Tough Cover Show: Jhoan Durán Injury Scare, Micah Parsons-Cowboys Situation, NFL, and More - 08/16/25

Sean Barnard and Jared Montalto talk Jhoan Durán injury scare, MLB, NFL, and more.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Number one on your car radio preset hand a new
and improved iHeart Radio, w D A Yes and WD
two seven three D Philadelphia is Fox Sports Radio The Gambler.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
And during the.

Speaker 3 (00:12):
Moments that we have left, you want to talk right
down to that and a language that everybody here can
easily understand.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
The Hello and welcome to another episode of the top
cover radio show right here on Fox Sports The Gambler.
A little bit something different this Saturday. As no Mark
Henry Jr. As his living life right down there in Florida.
But me and my guy Jared, you introduce yourself. I
know I messed up the pronunciation on the first time,
so let me throw it.

Speaker 4 (01:03):
To you right off the bat.

Speaker 5 (01:04):
Here be here Jared Montalato with the reading Eagle in PA.

Speaker 4 (01:10):
It's a newspaper.

Speaker 5 (01:11):
Been a sports reporter for three years now, been all
covering every sport you can possibly name. Have covered some
big names in the sports show diis Men. Gary Matthews
is a former Philly Some younger guys, Uh yeah, it
good to be here.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
I'm excited for this, absolutely excited to chop it up.
Me and Jared went to college together. Shout out to
Alberna University. A good friend of my roommate, Taijier Morris,
shout out to him killing things that were there at
Abalin Christian.

Speaker 4 (01:33):
So good vibes all around here.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
But yeah, we are filling in for Mark Henry Junior
today and got plenty to get into in the sports world,
so make sure to stick around for the full show today.
We got three things we're buying in, three things that
we're selling in the NFL world, as well as a
ton of other stuff. Going to talk some NFC East
talk a little bit about the Michael Parsons situation.

Speaker 4 (01:49):
But we got to get started right off the bat with.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
What went down in the late hours of last night
in the Phillies game, and that was a little bit
of a panic moment across the Phillies band base as
Johanda could not put seemingly any weight on that foot. Now,
we did get some positive news in the wee hours
of last night that the X rays are negative. But Chad,
I'll throw it to you right here, what was your
reaction when that happened? And uh, what was going through
your mind?

Speaker 5 (02:12):
I mean, instantly, everyone you know holds their breath hoping
it is nothing serious, and uh, you know X rays negative,
Thank god.

Speaker 4 (02:18):
Yep.

Speaker 5 (02:19):
You know he ran right after the ball after it,
so no one really thought too much of it. You know,
you said ten minutes he stood there her in. You
just prayed nothing serious has happened, because he is the guy.
He kind of completely flipped his bullpen thing when he
came in and got traded here. So I pray he's
good and hopefully, you know, it's only a few weeks
will miss.

Speaker 2 (02:38):
Yeah, very bizarre injury is obviously a liner right back
at the on there, hits him right in his right
foot there immediately sprints for the ball. And in my
head when this happened, like you always have a little
bit of a flinch moment when a pitcher gets hit there,
but my thought process was this was probably a little
bit of a stinger.

Speaker 4 (02:51):
You walk it off, you shake it off, and he's
good to go. And then when he.

Speaker 2 (02:54):
Did the immediate sprint off to get after the ball,
I thought life was all good. And then it comes
up after the fact, and it can he need to
look worse and worse, like the fact that he was
just like standing around for ten minutes putting zero weight
on it. And then they got to bring the card
on which, by the way, the nationals helmet on top
of the car a nice touch for sort of a
cartoonish moment there. But nonetheless it does seem like good

(03:14):
news at least for now. I do expect this guy
to miss a little bit of time, but the bottom
line is he is here for the postseason. If he
is here for Red October, then all plans stay the
same for this Phillies team.

Speaker 4 (03:24):
Now.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
One of the controversial topics that has popped up with
this is why was he in the game in the
first place. And I've seen plenty of critiques for Rop Thompson.
It obviously was a four run game, a non safe situation.
He had not pitched since Sunday. What are your thoughts
on giving him some work last night? I mean, it's
a freak accident. It's going to happen. It's sports. I mean,
I don't mind him throwing him out there. He hasn't
pitched such Sunday. Let him get some work in.

Speaker 5 (03:47):
Obviously, they haven't been in these ball games where we're
you know, save opportunities, So let him get some work.
It's just very very unfortunate and very philly like for
him to get injured and that type of situation. So
that does suck.

Speaker 2 (03:59):
Yeah, And we do not have the final timeline or
injury announcement. I do expect we get some sort of
update today, so we're not going to run full victory
laps and crisis avoided yet. But the x rays being negative,
I do think is a huge positive sign with that
that's did what it seemed. If it was anything that
blatantly bad, it did feel like it was going to
be a broken foot to me. So that is not
the case. But I'm with you. I don't need to
hear Rob Thompson's being critiqued about this. It is fair

(04:21):
to give your best closer a little bit of work
when he had not pitched for four days. Here, if
it is not that one freak play where it's a
liner right back at him, there's not a peep of
criticism for that. And I'll even say that as it
is a six to two game and the camera pens
the bullfen and the options are Jordan Romano or Johann
Duram warming up a vast difference in my confidence level
for what that ultimately turns out to be.

Speaker 4 (04:41):
So I get it.

Speaker 2 (04:41):
It's unfortunate how it went down, and as long as
this is not something that is a long term issue,
I think we can rest easy with that decision. Now,
another storyline that has emerged with this that is going
to be more of a factor than I expected to
be the case with this Phillies team is the return
of Jose Alvarado. Now, obviously a guy who was suspended,
did his o Zeppe pills or whatever the case may be,
trying to get skinny there.

Speaker 4 (05:02):
He returns Tuesday to this Phillies team.

Speaker 2 (05:04):
I do expect him to be fully thrown right to
the fire here and be asked to throw some significant,
high leverage innings. There's been some I guess controversial takes
about what is the point to bring this guy back
if he is ineligible for playoffs? To me, I think
this is a pretty one for one swap at this
point that he is going to fill what would be
the Johan Duran opportunities.

Speaker 4 (05:21):
Do you think that's fair to say? Or am I
throwing him two large is shoes?

Speaker 1 (05:24):
No?

Speaker 5 (05:24):
I definitely feel like he's going to come back and
be that same guy. I definitely had mixed emotions before
we traded for Duran. Yeah, with him coming back, messing
the flow up because these guys are going to need
them save opportunities before we get to the playoffs. Like
I think it'll help a lot during this regular season,
but will mess that flow up going into the postseason.

Speaker 4 (05:42):
It's definitely a possibility.

Speaker 5 (05:43):
But if we're winning games and it's a tight race
in the NL East right now, I don't know how
many games Mets are back right now, six six games, Yeah,
we need every single win we can get. You know,
the Brewers are up there too, So I don't mind
him coming back. I think he's going to dominate like
he did. And I wish he was here the whole
season because you know, who knows what happens at the
dead line. Say he's been pitching, Well, say we still

(06:04):
do Google, go get Dran and maybe we're saying out
a better record than we are now.

Speaker 4 (06:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:10):
And by the way, the Mets back on a new
three game losing streak after they had snapped their previous
seven game losing streak and four in to row up
before that.

Speaker 4 (06:18):
So over their past I believe.

Speaker 2 (06:20):
It is fifteen games dropping me do the math on
the fly here, or over their past eighteen games have
dropped fourteen of those if I'm doing my math off
the top here, so in disaster mode out there in
New York. And by the way, the product on the
field looking even more depressing than those raw numbers. Yeah,
but the Alvarado situation is interesting. The advantage that I
think it gives this Phillies team is this isn't a

(06:41):
situation in which you're prioritizing saving the arm for the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (06:44):
Like a guy like Duran.

Speaker 2 (06:45):
You need it at his peak from come postseason time.
Even though Ryan Kirkring and mattch Strom those are high
level drums that you need to count on. I don't
care if Jose Alvarado throws every single day for the
remainder of the season, because he does have the entire
offseason and entire playoffs to rest there that he's returning.
I think when we factor in this Duran issue and
injury here, that he becomes even more important to this team.

(07:06):
But it is nice that everything sort of fell into
place with Doran. And even when you mentioned messing the
flow up, I do think that they found a little
bit of the structure. It's gonna be Kirkering and Strom
as your setup guys. It's gonna be duran as to
shut the door. That is your closer. And it's just
nice to have an actual closer that it's been forever
until since there's been a guy that we can count
on for that. And I know Rob Thompson has thrown

(07:27):
the buzz where it's around like high leverage inning or
we're playing the matchups and we've done the data for
how guys pitch against each player or what their track
records are. I get that that holds some credence. At
the end of the day. MLB games are nine innings, man,
you need a dude to come slam the door shut.
And do you think that's something that's important, like having
a closer itself or did you see that point before?

Speaker 4 (07:45):
Yeah, I would.

Speaker 5 (07:46):
I don't like to you know, you throw a guy
in today and then you got to throw another guy
in to mar for the save. I like that, you know,
solidified closer, like you need to have that as a
postseason baseball team. And when it comes to you know,
Red October in Philly when he comes in, it.

Speaker 4 (07:59):
Was already electric when his first time he came in.

Speaker 5 (08:02):
But I can't even imagine if we're winning a tight ballgame,
he clumbs in with that entrance like I can't wait
for that, honestly.

Speaker 2 (08:08):
One hundred percent, and now it is nice. I thought
we were gonna be robbed a bit for a brief
moment last night. So let's rest easy, Let's send some
deep breath, let's give some good vibes for even more
positive news today before we cement this. Now, one other
pitcher I did want to bring up here was the
guy that made the start last night, and Zach Wheeler.
Zach Wheeler has been tremendous this season. A sub three
ERA second in Cy young odds right now, has pitched

(08:29):
like one of the best pitchers in baseball from pretty
much start to finish. But the past few games there's
been a little bit something off. Now, his velocity was
back up a tech last night. He was hitting ninety seven,
hit in ninety eight, but the control did not feel.
Zach Wheeler like to me, I understand that pitching is
a strength of this Phillies team, that this is the
deepest rotation that they've had in quite some time. Aaron
Nola said to make his return tomorrow. Now that he's

(08:50):
rejoining this rotation, they have haesus Lozarda. They have rangers
Suarez Christopher Sanchez right on Zach Wheeler's heels for those
cy young odds there. But Wheeler is the foundation here.
This is the eight, this is the number one, this
is the game one starter. What is your level of
concern of him not looking like that version of himself
as we begin to enter this final playoff?

Speaker 4 (09:07):
Push?

Speaker 5 (09:08):
A little concern right now, but I think as you
know these last few months, he's going to get it back.
I feel like, you know, that elbow, that issue is
gonna you know, subside hopefully. But he hasn't pitched a
game over six innings since July sixth. That is a
bit of concern. You want him to go seven to
eight innings when it gets time to the you know,
the nitty gritty. So I'm concerned about that. But behind him,

(09:29):
you got swore Az, you got Sanchez. Like I'm very
confident in them. Guys. Came October that we're going to
be fine. But you know, it moves as he does.
He's the ace.

Speaker 4 (09:38):
He is the guy one hundred percent there.

Speaker 2 (09:40):
And I know it was reported shoulder soreness that they
moved back his start two days there came back had
a little still a little bit that velocity dip there,
and then the control seemed to be more of the
factor last night. But nonetheless, I'm not gonna panic yet.
It was nice to see the velocity backup last night.

Speaker 4 (09:54):
We know who Zach Wheeler is at this stage, and
it's great.

Speaker 2 (09:55):
He's been one of the better pitchers in baseball for
the past decade here, and I don't have any expectations
if that's slowing down. But what I will say is
the playoffs need to continue to be the priority from
a decision making process, if that means extending to a
six man rotation, if that means And by the way,
Taiwan Walker, who's been a laughing stock of this Phillies
team for the past several years to some extent here,
has pecially a quality pitcher. Of these last couple starts,

(10:16):
one earned run across his past two starts, going twelve
innings in those. We take that ten times out of
ten from the starting pitcher there. So I do think
that there's a little bit of room I guess margin
for era here the six game lead. I understand that
it is not impossible for the Phillies be calls, but
we're seeing the level that the Mets are playing at,
and by the way, seven games directly between the Phillies
and Mets until the remainder of the year, so they

(10:37):
kind of control their destiny from here. I think it's
important to prioritize spacing out a little rest, making sure
these arms are ready for the postseason run, and Zach
Wheeler right at the top of the list of priorities.

Speaker 4 (10:46):
So I'll swing the question to you.

Speaker 2 (10:48):
We obviously know this Phillies team is good and has
been good the past several years. We have not seen
them get over that World Series hump, and that Diamondback
Series will continue to haunt us as potentially their cleanest
opportunity of doing so.

Speaker 4 (11:00):
But we can't live in the past.

Speaker 2 (11:01):
At the stage, we've seen the bats come up short,
We've seen the bullpen not be good enough. What is
your number one concern for why this Phillies team could
not get over that hump once again for this particular season.

Speaker 4 (11:11):
For this season, it's the bats.

Speaker 5 (11:12):
I mean that, once you get past Harper Nick has
been one for thirty six in the past thirty six
at bats like that just can't happen, especially calling postseason time.
It's scary with the outfield and they It's been a
concern since last year. Yeah, I remember talking about it,
you know, prior to the offseason. We didn't do nothing
in the offseason except get Jesus.

Speaker 4 (11:31):
Max Kapler baby. Yeah, like that.

Speaker 5 (11:34):
Just I don't think that type of guy is the
guy who's going to put you over the top. And
granted he's been playing, you know, pretty good lately. I
respect a lot and you know, maybe the rotation with him,
Bade or Marsh, maybe get Nick out or right field,
put one of them in right field, you know, just
to get the bats going more. But that's easily my
biggest concern, like the bullpen with the ron there has

(11:56):
definitely elevated to a level where I'm not as concerned.
And obviously the starting you know, starting lineup is I'm
fine with the five rotation right now, six rotation, whatever
it's going to be down the line, Very confident in them,
but the bass gotta get going, as simple as that,
like compostseason time, that cannot happen with them type of
droughts at that plate.

Speaker 2 (12:15):
Yeah, Nick Castiano's right front and center. In this conversation here,
you mentioned the stats that how poor he has been
performing at the plate, he is among the most streakiest
hitters in the entire MLBA.

Speaker 4 (12:25):
And though what I will continue.

Speaker 2 (12:26):
To stick up for Cassidy four to an extent is
I will not forget him being the most consistent hitter
in last year's plaoff ron and we know these are
the ebbs and flows of Nick Casiano's game. There will
be another stretch this season, whether it's in the playoffs,
in the final stretch of the year, or he looks
unbelievable and is ripping the cover off the baseball, but
he got to live with the lows at the same time.
Here now, the outfield is sort of an unfinished picture
to this point. Harrison Bader brought into the trade deadline.

