NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Around the AFC in 48 Minutes

Episode Date: March 20, 2024

In a room full of heroes - Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, Marc Sessler and Andrew Siciliano give you a team-by-team break down of what the AFC looks like since the start of free agency. The guys start with the AFC East (07:30), the hit the AFC North (23:10), the AFC South (41:13) and wrap things up with the AFC West (55:46). 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 has time traveled back from 1992. Perrault for president. From the Chris Wesley podcast studio, it's around the NFL. Dan Hans is here. Greg Rosenthal. I've got to guess I'm going to introduce in a moment. Welcome back, Mark.

Thank you. That's where I, you presume, that I went to. We were under the impression, or at least I was, that, because we saw your Instagram, big camp happiness weekend. Well, yeah, okay. My concern... Mark was posting pictures from Camp Happiness, to be clear. Well, maybe.

Okay. I thought maybe you got stuck in 1992, hence Monday's absence. Because time travel can be tricky. Everyone knows that. Like, it's a basic knowledge about time travel that one thing goes wrong. One wire gets across. You don't hit 88.

You don't get where you need to be. So to see you back, welcome back. I think the only fly in the ointment there is that I texted you. Right. Before the show to alert you that I was not going to be here. But that was not an option to me back in 1992. It could have been a time to release of a text. That's what I'm sorry.

There's just a lot of things going through. I think you went to the most logical place. concerning my absence. For whatever reason, Ross Perrault has really over-indexed and mentions on this podcast in the last 12 years. He comes up a lot.

He comes up a lot. I love that guy. Look at this. YouTube audience. It's, uh, you know what? I will explain what it is real quick. And I mean, unless we would like to introduce our, we're getting there.

Okay. Like, uh, I, it's a series that I decided to do about like my guy friends from over the years. And it's like, I feel like guys are just constantly, I know everyone's like guys are just getting slammed left and right and so it's like kind of celebrating

my manhood groups of friends that are that are male based this is like what the elks are for you know yeah we don't have that anymore you can't do that anymore there's a moose lodge in my town you want to join let's do it I would check it out our guest

to my right Andrew Siciliano hi guys I'm enjoying this it looked like Harry Potter robes there that first shot we put up, the maroon and the yellow. I don't know where we got those, but yeah. That looked, that was good.

What would you do differently if you could talk to your 1992 self, Mark, Sessler? I don't think anything. Nothing. No, I don't think so. Like you would, like, more confident, talk to women or, like, no, that was never a big issue. I think it's more like, if you change one little thing, I could be living in, like, Iowa right now, and I don't want to be doing that, so I wouldn't... Classic butterfly effect. Yeah, I think, like, you might

F a whole ton of bunch of stuff up. How about Sicilianna? I was thinking about this. Two paths for Siciliano at Syracuse, the way I think of it. Andrew, always a great broadcaster. Always, I'm sure, had the drive to be. So Andrew either spent almost all this time

in the journalism building. Or... Or Siciliano was the guy like doing play-by-play of beer pong in the Toga at the frat parties. Like which one is... Which one is the more... Let me ask the boys first.

More likely scenario. Toga Party, play-by-play, or nose in the books and on the mic. That cues. Get a man that can do both. I mean, it's college. Most people are doing both. Or high achievers, I think, like Andrew. Yes.

They know how to get it done. They know how to have a good time while also staying in a minute. Maybe I'm wrong. I had my nights out. Don't get me wrong. But no, I was like, no grindstone. You strike me as percocious. I just didn't know any of those people, but that was because I went to an

unserious institution, Tulane University. in a great party town. Are we on the couch right now? Part of it was probably to compensate for my lack of a social life. I threw myself into my work as a slightly awkward child. I'm like, I'm just gonna work.

I can also attest I went to Ithaca for like a semester. But at one point, like the weather up there... It is not good. Yeah, like I would say as a college student, like if you're a guy, females literally disappear off Terra firmer. they're gone. See in April. Yeah. Because there is no terra firma. It's all covered in ice and snow. It's a disaster.

