The NFL Now Podcast begins with news on Will Levis, who's been hosted by the Patriots.
Host, Andrew Siciliano, & Brian Baldinger discuss MJDs Mock Draft 1.0. Judy Battista breaking down Giants GM not having spoken to Saquon Barkley for several weeks. Plus, an interview with Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
NFL Now is a production of the NFL in partnership
with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
We're almost there.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
We are one week away from the twenty twenty three
NFL Draft in Kansas City. We today are in Los Angeles,
as we always are for NFL Now. Welcome to a
Thursday edition presented to you by IKIA. Coming up, we
have pre draft press conferences with the Giants and the
Jaguars would be first round pick Alabama dB Brian Branches
here and Maurice Jones.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Drew has his.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Different mock draft, one that has a quarterback not named
Bryce Young going number one and Bryce Young somehow ending
up in Indianapolis. We'll explain that mock draft coming up shortly.
We begin this hour with news of a quarterback visiting
a team and these are always interesting because remember as
we have the whole gang here, Ian Rapaport, Tom Pellis, Oh,
(01:05):
Mike Arafolo. Yesterday was the last day for official visits
to team facilities in the Patriots are picking fourteen who
they have in.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
The Patriots. On the last day the teams could have
top thirty visits. The last day they could get prospects
into their facility hosted Kentucky quarterback Will Levis kind of
an interesting one for the Patriots snuck it right in
before the buzzer. Levis obviously has been well traveled to Curtinally,
one of the top four quarterbacks in this draft, has
visited several teams, including the Raiders, including the Panthers, including
(01:39):
the Texans, but also some other ones, the Bucks, the
Falcons among them.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
For Will Levis, the.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Patriots, though I think probably threw most people for a loop.
They picked fourteen. They have mac Jones in as their starto,
though Bill Belichick, despite several opportunities, has not definitively said it.
The Patriots always do due diligence, and certainly there have
been times and Andrew you mentioned on Twitter when the
Patriots have just wanted a top quarterback in there just
to see Baker Mayfield the one that comes to mind.
(02:06):
But at least visiting with Will Levis is interesting for
New England to.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Do, and in speaking with some teams that have met
with Will Levis, he is, how do I put this,
not lacking for confidence, and that tends to rub people
the wrong way sometimes, but there are other folks who
say that's how I want my quarterback to be. I
want him to be sure of himself. I want him
to be outspoken when he needs to be outspoken, and listen,
(02:31):
we've seen that. I think before the combine he talked
about his arm and how he wanted to show it
off for everybody. I mean, you know what kind of
personality you're getting with Will Levis. So I wish I
could take an honest tally of all these visits and
say how many of these were positive, how many responded
well to that kind of energy, and how many did
not respond as well. And I'd be curious to know
(02:52):
how he responded or how the Patriots responded to it.
But Will Levis not short on pre draft visits. He's
going to be a fascinating to one one to watch
on draft night.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Andrew and again, the Patriots a couple of years ago
took Mac Jones fifteen. Here they're picking fourteen.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Ian.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
You mentioned Baker Mayfield.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
I pointed out this morning that yes, in twenty eighteen,
right before the draft, they tried to get something I
head to a face to face meeting with Baker Mayfield.
They were picking twenty three and thirty one. Obviously Mayfield
went one, but maybe they could have made a move
up anyway, didn't happen. We are a week away as
we try to make sense of these meetings and try
to make sense tom of what we hear on the podium.
The Seahawks did their thing yesterday, Schneider and Carol, they
(03:31):
have two picks five and twenty. What about the possibility
of a trade.
Speaker 6 (03:35):
There, Well, Seahawks General manager John Schneider said that, really
you just have preliminary conversations at this point, and things
tend to heat up come next Tuesday or Wednesday. Well,
if you're an NFL general manager and you're just going
off of history the short list of gms, you're probably
calling because they might be willing to trade with you.
It's basically Howie Roseman, It's Bill Belichick, and it is
(03:58):
John Schneider, who has made a ton of draft trades,
both up and in notable cases down through the course
of his more than a day decade in charge in Seattle.
Here they're at an interesting spot right now at number five,
because you just don't know exactly how the board is
going to break in terms of do four quarterbacks come
off in the first four picks. That seems unlikely, but
(04:18):
we've seen runs on quarterbacks high in the draft before
do those defensive players start to go, and in those cases,
maybe somebody wants to tramp to five to get one
of the quarterbacks. It was notable they had Will Anderson
Junior in yesterday on the last day for pre draft visits.
That was one that was set up kind of late
in the process and as an indication there's a lot
of different scenarios here, so why not bring in one
of the premier defensive players in the whole draft.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
This is uncharted territory for the Seahawks to be up
this high, which is why they took the opportunity to
meet with all those quarterbacks at their pro days. They
certainly got out and did the travel thing to get
there for those. But yeah, it does sound like trading
back would be an option or top option for John
Schneider if he can get this one done. Tom and
I did look this up, Andrew, because I referenced it
(05:01):
on air. I believe it was yesterday the Malik McDowell
left John Schneider and the Seahawks traded back three times
before they eventually took Malik McDowell.
Speaker 7 (05:11):
They love to pick up that.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Extra draft capital as they move back, So John Schneider
certainly hoping things fall a certain way. If it's maybe
two quarterbacks by the time the first four go I know,
time you mentioned four in a row. If it's two quarterbacks,
then he's sitting pretty because then if somebody wants the third,
that five spot is going to be an entry point potentially.
So this is going to be an on the clock
thing for John Schneider and the Seahawks if they slide back.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
As it is.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
I think every year, Hey, Lakwan, can we look it up?
I think it's ten out of the last eleven years
there's been like a first round trade for John Schneider
or a first a Night one trade for John Schneider, which.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Is just ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
All right, let's get to the Commanders as their sale
is kind of hanging the balance here. Ian they are
picking sixteen, and they do have Sam Howell. We still
do go into this draft with the team Ron Rivera
and Sam Howel, Jacoby Brissett there as well, believing that
he has a chance here to win this job.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Yeah, and Sam Howell talked to reporters recently and essentially
said he loves the feel of the organization, loves the
direction that they are going and that they are going
to get absolutely everything he can. Now Sam Howe's we've
seen very very limited fashion on the field of though,
as Ron Rivera pointed out during the owners meetings, about
a month ago or whatever that was, seems like a
million years ago. If they had done the draft of
(06:31):
year earlier, Sam Howe probably would have been a first
round pick. Certainly that was where his pedigree was. They
really liked the talent, They like what he has done
on the field in a very short short time of
limited snaps.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
So we will see if he's the starter.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
All of this under the backdrop of what if the
Commanders kind of go off the board a little bit
and take a quarterback they have visited with some I
wouldn't rule.
Speaker 5 (06:54):
That out at all.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
So Sam Howell, yes, as the likely starter. But let's
see what happens Thursday.
Speaker 6 (07:01):
And the question with Hendon Hooker, who visited the Commanders
yesterday going to be does somebody want to take him
in the first round to get that fifty year option,
knowing that his rookie year potentially could be a washing
in terms of him contributing, just because of all the
lost reps that he's going to have because you pick
up that fifty year option, then he really got four
years to work with him. Or does he, based in
large part on the injury, end up going in the
(07:23):
second round or potentially even later. I would say this
on Hendon Hooker having talked to a lot of GMS
and scouts and coaches over the past week. Here, everybody
likes the person in Hendon Hooker. He's obviously older, he
is very mature. He's a very fun guy to talk to.
