NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - 2023 Superstar Club

Episode Date: June 27, 2023

A room filled with heroes - Dan Hanzus, Marc Sessler, and Colleen Wolfe reveal the 2023 edition of Dan's Superstar Club. Before the reveal, the heroes react to Travis Kelce defending Patrick Mahomes' reputation (05:56), the Bills giving both Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane contract extensions (09:15), update you on the legal battles with Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams (12:45) and take a look at Carson Wentz's offseason activities (14:35). After the break, the heroes tell you who made this year's Superstar Club and who was kicked out to make room. Up first, Dan reveals the quarterbacks (18:40), followed by the running backs (33:25), then the wide receivers (42:50) and finally the tight end position (54:00).  Note: Time codes approximate.NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. The Around the NFL podcast knows you're going to like it in my city. From the Chris Wesleying podcast studio, it's Around the NFL. I am Dan Hanses and I'm joined by my long-time friend and hero, Mark Sessler. What's up, Mark? Oh, wait, here comes. Somebody else. Just in the nick of time arrives Connie Fox.

Guys, I've been here the whole time. What are you talking about? Oh, you know, like that is my motto, just in time. Like, I feel like maybe that is the tattoo, I guess. Laptop free today. No, that's just a, it'll come out in a second. Okay. Yeah.

So, Colleen, you should know that I know you have a lot of stress about being late to things. I hate it. So I said to the production team, let's start as quickly as possible, so she has to come to the show. in the middle of it. I usually give myself a Danzis buffer. Right. That's fair. I'm like, big mistake today. It's like 11.03. It'll be fine.

Should I text them? Nah. And I saw you guys through the glass because, yes, we are in a fish bowl. And I thought you guys were just like chilling. So I would have really sprinted had I known. Right. No, we were working very hard. We were not chilling on any level. As soon as we saw you, because we were trying to get things going.

Then it was emergency mode to Eric behind the glass. Start it, start it, start it. But it didn't quite, Mark, get the effect because I don't see the pure panic. But you know what? Maybe it's the June 27th summer of Connie. It is. She can't be flummoxed.

I think our full send right now. Yeah, like our goal was to look like we had gotten a solid or get a solid 10 or 12 minutes in where, you know, we're into our third story and the news run down. And then I think that would set off some Colleen-based panic. But you know I was panicking a little bit. Yeah, well, you rushed by us, by the way.

It was like a sprint across the window here. Just in time, baby. All right. How is everybody? So good. A few days off, nice weekend. I'm back from Texas. We're here in, as I said at the top, the Chris Wesleying podcast studio, Greg in Mother Japan.

Oh. Yeah, it is his mother. Taking the week off. Japan is his mom. His mother-in-law. Well, there's that, too, but I'm saying the actual geographical place could be Greg's homeland in a way based on. the family that he is united with? Sure.

Guys, when are we going to Japan and doing a show? G.C. We are going to go do a show in Japan in 2037. Okay. I'm in. No budgetary concerns for that. By the way, my voice is a disaster today, and this is an audio show, so that's a problem.

Well, I do, you know, you do a little true crime level deduction, a little red string on the board. Uh-huh. And we had a few days off and Mark's out in the wilderness. comes back, like a guy who's been out enjoying his life for a few days. It's really hot in here.

Guys, I've been doing a guitaritin'athon too, which I feel like you guys would be super into. Really? I've watched, I've made it through the first six now. I had never seen death proof before. That was the last one I watched. Not my favorite of his. But it's not his favorite

either. But also even his bad movies are good. Like, it was campy and trashy, but like that's the whole point of it, and Kurt Russell was incredible. He is excellent. You have to compile a list, and he's going to have his seventh or eighth that I like best from him, but it's still like 25 times

better than 96% of what is released in cinema right now. I'm not sure how much we could say, Mark, because there's, you know, we've been kicking around some things for a while on this topic. Yeah, I was alerted of it yesterday in the middle of my Tarantinothon. That there was an active text chain with a

certain husband. Yeah, and I had been simultaneously texting with Sheck about Tarantino. At the same time, you guys were texting. So we have some warring texting chains. In the works. In the works. Warring texting chains. That's one way to spend it.

Or we can all work together. Which we're going to do today. That's what we do on this program around the NFL as we rapidly approach our 11th season together. And yes, it's a quiet time. I think, Mark, this has to be, I think, the one-year anniversary, if not exactly to the week of Kavon-Tibod. coming into an otherwise empty building here in Englewood

and just burning the place down with his apathy for us. I miss that. I want to bring that energy back one day. But there is a vibe. Considering this is the headquarters of NFL on the West Coast and NFL network and NFL media, it does feel like a little bit of summer school. Like, you know, we came in today and it's pretty quiet around here.

Very quiet. The hallways are sparse and empty. which I would that suggest people are out and about having fun in other parts of the country but it is a massively hulking corporate complex and there's about 14 people here. Working hard though. Big though.

Some of us. Isn't it interesting though, despite how quiet it is outside the studio, what a big show we have today because always one of my favorite things to write on the website and then talk about it with my buddies here. The Superstar Club, 2003.

Yes. and Colleen had to get Connie on the show to hear her thoughts on the Superstar Club. Greg likes this one. He likes to talk about certain. There's a certain figure that's going to be in the conversation and I kind of wish I had Greg's input or pushback on, but I'll have to alert him next week.

A lot of players, big time stars or high profile players, but are they actual superstars? Who are the true superstars? What even is a superstar? We're going to get into all that. That's juicy. I can't wait to get in the weeds on it. But first, a little bit of news.

Chiefs go with three tight ends and a shotgun. They roll up to the right side. Mahomes, pump faking. Now fires it late for the end. It's on caught. Touchdown. Kansas City. Travis Kelsey from Patrick Mahomes.

And the Chiefs lead 12 to 3. And now Mahomes to Kelsey in the postseason for the 13th time. 13 times. That was a huge score. Huge score. in the AFC championship game in January, the Chiefs taking out the defending conference champion at the time, Bengals, and you know what?

Let's just have fun with it. We could do the thing. We're like, oh, you know, it's such a slow time of year. And why even talk about it? Let's just have fun. I love it, yeah. Talk about football players doing podcasts and talking trash to each other. So here we are.

Jamar Chase was asked about a statement made by his own teammate that Patrick Mahon. the reigning Super Bowl MVP, league MVP is the best quarterback in the league. Jamar Chase says, perhaps in jest, Pat Who? Oh, didn't sit well with Travis Kelsey

on his new Heights podcast with his brother, Jason. Let's listen to it. Thought it was a little bold, you know? So the guy's a two-time league MVP, two-time Super Bowl MVP. Yeah. To say Pat Who is like,

I don't know. It's a little disrespectful. It is what it is, dog. Who doesn't love some good locker room banter, man? Shout out to Jemar Chase for, you know, holding it down for his QB, but don't you ever disrespect Batma Homes now. If you want to talk your shit, talk your shit, pimp. Just better back it up.

