literally non existent, I mean just at that height.

(04:09):
But also if you look at the video, it's not
the heights. The one thing I think a lot of
if you listen to like a lot of personalizes, it's
the weight. They're wondering if you'll even way in the bulk,
if he even cross two hundred pounds, you have to
drink like four gallons of milk. It's a bit of
a Kyler Murray. Look to his build as well. He
seems slights Kyler's got that like strong. I think they're
worrying giant, giant head dude. The helmet. Ye feels like

(04:34):
his profile is very different. Um. And the other thing
I wanted to say about the Combine and that Convention Center,
I've never forgotten. So if I remember it, I'll let
you know. But shout out to Groover Um. Coming up
later today, Mike Garifolo, he's at the Combine and he's
gonna sit down with us and talk about, uh, some
news that he's hearing. We'll get into, you know, some

(04:56):
of the quarterback news around the league obviously remains a
wide open situation, a fluid situation for various big name quarterbacks.
Coming up later this week tomorrow. In fact, we're gonna
have Landzierline, who's in for many years one of the
great analysts of the draft scene with NFL Network, and

(05:16):
we're gonna have him and have him get us up
to speed. So that's good, good coverage. I like it.
And then the on field stuff starts Thursday. They've changed,
they changed around the schedule almost every year now. They've
to optimize ratings and whatnot. And we're going defensive linemen, linebackers, Thursday.
We got the quarterbacks on Saturday, but four days of

(05:37):
on field. Daniel Jeremiah's Super Bowls come in. Thank you Now,
I remember what I wanted to say, Jeremiah said of
Bryce Young with his skill set, if he's your classic
six three two twenty dude, he's talking him up like
Joe Burrow. He's talking them up like Trevor Lawrence. So

(05:58):
that is something that is. Everything else is there, but
the size. We'll get into that with Lands tomorrow. Someone's
gonna fall in love. Absolutely, someone will tuck themselves into it.
It's not going to be a problem, you know who
It was a problem for Baker and Kyler. Right, It's tough.
The lineman in the league keep getting bigger. The defensive
lineman keep getting bigger. It's to have a clean pocket

(06:20):
and not get half your passes knocked down. What's more
frustrating than your team driving or attempting to drive and
one out of every four passes swatted. I mean, I
think that's as a long time Baker follower, that was
a regular baked into a regular part of we're not
even using that part of the field. And I think
that's why, you know, he's the heavy favorite in Vegas
to be the number one overall pick. Is that nothing

(06:42):
about his game sort of spells that out, Like the
game looks more like a Borough type prospect where he's
used in the middle of the field, where he sees
the field like a quarterback that he finds a way somehow.
But you're right, it's it's like unforeseen. Seneca Wallace was
the last quarterback approximately that small that played, uh at
the NFL level. Although like, what's no busting canton for

(07:04):
Seneca wall on one hand, then that's like, what's an
inch between him and Drew Brees? Is that like that
that inch makes all the difference where you have new chance?
I don't know. It wasn't about the height with Drew Brees.
It was between the ears and in odd a guy
from New York. Let's uh get caught up on the news.

(07:25):
You know. I spent parts of a couple of days
imagining what it would be like to retire and then
imagining what it would be like to continue to play.
Here's the thing, and that's Aaron Rodgers on Uh. He
did a podcast with his friend Aubrey Marcus Aubrey Marcus

(07:50):
k Mark in Unison that was unusual. I like it,
and Aaron Rodgers could end up the quarterback of the Jets,
and I would be very excited for a player skill
point of view. But I am just so so exhausted
by having I feel like I'm being held hostage right
now as a football fan, Like there's I know you

(08:13):
guys listen to it, and that's a good job by
you guys. Like an hour and a half conversation with
his buddy and saying things like talking about his darkness
retreat and imagining what it would be like retired and
imagining He's like, holy god, boy, just make a decision.
Let the Packers do what they need to do, and
let's get on with this already. It's it's so self

(08:34):
serving and exhausting is the word that I keep thinking of.
And if a week from now he's a member of
the Jets, I'm going to be thrilled because the idea
of having him pilot that team after the crap that
I've watched the quarterback forever is a beautiful thought, But
all the other stuff that comes with it, it makes

(08:55):
me think, God, if that actually happened, if he goes
to New York, how is that going to play out
when this is how he talks now all the time.
I mean, first of all, if he gets to the Jets,
a lot of this stuff goes away, you think, So
I'm just saying they don't know if it does. I'm
not saying entirely, but just like the the off season
Willier won't he stay in Green Bay part of it,

(09:16):
and we're in a major different story and it's a
new shot, Like I think what stays is Aaron Rodgers,
not the football player or even like the unique guy
out in the realm of professional sports. It's this this
projection of him. Now, it's like Aaron Rodgers shaman, like right, well,
so that Steven Seagal ask almost I think, like you
like the way you're frustration and you expressed it to

(09:37):
Greg and I before the show a little bit like, um,
totally get it. I think I've been on the I'm
frustrated with Aaron Rodgers train, which it veers off into
into nothingness like see offseason after off seasons. So it's
like I'm there with you there. I think the thing
here is I think it could have done all this
without telling anyone. You could have gone And I have
no issue with what he did which has gone and

(09:58):
like he basically talks about like the retreat that he
went on where he did contemplate deeply, the fact that
he spent this time in a struggle wanting to be
more than just a football player, but that during his
time in it, if you listen to it, I think
you gain a little bit of appreciation for it. Like
he came to a point where like, wait a minute,
I actually I am lucky to have done what I've done.
I'm lucky to be a football player. It's given my

(10:19):
life and me incredible things he talked about. You know,
we know he's had familial issues, he's had issues with
his parents, with his siblings that he went in and
like contemplated and healed all that. So I think the
thing about it from a human angle, and I'm not
coming like, oh this is so perfect to better Roses.
But maybe he comes out to this next final phase
of his career, he's thirty nine, a more whole person

(10:41):
with some of that stuff solved. My thing is, you
could have done all that without us talking about it.
The only reason we're tired of it is because he
cannot prevent himself from speaking publicly about it, which is
is right, by the way, but I think it creates
this alternate exhaustion where it's like we are not focused
on the football player, We're focused on all this other stuff.
And I don't think there's anything wrong with it as

(11:01):
he's creating that reality, the darkness retreat and all this
other holistic type like that actually did cure him of
his allies. I'm not saying it did, but I would
say I would say the one thing is like the
one thing that's annoying that it for me takes place
in like the sports reporter environment. It's like it's just
immediately dismissed. And a lot of the stuff that he's
talking about is basically just wouldn't be the worst thing

(11:24):
for some human beings to do in general. Looking at
the whole lives now, the darkness and traits outed a
little intriguing to me to shry out. Once you you
said you listen to it, Mark, and you grew a
greater like appreciation you made you Like, I just I remove,
like if you listen to it, A kind of removed
the like football part of it, because I am annoyed

(11:45):
that we have to track them show after show. That
part is tedious, it's ponderous. I think it must be
tiring for the listeners for it's going on and on.
I mean we don't we don't do full shows on it.
But I just think this was just sort of an
It was just him speaking about what he did versus
versus some like uh scribe describing what he did with
no concept of it right he makes it. There is

(12:08):
some sort of disconnect of like him, you know, coming
out of the darkness retreat and then immediately going on
like a hugely popular podcast. But but it is it
is his friend. Um we've all got um mouth to feed,
and and it's the way to get out his view
in an unfiltered way. And these two men really love
each other. That was my biggest takeaway, as they are

(12:30):
extremely close and and but I don't have to care
about his relationship. But I feel like it's being kind
of put on us as football fans, like we have
to follow every aspect of this man's life. And it's
like they're players are more than we are. We are
the media. So we could just have not included him
on the rundown, And that's a that's a choice. Can't

(12:51):
really do that because he's one of the greatest players
to ever live, who might be changing teams after eighteen years,
Like we could feel like sometimes where it being Aaron Rodgers.
The reason you're gonna deal with New York is like
he's still gonna do Pat McAfee probably whatever wherever he goes.
He could have chosen to do all this on his own.
That's all I would have think would have changed. We
wouldn't be here, wouldn't be dealing. And the reason why

(13:12):
he does the podcast, and he said it was he
wants to inspire others to take a similar path that
he wants. The guy he's doing the podcast with literally
went from selling, uh, like as a marketer flesh lights
to quickly turn it into a hundred million dollars flesh lights.
Do you remember that, Uh, it's a product that people use.

