NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - 2016 Superstar Club

Episode Date: June 15, 2016

A room full of heroes -- Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, Chris Wesseling and Marc Sessler – breakdown the latest NFL news including Dallas Cowboys running back Darren McFadden's injury, plus, Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Fletcher Cox and Denver Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall's extensions. Also, the heroes reveal who made it into the 2016 Superstar Club and who fell out.Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comNFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. The Around the NFL podcast will own you on the dance floor. Welcome back to another edition of the Around the NFL podcast. My name is Dan Hansis. And I am joined by a room filled with heroes. Mark Sessler, Chris Wessling, and Greg Rosenthal. What's up, boys? Hey, Dan.

Are we low on money tags again? We are. We should consult the. subreddit board, which has a bunch of them. Do they have a whole thread? They do have a whole thread. I'll send a tweet out and put together a list. I feel like we didn't hear all the last.

Largely because you don't choose to visit the subreddit board. Oh. You don't need that. Well, am I right? There's a cornucopia of tags there just waiting for us to dig into. Take that offline. Take that offline. Yeah, it'd be fairly turnkeyed.

It just come up with a few new. Pretty turnkey. We were just in a corpo meeting with some shadowy league. figures and we like to now take notes of all corpo phrases let's keep it above the tree tops dan keep it over the tree tops fairly turn you don't want to hit him with a fire hose of data well someone else also asked to speak to a higher up offline which is an old one but it continues to make no sense you aren't online you're just on our clock get off our clock mark sessler laying down the law in a big spot this is the around the NFL podcast sponsored by no

one feared by a few loved by thousands beholding to no one absolutely Chris Wesleying nice show today pre-grade show I love the show I'm really excited about the show B minus pregate we are going to

you know we did this last year and it's not it's not an easy exercise if you want to cycle back to the written content on the site from last year to get right you can end up looking foolish but uh the superstar club which is a club in which remember this one name the artist jazzy b

jazzy b isn't correct really is gregg you're the only one of the river that has a shot bobby william i know who it is but it's it's uh i can't think of it off that my head Lupe Fiasco. Yeah. The Superstar Club, 2016, a zero-sum game, one man in,

one man out. So each of us were adding four new superstars to the NFL today. And that's the easy part. Anybody could say, oh, this guy is going to become

a superstar this year, the hard part. And this is where it's, you've got to hang on you. If you're not hanging on, you're going to get called out on it. You'll be called out on it. You'll be called out.

the fool. You got to kick out somebody. You got to kick out a real superstar and basically say that this great player of his generation will take the step down and no longer be a superstar. Zero-sum game. The Superstar Club, 2016, a little bit later. I think Dan Helly, we said on Monday we're supposed to be in today. Scheduling conflict, Helly will be in tomorrow.

And if he cancels again, he can go to hell. He's got a permanent scheduling conflict. Go to hell. I think you ever got that before That's not really a welcoming way for him to join the show But hopefully he doesn't listen No way he doesn't He's above the tree tops

Yes so yeah Superstar Club This is our Pendultment show Before vacations start really coming into focus Mark I know you're away next week Yes Another vacation huh Same as everyone else

That time of year. That's all. Well, I think we all do them at different times. I think, Greg, you probably had yours earlier this year. Was there post-Super Bowl? That's accurate. Yeah, that must have been nice. How was your vacation, Wes?

What vacation? Yeah, me either. Well, I mean, we didn't. Dan, you have easily taken more days off than all of us combined. Whoa. What are you referring to? Not all this is going to. That is nonsense.

That is nonsense. Mark, don't hit out at me because you're taking your second weekly vacation before July. I'm tracking this. I'm tracking you. baby same amount as everyone else well according to you dan takes it has more than the rest yeah where'd that come from i heard that from someone else

who he's in this room oh please what is happening now i don't even know he's trying to throw me under the bus and something i don't even know let's count how many days i've taken off in 2016 let's count them i'd love to do it why are you so irate about other people listen to this one else would leave the office for five The podcast started, guys. Other people are listening.

Mark, not a good look for you just now. That's all. Nor you. Let's check behind the glass now. Speaking of being off. The Irishman took some time off. He was on the East Coast, but now he's back with us. The people that filled in for you did, you know, they did okay.

Yeah, but you were missed. I appreciate that. You know, I was having fun at a family wedding, you know, dancing a little bit. Maybe that's why I use that money tag. Oh, I bet you're a great dancer. Irishman. You know what? Well, I got it from my Uncle Michael, who showed it off, too.

So, you know, it's just in the blood. Old Uncle Mikey, they call him. Let's do some news. He's threatened by the way I dance. Damn it, why not to go showing off like that? Pick up the chisels, because now Irish has reached the stage where his comments and his conversations before we start the news, it's just a way for him to tee up his own news drop. Synergy.

Synchronicity. It's almost like a little bit too wooden and robotic. you want to be it's like you need to be set up with you today what i just i told you b minus i warned you am i bringing it up or down no you're doing great and welcome back mark you i don't know let's start with welcome i've been here the whole time i don't like the way this is starting at all except for that vacation a couple weeks ago well you can bring it up with human resources I need a break from you, people. That's three dreams.

All day long, every day with you people. Let's start with the Dallas Cowboys. Bad news in Dallas. Darren McFadden, who is almost impossibly a top five NFL Russia last season, saw the team took Ezekiel Elliott with a top five pick this season this year in the draft. And he's trying to win carries. He's trying to make sure he's still a big part of the backfield. but now he's going to be missing for a couple of months.

Darren McFadden injured his elbow in an accident at home and will be out, quote, a couple months after undergoing surgery on Tuesday, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett announced. Garrett said, I don't want to put too many timetables on it, but they said the surgery went well, and the overarching theme was a couple of months. We'll see how he responds to everything.

Anticipated back by some point in training camp, running back's coach Gary Brown told the morning news that McFadden fell Memorial Day weekend on his elbow while trying to keep from dropping his cell phone. Oof, that's a bad way to bust your elbow. He practiced last week under one surgery Tuesday. Good news for Ezekiel Elliott. Bad news for Darren McFadden, Wes.