I love him. I think we have a new drop. So good. Yeah. I, yes. I set this up by saying we're not going to talk this down. going to take it very seriously, Mark Sessler. Whoa, this rivalry has now got real heated.

Yeah, I mean, I think if like, if you're going to take aim at literally any athlete on the planet right now, Patrick Mahomes feels like a weird target where you're not going to win that argument with literally anyone, especially his star tight end slash teammate. I liked Mahomes' tweet, that's who with the two rings. I mean, very good. Yeah. That's the way to do it. That's it.

speaking of rings can we just the chiefs uh two weeks ago had their ceremony the teams always had the ceremony the rings got 613 diamonds i mean what what are we going to do in like 20 years is it just going to cover up the entire right side of someone's torso these rings there's got to be yeah what the taxes on that too right aren't they paying taxes on this you always get where the players like two decades from now where they encounter or some sort of personal trouble and sell the Super Bowl ring. That's becoming a more and more attractive concept.

But like, at what point are these rings not even able to be taken out in public? You can't drive a car or go to the market with a ring of that size. If someone's going to cut your finger off and run away with it. You can knock somebody out. More drip.

You're okay with the Connie. Yeah. In other news, the bills, they want to get back to the AFC title game. or get to the AFC title game. Isn't it weird? This run they've been on, they haven't even got to the AFC title game yet.

Everyone's saying they need to win the Super Bowl, got to get to the AFC title game first. They haven't been there. But ownership is very happy with the setup there because it was announced this week that Sean McDermott and Brandon Bean were both extended their contracts through 2027. And 2020 will be the pair of seventh season together, three AFC East Division titles, four straight playoff appearances, number one, Connie, on my urgency meter.

And perhaps, perhaps the bills read that. And they said, man, we got to turn down the meter a little bit. And let's extend these guys for no reason whatsoever. They were under contract for like three more years just to make them feel like it's not all or nothing this year. But it really is. Wait, your NFL.com article perhaps triggered this transaction? I would remove, perhaps. Yeah, they read it and it put the whole thing over the finish line.

So now McBean is not going anywhere. That is apparently what their nickname is. I got to try and work it in this year. I'm going to see how it goes. But yeah, I mean, they obviously have done a great job, and they just haven't gotten to the Promise Land yet. I mean, if we could work in that the new general manager of the, the Denver Broncos or the current general managers is a man named Kevin Saunders to

alleviate any confusion with the head coach. Certainly we could use a nickname such as McBean. It feels like McBean should have been a thing like half a decade ago. Maybe it was. Maybe it has behind a scene probably. Is McBeen a cool thing? Am I missing the pop culture reference? No, it's just McDermott and Brandon Dean.

It's like a McDonald's item on the menu or is it? What makes it a thing that's like, oh, that's cool? I think it just fits. It fits. It describes the pitch. It's the pairing of the two very, very well in Western New York. I was on the Ross Tucker podcast this morning. Is that a humble brag?

And yes. What did you talk about? Very nice men, many things, including the urgency scale. And he was actually saying he was a little indignant about the old extension for McDermott, especially. He said he should be on the hot seat if they don't go all the way this year or at least take a step forward as an organization. I had never heard anyone posit such a thought about McDermott. which I who I feel like is certainly if I had a point to one one issue that I would have with the team entering 2023 a question mark be like well Brian dable leaving and how the play calling changed and how some of the efficiency changed I would I would think offensive play caller is in more danger than Sean McDermott but you know I do wonder though like the timing of this because it you know outside of the staunch proof that we have that your article triggered this um that this had been in the works for a while and we're a week removed from a fair amount of drama involving Stefan Diggs

and like not being happy with Josh Allen not being happy with play calling the whole way the offensive scheme was built and then bang it's like everything's normal everything's fine. It's interesting when they announced these contracts extensions. They seem sometimes to solve

some sort of psychological warfare within the building. True, true. You've said it all, Mark. As usual. I'm leaving. Moving on in Blotter News, we touched on this briefly

in our episode last week going over the best skill players, teams with the best skill players in the league. And the dolphins were high on that exercise, in large part because of Tyreek Hill, their wide receiver and a legendary playmaker. He is likely to face criminal charges after a incident on Father's Day at North Miami Beach Marina, the victim of an alleged assault intending to take legal action against Hill. He's 29 years old. he's been accused of slapping a 57-year-old man

during an argument at Hallover Marina in Miami. This is the same Tyree Kill, obviously, who has a past with the NFL's personal conduct policy and assault and domestic violence. So it is absolutely now something that could affect the dolphins and arguably their most important player on the offense. And just to tag that with a wide receiver, the star wide receiver that will not be facing charges.

Devante Adams, the Raiders wide receiver. Remember that game where he shoved the media worker in Kansas City after an October game? Yep. You know, a spokesperson for the Kansas City Municipal Court told the Kansas City Star on Friday that a prosecutor had dismissed the misdemeanor charge June 5th and that the case was closed. So that's done. Devante Adams doesn't have to worry about that. But the Dolphins and Tyreek Hill, Connie, do have something to worry about.

Yeah, and that Tyreek is 29 and this guy is 50. makes it a lot worse, too, I think. So it's just like these things I feel like keep popping up with Tyreek. And it's such a shame because he's a great talent and he would really help the dolphins. But this stuff can't keep happening. Great player does not seem like a great guy. Finally in the news, Carson Wentz went bear hunting. Did you hear about this one?

Oh, I saw it. uh he went bear hunting he's an avid outdoorsman uh posted a photo after he bagged the big old bear and getting a lot of pushback carson wants the underemployed uh former first round pick uh mark and um i just want to check in on carson once this is what he's doing right now he's shooting animals in the woods a lot of people uh do things like that uh not everyone posts it in such a visible way when you're a high profile person he did some people didn't like it a lot of people did not like it. He posted it to the Wents Bros. Outdoors Instagram account.

So I think this is like this bear hunting and the hunting thing. And I think that's, you know, the culture he came up in. He's been doing this for years in terms of an activity. It's you've got to, I think, understand if you're Carson Wentz said, if you're going to put this out of here, if you're going to put this image out there, you're going to inflame large pockets of individuals. And that was the response that I think the few people that sort of came to his defense were a Taylor Heineke

who said he wanted to eat part of the bear when it was finally prepared and then also Jay Cutler said well done so well I went deep diving. He wanted to eat part of the bear when it was finally. Yeah like I went deep diving because like almost everyone was like terrible thing to do and like I mean it's a bad

it looked bad it looked uncivil I don't know why we are still needing to kill bears at this point like there's plenty of other places to get food and have your sport but these few football players like stood up for them. Connie Um, yeah, no, I hated it, obviously. I understand that different strokes for different folks, people like to hunt. I am not one of those people. And it just felt so grotesque. And I don't know. It's just like, there's so many things that are going on that are killing different animals all over the world. And then like Carson Wentz is posing with one as a trophy. It just like feels weird and odd to me because I just didn't grow up hunting. Right. And to add on to the disconnect with the general public, what he wrote, along with the images, was incredible trip, because we get it, you've been out three or four days in the forest doing this. Incredible trip and an incredible animal.