Seasonal depression is year long in central New York because the sun dies. It does not live there. I remember calling my mother up my sophomore year saying, no, mom, you don't get it. The sun doesn't live here. It doesn't exist. That's why also you, that's central New York, western New York, why the bills need to get a Super Bowl? we got to give the bills of Super Bowl those are people that have earned it just through the weather quotient They're going to have a roof

And I am excited that Mark is celebrating The revival of men's friendships And how important it is and I'm going to bring that up The next time it's so hard to get him To show up to a dinner with the two of us I had a couple of photos of you in there, Craig So you just go check it out I appreciate it that

Oh yeah there's a great one of Wes and I Good hair I look a lot younger there I look a lot younger in the old news You look 21 years old there. All right. Wes is toast.

That's Dwayne Munn, I believe, in the back. Yes. Yes. And great Chris Wesleying. Okay, so today is our annual springtime spin around the American football conference. Andrew is going to help us out.

Happy to be here. Thank you for inviting me. Thank you for joining us. We're going to go three minutes on each team in the AFC, starting with the east all the way to the west. On Thursday, we'll do the same thing again. with Patrick Claibon in the fourth chair. So we mentioned the Buffalo Bills.

Without further ado. Let's get this thing going. By the way, Eric Roberts, you need, we need to connect with Eric. I know you've done this before, but a reminder that the, this is not, there's no wiggle room with the clock. If we say three minutes per team, we mean three minutes per team. We must move if you need to use potential lethal force, Eric. You can.

Oh, look, there's a clock. And for the first time, we have a clock actually. Wow. There are no excuses. And we get, you know, we get three timeouts. And, you know, I forget about it. Ironically. Inside of two minutes are other coaches challenge?

Does the review come from New York? That's a nice. I am a man who loves to make up games and I love that wrinkle. I'm going to think about that for a future game. Eric, did you have something to say? I did not. Oh, okay. I'm dealing with some Wi-Fi stuff back here.

I could say you seem to be struggling a little bit. And I didn't know if you're trying to reach me about something. No, I'm good. We're good. Wi-Fi loves to take a crap at the best times. But I think we're good. I got the gun. That's the most important thing. It is a dart gun.

And you feel free to aim for the jugular. Yeah. But nothing above the neck. Right. We're broadcasters after all. If we overspeak, Andrew, after the three-minute window, the gun comes out and takes you out. Okay. No cattle prod.

It's actually a shot from the other room. Yes, you can hear that. Right. Okay. If you look in the. corners of the room, they're mounted guns. All right, let's get to it. Andrew, you are our guest, so you're going to get us going,

and we're going to talk about those Buffalo Bills. Yes, do it. Let's roll. The Buffalo Bills. I remember sitting with you guys. That's a broadcaster from serious. With you guys in Hermosa Beach when you did your road show last year. Do you remember that last spring? And I said, this is the year where it's make a break for the bills. The window is officially closing, and if they don't win,

they're going to blow the entire thing up. I was not right but I do think the window is closing Sean McDermott is back Josh Allen is back the defense has to be torn down to the studs Stefan Diggs somehow is still there

despite that cap number though maybe that changes on draft day they bring in Curtis Samuel they bring in Mac Hollins two guys not exactly known as field stretchers but different and interesting

weapons for Josh Allen my question is as they rework this defense has the window closed on this version of the Buffalo Bills? I think it's the first restart. In Poyer leaving, he's in Miami now. Micahide, we don't know about, but I have a feeling he's going to retire, Trudevius White.

Like, the defense has finally restarted. It had to do it. But that doesn't mean to me the windows closed. It just reminds me they're a lesser version of the Patriots where you're like restarting as long as the coach and the quarterback are there. You're restarting in certain ways. I just need to see Brandon Bean show a little bit of that magic because this whole thing started by getting great draft picks

and great low-cost free agents. And they've lost so many players on defense, Floyd, Jack Lawson, Puna Ford, Linval Joseph, Jordan Phillips, Tim Settled, all those guys in the secondary I just mentioned. They got to start replacing them with contributors in the draft and some low-cost free agents because we know they don't have much money. They lost a ton of leadership too. I had a problem with their skill position situation a year ago.

