February 24, 2025 • 43 mins
Gregg Rosenthal is joined by NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero to react to Gregg's Top 101 NFL Free Agents list. Before the Top 101, Gregg and Tom get caught up on news from around the NFL including the latest on Matthew Stafford and the Rams (02:30), the Jaguars hiring James Gladstone as their new GM (09:30), the Saints hiring Brandon Staley as their new DC (13:10), players to watch at the combine (16:30), and more! After the break, the guys break down Gregg's Top 101 Free Agents, including his top-10 (20:49), a look the quarterbacks (26:00), a deep defensive pool (34:40), and wide receivers available (39:20).
Note: time codes approximate.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to NFL Daily, where we might have to make
it in the top one hundred and two free agents
of twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
I am Greg Roosevelt.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
I am here in Indianapolis at the Scouting Combine, in
a half full convention center where everyone is setting up
for the big day where it starts tomorrow, and I
am joined for the first time on NFL Daily, excited
to do so with Tom Pelisero, our insider at NFL
Network alongside Ian Rapaport.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
What's up, Hey, Happy to be here, Glad that I
get to make my debuts.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Great to see you live and in person.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
You know, it's always fun to get to get out
of the basement studio and see people.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
It is nice to do that. And yes, you are
kind of the yin to Rapaports.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yang.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
You know, I've been here at the NFL for over
a decade. I've seen the rise of Palasaro. How is
everything going just with you and rap Sheet because that
that's a tricky relationship to work, outsider.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Yeah, we we kind of find, along with Mike, you know,
ways that we can, you know, be able to stave
off the fights. Like if you've noticed in the past
month there's a lot of sources tell the Insiders or
per the Insiders, or the tweets, and that was a
catch all that came out of Okay, went in down,
just say that and we'll fight over credit later. I
suppose how'd you leave me off? So we were trying
(01:21):
to like stave off those fights. I think it's gone
pretty well so far, and we we gotta get a
we gotta get a handle at some point for that.
But you know, yeah, per the Insiders, that's the backstory
on that is it's just to keep me from strangling.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
So you are are joining us on a big day
in uh NFL Daily in the off season, which is
the day uh NFL dot com releases my top one
oh one free agents. I put a lot by the way,
say I said the other day on during the production
call for The Insiders, I'm like, is Greg's list all
the other things like he hasn't published yet.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
I'm like, well, then what are we supposed to put
on the graphics? You're the you're the oracle of these
are the names?
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Well they're out there now and so you can check
that out on NFL dot com.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
And I thought you you will.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Know this list and the players and the agents and
the values better than anyone.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
So I was excited to have you on for that.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
I mentioned, by the way, we might have to go
to one oh two because I saw a PFF did.
I always made it one to one because I just
thought it had a snappy ring to it. Also, one
more than one hundred. Every other site's got one hundred,
just shows we're working a little bit harder.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
And now I noticed PFF made there's one on one two.
They just didn't. This is straight. So I might just
have to go to one on two.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
But we're gonna do some news before we get into
the one oh one, and I wanted to start with
something you spoke about on the Riche Eisen Show on Friday.
It was really the first time it was out there.
It was interesting because I was like, shouldn't this be
like breaking news on NFL.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Networ had that conversation with the group that too Listen,
there are some things I know you're getting at, Matthew Stafford.
So there are some things, and this is like a
broader I could do an hour on this. I won't,
but there are some stories that I don't think are
necessarily conducive to tweet format. Yes, this was one of
those where we were going to talk about on the
(03:05):
Insiders and then the clock ran out, and YadA YadA,
and then Rich asked me about it straight off, and
I had the wrong time zone in my phone, so
I was at a pilate studio, not a dungeon. Just
for anybody who looked at the quality of that video.
He asked me about it, and what I tried to
convey was, yes, they've given permission to Matthews savage agent
(03:26):
Jimmy Sexton to talk to other teams. This is not
a we're demanding a trade and now we're It was
a hey, go out and see all right, because Matthews
do twenty seven million dollars this year, including four million
dollar bonus. That's doing about a month. That was a
product and part of when they redid his deal last year. Yeah,
he got a raise in twenty twenty four like a
band aid. Last gave up his future guarantees, which made
(03:48):
very clear this is a year to year type of format.
So now he plays well. They took the Eagles to
the limit in the playoffs. They got a you know,
a young roster. Safford's sitting there going I'm making twenty seven.
They're literally guys who are making double that, who have
not accomplished what I have and are not as good
as players as I am.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
We've got to adjust this.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
So there's sometimes is this dance and you're negotiating a
vacuum and there's off the record calls.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
They're just like, just do it.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
You know. Frankly, you know no one said this to me,
but it's kind of like you're gonna get this information anyway,
So just go ahead, talk to the other teams, figure
out what they'd be willing to do in a you know,
for a contract which serves two purposes.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
One, it allows you.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
To make progress in terms of if you are going
to do a trade, you have to do the contracts.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
You get that out of the way.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah, But it also allows the Rams to go, Okay,
here's what the other teams would be willing to offer.
Are we willing to go there? There is a number
at which I don't believe the Rams would want to
go past. For Matthew Stafford from a pure football perspective,
and I know you like to watch tape and like
dage the football, I only look at the other options
to go boy, Matthew Stafford would be better off going
to the Giants or the Raiders. The Rams have Sean McVay,
(04:54):
they're in a division that they just won. They do
have young talent, albeit they got some transition they've got
to go through on the offensive side. Why would he
want to go elsewhere? And the honest answer is, you're
to the later stages of your career. You want your
contract to reflect the value that you bring. The Rams
are trying to fire out how do we build a
championship caliber team? And so they're trying to get all
the answers, get all the cards on the table and
(05:15):
make decisions which could come sort.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Of the later this week will be really interesting. And no,
I'm glad. I'm glad you brought brought it up with
Rich and all these texts that I just looked at.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
I thought maybe I'd nerge in Matthew sabertext it's no,
it's my wife. Is Teagan still grounded? And then Teagan?
Am I still grounded? You're still grounded?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Dang? What times the stay in palace? What they do?
What they do?
Speaker 3 (05:36):
She she thought it was funny to play a joke
on me and say she was biking to Culver's with
her friends, which is two miles away and across a
very busy road. Okay, while I was at swim lessons
with the other kid and dad was not pleased. We
do it. We may come off when this gets appealed
to the appeals officer in the house, my wife, it'll
probably get knocked down from the month to something more palatable.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
And that's harsh. So Stafford, it's fascinating to me. It
really does seem like it's about money and there's always
more to it. We don't need to get into that
with you here, but another one of our colleagues this
is it's confusing how the Insider gang, you know, works.
But Schrager mentioned a number something about like fifty million dollars.
Pete Schrager for Fox on Twitter that maybe that's what
(06:16):
he's seeking, and if it is something that the Rams
are not willing to go that high, I don't think
personally he will have that hard a time finding an
organization that will. I do think that would be an
appropriate market for Matthew Stafford. The Giants make some sense
to me on paper. The Raiders make a little sense
(06:37):
to me on paper. Do you have any teams that
you think have actually expressed interest or would make the
most sense.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
I'd say the Giants the Raiders make a lot of
sense for those teams. Again, does it make sense for
Matthew Stafford to go into the NFC East behind an
offensive line that still needs work. He's got receivers, he
has some you know, Molik neighbors, and some young talent
on the roster. You're gonna go up and compete with
Philly and even Washington.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
And do you have if you have a feeling that
the Rams don't really really want you or maybe this
is all a negotiation where okay, I'll take x amount
less from the Rams to play for the Rams, but
not you know, everything, or there's more to it.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
And he just feels like the time is there's.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Basically there's you know, by my count, there's nine or
ten teams they are gonna get starting quarterback in this cycle.
So you can go down the list, Tennessee, does that
make sense. I don't really foresee them going that direction. Cleveland,
I don't see it. The Giants, it does make sense.
Get instant credibility, give you a chance to not show
up with a knife to a gunfight.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
In the division to try to get in there.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
I think they're a little more turnkey than other people,
probably like.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
For a playoff spot. With Matthew Stafford. I don't think
they're a bad They've got pieces.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
I mean Dexter Lawrence and the lak neighbors, you know,
Tyrone Tracy. I know nobody wants to talk about it
because what Sakwon did. He did run for a thousand
yards last year. They have to get some highly drafted
offensive lineman playing better or playing at all. That would
certainly help. There's some adjustment to do. But okay, so
the Giant should be a possibility. You keeping your way
through the draft. I'm doing this off the top of
my head. The Raiders are another team that needs a
(08:08):
starting quarterback. I do think that adding a veteran. When
you hire Pete Carroll, you're not going this is gonna
be a four year build. He's got like a three
year contract, so you're thinking you're trying to win. I
think that makes sense for them go down to the
bottom of the draft order. Obviously, going back to the
Rams makes sense. The Vikings are going to be a
really alluring place to whoever. I don't foresee that being
(08:29):
how this plays out, because then you're talking about giving
up assets where they don't have a lot of draft
picks this year, either giving up assets to bring in
a veteran quarterback when you've got JJ McCarthy. There probably
not something they're going to do. But that's the spot
people are going to want to go to. Pittsburgh is
another one. I think the Matthew Stafford and Pittsburgh would
make a ton of sense, again when you look at
the caliber quarterbacks in the division, But is that a
(08:49):
place to Matthew Stafford and his family want to go.
It's not exactly New York or Vegas when you're coming
from LA. From just a vice perspective, so I think
I'm missing one or two more. I mean, Indianapolis has
to figure out what they're how they're going to put
together that room this year with Anthony Richardson, he can't
be but you're not pick You're not bringing in Matthew
(09:11):
Stafford in that situation, So I think I'm missing somebody else.
But basically those are the teams, and you get pretty
quickly kind of whittle away a bunch of those teams
as like what the real possibilities.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Are it's fascinating. I personally, I'm not putting words in
your mouth. I think the Hayes a little out of
the barn here, and I do think something's gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
I hope it happens this week.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Just for content sake, we're gonna have on a new
general manager to the NFL. Since we've last tape NFL Daily,
a man named James Gladstone became the general manager of
the Jacksonville Jaguars. I bring his name up like that
because he's not someone that many people outside of the
(09:48):
league would possibly know who he is. Frankly, he's not
a guy who people inside the league know that well.
I talked to a couple teams and they were like
they hired who. He was an assistant with the RAMS.
His type was the director of scouting strategy, kind of
a right hand man of less sneed, but in a creative,
sort of more less formal role with the RAMS than
(10:09):
maybe like a director of college scouting or pro personnel
or anything like that, which is often the guys who
get two GMS. So he's joining us on NFL Daily
on Tuesday, We're talking to three gms. I'm excited about that. Uh,
I just wanted your your thoughts on that. He he
spoke kind of a non traditional, very young higher for
(10:30):
for the Jaguars.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
It is it's somebody that Liam Cohen has a familiarity
with from their days with the Rams, and obviously he
was impressed by him. I saw Liam said some stuff
about watching him navigate undrafted free agency and some of
the things that he did in that area. He does
have a football background. This is not a pure quantitative higher.