You take, how incredible is the animal if you've just removed it from our society? We are, listen, my take on this. Not a hunter? Yeah. I'm a gatherer. um sure a gatherer total gatherer here as well but they the people that are into this realm like they don't it's not that they don't they see it as somehow um unjust or whatever it's a it's a beautiful thing to be one with nature now i don't wrap my head around that but that it is a beautiful bear and they're taking it home and they're going to do something with it one with nature i don't know the bears don't have a gun then give the bear a gun everyone else seems to have guns around here Well, that wouldn't be fair either because the bear's got big-ass claws and giant teeth and bigger and stronger.

That's fair. On some level, the gun levels of the playing field. But how about, you know, just like a, I don't know, a club or something. A club. Like the car club? Carson Wentz with a big club against a brown bear or whatever. That seems fair because Wentz is an elite athlete or once was. Do people eat bear?

Yes, absolutely. You freeze it. I mean, I know a couple hunters from my days. in Colorado and there are people that this is part of what they do. I'm not like, go you know what? I wouldn't say go have fun because it's not doesn't sound fun to me, but we weren't all raised in the same little neighborhood and there's

different activities, but this is not a good look for Carson Wentz. I'm cringing at certain aggregate write-ups of this saying that this could hurt his ability to be signed by a team because I'm sure that was out of him. I don't think that's going to be the case. And this is

not to shame any hunters. This is just, I'm an animal. I'm an animal. lover. Yeah, he's already having difficulty being signed, so that can't change that too much. That's what's happening in the news. Let's take a break and then get to the Superstar Club. All right.

Another thing, if I were a hunter, I would be really bad at it because I'm kind of an impatient person. It's like, oh, I'm going to go sit in the deer stand for nine hours. I'm just going to sit there. Got nothing to do? I'm just going to wait for a deer to come by. Is that what happens? I think so.

Yeah, I don't think you just continue. Well, we don't know but I don't think you continue just to wander around aimlessly there's a bit of like a perch

and wait this is well I do I never even been fishing I have no idea why are we still telling this because it's just like

delving farther down a topic that we have no concept of we do not all right let's get into a topic we do know more about superstars

in the NFL and every year I am tasked with writing on NFL.com a list of documenting who are the superstars of the NFL and in the past I've done it

the exercise it's a zero-sum game I used to call it somebody goes in somebody comes out I've made some tweaks this year because it's an interesting time for the NFL where I was surprised there weren't as many like kind of freshly minted superstars that came out of 2022

and as we talked about this Connie and Mark leading into today's episode is that something you found as you surprised there wasn't like a ton of fresh blood to consider here? Yeah, because I looked at your article from last year and noted the new members who was in, who was out, and it felt like there were quite a few. And then going over the list this year to last year, it depended on the position. But for the most part, it was like maybe one or two guys.

And some of them was like, I don't even know. I think there needs to be less people in the club, maybe. Yeah, my response was, because I did the same process that you went through their Connie, like looking at where we were a year ago, if anything, I slimmed it. I chopped people out and maybe added a little dash of spice here and there. But it was tough to find new candidates. With that said, let us get into it because I did indeed take down the number of superstars considerably this year. So let's get into it.

Let's start with, you know, in terms of this sport, quarterbacks, that is the true indicator of a super. Superstar, the signal caller, the field general. The FG. Absolutely. Seven quarterbacks are superstars. The list is Josh Allen, alphabetical, by the way, don't get it carried away. Don't get carried away here. It's not a ranking.

Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rogers. There is one newcomer to the. list. None of her than Colleen's own Jalen Hertz of the Philadelphia Eagles. And I'll get to some names that are out of the mix. But let's start with Hertz. This was a no-brainer. We knew that this was Colleen. I guess I don't know. I don't even say we knew it was a possibility. It could have if there was a best case scenario entering last season that Hertz could make a gigantic leap the way he did. But I don't think anyone really expected it. to that level. Even Eagles fans that really liked what they saw from him in 21, right? No, I mean, his growth was remarkable. And you have to remember, he was coming off the season where the Eagles really weren't expected to be in the playoffs. It was sort of a year, a transition year. Siriani, it was his first season. And it was Hertz's first year at the quarterback position. They went into Tampa Bay, and it was just a disaster, that wildcard game.

So I felt like that game kind of changed the narrative for him a little bit over last off season. And then coming into the year, he just made huge strides in the passing game and just overall. I mean, MVP candidate obviously went to the Super Bowl, played really damn good all year long. And having A.J. Brown there absolutely helped. But the numbers were you could not, you could not argue with them at all. He absolutely belongs in the club. Yeah, I think if you're a Justin Fields fan, a Bears fan, you would look at that roadmap that Jalen Hertz just went through. and wonder if that's the kind of player

that can make this kind of leap. A year ago, Jalen Hertz was spoken about completely differently. It's not like trying out for his job, but the Eagles might have a wandering eye for fill in the blank, Russell Wilson, someone else. And instead, he just took this Titanic leap.

And, I mean, it kind of just goes to show that the quarterback development, I remember growing up in, like, Phil Sims had five or six seasons before he was kind of cemented in as, like, the plug-and-play guy. And now it happens in year two or three, tops. Hertz averaged eight yards

of carry last season, almost 800 yards on the ground, 13 rushing scores. He was excellent as a passer as well. And as we saw in the Super Bowl, I mean, when he, and I know he had the big turnover that led to a touchdown

that kind of changed the game, but in many ways he was the most dominant player on the field. So this was an easy one. He's got the swag, too. Like he belongs in the club. He looks like. And that's something Greg has talked about in the past that I agree with you. There are certain there's a Geneseecois involved here.

I mean, it's a club. And it is to be a certain way you carry yourself or how you're seen. And you add that with the way things look this year because every new member to the superstar club, it's a probationary one year period. Okay. And Hertz is set up very well with a great team, great playmakers around. Where were the Eagles in our exercise? I think they were either two or three. I had them, I believe it, two or three together, but I think three in the overall mix maybe.

Yes, so they're set up well and elite offensive line play. It's concerning that I can't even recall that episode, which was just mere days ago. I think there's, again, red string it, and we're going to connect some dots behind the scenes. Now, who's out? Okay, because there's multiple guys out. In fact, three. I had to take three out. I think I just got a little more strict this year.