He also comes from an offense in Tennessee that doesn't
look anything like what you're going to be doing in
(07:44):
the NFL. In terms of the receivers lining up outside
the numbers, they've really only got one drop that they do.
They use a lot of hand signals and things like that.
There's a lot that he's going to have to learn
in that regard. There's kind of an upside here for
Hendon Hooker to not be ready immediately if he lands
in a Washington that wants to give Sam Howell a shot,
if you were to land in a Minnesota that's got
Kirk Cousins name the spot an established starter, take a year, obviously,
(08:08):
get healthy, but also learn all those other aspects of
running an NFL offense. Those first round quarterbacks tend to
get pushed. The guy coming off an injury. He really
can't do that.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
His injury was week before Thanksgiving, so we're talking September,
nine months out at that point from a torn acl
We are one week out from night number one of
the twenty twenty three draft.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Thank you, guys.
Speaker 5 (08:31):
Richardson fires one over to the next draft.
Speaker 6 (08:34):
Richardson, He'll load it up and cut it loose with
that big arms.
Speaker 5 (08:43):
Richardson.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Anthony Richardson is dangerous in the open field. And now
for something completely different. Every year, Maurice Jones drew hands
in a mock draft.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
That is well out there.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
MJD's mock draft, available now on NFL dot com, has
Anthony Richardson going one okay, but CJ. Stroud going too,
and then Rice Young falling to three, at which point
the Colts jump up with the Cardinals and take them,
and the Cardinals go Tyree Wilson. This mock draft is
not a bonkers baldy MJD like.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
As a dentist thing or something.
Speaker 7 (09:20):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
He'll be on ta later, So.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Baldy, let's make sense, and let's make fun of his
mock draft. I'm kidding, let's not make fun of it, but.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
Let's mock the mock. Let's mock the Okay, let's do.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Anthony Richardson one go.
Speaker 5 (09:33):
So that's where the mock begins.
Speaker 8 (09:37):
Look, maybe it's the channeling Cam Newton who was the
first pick in twenty eleven and five years later he
was the MVP of the league and the team was
in the Super Bowl, and they feel like they could
do that again.
Speaker 5 (09:48):
Maybe maybe you.
Speaker 8 (09:49):
Know, MJ's like, look, I coach you know, high school football.
I coach all these kids. Put the best athlete a quarterback,
Let's coach him up. Let's build a system around Anthony Richardson.
And if you take that approach, you can probably say,
let's put the most talented guy at the most important position.
Speaker 5 (10:05):
Let's build an offense around him.
Speaker 7 (10:07):
You know.
Speaker 8 (10:08):
And I don't know how patient the people and Charlotte
are going to be to wait for the development of
Anthony Richardson, because you can only put Andy Dalton out
there for so many games where you got to put
Richardson on the field.
Speaker 5 (10:21):
I just think he's a little too raw right now
to do.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
That it sounds like I'm ripping MJD. I love this
mock draft.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
I got so excited yesterday in the newsroom when I
heard it was gonna drop yesterday or this morning rather,
because his mock draft is the most fun. It is
just out there. He has, for example, CJ. Stroud still
going ahead of Bryce Young. He didn't go on, but
Stroud goes two ahead of Young at three. The Colts
who trade up.
Speaker 8 (10:47):
Yes, and then he also reunites him with Jackson Smith
and Jig later with the other Houston pick, and you
put that buck eye connection back together that you know,
we're Smith and Jig. You know caught over sixteen hundred
yards of passes from one c J. Stroud two years
ago and they were one of most dynamic offenses in
all football. So I look, I mean, maybe you know
(11:10):
MJ has a thing about five FO ten quarterbacks just
very up in the NFL, and you'd rather go with
the bigger, stronger player at number two.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
You would think that he would like the short he
does that, you would think he would like the short guy.
Speaker 8 (11:25):
Well yeah, but short with bowling ball sized legs is
different than short. And you know on Bryce Bryce Young's
Olympic sprinter type legs.
Speaker 5 (11:36):
There's a different base.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Rude, I totally get it. He's got bejon At tend
to the Eagles. He has Will Levis going eleven to
the Titans. We're justing Will Levis here, visited the Patriots
yesterday at fourteen. So if Levis is somehow to fall,
I think Tennessee makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
I don't dislike this one.
Speaker 8 (11:55):
Yeah, well, I mean sometimes you know, it's just a
crossroad puzzle and you're just trying to put teams.
Speaker 5 (12:02):
And players together. We know how this is. This is
actually it's an extra. But you know, you certainly could
see many people.
Speaker 8 (12:08):
Have had Tennessee trading up in this trap to get
a quarterback, knowing that.
Speaker 5 (12:12):
Ryan Tannehill might not be there that much long, coming.
Speaker 8 (12:15):
Out for serious ankle injury from a year ago, and
with the new offensive coordinator.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
Calling plays, maybe they want a big, strong arm kid you.
Speaker 8 (12:22):
Know that you know, started a bunch of years at
Kentucky there last two years after transferring, and so you know,
maybe they start the rebuild in Tennessee in a different
way with Will Levis right there.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
All right, So Hended Hooker goes twenty three to the Vikings.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
That makes sense.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Like we were just talking about there with the guys
with the insiders about if you have a veteran quarterback
in place, you give in essence a redshirt year to
handed hooker I mentioned he has Bejon Robinson, MJD does
at ten. We've seen that a lot of places. It
does make a lot of sense. It's Howie does want
to go running back, which would be out of the.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Norm for him.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
But what I like and what is different here, and
obviously a running back made this mock.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
He has a.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Second back going in the first round, which I don't
think anyone has, and that's Jamiir Gibbs, a twenty six
baldy to the Cowboys.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
Well, it's certainly. Look, it's certainly a position of need
for the Cowboys.
Speaker 8 (13:14):
I mean, right now they don't have a healthy running
back as Tony Power is coming back from that injury
from a year ago.
Speaker 5 (13:19):
Still, but you know they're going to have a committee.
Speaker 8 (13:22):
Mike McCarthy has said that they want to run the
ball more and more effectively than they did a year ago.
He's the home run hitter between He's a bigger home
run hitter than John Robinson, and you could see Dallas
going with that star system that they've always had, you know,
Mike and all the you know CD, and you add
(13:44):
visit player to that offense. Behind that offensive line, you
could see real production from Jamiir Gibbon. I also, I
believe that he's got Jamiir rated higher than Vijn.
Speaker 5 (13:57):
Now that might be just MJ doing MJ.
Speaker 8 (14:00):
Kind of things, but I think for the speed component,
the one cut and can go.
Speaker 5 (14:06):
Like, I think he favors gives over Bjon Robinson.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Maurice Jones Drew, who does know more about running backs
than I do. Mjd does have Jamier Gibbs rated higher
than Bijon Robinson on his list of the best running
backs in this draft. That list and his mock draft
currently available. Baldy's read it already. Thank you Baldy on
NFL dot com.
Speaker 8 (14:29):
And I mocked the mock, but we all absolutely adore
Maurice Jones Drue.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
We mocked the mock, not the man. Remember that, Yes, right,
keep it classy, come it up next. We'll keep it
classy with a Super Bowl champions who are picking thirty first,
who have the draft in their own backyard, who are
working out this week in Texas. What we've learned about
Mahomes and the offense straight ahead, and also we'll hear
from Joe Shane Giants GM an update on Saquan and
(14:56):
Dexter Lawrence straight ahead. It's pre draft press conference side
for the GMS, which means you get to ask questions.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
About the guys that are already on the roster.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Saquon Barkley as a franchise tag, he does not have
a long term deal. He is not there for the
opening of the Giants offseason program. Joe Shane, your thoughts.