He was a high school football coach, so like there
was literally less sneeds sons football. Hig school football comes
(10:55):
correct back in saying this is so this is like
the close thing I would say is this is almost
like a baseball or basketball higher where you get somebody
who is purely from an analytic background. Although again he
does have some football That's why I even bring it up.
It's like, it's not as if he came from you know,
video games and now is the GM of the Jaguars,
and so there's some of that that Tony conn I'm
sure appreciates. Given what his background is and his role
(11:18):
within the organization. He's got another really smart dude that
he can work with. And obviously there's a trust factor
there with Liam. But you're right, and this is nothing
against James last one, who I don't know personally. I
got his number, sent him a text after he got
the job, like, Hi, good do good to meet you.
But he's definitely not a know, a known commodity within
the league. And so you know, like with any of
(11:39):
these things, it's like, you got to get the right
staff around him, you got to get the right scouts
in place. I would also remind people of this, shot
Con never wanted to fire Trmpalkey. Shot con thinks Trent
Balkey built a really good roster. Shot Con thinks Tramp
Paulkey built a really good football operation in the systems.
So now with a guy who comes from a very
(12:00):
different background into this environment, does he have the power
to say what a lot of quantitative people would, which
is we should probably get this thing right for the
long haul trade some of the highly paid guys who
have significant value. Or do you come in and go, well,
we're not going to rock the boat because we've got
to win. That's the mandate here from ownership that we
got a team that can win now. And I'm just
(12:21):
I don't want to have the answer for that. I
think it's a fascinating sub storyline. This is a guy
who's never done a trade presumably. I'm sure he's consulted
on trades. He's never done a trade, he's never picked
a player. There's a lot of gmsh to come in
who have varying levels of experience in that, but his
background is going to be a little bit different. And
so who are the people in the organization he leans on.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Well, I'll check out his vibe on Tuesday. We also
have Ryan Poles, by the way, check out our show
on Tuesday coming on, the general manager of the Bears
and the new Raiders GM John spy Tech And yeah,
I mean I kind of just look at the salary structure.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
That tells you a lot.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Liam Cohn is one of the highest paid new coaches
ever and one of the higher paid coaches in the
league period, And so he's got a lot of he's
got a lot of juice.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
I doubt James Gime he is.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
It's ultimately kind of like a coach centric situation. You
also have Tony Basselli, who helped with the hiring, who
was part of the press conference. Uh some news that
also went down and we'll get to the one on
one shortly. Uh, Brandon Staley was hired as the Saints
defensive coordinator. We talked about that potential higher coming up.
Cuts have started around the NFL, just just kind of
(13:28):
mentioning this time of year has started to happen. So
the Bears cut DeMarcus Walker, Gerald Everett, some other cuts,
the Bengals Sheldon Rankins, Won Thornhill, Shaq Thompson, and the
Panthers was made aware that they're not going to resign
him in for agency.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
That was a little week.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Yeah, I mean they're trying to give him like the
the nice, nice send off. But yeah, it's like, I
don't know, we need to They gotta do what they
want to do.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
And you just former.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
First going to resign free agent, about to hit free agency.
We we'd run out of time if we hit all
those check Thomson, Greg I was there the night the
night he was drafted.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
I was in the green, a great Carolina Panther over
the last handful of years. But I did want to
hit before we get to the one on one. Some
of the early news coming out of Indianapolis the Rules
Committee has met. They are talking about potentially doing a
fourth and fifteen or fourth and twenty situation instead of
an on side kick.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
There was a report that banning.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
The tushbush has been brought off some speculations a team.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
So that's a team proposal. Yes, Usually the team proposals,
unless they are co opted by the competition committee, don't
get through. We'll see. I mean, it's been ongoing thing,
like you watch it. He's that a football players at rugby.
I think there's an intellectual discussion. But of course everyone's
just gonna go, oh, you can't stop now they won
the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Yeah, to take away funny though, because I just weapon
they didn't say who it was an unnamed owner, but
one of the owners on the committee is Mark Murphy,
an acting owner, and he has said publicly many times
in like fans, Q and A. He's set it out
right that he wants it, you know, ban So it
sounds like it's it's probably Mark Murphy.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
With regard to the fourth and fifteen or fourth and
f that's been proposed. The Eagles were proposing that for
like five years every year on the docket. It's never
I don't believe it's correct me if I'm wrong, but
I don't believe it's ever gone to a vote. It's
been brought up, it has gotten onto the list that
they talk about in March when these things are voted upon.
The issue with it is just like, is it gimmicky
(15:25):
for me? I am simultaneously a traditionalist and a capitalist.
The traditionalist in me says the on side kick like
it's it's such a it's a weird play, but it's
like a uniquely football play. I wish the percentages were higher,
but like, I don't want to totally replace that. On
the other hand, the capitalist in me goes, shouldn't we
(15:47):
have like the best players on every team deciding the
biggest moment and not like, yeah, not Nick Folk, right,
and nothing against Nick Folk. I'm just saying that.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
The idea would be, yeah, instead of going for a
non side kick, you would get to attempt a fourth
single team they could take it or fourth and twenty.
I think try it at fourth and twenty per year,
see how it goes. The NFL evolved as it turned
to the league that we know now by trying out
different things like this, so I like it. They are
also in this I think is more likely to happen
(16:18):
in the long run conversation about either moving a touchback
up to the thirty five yard line to encourage more
kickoff returns, or just move the kickoff back five yards
from where the kicker kicks it, which would also potentially
have more returns. So we will see if any of
those things happen before I get off the Combine. Though,
(16:39):
no Sugar Sanders doing workouts, No Ashton Genty. You follow
this stuff so closely.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
I'm just curious since you're on the show here and
we're in Indianapolis, like, is are there any guys that
you're looking for? Are there any like on field Combine
type of stories that are front of mine for.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
You this week as like an insider.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Well, the first thing I would say is we always
talk a lot about the guys who aren't doing anything.
It's like a very very small number. It's like a
dozen of the top guys won't work out. There's like
three hundred and seventy something prospects here.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
I mentioned those two names because they are about as
familiar as any.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Absolutely, and they're gonna do some of their pro day.
Cam Ward as of now, is undecided from what I
was told. I talked to his quarterbacks coach a short
time ago. He's figuring out if he wants to do it.
I'm sure we'd all love to see Cam Woard the
rest of the quarterbacks. Jackson Dart is gonna throw, Jalen
Milroe is gonna throw. You'll see all those guys, guys.
I'm looking forward to seeing in the drills. I mean,
I think that the quarterbacks because QB three or in
(17:36):
some people's minds, can you even vault up and be
QB two QUB one in this draft whatever it is,
that next group of quarterbacks is really interesting to me.
We saw a lot of them at the Senior Bowl.
Milroe and Dart and those guys Riley Leonard were all there.
But there's some guys we haven't We haven't seen quinnywers On,
Tyler Schuck. People a lot of buzz first round buzz
Tyler Schuck. I mean, when Tyler Shuck isn't you know.
(17:58):
I said something to him at the Senior Bowl about like,
you know, you've hit bund Dell with a bunch of
major injuries, like well, not major injuries, just broken bones
and stuff. I'm like, that's a major injury to me. Yeah,
he missed a lot of time, but like he looks
good on the field. I think that's a really good
story him. I think that the entire wide receiver group
because it's regarded as a down year. By the way,
its text was green Bay that reposed that confirmed the
(18:21):
wide receiver group. There's not those top top end guys.
You're not going to see the really really, you know,
top five, top ten type guys. But that also creates
some variants where let's say, to give you a name,
Matthew Golden from Texas. Has he come out here and
lighted up and all of a sudden we're talking about
him as being first second wide receiver off the board,
like that's entirely possible. And then I'm also just you know,
(18:43):
it's always about who the fiscal freaks are going to
be the test off the chart, right who are some
of you think? Shamar Stewart, the Texas A and m Edge.
He was also another senior Bowl guy. I stood next
to him, like he is built like Gdevian Clowney. If
you can just envision what he looks like. I've been
told based on what he's doing in terms of his
combine training, like he's testing like he might test like
(19:03):
Trayvon Walker. He's a little bit taller than Trayvon Walker,
who what number one overall ahead of Aidan Hutchinson in
the draft not that long ago. Based largely on the
testing numbers, I think that he's he's definitely one to watch.
And then I'll give you a forty yard blazer. Maxwell Harston,
the corner from Kentucky, super engaging, bright dude that.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
I've talked to. Could really play.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
But he's also like he's legit, fast, fast, and it's
gonna be interesting to see what he runs.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
Yeah, no one expected Xavier Worthy to go first round
at this time last year. Yeah, we haven't gotten too
deep into the prospect. But Shamar Stewart's really interesting. I
like hearing how different evaluators talk about him. Daniel Jeremiah,
I know he put it, but his top fifty check
that out today. In terms of prospects, SamArt Stewart is
twenty eighth. Like he is a guy who's going to
get compared to Treyvon Walker because of the low sack
(19:52):
total and he's just a physical freak. But there are
people that say, like, this guy really doesn't know how
to play football very well. Yet, which I don't think
they were saying about Trayvon Walker, like he is someone
that is the ultimate, Like it's gonna be a test
of do you draft the guy just off of measurements
or not? Like he could go anywhere from the top
ten to the second round, and there are people that
(20:13):
will say, like, man, maybe it'll happen, but he like
doesn't really know how to play yet, but we'll see.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
It kind of reminds me of now.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
Will McDonald was in a category of his own, like
the dude who would jump over cars from Iowa State
and it was like is he a one? Is he
like a he going the second and he went like
to the Jets at what eighteenth overall or so?
Speaker 2 (20:32):
It was like a no. Thirteenth overall?
Speaker 3 (20:34):
He went very high in that draft, Like that might
be the type of guy you get with with Schamar Stewart.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
And yeah, Will McDonald's gotten better as we go.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Okay, enough, you know, preamble here, let's get to the
top one oh one free agents of twenty twenty five.
I wish I could still mess around and just keep
changing the rankings. I am someone that understands this is
a fun exercise. It's just opinion, and then it changed
(21:13):
so much on a daily basis that it would continue
to change if I was allowed to keep changing. But
now it's locked in. My editors say I cannot change it.
Here are the top ten free agents. I'm not gonna
go through all one on one of four two. I
will do the top ten, the top ten. T Higgins,
who we think is gonna get franchise, Tag will not
get the free agency Barnes surprise, Yeah, yes, clearly never
could get traded. Trey Smith. I have already gotten some
(21:35):
pushback on this. Number two. Milton Williams three, who had
a great playoff run with the Eagles. A lot of
Eagles up top, Ronnie Stanley four, Zach Bond coming off
a career year at number five, Sam Darnold at six,
Osa Adigie Zua at number seven, Josh Sweat from the
Eagles at eight, Chris Godwin at nine, and Carlton Davis
starts off a run of cornerbacks. Tarvarius Ward and DJ
(21:57):
Reid are the next two guys on my list.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
In the top twelve, there's a bunch of top corners.