They seemed like one guy short. and I don't know if Curtis Samuel or Mac Holland solves that right now. I would say, though, with Josh Allen, especially in an AFC East where the Dolphins took a number of hits themselves. Yes, they have a chance to win the division. And then, yes, they have a chance to do anything with Josh Allen. It's interesting with Allen, too, because the window, in some ways, has closed

because his contract situation gets more and more complicated. Like the cap, he's starting to eat up more and more cap, and that's going to continue to build over the next three years, which makes it more and more difficult. Now, it doesn't mean that they can't do it. I still think, you mentioned Diggs, Andrew. I just feel it that there's something there that gives them cap relief, that rids them of a player that might be starting to become more trouble

and his worth, and they get to radically reinvent. And maybe some draft capital. The playmaker situation. So Diggs on the move before draft day is something I still see in the mix. Yeah, I think so as well. And I'm going to answer my own question. I don't think that the window is closed, but it is, as you mentioned, Greg, a total deep.

defensive tear down, they have to go younger and cheaper, which means that much more on Josh Allen's shoulder. But you know what? They re-signed Taran Johnson. When I look at their defensive roster, it's still pretty good. It's still good. Not bad. Right?

I feel good. Like, I kind of started slowly there. No, wait, no. That's the end of it. It's zero. That's the point. The Miami Dolphins. Wait, whoa, hold on.

No. We hit zero. We finished our conversation. I was saying that felt good. Good. What the hell? Nope. That is.

Welcome to the jungle, baby. You've absorbed weaponry. The Miami Dolphins. Part of darkness here. The Miami Dolphins. Okay, here we go. Where are we at with the dolphins? And can we turn it down just a little bit, some of the sound effects?

My brain is about to explode. The Miami Dolphins are in an interesting place. Obviously, a building block season last year. Obviously, the Tua getting through a full season, putting up numbers. Obviously, the season didn't end the way they wanted it to. They blew the division and then weren't. competitive against the chiefs. Now there's some, Greg,

salary cap is real. They had to make some moves to get under the cap and get in better condition. That meant they lose a lot of big pieces of their defense, including Christian Wilkins. It means they lose one of their best offensive linemen, Robert Hunt. And it puts them

in a situation here now where it's going to be a test with new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver to get that team in a good place defensively and make them a difference maker. not a issue with the same old questions. I'm sorry to say about the offense with Tua as a big time offense that could win a title. I'm going to go back to a conversation I had with Tyreek Hill, name dropper, Super Bowl Week.

He was doing the tour, obviously, for Super Bowl Week, and we talked to him on NFL Network. The excuses are done, like show me something in January, and they're going to be a good team. They're going to score a lot of points. I know they're reworking the defense. A lot of it has to do with the injuries and the guys coming back. new faces in there certainly as well the names are less important to me than the results here with Mike McDaniel

and Tua and the pieces they have on offense they haven't won a playoff game since what a decade at least I mean last time they were interesting the playoffs was when Matt Moore was starting in Pittsburgh and Tanna Hill was hurt show me that you could win I don't care about the weather anymore

right I think the offense is weirdly the bigger question because they basically brought back the same group. We didn't talk about it on the show, but Tehran Armstead is back with them. They ended up re-signing, Isaiah when, like, it's the same offense. You bring in Johnny Smith. I do

think it should be pointed out with all these people that have left and cuts and Zavian Howard and he's gone. They've had some of my favorite kind of like low-wadded signings. Kendall Fuller was a nice signing. Jordan Brooks, I think, was a nice signing. Jordan Poyer add some like veteran know-how in that secondary. They haven't done nothing

Shaq Barrett's like a good rotation guy still. So it's not like they've been totally quiet. My bigger thing is just like the offense, which is the same, is that same going to be good? Well, and the offensive line. Like, I don't like losing Robert Hunt. I think if it's when you don't have Toronto Armstrong, Sten in there, which you have to count on a couple games a year where he's not going to play, it seems like at this point in his career, you look at that like PFS set up.

I don't love what's in front of two. And that causes a lot of problems for two when he's not, when they're unhealthy. Low key comments said to me when Anthony Weaver was named D.C., show me a D-Line coach who became a good D.C. D-line coaches generally can't coordinate. the back end. That'll be fast. And don't forget. It sounds like trouble. Tua entering the final year of his deal. So it is

a big season for Miami. Big decisions. The New York Jets, Greg Rosenthal. Oh my God. Is there a bigger boomer bust this year or else team that we've seen in the last like 20 years? They signed Mike Williams since we last did a show.