(13:36):
Can't just say that with actual gratification. It's not you
know that it is a part of life to certain
marketplace and turned it as a business partner, turned it
with his business partner, Joe Rogan quickly into like a
motivational um kind of what Tom Brady tried to do
with his company too, kind of mixing holistic medicine and

(13:57):
nutrition and turned it into a multi hundred million dollar
operation that he's sold and and that's part of this
whole thing too, is it you are feeling like he
wants to sell a certain idea into in his mind,
help people out and kind of be a thought leader,
and that's why he's doing it, I think so publicly. Yeah,
I think the one thing I would I would disagree with,

(14:18):
although open to multiple views on it, is that he's
he's doing a lot of this to try to help people.
I don't I'm not saying he's a bad guy. I've
never thought he's a bad guy. Um, I just think
that search a lot of this is a lot of
the searching. While I think it's authentic on one level,
the fact that we need to be told of it
every step of the way and he has to share this.

(14:39):
I think he likes things being projected back onto himself.
He likes being the center of the news cycle. Which
also it's not necessarily a bad thing. There's a lot
of guys that do that, But when it's dressed up
as in some type of altruistic way, I don't know
if I totally buy it. Then again, if he's my quarterback,
I will take you'll be buying in a fortn He

(15:00):
spent a day talking about what his life would be
like retiring in the darkness, and this was Grant. This
was day three and four. By the way, the first
two days were more personal stuff, family relationships, stuff like that.
Day three and four was if he was retired. Day
four was if I come back to play. It just
reading between the lines, I mean, he sounds like a
guy who is motivated to maybe go back to play,

(15:22):
but we'll see. And the other side of this is like, yeah,
you can come back to play. But based on what
old Goody was talking about in Indianapolis, I think the yeah,
I think the Penders might be ready to move on.
And then I don't think it. Roger said explicitly he
doesn't think they would trade him to a place he
didn't want to go, but he does not have an
actual trade, no trade clause. I think they would work

(15:44):
it out though between the two stas spending this toward
more the football side of things. So Roger said in
part of that podcast interview that he won't drag anyone
around with his decision. And then Brian Guda kunst Um,
the general manager of the Packers, had this to say
about the other quarterback on the roster, Jordan Love. We're
excited about him, you know. I think, you know, I've

(16:05):
expressed to a lot of people that he needs to play.
That's the next step in his progression. He needs to play.
But George has done a great job, worked really hard,
you know, so he's doing everything we're asking. I think
I wish I could credit who tweeted it, but I
as soon as I saw the toys, like this is
absolutely right. This Roger's story, part of the exhaustions has

(16:26):
been going on for years. This will he won't he?
The Packers the state of their relationship. Two years ago,
when this stuff was going on, the Packers publicly were like,
we're not trading Aaron Rodgers. Last year when this stuff
was going on, We're not trading Aaron Rodgers. This year.
The guy behind him has to play. We're open to
different scenarios. It still feels to me like a very

(16:48):
very good chance that he has played his last down
in Green Bay. I think it's a complete sea change
in terms of the message coming from inside the Packers building.
It's it's such a shift in a way. I mean,
and I don't dismiss the Bob McGinn report that essentially
the Packers there's an element where they're disgusted with him,
and I think that kind of got thrown aside a

(17:09):
little bit because maybe it feels a little strong, exhausted, disgusted,
whatever it's like. It just feels like it's not a
Jordan love thing necessarily. That's certainly a motivating factor because
what we saw of him was positive. I think it's
like it's time now, and Aaron Rodgers and the Packers
just feel like they've come to this natural breach and
it feels right for both sides. And I don't think

(17:30):
you need to even be green Bay and worried about
if there are, Like you say, I think there's gonna
be a number of trade partners if this becomes an availability.
I don't care abo outside of your own division where
you trade him, you live with it. He's done a
great job by you, and vice versa. You move on,
you get the best haul you can in return, and
you try to make Aaron Rodgers happy. I don't think
it needs to end in a Brett farv like cantankerous divorce.

(17:53):
I think they should go in the opposite direction. With this,
and I think there's a chance that happens that Rogers
might not be maybe his feelings will be hurt if
he truly wanted back in Green Bay. But I think
if they just are upfront with him, say you know
we're gonna trade you, he works with him, and if
this could all happen relatively quickly, so they do have
a fifth year option on Jordan Love. I do buy

(18:14):
the fact that they say explicitly they think he took
a third year leap in camp in the preseason, we
sought a little bit in the regular season. It all
seemed to be confirmed by our eyes, but there was
reporting about that even before that. If they want to
give him that fifth year option, it's like, this is
the time it makes sense to do it before we
do move on. Though, um, Aaron Rodgers did have something

(18:35):
like so profound that I asked justin to clip that
I did just want to like go over it leave.
This could change my mind. Dumps were super smooth, and
in my mind, now that's my own rasturalization, they were
they were all two wipers. They were two wipers and
done so it didn't need more than two wipes. Honestly,

(18:59):
they were more. We could check the underwear for the record, Well,
yeah we could. They were multiple though that I didn't
think I needed it. They are good friends. We gotta
get Derek Carr in Floren Park. They spent like two
minutes on what it was like to wipe in total darkness,
because because Aubrey has done the darkness thing too, that
it was. It was a lot of are you serious?
Said that you're that was reating doing darkness? A darkness thing?

(19:22):
You so? No, I would, I don't think said, I
thought you said, like ten minutes ago, are you joking?
I said I was interested? What did I say? No?
I think you didn't say. You were saying, like if
in a perfect world where I didn't have like children
and then these are just freely Like I think that
sounds like an interesting thing to go try to do.
Maybe I would try it once I have done. I
had done a five days silent retreat. It wasn't in darkness.

(19:44):
It was just somewhere where you weren't supposed to speak.
Can I just I would actually go make it happen. No,
but like I'm not. I wouldn't want to talk about
it to people in there. But you know what, Dan,
it might not be the worst thing on the planet
for you if you try to. Honestly, I don't want
to judge. I'm not judging. I'm just saying, like I
think about things all the time about my life. I
privately um consider different things, paths that I'm on, what's

(20:05):
going on with my family and my friends. I do that,
you know when I do it when I'm walking the dog,
when the music, when I'm laying in bed, when you're
taking them two wipers. You know, maybe it's a two
wiper thing. But I'm just saying, like the idea the
other thing that's like, maybe you could do maybe it
would help you to think. I think about stuff all
the time, but I don't need to go lay in

(20:25):
the darkness, right. But I think it's more like, but
why does that offend you? Like he doesn't have a family,
and it doesn't worry about either. I'm just doesn't offend.
It's more just like, let him go do what he wants.
You go walk. It's like everyone I'm not into, they're
not saying stuff. It's not there. There billions of people
like me do plenty of contemplation, most people without hope.