I think I made some changes and how I, how I see things. Tom Brady, easy, retired. And he would have come out anyway. Yeah. Although I did take him out of the Superstar Club a few years back and had to put him back in. That was very embarrassing.

You paid for that. Well, you'd have been calling for his decline for roughly eight years of this show. Right. I was right eventually. So he's out. He's on. He's on.

Russell Wilson. Yep. Hard out. Aligned. We're all aligned. That was an easy one as well. All the weakest link. Goodbye.

And I think. I think Wilson has a chance to bounce back. But I think even a Broncos fan that's highly optimistic probably is not thinking at this point, right, that he's going to get back to the heights that he was. It was just such a precipitous drop last year. I think just being a functional quarterback, you would take that as a W.

He was out of the club quite quick last year. And I can't wait to see what he does with Sean Payton and if things change this year. But I, like, prove me wrong. But I don't think that that is going to have. happen. I would love to see him back in the club with Sierra and like a smokeshow outfit. They're going to have bottles of Klaasa Azul.

Like, you know, it's going to be great. But I don't think that that's going to be this season for Russell Wilson. There are whispers, because it's so quiet that everything's just in trope land. But Joe Lombardi, paired with Sean Payton, said that they're very happy with Russell Wilson's offseason. I mean, the one

thing I'd say is that he looked physically more sveled and in better shape than he had been in a while. I don't know if any of that means anything at all. Is that a trope alert? I think it could. I think it's a layered trope. There's layers of trope there. You know, I think it was an Instagram video of him

working out. He looks different. Right. You know, that's my, maybe a trope. It is a trope alert, absolutely, but one that maybe I'm buying into a little bit. Really? Remember, he was called a sack of potatoes by a defender at the end of last season. And he's a player that part of what made him great was

his escapeability, his ability to both as a scrambler with the Seahawks and also to buy himself more time and keep his eyes downfield. That's kind of what Russell Wilson was all about. It wasn't that way so much in year one, Denver. Now, this one's going to be controversial, but I'm going to do it. Also won't hurt the old clicks on the article.

No, this is. I feel like I know where you're going. Dak Prescott, I'm taken out of the Superstar Club. What? We need a mirror reaction to this whole quarterback thing. Okay, great. And that is not to say that I don't think Dak Prescott is a good quarterback, because I do think he's a good quarterback. I'm not even saying that Dak Prescott can't get hot and when paired

with a really good Cowboys team and make a run to the Super Bowl and even win it like Matthew Stafford did. Another guy that's not a superstar in this exercise for me. I just think for me after the last couple of years, I'm just pulling back a little bit personally on kind of how I see him. You know, he has had some great statistical years in his career at Dallas. Last year was not one of them. He led the league in interceptions. Um, he seemed to be a guy that with a not so hot supporting cast other than a really good wide receiver one and Tony Paula emerging. Um, he didn't see like he was making a lot of his teammates better on the field. Um, and in general, there's an inconsistency to his game. We saw how he played in the first round of the playoffs as

beautifully, then was not able to make it happen against admittedly a very good San Francisco defense. And I think that's kind of what it is. Dak Prescott is maybe, maybe even like his predecessor, Tony Romo in the Hall of very good rather than the truly great. So I'm just pulling them back a little bit out of the Superstar Club. Doesn't mean I think the Cowboys need a new quarterback. Yeah, it's not like a career assessment because. But you're not flip, like you can't just ignore what happened last year because I think when Dak Prescott was playing in his heights, he's like a top five quarterback. Right.

But then he completely has these, he goes completely AWOL for a quarter at a time. And it's not just environment. I mean, it's like a lot of those interceptions were not on deck press. Got there were some weird things that happened. But I'm with you. I put him in a category

because I don't want to publish this. This is just on my little Google doc here. But fringe because I was like, I don't know what to do with them entirely because I think it could be back in this club if he is one of his better type seasons. But I can't after last season just ignore a lot of what I saw. He's on my bubble as well.

But guys, Mike McCarthy, bro. I mean, this offense is going to be way different for DAC. So we'll see if that changes. Yeah, but even that, like, you mentioned that because McCarthy's been very vocal that that's that he's saying, like, we finally get to play football the way we want to play. And like, we're going to score less this year. And I don't know what he's saying, actually.

But I think he's saying he wants to be a little more ball control and maybe less erred out. If I'm understanding some of these quotes that have been getting out there, and I'm wondering if that is going to be a detriment to some of the production from the quarterback as well. And stats are part of this as well. doesn't make it easier to get back into this organization, this club. Stock up, though, guys, someone who's, like, knocking on the door of the club, he's hanging out outside, kind of, he's waiting in line. I don't know if he's going to get in or not this year, but I feel like Trevor Lawrence has a shot to get there.

All right, so I have a category. Good job, Connie. I have a category for each of these positional groups, close calls. And I don't think there's necessarily a close call that I have here, but guys that I'm keeping an eye on. And Lawrence is absolutely one of them because he did hyped up as a generational talent got wiped out by the Urban Meyer fiasco in year one made that leap in year two got to the divisional playoffs and there was a lot you could you could piece things together and say okay this is going to be the year he now becomes a superstar I would not be surprised I try not to get ahead of it too much I'll talk about some other guys that fall under that category and try to say a guy's a superstar before he's proven it's to be a superstar you kind of have

to be proven at that level rather than oh he could be a superstar and i think trevor lawrence still has to do that fields is another guy we've talked about him on the show that justin fields if things go a certain way could have that jalen hertz type leap in year three and i'm excited to see what he can do with a more functional surrounding group could he have a a huge season this year i think it's possible and then there's one other name mark i i have a question for you is it brock purdy no I never even thought about it. I know you didn't.

I know you didn't. Like most people wouldn't, but let's say you take the, because we're talking about... Mark, we're talking about the superstar. I know, but with Trevor Lawrence, right? It was his final six or seven games where he morphed into a superstar. It's like we just need to see it again. Right. Right.

Brock Purdy essentially was a flawless quarterback for six plus weeks. Well, playing with a remarkable support of cast and coaching. I'm just saying, like, if he went and did that for another 17 game stretch into the playoffs, is he not a superstar? Well, let's talk about it. We'll talk about it next summer. but I'm not like I just he's just on my like deeper radar I know you love thing out in the sky I get it yeah I was gonna say Deshawn Watson who was in the superstar club and then when everything happened he was quite well yanked out of the entire conversation I have him back in now in terms of not in the club but a guy that I'm considering as a in terms of that and listen like full off season no league discipline or legal issue issues lingering a really nice offensive line,

nice skill group. Talked about that. I had the Browns in the top 10. It's all kind of set up for him to maybe regain and get back to what he was. Now, all the other stuff, I get it. But I'm just saying in terms of the quarterback and the producer and being a leader

in terms of wins and losses, he is somebody I'm watching this season to see where he gets wins. I think anyone who's been in the club, like you'd have to keep an eye on. But for your urgency meter, tell me Cleveland was not on that. list because there's a lot of pressure on that coaching staff and really everyone.