It's just accelerating the inevitable. Elliot was going to take this job anyway. It was a matter of win, not if. This just means, I mean, I don't know what Michael Fabiano is going to say. on their fantasy live podcast, but I think Ezekieli would have to be in the mix for the number one overall fantasy draft pick.

I don't think this injury should change much, though, because he was going to be the starter anyway. We don't know that. I think we know that. I think the way Scott Linehan is talking about it, that he said, for instance, usually with rookies there's a time

or a part of the game that you feel a little uncomfortable, even though he's had some good ones over the year, but there is no part of the game where they feel like it's not his, cup of tea talking about Elliot. I don't think there's any down or distance or a situation where he can't carry the load. I mean, and also it's not like he's out for five months.

He'll be back. But Dan raised the, and I'm trying to build a bridge here with my friend Dan, but he asked the best question. Everything's okay. On Twitter. Did he catch the phone? Right. If you've gone through this malarkey, did you actually save the phone?

If that's shattered too, which we didn't hear the answer, so maybe he lost the phone too, that's embarrassing. Elbow injury. By the way, broken elbow or whatever, that sounds pretty painful. And then he practiced through it for a week, didn't realize it just was kind of bothering him. That's a very professional athlete thing to do. My elbow's kind of been bothering me. Let's go check it out at the end of the week. Oh, by the way, it's broken.

Well, I know, by the way, I don't want to tell the origin story of how I broke this elbow. Well, the sneaky star of this entire story was the running backs coach Gary Brown, who took McFadden's misfortune to make a crack. He's got that pre-CBA money, so I don't even. even think he needs the phone oh well that's fair like taking shots at four McFadden no he's saying it was a bad tradeoff no that that pre-CVA money was insane and he did get on that train so yeah even if he ended up never playing another down it should be okay uh it does make me think and by the way i buy into what you're saying west about elli potentially being a number one overall west and

is tremendous painstaking, time-consuming project detailing his favorite NFL or football books of all time. One of your excerpts, I believe, was from Dr. Z, who talked about how the college quarterback comes to the NFL and may never be better than his first year. College running back. College running back. It's different than other positions. It's all instinct and athletic ability.

It doesn't really matter how much you know the game. But Ezekiel Elliott, in the modern NFL, it gets. delayed a little bit for pass protection. Ezekiel Elliott might be the best pass protection back to enter the draft in our lifetime. Wouldn't be a number one overall pick and fantasy for me. But at top first round pick, and you just got me thinking, Dan, we should do a segment on the best football books ever. We're not going to do it today. How about next week?

We're not going to do it today, but how about next week we do a whole thing on the podcast? It would be a good discussion. I like it. Sounds good. The piece that West Road obviously must have a vanity URL. Not that I know of it. We'll get it. We'll get it.

NFL.com slash books. How about just books? There you go. By the time people listen to this, it'll be all ready. Hey, Dan, I have a question for you. Yes. So you said that you think that elbow injury would hurt. What changed your mind?

Because I remember you saying this about particular elbow injuries. I was like, oh, my elbow points so much. I was just wondering what changed it. Pick up the chisels. Take out the chisels. What was that in reference to? I can't remember. I believe it was Aaron Rogers.

Was that during the show or before a show? I'm not sure, but it's on the record. I think that was dirty. It's a painfully. By the way, does anybody, good job, Brandon. Does anybody have a embarrassing or stupid slash unnecessary injury from their life that they'd like to share? Well, I have several that I can't remember how they happened. I wonder why.

But I do remember one from when I was probably in fifth grade. It was the Mark remembers this, I'm sure. Michael Jordan's 63-point game against the Celtics in the playoffs. I got so excited that I tried a roundhouse kick and ended up hitting the door archway and broke my toe could barely walk and I had to serve mass that day

I was an altar boy tried to convince my dad I needed to watch the overtime of the Michael Jordan game because my foot was broken and mom wasn't there that day he didn't feel comfortable making the decision on his own so he just said no you have to go do it that's pretty rough

that's that Mark do you have one there are like Wes I mean probably all of us there's a bunch, but one that came to mind, because I still have an ankle, my right ankle, that probably three or four times a year just completely gives out while I'm walking down the street. And it initially happened the summer after junior year in high school where we went to a, what I would say was a house party, for lack of better terms, at this girl's house,

Lizzie, and... That would be a tough name to grow up with as a girl. She survived, but there was a huge, like... Oh, Wes. Wes, what is wrong? You'd take a vacation. There was a huge basket of, like, someone had made toast, maybe for croutons, but it was a giant basket of toast that had been there for a week.

And we were throwing this toast all around this house party. And then it was uncovered that we were doing this. So we escaped out a window, like three or four of us, and we're running down this darkened street at high speeds, trying to get to someone's car. And my whole body just collapsed. I went about three yards into the woods, and my ankle was a mess for,

Probably two years after that and continues to be unnecessary. Why was I even there? Greg, anything on the strawberry truck? No. No injuries there. I had one recently. That's the only one that comes to mine. I got back to – I think I might have even mentioned this on the podcast.

I certainly told you guys about it that I got back to my house late at night. Thought I was locked out of my house and then climbed the fence, climbed a fence on the side, jumped over it, and banged up my back a little bit. a very old man injury. I later realized the keys were where they were supposed to be outside, but I was just not in the right state to realize that at the time. Yeah, mine would be recent as well. It was when our softball team was losing 21 to 6 at two outs in the last inning,

and I tried to leg out. It grounded a second with a bad hamstring, and the hamstring exploded. That was... Humble brag. Your hustle was noted, though, because you are the leader in the tone setter. I had to do it there. All right, moving on, Fletcher Cox, is a very, very rich man.

The Philadelphia Eagles and their star defensive linemen agreed to terms on a six-year extension that will keep Cox in town through the 2022 season. The deal pays out $103 million over the long haul, but the real money is the astonishing $63 million and guarantees is coming from Rapsheet. That is a lot of money for Fletcher Cox. Greg Rosenthal, is he worth it?