Speaker 8 (15:21):
You remain optimistic that Saquon will be on the field
for you at the start of the season, and from.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
The outside looking in, it doesn't seem like there's an
obvious resolution based on the two sides of Pennsyla.
Speaker 7 (15:31):
Yeah, you have to ask him.
Speaker 9 (15:31):
I'm not sure.
Speaker 7 (15:32):
I don't know what his plan is.
Speaker 9 (15:34):
I haven't talked to him in probably three weeks.
Speaker 5 (15:36):
He still wants to be on this team.
Speaker 10 (15:38):
I haven't talked to him.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
I haven't talked to him. I haven't talked to him.
Said that a couple of times.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Judia Batista much different than what he said about Dexter Lawrence,
which is a conversations are pretty.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Good right now with Dexter Lawrence's reps. What do you
take from all that?
Speaker 11 (15:54):
Well, you're right. The tone was entirely different. When he
was talking about Dexter Lawrence. He said, they talked this
week and the dialogue has been really good. But when
he was asked about Saquon, and he was asked about
Saquon repeatedly, you heard what he said, I haven't talked
to him. He said, I haven't talked to him in
three weeks. He said, nothing is new since we last
talked to Joe Shane at the annual meeting in Arizona,
so that was three weeks ago. And he said at
(16:17):
that time that there was no outstanding offer. He made
the point that they always knew that there would come
a point in negotiations with Saquon that if there wasn't
a deal, they would take a step back and regroup.
They have the franchise tag. He said, there's no rush, right,
They've got time. But clearly the dialogue is not in
(16:37):
a great place now. Just the tone of voice where
he said, you know, you'd have to ask him the
question was very confidence. He's going to be on the
field for you, and he said, well, you'd have to
ask him. I don't know his plans. I haven't talked
to him in three weeks. So clearly the conversation is
not in a good place in the sense that there
is no conversation right now. Everybody knows Saquon is not
happy with the franchise tag. Everybody also knows that people
(17:00):
in the organization, most importantly the owner, John Marra, really
would like Saquon Darkly to be a Giant for life.
They are going to have to figure this out. It
does not sound like they are anywhere near figuring this
out right now.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
He did channel Brian Dayball from earlier this week. It's
April seventeenth. In other words, well, today's April twentieth. But
he was going back to Monday when Dayball kept saying, hey,
pump the brakes on making any grand assumptions about anything.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
So there there's that.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Also, obviously, asked about the draft, They're picking twenty fifth.
Anything to glean from those draft non comments?
Speaker 5 (17:35):
Not a whole lot.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
I thought.
Speaker 11 (17:36):
One interesting thing was the Giants lost both centers in
free agency this year, but Joe Shane said that doesn't
necessarily mean they have to come out of this draft
with the center. He feels that there are guys on
the roster. There are guys on the roster who have
played center in the past in games, and he feels
they may be able to do the job. He thinks
they'll be a good competition, So maybe he threw some
(17:58):
cold water on the idea that they absolutely have to
come out of this with somebody who can play center immediately.
He talked about wide receivers. A lot of attention has
been paid to wide receivers for the Giants, even though
they did some work there in free agency, and he
said it's a good group at the top of the draft.
It just sort of depends on how you value them.
But he also made the point that you know they're
(18:20):
in a much better spot now right like they're picking
way down in the draft if they're not picking way
high up. He said they've had to sort of learn
how to evaluate defensive players, especially for instance, the defensive
front seven based on walk when Martindale likes. So they're
actually much further along than they were at this point
last year when they were all still learning each other
(18:41):
and learning what the coach is like, so he feels
like they're in a pretty good spot considering they do
not have two of the top ten picks, and that's
obviously a good sign about the Giants progress.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Yeah, much different than a year ago. They won a
playoff game this year. Much different feeling there for Joe
Shane now picking twenty five, Thank you, Judy.
Speaker 9 (19:03):
A home floats a pass Gussey over the tunda.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
He's got the touchdown. Put the boys out.
Speaker 12 (19:09):
The chief defense gets an incredible touchdown quick pastor Tony
po will walk into the house, the first lead of
the game. Wide open sky more touchdown chance of city.
Don't underestimate how top Patrick Mahomes is twenty six yard scrambled.
He let him seconds left, thirty five to thirty five tie.
The kick is good for the second time in four seasons.
(19:33):
The Lombardy Trophy has a big red reflection. The Chiefs
are champions a Super Bowl fifty seven.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Ah Yes.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
The Kansas City Chiefs picking thirty first with the draft
in their own backyard are mock's latest mock. Sab McDonald
that had a bare and Tillman and then Yadi k Uzama, who,
by the way, is gonna join us a little bit
later on this sedition of NFL Now turn out Washington.
Woof gonna be dangerous as well. Here Jeff gd O
(20:04):
Brian with us. We'll focus on the draft with the
Chiefs another day. Let's focus on what they're doing right
now with Jeff. The former tenth overall pick Patrick Mahomes
has his guys working out in Texas as he has
in years past. How important are these early off season
throwing sessions.
Speaker 13 (20:20):
For the Chiefs, Well, Andrew, it's been really critical because
you look at what happened last season when the new
cropper receivers showed up and they had time to spend
with Mahomes and it paid off immensely in terms of
chemistry and relationships, and the.
Speaker 7 (20:33):
Same thing is happening or they hope to have happened
this year.
Speaker 14 (20:35):
They've got their renting houses down there, and you've got
all types of receivers showing up. I've heard you've got
even some guys who were in the draft like quitting
just Johnston and Zay Flowers showing up.
Speaker 7 (20:45):
So maybe they end up being the Chiefs plans.
Speaker 14 (20:47):
But Andy resaid this is really important because he's looking
for big years from guys like Sky Moore and Cadarius Tony,
and Mahomes himself said that you saw how War came
on in the last year.
Speaker 7 (20:58):
You see the talent and a guy like Tony and Baldy.
Speaker 14 (21:00):
You see a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes taking this kind
of time in the off season putting this in.
Speaker 7 (21:05):
Know, good things are going to come from this.
Speaker 5 (21:08):
Not just good things, Jeff, but like high level of competition.
And it might not just be throwing footballs. It could
be throwing horseshoes, you.
Speaker 8 (21:14):
Know, it could be swinging a baseball bat and you know,
a driver, it could be hitting golf balls.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
I mean, he's going to compete and he.
Speaker 8 (21:21):
Wants he wants to engage Sky and Cardious Tony, who
by the way, both caught touchdown passes in this recent
Super Bowl that second half, you know, comeback. So I
think there's an awful lie you can glean from these
type of workouts, just getting in in the mind of
Patrick Mahomes, what he sees, what he expects when a
(21:42):
play breaks down, Physicians, where you line up, where you
can end up after emotion, a shift, all that kind
of stuff. Remember, Carderius was traded for in the middle
of the season last year, so he was still digested
in playbook by the time they got to the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (21:57):
He can really feel comfortable in it now. And just
the way that.