I keep wrestling with DAC. I don't know. I like I just keep going back. How much do you love an exercise where Jalen Hertz, the Eagles quarterback, becomes the superstar, and the Cowboys quarterback yanked. You know your audience. Unceremoniously. How to get Connie on this episode. But you are right.

They're going to tweet that out with the picture. That thing is going to go absolutely ballistic. And I will, you know. I may be not around anymore. No. Hit him with a go birds and everything will. be fine you're lucky you got out of texas when you did that's true would not have worked well there i'm not meaning cowboy's listeners you know i don't hate the cowboys in fact i you know i kind of like

watching them i'm not as down on their constant prime time well it's like they are superstars in their own right it helps them yeah that's what helped get deck into the superstar call because they that does carry that little extra something when you're the quarterback of the dallas cowboys but i just had to yank them let's move to running backs and and this class of shrunk gang um here are the running backs in the superstar club uh returning member year three i believe nick chub maybe year two might have been a year late on chub but he is in uh derrick henry is back christian mcalfrey is back and even though i have the ability to rescind this based on the one year probation.

Jonathan Taylor stays in the Superstar Club. And I'm giving him a pass. You know, and like they say in the mob movies, he's giving me a pass. I got a pass. Everything was terrible last year for the Colts. But I remember Jonathan Taylor, because let's start with Taylor,

how incredible he was in 2021. Just a reminder to everybody that he is still 24 years old. In 2021, he had 2,171 total yards and 20 touchdowns. And even last year, as bad as everything was for the Colts. And it was terrible from the offensive line play to the quarterback play to the drama behind the scenes with the head coach and everything. He still ran for 1,000 yards last year. And all the injuries he had.

And before he got hurt again and banged up that ankle, he was looking like Jonathan Taylor. So he's staying there. Mark, did you have him still in the Superstar Club, or was he off your list? I moved him off. Not because I don't agree with what you're saying, because I think he's a guy. This guy can be back on the list if he returns to form. We don't like to do that, though. But I guess I'm basing this, like, largely off of what we've seen most recently. And I think injury can't be the only reason you knock him off.

But he wasn't the same player. And I just think it's an exclusive little club. Wait, did you not have Saquan Barclay back in the club? he didn't i did not see i i took taylor off and a couple other people as well but i put sequoan back in okay so let's go through um i can't believe you don't have josh jacob well that that one is concerning too but i i he led the league in rushing so who here's who's who's out uh from last year dalvin cook yeah um who even though you pop the hood on some of his production even last year it's not too far off from when he was seen as a superstar at least

obviously by me. But there is something disconcerting for me doing this exercise saying guys a superstar and he's just like lingering on the free agent market for weeks now. That's a little. Little off. It's a bit of a red flag. Yeah. Like I don't know.

Like I didn't feel comfortable keeping him in the superstar club. Because if he truly was a superstar, there's no way. Because he doesn't have a girlfriend right now. Is that what's happening? He shows up single to the club. He's had four straight 1,000 yard seasons. Like what? Do you think Davin Cook should be still in the superstar club?

He doesn't even have a job right now. If he was on the Vikings and he was still in Minnesota, would he be in the club? I would be thinking long and hard about it, yes. But I do factor in external things like, did he get fired by his previous team? Well, I think that's like a cap thing too, right or no? Well, they definitely had cap issues.

But the other thing is if we're too soft, you have like eight people in this list on the club for the running backs. I have four. Right. I think Jonathan Taylor should not be in because he only rushed for like 800 and some yards and that was like the first time

he hadn't rushed for a thousand yards since high school and yeah everything was like terrible last year for him and the entire team and the entire offense but if it's a superstar club you got to play like a superstar so I'm putting Josh Jacobs in and taking Jonathan Taylor out

okay close calls I had Josh Jacobs Because I had a question about Josh Jacobs Because he looked as good as any running back last year I think I am because this goes back and forth But I had him on the fence which again is my own category Because of I don't know if I trust that was going to ever happen again That's why he's not here for me

Not because I don't think he's a good running back Or even potentially a great one I just wonder what he does as an encore After leading the league in touches Almost 400 touches last year 34 carries. He has zero career touchdown receptions. He doesn't really give you that much juice from that side of things. And I really like Josh Jacobs, but I just, I don't know, I guess the bar is just higher for me and I kept him out. I also, the one I struggled with the most out of any player in this exercise. And Barkley, I struggled with as well because you could look at what he did last year and comeback player of the year type season for Barkley. But I think one of the things that Greg has talked about, sometimes she's got to wait it out with Barclay.

And it's, it could be a slog watching a lot of those, you know, negative twos, no gain, negative three. And then he blows out the 25-yarder, the big play. And it's like, all right, everything is great. But maybe his offense just doesn't excite me. And it's part of the attack he's with. So, um, well, you're the author. So you, you can decide this.

But it was Austin Eckler that I really. because I mean listen I don't know is it the stink of 27 nothing hanging over a lot of the chargers that and that's totally unfair it's a it's a different thing it's a team game he's entering his age 28 season 38 touchdowns in the last two years that's 12 more than any other player he caught 107 passes but I don't know I just maybe I'm wrong is he a I feel all the same way as you, because he did have 18 touchdowns last year. I mean, he was always scoring, but I feel like the way that the Chargers situation went with him kind of affects the way that I think about him.

And that's completely unfair. But that's just, I think, the reality of it a little bit. Would you rather have Austin Eccler over McCaffrey, Nick Chubb, Derek Henry, Seguan Barkley? Maybe. Saquan, maybe. Josh Jacobs. I think yeah I would have

I mean Echler is a approaching the Fantasy Hall of Fame he's a great player I mean I would have I would name those guys again I'll go yes no Christian McCaffrey no Nick Chubb no Derek Henry no Sequin Barclay

Yes Josh Jacobs no You are the weakest link Then it's just a matter of how large is this club for these running backs And I put it out there on Twitter. The ones that I really struggle with that's become a bit of a tradition this time of year. I'll just throw it out there. Simple question is Austin Echler, a superstar over 8,000 votes and 57.6% of the football cognizante says no.

So, you know, everybody has their own definition of a superstar. And Chargers fans can get angry about that. And Giants fans certainly as well. but just short whatever it means it's just short is it the stink of 27 nothing I don't know

I think you're broadcasting that that's a possibility for you yeah but am I alone no I think not the Justin across Justin Herbert he's still in the club but like the Chargers Q rating is taking a hit

almost year after year and Alvin Camaro was in your rankings last year right he was he was the other name I took out and that was the name that I wish Greg was here for because he totally disagrees with me. But I think it's been two years of kind of not superhuman production.