(20:48):
The difference is you aren't telling thousands upon thousands of
people that you that you think while you walk your dog.
I mean you are, but you aren't doing that. You
weren't doing it the same way he was. Everyone everyone's different.
I totally did that. I'm not saying that that there's
no value to going different, taking different paths this way. Um,
it's ancient too. It goes back to ancient times. A

(21:08):
lot of stuff was happening in ancient times too, that
they did have light in ancient times. They you know,
during the they didn't have to say of the time,
all right, let's let's keep let's keep moving here. Jalen Carter.
Who is Jalen Carter Mark Sessler. He is a highly
prized defensive prospect who is run into some trouble. Maybe
the top prospect in this draft. I would say, the

(21:29):
consensus top prospect if you took positions in this That's
why when we talked about like DJ and all these
other people that are doing their mocks and like, how
am I gonna do? I know, the bears a trade
in this pic. I gotta take somebody in the spot
Jalen Carter because he's a top prospect defensive lineman, well,
he's got some issues because he was at the at
the combine in India and then he left UH suddenly

(21:52):
because a rest warrant was issued on Jalen Carter UH
for racing and reckless drive. And it's a very serious,
tragic situation that he was allegedly involved with. There was
a drag racing incident in January. According to the Athens
Clark County Police Department, Carter was racing with Georgia recruiting

(22:13):
staff or Chandler Lacroix, and Lacroix and a offensive lineman
on the team, Devin Willock, were killed in a single
car accident that night. Carter was at the scene of
the incident. He left before the police came came back,
misled investigators saying that he wasn't according to the police,
said that he was not there when had happened. Well,

(22:34):
the police think something else happened here, that he was
directly involved with the accident, and now he's gonna have
to turn himself into authorities. This is obviously not ideal
and on any level, especially in terms of football terms.
During combine week. Yeah, the news broke shortly before he
was going to have his press comments He released the

(22:55):
statement saying this morning he received a telephone call informing
that two misdemeanor warrants, and be pointed out, these are misdemeanors.
Um that's being accused for reckless driving and racing. He
said that numerous media reports circulated inaccurate information concerning the
tragic events. It's my intention to return to Athens and
answer these misdemeanor charges, and he is no question, when

(23:19):
all the facts are known, he'll be fully exonerated of
any criminal wrongdoing. When this story popped up, I mean,
it was so sad. I'm sure you guys saw a
lot of it. Bubbly, even us, not as college football fans,
like as it happened, like what a tragic story. A
woman who's closed, you know, who worked and was involved

(23:42):
with the students, and then another athlete and Carter was
broken up. And even just from a human angle, you
can just think about like that this all happened, and
this is happening like right before he's gonna have this
scouting combine, and you you hurt for the families involved,
and you hurt for him. You can be empathetic with
him no matter what he did that night. It's like
an incredibly traumatic and like life changing you almost like

(24:06):
it almost seems like like a bad movie and kind
of a nightmare for everyone. I mean, I guess the
thing that we've learned doing the show, so long as
like it's got to play out, he will have a
chance to tell his side of the story. He's gonna
have a lot of NFL teams they're gonna want to
like hear what he has to say about it. I mean,
there's stuff around him that goes a little bit before

(24:27):
this incident as well. So it's it's all happening very publicly,
and I think when you know he's like twenty one
years old, suddenly this thing that could again if he
were a different type of person, take place in private,
is happening in front of the entire world. And it's
probably a lot to bear on your shoulders. And the
whole incident to start with, yeah, not good at all.
Let's take a break and hit the rest of the news.

(24:51):
All right, we're back. Let's get more into again. Everyone
at the risers at the combine. We're not at the combine,
other people at the combin So here is Bengals GM
Duke Tobin T. Higgins a subject of interest. They have
a lot of money to hand out to Jamar Chase,

(25:13):
to Joe Burrow, and does that leave enough to take
care of t Higgins as star wide receiver in his
own right? So thoughts could he be traded? Well, here's
what Tobin I'd just says, go get your own stud
I'm not in the business of making other teams better.
I'm in the business of making the Cincinnati Bengals better,
and so trading T Higgins is not on my mind.
That's their problem. They want to receiver, go find your

(25:34):
own you know, in my opinion, you know, T Higgins
is a good piece for the Cincinnati Bengals. So the
trade stuff is a little ridiculous right now. See I
like to hear these because you could really parse, like
what's real and what's not. Te Higgins is on the
Bengals next September. Anybody disagree? No, I completely agree. I
love this new energy from the Bengals because we talked

(25:55):
to Duke Tobin a year ago when we were president
at the Combine Human Form and he basically told us, Yeah,
we're gonna go out and get a bunch of linemen
and find a way to protect over He just went
straight forward and said, yeah, this is a needer, we're
gonna go address it right and they went and did it.
And I kind of think this is how the Bengals
want to operate from here on out. They don't need
to toy with us verbally. I don't think there's any

(26:18):
reason that you moved t Higgins. Look at if they're
If you're the Bengals right now, I would just say
this real quick. You look at the Chiefs over the
last couple of months. You went from a team that
lost last year in the playoffs, came off a Super
Bowl loss the year before, and now you're back on
the mountaintop. The Bengals keep getting close. Their window is
open forever with Joe Burrow, as they said, why would
you remove a guy in te Higgins who, honestly, ultimately

(26:38):
we might look back and say he could match Jamar
Chase's career, He could even have a better career. You
never know all these things. I just say he played.
He played the number one role all year long when
Chase wasn't in the lineup and totally thrived. I thought
one of the only reasons they got to where they
were is because of guys like t Higgins. I'd have
to make a list, but I feel pretty safe Te

(26:59):
Higgins would be in my top fifteen receivers in the NFL.
And this story bubbled up, I think, And someone point
out if I'm wrong, but I think it all came
from like some aggregating gone wrong. This used to be
on my radar, as you know, we tried to have
rules about aggregating roadal world and it was just like
presented in an athletic article of like all the possible

(27:20):
things that could be on the table, just to you,
not even not even suggested even in the article. They
kind of said, this is unlikely, this isn't going to happen,
but they're gonna have to, you know, they're gonna have
to start thinking about the future these are And then
someone kind of went a little too hard from it,
and then it just took fire and it makes no sense.
In fact, I think they're gonna keep Tyler Boyd too,

(27:41):
which people have speculated that would make more sense, but
he's not really paid that much. I think they know
this is a beautiful window. Joe Burrow's gonna get his
money this year. They've talked about that this is a
beautiful window where they're all together. Probably not all gonna
be together forever. I don't think t Higgins is getting
that long term contract from the Bengals. You might get
franchise tech next year, but that's next year. Keep all together.
One about you send that aggregator into a four day darkness,

(28:02):
retreat him. Better send him all there, or send him
on a walk with his dog on that you just
walk around with the dog, go take that. And you
know who else wins there, but the just you the dog. Yeah,
ge Wize gets forty five minutes right around in a
basement all day long. It's hot out hell yeah um,
And I agree. And I love Joe Burrow, and you

(28:24):
know he's got that swag and that confidence and that ability.
Uh So when he says our super Bowl window is
my whole career, I'm with you. But right it's it's
it's it's open as long as you don't lose your
offensive lineman in almost voodoo like cruel fashion one a
week for five straight weeks. So it's truly preposterous to
what happened to that injury. Luck is is not great.