I think that's a good signing, especially for the structure. But it's just so typical. Williams is on a one-year contract injury risk. Rogers is year to year at this point. I think it's safe to say. Both tackles, Morgan Moses, who they traded for and Tyrant Smith that they brought in are on one year deals or on the final year of their deals. Injury risks there. This is just like the ultimate year to year thing, which is not good process. It usually doesn't work. And yet, if I was a Jets fan like Dan, no one's ever accused me of this before. Someone said I was just being nice about the Jets

on Twitter to like suck up to Dan. I've never done that. I'm saying, you should lead into it this year because what other options do you have? I think they did the most that they could do with this off season on off offense. I think Joe Dees had a great seven days. I thought all the moves made sense in a vacuum. They also, none of these moves for a team that's all in for this year, all these moves, he's added, he's gotten the roster better without like burying the team like going forward. Yeah, good point.

So it's like very much about right now, right here, without selling the farm and mortgaging the future. and as I've said Mark multiple times in the last few weeks like hashtag once this only needs to work once and I know it probably won't because history tells us that it won't but this is a pretty damn good roster and if things click this team is going to be good I don't think Aaron Rogers would have survived last season even if you wiped away what happened

if one behind that line. They needed to address it. They've addressed it. I think Mike Williams have healthy absolutely is a huge asset for Aaron Rogers in the offense. My problem though, is the experience of Aaron Rogers grows a little stranger by the week. That's not going to change.

And you didn't have the internal self-scouting and decision-making and correct decision-making to replace the offensive coordinator. I just don't trust core key components of what the Jets have still going on. That remains a major red flag. Remember when Rogers had his end-of-season press, and he said, we need to avoid distractions? All right, great, thanks. If he does run, which it sounds like he's not going to.

I don't think he's the choice. We spent a lot of time on this. Do we have to give, because the equal time thing, do we have to give equal time now to the other candidates on NFL network if he is a legitimate candidate? No, we don't have to do anything. That's a question for you to give to our boss, our newsroom, our news director.

That sounds like a Charlie Yucke conversation. I have very little faith, and I like the guy. Happy birthday, Charlie Smith has been playing for 35 years. He came into the league at 12 years old that he and his back can, and hold up for 18 weeks. So I think everyone likes to say, oh my God, they're going wide receiver now because they got the offensive line figured out.

No, take Fugga, take the best tackle here, because you are going to need one of those tackles. If Tyrant Smith goes down, this whole thing goes down. Well, and they're on one-year deals. Exactly. I'll take the dart once. Just all needs to work once. All right, moving on, the New England Patriots.

Oh, no dart. Mark Sessler. Should have gotten a dart. Select. All right. What I do see with the Patriots is, people are talking about it, like Antonio Gibson,

a true tonal shift inside the building with Gerard Mayo. And yet, at the same time, I look at a roster that really seems to be handled this offseason the way that a Bill Belichick operation would largely have done, which is a lot of resigning your own guys.

There were whispers of them being tied to Calvin Ridley, no dice. There were talks about them maybe with a big-time defensive player, negatory. Mac Jones, into abstentia. That's a big change.

But the Patriots went completely silent and they could have had Justin Fields for a bag of spoons. I would have liked that concept and then you go maybe do something else in the draft. To me, I just see a roster that looks, it was one of the worst in the AFC. It looks very similar to me. And I think there's not enough changer. Yes, you're going to go get a quarterback. But is that quarterback going to be in a good position if you don't trade that back? You sound like WEEI right now in Boston.

Well, I know they're losing their minds about his Patriots off season. Relax. Have some patience. like the idea that Elliot Wolfe. No, I am encouraged by what they're doing, which is being patient. I disagree on some level that it's a bill, it's a Belichick type of offseason because actually they kept

players at high salaries that they know are good that he usually just kind of let walk. They gave Michael a venue big money. Like a lot of their best players happen to be free agents. And so they kept them. Kyle Dugger, good job. Hunter Henry, solid player. Like they did... Too much money. They've let everyone walk for years. Right. And

But they kept players that I actually like. To me, Free Agency is best done by going for role players. And to be Jacobi Perci, Antonio Gibson, Okorafor, KJ Osborne. Those are all good role players. And I don't think they're done yet. And I think it all sets up for them taking a quarterback. You're running back a team that won four games, though. Well, the defense, though, on paper, you're keeping young players, I really like.