He's two years older. He's got a potential suspension on the way. The arrival in Jamal Williams is a real goal line guy that's going to take away touches in the red zone. And not to mention, the arrival of Kamara's potential 2024 replacement in TSU running back Kendry Miller, a third round pick. certainly Kamara is still a great weapon and any coach would love to have him but I just guess it's been too long now as a game-changing superstar

since we've seen him at that level and Sean Payton's not around either. They just use him different too without Peyton and without Drew Breeze there before they were using him in every way possible because they had to but then it's just like everything is down for him all of his numbers. All right.

Now the group that has the most names. It's not quarterback, but wide receiver. Ten of them. Hello. That was a tough category, running back. Yeah. In general, running back is just a tough one to figure out right now. It's a tough cookie.

Because the league, it's like running backs aren't supposed to be superstars anymore, but they are superstars. So it's unfair. He doesn't have a job. I mean, you're going to have Raiders fans all over you, though. But that's how this is. Raiders fans, Cowboys fans. Yeah.

Why do I double dip right there? Anyway, wide receivers, returning names, Devante Adams, A.J. Brown, Jamar Chase, Stefan Diggs, Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson, Cooper Cup, D.K. Metcalf, Debo Samuel, all of them. Pretty much slam dunk, no doubt, returning names. The newcomer for me. Well, let me start here. The only name there that I want to keep an eye on, Debo Sammy. I love Samuel. He's one of my favorite players to watch. Last year, the injuries, which is something, you know, he's a guy that gets banged up.

He was held under 1,000 yards in 13 games, only five touchdowns. Previous year, he had almost 1,800 total yards and 14 touchdowns and 136 touches. So he had 38 less touches. In general, was a little less of a dynamic player. Let's see how his body holds up in another year. The newcomer here,

here is CD Lamb. Same. You had him in. Yes. Tell me why he's in for you. Okay, because he had career highs last year and targets, catches, yards, touchdowns, and he was top five in the league last season, or top six in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns.

When I was just like going through all the different categories on pro football reference, like he was popping up in every single top 10 list every time I went down to different stat line. Like he also, as we kind of talked about with Dak, like he has. has that cowboy star shine and it's the it's almost like the opposite of justin herbert being in the club and austin eckler being out but in this case dac is out and cd lamb is in and i just think we haven't even seen his best yet i had him in too um i mean a lot of his handiwork came with instant chemistry with cooper rush in a really weird situation out of the gate um it's

sort of like no matter what the environment was cd lamb is producing um week after week uh he's the only person, though, looking up and down the list of wideouts who were not on last year's list, he's the only guy I came up with that he even had a chance to be on it this year. This one was up in the air for me even until this morning. And by the way, this article will be up on

Wednesday on NFL.com. Just because he was very good. He came in with a ton of hype. They gave number 88, which, by the way, the last two 88s in Dallas were superstars in Michael Irvin and Desby.

Bryant and you kind of wanted to see that big leap and I thought you did like Colleen pointed out even when Dak went out he was still productive when Dak came back he had some monster games and you Brandon Cooks is there now and I think that can only help because CD Lamb has you know he said it on our show during Super Bowl week he's like we need more like we need more help around us that needs more help and if Tony Pollard is healthy and Cooks is the guy they hope he is and Michael Gallup gets back some of the juice CDLAM's only going to get better. He's going to continue to see a huge target share either way. He's 24 years old. And the reason I kind of hesitated just a little bit is because the leap that he made from year two to

year three was great, but was it superstar great? And I think that's where the star helped him. Yeah. I think the star helped him because CDLAM feels like even his name, like he's box office. And that's why he did make the cut. Making room for C.D. Lamb was DeAndre Hopkins. He's missed 15 games in the past two years. He has a PED suspension. Another guy. How do I put a guy in the superstar club if he doesn't even have a job right now? That's fair. And I understand that he probably could have a job right now if he brought down his asking price. But if the rest of the league still saw him as the player he was at his height when he was arguably the best wide receiver in football three or four years ago, he would have a job now.

And he doesn't. And I think about that. He's age 31. A guy, you know, if I, if I learn that Joe Douglas signed him tomorrow, would I be pumped? Absolutely. So I'm not saying he can't play anymore. But this is the superstar club.

You have to be that next level guy. And I think maybe Hopkins is just on the other side. Yeah, I bumped him too. I bumped him too. I have a couple questions about certain guys. Go ahead. I, like, I dinged the Bucks skill position group pretty severely in our last episode. And, like, I heard about that since from, like, four Bucks fans.

But, like, Mike Evan. Your neighbors? No, just, like, you know, I got like three random tweets. Like, what's up, bro, about the Bucks situation? I was like, I don't know. Tough sitch for the old cess dog. But Mike Evans, nine straight thousand yard seasons. Yes.

I know last year was he was at a cahoots with Tom Brady on, like, 4,000 deep passes. but I don't know why he wasn't in it prior or previously. Like, he sort of just continues to produce consistently year after year at a pretty unprecedented level. Yeah. And I, this is kind of at odds with my statement last week that I wanted to be part of the solution, not part of the problem when people overlook Mike Evans.

But. Yeah, one of those things, though. Yeah, you put yourself in the category of a problem, I think, with this one. But yeah. I can appreciate Mike Evans' greatness and his consistency while also saying that he's not a superstar. And now he's 10 years into a career. Are you seeing the same Mike Evans you saw when he hoisted the Lombardi

trophy with Tom Brady? I don't know. I think he's still a great guy to have, obviously, on your team for a number of reasons. And him and Chris Godwin form a great one, too. That's why I had them pretty high in the skill position countdown we did. But just short of it. I'm more, I was more hung up on a couple other names. Terry McClureen from Washington, who is another guy that maybe doesn't get as much respect.

But I thought his production is just a tick below and a lot of his quarterback made. Yeah, he's never had anything better than a C plus quarterback. So give the guy a real quarterback and he's going to be here because look what he's done without it. The other guy that, and you know me, I wanted to say, oh, Garrett Wilson was so good last year with some of the worst quarterback playing the entire league. He was he got open. He made tackle his miss. He was strong. he was fast, and I think Aaron Rogers

is going to make him a superstar, but I'm not going to get ahead of it. I'm going to wait it out, but my eyes on that for next year. He's also on my stock up list. Absolutely. Like, I wrote, he's on the way to the club and a horse and buggy. Like, he'll get there. There's no questions asked. It could have even been this year. I would have not

really had a problem with that. I wrestled with it, if only to like maybe get a bunch of people mad at me for being a homer. Absolutely. That would have been fun. And trust me, I'm not above doing things like that. Plenty of time for that. But ultimately I said, I got to stay consistent and I try to, you have to like earn that extra bump in terms of production rather than, oh, I think he's going to do it.