(12:48):
Max Kupler has not lived up the expectations from start
to finish this year. Brandon marsh performing pretty well at
the plate here, Johann Rojas down in triple A. There's
a lot of moving parts for how this all fits together.
Do you have any feel of reference for what you
would do at this stage in the season. I guess
maybe a better way to phrase it is you keep
rocking with castianis being the guy or is it time
to maybe bring him down to this level of he's

(13:09):
in the same sort of tier as the rest of
the guys.

Speaker 4 (13:11):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (13:12):
I don't know if I'd go that far, because I
do think he is a tier above and I think
compost season time he's gonna start turning it back. But
right now, when you're fighting for that playoff position, why
not have a rotation with Bader, marsh Kepler and him, Like,
you know, try it out. This is the time to
try things out before it gets real, real serious, because
you don't want to fall back. And you know, Nick

(13:32):
go is another two for nineteen in these next few games, Like,
you don't want that to happen.

Speaker 4 (13:36):
You can't afford that to happen. Yeah, No, one hundred
percent there.

Speaker 2 (13:39):
I will say I do love the chemistry, but between
Harrison Bader and Nick castianas that they both have a
little bit of that like cocky boy attitude that they
kind of walk around Castian's hitting them with the ring
finger celebration. Again yesterday they got their little dial up Selly's.
So I do feel like there is some some swagger
in the outfield. Still, for sure, I'm in on Harrison
Bader man I understand he has not performed quite up
decks at the plate, but it's a refreshing change to

(14:02):
see a guy just read fly balls the way that
he does that we sort of know the shortcomings of
some of this outfield, that the identity of this Phillies
team was very much built upon offense.

Speaker 4 (14:11):
That they're gonna get guys that slug.

Speaker 2 (14:13):
That means playing Kyles s Robert and left field for
stretches when he's not gonna cover much ground.

Speaker 4 (14:17):
You can live with that.

Speaker 2 (14:18):
Nick Casianos, for all his strengths, he's never gonna be
a Gold Glove winning right field or there. So having
a guy that just sort of gets it and is
automatic in the way that batter seems to. I mean
that rob him run is probably the best example of
how easy he made that look. But it's just the
routine flyballs that he makes look routine. Even a guy
like Rojas, who is excellent defensively overall, you live with
the growing pains if he's not gonna take the cleanest

(14:39):
angle to get there and he's gonna be all over
the place. And it's much more on raw natural talent
that I like seeing it from Bader to be a
guy that just sort of gets it there. So it's
gonna be interesting to see how that overall solves itself.
Alec Bohm making his return in the short term too,
as he continues his rehab start. So things are shaping
in too decent spot for this Phillies team. It is
still built around the top guy being the top guys.

(15:01):
Kyle schwarber Man unbelievable. Another home run last night that
broke the game open, a three run shot to really
give them the lead, and then Bryce Harper follow me
up with a back to back jack. He cannot leave
Philadelphia this summer under any circumstance. You see that the
exact same way.

Speaker 4 (15:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (15:16):
The fact that it's taking this long is just it
blows my mind. I've always said, if you have in
house guys that are performing at the level you want
them to and exceeding expectations truthfully, I mean, he has
a chance to win MVP.

Speaker 4 (15:28):
Yeah, very well.

Speaker 5 (15:29):
So I just don't know how he's not paid yet
and you give that man a blank check when it
comes time to actually bay him. You can't let that
man walk out the building because without him, this offense
is probably some of the worst MLB.

Speaker 2 (15:41):
Yeah, yeah, and especially more than he's more than double
second on the team in home runs, that he's the
only guy with over twenty one home runs on the season.
That is not great from an overall perspective of what
you know he's or what this roster is looking like.

Speaker 4 (15:53):
But shout out to Schwarber for delivering on it.

Speaker 2 (15:55):
And by the way, it does seem to be shaping
into a two horse race between Shoeo Tani and Ales
Scharbert for MVP. Pete crow Armstrong had some love for
quite a bit of time, but it hit a pretty
significant slide there and I think is sinking back into reality.

Speaker 4 (16:08):
I like Pete crom Armstrong.

Speaker 2 (16:10):
I don't think he should be mentioned in sort of
the same breath as the Shoeo tanis and Kyle Schwarber's.
And by the way, for all this most valuable player,
I understand the conversation is what he brings to the
franchise overall. A lot of what's thrown in the show
Heo Tani direction is the fact that he can pitch
a little bit. I just want it to be known
that he's pitched twenty three point one innings this year.
That's not exactly like an everyday starter.

Speaker 1 (16:31):
Man.

Speaker 2 (16:32):
This isn't a guy who's been a part of the
five man rotation. And I get it, the Dodgers have
a ton of arms. They don't need him to be that.
But I don't think that should be held over Schwarber's
head in the way that I feel like it sometimes does. Yeah,
it's exactly the same thing. They're both just bad in
their deation, So like, why would you hold that over
Schwarber's head? Twenty three innings, Like, it's not making that
much of a difference, and I'm only in the odds
right now. It's minus twenty thousand for show he plus

(16:54):
fourteen hundred for Schwarber.

Speaker 5 (16:55):
Wow, I that kind of bog with my mind. I
definitely think it should be closer. The way he's been,
you know, carrying this team on his back offensively, it's crazy.

Speaker 2 (17:04):
Leading the league in RBIs after last night there pas
cal Riley with that one. So Shobert has absolutely performed everything.
I don't think that there's any chance they agree to
a contract until the conclusion of the season at this point,
because if you're schwober at this point, like he obviously
they had some line in the sand that was drawn,
and I believe what was reported at the time of
last offseason was the length of the contract more so
than the dollar figures. But the price has gone up

(17:26):
since that point that Kyle Schwarber has earned his money.

Speaker 4 (17:28):
Is on pace for a career year.

Speaker 2 (17:30):
He could break the Phillies' home run record, which is
currently fifty eight held by Ryan Howard. He's on pace
to do that if things continue. So, if you're Shorebert,
you you ran the risk. Yeah, you said I'll set
my market, and boy did he. I do think Dave Dembraski,
at the end of the day, we'll step up to
the table and play and pay that.

Speaker 4 (17:46):
Do you feel that way or you get nervous?

Speaker 5 (17:47):
I sure, hope so, but yeah I am nervous because
he's dropping up his price every single at that.

Speaker 4 (17:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (17:52):
I mean I've heard a lot about the Cincinnati reads
him going back home playing for them. That would it
would break my heart, honestly.

Speaker 4 (17:57):
Do you see what they did this past series versus us? Yeah? Yeah,
for Schwarber his dad in high school coach.

Speaker 2 (18:04):
Throwing out a first pitch, they gave him the key
to the city, Like, what are we doing a little
bit of tampering there a little bit. I kind of
respect it because you know, I'm and everything goes kind
of guy that if you want to break out the
stops to try and recruit a guy, I can't argue
with that. But yeah, to do that in the Phillies
face like that, that's like like somebody buying your girlfriend
who drink right next to you at the bar.

Speaker 4 (18:23):
Is what that felt like? There? Disrespectful?

Speaker 5 (18:26):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (18:26):
I did not love that whatsoever, But I would have
to imagine if all things are equal, I think Oshuber
wants to stay in Philadelphia. Yeah, I think that there
has to be some common ground felt between them and
that has to be the motivation on both sides.

Speaker 4 (18:37):
So I'm not hitting the panic button yet.

Speaker 2 (18:39):
I also think, like to be fair for Dave Dombrowski's
outlook here, when you look at this Phillies team, it's
fairly landlocked. And what the building blocks are that you
have Bryce Harper for an extended period of time, you
have Trey Turner for many years to come, that Bryson
Scott Alec Bohmer expected to be some of the future
core growing You don't have that many positions that you
can kind of move around and as you search for
ways to upgrade the team. The designated hitter is kind

(19:01):
of a strange position to throw in that mix.

Speaker 4 (19:03):
Now, I don't think Schwarber is.

Speaker 2 (19:05):
Exactly fair to throw in justin designated hitter kind of
conversation that he's just another stratusphere as a batter and
as a hitter at the plate there.

Speaker 4 (19:12):
But I do think that's probably where he's.

Speaker 2 (19:13):
Coming from on like why he drew the line in
the sand where he did, is when you're looking for
ways to upgrade that team, that's a pretty valuable slot
and to be committing that number of dollars to a
specific guy I get. I think that's probably the angle.
What do you think about that entire concept there?

Speaker 5 (19:29):
I can understand it from his aspects, you know, not
contributing on the you know, in the field, but when
he's leading the league in RBIs just just pay the
man because he needs offensively, you need him.

Speaker 4 (19:38):
It's simple as that.

Speaker 5 (19:39):
When other these other guys bats go dead like Trey,
Trey hit a point, Nick is it hit a point
right now?

Speaker 4 (19:44):
Like you need him And he's.

Speaker 5 (19:46):
Been the only one keeping us a float offensively day
after day. So I don't understand or can't imagine them
not paying him like you just have to.

Speaker 4 (19:54):
Yeah, no, one hundred percent.

Speaker 2 (19:55):
And it does remind me a little bit of let's
not forget when j t Romudo was said to be
a free agent, which by the way, is a this
summer as well, but there was this direct campaign led
from Bryce Harper himself of you cannot let this guy walk.
It was the best catcher in Baseball era. And it
is a little bit funny to me how that Mantra
has very you know, quieted off so they do not
run with that, and I get it. I think JT,
to be fair to him, has been pretty solid this

(20:17):
year and his production at the plate has certainly increased
based on what we've seen the past couple of seasons.
When you look at the catchers around the league, man,
I struggle to find a way to see how they
can do.

Speaker 4 (20:25):
Better than JT. Realmuto.

Speaker 2 (20:26):
So that's gonna be Yeah, that's gonna be a tough
conversation as well. And especially when trading Edwardo Taj for
Johann Duran at the deadline here, that was the top
catching prospect that they had in the farm system there.
So I do think signs are pointing to JT coming
back as well. So this may continue to be the
core moving forward, which we'll see how this season wraps
up to see how we really feel about that, but

(20:47):
will be interesting. I did want to stick on Trey
Turner real quick. I've been pretty critical of Trey across
his tenure in Philadelphia. I do think this has been
by far his best season with the Phillies. It is
funny to me he's yet to hit a home run
at home all season. It's kind of a good bit
that he's got going on. He has his flashes, like
he certainly tries, he certainly cares, and it has put
good bat on ball all season. He will forever underwhelm

(21:09):
me as a defensive shortstop, and he's not exactly what
I pictured this like. I wanted him to be the
clear co star to Bryce Harper, and I don't think
he's ever gonna fully fill those shoes. But where are
you out in the trade? Turner experience during his tenure
in Philadelphia.

Speaker 5 (21:22):
Obviously very underwhelming from what you expected from a guy
like that, But you know, he's still produced for the
most part.

Speaker 4 (21:28):
He's still gonna lead off. Obviously in the field.

Speaker 5 (21:30):
He has his mishaps and whatever, but you know what
else are you going to get better out there? That's
kind of what it is. And you know they're his
younger guys like eight and Miller at the double A
level right now, Camp has been you know, I'm a
Kemp guy.

Speaker 4 (21:42):
I like him a lot.

Speaker 5 (21:43):
He obviously can play every position, yeah, you know in
the field, dog, But I just you're paying him that
much money he has to play. You're not gonna trade him.
He's Bryce's best friend. And it goes into like, you know,
the locker room aspect of it too, like if he's
a guy they love, like I see him join in
March's interviews after game stuff like that. He's going to
stay where he is. He's going to play out this

(22:03):
contract whether you like it or not. As a Phillies fan,
and personally I like him, so I you know, hopefully
takes another step just you know, off season, just down
the line, and hopefully guests this team of World Series.

Speaker 4 (22:14):
Yeah, hopefully.

Speaker 2 (22:15):
And I know you've been pretty tapped into the reading
Phillies with working for the Redding Eagle up there any
insight that you'd like to share on some of these
prospect guys that were sort of hoping to make the jump.
There's a lot of guys that have made names, and
obviously some that have gotten opportunities, but Justin Crawford's brought
up quite a bit, and plenty of other young talent.

Speaker 4 (22:31):
Any guys you want to highlight.

Speaker 5 (22:32):
The Ada Miller simple as that, like what they thought
he was going to be coming into this year after
playing a little bit of you know, single A last year.
He got a few games in Double A last year too,
but he he looks like the guy and I've seen
people say we should have traded him at the deadline
for another bat. I thought that would have been a mistake.
I know that Phillies do tend to wait on prospects

(22:52):
just overly long, and I get it from you know,
front office aspect. You want these guys to play that
you have, you're paying right now, right so until he
steps up, you know, I think we'll be in the
Triple A next year. He's been playing fantastic at the
Double A level right now. And he's an electric guy.
And he's only twenty one years old, twenty one or
twenty two, so he's only going to grow. And I

(23:12):
think he's going to be that, you know, shortstop, third base,
whatever they wanted to play of the future. And I
think he's going to be a you know, perennial All
star wow down the line, all right.

Speaker 2 (23:20):
I loved to hear that the eight milliar conversation as
a whole, Like the thing that has helped me back
on it is what is the future role that they
see with him?

Speaker 4 (23:28):
The same conversation we just had about trade Turner.

Speaker 2 (23:30):
Is this guy's under contract for almost the next decade
to this point, and Alec Bohm will be interesting. I
could see third bases. Maybe that's the direction they try
and shift them through. Do you think you would have
no problem being a third basement?

Speaker 4 (23:41):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (23:41):
And I actually asked him that before the season during
mediadam like, do you think he'll go to third base?
Do you think you'll play a little second? And they
said they have no conversations about it. He's been playing
short stop all season, so as of right now, I
don't see him moving. But I don't think he'll miss
a beat if he goes to third or second and
you know, tries them positions out.

Speaker 4 (23:58):
He's an athlete.

Speaker 5 (23:59):
We'll be able to pick it up and you know,
snap of the fingers, So I have no problem with that.

Speaker 2 (24:03):
Yeah, and there are guys like that for sure. Bryce
Harper a clear cut example of this. Dude had never
played first base in his entire life. You give him
a season and a half, and all of a sudden,
he looks like one of the better fielding first basement
in baseball. So pretty incredible. Do hope Eighten Miller heads
down that same pathway there? Any final thoughts on the
films before we take a quick break here and shift
over to the football world.

Speaker 5 (24:22):
I hopefully, you know, they step on the pedal coum,
you know, down the line, and I hope they hit
this peak running full speed ahead and they don't have
that fall off come playoff time, because I would hate
to go through another postseason where we have all this
hope going into October and.

Speaker 4 (24:37):
Then we're just let down. Yeah. I just pray that
doesn't happen this season.