Speaker 8 (22:01):
Andy Reid and you know, Eric, the enemy had moved
guys around into different positions for a variety of reasons,
and sometimes it could just be to put Travis Kelce
in a better position. But just to understand that just
because you're the number four target on this side, you
might still be very much like all those things can
be talked through. At this time of the year, I
(22:24):
think this is just widely valuable to Mahomes and all
the guys that work out with.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Them, Absolutely, and you'll see that value come September, October
and the Chief so January and February as well. We
focus so much on those guys in the reworking of
the old line. Let's give some love to the defense here.
Jeff Drew Tranquil, former Charger now a Chief going to
the dark side there in the AFC West House.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Is he going to help well?
Speaker 14 (22:49):
A low key signing really for the Chiefs, because this
is a player who really had a good year last
year for the Chargers, led them in tackles.
Speaker 7 (22:56):
He had five sacks.
Speaker 14 (22:58):
An interception, and Andy Reeve when he spoke about him,
talked about how defensive coordinator Stspagnolo loves to have players
like this. We're super versatile who can be in different
position groups and can really have a huge impact on
what they want to do defensively. You know, I look
at Willie Gay, a guy who's been with this with
the Chiefs for four years now, and he may not
be on this rosternation because of a guy trank will
(23:19):
showing up on a one year deal. This guy can blitz,
he can cover, he can tackle, he can do everything
that stinks pac Nola Wantston can be able to do,
and their defense should be better off because of him
being a part of it.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
With the Chiefs picking thirty first overall one week away
from the draft, their off season workouts have begun in Texas. Here,
thank you, Jeff, thank you Balding.
Speaker 9 (23:42):
Here comes the big man. He's got him and down
he goes under pressure, sackets Felix and you dk.
Speaker 5 (23:56):
U sama again going.
Speaker 10 (24:00):
We on the run. Now, We're going dewn going death
los It can.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
Show now now now now blone now Rone now.
Speaker 9 (24:08):
And Joe's down and at Felix and you dk U
Sama came around the edge and the top sack man
in this conference.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
He knows how to celebrate. He's the Big twelve defensive
player of the year. And I'm told Felix that you
were smiling watching your highlights. Do you like watching your
own highlights?
Speaker 10 (24:30):
I like watching some, especially when I do the sag dance.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
That that one at the end. What what was that?
Speaker 13 (24:35):
Uh?
Speaker 10 (24:36):
Yeah, you should try it.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
I just kind of did and embarrassed myself. So you
tell me more about what I just no.
Speaker 10 (24:44):
Use your hips a little bit.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
I'm in a chair, so thankfully you don't have to
see me chair dance. Does that have a name or
is that just something you made up?
Speaker 10 (24:53):
I guess I don't know. There's something. Uh, it's not
really made up.
Speaker 15 (24:56):
It's something I did in high school, okay, with with
some of my teammates in the high school, and we
kind of it was like a Houston type thing.
Speaker 10 (25:04):
We saw Deshaun Watson do it a long time ago.
Speaker 15 (25:07):
We kept on doing it and then I added a
little crown on top.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
So I liked it. And you had a lot of
chance to do it.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
You had twenty and a half sacks in your college career,
including nineteen and a half of them in the last
two years, and you made a name for yourself. Actually,
let's get to your name here, because, honestly, Felix, I
feel people are afraid of saying your name out loud
because they don't want to get it wrong. You, as
a public service, have put it on your Twitter profile.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Felix.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Sure, and you, dk Ozama, Why do you mess it up?
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Some Oozama? Thank you? Why do people mess it up
so much? Like I just did? I thought I had
it down.
Speaker 10 (25:45):
I mean, I feel like how it's spelled is kind
of spelled different. How you pronounce this though, I mean
I don't.
Speaker 15 (25:50):
I don't harp on people that mispronounced it that much
honestly because it's I'm not gonna lie, It's pretty hard
name to pronounce.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
So do you like the nickname Fau? People call you Fau,
people call me.
Speaker 15 (26:00):
People say it's like Florida a plantetic or something like that.
So I'll tell you, but I'm.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Cool that though.
Speaker 10 (26:06):
I'm cool with that.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Yeah, all right, good, Well, people are going to have
to learn your name because, as I said, you had
a lot of sacks.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
The last couple of years, and.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
You're going to hear your name called, we think pretty
early next week in the NFL Draft. I want to
go down the list of teams here that you visited.
We got Green Bay, Tampa Bay, what else.
Speaker 10 (26:24):
Green Bay, Tampa Bay Saints.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Okay, and also Texans.
Speaker 7 (26:29):
All right.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
Well, a lot of people say, we had this conversation
with Collijah Kanty yesterday that the teams that you don't
visit maybe are the teams that might be keeping an
eye on you. You're a hometown Kansas City. You're in
Kansas City right now. The Chiefs are picking thirty one Felix.
What would it mean to be a Kansas City Chief?
Speaker 15 (26:47):
I mean, at the end of the day, I grew
up watching Kansas City Chiefs and it was the team
I respected a lot. And they're walk contenders, so it's
just it'll be an honor just to be a part
of them, honestly, But at the end of the day,
you never know.
Speaker 10 (27:03):
And I've been talking to all the teams I've is
it on.
Speaker 15 (27:05):
I liked literally all the teams I was on visits
with them, So I wouldn't mind playing with any team
that I've been talking to.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
Recently, Felix, you had a game a couple of years
ago in which you had six sacks, but they didn't
give you six sacks against TCU. It was ruled that
you had This is the dumbest thing ever. You had
two sacks that caused fumbles and the ball went across
the line of scrimmage, Therefore they weren't sacks. Felix, six
(27:33):
would have tied the Division one record.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Are you still bitter over this?
Speaker 15 (27:40):
As I was for a second, But at the same time,
it was just opportunity. It was just a huge opportunity
to just to be a part of the game, just
to be able to make that much plays for that
game and have a win, because that was a critical
win that year, especially against TCCU.
Speaker 10 (27:54):
But yeah, it was.
Speaker 15 (27:55):
It was very heartbreaking because I remember everybody was saying,
oh my gosh, you tied the record. Then later that
night they text my coach text me and they're like,
I'm sorry, but if the ball goes over the line
of scrimmage is not considered as a sack, Its just
considered as a force. I honestly I don't get that.
Hopefully they change it in a couple of years, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
I can't imagine. What's that like? Like I said, it
NCAA record. Like Derek Thomas did six ones, he also
did seven ones in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
That's the NFL record.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
But now because I hit the guy so hard the
ball went over the line of scrimmage, it's not a sack.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
It's just kind of ridiculous anyway.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Also on your Twitter profile, I Felix, you have the
Nigerian flag there. The NFL does something every off season
where they take players and bring them all around the
world to kind of spread our love of football. Recently
had an NFL Africa trip. Would that be something you'd
be interested in doing?
Speaker 5 (28:49):
Oh oh one hundred.
Speaker 15 (28:51):
I literally talked to a lot of people about doing that.
So hopefully when I go to the league. If I
go to the league, it'll be something I can just
go back and visit some of my family back in
Nigeria too, because I haven't been there since twenty seventeen.
I was trying to go there and COVID twenty twenty
because obviously COVID happened and nobody really who's flying. So
hopefully I can go back there, visit for my family
(29:11):
and then help other people just help with the camp
and everything like that.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
The draft is going to be in his backyard in
Kansas City.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
The Big twelve Player of the Year.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Get to know his name, Felix and you dk Ouzama Felix.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Good luck to you man. Can't wait to see where
you go.