I think that I looked at the list. I think
that you know in general terms, like you're you're on
it here. Tray Smith will be interesting because if the
Chiefs don't franchise tag him, does that kind of signal
then are they not as fired up about him as
other teams might be looking at him. I mean, there's
not a lot of guards, there's not a lot of
offensive linement. There's not a lot of offensive players. With
(22:22):
the year of Ronnie Stanley, with his injury history in
the top five on the list. He was healthy this year,
but he had missed a ton of time over the
last the previous two or three seasons. But I'm with you,
I mean it would not be a surprise if he
ends up being the top paid tackle. Zach Martin's retirement
took another option where Zach Barton wanted to play. Somebody
would give him fifteen million dollars to you know, come in.
(22:43):
I think that you know one of the interesting things.
And this probably speaks to the perception within the league
about the quality of the free agent class. Those names,
those are your top ten free agents here. It's not
as gan, but also think how few franchise tags are
even possible off that list. I mean, he is going
to get it if they can't work out a deal,
which we'll see how that plays out, But it seems
(23:05):
like the tag is coming for him, Trey Smith. Maybe
it's at least a possibility that the Chiefs could potentially
explore Sam Donald. You can't rule out him getting tagged
at this point. Yeah, that could be a tag to sign,
That could be a tag in trade, that could be tagging.
An hour later, he's in the parking lot signing it
to make sure he locks in his forty million dollars
for this year. That's a good idea. There's Sam Donald.
(23:26):
A lot of different ways that this thing could go.
And then, ohso Diggi Zoo, I think you would at
least make the case that maybe you could franchise tag him.
But with the Cowboys in their current financial situation, you know, capwise,
I don't really see that happening. So I think that
the two defensive tackles that get paid are the two
guys you got up there, Odiggi Zua.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
And Milton Williams.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Okay, we've seen crazy defensive tackle numbers. If both those
guys got twenty plus a year, I wouldn't be shocked.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Oh yeah, I'm expecting it for Milton Williams.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
I'm not sure what the market is for Diggi Zua,
but he's a good player who has gotten better and better,
and that's that's what you want. The defensive tackles tend
to grow up slowly. I did, so I set this
list out immediately got some reaction. There are some people
that don't think Tray Smith is maybe as good as
his reputation, or is maybe not coming off his best
(24:15):
year that the team's kind of targeted him, did not
have a great Super Bowl. Team's kind of targeted him
a little bit when when Tuney was at left tackle,
we'll see I would be shocked if he didn't get
big money from someone, But maybe it's not. It's from
that he was a freaking All Pro and he's young
and he's played.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Hessian scarcity drives so much of this, and I mean,
look through, don't know where your next guard is.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Okay, there's not it's pretty rough, will Fries. I heard
some people are are pretty big on I mean, this
is a guy with a late round pick who didn't
play that much until twenty twenty three. But they'll do solid.
It could be improved. He's the next one. And then
it's Tevin Jenkins, who played with.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Their interior guys Drew Dolman, who I agree that's probably
gonna be the top paid center. And all this is pending.
Obviously the other guys who get cut, and of course
you add them and update this list regularly. Yes, which
is very helpful to those of us who sometimes lose
track of things amidst the free agency frenzy. Yes, I mean,
I think if you're just going down, you know, position
by position, Darnold is clearly the one quarterback that's gonna
(25:10):
get paid. Is that number in Does that number begin
with a three? Does that number begin with a four?
Those are the things that remain to be seen, And
obviously the tag situation hovers over there.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
I gotta start with a four if he's getting tagged,
because then that means they either would play it or
at least find a team that was willing to do
like two for seventy but guarantee forty fifty of it
whatever some something like that.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
There's no running backs are gonna get paid huge money.
Nage Harris will get a good, solid deal because he's
a known commodity running back.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
I'd like Aaron Jones, so I ranked him a little ahead,
but that's like a one year deal type of guy
that I think is gonna be thirty.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
Years old and he probably need to, you know, ease
off the carries. He got one for seven last year.
I think probably around that same.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Yeah. JK.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Dobbins is out there. Kenneth Gainwell is at the end
of my list. Ti Johnson like these these are the
types of guys that make it to free andency. Okay,
you mentioned the quarterback, so let's talk about the other
quarterbacks quickly. Justin Fields. I still think Justin Fields can
offer something and was an improved player last year. So
because of the quarterback tax, he was my second quarterback
and I put him in the top twenty five because
(26:16):
I just think that position is that important. Then I
went with Russell Wilson. He was around the middle of
the fifties. Jamis Winston. I think a high quality backup
is worth more than they're getting on the open market,
so that's why I still rank them pretty high. Jacoby Brissett,
you get into Daniel Jones and Jimmy g Is in
the mix of guys there, any any of those names
(26:40):
stand out to you as maybe we'll get a better
deal than people think, well have or at least have
a starter's market. I kind of viewed all those guys
as backups, but Fields at least has a little bit
more of an upside to him.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Yeah, I think that the biggest thing.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
And this is why I think the biggest story in
the NFL over the next let's call it three weeks,
gonna be trades because in the draft, let's start there.
Since we are here in Indianapolis at the combine, how
many of those guys do you feel confident are going
to start right away? You maybe can make an argument
to yourself the cam Ord schadure and if there's somebody
(27:16):
else down the line, quin yours just play a ton
of football. But maybe all these there's not even a surefire.
There's not a Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake may type
where you feel like even Drake needed some time.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Although hot take, I think the longer we get in
this process, people are going to be like, you know what,
can't Ward's a pretty great quarterback?
Speaker 3 (27:32):
People come around on it. So let's say you get
one or two starters out of the rookie class. Now
you're into the free agent class where Sam Darnold'll be
starting somewhere. Stafford certainly trade yet, right, But like of
the other guys you mentioned on your free agent list,
Russ Depenny, where he is. I don't think that he
signs anywhere as if he's not the starter. So I
(27:54):
think Russ starts somewhere. I think fields is a minimum
in a competition type of situation. Yeah, and beyond that,
I don't know that there is anybody else you're saying
that guy's going to step in and become an instant starter.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
So now let's think about it. Maybe jimmd in Los
Angeles or very specific textual situation. That's right.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
So now let's get into the quarterback the veteran quarterbacks
who currently are under contract that we don't know how
this is going to end. Aaron Rodgers tendantly still under contract,
but is going to become a free agent.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
I would to ask ye him on there put on
your one on what? No, because I just technically on
the team. Maybe they could find a trade for him
so he doesn't make the one on it? Where would
you put Aaron Rodgers on this list? Just for the listeners?
If you keep going to the top twenty Byron Murphy again,
a lot of good cornerbacks Dre Green, Lodge, Yvon Holland,
Nick Bolton, Will Fryes, Reddick. I get to my second
quarterback there at fields, I would put Rogers I think
(28:47):
ahead of Fields, but.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Maybe not hard though.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
I mean, there's some pretty good defensive starters that are
available all the way through thirty. If you were making
this list, where do you put him?
Speaker 3 (28:56):
I have a great deal of respect for Aaron Rodgers,
who like covered early in his careers on four NFL MVPs.
He's one of the most He's the best practice player
I've ever seen. Interest just the way that he can
manipulate his body, angles like the arms snap and put
the ball anywhere. I mean, he is a rare dude.
The guy I saw for large chunks last season was
not Aaron Rodgers. Is that being forty one years old?
(29:18):
Is that coming off a torn achilles? Is that the
general dysfunction that emerged after the Fireing to Robert Solo, well,
I'd say the last game that he played with Soli
as the head coach was the worst I've ever seen
Aaron Rodgers play, just missing wide open dude after wide
open dude. So all the other stuff that comes with
Aaron and is he doing publicity tours on McAfee and
(29:40):
documentaries and everything like all that. That's a real thing,
and teams have talked to me about it, you know,
do you want to bring all that in? But it's
also just about are you going in on this guy
and you're gonna get the version who for half the
season last year not only wasn't the reason they were winning,
but he was a big reason they were losing. I
don't know, hard to put him in a ranking. He's
(30:02):
somewhere in the top one to one. It is Who's
number one O one? Greg, we got it's Nick Chubb.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
I I'm glad you mentioned that this is a big
reveal every year. One O one is unique because as
the players come on and off the list.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
You Deontay Johnson at one hundred. I did I uh
touch screen? Sorry? Yeah, I just thought.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
As crazy as season as he has, no one had
a worse contract here than Deaday Jensen. I just feel
like out of the talent's too good. It's so hard
to find a wide receiver. I want to stick him in,
but one on one is the Warne's.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
Closer in my mind, I'll say this, and don't don't
put this, don't let the aggreatet all.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Do I want to get aggregated? All right? I would
put Aaron closer to one on one, then that's fair.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
I I don't think it's crazy to say that if
you're just looking at all things considered, had to Let's say,
Jimmy G. Is maybe my last one that made the list.
He's somewhere in the eighties or something like that, seventies.
I can't find Aaron, all.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Right, Then Aaron, if you're if you're weighing by weighing
it out in terms of like position value, then he's
probably somewhere around the Jimmy G territory, which when it
sounded like blasphemy three years ago, but now it's just
it's the reality that dude, if you go back through
the course of time, I know you're a great football historian.
Look at the Hall of Fame up to say, twenty
years ago. You go through every player through like the
(31:19):
early two thousands, every Hall of Fame quarterback, they all
retired at age thirty seven thirty eight. They all every
single one, not like around there or below that, like
right at thirty seven thirty eight, like that was the cutoff.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
There's literally only two quarter like one quarterback now as
all as Aaron Rodgers that's ever produced. Well, and it's
Aaron Rodgers, I mean it's Tom Brady. And the only
one that even got a little close was Warren Moon
and Drew Brees got to that like forty forty one
season and that's it.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
Marvid thirty nine had a great sea, didn't get me.
That's where Rogers. Warren Moon played into his early forties,
and then tom Ma re wrote everything and made it
hard on all these guys, like dudes didn't play this long.
And when Aaron's his great skin was always getting inside
and outside the pocket and making things happen on the run.
You see, whether he either can't do it or doesn't
(32:06):
think he should do it, that part's not there anymore.
So then again, just to wrap that, like the quarterbacks,
think of the number of guys we got that are available.
Rogers fluid with Kirk Cousins, yes, flued with Matthew Stafford,
flued with.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
Derek Carr, yes.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
So that's four more names that everybody's sitting there going
are they gonna be cut? Are they gonna get traded? Like,
what's gonna happen. Point gotta push all these guys down.
So it's just my point is like, if you're sitting
there like to me again, that's the biggest storyline over
the next three weeks is all these guys are available,
and it's gonna be chaotic because teams are gonna look
(32:43):
at free agency and the draft and go, we just
need to go get this guy to get us through
the year.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
This is all really good stuff. I want to I
want to get to a little more on the one one.
But before I do, does that mean Derek Carr is available?