Absolutely. All these guys are worth it. We're in a whole new era. this year with the TV money being brought into the league. The salaries are going way up. And by the way, you know, a number three left-handed pitcher in the NFL makes so far, I mean in the Major League Baseball, makes so far much more than Fletcher Cox, who is a top 50 NFL player according to the NFL Network's list,

and that might have even been too low. I mean, he is a dynamic player, so he's absolutely worth it. And some of the guaranteed, you know, it was sold the little. What does this even mean? 63 million in guarantees, 36.3 million and fully guarantees. I mean, until they figure out what's going on, we should never even ask the question as a player worth it. Who knows what it means? And that is, for a reader, what is an average football fan?

You've got to get a rap sheet in here and really call him to the carpet for this. I know what it is. I mean, if 36 is fully guaranteed, if nothing happens in the next year, it'll be, he'll get 48 million over the first three years of his deal. That's essentially what the fans should know. He's getting three for 48, which is obviously good. Well, you know who else is going to get paid? And the timing, this is the time of year, the month between now and training camp where all these big deals go down. And Von Miller now has another, you know, reference point to peg his contract.

He'll make more money than this. I don't think Fletcher Cox is. Way more. How about Moe Wilkerson? Also a defensive lineman and a guy that he's probably a better player in Fletcher Cox, right? I don't know about that. I think they're very similar. Different types of players, but very similar in value.

And the Jets botched this because. They could have signed Moe last year for probably a team-friendly contract. And now these guys keep signing. It gets bigger and bigger. He's not going to be with the Jets after this year. And that bums me out. If you were making an article that John Elways had a bad off season and made some mistakes, I think not signing Von Miller back in January.

Earlier here could be one of those mistakes. Let's talk about the Denver Broncos who have not signed Von Miller to a long-term deal. They have until July 15th to do that. But they did announce Tuesday that they've signed linebacker Brandon Marshall to a four-year. your extension. This deal is worth $32 million with $20 million in guarantees, according to Rapsheet. It includes a $10 million signing bonus keeps Marshall in Denver through 2020. Mark Sessler, Rand Marshall said, I will earn every penny. Well, I mean, they needed to keep this guy around. They lost Danny Trevathan in free agency.

And it's, you know, there's a lot of parts leaving Denver's defense. So, you know, while the Von Miller signing is tricky, I think this was a wise. move for them. He's putting a good player. Certainly makes it seem like they prioritized Brandon Marshall over Danny Trevathan. No doubt. Or they figured he was worth more. And he is definitely the superior run stopper of the two. Trevathan is better at covering backs and tight ends out of the back feet.

I was really surprised he got more money than Trevathan. So that's all credit to Brandon Marshall. He's one of those success stories that shows the NFL is a meritocracy. He got released by the Jaguars three times. He was a fifth round pick of the Jaguars. Does it help? And here he is, just three years later, getting huge money. Is there any link between Denver not having to fork over millions and millions at the quarterback position

where even a guy like Brandon Marshall, when he signs, it's going to get a little bit more scratch than he would have? Absolutely. It's a competitive advantage having a quarterback that makes peanuts, relative. If he can play. Yes. Well, that's the other competitive thing. It's the Russell Wilson rule. Yeah.

Moving on, Eugene Monroe no longer has a team, at least not right now. the Baltimore Ravens have released the left tackle this coming after the team attempted to make a trade with the New York Giants that fell through so the team cut ties this came after Monroe we learned that Monroe is being held out of this week's mandatory mini camp while Ozzy Newsom attempted to work on a trade John Harbaugh said Tuesday it's in Ozzie's hands we'll see it where it goes and obviously didn't go anywhere and now Eugene Monroe is on the street and you know on, what's today, June 15th, happy 41st wedding anniversary to Devin Keith Hanses, by the way.

Saw a picture of your parents when they were young, and he, A, your dad looks strikingly like you, but what a young couple. What a nice young couple. Yes. Congratulations to Devin Keith. But yes, so Monroe, you know, on June 15th, you usually don't see capable left tackle show up on the market. Do you think there are going to be some people that are going to line up to get him, right? 29 years old. Well, the Ravens drafted his replacement, and I think, they were probably thinking along the lines of Bill Belichick's quote that dependability is more important than ability.

He missed five games in 2014 and he missed 11 games or let's see. Yeah. He missed 10 games last year. So I think they just decided he wasn't worth the contract he was due to get. Well, he was set to make a million more than any other Raven. He also hasn't played that well when he's played. This was another one of Ozzie Newsom's missteps over the last few years. I'm not saying Ozzie Newsom's made a ton of them.

But I don't think kick him out of the GM Superstar Club? No, I don't think he's been as good drafting over the last four years overall than he was before that. And I think the Eugene Monroe contract is one that he obviously regrets. They traded for him from Jacksonville. He had a good half season for them. He gave him huge money, and he hasn't played that well, and he's been hurt. Yeah, but when they traded for him, they were in a dire place. It was, what, October?

The trade was great. the trade was, then what came after? He gave a big contract that offseason and it just hasn't worked out. He hasn't been healthy and he hasn't played that well. It sounds like he could, he doesn't have a home right now, but by the time people are even listening to this, that within a day he could be a New York giant. They tried a trade for him, and then it couldn't have worked out better for the Giants

as long as someone else doesn't swoop in to grab him. What are about the Seahawks? Chargers and Seahawks also reported to be interesting. Only 29 years old and has played at a high level before. The Giants could certainly use a tackle. That would be... Should also add that there was talk that Monroe is a huge marijuana advocate

and outspoken. And marijuana was the same reason or part of the reason why the Giants passed on Laramie Tunzel. So I don't know. I don't know if you want to connect any dots there, but some teams might be scared off by that. I mean, he's putting his money where his mouth is with his marijuana advocacy.