Speaker 10 (29:32):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
NFL Now is a production of the NFL in partnership
with iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
NFL Now is a production of the NFL in partnership
with iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
We're almost there.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
We are one week away from the twenty twenty three
NFL Draft in Kansas City. We today are in Los Angeles,
as we always are for NFL Now. Welcome to a
Thursday edition presented to you by IKIA. Coming up, we
have pre draft press conferences with the Giants and the
Jaguars would be first round pick Alabama dB Brian Branches
here and Maurice Jones.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Drew has his.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Different mock draft, one that has a quarterback not named
Bryce Young going number one and Bryce Young somehow ending
up in Indianapolis. We'll explain that mock draft coming up shortly.
We begin this hour with news of a quarterback visiting
a team and these are always interesting because remember as
we have the whole gang here, Ian Rapaport, Tom Pellis, Oh,
(01:05):
Mike Arafolo. Yesterday was the last day for official visits
to team facilities in the Patriots are picking fourteen who
they have in.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
The Patriots. On the last day the teams could have
top thirty visits. The last day they could get prospects
into their facility hosted Kentucky quarterback Will Levis kind of
an interesting one for the Patriots snuck it right in
before the buzzer. Levis obviously has been well traveled to Curtinally,
one of the top four quarterbacks in this draft, has
visited several teams, including the Raiders, including the Panthers, including
(01:39):
the Texans, but also some other ones, the Bucks, the
Falcons among them.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
For Will Levis, the.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Patriots, though I think probably threw most people for a loop.
They picked fourteen. They have mac Jones in as their starto,
though Bill Belichick, despite several opportunities, has not definitively said it.
The Patriots always do due diligence, and certainly there have
been times and Andrew you mentioned on Twitter when the
Patriots have just wanted a top quarterback in there just
to see Baker Mayfield the one that comes to mind.
(02:06):
But at least visiting with Will Levis is interesting for
New England to.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Do, and in speaking with some teams that have met
with Will Levis, he is, how do I put this,
not lacking for confidence, and that tends to rub people
the wrong way sometimes, but there are other folks who
say that's how I want my quarterback to be. I
want him to be sure of himself. I want him
to be outspoken when he needs to be outspoken, and listen,
(02:31):
we've seen that. I think before the combine he talked
about his arm and how he wanted to show it
off for everybody. I mean, you know what kind of
personality you're getting with Will Levis. So I wish I
could take an honest tally of all these visits and
say how many of these were positive, how many responded
well to that kind of energy, and how many did
not respond as well. And I'd be curious to know
(02:52):
how he responded or how the Patriots responded to it.
But Will Levis not short on pre draft visits. He's
going to be a fascinating to one one to watch
on draft night.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Andrew and again, the Patriots a couple of years ago
took Mac Jones fifteen. Here they're picking fourteen.
Speaker 5 (03:06):
Ian.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
You mentioned Baker Mayfield.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
I pointed out this morning that yes, in twenty eighteen,
right before the draft, they tried to get something I
head to a face to face meeting with Baker Mayfield.
They were picking twenty three and thirty one. Obviously Mayfield
went one, but maybe they could have made a move
up anyway, didn't happen. We are a week away as
we try to make sense of these meetings and try
to make sense tom of what we hear on the podium.
The Seahawks did their thing yesterday, Schneider and Carol, they
(03:31):
have two picks five and twenty. What about the possibility
of a trade.
Speaker 6 (03:35):
There, Well, Seahawks General manager John Schneider said that, really
you just have preliminary conversations at this point, and things
tend to heat up come next Tuesday or Wednesday. Well,
if you're an NFL general manager and you're just going
off of history the short list of gms, you're probably
calling because they might be willing to trade with you.
It's basically Howie Roseman, It's Bill Belichick, and it is
(03:58):
John Schneider, who has made a ton of draft trades,
both up and in notable cases down through the course
of his more than a day decade in charge in Seattle.
Here they're at an interesting spot right now at number five,
because you just don't know exactly how the board is
going to break in terms of do four quarterbacks come
off in the first four picks. That seems unlikely, but
(04:18):
we've seen runs on quarterbacks high in the draft before
do those defensive players start to go, and in those cases,
maybe somebody wants to tramp to five to get one
of the quarterbacks. It was notable they had Will Anderson
Junior in yesterday on the last day for pre draft visits.
That was one that was set up kind of late
in the process and as an indication there's a lot
of different scenarios here, so why not bring in one
of the premier defensive players in the whole draft.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
This is uncharted territory for the Seahawks to be up
this high, which is why they took the opportunity to
meet with all those quarterbacks at their pro days. They
certainly got out and did the travel thing to get
there for those. But yeah, it does sound like trading
back would be an option or top option for John
Schneider if he can get this one done. Tom and
I did look this up, Andrew, because I referenced it
(05:01):
on air. I believe it was yesterday the Malik McDowell
left John Schneider and the Seahawks traded back three times
before they eventually took Malik McDowell.
Speaker 7 (05:11):
They love to pick up that.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Extra draft capital as they move back, So John Schneider
certainly hoping things fall a certain way. If it's maybe
two quarterbacks by the time the first four go I know,
time you mentioned four in a row. If it's two quarterbacks,
then he's sitting pretty because then if somebody wants the third,
that five spot is going to be an entry point potentially.
So this is going to be an on the clock
thing for John Schneider and the Seahawks if they slide back.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
As it is.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
I think every year, Hey, Lakwan, can we look it up?
I think it's ten out of the last eleven years
there's been like a first round trade for John Schneider
or a first a Night one trade for John Schneider, which.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Is just ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
All right, let's get to the Commanders as their sale
is kind of hanging the balance here. Ian they are
picking sixteen, and they do have Sam Howell. We still
do go into this draft with the team Ron Rivera
and Sam Howel, Jacoby Brissett there as well, believing that
he has a chance here to win this job.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Yeah, and Sam Howell talked to reporters recently and essentially
said he loves the feel of the organization, loves the
direction that they are going and that they are going
to get absolutely everything he can. Now Sam Howe's we've
seen very very limited fashion on the field of though,
as Ron Rivera pointed out during the owners meetings, about
a month ago or whatever that was, seems like a
million years ago. If they had done the draft of
(06:31):
year earlier, Sam Howe probably would have been a first
round pick. Certainly that was where his pedigree was. They
really liked the talent, They like what he has done
on the field in a very short short time of
limited snaps.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
So we will see if he's the starter.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
All of this under the backdrop of what if the
Commanders kind of go off the board a little bit
and take a quarterback they have visited with some I
wouldn't rule.
Speaker 5 (06:54):
That out at all.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
So Sam Howell, yes, as the likely starter. But let's
see what happens Thursday.
Speaker 6 (07:01):
And the question with Hendon Hooker, who visited the Commanders
yesterday going to be does somebody want to take him
in the first round to get that fifty year option,
knowing that his rookie year potentially could be a washing
in terms of him contributing, just because of all the
lost reps that he's going to have because you pick
up that fifty year option, then he really got four
years to work with him. Or does he, based in
large part on the injury, end up going in the
(07:23):
second round or potentially even later. I would say this
on Hendon Hooker having talked to a lot of GMS
and scouts and coaches over the past week. Here, everybody
likes the person in Hendon Hooker. He's obviously older, he
is very mature. He's a very fun guy to talk to.
He also comes from an offense in Tennessee that doesn't
look anything like what you're going to be doing in
(07:44):
the NFL. In terms of the receivers lining up outside
the numbers, they've really only got one drop that they do.