(28:44):
But the point I was trying to make was that,
uh with your Super Bowl window, it's never gonna be
as open as it is when you, ironically the quarterback
are being paid below your market value for what you
bring to your team. So the window, sure, it's open
for as long as he is a quarterback. But during
this rookie contract, however, long much longer less, it's too

(29:05):
much longer. It's like that kind of that was it,
and that's why I think part of the frustration if
I'm a Bengals fan, it's those last two years to
get that close when you had that huge advantage. We
shall see. I hope they stick around. I like watching
the Bengals UM play big games. In other news, the

(29:28):
Eagles have um repopulated their coordinator seats Sean Desai is
their new defensive coordinator. Brian Johnson the new OC after
Shane Steichen got a head coaching job, and so did
Jonathan Gannon. Uh So the Eagles UH populate and get

(29:48):
set there. I think I think this is um a
case where I trust the Eagles uh innately with what
they've done over the last couple of years with their
reboot post Doug Peterson and just listen to Jalen Hurts
talk about Brian Johnson. He's basically said, this guy is
he works with him one on one every day. This
is the next big head coach. He has been coaching

(30:09):
and working around Jalen Hurts, and Jalen Hurts was four
years old. Johnson's dad called coach Jalen World. So that
so it's like, that is that transition. I trust with
the said, I mean, he's been he is a he's
a good coll he's been a coordinator before. He's everyone
who's been around him. Pete Carroll gushed about him. But
think about this defense like free your free agents include
Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Brandon Graham, James Bradberry, Chauncey Gardner, Johnson, Lynvall,

(30:34):
Joseph Robert, Quinn, Donickin, Sue and Kaiser White, bar T J.
Edwards in there. Yes, I mean there's a lot of transition.
I think that coordinator has got a bigger challenge than
Brian Johnson does. Right now, Brian Johnson's gonna be a
head coaching candidate if the Eagles often stays effect just
the way they they talk about him and good on
Sirianni kind of talking, yeah, talking that talk, walking that

(30:56):
walk he had three coordinators of color, like we don't
see many black offensive coordinators and said Johnson is one
that's risen and people love what he did in college
and love it at the pros. Decide was with the
Bears in Naggi's last year. Um came from the Fangio Tree.
Everyone Fangio is really influential. Yeah, half the league is
the Fangio Tree, and they h infamously, at least for

(31:19):
Eagles fans had Fngio be a consultant for the Super
Bowl and well they run a lot of Fio stuff.
Had had a rough game but brought into Seahawks lost
some big coaches. That was like my darkness to Tree,

(31:41):
don't anything more than that was beautiful. I have reset.
Speaking of Jonathan Ghannon, he is the head coach of
the Arizona Cardinals and it is going to be a
transition year for the Arizona Cardinals because Kyler Murray had
ACL reconstruction surgery. He is going to miss a chunk
of the regular season. Gannon said on the podium in Indianapolis,

(32:03):
They're not going to rush him back because quote part
of what makes Kyler so elite, you know, are his legs.
So when he's ready to play, he'll play. I don't
know exactly the timetable right now. That all makes sense
to me. What doesn't make is much sense to me.
And perhaps, gentlemen, you could shine a light in this regard.
Is why there's so much talk about DeAndre Hopkins leaving

(32:25):
the Cardinals. I know there's some contract things. In terms
of guaranteed money left on his deal, there isn't any,
so this would be a time you could move him
in a painless manner. But then what does that leave
for Kyler Murray when he gets back, or Cult McCoy,
for instance, while he's there. Anyway, these are questions I have.
Here is what Gannon said about the uncertain future of
his number one wide receiver. We are evaluating everyone. I

(32:48):
know this. He's a premier receiver. You have to have
a plan for He limits you with how you have
to play defense. He's a valuable asslet for us going
Why though, Well, I mean so because they're not going
to be competitive this year and now is the time

(33:10):
where his value is still high enough. And I think
that's just a restart, and he's slowed down. He's not
as good a player and so what's he gonna be
when he's thirty one or thirty two, twenty twenty thirty,
when he is competitive. He's thirty one now and he
has a thirty million dollar cap hit. You have a
new general manager in a new coach. I just think
it's probably trending towards Anne. It's another year were last
year you didn't have Hopkins for the big chunk of

(33:32):
the season to start. Now you don't know what you're
gonna get out of Murray and it's another mismatch. And
then he's only on under contract for one more year.
So I think it's like trade high, move on. It's
not ideal, but they probably run out of options with
the guy right when he's When they say he's not sure,
I mean that usually just means it's over. I get it.
I get your point. Dan. Whoever the quarterback is going
to be there. He's heard some teddy whispers. He's worked

(33:55):
with their offensive coordinator, like for while Kyler Murray's hurt,
like it's not it's not helping him. But he also
isn't quite the same player. I think he could get
a little rejuvenation machine. Though he's not like a separator
he'd be a nice number two. I feel like, give
me a perfect number two. They were coordinators. Drew Petsing
like he spent all last season with Jacobe percent is
a free rights. That's a nice little guy. I would

(34:16):
love him as a Corey Davis replacement. And for the
Jets playing across from a certain because I didn't get
a good pick, don't you. I think you might get
a friend. And maybe he's not the same guy, and
he is coming off a PD, but he's not ancient.
And in just nine games last year he had sixty
four catches over seven hundred yards. I mean, he's still
highly productive. I would want him. I'm a team in

(34:38):
a second. I just get why the Cardinals, with every
all these new faces, might just be just gonna be
a really if they trade Hopkins was like a top
five receiver at one time, and maybe now he's a
top twenty receiver. He still needs somebody to catch balls
and be your number one guy. I get it, though,
you're spinning forward, but you're I mean, are you tanking?

(34:59):
If you have a Cardinal? This year? Is that where
this is heading? They'll never say it, but it seems
like the kind of year where you got to give
everyone just a free pass depending on when you get
Kyler back and what the RUSSA a great job. Jonathan
Anna took over a very tough gig here, and we've
talked about that. But if they start trading the assets
they have in addition to all the uncertainty a quarterback,
it's what's called an unintentional tank. Their offensive line. They

(35:20):
have eight offensive line free agents off a defensive line
that wasn't very good, and about six or seven defensive
contributors off a defense that wasn't good. It's like, thank you, Steve.
CON's a true rebuilding. Yes, yes, yes, let's see John Lynch,
John Lynch Mark, who's John Lynch? He is the general

(35:41):
manager thing I'm just going to start doing. I don't
like the open questions in general. I don't mind this one.
The general manager of the Niners, who a couple of
years ago when we were at the Combine, when I
took a dare from west to where my bathrobe over
to the convention center, looked over and wondering if it
was an NFL prospect. I don't know what, maybe a puncher,
a kicker, but he was like, why is someone allowed
over here in the bathroom and that's with you then yo,

(36:04):
we already yeah, um, I mean an established um premier
general manager and too yeah, when I do that, I'm
never gonna put you in a tough spot like where
I'll be like you have before. No, I would never
do that, And I want I'm like Mark who's before today?

(36:25):
For instance, Mark, who's Aubrey Marcus? Like, I'm not gonna
do that to you. Okay, I'll measure whether or not
you're doing this. That will be my end putting, not yours.
H John Lynch GM of the Niners. I don't know
if you have that right, but that is who he is.
He had this to say about the quarterback situation for
San Francisco, which is, you know a little bit dodgy,
still with Brock Purty, still hasn't even had surgery yet

(36:48):
on the elbow Trey Lance coming off a season ending injury.
Jimmy g out the door. Here's where Lynch came down
at the combine. I felt like, felt really good going
to training camp that we were kind of insulated in
the event that anything happened, and you know, unfortunately it wasn't.
It wasn't quite enough. It got us right at the end.