This isn't just something where it's like, oh, ha, ha, like he smokes weed. So, like, it's just something he's talked about. He has hundreds of things. Hundreds of thousands of dollars. He's spoken with politicians. He's written up lots of things. Like, this is part of his life is that advocacy.

Well, maybe the Niners could use a tackle. Yeah, it's not just to get high. He finds it something that the players could really stand to gain from smoking marijuana to get better and all that stuff. Well, listen, marijuana is a real hot button topic here in the old United States. Pain management. He donated 80,000 K, or 80,000. this off season to the University of Pennsylvania and John Topkins. 80K.

That was very masculine. You didn't stick the landing because he's a $80,000. I blew it. In other Ravens news, Breshaad Perryman, their first round pick last year. Last time we were with you, there were fears that he had torn his ACL to the extent that he would need reconstructive surgery that would end his second season, just the way his first season ended on IR with a knee injury. But good news, and you always got to put this in front of it, noted orthopedist, James Andrew. opened up the knee of Perryman

and saw that the tear was not severe enough for complete reconstruction. Instead, they went with a stem cell injection with the hope that that will heal the ligament on its own and there is a lot of optimism that he will be, quote, fine, according to a source that told rap sheet, for the 2016 regular season.

Huge lift, guys. I don't know what else we have to say. We talked about this on the last show. Well, and it's all relative. If you're really positive, this surgery for your player that hasn't suited up in a regular season game may not prevent him, you know, may, you know, not keep him out for the season. Like, that's great, but he's still a huge injury risk and he hasn't played for them.

Don't you find it interesting, the area that stem cells could help athletes? To me, that was the most interesting part of this. He's getting a stem cell injection. If that rebuilds his ACL, I mean, what's the future of that? By the way, they announced Elvis Dumerville underwent preventative surgery, just kind of slid that into that press conference. Preventative surgery is the most tiresome phrase of the offseason. Everyone's now just getting surgery like it's going to go to the dentist.

It's like there's no such thing as preventative surgery. They're not open you up. That's just like the new buzzword among coaches. I don't know. Ravens already banged up. Ravens got some problems. Jimmy Smith is not healthy. That's their number one cornerback.

Dumerville. Joe Flacco, by the way, has not practiced this off season. No one seems to be talking about his return from ACO. going reviews of himself so far. This is the number one team from the time the offseason started until now, to me, that has declined the most in my own estimation of their 2016 chances. I mean, if you want an argument, not on paper, but probably on the field, potentially this season, to dissemble that franchise,

put the money into what we talked about in across country, underground train, the old mouser that takes west straight from Southern California to Huckapoo's, the Ravens are setting the table for this I'll just on the other side of this and I'd love for that to one day be built we don't want to completely count out the Baltimore June 15th once again As an NFL entity?

No no that's Mark's thing I'm just talking about their season I agree I think they're just a boom or bust type of team They got a lot of things they're hoping for They have more ifs than any team in the case I just was annoyed about the whole preventative surgery None of us are going for preventative surgery this weekend just for fun. Let's just do it.

Get out of the way. Greg Down on Doctors. Who is Dick Mahoney, Wes? Walter Thurman, former Eagle's Safety. Absolutely. So the story goes, and this popped up on a couple of Philly sports blogs, one of the best stories of the offseason, that there is a bar in Philadelphia that mysteriously had this guy that started coming to their games

as a friend of a friend. He was a black man with a Jerry Curl hairstyle wearing an L.A. Dodgers cap. Looked like EZE. Looked like EZE circa 1988 was the way he was described. And his first two games, he had seven home runs. He would have had eight, but he overran one of his own teammates. Let's just give him eight.

Yeah, so we'll give him eight softball rules. So one of the most dominating forces in the history of Delco amateur sports. and then it turns out that he disappears one day saying that he was pursuing a filmmaking career in LA and oh yes he is a former NFL player Walter Thurman who was pretty good for the Eagles last season and Thurman's girlfriend, alleged girlfriend, posted a shot of Dick Mahoney

or Walter Thurman looking out upon a softball field and so that's one smoking good but then the second smoking gun came via hardcore Jerno work from Chris Wessling, who tweeted at Thurman's handle that he really hoped that this was true with a link to the story. And Thurman retweeted it from his account, the only, which seemed to me that he was saying, yes, this is true. Seemed like verification to me. I have since subsequently reached out to him on direct message, but I have not heard back. We'll see.

I want to try to get him on the podcast since he's going to be in L.A. Oh, take it one step further. and maybe we have a pretty nice platform here, Walter Thurman, if you're listening, and you want Dick Mahoney. I know you're in L.A. You want to get into filmmaking now. Our softball team, the Shield, three and three at the midway point of the season and missing that bopper to really solidify our lineup,

come play for us. I'm not even joking. You come play for us. We will provide you with companionship, uh, light beer, uh, a really cushy spot in the middle of our lineup. And what else can you want? How about plugs for his upcoming documentary? He's a director.

He's directing a documentary. He's produced a couple films. I mean, he's legit. Let me ask you this, Dan. Are you going to push your best hitter down to number seven if Walter Thurman gets on his team? I mean, you have to make a play of transaction. Maybe you have Wesley. See, this is, Wes is like the old Reggie Jackson on the straw that starts the drink.

If I do sign, I'll tell you right now what I do. If I was able to sign Thurban, because you're an amazing on-base percentage guy and you hit to the gap, you're my new lead-off hitter. Who gets cut? I'm putting Thurman at... I'd have to talk to Walter and find out what position he's playing, but he would be back third. Garcia batting fifth, maybe Irish batting seventh.

I'm going to move myself down in the lineup because I am about winning and getting into the playoffs. Humble brag. Just throwing this out there, if you're basically looking to add NFL players to your softball team, there's no company in the entire world that has more access to L.A. based football players just looking for something to do at dusk.