Speaker 2 (24:40):
Yeah, one hundred percent there, So keep sending those positive vibes.
Let's get some full scale good news on Johann around
before we're running our praise and feeling great about it.
Right now, the X rayser negative is a huge positive,
but we don't have a timeline just yet for what
exactly he is dealing with. So do you expect some
sort of update today. We will be all over it
and staying on top of that, but appreciate you guys
tuning in the first segment here go anywhere, as we

(25:01):
have plenty of football to talk about. Nineteen days until
the Philadelphia Eagles take the field, there is.

Speaker 4 (25:06):
A lot to get into.

Speaker 2 (25:07):
So me and Jadded Goub be returning with three Things
We're buying in Three things that we are selling for
this NFL season.

Speaker 4 (25:12):
Make sure to keep it locked on the dial. We'll
be back in three minutes.

Speaker 1 (25:16):
Spreads, totals, and all the prop that's in between. It's
The Gambler.

Speaker 2 (25:33):
I might be too strong out on comp We're back
on the other side right here on Fox Sports The Gambler.

Speaker 4 (25:38):
Welcome back to the top cover radio show.

Speaker 2 (25:39):
My name is Sean Bernard here with Jared mantleto I'm
Gonna Get I'm Gonna Get It by the NAFA. But yeah,
plenty of headlines being made across the NFL this season.
We're gonna dive into each of those right here. We're
gonna start up with a little segment called three Things
we're buying, and three things we're selling ahead of this
NFL season. So expectations are building across the We got

(26:00):
some preseason actions, some training camp reports, and that's where
we're gonna start with this.

Speaker 4 (26:04):
So Jack, I'm gonna toss you the rope right away.
Should we start positive or negative? Here are We'll start positive,
start positive? Does get bad? Get bad? I like that
me as well, me as well.

Speaker 2 (26:12):
So number one thing that you're buying ahead of the
twenty twenty five NFL season is.

Speaker 5 (26:16):
What mister Caleb Williams in Chicago. I think he takes
that next step this year under Ben Johnson. I mean,
he didn't even have a bad season last year, and
a lot of people you know, killed him last year.
I know they went five and twelve, They had a
bad record. He sometimes holds the ball too long, but
he had you know, three thousand, five hundred yards. He
had twenty touchdowns, only six picks. I think the addition

(26:38):
with Ben Johnson that offensive you know, mastermind behind, you know,
the headset. Then you have you know, love went out
of Michigan coming in at the tight end. You already
have come at the tight end position. You got Luther
Burden coming in as you know, a wide receiver three
behind Donsay and Dj Moore. Yeah, the weapons are there,
and they also got an offensive line Joe Toney, Johannah

(26:59):
Jackson they traded for, so like they've put it in
place for him to succeed, and I expect him to
take the next jump into that top ten conversation and
a lot of people don't see it, and you know,
with Ben Johnson, I think that's gonna be the biggest
key for him making that jump. I don't know what
the defense is going to do, but strictly Caleb Williams,
he's going to make that jump into that conversation. A Wow,

(27:20):
this guy is going to be a leade down the
line and he's going to be in all pro down
the line in his career too. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (27:25):
I like that.

Speaker 2 (27:26):
I it was probably one of the most difficult rookie
years to really evaluate from a player for Caleb. And
then the number one takeaway that I walked away with
from him last year is I just respected the way
this dude got up, that he was beat up, he
was kicked down. The offensive line was non existent in
Chicago last year, but he kept just picking himself up
and getting ready for the next play, and that did
mean a little bit something to me. But nonetheless, we

(27:48):
did expect more for a guy who has been hailed
as one of these next generational quarterback prospects that obviously
stood out at USC, was tremendous in college and the
number one overall pick for a reason. Here, I'm willing
to keep this late clean heading into year too, that
this is the season. I think we can judge who
is this guy? And I don't think it was as
bad as sometimes it's time about last year.

Speaker 4 (28:07):
So yeah, I'm with you. I'm buying some Caleb stock
as well.

Speaker 2 (28:10):
Any concerned with Ben Johnson, like maybe being I guess
overexposed now that he's not in the coordinator role or
no fear there.

Speaker 5 (28:18):
You know some of them first interviews when he came
in and did conferences and stuff. I think he's gonna
be fine. I think he learned a lot from Dan Campbell.
I think being alongside Aaron glennon Detroit too is monumental
help down the line as being that guy they respect.
And the Bears haven't been good in you know how
long now? Yeah, I mean never had a is it
four thousand yard pass if they've never had that, and

(28:39):
I think I think Caleb get said this year, but
I'm very confident Ben Johnson he gets this thing going.

Speaker 4 (28:44):
Maybe not year one.

Speaker 5 (28:46):
I think they'll be like, you know, an edge playoff
team and they're gonna fight in the NFC North.

Speaker 4 (28:52):
I really think they do.

Speaker 5 (28:53):
I think they're gonna be behind uh be behind Detroit obviously,
but other than that, I really think he's gonna get
things rolling on this in Chicago.

Speaker 4 (29:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (29:02):
Interesting, and we may get to Detroit and my selling
section of this, but we will keep it positive for now.
I'm going to stay in the quarterback conversation for things
I'm buying.

Speaker 4 (29:10):
I'm buying some CJ. Stroud stock this season.

Speaker 2 (29:12):
That Stroud was a guy who not too long ago
we were talking about it. This is a dude pushing
to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league,
burst onto the scene as a rookie, had a terrific
season that in his rookie season, led the team to
a nine and six record for the Texans, threw for
four and eight yards, twenty three touchdowns and five interception interceptions.
His one point zero percent interception rate led the NFL.

(29:33):
He was awesome as a rookie. Then flash forward to
year two. I don't think it was nearly as bad
as it's talked about. The Texas went ten and seven,
still went to the playoffs, beat the Chargers in the playoffs.
He threw for three seven and twenty seven yards, twenty touchdowns,
and twelve interceptions. I think he was destined to take
some sort of step back from an interception perspective, that
a one percent interception rate is unreal, particularly from a rookie. There,

(29:54):
and he also dealt with a ton of injuries last
year that his whole wide receiver corps was beat up
from start to finishing, tanked, couldn't stay on the field,
Nico Collins dealt with something, Stefan Diggs was out for
the season. There, that's a lot to deal with in
a second year there. I think c J. Stroud is
totally fine, going to be back on track and back
in the conversation.

Speaker 5 (30:11):
For some of the best quarterbacks in football this year,
I fully agree. I mean that sophomore slump is usually inevitable.
It usually does happen to most of these guys, and
it's not even really a slump, it's just a small
step back. He's going to return to that top ten guy.
Diggs I think is a big loss as a playmaker outside,
but Nico Collins is also a top ten guy, and
I think he takes another step forward. However, from what

(30:34):
I've seen from a running back aspect, Joe Mixon probably
not going to be back for the start of the season,
and it's going to be worse than a lot of
people think. They did get Nick Trubb. They have Damian
Pierce back there too, which help a lot. But yeah,
I think he returns that top ten conversation.

Speaker 2 (30:49):
Yeah, then mix and stuff does not sound good, by
the way, and the more that comes out about it,
the less confident that I do feel in it. But
I don't think Nick Chubb is bad. I think Damian
Pierce can play a little bit. I think they'll have
a survival running game, and I think it's gonna be
a pass first offense in general. Anyway, I think Nico
Collins is like kind of that dude, like a top
ten wide receiver in the NFL. Probably I probably pushed
him in like that six to eight ish range. Do

(31:09):
you think I'm too high on that?

Speaker 5 (31:11):
No, I think honestly that's perfect. I mean, i've you know,
the top hundred just came out. He's above CD. I
don't believe he's above CD at this point. He's a
great player. He's in, you know, definitely number one, six
to eight does sound like a perfect range for him
to be in. Okay, maybe you can push the top five. Yeah, yeah,
I think he's the real deal.

Speaker 2 (31:27):
I think this could be a season and hopefully he
stays fully healthy to fully put it together. But yeah,
excited about that. I'll throw it to you for your
number two here. Number two thing you were buying in
the NFL this season is what is the.

Speaker 5 (31:38):
New England Patriots? Okay, Mike Frabile walking in. I loved
him in Tennessee. You know, he had that year off.
Probably he didn't get a head coaching job last year.
To be honest with you, I know Jared Mayo stepped
in that role for one year. But he comes in.
I think he's going to get that culture back to
how it was when Belichick was there. And I'm a
big on Drake may I mean didn't have a great

(31:59):
season last year. He missed about four games, but they
get players like Diggs. Like I said, he he he
played well for Stroud. You know he's gonna be that blanket,
you know, go to guy down after down. They drafted
all Trayvon Yeah, Trayvon Henderson out of Ohio State. They
got exactly had the first touch, one hundred yard kickgo

(32:19):
for turn. I mean they got Will Campbell out of
LSU to be his all blind.

Speaker 4 (32:22):
Side said he died for Drake May.

Speaker 5 (32:24):
Like they're setting this thing up back to when Tom
Brady was there. I mean it's starting. They're starting to
build to that thing. And I don't know if the
defense is gonna be there, but I definitely think they're
going to, you know, fight for a wild card position,
maybe not make the playoffs, but they're definitely going to
be in that conversation down the LAWNE.

Speaker 4 (32:41):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (32:41):
I do think they should feel great about the direction
they're heading. I wasn't a Drake May guy coming out
of college. I was impressed by what I saw last year,
particularly that second half of the season where it felt
like he really started to put together. I do agree
with Mike Fabrel from a personality standpoint, just building up,
like we see him getting in there, breaking up fights
the bottom. Yeah, I do respect that time he's like
as football guy as it comes. I think it's nice

(33:02):
that you give him some legitimate weapons with Stefon Diggs,
who has his flaws from an individual standpoint or.

Speaker 4 (33:07):
The field issues for sure.

Speaker 2 (33:09):
Yeah, so it brings the diva wide receiver in full
effect there. But nonetheless, you put that guy on one
on one coverage, he's gonna be win in just about
every single one of those, and still at this stage
of his career. So yeah, I like the direction the
Patriots are trending here. How much noise do you think
they could make? You think they could be a playoff
team this year? It's definitely be on the cusp. I
think the AFC is just just loaded. I mean there's
so much talent at the quarterback position. You talk about Stroud,

(33:31):
you talk about and I know a lot of people say,
but Lawrence, you know they got Travis Hunter. I mean,
you never know what they can do in the AFC.
But then you got Lamar, you got pat you got
Herbert Like, it's going to be tough to make the playoffs,
and if they don't make it this year, I would
say in the years coming, they're definitely going to be
an every year type playoff team.

Speaker 4 (33:49):
Yeah. I think it's a trending in the right direction. Season.

Speaker 2 (33:52):
I'm not sure if I can see him ready to
make that like postseason leap yet, but compared to what
they were two three years ago, well, Mac Jones, yeah sure,
Mack Jene shout out to him. I'm gonna keep it
in the quarterback conversation once again, I'm going all three
positive or all three quarterbacks for my positive here number two,
I'm going Shadoor Sanders. Man. I was impressed with what
I saw in his preseason opportunity there. We know the

(34:13):
situation with the Cleveland Browns quarterback room that there is
Joe Flacco, there is still in Gabriel, there is our
guy Kenny Pickett, there the Shaun Watsons still kind of
hanging around there, and then brought in Snoophuntley by the way, so.

Speaker 4 (34:24):
A crowded quarterback room.

Speaker 2 (34:26):
If Shardur Sanders is anything close to who we could
believe he is, You're winning this job. I do think
that it's probably Joe Flacco from day one to kind
of introduce it, but I would be surprised if not
by the end of the season that Shader Sanders is
not the guy and the team seems to rock with
him a little bit. I've seen some ked up with
him and Miles Garrett chatting around, and I think the
talent level is there. I think he deserves a fair shot,

(34:48):
and I think he's backing up his play.

Speaker 4 (34:50):
I think for all this.

Speaker 2 (34:51):
Shador Sanders sort of luster and attention and everything that
comes with them they do for the most part, has
just taken care of business and said all the right
things in a way that I respect.

Speaker 4 (34:59):
I'm buying some Sanders stock.

Speaker 5 (35:00):
I think it's a bresh of fresh air out there too.
I mean they've just been in QB purgatory for the longest,
probably for my whole life, honestly, and legendary Jersey yeah
exactly just goes down all way to the feet. But
I think Joe Falca does definitely does start. I think
probably the first six weeks. If you look at their schedule,
they have playoff team after playoff team. So if he

(35:21):
holds back, waits until week maybe seven to eight, gets
in there versus a team that's not going to make
the playoffs. I think the Dolphins they have week seven
right now. So if you get him in, let him
sit behind Falaco. You know, super Bowl winning quarterback. I
think he's going to be the quarterback of the future
for them. And they also got some weapons, I mean,
some young guys. I mean, they just got a Isaiah Bond,
you know, very wild locker room in my opinion, from

(35:44):
you know, an outside off the field aspect, but they
could have some talent there and obviously the defense is
what it is.

Speaker 4 (35:50):
But I'm very high on Shorter also. I like it.

Speaker 2 (35:53):
Yeah, I hope he First off, we're never going to
be able to figure out the Browns mindset behind quarterbacks
that I think each of these situations you can kind
of critique, like Flaker obviously as old as he is,
they paid an insane amount of money both in trade
and extension for Deshaun Watson. I don't even know why
they drafted Dylan Gabriel in the first place. But it's confusing.

Speaker 5 (36:10):
It really is from a front office aspect and just
sitting back as you know, an outsider, it's like, what
goes into these decisions. You already have five quarterbacks on
the roster and then you go get Snoop punt Lely too,
Like it doesn't add up to me.

Speaker 4 (36:23):
Yeah, no, not at all.

Speaker 2 (36:24):
And by the way, I have not had the cleanest
chance to evaluate these guys. Is both Dylan Gabriel and
Kenny Picktt deal with some hamstring injuries, Chardor himself suffered
a little bit of an oblique issue in the practice
against the Philadelphia Eagles, and pretty cool clip of Jalen
Hurts driving him off to the locker room, which I
did appreciate there. But yeah, I'm liking Shader Sanders. I
wasn't sure what to make of him when the whole

(36:45):
Colorado thing like went down. I couldn't stop watching him
on like a week to week bass in college, and
I do hope this translates to the NFL. So yeah,
I'm keeping it locked with Shador and keeping purchasing some
stock there. So yeah, all third dude for your third
positive here, what are you buying?