They use a lot of hand signals and things like that.
There's a lot that he's going to have to learn
in that regard. There's kind of an upside here for
Hendon Hooker to not be ready immediately if he lands
in a Washington that wants to give Sam Howell a shot,
if you were to land in a Minnesota that's got
Kirk Cousins name the spot an established starter, take a year, obviously,
(08:08):
get healthy, but also learn all those other aspects of
running an NFL offense. Those first round quarterbacks tend to
get pushed. The guy coming off an injury. He really
can't do that.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
His injury was week before Thanksgiving, so we're talking September,
nine months out at that point from a torn acl
We are one week out from night number one of
the twenty twenty three draft.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Thank you, guys.
Speaker 5 (08:31):
Richardson fires one over to the next draft.
Speaker 6 (08:34):
Richardson, He'll load it up and cut it loose with
that big arms.
Speaker 5 (08:43):
Richardson.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
Anthony Richardson is dangerous in the open field. And now
for something completely different. Every year, Maurice Jones drew hands
in a mock draft.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
That is well out there.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
MJD's mock draft, available now on NFL dot com, has
Anthony Richardson going one okay, but CJ. Stroud going too,
and then Rice Young falling to three, at which point
the Colts jump up with the Cardinals and take them,
and the Cardinals go Tyree Wilson. This mock draft is
not a bonkers baldy MJD like.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
As a dentist thing or something.
Speaker 7 (09:20):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
He'll be on ta later, So.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
Baldy, let's make sense, and let's make fun of his
mock draft. I'm kidding, let's not make fun of it, but.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
Let's mock the mock. Let's mock the Okay, let's do.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Anthony Richardson one go.
Speaker 5 (09:33):
So that's where the mock begins.
Speaker 8 (09:37):
Look, maybe it's the channeling Cam Newton who was the
first pick in twenty eleven and five years later he
was the MVP of the league and the team was
in the Super Bowl, and they feel like they could
do that again.
Speaker 5 (09:48):
Maybe maybe you.
Speaker 8 (09:49):
Know, MJ's like, look, I coach you know, high school football.
I coach all these kids. Put the best athlete a quarterback,
Let's coach him up. Let's build a system around Anthony Richardson.
And if you take that approach, you can probably say,
let's put the most talented guy at the most important position.
Speaker 5 (10:05):
Let's build an offense around him.
Speaker 7 (10:07):
You know.
Speaker 8 (10:08):
And I don't know how patient the people and Charlotte
are going to be to wait for the development of
Anthony Richardson, because you can only put Andy Dalton out
there for so many games where you got to put
Richardson on the field.
Speaker 5 (10:21):
I just think he's a little too raw right now
to do.
Speaker 2 (10:24):
That it sounds like I'm ripping MJD. I love this
mock draft.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
I got so excited yesterday in the newsroom when I
heard it was gonna drop yesterday or this morning rather,
because his mock draft is the most fun. It is
just out there. He has, for example, CJ. Stroud still
going ahead of Bryce Young. He didn't go on, but
Stroud goes two ahead of Young at three. The Colts
who trade up.
Speaker 8 (10:47):
Yes, and then he also reunites him with Jackson Smith
and Jig later with the other Houston pick, and you
put that buck eye connection back together that you know,
we're Smith and Jig. You know caught over sixteen hundred
yards of passes from one c J. Stroud two years
ago and they were one of most dynamic offenses in
all football. So I look, I mean, maybe you know
(11:10):
MJ has a thing about five FO ten quarterbacks just
very up in the NFL, and you'd rather go with
the bigger, stronger player at number two.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
You would think that he would like the short he
does that, you would think he would like the short guy.
Speaker 8 (11:25):
Well yeah, but short with bowling ball sized legs is
different than short. And you know on Bryce Bryce Young's
Olympic sprinter type legs.
Speaker 5 (11:36):
There's a different base.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
Rude, I totally get it. He's got bejon At tend
to the Eagles. He has Will Levis going eleven to
the Titans. We're justing Will Levis here, visited the Patriots
yesterday at fourteen. So if Levis is somehow to fall,
I think Tennessee makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
I don't dislike this one.
Speaker 8 (11:55):
Yeah, well, I mean sometimes you know, it's just a
crossroad puzzle and you're just trying to put teams.
Speaker 5 (12:02):
And players together. We know how this is. This is
actually it's an extra. But you know, you certainly could
see many people.
Speaker 8 (12:08):
Have had Tennessee trading up in this trap to get
a quarterback, knowing that.
Speaker 5 (12:12):
Ryan Tannehill might not be there that much long, coming.
Speaker 8 (12:15):
Out for serious ankle injury from a year ago, and
with the new offensive coordinator.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
Calling plays, maybe they want a big, strong arm kid you.
Speaker 8 (12:22):
Know that you know, started a bunch of years at
Kentucky there last two years after transferring, and so you know,
maybe they start the rebuild in Tennessee in a different
way with Will Levis right there.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
All right, So Hended Hooker goes twenty three to the Vikings.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
That makes sense.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Like we were just talking about there with the guys
with the insiders about if you have a veteran quarterback
in place, you give in essence a redshirt year to
handed hooker I mentioned he has Bejon Robinson, MJD does
at ten. We've seen that a lot of places. It
does make a lot of sense. It's Howie does want
to go running back, which would be out of the.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
Norm for him.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
But what I like and what is different here, and
obviously a running back made this mock.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
He has a.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Second back going in the first round, which I don't
think anyone has, and that's Jamiir Gibbs, a twenty six
baldy to the Cowboys.
Speaker 5 (13:10):
Well, it's certainly. Look, it's certainly a position of need
for the Cowboys.
Speaker 8 (13:14):
I mean, right now they don't have a healthy running
back as Tony Power is coming back from that injury
from a year ago.
Speaker 5 (13:19):
Still, but you know they're going to have a committee.
Speaker 8 (13:22):
Mike McCarthy has said that they want to run the
ball more and more effectively than they did a year ago.
He's the home run hitter between He's a bigger home
run hitter than John Robinson, and you could see Dallas
going with that star system that they've always had, you know,
Mike and all the you know CD, and you add
(13:44):
visit player to that offense. Behind that offensive line, you
could see real production from Jamiir Gibbon. I also, I
believe that he's got Jamiir rated higher than Vijn.
Speaker 5 (13:57):
Now that might be just MJ doing MJ.
Speaker 8 (14:00):
Kind of things, but I think for the speed component,
the one cut and can go.
Speaker 5 (14:06):
Like, I think he favors gives over Bjon Robinson.
Speaker 1 (14:09):
Maurice Jones Drew, who does know more about running backs
than I do. Mjd does have Jamier Gibbs rated higher
than Bijon Robinson on his list of the best running
backs in this draft. That list and his mock draft
currently available. Baldy's read it already. Thank you Baldy on
NFL dot com.
Speaker 8 (14:29):
And I mocked the mock, but we all absolutely adore
Maurice Jones Drue.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
We mocked the mock, not the man. Remember that, Yes, right,
keep it classy, come it up next. We'll keep it
classy with a Super Bowl champions who are picking thirty first,
who have the draft in their own backyard, who are
working out this week in Texas. What we've learned about
Mahomes and the offense straight ahead, and also we'll hear
from Joe Shane Giants GM an update on Saquan and
(14:56):
Dexter Lawrence straight ahead. It's pre draft press conference side
for the GMS, which means you get to ask questions.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
About the guys that are already on the roster.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Saquon Barkley as a franchise tag, he does not have
a long term deal. He is not there for the
opening of the Giants offseason program. Joe Shane, your thoughts.