Speaker 3 (32:55):
You think he's got a ten million dollars fully guaranteed bonus.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
I think it's the third.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
Or fifth day of the league ar fifth day of
the league year, and he's got another thirty million that
fully ves if he's on the roster the third day
of the league year. So there's they're gonna have to
do something. If he's gonna be a Saint, they're gonna
have to address his contract. I know Kellen Moore and
Derek have met and they've talked about next season and
all those things, but they're going to come to a
contractual agreement. Does that kind of like Stafford a different category,
(33:24):
but does that work out in New Orleans? Is it
ultimately Hey, we're better off with him going someplace else.
Like I would say, it's fluid. There has to be
a resolution, and there's no resolution right now.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
And when I hear fluid, and I don't want to
put words in your mouth because you are a responsor
bull reporter and I'm not.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
I'm just, you know, hosting a show here and offer
an analysis. You've been doing it in a long time.
Away with it. I don't mean it. It's not irresponsible.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
But when I hear fluid and I hear them considering
moving him, it's almost like the quote on retirement, once
you're thinking about it, you're already almost there. When I
hear that, I think, Okay, there's a there's a decent
chance all those guys I think are going to be playing.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
How many career quarterbacks took like substantial pay cuts. Brady
was on a year to year thing, and you can
argue he always took deals that were friendly because he
wanted them to continue to put together the roster. Ben
Roethlisberger took a huge but he is you know, he's
not Brady In New England. He's not Roethlisberger and Pittsburgh,
he's Derek Carr got there a couple of years ago,
(34:22):
and the only game that I saw he played there,
he got booed every time he came on the field
and they cheered when Taysom replaced him. So like, there's
not a lot of history there. Derek Derrek's a great guy,
and you know, you know, if he wants to play
this season, I would anticipate that he's gonna have options
to do that. I just can't stare and tell you
is it going to be in New Orleans. A couple
of things. I thought that the defense actually was pretty
(34:44):
deep on this list. Uh, if you need a three
down linebacker, and I feel like a lot of teams
do a lot of good players. I have Zach Bond
I mentioned at five, Nick Bolton's at eighteen. Ernest Jones,
who was on three rosters last year but kind of
turned the Seahawks season around.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
Put him in the thirty.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Jamien Sherwood was a guy who I heard from a
lot of people they were like, oh, you have him
too low. I put him in the top thirty five.
In the end, maybe I should have put him even higher.
Dre Greenlaw is in my top twenty a difference maker,
another guy people have some people have a lot of
support for Kaiser White is in my top one hundred
Tyrel Dodson, who was with the Dolphins. So I actually
(35:23):
think there could be like a little bit of a
trend where three down linebackers start getting value, they start
bouncing back a little bit like running backs.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Did.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
I feel like we've now gotten to the point where
the analytics or whatever the conventional wisdom from teams is,
don't play, don't pay these linebackers. It's now gotten so
low that actually it was like, oh wait, these are
the guys getting picked on in our biggest games. We
could have some and that's why there's actually a decent
amount of them that made it.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
What happened with the linebackers was that used to be
a depreciated position and then you remember all these guys,
they go them back like seven years though, and the
Jets did that.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Maybe it wasn't seven, like five.
Speaker 3 (36:02):
Mike mccagnum was the GM They went like, they basically
gave fifty percent more than the top of the market
to CJ. Mosley to convince him to come to the
Jets and game seventeen million year, like the top of
the market that point was like twelve. And then so
all of a sudden, everybody like Bobby Wagner and all
these guys are like, I want that so and all of
a sudden you had all these deals that got done
at seventeen eighteen million dollars and then there was kind
of this course correction back down.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
I agree.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
I mean, Zach Bond will be fascinating because last year
that was one of the greatest values in the entire league,
a one year, five million dollar deal. Can how he
get that done to bring him back? He was a
pretty big part of that defense. I think him, Him
and Bolden are clearly the two that everybody's gonna be
watching and hoping that they bring that back up to
the top of the market, because again, it wasn't that
long ago that if you were a free agent linebacker,
(36:45):
you were sitting there going those guys are getting.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
Seventeen so cycled through every year, and yet this I think,
if I was making a list of all these egos
free agents, I think he's the one that they have
to just break the bank. I think they wish they
had resigned Milton Williams earlier a rare thing that maybe
how he would want back. You can't resign everyone. Cornerback
I mentioned is pretty pretty deep. I mentioned those three
(37:08):
at the top, Carlton Davis, DJ Reid Tarvarius.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
Byron Murphy too. Byron murmur had a really good year fifteen.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
Actually I moved him up with some and then guys
I wish I had, I already wish I had a
little higher.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
I heard from multiple people.
Speaker 1 (37:22):
Travon Morrig, he's at twenty two good years the Safety
for the Raiders, shout out to Mike Mayock. A Mayock
picks right, and actually I heard from more than one
person now is like even that's way too low. He
should be maybe in your top ten, Like he is
a sending really good young starter.
Speaker 2 (37:36):
I mean, is Jovon Hall in your top safety He is.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Just ahead of morg And I got some people saying
they would rather have morg. I think there'd probably be
more a really agreement.
Speaker 3 (37:45):
He had a really good year. And then there's a
bunch of other guys who can't come off good years.
I mean cam buying him. Yes, another is another one
who I think is going to do well guys like
Jeremy Chin that kind of get forgotten. He's going to be,
you know, certainly in the mix. It's just a matter
if he's a very specifics like a Swiss army knife.
It's like, what's the scheme fit for him. Yeah, there's
some safeties. There's a bunch of corners to your point,
(38:05):
there's a couple of linebackers, there's a couple of defensive tackles,
and then the edge market's also going to be that's
one name.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Or do you have Dio Adenobo? He is in my
top forty or so.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
He might be one of those ones that surprises you.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
That makes even more than you expect. He was someone
I had thought that. Listen, initially, I know, I kind
of well, there's there's not a last thirty eight.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
There's a bunch of I know, you got like Khalil
Mack in your your top twenty five. Like there's a
bunch of the older guys like Chase Young's a free
agent once again and Kalais Campbell.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
But here's the thing, I don't mind putting some of
those guys higher because I do know year after year
that those guys end up being great values. Kalais Campbell's
been a fantastic value a year after year, you're getting
a high quality starter for like ten if it's not
a prediction of like who makes the most money necessarily,
it's it's who.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
Uh is gonna be good?
Speaker 3 (38:54):
But in terms of those young edge rushers, because people
are proactive doing deals, the top ones get tagged this year,
there isn't anybody who's really in the tag category. You know,
Diodenable might be the highest paid edge rusher in this
entire group, and I would bet you got a various
You're you're killing me.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
That's why I want to now I got to put
him in the top twenty five. It's too late.
Speaker 1 (39:12):
Joshan Morton was the other one from the Chiefs that
just I think he's gonna get paid a lot. A
lot of people are watching Chiefs film during the during
the playoffs, and he is a good god where do
you have Godwin? I put him in the top ten
just out of respect.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
I think the meris also if and when t gets tagged,
like who else are you paying up there?
Speaker 1 (39:31):
Darius Slayton should do well. Let's let's think it quickly.
I know you got to go. I don't want to
push you too hard here and take advantage of your time.
You got to go do more live TV. What a
schedule that Pella Sero has. They have him on from
like seven or eight in the morning on Good Morning Football,
and then he's got to take off the suit, put
put it back on like eight hours later.
Speaker 2 (39:51):
And this shirt's got his shirts.
Speaker 3 (39:53):
Kind of wrinkled, you know the part down at the
bottom that's just like completely wrinkling. You take it out
of your pants the other day. I get to put
that back in the pants. That's okay.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
The wide receiver of market, I have Amari Cooper at thirteen,
Darius Slayton and Mark eas Brown at forty two and
forty three, Diami Brown who had a good playoff run
at fifty. Stefan Diggs is at thirty. I thought he
was sadly into a nice role. I know he's an
older player, but just out of respect. Mike Williams is
an interesting guy to me. I think a lot of
teams have written him off. I do wonder a year
more removed from a torn acl I had to give
(40:23):
him some respect and put him in.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
A top secred I mean, Mike Williams when he's on.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
He's always been a streaky player, as everybody who's in
fantasy knows, including me. I'm like a long time, long
term Mike Williams owner, and it's like, you will get
stretches where he's unbelievable, and then there's games where he disappears.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
Blake just watching him love.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
There's very few of those big body, vertical speed threat guys.
He's one of them. And you're right, I mean another
year coming off of a very serious injury, right, he'll
be more expressive. It's not shocking to me. He took
a little bit he never had, but Diggs. Diggs will
be coming right back from his ACL as an older player.
I still those guys they tend to get like the
one year incentive laden types of deals. You know, one's
(41:00):
coming off an injury too, and he's got a prior ACL.
He's always on the injury report with the knee. My
belief is still somebody's gonna pay him just because they're
gonna look at the alternatives and say this is clearly
the best guy out.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
Yeah, at the end of the list, it's not deep.
Elijah Moore, I had to it hurt me, but DeAndre
Hopkins and Keenan Allen are are towards the back of
the the one on one. Two great players, but not
at their best right now. It was a red flag
for me that Hopkins could not produce with Patrick Mams.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
You're not gonna have a better situation.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
Well, hop hop just kind of runs his own route
tree and I think that that takes time for the
quarterback to get on the same page. Keenan Allen new
place didn't work out on anybody wanted to in Chicago.
He's a competitor's he's thirty five. I think he's older now. Yeah,
but you know another guy who he absolutely he's got
a place in the league here.
Speaker 2 (41:45):
It's just a matter of like thirty three, don't you
try to thirty three?
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Okay, I try to age this guy, all right, And yes,
Nick Chubb at twenty nine is my one on one.
I didn't finish my thought earlier, but uh, yes, one
on one stays there.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
For X one onesub.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
It's a position of respect because I know he's coming
off these serious injuries. But this is a Hall of
Fame talent, Hall of Fame person, so you want to
bet on the person I thought he would represent.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
One on one.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
Well, uns seed to the Browns, try to get something done.
They did the deal with him last year knowing he
was gonna miss most of the season. Do you take
one more run? Does he want to go someplace? So
it's not gonna be a ton of money. He's a
bad dude though, you know when he's out there, if
he can capture some of what he was, we'll go.
Speaker 1 (42:22):
He is also a bad dude. Tom Pellisero, he's made
nice with the en Rappaport. These two guys, they're dominating
the insider gang game. I will say it right now
for Tom Pelisaro. Appreciate the time you got man. We
will be back on Tuesday. Like I mentioned, we're gonna
have some general manager interviews. Jordan rod Rieg of The
(42:44):
Athletic will also join me on the show. And yes,
it will be coming out earlier in the days. We'll
just send it once we get all the news, because look,
it's not that just the gms we're talking to the coaches.