But they're not really running back because they're going to make a big change of quarterback. Here's the question in that. I think all the Patriots fans, I'm sure, are also talking about on EE. Do you take the guy at three and for a team that needs so much work or do you trade that pick, gather more assets and build the roster that way

and still maybe take a quarterback. You have to love Andrew. You got to love that for me if you're the Patriots and I get the strategy of just keep taking quarterbacks. But you got to love the prospect that's there at three to make that move.

Otherwise, I think you do move back. I agree with you. You don't take the quarterback for the sake of taking the quarterback. You have to be in love with the quarterback who is there for you at three. I love Jake Brisket. I know I wish the Browns had gotten Jake Brisket back in the building.

If it means punting on a year on quarterback, even though next year's class is supposedly not good, that I'm for that if you don't love that guy. I also want to ask, has anyone seen the end of the dynasty doc yet? And considering what Kraft said about Belichick, when did he record that? Because there was no way to put it reported what he said.

Oh, it's too deep. But he couldn't have taken the shots at Belichick that he took if he knew that Belichick was going to be back this year. All right. No, no, no, no. A little bit of clock management. No, I was at one. No, the clock management failure there is, that's a great time to call T.O.

Okay. So I'm going to do it now. We're going to T.O. We need to know more. I don't know. You're making like the 20 second timeout thing. College basketball guy. I'm just 20 seconds time out.

Yeah, I'm definitely not. This is 20? It's 20. That's good. And what's the full? It's T. Timeout. Timeout.

Yeah. All right. All right. All right. All right. All right. All right. All right.

What happened in this documentary? You guys got to watch it, but I watched the final two episodes last night. And it's not in any way as if Kraft, you know, assassinated Bill Belichick. But the last couple of episodes, he is pretty direct in saying it had to change and Bill's no fun to work for. And it was miserable at times. And, you know, tell us the story of Giselle coming in in the off season before the 2018 season, saying, this guy doesn't respect my husband, we're out of here, basically, came back, how miserable 18 was.

He did not pull punches. He said all the right things about Bill Belichick. And maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but he said some very direct things where if Belichick were back on the podium come draft weekend, it would be fascinating to hear him asked, did you hear what he said there? Now, Bill wouldn't want to go back down memory lane. I have no doubt. I said what I said in the dock,

and that's it. But there were some... I don't have Apple TV. I will just, like, purchase this show at some point. Masters of the Air also very... But the whole thing prematurely annoys me because of everything I've heard about it, which is that it's very much a Robert Kraft production.

It feels like... I can give you my sign of it. It has a Brady slant to it, definitely. And then you feel that throughout all 10 episodes. but at the end when it really gets good you're like wow crap just said that but you don't know when he said it you're saying I don't know when he said it

and my question is did he say things last summer where he knew this was it whenever this was before it maybe it was during the season maybe it was during the season when he knew it was over because some of the comments

you're like wow okay do you want him to respond on an official team podium to that hmm let's like let's pipe down yeah my uh my wife Works for Apple TV Plus.

And Mark, I just want you know I don't appreciate the idea of sharing password. You've never seen Ted Lassow? Everybody's got to calm down about Ted Lassow. Oh, Ted Lassos. I'll note that, Dan. It does seem slightly unethical to announce publicly.

No, I was saying, I think there's a way you could just buy the show without getting Apple TV. I don't know. Just buy it for a month. All right, let's take a break. And when we get back, the AFC North. All right, we're all back.

And now it is time to roll into the AFC North. Let's start with the North champs, the Baltimore Ravens, and fittingly, it's Mark Sessler on Baltimore. I have always been an antagonist to the Ravens for obvious and overt reasons, but I actually think

they have done something to set themselves very well up in the draft because they've got the 30th pick overall. You can take a wide out to pair with Zay Flowers. It's going to a great wide out draft. You've got a second round pick, a third round pick, and two fourths. And I think what you do there is you spend two of those to bolster an offensive line that lost some

And then you have added Derek Henry to this backfield. And if you are the Browns, if you are the Steelers, you are the Bengals, you're going to be spending two Sundays in autumn, next autumn, staring at Derek Henry and Lamar Jackson in a backfield, creating total dark chaos. And I cannot say it enough. Derek Henry could have gone to the Texans. Fine, he could have gone somewhere else. I think this move, because I really think that people are sleeping on where Derek Henry

is and still at his career is still a bit. I think this is a perfect fit. I think he's going to cause total chaos. I think the Ravens are on to something where I finally think if this works, they can win games in January versus completely melting away. But it starts with this draft and making sure their offensive line can do what it needs to do. And it also starts in January if they actually run the ball when they get into a playoff game, which they chose not to this.