(37:09):
And so I think we're all product of our experiences. Um,
we've learned. Um. You know, it was in some meetings
today where the league's discussing potential solutions for you know,
third quarterbacks such that we never have that kind of
but the reality is it's it's very few and far
between where those instances happen. Um, So you know, we'll

(37:29):
see and yeah, we we may have to look into
the quarterback market in addition to Brock and Tray to
insulate ourselves from from whatever may happen. You could hear
it Lynch's voice. He's just kind of annoyed. He's like,
I thought I had this covered and the possibly I
do not. Right. It's like his house was broken into
and so you get like a great security system and
then it was like broken into again, and you're then

(37:51):
you like build a form tree drop, right, you like
build a fortress around it. It It was broken in again,
and he just like, what what could I possibly do?
It is a good offseason, though, to just like bring
in a guy, I assume that's all it's gonna be.
Although they feel so desperate and hungry for to capitalize
on the Super Bowl window, that you never know. I
feel like they'd be a wild card in some bigger names,
but if not, they can get in like the Heineke

(38:14):
Keenum sort of market. Mariota. I don't know, maybe just
as like an extra third Mike White. How about Mike White.
You know, it's interesting with the Cardinal going back to
the Cardinals for a second, like if they are tanking,
or if they are not tanking, we will I guess see,
or or perhaps it will be hinted strongly to us
like Cult, McCoy a respect mark. If they just roll

(38:37):
with Cult for six to eight to ten to twelve
to seventeen games, that's pretty good indication that they are
perfectly fine with this thing rolling out a certain way.
Because there are plenty of options to go find somebody
to cover you this season. If you wanted to go
that route, that would be probably an upgrade over where
McCoy is in two thousand. I would really push for

(38:58):
someone like percent because I think you can you can
say we're not aiming for the super Bowl, but he
can get you adequate start. I think Cole McCoy with
Cliff Kingsbury gone and Cole McCoy's concussion issues and the
way that season ended. I'm not sure where Cole McCoy's
next season at all. He had a minor procedure U
it was revealed, but we did see him at the
Super Bowl Hotel thirty seven. He looked, He looked fantastic.

(39:19):
He's kind of in great shape. Think he'll probably be
released unfortunately, but we do not wish that upon him. Well,
or they just roll with them and they're like, let's
do this. They're not rolling. They're not gonna go Cole McCoy.
That's just don't there's no connected tissue to the current
coaching staff. I see what Dan's saying. Now, we might
want to win. It would be a way to like
they already had that draft pick right now that I

(39:40):
mean to put. You have a good soldier there. Cult
McCoy is a good soldier, but he's not gonna lift
the team. I don't need to see Cole McCoy playing
anymore football. I'm surprised the people around him that love him,
I'm sure have some mixed feelings. I'm sure he has
some mixed feelings, and based on watching hard knocks and
stuff like, I know he loves football, but man, it's
they do what Either put him in the dark room

(40:03):
or send him on a walk with the captain my dog,
I mean with your dog, well or his dog whatever.
But uh, that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna undercut
the market for Aubrey be Now you're gonna be charging people.

(40:25):
He's not. He doesn't own the retreats. It's not his business.
He just goes there. Uh. Oh, he was in the
fleshlight business at one point, according to all Right. Anyway,
in other news, let's let's let's get Mike g in
in a few minutes. Uh, da da da da. Let's see.
Let's see. Oh you want to hear from uh our buddy,

(40:46):
Mike McDaniel, Dolphin's head coach. Yeah, I love that guy.
Here's a fun little exchange, reporter asking McDaniel about what
he looks for in a running back. What qualities are
you looking for as you build this running back room? Back? Um?
The best qualities? Funny? Uh. And then he talked about

(41:09):
the quarterback position. You know, I think, well it's a
little bit uh. And I'm sure did he go on
on a long answer? Yeah, I'm sure it was great
and and interesting. Um, but I just love that about it. Yeah, UM,
but the quarterback position is I feel like not being
talked about a lot around Miami, and it's very wide open,
you would think, right, given uh the concussion issues for Tuah. UM,

(41:34):
here's what McDaniel said about tah in the future of
that position. Well, I think, UM, you know, like any
other player, you factor in every variable. UM. You know,
I think you know one thing that uh you know
when you're when you're talking about those types of decisions. UM,
I think it's important to recognize that, UM, we have

(41:57):
a congruence of interest by the Dolphins and the player
UM toa that that we both want UM. Both parties
really want him to UM play at a very high
level for a long time for the Miami Dolphins. So UM,
what's the best way to to really UM engineer that

(42:20):
or to UM help manifest that. Well, UM, those are
the things that were kind of UM Wayne in terms
of the various options UM with you know, the same
UM desired end is as UM too would like. So

(42:40):
you factor in everything UM as best you can. UM.
But you know that that's part of this game that
we're all with. So UM, you see you press forward
for the organization. But like um, what a great landing.
Stop lying in the weeds a little bit here to

(43:03):
make some type of big move accord, what about Lamar Jackson?
Although I mean, I know there's there's money issues and
salary cap issues for all these big time quarterbacks, but
I just wonder an owner was a little like right now,
I would say, Mike McDaniel do not exist in the
realm of power most powerful coaches in terms of having autonomy,
Like it's an owner that chased Tom Brady, um yanked

(43:24):
him onto a yacht. It's an owner that chased Deshaun Watson.
You just never know. I mean, you could certainly have
wandering eyes. Tua has. It was noted that twas taking
um jiu jitsu uh this offseason to learn how to
fall better, to fall more gracefully, to not create some
of these issues potentially, right, They said that should work.
They were trying to have it both ways. They said, like,
how I feel much better about the situation. They were like,

(43:44):
they have that they want him as their quarterback, but
also that they would take time before making the decision
on the fifth year option, but they would also like
to give him, you know, a long term contract if
it's that if it's possible. I don't know. All I
know is that the suit Mike McDaniel was wearing, I
liked it and pointed out clothes Horse himself. It was

(44:08):
a hoodie. It was a hoodie suit, which I was like,
you gotta be, you gotta be Mike McDaniel to pull
that off potentially UM. Jeff Darlington, also a well dressed man,
pointed out the company that made it and it retails
for anywhere between seven hundred and seventeen hundred a draw
string hoodie suit, Cashmere. I liked it well. Mike McDaniel

(44:30):
was dinged for like, oh now you're now you're dressing
rich because it's a it's like it gave me shades
of like a class year version of like what we
saw Mark Davis wearing UM at the Super Bowl week
a couple years ago. And you said, Mike, Mike McDaniel,
cities grew up. He's grown up port his whole life,
and he's like he's gonna be spending out money now.
But I'm rich. I love that rich cash And just

(44:53):
to put a bow on this, you have to be
outside your mind to give to a long term cut object.
They're not going to do that. I don't think they'll
do that, right. The only thing with two of them,
doesn't He seem like the quarterback that if you don't
give him the fifth year option, it's in his head.
They'll give him. They'll give it to him. Any thing's
his head that I'm concerned about. Well, okay, but I
mean the confidence. Yes, sure, I mean this is the

(45:14):
second thing inside. I'm with you. It would be a
weird move to not give it to him. Why how
would it be? It's think it would be irresponsible organizationally,
if because it's a little bit of a year ago, guys,
he was saying he was member. He said, he asked himself,
like do I suck at this? Like I think he
needs to be lifted up version versus some quarterback that's

(45:36):
like going to take it as motivations. Don't love that either.
But I don't love it at all. But it just
seems like it's just a we're guessing. Definitely pick up
the option. I'm with you, guys, a long term deal
outside your mind. Let's uh hit eight o'clock to light dark.
Carr meeting with the Panthers as he continues his free
agent tour. I think he has another meeting with the

(45:58):
Jets as well. He's all met as we know with
the Saints. The Falcons release Marcus Mariota, the quarterback who
left the team at the end of the season under
mysterious circumstances that will all be revealed on a Netflix program,
but they will not anoint Desmond Ritter is their QB
one now. I think they're going QB hunting and Mariota

(46:18):
is pretty low on my list of quarterback options. Yeah.
Last year, Yeah, the way it ended, we don't need
to see that. Leonard Fournette's time with the Bucks has
come to come to an end. He requested his release
from the team and they will grant him that release,
so he is out there. Johnny Johnson also on his own,
now released by the Browns. And Kenny Golladay one of