The gms for every single team are going to be
at these podiums over.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
The next couple days.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
A lot news coming out of that until then, Yeah, look,
when we're back in Indianapolis. It almost feels like football
is back, but no, it's still the regular season for now.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
See a Tuesday
Welcome to NFL Daily, where we might have to make
it in the top one hundred and two free agents
of twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
I am Greg Roosevelt.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
I am here in Indianapolis at the Scouting Combine, in
a half full convention center where everyone is setting up
for the big day where it starts tomorrow, and I
am joined for the first time on NFL Daily, excited
to do so with Tom Pelisero, our insider at NFL
Network alongside Ian Rapaport.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
What's up, Hey, Happy to be here, Glad that I
get to make my debuts.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Great to see you live and in person.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
You know, it's always fun to get to get out
of the basement studio and see people.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
It is nice to do that. And yes, you are
kind of the yin to Rapaports.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yang.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
You know, I've been here at the NFL for over
a decade. I've seen the rise of Palasaro. How is
everything going just with you and rap Sheet because that
that's a tricky relationship to work, outsider.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Yeah, we we kind of find, along with Mike, you know,
ways that we can, you know, be able to stave
off the fights. Like if you've noticed in the past
month there's a lot of sources tell the Insiders or
per the Insiders, or the tweets, and that was a
catch all that came out of Okay, went in down,
just say that and we'll fight over credit later. I
suppose how'd you leave me off? So we were trying
(01:21):
to like stave off those fights. I think it's gone
pretty well so far, and we we gotta get a
we gotta get a handle at some point for that.
But you know, yeah, per the Insiders, that's the backstory
on that is it's just to keep me from strangling.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
So you are are joining us on a big day
in uh NFL Daily in the off season, which is
the day uh NFL dot com releases my top one
oh one free agents. I put a lot by the way,
say I said the other day on during the production
call for The Insiders, I'm like, is Greg's list all
the other things like he hasn't published yet.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
I'm like, well, then what are we supposed to put
on the graphics? You're the you're the oracle of these
are the names?
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Well they're out there now and so you can check
that out on NFL dot com.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
And I thought you you will.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
Know this list and the players and the agents and
the values better than anyone.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
So I was excited to have you on for that.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
I mentioned, by the way, we might have to go
to one oh two because I saw a PFF did.
I always made it one to one because I just
thought it had a snappy ring to it. Also, one
more than one hundred. Every other site's got one hundred,
just shows we're working a little bit harder.
Speaker 2 (02:23):
And now I noticed PFF made there's one on one two.
They just didn't. This is straight. So I might just
have to go to one on two.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
But we're gonna do some news before we get into
the one oh one, and I wanted to start with
something you spoke about on the Riche Eisen Show on Friday.
It was really the first time it was out there.
It was interesting because I was like, shouldn't this be
like breaking news on NFL.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
Networ had that conversation with the group that too Listen,
there are some things I know you're getting at, Matthew Stafford.
So there are some things, and this is like a
broader I could do an hour on this. I won't,
but there are some stories that I don't think are
necessarily conducive to tweet format. Yes, this was one of
those where we were going to talk about on the
(03:05):
Insiders and then the clock ran out, and YadA YadA,
and then Rich asked me about it straight off, and
I had the wrong time zone in my phone, so
I was at a pilate studio, not a dungeon. Just
for anybody who looked at the quality of that video.
He asked me about it, and what I tried to
convey was, yes, they've given permission to Matthews savage agent
(03:26):
Jimmy Sexton to talk to other teams. This is not
a we're demanding a trade and now we're It was
a hey, go out and see all right, because Matthews
do twenty seven million dollars this year, including four million
dollar bonus. That's doing about a month. That was a
product and part of when they redid his deal last year. Yeah,
he got a raise in twenty twenty four like a
band aid. Last gave up his future guarantees, which made
(03:48):
very clear this is a year to year type of format.
So now he plays well. They took the Eagles to
the limit in the playoffs. They got a you know,
a young roster. Safford's sitting there going I'm making twenty seven.
They're literally guys who are making double that, who have
not accomplished what I have and are not as good
as players as I am.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
We've got to adjust this.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
So there's sometimes is this dance and you're negotiating a
vacuum and there's off the record calls.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
They're just like, just do it.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
You know. Frankly, you know no one said this to me,
but it's kind of like you're gonna get this information anyway,
So just go ahead, talk to the other teams, figure
out what they'd be willing to do in a you know,
for a contract which serves two purposes.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
One, it allows you.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
To make progress in terms of if you are going
to do a trade, you have to do the contracts.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
You get that out of the way.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
Yeah, But it also allows the Rams to go, Okay,
here's what the other teams would be willing to offer.
Are we willing to go there? There is a number
at which I don't believe the Rams would want to
go past. For Matthew Stafford from a pure football perspective,
and I know you like to watch tape and like
dage the football, I only look at the other options
to go boy, Matthew Stafford would be better off going
to the Giants or the Raiders. The Rams have Sean McVay,
(04:54):
they're in a division that they just won. They do
have young talent, albeit they got some transition they've got
to go through on the offensive side. Why would he
want to go elsewhere? And the honest answer is, you're
to the later stages of your career. You want your
contract to reflect the value that you bring. The Rams
are trying to fire out how do we build a
championship caliber team? And so they're trying to get all
the answers, get all the cards on the table and
(05:15):
make decisions which could come sort.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Of the later this week will be really interesting. And no,
I'm glad. I'm glad you brought brought it up with
Rich and all these texts that I just looked at.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
I thought maybe I'd nerge in Matthew sabertext it's no,
it's my wife. Is Teagan still grounded? And then Teagan?
Am I still grounded? You're still grounded?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Dang? What times the stay in palace? What they do?
What they do?
Speaker 3 (05:36):
She she thought it was funny to play a joke
on me and say she was biking to Culver's with
her friends, which is two miles away and across a
very busy road. Okay, while I was at swim lessons
with the other kid and dad was not pleased. We
do it. We may come off when this gets appealed
to the appeals officer in the house, my wife, it'll
probably get knocked down from the month to something more palatable.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
And that's harsh. So Stafford, it's fascinating to me. It
really does seem like it's about money and there's always
more to it. We don't need to get into that
with you here, but another one of our colleagues this
is it's confusing how the Insider gang, you know, works.
But Schrager mentioned a number something about like fifty million dollars.
Pete Schrager for Fox on Twitter that maybe that's what
(06:16):
he's seeking, and if it is something that the Rams
are not willing to go that high, I don't think
personally he will have that hard a time finding an
organization that will. I do think that would be an
appropriate market for Matthew Stafford. The Giants make some sense
to me on paper. The Raiders make a little sense
(06:37):
to me on paper. Do you have any teams that
you think have actually expressed interest or would make the
most sense.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
I'd say the Giants the Raiders make a lot of
sense for those teams. Again, does it make sense for
Matthew Stafford to go into the NFC East behind an
offensive line that still needs work. He's got receivers, he
has some you know, Molik neighbors, and some young talent
on the roster. You're gonna go up and compete with
Philly and even Washington.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
And do you have if you have a feeling that
the Rams don't really really want you or maybe this
is all a negotiation where okay, I'll take x amount
less from the Rams to play for the Rams, but
not you know, everything, or there's more to it.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
And he just feels like the time is there's.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
Basically there's you know, by my count, there's nine or
ten teams they are gonna get starting quarterback in this cycle.
So you can go down the list, Tennessee, does that
make sense. I don't really foresee them going that direction. Cleveland,
I don't see it. The Giants, it does make sense.
Get instant credibility, give you a chance to not show
up with a knife to a gunfight.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
In the division to try to get in there.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
I think they're a little more turnkey than other people,
probably like.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
For a playoff spot. With Matthew Stafford. I don't think
they're a bad They've got pieces.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
I mean Dexter Lawrence and the lak neighbors, you know,
Tyrone Tracy. I know nobody wants to talk about it
because what Sakwon did. He did run for a thousand
yards last year. They have to get some highly drafted
offensive lineman playing better or playing at all. That would
certainly help. There's some adjustment to do. But okay, so
the Giant should be a possibility. You keeping your way
through the draft. I'm doing this off the top of
my head. The Raiders are another team that needs a
(08:08):
starting quarterback. I do think that adding a veteran. When
you hire Pete Carroll, you're not going this is gonna
be a four year build. He's got like a three
year contract, so you're thinking you're trying to win. I
think that makes sense for them go down to the
bottom of the draft order. Obviously, going back to the
Rams makes sense. The Vikings are going to be a
really alluring place to whoever. I don't foresee that being
(08:29):
how this plays out, because then you're talking about giving
up assets where they don't have a lot of draft
picks this year, either giving up assets to bring in
a veteran quarterback when you've got JJ McCarthy. There probably
not something they're going to do. But that's the spot
people are going to want to go to. Pittsburgh is
another one. I think the Matthew Stafford and Pittsburgh would
make a ton of sense, again when you look at
the caliber quarterbacks in the division, But is that a
(08:49):
place to Matthew Stafford and his family want to go.
It's not exactly New York or Vegas when you're coming
from LA. From just a vice perspective, so I think
I'm missing one or two more. I mean, Indianapolis has
to figure out what they're how they're going to put
together that room this year with Anthony Richardson, he can't
be but you're not pick You're not bringing in Matthew
(09:11):
Stafford in that situation, So I think I'm missing somebody else.
But basically those are the teams, and you get pretty
quickly kind of whittle away a bunch of those teams
as like what the real possibilities.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Are it's fascinating. I personally, I'm not putting words in
your mouth. I think the Hayes a little out of
the barn here, and I do think something's gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
I hope it happens this week.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Just for content sake, we're gonna have on a new
general manager to the NFL. Since we've last tape NFL Daily,
a man named James Gladstone became the general manager of
the Jacksonville Jaguars. I bring his name up like that
because he's not someone that many people outside of the
(09:48):
league would possibly know who he is. Frankly, he's not
a guy who people inside the league know that well.
I talked to a couple teams and they were like
they hired who. He was an assistant with the RAMS.
His type was the director of scouting strategy, kind of
a right hand man of less sneed, but in a creative,
sort of more less formal role with the RAMS than
(10:09):
maybe like a director of college scouting or pro personnel
or anything like that, which is often the guys who
get two GMS. So he's joining us on NFL Daily
on Tuesday, We're talking to three gms. I'm excited about that. Uh,
I just wanted your your thoughts on that. He he
spoke kind of a non traditional, very young higher for
(10:30):
for the Jaguars.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
It is it's somebody that Liam Cohen has a familiarity
with from their days with the Rams, and obviously he
was impressed by him. I saw Liam said some stuff
about watching him navigate undrafted free agency and some of
the things that he did in that area. He does
have a football background. This is not a pure quantitative higher.
He was a high school football coach, so like there
was literally less sneeds sons football. Hig school football comes
(10:55):
correct back in saying this is so this is like
the close thing I would say is this is almost
like a baseball or basketball higher where you get somebody
who is purely from an analytic background. Although again he
does have some football That's why I even bring it up.
It's like, it's not as if he came from you know,
video games and now is the GM of the Jaguars,
and so there's some of that that Tony conn I'm
sure appreciates. Given what his background is and his role
(11:18):
within the organization. He's got another really smart dude that
he can work with. And obviously there's a trust factor
there with Liam. But you're right, and this is nothing
against James last one, who I don't know personally. I
got his number, sent him a text after he got
the job, like, Hi, good do good to meet you.