Speaker 5 (36:59):
So Philadelphia Radio is definitely not gonna let this one.
But I think Dak. I think Dak returns with a
you know, MVP esque season, like a definitely because the
defense is what it is, you don't know what it is,
especially with Micah. Will get into that later, but offensively,
getting Pickings a solidified number two. He hasn't had that

(37:20):
since a Maari Cooper down the line three years ago.
I think that opens up another aspect of his game.
He's not as mobile as he once was after you know,
breaking his ankle, dealing with hamstring injuries like that, But
I definitely think he returns to, you know, being that
guy that people put in that top five conversation. I
think he should have won MVP of that twenty twenty
three year. Personally, maybe a little bit of bias, but

(37:44):
when he is on his game and he's not suffering
from the front office aspect of them not going out
getting running back, the offensive line being iffy, If the
offensive line and running back can be half decent, I
think he's going to be in that conversation like, Wow,
this guy's back.

Speaker 2 (38:01):
Do you think it ken the offensive line can be
half de Since because there's been a lot of names
that have dropped off that Cowboys roster. No more Zach
Martins and retiring, how.

Speaker 4 (38:09):
Do you feeling about the line.

Speaker 5 (38:10):
It is a shame we never did anything with Zach
Maher with Tororence Smith exactly like, these guys deserve to
win something and it's the front office's fault in my
opinion at the end of the day, just not to
get the things done on the other end at every
other position. But they have a young line with Clayton Adams,
He's coming from the Cardinals as offensive line coach. I

(38:33):
think he brings a different type of aspect to the
offensive line, more gritty aspect of it, and I think
he's he's going to get these young guys rolling. Maybe
not year one, but I think down the line it
can be, you know, a steel wall up there.

Speaker 2 (38:46):
Almost The point that I would probably push back on
on the Dak Prescott thing is number one is I
think last year we've just chalked up to he was hurt,
he was bad when he was there, man like, he
played poorly. He threw eleven touchdowns eight interceptions last year
across the eight games that he did play. Cowboys were
three and five across that stretch. His sixty four point
seven percent completion percent his worst since twenty seventeen. There,

(39:09):
I was not convinced by the version of Dak Prescott
that I actually saw on the field last year. Maybe
the injuries were sinking there beforehand, but I don't know.
I kind of fear that he may have had his
moment and this is this the back half of the slide.

Speaker 5 (39:21):
I don't think it will be, but like I tell
a lot of people, it's a team game. Like we
had the wide receivers had the lowest separation percentage overall
in the NFL, like bottom half, like when you were
a wide receiver too, is Jalen Tolbert It's it's hard,
it is, and you know your top tight end Jake
Ferguson goes out with injury. When you're losing all these guys,

(39:41):
especially on the offensive line, Zach Martin miss time last year,
You're dealing with guyton Tyler Gullnon from a left tackle position.
It's the ultimate team game, and if every piece isn't
flowing how it should, the quarterback position is going to struggle.
It is very hard for a quarterback to just put
their the team on their shoulders, and only a couple
guys can do that. I think Lamar Pat that's essentially

(40:03):
it that can win games by them. Josh Allen Josh Allen, Yeah,
like that top tier conversation. I don't think he'll enter that,
but I think that MVP type conversation is you know
something we can talk about.

Speaker 4 (40:15):
It's interesting.

Speaker 2 (40:16):
Yeah, we might circle back to those quarterback rankings in
that second in the second hour. Here real quick, what
were your feelings when you saw the video of Dak
Prescott walking over to the Rams owner and saying, we'll
see you with the NFC Championship game.

Speaker 5 (40:27):
My thing is like, how do you expect your quarterback
to not say that? Don't you want your quarterback to
be confident, don't want all your players to be confident
in making something. Was he supposed to go over there
and say like, why don't realize there are some tickets
necessarily tickets to the NFC Championship game?

Speaker 4 (40:42):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (40:42):
Yeah, I mean I get it. I don't know what
he could say there. I probably wouldn't lead with that.
Maybe it nice to meet you, or you know, great congrats.

Speaker 4 (40:50):
I don't know. I don't know what you should say
that one?

Speaker 5 (40:52):
Uh not one. I think the internet will do one
of the numbers on it for sure. Yeah, it's it's
only going to call as bad a rep for them.

Speaker 4 (40:59):
I get it.

Speaker 5 (40:59):
But if if he's that confident and he's that type
of god, that type of leader, it is what it is.
But as a Dallas Cowboys aspect of it, they're media,
they're gonna you know, kill him for it for saying that.

Speaker 2 (41:11):
For sure, for sure, all right, I'm gonna keep it
locked on another quarterback for my final positive take here,
and a bit more of a controversial one. I think
it's Bryce Young. I'm buying some Bryce Young stock, I
would agree, another top quarterback that has had about his
disastrous to start to his career. As we've expected here,
he's been benched for Andy Dalton, Yes, Andy Dalton, which
is not great to see in year two. Overall, he's

(41:32):
got a six and twenty two record in games to
start across his entire career, twenty six touchdowns, nine or
nineteen interceptions here the second half of the season, the
version I saw Bryce Young I was very encouraged by,
and even during that benching I had a hard time
sitting there being like the dude I saw at Alabama.

Speaker 4 (41:49):
I can't imagine being this bad.

Speaker 2 (41:51):
And finally it felt like he found a little bit
of footing over his final eight games last season through
for one thy seven hundred and nine yards, twelve touchdowns, interceptions,
a ninety one point seven quarterback rating.

Speaker 4 (42:02):
There.

Speaker 2 (42:02):
It's still not perfect, still not like this guy is
a stud, but I'm encouraged by what I saw, and
I do think he can build off that.

Speaker 4 (42:09):
I think this is the finally the year that we
see Bryce Young start to put.

Speaker 5 (42:12):
It together a little bit for sure, and especially that's
that's a rather weak division. You know, you got the Saints.
You don't know what the Falcons are going to be.
They have some talent, and then you got Tampa. I
think Tampa is a you know, playoff team for sure. Yeah,
but they can definitely be in the mix. And like
you said, Bryce s youung. I liked what I saw
out of that second half, you know, versus Philly.

Speaker 4 (42:29):
I mean he's awesome.

Speaker 5 (42:30):
He played great, and I think getting t Mac in
the first round, I was beyond high on Temac coming
out of Arizona.

Speaker 4 (42:36):
I loved him.

Speaker 5 (42:37):
I think he's going to be, you know, top ten
receiver down the line, So him coming in that building,
I think he's gonna be a guy again.

Speaker 4 (42:44):
I really do. And I do hope it's the case too.

Speaker 2 (42:46):
I like Bryce Young like he's a guy like the
root for and I do hope he puts together. It's
been like shocking to me how poor that he has
looked this far in his NFL career. And do hope
that this is the year. And also I think he's
a little depressed from Tyrese Max. He's still in his
girl last year a little sid I'm fla. I don't
think got enough of that show.

Speaker 4 (43:01):
I gotta feel bad from a little bit off the field, definitely,
so not a great start there.

Speaker 2 (43:06):
I will ask you that since we're on the quarterback
conversation a little bit, Baker Mayfield, you mentioned the Tampa well,
you mentioned the Tampa Bay Bucks.

Speaker 5 (43:12):
Baker Mayfield VERSU Dak Prescott. Who you taking right now?
I'm taking Dak immediately. I think Dak is that type
of quarterback. I think he's a level above Baker. Don't
get me wrong. I like what he's done in Tampa.
He came from Caroline and then he went to you know,
he played that one fantastic game with the Rams. I
think he is he is great for the Tampa Bay Bucks.

(43:35):
I don't see them ever getting to any type of
conference contention. I think they're a playoff team, but I
don't think they're going to ever take that jump. The
roster does look good. I just don't see that happening.
But yeah, I'm taking Dak over Baker for sure.

Speaker 2 (43:48):
I kind of think Baker Mayfield is what Dak Prescott
wants to be that in a lot of ways, like they,
I think Dak wants to be the gunslinger that Baker is.
I think he's has to be a little bit more
of a system of pro which first Baker I think
is closer towards the tier of a guy that sort
of does it on his own that he's gonna add lib,
he's gonna freestyle, he's gonna on the fly calling audible
and do his own thing. And for the most part

(44:09):
it has worked here I've been I could not be
more impressed with the level that Baker has really raised
up this Tampa Bay roster around him. I think Baker
is like quietly in that top eight of quarterback conversation
and doesn't get that respect too often.

Speaker 5 (44:20):
I would say top ten for sure, I don't know
about top eight. I think he is going to be
have another great season. The weapons are there, Mike Evans,
they got the kid out of Ohio State. Can't even
say his Namebuka Mecca. Yeah, I can't say his name,
but he's going to be a good addition. They they're
talking about him being the next guy in Tampa but
they do play with the same type of I don't

(44:42):
want to say fire, but they they're willing to take risks.
I mean, Baker is definitely more mobile in his feet
nowadays just because of the injuries Dack has taken.

Speaker 4 (44:50):
But I'm still taking Dak with Baker. Yeah, I get it.
I think they're in the same same tier. I would
almost say same tier for sure.

Speaker 2 (44:57):
Yeah, I do think they're in that that same kind
of mix there. But I could not be more impressed
with the version of Baker Mayfield that we've seen these
past couple of seasons. A guy that I'd sort of
given up given up on, and yeah, he found a way.

Speaker 4 (45:08):
So shout out to Baker.

Speaker 2 (45:09):
We're gonna be back with our selling on the other
side here, so three things that we were selling ahead
of this NFL season, So make sure to keep it
locked here. We got a quick about six minute break
right here in Fox Sports The Gambler, so make sure
to keep it locked to the dial.

Speaker 4 (45:21):
Me and Jaredy be back on the other side of talk.

Speaker 1 (45:22):
It's more Football Number one on your car radio preset
hand than new and improved Diehard Radio. Wayes and WD
two seven three D Philadelphia is Fox Sports Radio The Gambler.

Speaker 2 (45:43):
We're back for the second hour right here on Fox
Sports The Gambler. My name is Sean Minard, as always
here with Jared Montalto Montalta Montalto almost there, getting closer
every breathing, every break.

Speaker 4 (45:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (45:55):
So we started positive here. We talked about some things
we're buying this NFL season. Now it's time to shift
to the other side of the fence. So if we're
sitting here at the stock exchange right now, who are
we getting out of? I will open up that floor
to you right off the Batchard. Your number one thing
that you were selling this NFL season is what.

Speaker 5 (46:12):
So Washington, the Washington Commanders and Jaden Daniels also. Well,
Now when I say that, I'm not talking about Jaden
Daniels having a complete disaster over season. I'm talking about
him taking a step back. I don't think he throws
for three thousand, five hundred yards. I think he has
more interceptions he only had nine of last year. I
think he's going to struggle a little more near two.

(46:32):
Very similar to CJ. Stroud, Like we talked about, sophomore
slumps are usually inevitable. It's going to happen, and it's
nothing that you know, the quarterback maybe can do. It's
just teams being able to recognize, you know, stuff more
about him, tendencies, a little more adjusting to him. So
I think they take a step back. Plus they have
the oldest roster in the league. I think that plays
a huge aspect of it. They didn't you know, they

(46:54):
got Debo into trade. I've never been a debo guy.

Speaker 4 (46:57):
Shelby Deebo now.

Speaker 5 (46:58):
Yeah, Like he's built like a full bat and it's
crazy to see him running routes because it doesn't look fast.
The routs don't look crisp. I don't think he is
going to push them over the top. And then all
the issues with Terry McLaurin this offseason two with him
not getting paid, I think that plays an aspect of it.
You know, early in this season, him and Jayden Daniels
maybe not being in the same rhythm. But I think

(47:20):
they take a step back, and I think they end
third in the NFC East and I don't think they
make the playoffs.

Speaker 4 (47:24):
So love it. Yeah, Yeah, I'm in the same boat
as you that.

Speaker 2 (47:27):
I think that the praise for both the Washington Commanders
organization and Jayden Daniels specifically has been a bit louder
than probably is deserved. There's a lot of quarterbacks who
run their first time through the league and look terrific,
and then there is a book on him and you
come back for a year or two and it's not
quite as easy that c. J. Stroud. Just last year
we were having very similar conversations about that this guy
is pushing to be one of the top five quarterbacks

(47:49):
in football, that this guy is the next potential face
of the league. And then Stroud takes a little bit
of a step back again more than I think he
necessarily deserves. But still the point remains that it is
not always a seamless path.

Speaker 4 (48:00):
Dan Daniels had as excellent of a.

Speaker 2 (48:02):
Rookie year as you could possibly ask for, but I
do think that it's going to be a bit the
path is going to have a little bit more resistance
in year two. So yeah, I see the same season
things the same way as you, and I do think
like the Terry McLaren and stuff. I cannot believe that
they're messing that one up either. And Terry's a guy
who like had to have been dying to have a
Jaydon Daniels.

Speaker 5 (48:19):
For his entire career, he's been rotational quarterback of rotational quarterback. Ye,
finally get the guy and you don't pay him. Yeah,
it's it's very similar to different stuff around the league,
just like the Phillies tall S forber. Just just pay him.
He's a top fifteen receiver, he's a playmaker, and he's
your top playmaker. I don't think, like I said, I
don't think Debo elevates the playmaking to a level where

(48:40):
they can afford to lose Terry.

Speaker 4 (48:42):
So you know, just pay him. Yeas simple as that.

Speaker 2 (48:45):
Guy who's done it with whoever at quarterback from Sam Hall.
So you can run down the list of guys that
have rotated through and he's still produced consecutive one thousand
yard seasons. So yeah, I'm in full agreement with there
that I would put a little bit of caution on
the commanders in Jane Daniels. And I will say personally,
as a guy who's gotten quite fired up about Jade
Daniel's being ranked above Jalen hurtson some quarterback rankings here,

(49:05):
will enjoyed the downfall.

Speaker 4 (49:06):
If that is how things go, He's gonna be fine.

Speaker 2 (49:08):
He's still gonna be a good quarterback in the upper
echelon of the league, but I just don't think he's
gonna be making that top five push the way that
it is currently talked about.

Speaker 4 (49:16):
I'll keep it on quarterback for a guy that I'm selling.

Speaker 2 (49:18):
And this one up breaks my heart a little bit here,
Matt stafford Man, Really, I think it might be over.

Speaker 4 (49:23):
I think it might be that that time, that back injury.

Speaker 2 (49:27):
Yeah, that back injury. The fact that they seemed open
to not paying them this summer. I raised eyebrows right
then that it was like, this is not all full stops.
We need to keep this guy. It was kind of
we'll have our conversations. Doesn't make sense to part ways.
And then he really has not practiced whatsoever yet. The
season is not far away at this point. This is
no longer one of those He's gonna be fine. It's

(49:48):
kind of to the stage that like they need him
to be ready, and there's just a lack of clarity
in the entire conversation that there is not like this
is the specific issue, this is the specific timeline. It's
kind of like we hope he'll be ready around there.
We think I just kind of have a feeling that
father time.

Speaker 4 (50:01):
Might be here.