(46:40):
the biggest bus and free agents signing history of the
New York Giants. He is cut mark. How about this number?
He made thirty six million from the even for a
total of forty three catches and one score. It's crazy
to look at like his Lions career and then what
happened with the Giants. It's like there was a body switch.
Multiple teams are interested in Brandon Cooks. According to a report,

(47:02):
Leslie Fraser stepping away from A or the DC the Bills,
but he plans to return. Commanders have placed a tag
on Duran Payne, and speaking of the Commanders, Finally, ESPN
reports that federal prosecutors are investigating a fifty five million
dollar loan taken out by Commander's owner Dan Snyder in
two twenty. It's the primary focus of a criminal investigation

(47:25):
into Snyder after the franchise's minority owners, which control forty
percent of the team, accuse Snyder of taking out the
loan without there required approval. This is like the messiest
ownership of our lifetime, I think, or at least like
the last twenty years. And I guess it's not shocking

(47:47):
that it's ending in such a ugly, dirty way. The
last few years have been ugly for this franchise. This
is all happening amid various reports conflicting from the Washington
Post in different sources of Snyder selling the team but
maybe doesn't really want to sell the team and doesn't
want to sell it to Bezos who might who wants

(48:07):
the team, but now he will he maybe he's just
trying to drive up the price. Who knows, but I
think the NFL is just trying to end this thing
and land the plane before it gets any worse. And
this this seems like getting worse. Yeah, And relatedly, it
was reported on Monday that Snyder is demanding protection from
future legal action should he That tells you everything you need.

(48:28):
The Washington franchise, which could happen this offseason or maybe
could not. The old Dick Nixon For Commanders fans out there,
who is Nixon? I believe you're you're referring to the
former president, right, Yeah, resigned and was pardoned of all potential. Yeah,
well that you know, that's how that works. It's ugly

(48:51):
Watergate hotel, tough, tough situation. The subject of the great
film Frost Nixon or Presidents or a greater film starring
Kirsten Dunst and the Girl from Dawson's Creek Chelle Williams.
She's her career has actually transcended Dawston's Creek. I should say, yeah.

(49:12):
At the time, I believe she's got some hardware Oscar.
She's one of the great actresses of our time at
the time. Unbelievable, what have you have guessed. What are
you talking about about Michelle Williams. Yeah, no, it could
have been a little out there to say she would
have achieved excellent. She was great on that show and
recognized for it, but I still think she wasn't the

(49:33):
big ste trophies a little over celebrated for the Fableman's
which to me was about as hot as cold as
it gets minus lie whoa, he didn't like the Fable
feel like it got shotgun here from nineteen ninety three. Okay,
I haven't seen it. So Manchester by the Sea, Oh,
that was That was a tough one. That's scene walking
back to the house after walking the dog. No, he

(49:55):
went to the liquor store. Actually, that would have been
a bad beat for me if it was walking the dog. Yeah,
it would have been like huge win for Aaron Rodgers.
Big beat. Uh for the Zazzer. Uh, let's see including
when is this? Let's see Michelle Ingrid Williams uh, nineteen

(50:17):
eighty baby nice. She was received various accolades, including two
Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy, in addition to nominations
for five Oscars and doesn't have the hardware yet very
well that's like hoisted the Lombardi Dang five best perform
and that's lead actress. Yeah, you gotta give her, you

(50:39):
gotta give her the hardware, you know. At some point here,
all right, let's take a break and uh, let's bring
a Mike g on the show to get caught up
on everything else going on in Indie. Welcome back, unbelievable

(51:08):
development here. We need an insider. We need someone boots
on the ground who gets it, who's trusted in the
realm of news gathering. And we have that man. Mike
Garafolo joins us. That's my jam right there. I love
that intro music. We give you the Silk Stockings jam,
just to get you in the mood. In the mood.

(51:31):
I don't know where you're talking about. I've never heard
of it. Mike, how are you, buddy? What's going on
in Indie? We're not there this year, so we need
we need a real perspective on the vibe. Let me
guess exactly the same as every other year. Oh yeah,
you're surprised to hear that Prime forty seven. The steakhouse
here in Indianapolis is quite crowded, you know, and it's

(51:55):
here's the frustrating part is that you try to be
smart and you say, I'm gonna get out of here,
twelve thirty, right, plenty of time. Uh put in, clocked in,
clocked out, And then you realize it's two thirty all
of a sudden, and it's like, wait a minute, I
was on my way to the door. Why why haven't
I gotten there yet? And we were just ratting, you know,

(52:17):
a bunch of coaches walking through the hallways to kind
of start the show NFL Now today, and you're going, Okay,
I saw that guy out. Yeah, he was out. He
was out. So I know he's feeling the way that
I'm feeling today because I know what time I came home,
and it was before he went home, because he was
still there when I left. You should know that Prime
forty seven is famously the place where former Panthers coach

(52:40):
Matt Rule was nice to mark, which changed and shaded
a lot of the analysis from mister Seiler. Well, I'm
easily crafted and molded, So yeah, that's how that's how
it works for instances too. Not all of them, uh,
just some of them that are a little shorter than
me and uh, bleary eyed this morning, I said some
thing on the air. We just did NFL. I said

(53:01):
something on the air and Ian kind of looked at me.
It was something about Lamar Jackson. I was trying to
make the point that if the Ravens use the non
exclusive tag, it could be good for them because then
he can go out and have conversations with other teams
and they could be like, look, you know, we told
you we're trying to offer you a fair deal, and
if the other teams offer similar saying okay, see we

(53:21):
tried to tell you, this is kind of how it works.
And if he gets the fully guaranteed deal, it's like, okay, great,
now we can either match it or we can work
out a trade or whatever. So I made this whole
point that the non exclusive tag is the way that
I would go because it allows him to have conversations
and see what's out there. And he kind of stared
at me, and then we came back and I said
it again and he goes, oh, on the air, oh

(53:43):
now I get what you're saying. And I'm like, welcome.
Rhet Lewis is here. He's enjoying my camera stand, which
is a trash can. The phone is on a trash
can that's been for our We have no issue with that. Yeah,
And you know Rappaport, he's trying to hang with a

(54:05):
McAfee crew to show that he's one of them, and
that just going to lead to issues for him as well.
That's you know, that's not his style. Well, what about
the Lamar thing? Let's talk about something that obviously in
terms of the big quarterbacks, it's Rogers and Lamar. So
we'll start with Lamar. Is there anything that you've kind
of heard recently or through the grape vine or where

(54:26):
is this with you? Do you think this happens? Do
you think he ends up on a new team. I
think there's a definite shot. And I feel like it's
more than just financials right now. I feel like it's
it's feelings, right and he's made it clear. There was
that one Instagram post or was it a tweet and
said something about if you don't appreciate what you have,
I'm paraphrasing, but he was making it clear that it

(54:48):
doesn't feel appreciate it and he wants the kind of
a deal that you know, listen for better or for worse,
and right now it looks like for worse. Unless he
turns it around Deshaun Watson. Last year he had teams
at the table. Now we can have a long discussion
about whether he should have, and not just from a
on field standpoint, but from an off field standpoint as well.