But he's definitely not a know, a known commodity within
the league. And so you know, like with any of
(11:39):
these things, it's like, you got to get the right
staff around him, you got to get the right scouts
in place. I would also remind people of this, shot
Con never wanted to fire Trmpalkey. Shot con thinks Trent
Balkey built a really good roster. Shot Con thinks Tramp
Paulkey built a really good football operation in the systems.
So now with a guy who comes from a very
(12:00):
different background into this environment, does he have the power
to say what a lot of quantitative people would, which
is we should probably get this thing right for the
long haul trade some of the highly paid guys who
have significant value. Or do you come in and go, well,
we're not going to rock the boat because we've got
to win. That's the mandate here from ownership that we
got a team that can win now. And I'm just
(12:21):
I don't want to have the answer for that. I
think it's a fascinating sub storyline. This is a guy
who's never done a trade presumably. I'm sure he's consulted
on trades. He's never done a trade, he's never picked
a player. There's a lot of gmsh to come in
who have varying levels of experience in that, but his
background is going to be a little bit different. And
so who are the people in the organization he leans on.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Well, I'll check out his vibe on Tuesday. We also
have Ryan Poles, by the way, check out our show
on Tuesday coming on, the general manager of the Bears
and the new Raiders GM John spy Tech And yeah,
I mean I kind of just look at the salary structure.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
That tells you a lot.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Liam Cohn is one of the highest paid new coaches
ever and one of the higher paid coaches in the
league period, And so he's got a lot of he's
got a lot of juice.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
I doubt James Gime he is.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
It's ultimately kind of like a coach centric situation. You
also have Tony Basselli, who helped with the hiring, who
was part of the press conference. Uh some news that
also went down and we'll get to the one on
one shortly. Uh, Brandon Staley was hired as the Saints
defensive coordinator. We talked about that potential higher coming up.
Cuts have started around the NFL, just just kind of
(13:28):
mentioning this time of year has started to happen. So
the Bears cut DeMarcus Walker, Gerald Everett, some other cuts,
the Bengals Sheldon Rankins, Won Thornhill, Shaq Thompson, and the
Panthers was made aware that they're not going to resign
him in for agency.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
That was a little week.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
Yeah, I mean they're trying to give him like the
the nice, nice send off. But yeah, it's like, I
don't know, we need to They gotta do what they
want to do.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
And you just former.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
First going to resign free agent, about to hit free agency.
We we'd run out of time if we hit all
those check Thomson, Greg I was there the night the
night he was drafted.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
I was in the green, a great Carolina Panther over
the last handful of years. But I did want to
hit before we get to the one on one. Some
of the early news coming out of Indianapolis the Rules
Committee has met. They are talking about potentially doing a
fourth and fifteen or fourth and twenty situation instead of
an on side kick.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
There was a report that banning.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
The tushbush has been brought off some speculations a team.
Speaker 3 (14:28):
So that's a team proposal. Yes, Usually the team proposals,
unless they are co opted by the competition committee, don't
get through. We'll see. I mean, it's been ongoing thing,
like you watch it. He's that a football players at rugby.
I think there's an intellectual discussion. But of course everyone's
just gonna go, oh, you can't stop now they won
the Super Bowl.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Yeah, to take away funny though, because I just weapon
they didn't say who it was an unnamed owner, but
one of the owners on the committee is Mark Murphy,
an acting owner, and he has said publicly many times
in like fans, Q and A. He's set it out
right that he wants it, you know, ban So it
sounds like it's it's probably Mark Murphy.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
With regard to the fourth and fifteen or fourth and
f that's been proposed. The Eagles were proposing that for
like five years every year on the docket. It's never
I don't believe it's correct me if I'm wrong, but
I don't believe it's ever gone to a vote. It's
been brought up, it has gotten onto the list that
they talk about in March when these things are voted upon.
The issue with it is just like, is it gimmicky
(15:25):
for me? I am simultaneously a traditionalist and a capitalist.
The traditionalist in me says the on side kick like
it's it's such a it's a weird play, but it's
like a uniquely football play. I wish the percentages were higher,
but like, I don't want to totally replace that. On
the other hand, the capitalist in me goes, shouldn't we
(15:47):
have like the best players on every team deciding the
biggest moment and not like, yeah, not Nick Folk, right,
and nothing against Nick Folk. I'm just saying that.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
The idea would be, yeah, instead of going for a
non side kick, you would get to attempt a fourth
single team they could take it or fourth and twenty.
I think try it at fourth and twenty per year,
see how it goes. The NFL evolved as it turned
to the league that we know now by trying out
different things like this, so I like it. They are
also in this I think is more likely to happen
(16:18):
in the long run conversation about either moving a touchback
up to the thirty five yard line to encourage more
kickoff returns, or just move the kickoff back five yards
from where the kicker kicks it, which would also potentially
have more returns. So we will see if any of
those things happen before I get off the Combine. Though,
(16:39):
no Sugar Sanders doing workouts, No Ashton Genty. You follow
this stuff so closely.
Speaker 2 (16:46):
I don't.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
I'm just curious since you're on the show here and
we're in Indianapolis, like, is are there any guys that
you're looking for? Are there any like on field Combine
type of stories that are front of mine for.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
You this week as like an insider.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Well, the first thing I would say is we always
talk a lot about the guys who aren't doing anything.
It's like a very very small number. It's like a
dozen of the top guys won't work out. There's like
three hundred and seventy something prospects here.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
I mentioned those two names because they are about as
familiar as any.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
Absolutely, and they're gonna do some of their pro day.
Cam Ward as of now, is undecided from what I
was told. I talked to his quarterbacks coach a short
time ago. He's figuring out if he wants to do it.
I'm sure we'd all love to see Cam Woard the
rest of the quarterbacks. Jackson Dart is gonna throw, Jalen
Milroe is gonna throw. You'll see all those guys, guys.
I'm looking forward to seeing in the drills. I mean,
I think that the quarterbacks because QB three or in
(17:36):
some people's minds, can you even vault up and be
QB two QUB one in this draft whatever it is,
that next group of quarterbacks is really interesting to me.
We saw a lot of them at the Senior Bowl.
Milroe and Dart and those guys Riley Leonard were all there.
But there's some guys we haven't We haven't seen quinnywers On,
Tyler Schuck. People a lot of buzz first round buzz
Tyler Schuck. I mean, when Tyler Shuck isn't you know.
(17:58):
I said something to him at the Senior Bowl about like,
you know, you've hit bund Dell with a bunch of
major injuries, like well, not major injuries, just broken bones
and stuff. I'm like, that's a major injury to me. Yeah,
he missed a lot of time, but like he looks
good on the field. I think that's a really good
story him. I think that the entire wide receiver group
because it's regarded as a down year. By the way,
its text was green Bay that reposed that confirmed the
(18:21):
wide receiver group. There's not those top top end guys.
You're not going to see the really really, you know,
top five, top ten type guys. But that also creates
some variants where let's say, to give you a name,
Matthew Golden from Texas. Has he come out here and
lighted up and all of a sudden we're talking about
him as being first second wide receiver off the board,
like that's entirely possible. And then I'm also just you know,
(18:43):
it's always about who the fiscal freaks are going to
be the test off the chart, right who are some
of you think? Shamar Stewart, the Texas A and m Edge.
He was also another senior Bowl guy. I stood next
to him, like he is built like Gdevian Clowney. If
you can just envision what he looks like. I've been
told based on what he's doing in terms of his
combine training, like he's testing like he might test like
(19:03):
Trayvon Walker. He's a little bit taller than Trayvon Walker,
who what number one overall ahead of Aidan Hutchinson in
the draft not that long ago. Based largely on the
testing numbers, I think that he's he's definitely one to watch.
And then I'll give you a forty yard blazer. Maxwell Harston,
the corner from Kentucky, super engaging, bright dude that.
Speaker 2 (19:23):
I've talked to. Could really play.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
But he's also like he's legit, fast, fast, and it's
gonna be interesting to see what he runs.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
Yeah, no one expected Xavier Worthy to go first round
at this time last year. Yeah, we haven't gotten too
deep into the prospect. But Shamar Stewart's really interesting. I
like hearing how different evaluators talk about him. Daniel Jeremiah,
I know he put it, but his top fifty check
that out today. In terms of prospects, SamArt Stewart is
twenty eighth. Like he is a guy who's going to
get compared to Treyvon Walker because of the low sack
(19:52):
total and he's just a physical freak. But there are
people that say, like, this guy really doesn't know how
to play football very well. Yet, which I don't think
they were saying about Trayvon Walker, like he is someone
that is the ultimate, Like it's gonna be a test
of do you draft the guy just off of measurements
or not? Like he could go anywhere from the top
ten to the second round, and there are people that
(20:13):
will say, like, man, maybe it'll happen, but he like
doesn't really know how to play yet, but we'll see.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
It kind of reminds me of now.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
Will McDonald was in a category of his own, like
the dude who would jump over cars from Iowa State
and it was like is he a one? Is he
like a he going the second and he went like
to the Jets at what eighteenth overall or so?
Speaker 2 (20:32):
It was like a no. Thirteenth overall?
Speaker 3 (20:34):
He went very high in that draft, Like that might
be the type of guy you get with with Schamar Stewart.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
And yeah, Will McDonald's gotten better as we go.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Okay, enough, you know, preamble here, let's get to the
top one oh one free agents of twenty twenty five.
I wish I could still mess around and just keep
changing the rankings. I am someone that understands this is
a fun exercise. It's just opinion, and then it changed
(21:13):
so much on a daily basis that it would continue
to change if I was allowed to keep changing. But
now it's locked in. My editors say I cannot change it.
Here are the top ten free agents. I'm not gonna
go through all one on one of four two. I
will do the top ten, the top ten. T Higgins,
who we think is gonna get franchise, Tag will not
get the free agency Barnes surprise, Yeah, yes, clearly never
could get traded. Trey Smith. I have already gotten some
(21:35):
pushback on this. Number two. Milton Williams three, who had
a great playoff run with the Eagles. A lot of
Eagles up top, Ronnie Stanley four, Zach Bond coming off
a career year at number five, Sam Darnold at six,
Osa Adigie Zua at number seven, Josh Sweat from the
Eagles at eight, Chris Godwin at nine, and Carlton Davis
starts off a run of cornerbacks. Tarvarius Ward and DJ
(21:57):
Reid are the next two guys on my list.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
In the top twelve, there's a bunch of top corners.
I think that I looked at the list. I think
that you know in general terms, like you're you're on
it here. Tray Smith will be interesting because if the
Chiefs don't franchise tag him, does that kind of signal
then are they not as fired up about him as
other teams might be looking at him. I mean, there's
not a lot of guards, there's not a lot of
offensive linement. There's not a lot of offensive players. With
(22:22):
the year of Ronnie Stanley, with his injury history in
the top five on the list. He was healthy this year,
but he had missed a ton of time over the
last the previous two or three seasons. But I'm with you,
I mean it would not be a surprise if he
ends up being the top paid tackle. Zach Martin's retirement
took another option where Zach Barton wanted to play. Somebody
would give him fifteen million dollars to you know, come in.