Yes. I mean, you know, the Walter Thurman thing, that makes sense. But you could just walk, you know, 14 feet across the office and add a multiple NFL player. But do you think they'd all be as dominant as Dick Mahoney? Right. That's a completely different case. If Dick is listening and he doesn't want it,

he doesn't want this all blown up, he was trying to do it, you know, under an alias. You know, we could, you guys could keep it a little more low profile. I mean, when he showed up in his Porsche Cayenne, outside of Philadelphia, people started whispering what's up with this guy. In L.A., that's not even going to stand out. West Drive something like that. If you're really looking for a lead-off hitter,

I mean, why don't we stay within the company here and get former Major League great Dion Sanders? I mean, exactly. That would cost you. Endless talent right in front of us. That would be one of his days. Maybe he'd bring back to Jerry Curls. From Florida State days.

By the way, the Philly blog there, I learned this was crossing broad. Moving on, Carlos Williams, Bill's running back, had an interesting reason or explanation why he came to minicamp overweight. It was actually overweight to the extent that the team opted to hold him out of all practices, to protect him from himself, himself, essentially. When he was asked what the injury was that has held him back this spring, he replied, the injury of pregnancy, I'd say. and then a reporter was like, no, really, though, what part of your body?

He said nothing really, just pretty much just trying to make sure pregnancy went well for my fiancé. But since that's over with she knows what time it is, it's football time again. So getting back into football shape and getting ready for training camp, he went on to say, when a reporter said he's never heard anybody blame pregnancy on weight gain for a football player, it's definitely a first, but I'd like to eat and then her being pregnant gave me an excuse to eat. So eating anything and everything, she'd wake up. one or two o'clock in the morning, I want a snack. Well, I'm not going to sit here and watch you eat because I don't want you to feel bad,

but it's back to football. First of all, a couple of funny things. I immediately, my wife is with child right now. I don't know if that's been shared. That might be breaking news. Emily Hanses, preggs, a big spot. Old Zusser comes through once again. Congratulations to Emily.

I mean, you, of course, are the hero in this situation, but Emily also nice job. Emily's doing all the work. I did initial work and now she's taken over. And I also am not. You did your job. I'm not one of those people would be like, We're pregnant.

No. No, you just say it in front of an international audience on that podcast. No, no, like I don't use the expression, we're pregnant. Oh. Right. My wife is pregnant. I'm supporting her. You're respecting the physical, you know, burden that she's taking compared to yours,

which was rather quick on your part, I would imagine. I mean, I'm just saying it can, in comparison, she's got to go 10 months. You had one night of work, if you want to even call it one night. Burden and work even seems strange. You're right. I don't know what's going on behind. I'm not reflecting on my...

That's payback for the opening. I'm not reflecting on anything else. Anyway, I was just... I get... People are going to bury Carlos Williams. Oh, come on. This is funny. Yeah, it's kind of a funny thing.

June, he was honest for once. Yeah. The people that get on, I'm sure he gets killed. and Twitter for it. It's like, do you want these guys to be honest and be human beings or do you want them to be from the Peyton Manning School of Professional Jock speak? He's going to be in shape by, you know, the end of July so. Carlos Williams was a sneaky awesome last year too.

I went back and watched. I couldn't believe how good he was. They might have the best, one of the better running back groups in the league with those two. Well, if you listen to Spice Rack. Yeah, Jonathan Williams. I give him credit. I mean, who's going to be around longer, Rex Ryan and the Bills in his life or his wife? I mean, he's showing support.

to the core so are you are you you know midnight snacks or anything going on in the hands of no in fact when i reached out to my wife to tell her about the story because i knew she would find it funny i i found it really funny that carlos williams uh the poor guy is laying in bed at 2 a m and his wife rolls over taps on the shoulder and and says i'm hungry you know go get me a snack it's like i would if she ever did that with me i don't know what i would just start laughing i was like no and i go to sleep but it is uh but My wife doesn't have the middle of the night cravings that come with pregnancy for some women,

but maybe it's a real thing. I don't know of Mark and Greg and Wes, some of the women that you left behind. I can say I was not up in the middle of the night cooking dishes. There were very few instances of that. None. Yeah.

Tropolard. Troopalert. Not just a regular chopelard. This is a super tropeller. If you read NFL.com, you'll know that my latest end around. I gave a list. of tropes that we've been building through the offseason.

And back to back, I talked about two lines that are used often that ended up getting used in the same comment from Todd Bowles on Wednesday or on Tuesday. This is what the Jets coach had to say. Gino Smith is light years ahead of where he was last year. He's night and day. Oh, my goodness, Maroon. Light years ahead, which we talked about on the show. like that's never used in any other aspect of society anymore,

but in football training camps and night and day, which also, trope, trope. I'd be a little worried, Fitzpatrick. We got Gino Smith in a whole other dimension right now. I'd like to paraphrase the managing editor of NFL.coms around the NFL. None of the stuff from OTAs means any. You're better off not even paying attention and take a dirt nap. Well, there's one exception for that.

Just take a long map. One exception for that, when a trope is absolutely true, and Gino Smith is. I like the way Roto World put it on that hill. After Roto World read what you just read, they basically said, in other words, come home Ryan Fitzpatrick. Exactly. We're waiting. And we'll close out news with the quote of the week.

This from Gary Kubiak via the Denver Post on the quarterback battle in Denver between Trevor Simeon and Mark Sanchez. Here's the quote. Trevor and Mark have looked each other in the eyes the whole off season when I sit there and I watch them practice I think they're right there banging on each other phrasing that's what's happening in the news

I forgot that not only is there that line at the end that they're looking at them and they're looking each other in the eyes that's troubling that trope lady is one of the top ten favorite people ever oh you find her saucy who the trope robert she has a name It wouldn't be a burden with her, huh? It's a lady.

Irish, you know the name actually. Nice attempt, Greg. This is when we made the, what was that? All right, what? Oh, by the way, if you're not watching Archer, clean it up. Yeah, good job. It's on Netflix. It's on Amazon.

Go watch Archer. Come back to us. Irish, they actually, when we created the Tropal herb drop, I found one of those like text to voice translations, and then you could choose from different women in different parts of the world. I think her name was like Bridgett from UK. That is correct, Bridget from UK.