(55:10):
But that's the situation that was created, and Lamar Jackson
has not had that to this point, which is why
I say the non exclusive tag for the Ravens can
be like, well, let's just get on with it. Let's
just get to the point where he has the chance
to go out and talk to other teams. No, that's
not full blown free agency, but it's a chance for
him to have conversations with other teams and say, hey, okay,
let me see what's out there. Let me see if

(55:32):
Apple have been alluding to on Twitter and elsewhere. If
the Ravens won't pay me a fully guaranteed deal, well
there must be four or five other teams that are
willing to do so let him find out and let
the Ravens find out and maybe just you know, instead
of going through this next two years of playing out
the tag, if he wants to get to the point
where he's truly got the kind of leverage that Kirk

(55:53):
Cousins had let's just get on with the show. I'd
almost kind of that's the way that I would do
it if I was the Ravens. Let's just figure out
where we are and get some clarity here. So either
we're gonna have him or we're gonna move forward. But
we did report Super Bowl Sunday Ian rapport, Tom Pella,
Sero and I that we know that the Ravens could
get to a point where they are attempted to entertaining
trade authors. I mean that would be satisfying from my perspective,

(56:15):
because then he would be in a closer situation to
the Deshaun Watson situation. The reason why Watson had so
much interest is because he first of all allowed his
agent to Tampa essentially when he wasn't allowed to trade,
and then when he was allowed to make a trade,
it was open. And we know Lamar doesn't have that infrastructure.
We can't assume that they're going around to other teams

(56:35):
and acting illegally because he's on the Ravens and he
doesn't have a formal agent. I do think, though, Mike,
I'm with you, that would be a compelling way for
the Ravens to go but I think you would only
do that as a Ravens franchise if you're ready to
say he's probably gone, because to me, that putting that

(56:55):
out there means he's probably gone. He's a free agent
and he'll had a great contract elsewhere. There will be
teams bidding, and there'll be more than they're willing to
pay because there's thirty one teams out there and they're
more desperate, and then you work out the trade terms
and he's it might only take a few days. I
just don't know how many, Like when you talk about
the teams that are desperate, I just don't know how

(57:16):
many there are. I mean this qua yeah, but they
have options. They have other options too, right, But they're
not as good as they're why But they're not as
good as Lamar Jackson. None of them are even closer
as good. I don't think it's gonna be. Rodgers isn't
even as close as good as Lamar Jackson. You gotta
comment down a little bit with the Lamar stuff, at least,

(57:36):
like just because Aaron Rodgers making sixty million dollars, I'm
not throwing Aaron Rodgers in there. That's that's fair because
we don't know that whether he's available or not well.
And I would also say this on the sixty million thing. Um,
there are a number of folks with teams with quarterback
needs that would be interested in Aaron Rodgers that I've
spoke to spoken to here in Indianapolis, who say the
sixty million dollars number is not gonna work. Like, he's

(57:56):
gonna have to whether it's us or somebody else, he's
gonna have to come down off that. Now. Rodgers did
allude to the fact that if I come back in
Green Bay, it's not going to be at that number,
but it may have to be that way for the
other teams as well. I know I'm zigging and zagging here,
but this is this is kind of the way the
quarterback market is right now. So much is dependent on
everything else that I find myself starting to talk about

(58:16):
Lamar Jack. Next thing, I know, I'm talking about Aaron Rodgers,
and that's kind of where teams are figuring it out.
I just the whole Derek Carr thing here I go
bring in another quarterback. The whole Derek Carr thing is
interesting to me, particularly from a jet standpoint, because I
don't see the Jets diving in with Derek Carr until
they know for sure what Aaron Rodgers is going to do,

(58:37):
because you don't want to now come to terms with
Derek Carr and then be like, oh, Aaron Rodgers wanted
to come here, Oh, how would you ever live that down?
Derek Carr knows that, right, and he's okay. Is he
okay with that knowing that he's essentially the silver medalist
for the Jets and the sweep Snakes? Yeah, But I
think he's got other irons. I know, well, we know

(58:58):
he's got other irons in the fire Right, the Saints,
and the Panthers. But I also think that there's more
dominoes that could potentially fall beyond that as well that
could open up some things for him and give him
even more options. So he's got the luxury of getting
out there and talking to teams right now before other
guys who are free agents are allowed to talk to teams.
But he's also got time and he can stretch this

(59:19):
thing out to the point where he gets I mean,
I'm being laughed at right now for my trash can,
and you're helping your YouTube listing everyone check tweets Scott
Fitterer thinks it's funny. Dam munths and tweeted something earlier.
He thinks it's funny. Somebody out of the corner of
my eye didn't see who it was, thought it was funny.

(59:40):
Another person's taking a picture. You know what this is? Fine?
Mike tell the most Mike hotly viewed episode because all
this promotion. Mike tell them you're on the most popular
NFL podcast in the world, and that will shut him up.
Oh yeah, in your face. I mean, Mike g let's
say it's a month and a half from now, Okay,
us not saying that you have to tell us you

(01:00:02):
know what. You know that you've got secrets. You're always
sitting on explosive rumors and developments that must come out
at certain time. I get that, But just play Matt
team to quarterback match, Rogers Lamar Derek Carr. Where are
each of these quarterbacks when all these psychotic dominoes fall,
You're gonna make you gonna make Mike head explode. Well
that's what we're here far. Yeah, yeah, yeah, no. Well,

(01:00:25):
I'm still shaking from when Rosenthal asked me here at
the Combine a couple of years ago, do you think
Philip Rivers is gonna land in Indianapolis, and I said no,
and he did, and I just I couldn't get over
that one. So, um, let's let's let's match him up.
Let's match him up. Yeah, oh yeah, big time big uh. Um,
let's match him up. I think Lamar stays in Baltimore.

(01:00:47):
It's just they've done everything that they possibly can to
keep this thing positive all along the way. You got
the tag at their disposal. Um, I'm gonna say, and
it's it's a coin flip in my mind in a
lot of ways, but I'm gonna say he stays in Baltimore,
so let's keep him there. Rogers and Green Bay just
feels like it's over in a lot of ways. So
where do I put him? I don't know. I just

(01:01:08):
feel like this Jets thing is just not gonna happen.
It just feels too good for the Zeuser man. I
just I just I just feel like he's I feel
that it's not gonna happen for him. So, um, let's
put Derek Carr. Let's put Derek Carr with the Saints.
And I think that there's a lot of things that
Derek Carr likes about the Saints. You get to play

(01:01:30):
to in a dome versus playing in the weather. So
I'll put a car with the Saints. Hey, what the hell?
I put Rodgers with the Jets. There you go. Well,
that kind of goes nicely into the next tick. There's
one other QB I wanted to hit, because he's not
getting talked about a lot right now in relation to
these other guys. This feels like I might be setting
up well for Jimmy g who's gonna hit the market.
And you know these teams will have some of them

(01:01:52):
swung and missed for their first choice. And does this
set up well for Garoppolo getting another big contract despite
you know, all the red flags about what he is
as a quarterback and what he isn't. Yeah, another decent contract.
I'll tell you what else is setting up nicely for
Jimmy Garoppolo is the San Francisco tree. Um, And you've
got Tennessee, You've got Houston, You've got the Jets. Um.

(01:02:17):
Who am I missing? Uh? Whether it's a general manager
or a coach, you got the Belichick tree in Las Vegas.
You got the Belichick tree in Las Vegas. That is correct, Um,
They're gonna need somebody as well. Um, so it's he's
he's got option, he does, and you know if he
winds up in let's say Houston, because I know that

(01:02:37):
Damiko Ryan's likes him. The thing about Jimmy VG is, um,
he's one of the guys in a lot of ways,
and he's a competitive guy, and the coaches who have
seen him operate, no, you know, yeah, he's not the
most special guy from a talent standpoint, right, he doesn't
have all those intangibles, not INTI those tangibles, but he's
got the intent and he's he's been a winner and

(01:03:00):
when he's healthy, he's won football game. So I feel
like if he winds up in Houston, it's not a
long term thing, but I feel like it's a chance
for him to go somewhere and play right away better
than some other situations, if that makes sense. I gotta
I gotta tell you, Mike, Like, we just took a
look at Sam Monson's tweet. The photo we took of

(01:03:20):
you was from PFF and it is just a human
adult male talking to a garbage can. That's really what
it looks like from a profile, and it's fantastic and
it might be the height of what you've achieved here
at the COT. Does it looks like a crazy person
who's had some type of psychotic break talking to a
plastic trash can? Yes, Mark's exactly described how this looks.