(22:43):
I think that you know one of the interesting things.
And this probably speaks to the perception within the league
about the quality of the free agent class. Those names,
those are your top ten free agents here. It's not
as gan, but also think how few franchise tags are
even possible off that list. I mean, he is going
to get it if they can't work out a deal,
which we'll see how that plays out, But it seems
(23:05):
like the tag is coming for him, Trey Smith. Maybe
it's at least a possibility that the Chiefs could potentially
explore Sam Donald. You can't rule out him getting tagged
at this point. Yeah, that could be a tag to sign,
That could be a tag in trade, that could be tagging.
An hour later, he's in the parking lot signing it
to make sure he locks in his forty million dollars
for this year. That's a good idea. There's Sam Donald.
(23:26):
A lot of different ways that this thing could go.
And then, ohso Diggi Zoo, I think you would at
least make the case that maybe you could franchise tag him.
But with the Cowboys in their current financial situation, you know, capwise,
I don't really see that happening. So I think that
the two defensive tackles that get paid are the two
guys you got up there, Odiggi Zua.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
And Milton Williams.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Okay, we've seen crazy defensive tackle numbers. If both those
guys got twenty plus a year, I wouldn't be shocked.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
Oh yeah, I'm expecting it for Milton Williams.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
I'm not sure what the market is for Diggi Zua,
but he's a good player who has gotten better and better,
and that's that's what you want. The defensive tackles tend
to grow up slowly. I did, so I set this
list out immediately got some reaction. There are some people
that don't think Tray Smith is maybe as good as
his reputation, or is maybe not coming off his best
(24:15):
year that the team's kind of targeted him, did not
have a great Super Bowl. Team's kind of targeted him
a little bit when when Tuney was at left tackle,
we'll see I would be shocked if he didn't get
big money from someone, But maybe it's not. It's from
that he was a freaking All Pro and he's young
and he's played.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Hessian scarcity drives so much of this, and I mean,
look through, don't know where your next guard is.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Okay, there's not it's pretty rough, will Fries. I heard
some people are are pretty big on I mean, this
is a guy with a late round pick who didn't
play that much until twenty twenty three. But they'll do solid.
It could be improved. He's the next one. And then
it's Tevin Jenkins, who played with.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Their interior guys Drew Dolman, who I agree that's probably
gonna be the top paid center. And all this is pending.
Obviously the other guys who get cut, and of course
you add them and update this list regularly. Yes, which
is very helpful to those of us who sometimes lose
track of things amidst the free agency frenzy. Yes, I mean,
I think if you're just going down, you know, position
by position, Darnold is clearly the one quarterback that's gonna
(25:10):
get paid. Is that number in Does that number begin
with a three? Does that number begin with a four?
Those are the things that remain to be seen, And
obviously the tag situation hovers over there.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
I gotta start with a four if he's getting tagged,
because then that means they either would play it or
at least find a team that was willing to do
like two for seventy but guarantee forty fifty of it
whatever some something like that.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
There's no running backs are gonna get paid huge money.
Nage Harris will get a good, solid deal because he's
a known commodity running back.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
I'd like Aaron Jones, so I ranked him a little ahead,
but that's like a one year deal type of guy
that I think is gonna be thirty.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
Years old and he probably need to, you know, ease
off the carries. He got one for seven last year.
I think probably around that same.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
Yeah. JK.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Dobbins is out there. Kenneth Gainwell is at the end
of my list. Ti Johnson like these these are the
types of guys that make it to free andency. Okay,
you mentioned the quarterback, so let's talk about the other
quarterbacks quickly. Justin Fields. I still think Justin Fields can
offer something and was an improved player last year. So
because of the quarterback tax, he was my second quarterback
and I put him in the top twenty five because
(26:16):
I just think that position is that important. Then I
went with Russell Wilson. He was around the middle of
the fifties. Jamis Winston. I think a high quality backup
is worth more than they're getting on the open market,
so that's why I still rank them pretty high. Jacoby Brissett,
you get into Daniel Jones and Jimmy g Is in
the mix of guys there, any any of those names
(26:40):
stand out to you as maybe we'll get a better
deal than people think, well have or at least have
a starter's market. I kind of viewed all those guys
as backups, but Fields at least has a little bit
more of an upside to him.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
Yeah, I think that the biggest thing.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
And this is why I think the biggest story in
the NFL over the next let's call it three weeks,
gonna be trades because in the draft, let's start there.
Since we are here in Indianapolis at the combine, how
many of those guys do you feel confident are going
to start right away? You maybe can make an argument
to yourself the cam Ord schadure and if there's somebody
(27:16):
else down the line, quin yours just play a ton
of football. But maybe all these there's not even a surefire.
There's not a Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake may type
where you feel like even Drake needed some time.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Although hot take, I think the longer we get in
this process, people are going to be like, you know what,
can't Ward's a pretty great quarterback?
Speaker 3 (27:32):
People come around on it. So let's say you get
one or two starters out of the rookie class. Now
you're into the free agent class where Sam Darnold'll be
starting somewhere. Stafford certainly trade yet, right, But like of
the other guys you mentioned on your free agent list,
Russ Depenny, where he is. I don't think that he
signs anywhere as if he's not the starter. So I
(27:54):
think Russ starts somewhere. I think fields is a minimum
in a competition type of situation. Yeah, and beyond that,
I don't know that there is anybody else you're saying
that guy's going to step in and become an instant starter.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
So now let's think about it. Maybe jimmd in Los
Angeles or very specific textual situation. That's right.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
So now let's get into the quarterback the veteran quarterbacks
who currently are under contract that we don't know how
this is going to end. Aaron Rodgers tendantly still under contract,
but is going to become a free agent.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
I would to ask ye him on there put on
your one on what? No, because I just technically on
the team. Maybe they could find a trade for him
so he doesn't make the one on it? Where would
you put Aaron Rodgers on this list? Just for the listeners?
If you keep going to the top twenty Byron Murphy again,
a lot of good cornerbacks Dre Green, Lodge, Yvon Holland,
Nick Bolton, Will Fryes, Reddick. I get to my second
quarterback there at fields, I would put Rogers I think
(28:47):
ahead of Fields, but.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Maybe not hard though.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
I mean, there's some pretty good defensive starters that are
available all the way through thirty. If you were making
this list, where do you put him?
Speaker 3 (28:56):
I have a great deal of respect for Aaron Rodgers,
who like covered early in his careers on four NFL MVPs.
He's one of the most He's the best practice player
I've ever seen. Interest just the way that he can
manipulate his body, angles like the arms snap and put
the ball anywhere. I mean, he is a rare dude.
The guy I saw for large chunks last season was
not Aaron Rodgers. Is that being forty one years old?
(29:18):
Is that coming off a torn achilles? Is that the
general dysfunction that emerged after the Fireing to Robert Solo, well,
I'd say the last game that he played with Soli
as the head coach was the worst I've ever seen
Aaron Rodgers play, just missing wide open dude after wide
open dude. So all the other stuff that comes with
Aaron and is he doing publicity tours on McAfee and
(29:40):
documentaries and everything like all that. That's a real thing,
and teams have talked to me about it, you know,
do you want to bring all that in? But it's
also just about are you going in on this guy
and you're gonna get the version who for half the
season last year not only wasn't the reason they were winning,
but he was a big reason they were losing. I
don't know, hard to put him in a ranking. He's
(30:02):
somewhere in the top one to one. It is Who's
number one O one? Greg, we got it's Nick Chubb.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
I I'm glad you mentioned that this is a big
reveal every year. One O one is unique because as
the players come on and off the list.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
You Deontay Johnson at one hundred. I did I uh
touch screen? Sorry? Yeah, I just thought.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
As crazy as season as he has, no one had
a worse contract here than Deaday Jensen. I just feel
like out of the talent's too good. It's so hard
to find a wide receiver. I want to stick him in,
but one on one is the Warne's.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
Closer in my mind, I'll say this, and don't don't
put this, don't let the aggreatet all.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Do I want to get aggregated? All right? I would
put Aaron closer to one on one, then that's fair.
Speaker 1 (30:42):
I I don't think it's crazy to say that if
you're just looking at all things considered, had to Let's say,
Jimmy G. Is maybe my last one that made the list.
He's somewhere in the eighties or something like that, seventies.
I can't find Aaron, all.
Speaker 3 (30:55):
Right, Then Aaron, if you're if you're weighing by weighing
it out in terms of like position value, then he's
probably somewhere around the Jimmy G territory, which when it
sounded like blasphemy three years ago, but now it's just
it's the reality that dude, if you go back through
the course of time, I know you're a great football historian.
Look at the Hall of Fame up to say, twenty
years ago. You go through every player through like the
(31:19):
early two thousands, every Hall of Fame quarterback, they all
retired at age thirty seven thirty eight. They all every
single one, not like around there or below that, like
right at thirty seven thirty eight, like that was the cutoff.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
There's literally only two quarter like one quarterback now as
all as Aaron Rodgers that's ever produced. Well, and it's
Aaron Rodgers, I mean it's Tom Brady. And the only
one that even got a little close was Warren Moon
and Drew Brees got to that like forty forty one
season and that's it.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
Marvid thirty nine had a great sea, didn't get me.
That's where Rogers. Warren Moon played into his early forties,
and then tom Ma re wrote everything and made it
hard on all these guys, like dudes didn't play this long.
And when Aaron's his great skin was always getting inside
and outside the pocket and making things happen on the run.
You see, whether he either can't do it or doesn't
(32:06):
think he should do it, that part's not there anymore.
So then again, just to wrap that, like the quarterbacks,
think of the number of guys we got that are available.
Rogers fluid with Kirk Cousins, yes, flued with Matthew Stafford,
flued with.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
Derek Carr, yes.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
So that's four more names that everybody's sitting there going
are they gonna be cut? Are they gonna get traded? Like,
what's gonna happen. Point gotta push all these guys down.
So it's just my point is like, if you're sitting
there like to me again, that's the biggest storyline over
the next three weeks is all these guys are available,
and it's gonna be chaotic because teams are gonna look
(32:43):
at free agency and the draft and go, we just
need to go get this guy to get us through
the year.
Speaker 1 (32:49):
This is all really good stuff. I want to I
want to get to a little more on the one one.
But before I do, does that mean Derek Carr is available?
Speaker 3 (32:55):
You think he's got a ten million dollars fully guaranteed bonus.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
I think it's the third.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
Or fifth day of the league ar fifth day of
the league year, and he's got another thirty million that
fully ves if he's on the roster the third day
of the league year. So there's they're gonna have to
do something. If he's gonna be a Saint, they're gonna
have to address his contract. I know Kellen Moore and
Derek have met and they've talked about next season and
all those things, but they're going to come to a
contractual agreement. Does that kind of like Stafford a different category,
(33:24):
but does that work out in New Orleans? Is it
ultimately Hey, we're better off with him going someplace else.