Speaker 8 (15:21):
You remain optimistic that Saquon will be on the field
for you at the start of the season, and from.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
The outside looking in, it doesn't seem like there's an
obvious resolution based on the two sides of Pennsyla.
Speaker 7 (15:31):
Yeah, you have to ask him.
Speaker 9 (15:31):
I'm not sure.
Speaker 7 (15:32):
I don't know what his plan is.
Speaker 9 (15:34):
I haven't talked to him in probably three weeks.
Speaker 5 (15:36):
He still wants to be on this team.
Speaker 10 (15:38):
I haven't talked to him.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
I haven't talked to him. I haven't talked to him.
Said that a couple of times.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Judia Batista much different than what he said about Dexter Lawrence,
which is a conversations are pretty.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Good right now with Dexter Lawrence's reps. What do you
take from all that?
Speaker 11 (15:54):
Well, you're right. The tone was entirely different. When he
was talking about Dexter Lawrence. He said, they talked this
week and the dialogue has been really good. But when
he was asked about Saquon, and he was asked about
Saquon repeatedly, you heard what he said, I haven't talked
to him. He said, I haven't talked to him in
three weeks. He said, nothing is new since we last
talked to Joe Shane at the annual meeting in Arizona,
so that was three weeks ago. And he said at
(16:17):
that time that there was no outstanding offer. He made
the point that they always knew that there would come
a point in negotiations with Saquon that if there wasn't
a deal, they would take a step back and regroup.
They have the franchise tag. He said, there's no rush, right,
They've got time. But clearly the dialogue is not in
(16:37):
a great place now. Just the tone of voice where
he said, you know, you'd have to ask him the
question was very confidence. He's going to be on the
field for you, and he said, well, you'd have to
ask him. I don't know his plans. I haven't talked
to him in three weeks. So clearly the conversation is
not in a good place in the sense that there
is no conversation right now. Everybody knows Saquon is not
happy with the franchise tag. Everybody also knows that people
(17:00):
in the organization, most importantly the owner, John Marra, really
would like Saquon Darkly to be a Giant for life.
They are going to have to figure this out. It
does not sound like they are anywhere near figuring this
out right now.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
He did channel Brian Dayball from earlier this week. It's
April seventeenth. In other words, well, today's April twentieth. But
he was going back to Monday when Dayball kept saying, hey,
pump the brakes on making any grand assumptions about anything.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
So there there's that.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
Also, obviously, asked about the draft, They're picking twenty fifth.
Anything to glean from those draft non comments?
Speaker 5 (17:35):
Not a whole lot.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
I thought.
Speaker 11 (17:36):
One interesting thing was the Giants lost both centers in
free agency this year, but Joe Shane said that doesn't
necessarily mean they have to come out of this draft
with the center. He feels that there are guys on
the roster. There are guys on the roster who have
played center in the past in games, and he feels
they may be able to do the job. He thinks
they'll be a good competition, So maybe he threw some
(17:58):
cold water on the idea that they absolutely have to
come out of this with somebody who can play center immediately.
He talked about wide receivers. A lot of attention has
been paid to wide receivers for the Giants, even though
they did some work there in free agency, and he
said it's a good group at the top of the draft.
It just sort of depends on how you value them.
But he also made the point that you know they're
(18:20):
in a much better spot now right like they're picking
way down in the draft if they're not picking way
high up. He said they've had to sort of learn
how to evaluate defensive players, especially for instance, the defensive
front seven based on walk when Martindale likes. So they're
actually much further along than they were at this point
last year when they were all still learning each other
(18:41):
and learning what the coach is like, so he feels
like they're in a pretty good spot considering they do
not have two of the top ten picks, and that's
obviously a good sign about the Giants progress.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
Yeah, much different than a year ago. They won a
playoff game this year. Much different feeling there for Joe
Shane now picking twenty five, Thank you, Judy.
Speaker 9 (19:03):
A home floats a pass Gussey over the tunda.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
He's got the touchdown. Put the boys out.
Speaker 12 (19:09):
The chief defense gets an incredible touchdown quick pastor Tony
po will walk into the house, the first lead of
the game. Wide open sky more touchdown chance of city.
Don't underestimate how top Patrick Mahomes is twenty six yard scrambled.
He let him seconds left, thirty five to thirty five tie.
The kick is good for the second time in four seasons.
(19:33):
The Lombardy Trophy has a big red reflection. The Chiefs
are champions a Super Bowl fifty seven.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
Ah Yes.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
The Kansas City Chiefs picking thirty first with the draft
in their own backyard are mock's latest mock. Sab McDonald
that had a bare and Tillman and then Yadi k Uzama, who,
by the way, is gonna join us a little bit
later on this sedition of NFL Now turn out Washington.
Woof gonna be dangerous as well. Here Jeff gd O
(20:04):
Brian with us. We'll focus on the draft with the
Chiefs another day. Let's focus on what they're doing right
now with Jeff. The former tenth overall pick Patrick Mahomes
has his guys working out in Texas as he has
in years past. How important are these early off season
throwing sessions.
Speaker 13 (20:20):
For the Chiefs, Well, Andrew, it's been really critical because
you look at what happened last season when the new
cropper receivers showed up and they had time to spend
with Mahomes and it paid off immensely in terms of
chemistry and relationships, and the.
Speaker 7 (20:33):
Same thing is happening or they hope to have happened
this year.
Speaker 14 (20:35):
They've got their renting houses down there, and you've got
all types of receivers showing up. I've heard you've got
even some guys who were in the draft like quitting
just Johnston and Zay Flowers showing up.
Speaker 7 (20:45):
So maybe they end up being the Chiefs plans.
Speaker 14 (20:47):
But Andy resaid this is really important because he's looking
for big years from guys like Sky Moore and Cadarius Tony,
and Mahomes himself said that you saw how War came
on in the last year.
Speaker 7 (20:58):
You see the talent and a guy like Tony and Baldy.
Speaker 14 (21:00):
You see a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes taking this kind
of time in the off season putting this in.
Speaker 7 (21:05):
Know, good things are going to come from this.
Speaker 5 (21:08):
Not just good things, Jeff, but like high level of competition.
And it might not just be throwing footballs. It could
be throwing horseshoes, you.
Speaker 8 (21:14):
Know, it could be swinging a baseball bat and you know,
a driver, it could be hitting golf balls.
Speaker 5 (21:19):
I mean, he's going to compete and he.
Speaker 8 (21:21):
Wants he wants to engage Sky and Cardious Tony, who
by the way, both caught touchdown passes in this recent
Super Bowl that second half, you know, comeback. So I
think there's an awful lie you can glean from these
type of workouts, just getting in in the mind of
Patrick Mahomes, what he sees, what he expects when a
(21:42):
play breaks down, Physicians, where you line up, where you
can end up after emotion, a shift, all that kind
of stuff. Remember, Carderius was traded for in the middle
of the season last year, so he was still digested
in playbook by the time they got to the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (21:57):
He can really feel comfortable in it now. And just
the way that.