Dan just nailed it. So did you. Is she on Bumble? Well, it's time for you to start narrowing down the women. I know you've been active, and that's fine, and we applaud you. But now it's time to take that group. It's like in my favorite, the Euro 2016. You don't even believe this.

No, listen. The Euro 2016, you know, there's the group stage. All right. Let's advance out of the group stage into the knockout stage. You don't know what I'm doing behind the scenes. I've already begun the narrowing. the winnowing process. Okay.

So then we're on the same page. Yeah, but you don't even believe it. It seemed like you were still, it's like group A, group B, group C, group Y, X, Z. Like, let's get on to the next stage. Well, I don't know. Well, this is probably a better, let's take this offline. I largely applaud the effort in general. There's a lot of action going on, a lot of progress and transactions with West.

Right. He's got one. It's pretty much turnkey. Right. He's got Euro going. He's got Copa America over here. He's got all sorts of. Cup, the MLS finals.

Well, I don't think. His bank account no longer exists. I don't think. Never mind. I think you guys are overstating. We'll save it for the West Love Life podcast coming later in the off season. All right. Let's move on.

That's what's happening in the news. Now it's time for Superstar Club 2016. All right, Greg. First one you failed. Lupo Piafosco. I need the artist and the featuring. Well, Praises is featured. That's correct.

The only single of Merit from The Lost Fuji. This woman is a Maryland native. My brain is just terrible. Her name was Maya. Oh, yeah. Wouldn't have gotten that. All right. I was thinking Calise for a second, but I just knew that wasn't right.

Felisi? Who else has a guest verse on that? ODB. Of course. The late Big Baby Jesus. Jesus. Rest in peace. All right.

Here we go. Superstar Club, 2016. One man enters. One man must leave. And this is when it gets a little bit, you know, gets a little tricky here because we respect all the men in the NFL that have become all pros and pro bowlers. But Father Time is undefeated. Tom Brady will learn that this year.

I will not, he's not included in mind. I stayed away from that. But just an example of how age. gets everyone so we got to kick somebody out doesn't have to be aged by the way maybe circumstance kicks them out of the uh superstar because what is gregg what is the definition of a superstar let's let's start there well that's a great question i think someone that is a household name to football fans and is playing at a level where they are one of the very best players at their position a game changer if you will yeah because you could be a superstar not playing particularly

well but for this for this purpose that doesn't really make sense it's it's someone even if you're on a bad team people by now people know about you you put the meat in the seats yeah jurel casey is a great player he's not he's not been in the superstar club yet right you know what i'm saying cam newton's a superstar just because we'd rather write 47 articles on victor Cruz no because ever acknowledge jurel case he's a great no because he'd have to do it year after year and they'd have to get to a level where he has done it for three straight years that's not he plays in nashville did not play And nobody in the national media will talk about. He talked about that he had a bad 2014.

The second point was going to be just, he would have to be in the top five defensive player of the year type of guy, I think, to get it. You know, I was asking for a simple definition. Didn't get one, but it was a good... A lot of emotions outside the Superstar Club. People want to get in and out. People get hurt.

It's like the Sienan knocked up outside the bar. And, uh, Sina knocked up outside the bar. I'm trying to get the ref. What happened in that scene? You know, when Leslie Mann is trying to, get into the bar and he says you're too old. Oh, that was a brutal. Yeah. Um, okay. So it's good movie. It's been a while. Wait.

Joe Casey's been great for three years. Greg sticking. All right. He's not in the superstar club though, right? No. I would agree that he's got to step it up. All right. This is a tough game. And showing what a big person I am, I wrote a piece last year, last June at this time, where I added the likes of C.J. Spiller and Randall Cobb and Cleveland. Leal Mac, that worked out okay, but kicked out the likes of Brandon Marshall, who had the best season ever, Larry Fitzgerald, who stuck its father time in a big spot, and Jimmy Graham, that was fine. Drew Breeze. You kicked out Greg last year. So this is not an easy game. So we're going to try it again. Mark Sessler, get us going. Well, this is not going to help in a show when I've been at odds with the host the entire time, but this will involve a New York jet. It will also involve a Jacksonville Jaguar, Alan Robinson.

I am nominating him for superstar status. I think he's in a great situation in a young offense where he, last year on a bad team, had 1,400 yards. I understand garbage time. You know, please. But 14 touchdowns, the guy makes plays. He's the number one target for Blake Bortles. And for me, it's a no-brainer.

Alan Robinson was not a flash in the pan. Everything about him suggests that he's around for the long term. he gets my vote in place of. I'm sorry, Dan, you just mentioned him, Brandon Marshall. Oh, a cheap shot against a jet, a shocker on the spot. I think we have to pick someone. It's not a, I'd rather like Brandon Marshall, but 32 years old. And I think part of it is also situational, especially if that offense is not with its quarterback from last year.

Chandellie's gone. I get that. Wait, no, no, no. Chandellie's still there. No, no, no. Brandon Marshall is still Brandon Marshall. I mean, he's 32. He's not 36.

And again, people forget how good this guy was. 109 catches, 1,500 yards, 14 touchdowns a career high. He carried that offense all season long. Ripe to come back to Earth. But he could still be a superstar. I mean, I just, I mean, I don't think the game is worth much if I'm picking someone that started to fade mid-season last year, right? Got to hang on you. I get it.

He's a guy who when he was 26, 27 years old, everyone thought would not have a lasting career because he's had more surgeries than anyone in the Superstar Club, probably. I mean, he has had a million surgeries, and he plays such a physical style. People thought he would break down. And we thought that was starting to happen a couple years ago in Chicago. And, yeah, last season, he was better than ever. Six years, six years, including last season, with at least 1,200 receiving yards. So he's been remarkably productive.