Like I would say, it's fluid. There has to be
a resolution, and there's no resolution right now.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
And when I hear fluid, and I don't want to
put words in your mouth because you are a responsor
bull reporter and I'm not.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
I'm just, you know, hosting a show here and offer
an analysis. You've been doing it in a long time.
Away with it. I don't mean it. It's not irresponsible.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
But when I hear fluid and I hear them considering
moving him, it's almost like the quote on retirement, once
you're thinking about it, you're already almost there. When I
hear that, I think, Okay, there's a there's a decent
chance all those guys I think are going to be playing.
Speaker 3 (34:02):
How many career quarterbacks took like substantial pay cuts. Brady
was on a year to year thing, and you can
argue he always took deals that were friendly because he
wanted them to continue to put together the roster. Ben
Roethlisberger took a huge but he is you know, he's
not Brady In New England. He's not Roethlisberger and Pittsburgh,
he's Derek Carr got there a couple of years ago,
(34:22):
and the only game that I saw he played there,
he got booed every time he came on the field
and they cheered when Taysom replaced him. So like, there's
not a lot of history there. Derek Derrek's a great guy,
and you know, you know, if he wants to play
this season, I would anticipate that he's gonna have options
to do that. I just can't stare and tell you
is it going to be in New Orleans. A couple
of things. I thought that the defense actually was pretty
(34:44):
deep on this list. Uh, if you need a three
down linebacker, and I feel like a lot of teams
do a lot of good players. I have Zach Bond
I mentioned at five, Nick Bolton's at eighteen. Ernest Jones,
who was on three rosters last year but kind of
turned the Seahawks season around.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
Put him in the thirty.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
Jamien Sherwood was a guy who I heard from a
lot of people they were like, oh, you have him
too low. I put him in the top thirty five.
In the end, maybe I should have put him even higher.
Dre Greenlaw is in my top twenty a difference maker,
another guy people have some people have a lot of
support for Kaiser White is in my top one hundred
Tyrel Dodson, who was with the Dolphins. So I actually
(35:23):
think there could be like a little bit of a
trend where three down linebackers start getting value, they start
bouncing back a little bit like running backs.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Did.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
I feel like we've now gotten to the point where
the analytics or whatever the conventional wisdom from teams is,
don't play, don't pay these linebackers. It's now gotten so
low that actually it was like, oh wait, these are
the guys getting picked on in our biggest games. We
could have some and that's why there's actually a decent
amount of them that made it.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
What happened with the linebackers was that used to be
a depreciated position and then you remember all these guys,
they go them back like seven years though, and the
Jets did that.
Speaker 2 (36:01):
Maybe it wasn't seven, like five.
Speaker 3 (36:02):
Mike mccagnum was the GM They went like, they basically
gave fifty percent more than the top of the market
to CJ. Mosley to convince him to come to the
Jets and game seventeen million year, like the top of
the market that point was like twelve. And then so
all of a sudden, everybody like Bobby Wagner and all
these guys are like, I want that so and all of
a sudden you had all these deals that got done
at seventeen eighteen million dollars and then there was kind
of this course correction back down.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
I agree.
Speaker 3 (36:24):
I mean, Zach Bond will be fascinating because last year
that was one of the greatest values in the entire league,
a one year, five million dollar deal. Can how he
get that done to bring him back? He was a
pretty big part of that defense. I think him, Him
and Bolden are clearly the two that everybody's gonna be
watching and hoping that they bring that back up to
the top of the market, because again, it wasn't that
long ago that if you were a free agent linebacker,
(36:45):
you were sitting there going those guys are getting.
Speaker 1 (36:47):
Seventeen so cycled through every year, and yet this I think,
if I was making a list of all these egos
free agents, I think he's the one that they have
to just break the bank. I think they wish they
had resigned Milton Williams earlier a rare thing that maybe
how he would want back. You can't resign everyone. Cornerback
I mentioned is pretty pretty deep. I mentioned those three
(37:08):
at the top, Carlton Davis, DJ Reid Tarvarius.
Speaker 3 (37:10):
Byron Murphy too. Byron murmur had a really good year fifteen.
Speaker 1 (37:14):
Actually I moved him up with some and then guys
I wish I had, I already wish I had a
little higher.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
I heard from multiple people.
Speaker 1 (37:22):
Travon Morrig, he's at twenty two good years the Safety
for the Raiders, shout out to Mike Mayock. A Mayock
picks right, and actually I heard from more than one
person now is like even that's way too low. He
should be maybe in your top ten, Like he is
a sending really good young starter.
Speaker 2 (37:36):
I mean, is Jovon Hall in your top safety He is.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
Just ahead of morg And I got some people saying
they would rather have morg. I think there'd probably be
more a really agreement.
Speaker 3 (37:45):
He had a really good year. And then there's a
bunch of other guys who can't come off good years.
I mean cam buying him. Yes, another is another one
who I think is going to do well guys like
Jeremy Chin that kind of get forgotten. He's going to be,
you know, certainly in the mix. It's just a matter
if he's a very specifics like a Swiss army knife.
It's like, what's the scheme fit for him. Yeah, there's
some safeties. There's a bunch of corners to your point,
(38:05):
there's a couple of linebackers, there's a couple of defensive tackles,
and then the edge market's also going to be that's
one name.
Speaker 1 (38:12):
Or do you have Dio Adenobo? He is in my
top forty or so.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
He might be one of those ones that surprises you.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
That makes even more than you expect. He was someone
I had thought that. Listen, initially, I know, I kind
of well, there's there's not a last thirty eight.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
There's a bunch of I know, you got like Khalil
Mack in your your top twenty five. Like there's a
bunch of the older guys like Chase Young's a free
agent once again and Kalais Campbell.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
But here's the thing, I don't mind putting some of
those guys higher because I do know year after year
that those guys end up being great values. Kalais Campbell's
been a fantastic value a year after year, you're getting
a high quality starter for like ten if it's not
a prediction of like who makes the most money necessarily,
it's it's who.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
Uh is gonna be good?
Speaker 3 (38:54):
But in terms of those young edge rushers, because people
are proactive doing deals, the top ones get tagged this year,
there isn't anybody who's really in the tag category. You know,
Diodenable might be the highest paid edge rusher in this
entire group, and I would bet you got a various
You're you're killing me.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
That's why I want to now I got to put
him in the top twenty five. It's too late.
Speaker 1 (39:12):
Joshan Morton was the other one from the Chiefs that
just I think he's gonna get paid a lot. A
lot of people are watching Chiefs film during the during
the playoffs, and he is a good god where do
you have Godwin? I put him in the top ten
just out of respect.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
I think the meris also if and when t gets tagged,
like who else are you paying up there?
Speaker 1 (39:31):
Darius Slayton should do well. Let's let's think it quickly.
I know you got to go. I don't want to
push you too hard here and take advantage of your time.
You got to go do more live TV. What a
schedule that Pella Sero has. They have him on from
like seven or eight in the morning on Good Morning Football,
and then he's got to take off the suit, put
put it back on like eight hours later.
Speaker 2 (39:51):
And this shirt's got his shirts.
Speaker 3 (39:53):
Kind of wrinkled, you know the part down at the
bottom that's just like completely wrinkling. You take it out
of your pants the other day. I get to put
that back in the pants. That's okay.
Speaker 2 (40:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:01):
The wide receiver of market, I have Amari Cooper at thirteen,
Darius Slayton and Mark eas Brown at forty two and
forty three, Diami Brown who had a good playoff run
at fifty. Stefan Diggs is at thirty. I thought he
was sadly into a nice role. I know he's an
older player, but just out of respect. Mike Williams is
an interesting guy to me. I think a lot of
teams have written him off. I do wonder a year
more removed from a torn acl I had to give
(40:23):
him some respect and put him in.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
A top secred I mean, Mike Williams when he's on.
Speaker 3 (40:27):
He's always been a streaky player, as everybody who's in
fantasy knows, including me. I'm like a long time, long
term Mike Williams owner, and it's like, you will get
stretches where he's unbelievable, and then there's games where he disappears.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
Blake just watching him love.
Speaker 3 (40:38):
There's very few of those big body, vertical speed threat guys.
He's one of them. And you're right, I mean another
year coming off of a very serious injury, right, he'll
be more expressive. It's not shocking to me. He took
a little bit he never had, but Diggs. Diggs will
be coming right back from his ACL as an older player.
I still those guys they tend to get like the
one year incentive laden types of deals. You know, one's
(41:00):
coming off an injury too, and he's got a prior ACL.
He's always on the injury report with the knee. My
belief is still somebody's gonna pay him just because they're
gonna look at the alternatives and say this is clearly
the best guy out.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
Yeah, at the end of the list, it's not deep.
Elijah Moore, I had to it hurt me, but DeAndre
Hopkins and Keenan Allen are are towards the back of
the the one on one. Two great players, but not
at their best right now. It was a red flag
for me that Hopkins could not produce with Patrick Mams.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
You're not gonna have a better situation.
Speaker 3 (41:26):
Well, hop hop just kind of runs his own route
tree and I think that that takes time for the
quarterback to get on the same page. Keenan Allen new
place didn't work out on anybody wanted to in Chicago.
He's a competitor's he's thirty five. I think he's older now. Yeah,
but you know another guy who he absolutely he's got
a place in the league here.
Speaker 2 (41:45):
It's just a matter of like thirty three, don't you
try to thirty three?
Speaker 1 (41:48):
Okay, I try to age this guy, all right, And yes,
Nick Chubb at twenty nine is my one on one.
I didn't finish my thought earlier, but uh, yes, one
on one stays there.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
For X one onesub.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
It's a position of respect because I know he's coming
off these serious injuries. But this is a Hall of
Fame talent, Hall of Fame person, so you want to
bet on the person I thought he would represent.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
One on one.
Speaker 3 (42:09):
Well, uns seed to the Browns, try to get something done.
They did the deal with him last year knowing he
was gonna miss most of the season. Do you take
one more run? Does he want to go someplace? So
it's not gonna be a ton of money. He's a
bad dude though, you know when he's out there, if
he can capture some of what he was, we'll go.
Speaker 1 (42:22):
He is also a bad dude. Tom Pellisero, he's made
nice with the en Rappaport. These two guys, they're dominating
the insider gang game. I will say it right now
for Tom Pelisaro. Appreciate the time you got man. We
will be back on Tuesday. Like I mentioned, we're gonna
have some general manager interviews. Jordan rod Rieg of The
(42:44):
Athletic will also join me on the show. And yes,
it will be coming out earlier in the days. We'll
just send it once we get all the news, because look,
it's not that just the gms we're talking to the coaches.
The gms for every single team are going to be
at these podiums over.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
The next couple days.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
A lot news coming out of that until then, Yeah, look,
when we're back in Indianapolis. It almost feels like football
is back, but no, it's still the regular season for now.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
See a Tuesday
Host
Gregg Rosenthal
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