Speaker 8 (22:01):
Andy Reid and you know, Eric, the enemy had moved
guys around into different positions for a variety of reasons,
and sometimes it could just be to put Travis Kelce
in a better position. But just to understand that just
because you're the number four target on this side, you
might still be very much like all those things can
be talked through. At this time of the year, I
(22:24):
think this is just widely valuable to Mahomes and all
the guys that work out with.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
Them, Absolutely, and you'll see that value come September, October
and the Chief so January and February as well. We
focus so much on those guys in the reworking of
the old line. Let's give some love to the defense here.
Jeff Drew Tranquil, former Charger now a Chief going to
the dark side there in the AFC West House.
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Is he going to help well?
Speaker 14 (22:49):
A low key signing really for the Chiefs, because this
is a player who really had a good year last
year for the Chargers, led them in tackles.
Speaker 7 (22:56):
He had five sacks.
Speaker 14 (22:58):
An interception, and Andy Reeve when he spoke about him,
talked about how defensive coordinator Stspagnolo loves to have players
like this. We're super versatile who can be in different
position groups and can really have a huge impact on
what they want to do defensively. You know, I look
at Willie Gay, a guy who's been with this with
the Chiefs for four years now, and he may not
be on this rosternation because of a guy trank will
(23:19):
showing up on a one year deal. This guy can blitz,
he can cover, he can tackle, he can do everything
that stinks pac Nola Wantston can be able to do,
and their defense should be better off because of him
being a part of it.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
With the Chiefs picking thirty first overall one week away
from the draft, their off season workouts have begun in Texas. Here,
thank you, Jeff, thank you Balding.
Speaker 9 (23:42):
Here comes the big man. He's got him and down
he goes under pressure, sackets Felix and you dk.
Speaker 5 (23:56):
U sama again going.
Speaker 10 (24:00):
We on the run. Now, We're going dewn going death
los It can.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
Show now now now now blone now Rone now.
Speaker 9 (24:08):
And Joe's down and at Felix and you dk U
Sama came around the edge and the top sack man
in this conference.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
He knows how to celebrate. He's the Big twelve defensive
player of the year. And I'm told Felix that you
were smiling watching your highlights. Do you like watching your
own highlights?
Speaker 10 (24:30):
I like watching some, especially when I do the sag dance.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
That that one at the end. What what was that?
Speaker 13 (24:35):
Uh?
Speaker 10 (24:36):
Yeah, you should try it.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
I just kind of did and embarrassed myself. So you
tell me more about what I just no.
Speaker 10 (24:44):
Use your hips a little bit.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
I'm in a chair, so thankfully you don't have to
see me chair dance. Does that have a name or
is that just something you made up?
Speaker 10 (24:53):
I guess I don't know. There's something. Uh, it's not
really made up.
Speaker 15 (24:56):
It's something I did in high school, okay, with with
some of my teammates in the high school, and we
kind of it was like a Houston type thing.
Speaker 10 (25:04):
We saw Deshaun Watson do it a long time ago.
Speaker 15 (25:07):
We kept on doing it and then I added a
little crown on top.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
So I liked it. And you had a lot of
chance to do it.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
You had twenty and a half sacks in your college career,
including nineteen and a half of them in the last
two years, and you made a name for yourself. Actually,
let's get to your name here, because, honestly, Felix, I
feel people are afraid of saying your name out loud
because they don't want to get it wrong. You, as
a public service, have put it on your Twitter profile.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Felix.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Sure, and you, dk Ozama, Why do you mess it up?
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Some Oozama? Thank you? Why do people mess it up
so much? Like I just did? I thought I had
it down.
Speaker 10 (25:45):
I mean, I feel like how it's spelled is kind
of spelled different. How you pronounce this though, I mean
I don't.
Speaker 15 (25:50):
I don't harp on people that mispronounced it that much
honestly because it's I'm not gonna lie, It's pretty hard
name to pronounce.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
So do you like the nickname Fau? People call you Fau,
people call me.
Speaker 15 (26:00):
People say it's like Florida a plantetic or something like that.
So I'll tell you, but I'm.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Cool that though.
Speaker 10 (26:06):
I'm cool with that.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Yeah, all right, good, Well, people are going to have
to learn your name because, as I said, you had
a lot of sacks.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
The last couple of years, and.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
You're going to hear your name called, we think pretty
early next week in the NFL Draft. I want to
go down the list of teams here that you visited.
We got Green Bay, Tampa Bay, what else.
Speaker 10 (26:24):
Green Bay, Tampa Bay Saints.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Okay, and also Texans.
Speaker 7 (26:29):
All right.
Speaker 1 (26:30):
Well, a lot of people say, we had this conversation
with Collijah Kanty yesterday that the teams that you don't
visit maybe are the teams that might be keeping an
eye on you. You're a hometown Kansas City. You're in
Kansas City right now. The Chiefs are picking thirty one Felix.
What would it mean to be a Kansas City Chief?
Speaker 15 (26:47):
I mean, at the end of the day, I grew
up watching Kansas City Chiefs and it was the team
I respected a lot. And they're walk contenders, so it's
just it'll be an honor just to be a part
of them, honestly, But at the end of the day,
you never know.
Speaker 10 (27:03):
And I've been talking to all the teams I've is
it on.
Speaker 15 (27:05):
I liked literally all the teams I was on visits
with them, So I wouldn't mind playing with any team
that I've been talking to.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
Recently, Felix, you had a game a couple of years
ago in which you had six sacks, but they didn't
give you six sacks against TCU. It was ruled that
you had This is the dumbest thing ever. You had
two sacks that caused fumbles and the ball went across
the line of scrimmage, Therefore they weren't sacks. Felix, six
(27:33):
would have tied the Division one record.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Are you still bitter over this?
Speaker 15 (27:40):
As I was for a second, But at the same time,
it was just opportunity. It was just a huge opportunity
to just to be a part of the game, just
to be able to make that much plays for that
game and have a win, because that was a critical
win that year, especially against TCCU.
Speaker 10 (27:54):
But yeah, it was.
Speaker 15 (27:55):
It was very heartbreaking because I remember everybody was saying,
oh my gosh, you tied the record. Then later that
night they text my coach text me and they're like,
I'm sorry, but if the ball goes over the line
of scrimmage is not considered as a sack, Its just
considered as a force. I honestly I don't get that.
Hopefully they change it in a couple of years, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
I can't imagine. What's that like? Like I said, it
NCAA record. Like Derek Thomas did six ones, he also
did seven ones in the NFL.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
That's the NFL record.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
But now because I hit the guy so hard the
ball went over the line of scrimmage, it's not a sack.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
It's just kind of ridiculous anyway.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Also on your Twitter profile, I Felix, you have the
Nigerian flag there. The NFL does something every off season
where they take players and bring them all around the
world to kind of spread our love of football. Recently
had an NFL Africa trip. Would that be something you'd
be interested in doing?
Speaker 5 (28:49):
Oh oh one hundred.
Speaker 15 (28:51):
I literally talked to a lot of people about doing that.
So hopefully when I go to the league. If I
go to the league, it'll be something I can just
go back and visit some of my family back in
Nigeria too, because I haven't been there since twenty seventeen.
I was trying to go there and COVID twenty twenty
because obviously COVID happened and nobody really who's flying. So
hopefully I can go back there, visit for my family
(29:11):
and then help other people just help with the camp
and everything like that.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
The draft is going to be in his backyard in
Kansas City.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
The Big twelve Player of the Year.
Speaker 1 (29:25):
Get to know his name, Felix and you dk Ouzama Felix.
Speaker 2 (29:30):
Good luck to you man. Can't wait to see where
you go.
Speaker 10 (29:32):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
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