Bingo. This past time. I think Derek Henry is a great addition. I feel like he's been a Raven half his life anyway. I feel like we've kind of wanted to see this. Right. So he follows McNair and Samari Roll and Derek Mait. from Tennessee to Baltimore.

I am concerned, though, with the tread on the tire, leading the league and carries in four out of the last five years. They need a lot of running backs. And just fingers crossed, you hope Keaton Mitchell is ready in September. I don't know if he will be, and he'll be that same guy. J.K. Dobbins, who knows, you need a lot of bodies here. My concern is I need him healthy for January. Right.

It's not Derek Henry in September. it's Derek Henry in January. I feel like they need three more running back. And I'll tee you up on this, Greg. Kevin Cole, formerly of PFF, now he's with unexpected points. They have something called a improvement index, points-based improvement in NFL plus-minus

based on off-season roster and draft value. Ravens far and away the bottom of that list, that negative 60s. They lost somebody. Plus. That's the other way to look at this, that this roster just isn't as strong after the defense. They have a major incomplete,

and this is what they do. They do the compensatory pick game, so they wait and they sign players later and they get cheap. But this is a very difficult test for Eric DeCosta, the GM. I was thinking the same thing without having those numbers. If you just go on to the NFL free agency page on NFL.com and you look at the departures, I mean, it's like a Russian novel here. It goes on and on. You just keep scrolling.

I counted seven. Doom scrolling. Offensive players and six, I know, seven defensive players and six offensive players who had significant roles, including a big chunk of their offensive line, three starters there. So they have still a lot of work to do. There's a lot of positions. You just look at the roster. They're a little thin.

You have six picks in the first five rounds, though. I think that I trust the Ravens. You're lucky. Wow. You rolled that red light. No, wait a minute. Get him. Shoot his ass.

It had stopped. Slow his ass away. I agree with the decision. I mean, he runs the red light. I point out that he ran the red light. red light and I'm the one that gets it? Yeah. Welcome to the Terror Dome, baby. All right, Andrew,

your boyhood team. You've been the voice of this team. It's the Cleveland Browns. Okay, the Cleveland Browns. You got Judy and James and those are the big headliners. I think it's interesting. I was on the radio with them, with Brown's radio this morning. They asked me,

are the Browns better now than they were 10 days ago? I had to pause and think about it. And I think that they are. Jerry, Judy's a steal for a five and a six. The contract, I can't wait to get under the hood on those numbers. Remember, he had 13 million left this year. So I think it's like a two-year extension for maybe 26, considering what Ridley got. I don't disagree that much with the deal.

I love Zadaria Smith coming back. I think Quentin Jefferson isn't under the radar siding. That is good. I think there was no shot they're going to get Christian Wilkins. The thing here is Jamis and Flacco. I'd rather have Joe Flacco, to be blunt. I know James is 10 years younger. The most fascinating thing about the Brown's season to me,

is talking to Kevin Stefansky in Indy. I got this legitimate excitement to get in the lab with Ken Dorsey, like to have this intellectual rebuilding of the offense in the off season, taking the RPO stuff that they did with Josh in Buffalo and kind of mixing that in now and rebuilding this offense almost from the ground up. I would love to see what that looks like in September. I got a couple quick problems with the Browns, though, because number one, I think losing Bill Callahan is your,

losing one of those two or three offensive line coaches that finds them a magical way to make it work no matter who's in the lineup. And they've dealt with that. I say number two, the flacco thing suggests to me that they were scared to sign someone who was too popular with the fan base. That's just how I feel. Or the locker room too. Or the locker room. Or the locker room. I would ask the question. Like, I get that the, we don't know where we are where we are with Deshaun Watts and the player right now. That's a huge question mark. But where is the locker room with Deshaun Watson and the person? I think that's just something that feels we don't really have a full complete answer on that. I think the question they asked you was a good one because, and this isn't to take a shot at them, just more than any other team, they've had very little departures and arrivals, which is fine. They have a lot of continuity. Judy could be a really big piece. I think the Judy contract is going to end up looking just fine, actually. I have no problem with that contract. But, like, they swapped out some linebackers.