(01:03:44):
I can't tell if this is gonna be good for
our podcast in the NFL in general, because the shot
looks great. Again, people should check it out on YouTube.
Maybe they look at it and they think, like, why
are we sending all these producers and everything to places
when a trash can can do their job and we
don't even need to send our podcast there? Or is
it is it a bad look um that their their

(01:04:06):
podcast isn't here and we have to use the trash can?
Is that somehow embarrassing? I'm not sure how I stand
all right, Greggy, Like, it's a it's a double edged
it's a double edged short. It is going to a
result in more eyeballs, which is going to be a
good thing, But it just doesn't feel like something you
want to go to the wealth too often. Right, this
is what is type thing. The defenses now are ready

(01:04:29):
for the Philly Special. Right, It's just at some point
you just use it and you get out you move
on to something else. All right, One last thing I
I do want to just say, like, at this time
a year ago, the whole conventional wisdom because people whold
things close to the vest and the combine, is that
there wasn't going to be a lot of big time
quarterback movement. And then right after the combine ended, there
was a ton of big time quarterback movement. So the

(01:04:49):
one thing I would push back on this might be
your Philip rivers this year, uh, Mike, And maybe not?
Maybe not? Is that I think if Lamar, if they
didn't put the non exclusive tag, I think like seven
teams will be in on it. I would start with
the Deshaun Watson teams from a year ago. They were
all desperate for quarterbacks. If they were in on Deshaun Watson,
I would expect them to be in on Lamar Jackson.
Then you can throw the Commanders, Titans, Raiders, who knows sprite.

(01:05:13):
I just think there'd be enough teams to really bit
them up and he would be gone. But I am
curious at prime forty seven, you're staying there late, Like
what are what are the decision makers all talking about
this week? Like what what is uh? What is the
hot topic because because there are those league topics that
that eventually, if you're having these conversations with gems and coaches,

(01:05:33):
that comes back around. Please don't say the tush push,
No push has not been a big It's been a
topic of conversation. Uh, it has not been a big
topic of conversation. But the Eagles are very upset that
they have something that's been very effective for them that
they I thought it was it was just a simple play. Curiously,
they talked about it like there's but but Cheriani the

(01:05:57):
way he talked about it was that there's they run
it better than anybody else. Of course, so you're taking
away something that but it's it seems like you just
get two guys behind the guy and you push, and
that's what makes it so hard. But he talked about
the technique involved in that play, and they feel like
they have so much, so much of an advantage there
because of how they run it and the personnel that

(01:06:18):
they deploy. Uh So, anyway, the toush push, what was
the question again, Oh, what's the topic of conversation? I
think this rookie quarterback class has been fascinating topic of
conversation because I think that there is no consensus. I
think the third guy on somebody's board and the quarterback
is the first guy on somebody else's board. I believe
that a lot of people think that Anthony Richardson is

(01:06:38):
going to h have a terrific performance here because listen,
these things set up well for guys who have the
top and ability, right, because you get to put that
ability on display. This is why Zach Wilson pre draft
all of his workouts, right. It lent itself to the
guy puts the skill set on display. It's not football though,

(01:07:00):
it's not playing the position, it's not running things the
way you're supposed to run in an offense. But this
is a guy who's gonna come out. Richardson's gonna perform
extremely well and put that talent on display, and it's
going to create some conversation among some teams as far
as where he are inside the teams, as far as
where he ranks on the board. So there's been a
wide variety of teams, and I've had a lot of

(01:07:23):
teams say that there is no short thing here. Much
as we love Bryce Young, there are questions about him
and his size and whether that's going to translate to
the NFL. So it's gonna be a fascinating draft from
a quarterback standpoint. I know that, and that's why Mike,
the Bears are trading the number one pick right because
there isn't a slam dunk QB that would be an
upgrade in their mind over Justin Fields that would compel
them to trade the in house guy. As I mentioned

(01:07:45):
the other day before the Bears even talked here, and frankly,
I'm surprised that Poles left as much wiggle room as
he did, to be honest with you, because my understanding was,
and I was having conversation with Bear sources around the
Senior Bowl, Hey, we can't wait to indianapp with because
we want to field those offers for the first pick.
Like that that was going to be the order of

(01:08:06):
business here. I think, you know, as far as evaluating
those quarterbacks, I think polls one set out there to
kind of get teams to think like they're not just
selling that pick, and you've got to convince us. But
there's no doubt in my mind that Justin Fields is
going to be the quarterback for the Bears. Was a
lot more weapons around them because they've got a lot
of cap room and a lot of capital. They are

(01:08:26):
going to be a very busy team in the coming weeks,
and that's gonna be fun. It's good when the Bears
are fun and enjoyable. I think they're going to be.
Bears have nearly a one hundred million in cap space,
more than any team in the league. Mike, worry that
maybe we damaged your reputation and perhaps your long term
career prospects with garbage can interview hashtag. But hopefully that's
not the case, and if it is, we owe you

(01:08:48):
a beer. That'll do it. Well. Listen, I'll take the beer.
I'll take the whiskey if you're offering that as well, sir.
But I gotta say that in this business, if you're
not willing to talk to a trash can in front
of all of your friends in the Indianapolis Convention Center,
you know your head's too big. You haven't lived. Humble,
Be humble, be hungry speaking, I'm hungry. I just got

(01:09:12):
a text that my lunch is ready from Carly Lindsay,
thank you beautiful right over there, all right, thank you, Mike, gee, thanks,
thank you, thank you. Boys. There he goes, and what
a warrior to do that for us. Before we before
we started the interview of Mike went through a period
where he was thinking, should I just hold it? How
long is this going to take? I said about fifteen

(01:09:32):
to eighteen minutes. Ended up taking about eighteen minutes, and
in retrospect, he probably should have held the camera. I
don't know, he's gonna eat a lot. There's a lot
of poop there. You know how those guys are. Our
arms get really tired though. Minutes sneaky, you know how
sports writers are. They're like, I mean, Mike, geez, so
if you if you've seen the Forearmies, he doesn't want
to working out. But he was the one that raised

(01:09:53):
that concern. So I thought the framing aspect ratio looked
great on the garbage. Can good move? Yes? And it does,
even though we're not there this year. It puts us
in the conversation perhaps a little bit. Yeah, you know,
puts puts us back on people's lips and in their
mind right, they're like, oh, yeah, those are the trash guys. Trash.
That's what we've been aiming for, especially considering where we

(01:10:15):
were a year ago. If we knew that was our
destiny you know, arrow up. Um all right, that is
the Wednesday edition of the Around the NFL podcast. We
will be back um tomorrow. In fact, that's how we grind,
especially on Combine week, whether we're there or not. And
we're gonna have land zero line. As I mentioned at
the top of the show, who's gonna dig in on

(01:10:36):
the draft situation and Combine and the prospects, and as
Mike alluded to, there you know what's going on with
these quarterbacks and how these things how quickly they shift
right from oh, yeah, you know last year's quarterback class
that sucks, and everybody's like, oh, but wait till next
year's quarterback class, and now here we are, and all
of a sudden it's like no slam books, but it's yeah,

(01:10:58):
we're gonna have two months of talk about it and
maybe Lancel give us some Probably is a Slam Thursday.
Here's the thing, though, The consensus is that Picket or
anyone in last year's class would have been a distant
fifth behind these four. I think like these four a
gotta end up going in the top ten or fifteen.
So it's juice. At least there's juice. Even if there's
no slam dunk. The juice is loose. Thank you everybody
for listening, and yes we'll be back again tomorrow. Thank

(01:11:21):
you to Mike Gee, thank you to Justin Graver and
everybody behind the glass. Until Thursday. You know what you
gotta do. He the call.