Speaker 5 (50:02):
Yeah, it might be that time, and hopefully not because
I was a big Stafford guy when he was in Detroit.
I felt bad from the teams they put around him,
and he was still doing what he was doing. Dog, Yeah, exactly,
And it is a shame to see if this is,
you know, the end of him.

Speaker 4 (50:16):
But I've heard reports where he's gonna be fine.

Speaker 5 (50:19):
So there's definitely mixed reviews about how they expect him
to come out this season and if he's gonna play
any preseason games. And I want to say today he
was supposed to practice, if I'm not mistaken.

Speaker 2 (50:29):
Yeah, but we heard that like similar report a week
so that like now he's ready. And he's thirty seven
years old, he's played two hundred and twenty two NFL games,
and back injuries are not something that just go away
like that is. Those are the ones that linger, and
he's gonna take a shot. He's gonna take a hit,
like you're gonna feel every bit of that. So I
like Matt Stafford. I will be rooting for Matt Stafford,

(50:50):
and I still think he's a guy that in a
one game setting can look like one of the best
quarterbacks in the sport. Yeah, but I do kind of
think him getting through a seventeen game grind and carrying
a team in the playoffs, those days might be behind him.

Speaker 4 (51:00):
It is going to be difficult. I think.

Speaker 5 (51:02):
With Kyron Williams back there, it does help take a
load off him. But the passing game has to be elite,
especially when you have Davante and Pooka out there, like
you're gonna have to throw the ball whether you like
it or not. So him with a back injury, it
reminds me of Romo a lot towards the end of
his career. It's a back issues linger, especially for a
guy in his late thirties.

Speaker 4 (51:20):
It's a shame.

Speaker 2 (51:21):
Yeah, this isn't one that I take pride in here.
I like Matt Stafford. It's kind of a sad one.
But I my senses are up that this may be
the end of the road. Is a bit closer than
we ultimately expected here. So and he's thirty seven, He's
had an accomplished career done at all. This isn't anything
to hang his hat on. If this is the end
of the road, I think he'll be I'm not saying
he's not gonna step on the field this season. I
just kind of think the back issues may be a

(51:42):
bit more problematic than he's able to overcome.

Speaker 4 (51:44):
Jimmy g time over in La Oh God.

Speaker 5 (51:46):
Yeah, he carved up Dallas in the joint practice, So hey,
I do things possible.

Speaker 2 (51:51):
Yeah, And if any coach can do it, Sean McVay
can get a guy straightened out. So we'll see how
things shape out. I'll thirty for number two. The number
two thing that you were selling this NFL c's is what.

Speaker 5 (52:00):
So I've been selling him since he came in as
a rookie, and he had the most hype I've seen
in a while over a guy that was drafted last
in the NFL draft, and it's all Rock Purty in
the forty nine ers. They had six and eleven last season,
didn't make the playoffs. Obviously, they were odds on favorite
to be one of them teams with Philly up there
to contend for NFC championship. But you know they lost

(52:24):
a playmaker in Deebo, which you know quotes on that
because I don't think that's that big of a loss.
But Ayuk's want to miss time. You don't know what
CMC is going to be after the calf injury last season.
I think that hurts a lot. The defense is what
it is. Fred Warner is going to run things over there,
but yeah, I think I don't think they're going to
have that good of a season, maybe eight to nine
record at the best, but their mine is one tend

(52:46):
to make the or minus two ten to make the
playoffs right now, which by for me, that's boggles my
mind a little bit because I don't think that's that
good of a roster and I've never been a rock
purty guy. I think he gets over hyped because of
Sean mcvay's or Sean offense. Yeah, I think he is
good in that situation, but you take him out of

(53:06):
that situation put him with another team with another offensive coordinator,
I don't think he's gonna succeed in the slightest.

Speaker 2 (53:13):
Yeah, I see that point. The biggest point of concern
is Christian McCaffrey. To me, Yeah, like I I mean,
he's another guy who's dealt with his bumps and bruises
over the year, and last year was just a straight disaster.

Speaker 4 (53:23):
The other guy I love too the same.

Speaker 2 (53:25):
Yeah, definitely there, and he certainly had his peaks where
he was the best running back in football. I do
kind of think those days are behind us, and that's
a big change to that forty nine Ers team.

Speaker 4 (53:33):
I will say with brock Party, I gained.

Speaker 2 (53:35):
Some respect for him last year that I thought, even
though it was a disastrous season, I thought he individually
stood on his head in the way that he had
not in past years.

Speaker 4 (53:42):
There.

Speaker 2 (53:42):
He has his flaws, He's not perfect. He was the
last pick in the draft for a reason year.

Speaker 4 (53:46):
This is not like a polished guy.

Speaker 2 (53:48):
But I do think like I give him a little
bit of credit and he earned his paycheck as a
result of it. So I share your skepticism from the
forty nine ers overall. I think you're harder on Brock
Pardy directly than I am.

Speaker 5 (53:56):
Yeah, I understand that, and I think I am a
lot more than a lot of people are because I
see people give him so much praise and just when
I see it on the field, I don't see it.
Kyle Shanahan's offense I think is for him to succeed in. Yeah,
and I don't think there's a lot of guys that
could go in that offense and not win. Trey Lance
is one of them guys that simply couldn't get it done,
whether it was you know, the playbook, he just didn't

(54:19):
want to listen to certain reads. But party's getting, you know,
told in that headset, Yo, you're going here. This is
going to be open. And I think it's a scheme
type thing. And that's no hate to the guy himself.
I think he's an NFL player for sure, but I
don't think he is in that upper echelon of quarterbacks.

Speaker 4 (54:35):
Yeah, I think that that's fair.

Speaker 2 (54:36):
I would agree with you there, and I do think
it's you can't ask for a more ideal system than
anybody can sort of fill in there. I think the
Vikings are another example that with Kevin O'Connell. We saw
Sam Darnold look unbelievable. Last yell on that too.

Speaker 4 (54:49):
I won't I won't die diferen into that.

Speaker 2 (54:51):
Then I'll shift it to another that I am selling here,
and this one I'm going to keep as a team,
the Detroit Lions this year, the team that I think
is pretty universally viewed the biggest threat to the Philadelphia
Eagles in the NFC.

Speaker 4 (55:02):
I don't see it coming this year.

Speaker 2 (55:04):
You lost both coordinators, with Aaron Glenn taking the head
coaching job in the New York Jets, with Ben Johnson
taking his talents in the division to the Chicago Bears.
Right there, Jared Goff another year older, and I think
Dan Campbell at his best is very similar to Nick
year Annie, where he has to be a guy who
has other guys overseeing how the offense is run, how
the defense is run. That he's more of the energy,
the hype up, the speech guy, the football guy of

(55:25):
that organization. I think he's gonna be asked to be
have a little bit too much on his plate. Injuries
were a factor last year, and I do think that
they'll have some positive regression with that. But I think
there's been a lot more change within that Detroit team
that were just chalking him up as a certainty.

Speaker 4 (55:38):
I don't see it this way.

Speaker 2 (55:39):
I think this team's gonna be scrapping for the playoffs,
and it would not shock me if they're on the
outside looking in.

Speaker 5 (55:43):
I agree, But do you think Chicago overtakes them or
Minnesota overtakes them?

Speaker 4 (55:48):
Green Bay? Maybe? Green Bay?

Speaker 2 (55:49):
Yes, green Bay is my favorite of the bunch. I
do think Jordan Love is ready. I thought he was
injured from pretty much start to finish last year. He
still showed some positive flashes there. I think that Detroit
probably makes the playoffs, but I could see it being
a wildcard pad. I don't think they're a short thing
in the way they're talked about.

Speaker 5 (56:04):
I fully, I can understand that for sure. Losing both
coordinators is a huge hit to any football team with
any level period. Just learning new system is not easy.
I do think they have enough talent to get in
the playoffs. Just Amarah Gibbs in the back, Montgomery in
the back. I think they're decent enough to make the playoffs.
I don't I think last year was their year. I
think they should have, you know, won it last year. Truthfully,

(56:27):
they unit they let Washington walk in walk all over
them in that game, and that was that. I think
their tiny, tiny window did close. I can agree with
you there on that.

Speaker 2 (56:36):
Yeah, And I was still stunned that they lost to
watch soast season that that was I was.

Speaker 4 (56:40):
I had that circled.

Speaker 2 (56:41):
I thought it was Eagles Lions that was gonna be
the NFC championship, that was gonna be the two teams
dogging it out and Nonetheless, Washington went in there and
took care of business.

Speaker 4 (56:49):
So my respect for that. Yeah, respecting for that big time.

Speaker 2 (56:52):
So yeah, shout out to Jane Danielsberg giving us a
little bit of take care of business last year, but
nonetheless back on the hate train this year. I throw
to you for your third The number three thing that
you were selling before this twenty twenty five NFL season
is what.

Speaker 5 (57:05):
So he was big last year coming out the draft.
He didn't play last season and saw JJ McCarthy out
of Minnesota at Michigan, I wasn't high on him. He
was in a system in Jim Harball system, Pound the Rock.
We're gonna win games running the ball and great defense.
I don't think he was ever in that conversation of
top quarterbacks. So to see him come in the NFL

(57:26):
and then give him so much praise after him lacking
on certain throws, accuracy being an issue, his arm arm
strength being an issue, I don't see him having a
great year. I think he'll be decent, just simply because
of the point we've already made. Kevin O'Connell's offense. I
think he is an offensive mastermim. Also, he had Sam

(57:47):
Donald go from almost out of the league on his
last you know less chance essentially and him get back
in the league and make some money over in Seattle.
But yeah, I'm not high on McCarthy one bit. I
think McConnell is gonna help him in all types of ways,
as he should as a head coach and offensive coordinator,
but I don't see him ever being a guy.

Speaker 4 (58:07):
Yeah, I'm with you.

Speaker 2 (58:08):
I was not a JJ McCarthy guy coming out of
come out of college there that I do think he
showed his flaws at Michigan and by the way, not
the most glowing endorsements from his team as I didn't
want to pull up this quote from Justin Jefferson about
having patients here.

Speaker 6 (58:23):
Yeah, yeah, for sure, you definitely have to have patience.
You know, he's he's pretty much a rookie. You know,
last year pretty much doesn't count for him, so he's
still new to the scheme, new to coming out here
and throwing it to these different receivers. So yes, you
have to have that patience, you know. You know, you're
not really expected to him to have the same mindset
as a veteran. You know, you can't really have that

(58:48):
expectation from him, but we do have an expectation of
him being great, him coming out here every single day
and working his butt off and progressing every single day,
and we do see that progression just on the second
day of camp, So it's coming along for him. I
feel like you can kind of see the confidence that
he have out there, and if you're in the huddle,
you see the confidence that he have just seeing the

(59:10):
play in just getting out there and just wanting to,
you know, make the next place. So I feel like
his progression is coming along.

Speaker 2 (59:17):
So I do think he covered his bases there as
well as he could, but that wasn't exactly a glowing
I'm so excited to have this guy throw me the
football the way that I would hope to be the
case when you are justin Jefferson one of the clear
Cup best wide receiver, probably the best wide receiver in
the NFL. There. Yeah, I wasn't a McCarthy guy coming
down in Michigan. I think we all kind of forgot
about him for year as he sat off the sideline there.
I do think Kevin O'Connell is just like Shanahan or

(59:40):
McVeigh probably those are the three that I would throw
this category in is almost quarterback proof that you put
a guy in and as long as they buy into
the system, there's gonna be some form of success. But
I do think there's gonna be growing pains. And I
mean it was tough how last season ended. The fact
that they did not hold onto Sam Darnold, I guess
is a vote of confidence in favor of McCarthy.

Speaker 4 (59:58):
But yeah, I'm just not sold on the guy. Yeah,
neither am I.

Speaker 5 (01:00:01):
I mean he's showing a little He showed a little
bit last preseason, I know, with some good balls, but
if that's all you're going off of and he sat
this entire season, he's coming into this season off the injury,
you gotta have a lot of confidence.

Speaker 4 (01:00:13):
I mean you have to.

Speaker 5 (01:00:14):
I mean, like Jefferson said, I mean, it doesn't sound
like he's going to be great off off the rip,
but hopefully for him he can build into something.

Speaker 4 (01:00:23):
I just don't see it. Yeah, I don't really either.

Speaker 2 (01:00:26):
I'm gonna keep the jeury open at this point that
I'm not gonna count the kid out before he ever
steps fut on the real NFL field to this point.
But yeah, I was an anti jjon McCarthy. Guy at
this time last year. I can't let those feelings if
you watched just because it was a year away, and
then you know we did not think about him. I'll
rock with it. Another guy that I've never quite seen
the vision for Trevor Lawrence. Here, I'm officially sounding the

(01:00:47):
alarms and selling stock on Trevor Lawrence. Just to recap
twenty two and thirty eight across his NFL career, He's
been to two playoff games. He's thrown for five touchdowns
in five interceptions. As a rookie, he had twelve touchdowns
and seventeen and exceptions. Year two, clean things up twenty
five touchdowns and eight interceptions, Year three, twenty one touchdowns
and fourteen interceptions, and then last year eleven touchdowns and

(01:01:10):
seven interceptions. Beyond just the raw production, I thought he
looked more skittish in the pocket. I thought the footwork
took some huge steps back. I'm kind of sick of
all the excuses of the offense wasn't good enough, the
scheme wasn't good enough, the coaching wasn't good enough. At
the end of the day, if you're Trevor Lawrence, if
you're this guy that is hailed as the next great
quarterback and the way that he was coming out of
high school coming out of college here, I just need

(01:01:31):
to see a bit more for me to believe in.
I have not seen that with Trevor Lawrence. And it
has to happen this year. We are heading into year
five for him as a quarterback. If you're going to
be this franchise guy and the way that Jacksonville has
paid him to be, expected him to be, drafted him
to be, it's got to actually happen on the field
this year. I think this is a huge year for
Trevor Lawrence for sure.

Speaker 5 (01:01:49):
I mean with a new coach coming into never know
what can happen with you know, Duval, But I try
this Hunter I think will help on al side for sure.
But you said Brian Thomas was excellent, Yeah, great running
back room. Don't know what you have with ATM. But yeah,
he's going to have to take that next step. I
was so big a forum out of college at Clemson.

(01:02:09):
I thought he was going to be the next Peyton
Manning essentially, but yeah, he's struggling in his time. I mean,
he has to take that next step for sure. I
still think he's going to be a top twelve guy
when it comes down to it. I hope this has
to be the year. Though, If if you're thinking about it,
if he doesn't do something this year, he doesn't have
thirty touchdowns, four thousand yards.

Speaker 4 (01:02:30):
It's new quarterback time.

Speaker 5 (01:02:32):
Yeah, you're going to start thinking that way, and you're
going to be able to get a valuable piece for
him if you do trade him.

Speaker 4 (01:02:37):
I don't see that happening.