Their linebackers are Jordan Hicks and Devin Bush. That's not great. But if that's your biggest issue, that's not a bad one. What version, we haven't really talked about this a lot, but that was a ghastly knee injury for Nick Chubb. What version of Chubb returns? And to the credit of Stefansky and that team in Callahan, and the fact that they were able to keep moving, keep on chugging on offense without Chub, without Watson, tells you that

they could do it even if it's not the same Chub. But I hope we get generational talent Chub back this year. But we'll have to... But more RPO stuff. Like that, my one thing is when DeShon Watson has been in there for various sample sizes. Like, we lost Nick Chub on some level. We lost the same version of Nick Chub. Is that going to change if they're trying to work more RPO job? Josh Allen type stuff? No one has any idea

if he's even ready in September. You lost to Sean Watson, the Houston version. That's what they need more than anything. Steve Smith said tier three for Judy. No. No, the clock. That's way off.

That's erroneous. I will say something about this. You don't shoot based on the chimes. I think there's a delay on this one as compared to the one of the back. It's kind of like on the half second. You know, when I was building this out the first time. The chimes

were the confusing part for me because I'm like, where do I get the zeros lined up for? The beginning of the chime, the middle of the chime, the end of the chimes. You have a gun in your head. You've got to be sure. We've got Mark David Chapin behind the classroom. Be careful. Be careful. Oh, man. Imagine if we had

producer Eric during the Cold War, the Cuban missile crisis. Just be rubble everywhere. Across the universe. All right, moving on. Here we go. Talk about a dated reference. The Pittsburgh. That's historical, Mark.

It's not like a culture reference. It is part of history. It's a major part of world history, yes. Bullet dodged. The Pittsburgh Steelers. Okay, here we go. Anybody feel like potential little Arthur Smith redemption season, S-ZN on the way? Absolutely.

I don't know about that. Maybe, though. Because remember, some guys, what do you call it? Mark, you always bring it up. Is it Peter Principal? Maybe he got one tier higher than he needed to be, but... Beyond your skill set, yeah. He was very much.

an effective play caller and successful in his previous stop in Tennessee. So what do you do? What do you do? Everybody's talking about it's the biggest story line in the league. The quarterback room shake up in Pittsburgh. No one's had a more intriguing off season as they completely redid that room. Now we'll see what Smith can do. And I'm interested in how this all plays out, obviously with Russell Wilson and Fields.

But other than that, Greg, what have you seen in terms? They lost Deonté Johnson, which I thought was a maybe question. move. Anything else about this team that jumps out to you? Yeah, I don't I don't love a lot of their positions, but especially wide receiver. Their number two wide receiver right now is either Calvin Austin or Van

Jefferson. That's a fiasco. So they wanted to get rid of Deante Johnson. It's a bet on Dante Jackson. Even adding Dante Jackson is a cornerback from Carolina, like they are thin. Steelers fans are so excited because I think they see a little bit of different thinking by adding fields in

Wilson. But I look at their cornerback, their wide receivers, their offensive lines, some really big spots. And I see a team that looks rather incomplete to me. Yeah, but it is the worst roster in the division, I think it's safe to say. They have the 20th pick. I think it's just one of those wide receiver drafts

where you could solve that problem pretty quickly. I love the Patrick Queen edition. I just think it's like, I think it's an interesting quarterback experiment because Fields, like to be behind Russell Wilson or behind anyone, like fans are going to want to see Justin Fields ASAP.

like the minute Russell Wilson sort of to create a snooze fest, like Justin Fields is a bit of an interesting character to have as your number two and I think he'll start soon than later. It's a fascinating experiment of quarterback and I think it's actually a really really smart one. You got Russell for nothing. I mean, he was out on the curb. They were

trying to throw him away. You get him for free and you get Justin Fields for free. If I told you mid-season last year, I can get Justin Fields for a six. You probably would have laughed me out of the room. And Arthur Smith is going to use him in situational run game stuff. I guarantee you that. And if you're Zachor or Jim