All right. So in Alan Robinson of the Jaguars, out Brandon Marshall of the Jets. And that would be very bad news for the Jets. if he steps down. I was going to say, if Robinson was on another team, he might already be in the super cycle. Playing for the Jaguars kind of has kept him under the Raider. Yeah, it's in the Jarrell Casey category,

where he's already a superstar by talent, but the rest of the country doesn't know him. There are, yeah, multiple boxes that check to become a true superstar 80 for 1,40014 last year. All right, Wes, who's coming into the Superstar Club? Well, I considered Marcus Marietta, and out goes Tony Romo. Ooh, I like that.

Interesting. Let's stick with that. I consider David Johnson and out goes Matt Forte. Oh, another jet stunner. Yeah, shocking that a 30-year-old running back switching teams might not work out well. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I ended up going, Amari Cooper is into the superstar club. Steve Smith hurts me to do it.

Oh. And I know you can say Steve Smith no longer a superstar, but before he got injured last year, right in line with Antonio Brown and Holyo Jones in production. fast too before the injury yes amari cooper i think people forget if his if the raider season would have ended in like week nine or ten this is right about the time that daniel jeremiah on the move to sticks podcast was saying i'd rather have amari cooper than odell beckham he was that impressive early in the season battled an injury down the stretch derrick cars play fell off and we kind of have this impression

of amari cooper not not being as impressive in december well because he dropped a ton of passes When drops are overrated. I totally agree, but he did drop more passes. How much of that is injuries? I don't know. And the lack of concentration that comes from. I think he had more, I could be wrong, but I think he had more drops, you know,

per throw by far than any receiver in the league. So it was a problem for him last year that he would love to correct because his production would get even higher to superstar level if he cuts those out. He had 130 targets last year. That has been near the top of the league. 72 catches. Marshall would have been in the one 70s or 80s. Yeah.

he's insane marshal last season had 173 targets um so he yeah so that's wrong by me but uh yeah that seems like a fair one especially the quarterback's so important in terms of a component to whether the wide receiver makes the leap we're all big fans of car now there's logic there i i kind of look at the other way the wide receiver is important to the quarterback making the leap in the same way that randy moss gave people career years marie cooper can make derrick car look like a better quarterback than he is. Interesting, interesting. I'm not sure if Steve, you know, Steve Smith, you could argue at this point. It's not really not.

But it's hard for West to say that. It is true. That's true. Absolutely a superstar, a household name. I mean, you're waffling all over the place on your definition of a superstar. Who is, well, he might not even, like, there is at least a 20. I feel like there's a chance Steve Smith never plays another down in the NFL again. It may not be a big chance, but there's at least a chance.

Well, in our June podcast, he qualifies. What were your other ones? Mariotta and Romo, and I want to remember this to give to the social team. David Johnson and Matt Forte. I like that. Mariotta Romo is a, that's what you title a podcast with. Chris Wesley, Tony Romo, out. Marioita, Ian.

Moving on, I am going with the backfield. I am, and welcoming in, I know Greg, you're going to be excited to hear this. Deiom Lewis? He's a, no. Coming back from NACL, I'm not sure if he's ready to be in. All pro this year. And David Johnson was a great option by Wes. I thought about David Johnson.

Bruce Ariens believes him to be the future of the running back position. But I went with a young tailback that just got a brand new deal operating deep in the heart of Texas. Lamar Miller, come on him, baby. You're going to the superstar club. You're getting called up to the big club because an explosive young back playing in an offense with a game changing wide receiver and a new quarterback that's going to be not be asked to do too much. So Lamar's going to have a major role, a guy that catches the football out of the back field.

So it'll be a safety blanket to Brock Osweiler, a guy that breaks big runs. Marron, this guy has explosive playmaking ability. And there's going to be an egg all over your face, scientists, when this guy is going to the Pro Bowl in January or February. Well, you mean not after seven other players drop out of the Pro Bowl. No, he is a legit pro bowler. He will have, you know, close to, I would say, 1,400 total yards.

He's had 1,200 before, so he's got to juice it up a little more than that. That's not even that good. It might not even get him to the Pro Bowl. You mean rushing yards. Yeah, because last year there was a ton of rushing yards in the NFL. I'm just saying, look, he's at 1374 two years ago. He's got it. You get to the Superstar Club, you got to be sniffing it.

I don't appreciate Dan getting bullied by the scientists. 2K. Here's the thing, Mark. And thank you. I appreciate your support. 2K. And $1,300,500 maybe receiving that. I don't fear you beaker necks downstairs in the basement.

I believe in Lamar Miller. Right. So hang some onions. Don't say it. Well, I think he's going to be so much better. He's 26 yards better than two years. Let's open up the scientist lab. Open that door up, Irish.

Let me get it real quick. I thought it was closed today. Open it on up. I got to get the keys. The janitor's still in there. Wait, I want to read an email sent from Hansis, comma, Dan, Tuesday, June 14. at 3.20 p.m.

Dan was the final around the NFL writer to respond to my plea for making the leap candidate this year. And so I'm going to read from the top of his list. Lamar Miller, Lamar Miller, Lamar Miller, I asked for five to seven names. Lamar Miller, Lamar Miller, Lamar Miller, Lamar Miller, Lamar Miller, Lamar Miller. Lamar Miller wasn't making a candidate two years ago. And then it keeps going to, I'm not going to reveal his other names, but there was more. I remember writing it up.

Well, now he's truly ready to make the leap to superstar stuff. Can we open that door yet? You know what? My thought is you don't need to go downstairs. You're making your own lab. Excellent adjustment. I also had a beautiful picture of Lamar Miller with it. We're in the lab.

What you got? We're in Dan's lab. I was just going to open the door and throw a stink bomb down there and close it up. You make them come to your lab now. All right, so I got to send somebody out. And the person I will send out, you know, have fun. You know, have fun, Lamar. You're now a superstar, and you're going to get to stick it in the signs of his face.

Out the door. Lashon McCoy. Nice run. Really nice run. Interesting. You should be a superstar still. You still have age on your side. I think you're 28 now and no serious knee injury or anything like that.