Speaker 5 (01:02:38):
I think we'll have a decent enough season where he
keeps his things going, and that is a weak division
over there in the AFC South, So I can agree
with him having to you know, this is the season.

Speaker 2 (01:02:49):
Yeah, I wish I believed more than I did, But
I think the reality and what I've come to terms
with is I think Trevor Lawrence is closer to the
tier of the just the guy that if he fits
in the right system, then he is in that upper
echelon of you design a system, and this guy's a
caliber of talent that can produce regardless of the circumstances.
I think he's closer to like that have Dak Prescott
Baker Mayfield type of tier than he is in that

(01:03:11):
Joe Burrow, you know, the upper echelon, which I don't
think that's what he was billed to be coming out
of college and coming out of high school.

Speaker 5 (01:03:17):
He was supposed to be a top five of guy. Yeah,
no doubt about it, No doubt about it. And you
know we're gonna see this year honestly. Yeah, that's what's
gonna come down to this season.

Speaker 2 (01:03:28):
Where does Trevor Lawrence rank in your tentative quarterback ranks
or should we should? I we hit a pause on this,
you collect your thoughts at the break, and we come
back with a full rankings.

Speaker 5 (01:03:35):
Yeah, we can come back with a full rankings, but
I'm gonna say without we'll going to have the quarterbacks right.

Speaker 4 (01:03:39):
Now, he's top twelve, okay. And also I do want.

Speaker 5 (01:03:42):
To ask you, do you think he would succeed in
offense as in like uh O'Connell McVeigh if he went
to one of them teams? Do you think he would
be the type of guy where we can start talking
about as like an elite player.

Speaker 2 (01:03:53):
Yeah, I do. I wouldn't say probably elite. I don't
think he's better than Matt Stafford. I think Matt Stafford's
a head and shoulders better quarterback Trevor Lawrence. I do
think he's he's brock pretty ish like. I think that's
kind of the lane I would throw him. He's probably
better than Sam Donald. I can't believe Sam Donald looked
as impressive as he did last year. That was another
guy that I was completely out of him and could
not believe that there was any sort of life in him.

(01:04:15):
But I do think in a better system that Trevor
Lawrence could be successful.

Speaker 4 (01:04:18):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:04:19):
Perfect, Well, we're going to take a quick break here
and come back with some quarterback rankings. We also got
to get into a little bit of Dallas Cowboys discussion.
The Micah Parsons circus rings on to make sure you
guys are keeping it locked right here on Fox Sports Gambler.

Speaker 4 (01:04:30):
That mean Jadad be right back after.

Speaker 1 (01:04:32):
This The Gambler, Philly's home for all things sports gambling.

Speaker 2 (01:05:08):
Oh yeah, that sounds like football music right there. We're
back for the final stretch right here on Fox Sports
The Game, And my name is Sean Bnard with Jared
Montalto over.

Speaker 4 (01:05:17):
Here, Yale, God and nailed it. Knew I would have
every third times of charm.

Speaker 2 (01:05:21):
There we are, So we're back wrapping things up right
here on the Tough Cover Radio show. Once again, No
Mark Henry Junior today, but my name is Shan Bnard
is always filling in on the sticks and read to
drive us home to the finish line right here, and
we have some quarterbacks to talk about. So me and
Jard are going to dive through our top quarterback rankings.
Let's see what are we different? And you know, an
always polarizing conversation. So let's get right in the meat

(01:05:42):
of this one, and we're going to start right at
the top. The guy who I still believe is the
gold standard of quarterback playing the NFL, and that would
be the dude who walked away a loser and last
year's Super Bowl, Patrick Mahomes is.

Speaker 4 (01:05:52):
My number one and need to screaming that, no question.
I mean, what more can you want out of a quarterback? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:05:57):
The guy, yep, he is anyway you want to do it,
whether it is the ad lib stuff, whether it is
by design, regardless of who he's throwing the ball to,
it does not matter.

Speaker 4 (01:06:05):
That guy gives you a chance.

Speaker 2 (01:06:06):
And I do think the Chiefs have pushed the limits
of we throw anybody around this guy and he will
create some semblance of a successful offense, and to this
point he's answered that call. So yeah, to me, Patrick
Mahomes is the number one guy. Well, I've seen a
couple of cases made for Josh Allen and things like that.
I still think Mahomes hold that title for now, So
I un locking him at number one. Number two. I've

(01:06:28):
battled with a little bit. I've ultimately settled on Josh
Allen being the guy here. Any thoughts on the number
two slot?

Speaker 5 (01:06:34):
So personally, the first four are all interchangeable. It's whatever
preference you to like. Personally, I have Alan at four.
I have Lamar two just what he can do on
the ground through the air, and he hasn't really had
a true wide receiver one in my opinion. I mean,
Jay Flowers is probably a top fifteen guy if you
want to break it down, but.

Speaker 4 (01:06:53):
I might not even throw them that out exactly. So
he really hasn't had a top guy.

Speaker 5 (01:06:56):
Has had Mark Andrews obviously, but just watching Lamar's just like,
it's Wow, this guy can play football.

Speaker 2 (01:07:02):
Yeah, for sure, I think you're right that it's pretty
interchangeable with top guys here.

Speaker 4 (01:07:07):
I went with Josh just from the standpoint.

Speaker 2 (01:07:09):
I do feel like he's kind of elevated his team
in a way that I don't think I would fully
throw on the Lamar Jackson shoulders. That I do think
Derrick Henry was very vital for him taking strides forward
last year, and there are some postseason shortcomings that can't
be just completely brushed over with him that he has
had some struggles there. I think Josh is a guy
that has risen to the moment more often than Lamar.

(01:07:29):
In direct contrast there, they're both excellent, they're both MVP candidates,
They're both two of the top four quarterbacks in football
universally there, So I will have no qualms with you there.

Speaker 5 (01:07:39):
I threw Lamar three and went Joe Burrow four, So
I had Burrow at three at four. Like we said,
it's all interchangeable, it's preference. All these guys can ball, Yeah,
but unfortunately every single one of them is in the AFC.
That that is what hurts all of them. Yeah, they
can't get over the hump because of Mahomes. You put
any of them in the NFC and these.

Speaker 4 (01:08:00):
Guys are going to the Super Bowl. Yeahs simple as that.

Speaker 2 (01:08:02):
Yeah, No, you're It's an excellent point there. How did
you grade last season for Joe Burrow, who statistically was
off the charts excellent, but obviously the defense was not
up the standard and he missed the playoffs out right
last year.

Speaker 4 (01:08:13):
What do you take away from that? First off?

Speaker 5 (01:08:16):
They have started every single season awful, Like, Yeah, when
you're behind the eight ball in football, it is hard
to come back and win games and fight for a
playoff position. But like you said, that defense was disastrous, like,
and that's nothing he can do about it. He's still
putting up numbers on the offensive side trying to win
ball games. Obviously, he's got two top fifteen guys outside
top top two guy in Jamar Chase. But yeah, he's

(01:08:40):
a great, great quarterback. But I can't knock him too
much for losing games when the defense is that bad.

Speaker 4 (01:08:46):
Yeah, I have sympathy as well that.

Speaker 2 (01:08:48):
I do think there were several games in which I
don't know what more Joe Burrow could have done to
give their team a chance and still end up with
the short end of stick. So I do have sympathy there.
I do think that is the fairly universal top four.
Here's where we start digging the weeds. Yep, I feel
feel pretty passionately that there is not a group of
top four top quarterbacks in the NFL. There is a
group of top five quarterbacks in the NFL. Yes it's

(01:09:09):
Patrick Mahomes, Yes it's Joe Burrow, Yes it's Josh Allen,
Yes it's Lamar Jackson.

Speaker 4 (01:09:13):
And it is Jalen Hurts in that same tier right there,
raigning Super Bowl MVP. A guy who just wins.

Speaker 2 (01:09:20):
Everybody's better than Jalen Hurts until it's time to actually
be better than Jalen Hurts.

Speaker 4 (01:09:25):
He's in that top five quarterback personally, not for me.

Speaker 5 (01:09:28):
I think he is in the next tier of quarterbacks
for sure, top ten guy, no doubt about it. He
wins games when you need him. But it's very similar
to like mcveigh's offense, where I don't I'm not gonna
say he's a system guy, because I don't think he's
exactly a system guy, but he's perfect for the Philadelphia Eagles. Yes,
I think if you don't have that all pro offensive line,

(01:09:50):
he struggles and against against the rush, he is one
of the worst in the NFL. When he sees the rush,
he is bad. It's simple, and it's no knock to
him because it. It's more of like giving my gratitude
to the front office because they're putting the pieces around
him for him to succeed.

Speaker 4 (01:10:06):
And there's no hate to Hurts at all.

Speaker 5 (01:10:08):
And I've said the numerous times and I get so
much pushback on it. It's the ultimate team game. Yeah,
you have to have the pieces around you to win,
and I think they have done that perfectly for him
to succeed.

Speaker 4 (01:10:18):
He's never gonna throw.

Speaker 5 (01:10:20):
I don't think he's gonna throw for four thousand yards
and thirty five touchdowns simply because he doesn't need to.
And I think if he was in a situation where
you force him to do that, you're not gonna start
winning ball games like he has now. And obviously the
numbers on the ground are very skewed because of the
touch push. He gets so many touchdowns out of that,
so many just extra little gritty yards, and that's simply

(01:10:41):
because the offensive line is that good. So I'm not
gonna hit you for saying top five. It's definitely a
preference string for this five through ten, five through twelve,
whatever you want to say, but yeah, not in my
top five.

Speaker 4 (01:10:54):
I hear you.

Speaker 2 (01:10:55):
It's fair points, it's fair pushback as far as like
the four thousand comment, like in twenty twenty three through
for three eight hundred and fifty eight yards, so like
I mean a we're gonna you know, dig in over
one hundred and forty yard difference. There is kind of
one of the unfair I get four thousand's like a
big measurable number by quarterback standards. There, We're never gonna
be able to fully prove if you take him off
Eagles roster and throw him anywhere else, how are the

(01:11:16):
results there.

Speaker 4 (01:11:17):
I do hope that he stays in Philadelphia forever.

Speaker 2 (01:11:19):
But the thing that I will continue to praise Jalen
Hurts for is he's a guy that just gives the
team the best chance to win every single game, regardless
of what that means.

Speaker 4 (01:11:27):
Sometimes he does have his flaws. He's not perfect.

Speaker 2 (01:11:29):
He holds on the ball too long, he's not excellent
against the blitz, He's he's not a perfect quarterback. But
what he is is the guy that's gonna give you
the best chance to win week in and week out,
and the results pretty much speak from himself right there.

Speaker 4 (01:11:40):
When the game is on the line and you need
one drive.

Speaker 2 (01:11:42):
I do think Jalen Hurts is pretty close to the
top of the list of guys that you would want
those shoes, and for me, that pretty much locks him
into number five there.

Speaker 5 (01:11:49):
He's perfect for Philly, ye as simple as that. He
whatever off the field of stuff, he's perfect, whatever he
says in the media, perfect And if you can succeed
in Philly, it's you know, you have a different different
cloth about you.

Speaker 4 (01:12:02):
Yeah, come from a different cloth for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:12:04):
By the way, this dude is still twenty six years old,
So I question you and challenge you to find a
guy at age twenty six with as accomplished a resume
as Jalen Hurts. Patrick Mahome's really the only other guy
in that frame, Like when you think about how successful
he's been in such a short term after coming from
a second round pick and having the collegiate experience that
he had when being benched at Alabama, transferring to Oklahoma,

(01:12:25):
the whole deal there. I have nothing but respect for
Jalen Hurts, but out of curiosity, who is your number
five quarterback?

Speaker 4 (01:12:30):
Though?

Speaker 5 (01:12:31):
It's really honestly hard to pick because you guys, you
got Herbert, you got Stroud, you have dak you got Stafford,
you got Hurts.

Speaker 4 (01:12:37):
It's all interchangeable.

Speaker 5 (01:12:38):
To me. If I had to pick a guy this
right now, I'd probably pick Herbert. And I know you're
gonna say, I know you're not Herbert guy, and you're
gonna come back on the playoffs, things like that. But
the thing on hammer Home is it's a team game.
I mean that game against Jacksonville where they were up
so many touchdowns, Trevor Lawrence threw four picks and Herbert back.

Speaker 4 (01:13:00):
What about the defense off of them? What about score
one touchdown and you win that game? I got it.
Who was our head coach back then too? That was
what's his face? Was that? Staley? Yeah?

Speaker 5 (01:13:10):
Yeah, yeah, And I was not big on him. Defensive
mind type guy. He should have got them through that.
I think with Jim Harball, it's going to be I
don't want to say similar to Philly that's going to
pound the rock, but he is a type of guy
that is going to be gritty. They're going to want
to run the ball. They have Omari and Hampton back there.
I think he's going to have a huge season, and
I think he Herbert's going to have a you know,

(01:13:31):
almost four thousand yard season, probably thirty touchdowns, and I
think he's going to, you know, make some noise in
that top five conversation again because there's so many people
that talk about the playoff shortcomings with him.

Speaker 2 (01:13:43):
Well, I do think he's the worst playoff performer in
all of sports that he's been with sports, all of sports.
Let's go with what we got as a track rec
to this point that Justin Herbert has been to the
playoffs twice.

Speaker 4 (01:13:54):
He's zero two in those games.

Speaker 2 (01:13:55):
Across those matchups, he is thirty nine for seventy five,
passing for five hundred and fifteen yards, two touchdowns, and
four interceptions. He's blown the third largest lead in playoff
history and tye and is currently tied for nineteenth for
most picks in a playoff game. He threw more picks
in a playoff game than he did all season last
year against a non spectacular Texans defense.

Speaker 4 (01:14:17):
By mind you, by the way here, he's.

Speaker 2 (01:14:19):
A guy that is the antithesis of Jalen Hurts that
he has all the talent, but what he does is
shoots himself in the foot constantly. He's not a guy
that steers you to the best chance to win. He
is a guy that when you ask him to be
the hero, he turns out being the zero. In contrast
to Jalen Hurts, who will maximize his talent to the
fullest extent. I think Justin Herbert is always going to
be a guy that's significally better in theory than in practice.

(01:14:39):
Here he's talented, he can make the throws, he's got
the skills, but what he doesn't have is that thing
between the brains right there, or the thing between the
ears right there that really makes you say this is
a guy when the bright lights are on him.

Speaker 4 (01:14:50):
I think he's kind of a generational pants pisser.

Speaker 5 (01:14:52):
So you don't think he's ever going to enter that
conversation with Jim Harball is making the playoffs, contending for
an AFC championship, You never think that's gonna come.

Speaker 2 (01:14:59):
I think it non coincidental that they had their most
team success when they asked him to do the least.
I think that they are gonna lean more on that
running game and that defensive game, but it's not really
a glowing review of him that the less they ask.