You kind of got to see it to be a true superstar. I'm stuck a bit on Cooper Cup, but because he had the triple crown the year before, it's fine. He only played nine games. He was good. He was great in those nine games. We're a terrible Rams team. Listen, my club is difficult. to get into.

Did you? Yeah. No, I mean, the offense was like crashing like I-95 around him while he was on the field. But it's the one name when I look at the list just because of his injury last year and just because of the disaster that was there. Collin is a tough bouncer. That's a tough. He threw no fault of his own almost.

You know, he won the triple crown in 21. Yeah. And single-handedly, even though Stafford, I think, got the trophy. He's in. He's in. I mean, he won that Super Bowl. I have some stars next to his name. is all.

Interesting. Well, in your defense of an otherwise deeply flawed point, Colleen, when I, when I inducted him

last year, I pointed out that he was always like just a good wide receiver. Right. And then all of a sudden, in what was like kind of a special year

for the L.A. Rams, obviously he became, you know, this S-tier godlike present. A prince. Yeah.

He kind of still was that guy last year until he hurt the angle, though, I thought. I don't know. Hey, listen.

Maybe, he's no he's in to be clear he's in but it's just like i'm watching him i'm watching him as the bouncer how about tyriek hill we keeping an eye on him this year he's age 29 he could have a suspension but i'm not thinking about suspension no conversation right now though how will he age if two and you know he had zero touchdowns in games uh tua was out or injured so his production is tied to the quarterback being able to put the ball in his hands and he happened at patrick my homes before to a not even a question

Tyree Kill is a superstar on the field. What about eye on him? T. Higgins, any thought to T. Higgins? No. I didn't really have them zero my list.

I thought that he was their best wide out of times last year, but absolutely no thought. I think it's tough because Jemar Chase is in. But. How about, you know, I'm not going to even mention the other guy. Go ahead.

Yeah, who? Well, these are guys like, say future, like horizon potential. Right. Okay. I think Devontas Smith, like I, he's had a lot to do with, you know, AJ Brown being there like, sure works, but like Jalen Waddle, like if he keeps producing the way he's. These are like two the best, maybe the two best second bananas in the league to me.

And that Higgins, maybe the three best. Just sort of a future note. Maybe they do something this year. But if they have to eclipse those players, so it would be A.J. Brown, Jamar Chase. What was the other name you said? I mean, I'm just. looking at the people that are in, things can happen.

Monta Smith. Debo Samuels on your radar, you know. Those men have to benefit from having that true number one quarterback wide receiver across them. That's all. Basically, the Eagles, the Bengals, and I mean, maybe you could argue the dolphins. They have the best wide receiver duos at least. Yeah, these second fiddles are not getting on yours.

I didn't even think about T. Higgins. Wow. I like T. Higgins a lot. I don't think you probably gave it something. You mentioned him last year in the article. I like the Higgins. Yeah. Another one.

But we're talking superstars. Got it. But you also went on like a 12-minute rant about Jamar Chase, like an episode or two ago. I didn't go on a 12-minute rant. I just said he wasn't as explosive last year, but he was still incredible. He's a true number one wide receiver. I just kind of liked that rookie Jamar Chase when he was just like shredding guys, catching slants and running past everyone for 75 yards.

We didn't see as much as that. Well, his production was different. You're right about that. He was targeted more. He had, I think, more catches, more yards, but it wasn't, I guess, exciting. Nothing against them. Well, this is why we're digging in.

We're trying to dig in. I'm cloned out of the box. So I got DeAndre out. No concerns there from anyone. All right, let's move on to tight end. I did this with my eyes closed. Yeah, I had to undress the Christmas tree here a little bit as well. This is like the Charlie Brown.

Christmas tree now. Yeah. Yeah. The tight end is one position deep, one player deep. And that's kind of a disgrace, quite honestly. In this era of great offense, a great quarterback plays, why is Travis Kelsey the only true superstar at tight end in the NFL? And I pulled two players off the list, Darren Waller, who's battled injury issues.

He's now sneaky old, Hall of Famer, 31 years old. The Raiders didn't want him anymore. traded him to the Giants for a mid-round draft pick, which I consider that. And then I don't really like where he's going. Did you know the Giants had only 17 passing touchdowns last year? You know, how much of the pie is Darren Waller going to get? How explosive is that offense going to be? It does help him that they don't have a lot of wide receivers.

But I felt pretty comfortable taking Waller out. Anybody have an issue with that? I took him out to them out. Even if he were on the radars, I would have taken him off it. I mean, the last two seasons, it's just... And a washout. Yeah. The injuries, all of it.

George Kittle off your list. George Kittle off the list. Interesting. That's interesting. I kept him on mine. He was a late subtraction, and I struggled with it. Why? What did it for you?

Because he does pass the look test. So he still got that. Like, George Kittles on the field. George Kittle gets the ball in his hands. Oh, wow. It's like he's a game changer that looks like a star. I just don't know how often he's, gets the ball in his hands at this point he continues obviously to struggle with durability he's 29

years old uh he's played a full season uh once in his career and then you have with christian mcalfrey there and dbo samuel and brandon iuk uh i just don't know how how many like his numbers are you going to put a guy in the superstar club if he's got you know 58 catches for 850 yards and seven touchdowns. Like, that's not going to do it for me. Maybe what he does best is just not showing up in those stat lines, on those stat lines. Like, I think he should still be in. I think it's still Travis Kelsey and George Kittle as the two elite tight ends in the league. I still, I have kiddle in there too, but I think when we talk about Kittle and Debo and you just mention all the weapons in San Francisco, it's like, it isn't an offense based around one star guy that

compiles massive numbers. But then what do you do with it? Because like Debo's numbers don't look that impressive. Debo gets his touches. Are you kidding? gets touches. McAfre we know gets his touches. Did you know that after McAfrey came over at the deadline, Kittle averaged four targets a game, four point two targets a game. And he is such a massive figure in their offense, obviously for what he could do to the middle of the field, his blocking ability, which is. Doesn't he love to block? He loves the block and the national tight end day. I love all that stuff. But I just think he's in an offense that is going to depress his production and you factor in the injuries and the age.

And I think he's just a tick below a superstar, which and it also, I guess, hurts a little bit that Travis Kelsey is as much of a superstar as anyone on this list at any position. Yeah. He sets the bar so high that it's like it's hard to put anyone in a category with him because he, he does it all. He produces. Thought it was a little bold.

He's on a champion. He also obviously has the look. He hosted SNL. I mean, he's a superstar. He's a born superstar. So no newcomers and close calls, anybody want to throw a name out there or someone that should be here or should be discussed? No, because I think it just points out that there's this second tier.

Like a Mark Andrews is just clearly like an excellent tight end, super productive. Their offense like rotates around him in many ways, but he's not a superstar. Yeah, he was the one guy I thought that I was kind of wrestling with a little bit because I had Kittle in and it was just Travis and George Kip. So Mark Andrews was on the cusp, but I don't think he, I don't think he makes it in. Maybe with all the additional targets and Todd Munkin wanting to pass more, I don't, I don't know if that's actually going to happen, but maybe his stock goes back up, but he's not in. A lot of mouths of the feet all of a sudden on Baltimore. Yep.