Yet you don't feel like the same guy anymore. Last year you seemed to come down to Earth. You had all those hamstring issues. I don't like what's going on up in Buffalo. I've been very vocal about my feelings about the bills. the 2016 season in that regime. So I believe after a second straight subpar season, Lashon McCoy, while still useful back, perhaps, no longer a superstar.

Look on the bright side, now he has more time to concentrate on being a better human being. In a related story, you must believe that Carlos Williams sheds the baby fat then because you have a much bigger role then. Well, I still think Lachan McCoy will be used as a focal point. I just think maybe the days of him being a monster, 2,000-yard all-purpose back with 20-plus touchdowns. I think those are over. He's going down. He's trending downward.

Another Doug Whaley home run out of the park. Well, you make a strong Ireland. I think he was better down the stretch last season than West did, for instance. But you make a pretty strong argument from McCoy. Also, that maybe he's not a player that stays in peak form as he gets older. I think that could make some sense. Don't get me wrong. And this could blow up in my face and he could lead the league in rushing next year.

But I really do believe they're going to go in the other direction. And Lashon McCoy's prime is behind him. Sorry, buddy. You've got to hang onions here. Lashon McCoy. Shady. Greg, close us out. All right.

Well, I think of the superstar club as, you know, you can be a good player, but you're not in a superstar club. T.Y. Hilton has been a very good player. Certainly two years ago, he was recognized as being a great receiver. But I think he is ready to take a step to the Superstar Club and contend for the league lead in yards, be like a 15, 1,600 yard plus receiver in that system and him and luck both so motivated. And I think he's just reaching that point in his career

where he's ready to start making some arguments about what a great player he is, a top three or four receiver in the entire NFL. And so I believe T.Y. Hilton enters the Superstar Club this year. Even in a year. Off and off year. That's kind of what I'm going. Even in a lost season in Indianapolis,

he still had 69 for 1,1005, which most receivers would die for. If we believe that the Colts get it back together, good bounce back, Kennedy. Something in line with his 8, 82 for 1345 and 7, but he's going to be better than that. I'm saying he takes it to another level. 90, 1,500 and 11?

Maybe kind of like Antonio Brown took it to one level, then he took it to another level, and then he took it to another. I think T.Y. Hilton can start sneaking up into that territory. This is probably the best receiver group. Has there ever been this many unbelievable receivers in the NFL? I mean, this is a great era right now for receivers. So to crack into that Julio, I'd throw DeAndre in their O'Dell Beckham group.

I mean, Antonio Brown, you got to be. You've got to be incredible. It's probably more receivers playing than at any other time in the history of the sport. Out on the field, there's more three, four wide receiver sets, younger players advancing quicker. And I think that Colts team is just going to put up crazy yard. I do too. I believe the Cardinals will too, and yet it pains me.

Someone's got to come out of the superstar club. And Larry Fitzgerald's one of the greatest receivers ever. Doing it to him again. Well, I never did it to him before. But he's in a system and a team where I think the ball is going to get passed around a lot. He's not as much juice as he showed at times last year. He is getting up there in years. He's been in the NFL a long time, and there's been various points of his career

where even the Cardinals thought he was taking a little bit of a step back. Obviously, he's coming off a strong year, but I think with John Brown and Floyd and Nelson and David Johnson and Chris Johnson and everyone else getting the ball here, I think Larry Fitzger can start segueing into a solid starter type of. So is it more about where he's at physically in his talent or that they have two emails to feed? Both.

Both, that he is not going to, because last year there was a lot of mouth defeat and he still excelled. But I think if you look late in the season, our friend Matt Harmon had this tweet. I remember just yesterday looking at when all three receivers were healthy together, he was the third receiver in terms of production compared to Floyd and Brown at the end of the season when they were all healthy. Here's what, to Greg's point, Larry Fitz from December on, and don't forget about an incredible playoff game against Green Bay. Oh, yeah, don't forget about the most important game on the schedule. No, no.

I wouldn't. But this is something to say, too, the last five games after that amazing start to the last season, eight for 55, five for 41, three for 43, four for 29, six for 55. The game after that Green Bay game against Carolina, four for 30 was, you know, one of his best games ever against Green Bay. So he's hardly shot, but that's good. I really just expected better out of Greg. Oh, please. Look, we all can't.

Disrespect a man who has the hard of line. It's not a disrespect. you got to put something bold out you already took the 37 year old coming off Achilles surgery so I couldn't I couldn't take that easy pickets I had to go with someone that's a legit superstar age 33 by week one Larry Fitzgerow yeah that's fair Wes that was maybe the easiest guy to kick off this list was the old man with the bad of kids I can't keep track of Greg's definition of a superstar it goes it's all over the all right all right Peyton Manning I'm going to go West

style Peyton Manning he's out of the superstar Peyton Manning, the worst quarterback in the NFL last year. Steve Smith played like an all-pro before the injury. Wes is like Larry Zonka. He's out of the club. He's done. I can't believe he did Larry Fitzgerald dirty like that. He's earned more respect.

Well, it's not an easy game. That's how this game operates. That is the Superstar Club 2016. And I'm sure our listeners will remind us of our failures, because there will be failures. There always are. And perhaps this is the year we nail out, don't go four for four. Good happen.

We will be back on Thursday with our third show of the week. Dan Helly, like I said, will sit in with the group for the news, which will be fun, the face of total access, at least the masculine face of total access. Lindsay Rhodes co-hosts that program famously. So that is what's coming up tomorrow. We'll map out. I don't know what we're going to talk about,

but I'll tell you what, there's going to be a lot to dig into mini camps wrapping up. 24 teams wrapping up the offseason. It's over tomorrow. Six-week dark period for the NFL where the teams actually say to their players, get out of here, stay out of trouble, go on vacation, be with your families. They'll stop.

We'll keep going. That's what we do. We're pros. Until Thursday. This is Dan Hansa, signing off for Quiet Storm. Mark, just joking about the vacation. We're friends. Don't worry about it.

And I'm going to take it whether you like it or not. The mailman, the boss, the big Irish behind the glass. Still Thursday. Enough of that garbage. This is an IHeart podcast.