Speaker 4 (01:15:11):
Him to throw the ball, the better the team seems
to be.

Speaker 5 (01:15:13):
But it almost contradicting yourself because That's almost what hurts
those too. They're asking him to do less. They asked
him in the middle of the season or on the
bye week. Let's let's level back on the passing, let's
run the rock a little more. It's kind of the
same thing.

Speaker 4 (01:15:25):
Sure, but Jalen hurts.

Speaker 2 (01:15:27):
Also in twenty twenty three, the Eagles went eleven and
six when he threw for thirty eight hundred yards. They
were fourteen and one with him as the quarterback this
season prior with thirty seven hundred yards. Like, he's been
the guy and it's still been successful when he has
had to aired out.

Speaker 4 (01:15:38):
Sure, Saquon Barkley changed the guy. Gailts a little bit.
For what is our pathway to success?

Speaker 2 (01:15:42):
I just think Herbert like I'm also sick of like
the conversation seemed to be He's never had anything about him,
like Keenan Allen is not a shlob, like Mike Williams
was a good wide receiver, like you have had guys here,
you've had the opportunity. And by the way, once again,
you were up twenty eight nothing at halftime of a
playoff game. If you were any sort of serious quarterback,
I hear you on the defense. Sure, they lit up

(01:16:02):
all those points, but if you're any sort of franchise quarterback,
it is simply give me the rock. We're going down
and scoring a touchdown or putting this game away. And
he just does not have that in him.

Speaker 5 (01:16:12):
I can understand where you're coming from for that for sure. Yeah,
gotta win the game when it comes down to it.
I get it.

Speaker 2 (01:16:17):
And that to me is what I probably great quarterbacks
more than anything is when it is you got two
minutes with the ball in his hands, do you fear
that guy?

Speaker 4 (01:16:25):
Do you trust that guy? How do you feel?

Speaker 2 (01:16:27):
And I don't think there is a safer lead in
football than a one point lead giving Justin Herbert the
ball with two minutes left to play?

Speaker 4 (01:16:32):
So where would you rank him?

Speaker 2 (01:16:33):
Then? If he's not you want my honest answered on
this lest year, Justin Herbert is twenty third on my quarterback.

Speaker 4 (01:16:38):
Twenty that that's just not realistic. I hear you. Then
there's not twenty two quarterbacks better.

Speaker 2 (01:16:44):
There's twenty two guys that I think give you a
better chance to win football games than Justin Nervert.

Speaker 5 (01:16:48):
But I want to say that's quarterback rankings, and that's
that's when it comes down to, like we have to
win a game.

Speaker 4 (01:16:53):
That's not overall abilities.

Speaker 5 (01:16:55):
The big part of being a quarterback though, is that
it is it is when it comes down to it.

Speaker 4 (01:17:00):
So we'll keep it rolling. My number six.

Speaker 2 (01:17:02):
I locked in Jordan Love here, which I do think
is on the higher side for him. Yeah, I do
think that he was beat up from start to finish
last year. I do think his wide receiver groups are
not nearly what they're sometimes talked about. I think they
are a bunch of just a guy. When you talk
about the Ontavian Wicks and Jayden Reid, they're.

Speaker 4 (01:17:17):
A bunch of wide receiver threes. Yeah, a bunch of
wide receiver threes.

Speaker 2 (01:17:20):
And I feel like last year that was one of
the talking points was like how good this Packers' wide
receiver room could be. None of them are spectacular, Like, nah,
they're okay, they're fine, Like you can roll with that.

Speaker 4 (01:17:29):
But I don't know. I like the Packers.

Speaker 2 (01:17:30):
I think Jordan Love has been a guy that has
maximized his chances there that he is a dude that
I trust with the game on the line. They're all
talent is there, still very young, still finding his footing,
but I'd like him for the six best quarterback.

Speaker 5 (01:17:41):
I have him at eleven right now, behind a few guys,
but I think he is in that second tier. I
just I don't think I've seen enough to where I
can put him in that top six like you have
him well, like you said, the weapons he has outside
is the fact that they haven't addressed that. I know
they got Matthew Golden out of Texas. Hopefully he is
something They've said. He has a good camp so far

(01:18:02):
and maybe if he can have some production. Think about
that entered that top ten conversation a little more, But
right now I have him at eleven.

Speaker 2 (01:18:09):
He's the guy that I would certainly throw at my
buying stock list that I think. I think is a
big year for Jordan Love, that he needs to sort
of cement himself in this role. But he has not
had like four He's the same draft class as Justin Herbert.
Herbert was thrown right to the fire there that we
had to have Jordan Love sit for a little bit.
He hasn't really got his feet wet in the same way.
I think this is the year where he fully puts
it together.

Speaker 5 (01:18:28):
And when you go off that I mean that division
could be wide open. Yeah, you don't know what any
of these teams are going to be with Detroit, don't
know how Chicago's going to respond, same with Minnesota. So
if there is any year for them to win the
division and make some noise in the playoffs this year.

Speaker 4 (01:18:42):
Yeah, absolutely there. Who is your number six?

Speaker 5 (01:18:45):
Number six for me with Stroud? Okay Stroud, but also
you can say Stafford up there too. I think I
would have them at six and seven. Personally, Stroud took
the step back. I think he elevates his game a
little more this season and Stafford. You know, Stafford could
balance out the top twenty this season if we don't
if he doesn't come back from that back injury, like
we said, so you know a little if you're six

(01:19:06):
and seven right there for me.

Speaker 2 (01:19:08):
Yeah, the injuries are a tough asterisk next to the
Stafford outlook there, I'd strouted eight. I feel very similarly,
but I think the talking points are a bit more
harsh on him than necessarily deserves. He was still good
last year. Like he didn't suck. He wasn't what he
was as a rookie. But this wasn't a guy who
all of a sudden looked atrocious, But this will be
a nice balancing year. From this is we'll see what
he really is. I think it probably is true that

(01:19:28):
he played above his head as a rookie, but I
don't necessarily think he's like some schlub here. He's gonna
be a talented quarterback. So I locked him at eight.
At seven is where I slid in Jaden Daniels here,
What are your thoughts on that place?

Speaker 5 (01:19:40):
So for me, great and rookies after a rookie year
is very, very difficult. It's the same with Stroud. They
ranked him top five last year and he didn't have
the same type of season. I think it's like I
said earlier, it's gonna be the same with Jayden Daniels.
I'd put him in that just third tier range just
because we don't know what we're going to get out
of him. I think down the line he has that
top ten capability for sure. He has all the traits

(01:20:02):
arm legs if he can stay healthy. But yeah, right
now I have him about in that twelve thirteen range.

Speaker 4 (01:20:08):
Yeah, I hear that this is gonna be an interesting season.

Speaker 2 (01:20:11):
I still like I can't fully brush over as much
as I am you know, ready for him to take
a step back?

Speaker 4 (01:20:16):
And do you believe that's going to be the case.
It was as.

Speaker 2 (01:20:18):
Excellent a real for sure, for from the dual threat
nature to some of the big throws. He hit the
one long touchdown that continues to sit on my brain
and I forget who it was even against. But early
on in the air where he just stood bombed one
like sixty yards, took the hit and delivered it, and
that was something I was like, when you can take
the heat delivered that throw. There's some stones on Jayde
and Daniels. So I do fear that Washington did get one.

(01:20:39):
From a quarterback perspective. Sadly, he may not be quite
what he's being puffed up to be, but I do
think Jade Daniels is going to be right in that
top ten mix for the entirety of his career.

Speaker 4 (01:20:48):
Fully agree, all right, we'll keep it rolling.

Speaker 2 (01:20:50):
Then, so my order went Jalen Hurts five, Jordan Love six,
Jade and Daniels seven, ce Day Stroud eight.

Speaker 4 (01:20:55):
Were you out on your list?

Speaker 5 (01:20:57):
So right now I would have Herbert at five, six
Strowd seven Stafford, and then I'm gonna put Dak at
number nine. I'm pretty sure yep, number nine right now.
I mean, like I said, I think he's gonna have
a twenty twenty three MVPES season. I think George pickens
elvay stag game to another level. It's the question is

(01:21:18):
will they have a run game and will the offensive
line be semi good this season. H that has all
the capabilities we've seen in the past. He can fit
the ball on tight windows, he can you know, throw
all over the field, any type of any type of pass.
Run game isn't there like it was earlier in his career,
which is, you know, sad for the ankle injury that
he suffered against the Giants a few years ago. But

(01:21:40):
I still think he's in that top ten conversation and
he's gonna prove it this season.

Speaker 4 (01:21:44):
I had him at fifteen try less. It's low. That's low.

Speaker 2 (01:21:48):
I don't know, man, I just I I do kind
of think that we've seen the peak of Dak Prescott.

Speaker 4 (01:21:54):
We've seen what it looks like.

Speaker 2 (01:21:55):
And don't get me wrong that there certainly were some
impressive stretches for him. I think he's probably more looks
better statistically than the actual impact shows that I do
think that there's a little bit of empty calorie of
production in there. He airs it out, he throws it
a ton, but how much does that directly traight? Now
you can swing that to is this defensive conversation? Does
Cowboys not deliver on that side of the ball? They

(01:22:16):
serve many stretches where they've been very poor in that
area there. But I just feel like he falls in
that category of the stats don't match well.

Speaker 4 (01:22:23):
My eyes tell me for how good this guy is.

Speaker 5 (01:22:25):
He's led top ball offenses numerous years in a row,
back in twenty three twenty two, like they're leading the
league in points. He has all the capabilities, it's just
around him. Like I said, team game, you have to
have everything working around you for Hugh succeed. I don't
think he's fifteen definitely not fourteen better quarterbacks than him.
And I do you think that George Pickens elevates that game?

(01:22:47):
Do you think he can enter that top ten conversation
this season?

Speaker 4 (01:22:50):
Yeah? He could, he absolutely could.

Speaker 2 (01:22:52):
There's guys on here that I think he should pass
if things go one hundred percent correct.

Speaker 4 (01:22:57):
I just I don't know.

Speaker 5 (01:22:59):
I get it with the season had last year. It
was bad before he even got injured, right and I
mean he got extended the day before or the hour
back where our first game. So I understand the you know,
the pushback of him not being a top guy right now.

Speaker 2 (01:23:12):
Yeah, and I'll slide it right into my number nine
is the guy. We had a discussion about Baker Mayfield
here that I just feel like there is like a
Baker gives you a chance to win in a way
that I don't feel about Dak Prescott there nor the
names in between that we would get into there.

Speaker 4 (01:23:27):
So you want Dak was your number eight, number nine,
number two.

Speaker 5 (01:23:30):
I had Hurts at ten and then I had Mayfield
at all eleven, Hurts at ten, so he top ten guy.
And like I said, it's it's very interchangeable. It's what
you went out of a quarterback in this second tier
because I have the tier from five to eleven in
this second tier, wink, So very interchangeable. It's what you
want as a quarterback. If you think Hurts put this
equals team on his back for this postseason run to

(01:23:51):
win a super Bowl, I'll tip my cap and say
you got it. But I just don't think he is
over any of the guys that I've named.

Speaker 4 (01:23:59):
Yeah, I hear you.

Speaker 2 (01:24:00):
I do want to ask, what does Jalen Hurts need
to do to enter that conversation in your mind?

Speaker 5 (01:24:05):
I don't think it's the way the offense is built.
He's never, never, not going to have a great offensive
line unless these guys all get hurt or retire. He's
never going to have to prove himself as a guy
that can put the team on his back to win
these games. They're going to have the lead because they
run the ball. They have Aj Brown out there, they
got DeVante Smith, they got Dallas Goddard.

Speaker 4 (01:24:25):
He has the weapons in place.

Speaker 5 (01:24:27):
I think will be in that top tent, top ten
conversation for his entire career. I just don't think he's
ever gonna enter that elite conversation.

Speaker 4 (01:24:35):
Interesting.

Speaker 2 (01:24:36):
I just I guess my only like pushback on that
is like, I don't know what more the guy could
do that Like Super Bowl MVP has gone to the
Super Bowl, outplayed Patrick Mahomes on both situations that he's
been at his best when the lights have been the brightest.
There have been stretches where he's had to carry the
team with his arm more than people want to give
him credit.

Speaker 4 (01:24:53):
Here.

Speaker 2 (01:24:53):
Saquan did certainly change things for sure, and I also
like when he came to the Eagles. When he first
was introduced as a starter, we're talking about like a
receiving core. With Jalen Rigers, Oh, it was bet like
it was bad. He has been here for the glow up.
It hasn't been Jalen Hurts all of a sudden injected
in the super team the way that I think the
conversations get thrown in there. So I'm a little bit

(01:25:15):
sympathetic to the fact that I don't know what more
Hurts could do to possibly earn some more respect.

Speaker 4 (01:25:19):
But I do hear the fair pushback here.

Speaker 2 (01:25:22):
Matt Stafford rounded out my top ten at ten, and
that's a tough one from the same standpoint of like,
on any given Sunday, he can look like maybe no.

Speaker 4 (01:25:29):
Number one quarterback across the NFL.

Speaker 2 (01:25:31):
But I do have some genuine fear about the injury
and do fear that we're on the other side of this.
My number eleven guy, I think is interesting, Jared Goff,
I have a tough time placing.

Speaker 4 (01:25:40):
I threw him at eleven here.

Speaker 5 (01:25:41):
Yeah, I had him in my third tier. I mean,
you can put him that second teer. He's been good,
but he's also got I don't think that can do
it on his own. He's got to have the weapons
around him. And like you said, with him not having
Ben Johnson, I think they take a step back. I
think that does affect him a lot. We saw what
he did in LA he kind of you know, the
shortcomings he did have. But I'm not mad at that

(01:26:02):
ranking at eleven. No, Yeah, I had a tough time
with that one.

Speaker 2 (01:26:05):
I'll also keep it wrong with number twelve, who I
think is kind of a different version of a similar
player here, and that would be Geno Smith. It's been
cool to see the resurgence. I'm a Gino believer. I
can tell how your reaction. You think that's high.

Speaker 4 (01:26:17):
Yeah, that he's not in my top eighteen right now? Wow?

Speaker 5 (01:26:20):
Yeah, I just I don't see it as a quarterback.
You know, I'm glad. I'm happy for him. He you know,
resurged his career into what he's what he's done now
he's getting paid in Las Vegas. But I've never been
a Geno guy. You know, day one games in Seattle cool,
But I've never looked at him as you know, one
of them a second tier guy.

Speaker 2 (01:26:39):
Through for forty three hundred yards last year, pretty much
asked to be the guy. He also led or led
the NFL and completion percentage back in twenty two, where
he threw for forty two hundred and eighty two yards
thirty touchdowns that season as well. He's thrown for seventy
one touchdowns over the past three seasons in Seattle there.
It's cool to see him find his footing a little bit.
I do think that, like raw arm talent is right

(01:27:01):
up there with the best of the league with you
know that he can sling it, but I hear you
that it's has not been an easy pathway to this point.