He's going to get his touches because he gets open. He finds the end zone. But he's a, he's also for all what he brings to their offense when Lamar is healthy. He's kind of a more of a chain mover. He's not a big yards after catch guy. he's not that dynamic break of tackle and take it to the house he's just kind of that dream get open make the catch moving the ball along type guy which doesn't quite pass and Kyle Pitts I mean if you would have like we're talking about a ghost right if you if you would have talked to me last summer I would say oh yeah absolutely Pitts is going to be in this exercise in fact I wrote last summer that I was I was very tempted to do it and put him in next last year and then that would have been extremely embarrassing. a humiliation for the old zeuser if I would have done it. I still believe in Pitts.

But again, as we talked about on the show, I'm not as bullish on the Falcons offense because who's his quarterback this year? Like who's going to and now you add Bijan Robinson in there who you know is going to be the focal point of that offense. And Drake London's going to need to get the ball. Is Kyle Pitts ever going to find his niche in Atlanta? It's kind of now or never it feels like for Pitts becoming a stud. They're going to lead the league in rushing to. attempts, and that depresses his value and also stay healthy.

Not ruling out that Pitts could be on this list next year, but I'm less confident than ever at this point. So with tight ends, is it usually like year three that they jump? I don't know. It's been a while. It's been kind of funky. It was like, it was if you, I remember doing this like kind of deeper diver. It was like, for most it was around year three.

It had to do with the offense and everything else too. But like Kyle Pitts would have been a year two guy, I think, but there was a crazy. quarterback play he's getting hurt and now it's like you're suddenly in year three of Kyle Pitts and I don't we have no idea what we're going to get in this often I hope it's good and this was a big year obviously um for tight ends in the draft Dalton Kincaid Michael mayor uh darnell Washington Sam Laporta like all these guys maybe we're going to see that next wave come through but it is a little interesting that that's a position where wide receiver we're talking to about 10 guys that seem like slam dunks tight end is

It's Kelsey, maybe Kittle. Dry spell. That's it. And finally, you know, when I saw this, I was just kind of proud of myself that I did it last year, that I dove in, a little click baity, sure. But listen, it's late June. You followed your heart, though.

Justin Tucker at Kicker. He did nothing last year to make me look foolish. He remains swag for days, legendary ability, accuracy, leg strength, the whole thing. He is the only guy with dual membership. in the kicker club and the superstar that's special Tucker year two in the superstar club and I don't look back

and if you're looking for offensive line superstars anyone that plays defense gunners on special teams punters go find Brian Baldinger who's probably parasailing somewhere in Paraguay if you could find him

ask him I'm just digging into this fun stuff here because that's what I feel like doing this time of year but that those positions those are the superstars in the league i think it's 23 and before it because i still have a window here after we wrap up today i'm going to go write the piece what did i get so wrong that i need to i need to think it over before diving in is there anything that pops into your head now you tell me josh Jacobs maybe that's right that's where i think you're going to get a lot of heat

josh jacob's a superstar just like take it under advisement rushing champion I didn't have them in mind, though, so I can't, you know, I'm talking about both sides of my mouth. Anything else that I really? No, because I think the exercise sort of shows that there hasn't been a lot of, like, earthquake level movement since a year ago. We were all pretty aligned. The DAC thing we feel good about before we send this thing out there to the masses. Well, you're going to. I'm still a little.

Do you want to talk your shit, talk your shit, pal. That is one of my favorites. That's a great line for Travis Kelsey. That's respect for Travis Kelsey. I hope he can play this on his podcast, the only tight end in the Superstar Club. Literally in a class of- Have you on his show, maybe.

I would love to join the brothers, Kelsey. We're okay with, you guys weren't happy about Jonathan Taylor, it seems. I just don't really, you know, it seems to go skirt the rules of what's happening here just a little bit. How so? Because I think it's largely based on what we- to me it's not it's not a leap in logic it's like he did it and then he had a season wrecked by injuries and almost like historic like okay so then what about russell wilson

his performance last year wilson looked like a player in decline yeah what about deck prescott who had an injury and had some you know ups and downs i think i made my point very clear the deck just kind of seems is leveled off at a at a very good level uh in terms of his play and i don't see that leap to that the next level that it just feels like someone kind of like snuck jonathan taylor into the club for the back door that's all that's fine all right you didn't make a good enough case he's staying in the club how about shane stiking about anthony richardson how about uh you know this offensive line coming together and saying that's never happening ever again i can see that and the stars lining and the cults are pretty damn competitive next year i want them to be competitive

well make it happen oh after what happened with you last Last summer, Pauline was going off about the cults. I can't go like it was the Colts I was hugely high on. And then the Broncos. So it was just a kiss of death for both franchises. Can I make one more before we sign off? Remember when I became a Titans fan? That was huge.

Graver was not shy about bringing it up either. No, he's put on online polls on Twitter and stuff about like. Let's let's finish up with an online poll. Simple question. is C.D. Lamb a superstar. And I think this shows the gumption of the old zooster a little bit. The public said, out of almost 10,000 votes, 70%, 70.2% said no, C.D. Lamb, not a superstar. Wow.

Only 29.8 said yes. But he is in the superstar club. Someone, somebody on Twitter replied to one of these two polls, like, stop having other people do your work. You know, decide for yourself. Well, take this, buddy. stick this in your pipe and smoke it. The problem was that tweet came from Ali Bonpore, like your editor. But also, if you don't add CD-LAM,

just from an article writing perspective, you add no one new to the club. Right, we got to twist the dial here. This is how this things work. And I could, listen, I could have done, I could have tweaked some people, put Garrett Wilson in there. But I think integrity was important.

I kept him knocking on the door. And we slide in CD-LAM. And hopefully he makes us all look good with a 1,500-yard season, including a four touchdown game and the season finale against the Eagles to take that. I knew that was coming.

I could see it in your eyes that it was coming. I do have to ask, will Garrett Wilson be mentioned in your article? He will be. He'll be the bulk of the article. Right. All right. We'll be back on Thursday.

Connie, if you can join us, please do. Okay. If you have some summer of Connie activities, we'll understand that. That's wonderful. I love this arrangement. So maybe you see Connie or hear Connie on Thursday, maybe not, we definitely will have Patrick Claibon with us to talk some.

What if I have something to need to do, some are related. You are right here, but you're not going anywhere. If you want to talk your shit, talk your shit, pal. That's my reply to you, Mark. Can't argue with them. Well, I can't. I'm taking that very seriously. All right.

We're out of here. Until next time, heed the call. This is an eye heart podcast.