Speaker 5 (01:27:06):
Yeah, it's it's hard to rank him just because his
early career was so you can say bad, like it
was weird, it was very weird. And what for you
what do you think made him, you know, take that
step in being a starting quarterback.

Speaker 2 (01:27:20):
I think, to be honest with Gino, it was probably
something within himself that changed more than anything of Like,
I think there's this constant battle between like quarterbacks in
the system that both of like how much do I
buy in?

Speaker 4 (01:27:33):
How much do I do that?

Speaker 2 (01:27:34):
And I think early on in his career, he made
have been fighting a losing battle. Like his rookie with
the Jets, he threw twenty one interceptions. He fouled up
with thirteen and thirteen of touchdowns the interception. The following year,
He's just kind of cleaned up the decision making process
a ton and I think been more confident relying on
his arm. He does have the arm to throw with
anybody in the NFL, he just hasn't really uncorked it.
So I think it probably was more of a mental

(01:27:54):
change than anything.

Speaker 5 (01:27:55):
So do you think Oakland takes or not Oakland Las
Vegas takes that next step done?

Speaker 2 (01:27:59):
I think they'll be right in the mix. I think
they'll probably be like an eight to nine, nine to
eight kind of team. They're not a playoff team for sure,
probably not tough division.

Speaker 4 (01:28:08):
Yeah, tough division.

Speaker 2 (01:28:09):
I think they'll make some noise like they're not gonna
be a team that, especially with gen t there, and
like they got some talent hours yeah, brock Bowers the
real deal as well. So I think they'll be right
in the mix, but probably not a cemented playoff team
will be.

Speaker 4 (01:28:20):
My thoughts that where are you at on your list?
The next couple names.

Speaker 5 (01:28:24):
So I put Gene and Daniels at twelve strictly because
when I don't know what he's gonna be, rookies are
hard to agree.

Speaker 4 (01:28:30):
And after that, I have Trevor.

Speaker 5 (01:28:32):
I know you're not a big Trevor god, but I
think he has all the talents in him to be
a successful quarterback. Will you show it? We'll see this season.
He can easily bounce out to top fifteen. After this season.

Speaker 4 (01:28:44):
Who do you got? Yeah? I like that there.

Speaker 2 (01:28:46):
I threw Trevor at sixteen, so right one below Dak
Prescott there. The one that you're gonna fight me over
in between is brock Party coming in at the right.

Speaker 4 (01:28:56):
With that one. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:28:57):
So again, I was encouraged by the Brock Party that
I saw last year, but I thought he individually showed
me something when everything was falling around a part around
him that he sort of stepped up and delivered in
a way that I respected.

Speaker 4 (01:29:10):
I think they're right in that same tier.

Speaker 2 (01:29:12):
Like I think Brock Party, Trevor Lawrence, and Dak Prescott
are pretty similar types of quarterbacks and level of quarterbacks.

Speaker 5 (01:29:18):
Then yeah, I mean I don't have Party in my
top eighteen so you know, I've never been a big
Party fan, no hate to the guy at all. I
just don't think he is a guy in the league.
And this is a third tier. I have quarterbacks in anyway.
I have Nick's at the thirteenth spot or thirteenth fourteenth spot.
I think he showed a lot of his rookie season.

(01:29:39):
I was very, very impressed. I was very surprised they
traded up to get him, and he impressed me a lot.
I mean, and he has a phenomenal defense behind him.
I think they can make some noise in AFC this
year too.

Speaker 4 (01:29:49):
Can we give a little.

Speaker 5 (01:29:50):
Bit of credit for Brock Party for going to a
super Bowl. I'll say the same thing. It's just a
Shanahan offense. Like I'll congratulate him, but it's still you know,
Trent Dilfer made a super Bowl, Nick Foles made a
super Bowl. They're not a quarterbacks. It's you know, he
got hot at the right time for Nick Foles.

Speaker 4 (01:30:08):
But did Dak Prescott make a Super Bowl? He has not.

Speaker 5 (01:30:10):
He's not made an NFC championship two and five in
the playoffs two and five, And you know a large
part of that is the defense. The play calling, the
time management down the stretch.

Speaker 2 (01:30:19):
One quarterback, I would say has an impact in some
of those things, yeah, for sure.

Speaker 5 (01:30:24):
But when you're we're sitting down watching every week some
of these play calls, it's just it boggles your mind,
especially from a defensive aspect, like just letting wide receivers room,
like two years ago when they lost to the Packers,
like just an overall disaster day that was just unfolded,
like and we were the second seed. We were supposed
to do something that year. And I don't want to

(01:30:47):
put all on Dak. Them two interceptions he had against
the Packers. The one was bad, I will agree with,
but the one he threw to Brandon Cooks, it was
a slant route. It was just the route was just
no effort. And I can't put label Dak for that.
It's things like that where I'm like, Okay, Dak is
in that and that I want to say, up brashchlunteer,
but he's in that second tier quarterbacks.

Speaker 4 (01:31:06):
Yeah, I think that is mostly fair.

Speaker 2 (01:31:08):
Though. We'll rip through our last final twenty and then
I want to dig in a little bit more in
the Cowboys conversation. So I'm pretty much with you that
I went Dak Prescott fifteen, Trevor Lawrence sixteen, bow Knicks
I through seventeen. Here I'm see think similar to you.
I was not a Bonnecks guy in college that I
didn't quite see the vision. I was really impressed with
the way that he stepped up, and I do think
Sean Payton is also of that a reason for that. Yeah,

(01:31:30):
you throw him in the system, he figures things out.
I went Tua at eighteen, Kyler Murray at nineteen, and
Justin Fields at twenty.

Speaker 4 (01:31:37):
How did you round out your top twenty?

Speaker 5 (01:31:38):
So I only went to eighteen, but I had Caleb Williams, Tua,
Bryce Shown and Kyler Murray. I mean, all interchangeable, all
guys that are like you want more out of Do
I see any of them doing more? I see Caleb
and Yong having a better season. But I think Tua
is what he is, and I think a lot of
people compare him to Dak in that aspect of, you know,
not getting a done door in the playoffs, but to

(01:32:00):
tuas had two elite receivers his whole career. He just
hasn't been healthy for it. Mike McDaniel, I think is
a good OC.

Speaker 4 (01:32:06):
I don't.

Speaker 5 (01:32:06):
I think that error is going to end the season.
I don't think they're going to be able to do
anything this season. And Kyler Murray, he is what he
is at this point in his career too. I don't
think he's ever going to make that next jump, and
he is all stuck in that mid purgatory, if you
want to call it.

Speaker 2 (01:32:19):
Yeah, I do think DAK is better than two, if
that makes yes feel a little bit better there. I
did leave Caleb Williams entirely off my rankings just because,
like I said earlier, I think that was probably one
of the most difficult rookie seasons the grade period, with
all the factors going on around him, from coaching the
offensive line being basically non existent here. So I think
he probably climbs in that top ten conversation at this

(01:32:39):
point next year. But I gotta see it on the
field now to keep it in Dallas real quick. It
is a circus as usual there, Michael Parsons raising quite
a scene, one of the more direct trade requests that
I think I've ever seen from an organization. I don't
want to be here anymore. Unfortunately, I don't want to
be here anymore. I believe how he wired it. What's
going on down there in Dallas.

Speaker 5 (01:32:59):
It's it's the same thing as last year with CD
and DAK, Like, you have these in house guys that
you draft. These guys are Pro Bowl type players. Mike
has made it his first four seasons. He has over
fifty sacks in his first four seasons.

Speaker 4 (01:33:11):
Yeah, he's that dude. He is a guy. Like, there's
no doubt about it.

Speaker 5 (01:33:14):
He is on a Hall of Fame path if he
keeps playing like this and does not get injured. The
thing is, it's it comes down to the front office
in Jerry Jones. Like, if you've watched how the Cowboys
operate in the past third year, since they've made a
Super Bowl in ninety five, it's it's been mismanaged and
I don't think any of that's going to change.

Speaker 4 (01:33:32):
For the foreseeable future.

Speaker 5 (01:33:33):
It's them not winning to pay they're guys, And I
don't get it because the market only goes higher. Yeah,
every single time a guy gets paid. Miles got paid,
TJ got paid, just extraordinary numbers. You're only pushing micaeh
up even more because he's younger than both of them guys,
and he has so much talent, and he's so versatile.
He can go from you know, the one tech, he

(01:33:54):
can go from the outside, he can play linebacker for you,
he can drop back in the flat like there's nothing
he can't do. And for the simple fact they're not
keeping him happy and driving away you know, maybe other
free agents coming here, people wanting to get drafted by
the Dallas Cowboys name. It's it's just downright just mismanagement.

Speaker 2 (01:34:12):
Yeah, absolutely there, And for the first time that I
think I'm like seeing the light on things. I think
Jerry Jones values the attention and headlines to the spring
more than actually keeping a player, which is insane and
malpractice from like an organizational standpoint, but I do think
that is how he views it. Like like you mentioned
that Dak Prescott now before kickoff, like there's no reason
for that to happen, Seedee Lamb.

Speaker 4 (01:34:32):
Very similar.

Speaker 2 (01:34:32):
And I do think that feelings have gotten more hurt
with this particular interaction than any of these past ones
that go there, Like the thing about like Micah and
Jerry Jones having a conversation with Jerry Jones perceived as
direct negotiations and then Mike has stepped back being like
deal with my agent from here, Like I get it.
He talked about like Jerry being like, yeah, I bought
this Dallas Cowboys franchise with a handshake deal here.

Speaker 4 (01:34:53):
That's just not really how it works when you're.

Speaker 2 (01:34:55):
Talking about this caliber of money, Like these are real
deal contracts, real deal things you gotta go through. And
I think it's insane to like try and hold a
player to his word like that. Yeah, even if you
guys are on the same page. So I get why
Mike is upset. I have no clue how this resolves itself.
Do you think this extends into the season.

Speaker 4 (01:35:11):
I don't think.

Speaker 5 (01:35:12):
I think something gets done similar to like cale Dak
did and CD was a few weeks before the season
last season, Dak an hour before the game. I don't
think it'll be that close to when they, you know,
decide on a deal. But it's a simple fact that
they're just he's trying a big man um. Jerry Jones
is just trying to big man him say I'm the guy,
I'm the owner, You're gonna play for me under your

(01:35:32):
one year left and it's should have came to this now,
God forbid, he does end up playing and he gets
hurt like that is just disgusting. It just just pay
the guy. He's a top the end, he's going to
be a playmaker of the future. You got You don't
let guys walk out the door like that. And even
when he got drafted, I wanted certain during that draft,
so I was very surprised they picked Micah in that position.

(01:35:54):
But you know, he's been nothing but great. I know
you can talk about the podcast stuff. I mean that
ruffles some feathers here and there with certain people.

Speaker 4 (01:36:01):
I get it.

Speaker 5 (01:36:02):
But he's a guy that has a voice and he's
gonna let it be known. Obviously with the trade request,
I don't think he means it. But you know, what
do you think they would get if they did trade him?
Like what kind of hall is that?

Speaker 2 (01:36:13):
Well, you also shoot your value in the foot by
doing all this, Like every other NFL team is well
aware of this situation that they know Micah wants wants
out of Dallas far more than Dallas wants to trade him.
So it's not like you're gonna get an eye for
eye type of talent in the in the trade market.
So if that it actually comes to this and he
wants to be moved, which I don't think is gonna
be the case. I think Jerry's gonna stand ten toes down,

(01:36:33):
or we have you under contract, we're going to keep
you here. I think we're probably talking about like a
third round pick or maybe a background pick, which isn't
what he's worth his talent whatsoever. But I do think
when you paint yourself into this corner, you're not gonna
get anything close to what the player should be valued at.

Speaker 5 (01:36:47):
And I don't see them trading him, like I said,
but it would be like a herschel Walker type trade.
You would need multiple first seconds, a good player, up
and coming player, maybe a third round pick. There's no
way I think they let him leave the building. I
think they get something done sooner or later. But the
fact that it came to this, like you said, is
just malpractice at the front office.

Speaker 2 (01:37:06):
Like the Khalil Mack trade is probably the closest thing
I can take, which I still don't think is like
an exact you know.

Speaker 5 (01:37:12):
Now, because I think Michael is better than he was
at that point in his career.

Speaker 2 (01:37:16):
But like for Khalil Mack, and he brought back two
first round picks, a third round pick, and a sixth
round pick, and I do think Michael Parsons is better,
but the team's also signing on to pay the dude.
That's what comes with the second half of this, of
your trading for Michael Parsons to give him whatever amount
of million dollars that he deserves and wants here, Like,
I just don't see it worll where you're recouping remotely

(01:37:37):
the value of what he's worth. This is a problem
that was self created by the Cowboys. They got to
sleep in the bed they made. I don't know how
this gets revolved. I do kind of think the stretches
in the season because I do think feelings are hurt
to an extent that this has not happened.

Speaker 5 (01:37:49):
Before, and they they've talked about they haven't had any
conversations up until this point, and he's still showing up
every day to training camp. There was a video of
Jerry Jones, you know, standing on that tall overseeing camp
and Mike goes on the ground just standing there and
is all practice practice?

Speaker 4 (01:38:04):
Sure, it's it's ridiculous.

Speaker 5 (01:38:06):
Came to this point and the fact that we're talking
about this and it's what August August sixteenth, right now,
you know, nineteen days. Like you said before the season
before they kick off, affiliate it.

Speaker 4 (01:38:17):
It's all despicable, it really is.

Speaker 2 (01:38:19):
Yeah, I guess you know, it would be nice to
see Michael Parson's revenge game on day one of this season.

Speaker 4 (01:38:24):
It will do.

Speaker 2 (01:38:25):
That's how things play down, so we'll see how it
all shapes out. But Jared, I appreciate you popping on
and joining me today. You're gonna be around a little
bit more right here on the Fox Sports The Gambler airwave.
Starting to learn the ropes a little bit, so appreciate
you for joining. Any final words before we sign off.

Speaker 5 (01:38:39):
Here, Appreciate you having me. Thanks to Sean Brace for
you know, let me have this opportunity. Hopefully this you
know a mouse or something, and it's just good to
talk ball, very fun, absolutely.

Speaker 4 (01:38:48):
So plenty more of that to come. We appreciate you
guys for tuning in.

Speaker 2 (01:38:51):
Appreciate all you guys for hanging with us right here
on Fox Sports Gambler. Make sure liking, subscribing wherever you
are listening. We're going to be back next week on
the top cover radio show. Plenty more content coming through
the week. Just make sure to keep it locked and
be back to talk with you next time.

Speaker 4 (01:39:02):
Peace,