Schwartz or Luana Rumo and you have to plan for the possibility of Justin Fields getting on the field. And then let's say Russell's either hurt or injured come October or early November, which seems to be inevitable, right? You throw in Justin Fields and maybe you save the season and maybe

he doesn't even get to 51% playtime and you still only give up a safe. In the past, Arthur Smith is all about play action passing and throwing over the middle of field and under center quarterbacks and guys who get rid of the ball quickly. Literally the exact opposite of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, who to me are very similar. I think they're similar, but it's different than what Smith has had. I trust Pittsburgh's ability to identify

wide receiver talent. They do bring in knuckleheads at that position. Yes, they're good at the knuckleheads. Timeout, by the way. Oh, not a 20. By the way, it's always Dan taking the timeouts. I remember I once took a timeout on this show and was like given an evil stare. You were scolded. Well, because I think it's ironic for someone that's very plugged into clock management and you seem to be good at it when we're watching games, that you're kind of a mess when it comes to this. Well, you're like Sean McVeigh over here. We've blown two timeouts and we're in the first half.

We were all on the same page about the Patriots team. Needed to be done. I agree. Because the new guy, you know, he should have saved. No, I wanted to hear what he said because I hadn't heard anything about that. One left out. He would not point out that the Steelers should not have won the game. Sean McVeigh gets ripped for his timeout management

and didn't have a challenge here when the Steelers were in town this past season so they couldn't challenge the Kenny Pickett didn't get that fourth down keeper, right? But do we all agree that Kenny Pickett was a yard and a half short? I'm struggling to remember that. Steelers only made the playoffs because of that BS win. I was locked in a closet.

I don't remember anything about the Kenny Pickett era in Pittsburgh. Week seven, look at it. I love Russell Wilson fake tweets. Fly up a fake tweet. Russell Wilson, this is after the Justin Fields move. Let's get it, Justin Fields. QB room about to be. triple fire emoji.

God, wouldn't you just love Russell Wilson just once? You know, hashtag once. Be real. Like, this sucks. Yeah, like, what was his true internal monologue when this unfolded? Because we don't need it.

Like, you don't need to, like, we know you are a competitor. You are very much in the crosshairs of everyone thinking you're washed. Like, this is your last chance, really, in a lot of ways. This is the last you wanted was to have fields in the room.

So just lay low and just think to yourself, I'm not going to let that guy get on the field. But instead we get this stuff. Oh, this could be room's about to be fired. Oh, okay. And if he said nothing on social media, it would be inferred that it's a cold shoulder. And let it be fine.

Let it be. Let it be. You know, for once, don't be so completely preoccupied with your image. Just go kick his ass on the field and win. Did you ever think that it's actually a sincere wow we're better team with him? No. Not with it.

Is that seat to you or to him? How about that game? You might be right. Okay. I could be a cynical bastard at times. But I don't really think that. In that game that he took a picture of Fields versus Wilson, one of each of their better games of the season.

I mean, Justin Fields had 335 yards for passing touchdowns in a game that the Bears put up 30 points or 28. points, rather. It's like, Justin Fields is a better player. When he had Kenny Pickett as his backup, Russell Wilson was the better quarterback and he had a guy behind him

that the whole fan base disliked. Now you got a guy who's better. They're both going to start games this year, buckle up. Wilson gone by Columbus Day. For those that are unaware, that is, I believe, the second week of October. It seems to float around.

We've also, I believe, renamed the holiday as Indigenous People's Day. So again, Mark, if we can just be respectful of everyone around us. I'm out of this one. Time in. Gregi on the Bengals. I'm a sneaky big fan of Duke Tobin, who our friend Chris Wesleyan always used to give a lot of credit to, who I think this ownership has been tough to work for it.

And yet he always makes it work. I think they've had a sneaky great offseason. Maybe one of the better off seasons out there. They let Jonah Williams go. you upgrade in talent, I believe, with Trent Brown, who's every other year, and by that logic is his good year, it's his honeymoon year. You're keeping T. Higgins.

Don't let him go. It's still a nice wide receiver room there. You swap out Joe Mixen for Zach Moss for less money. I like that. Sheldon Rankins, Gino Stone, even bringing back von Bell as just some depth. These are the types of moves I actually think that work in free agency, just filling these little holes with solid rotational.

They're smarter than they get credit for, and I think they are set up quite well to enter this draft, not having any crazy big need, doing whatever they need to do. And I trust Duke Toe, but I trust this roster. I like Mike Gisicki to a tight end. They needed to address that position. I don't have a problem with Zach Moss paired with Chase Brown.

I think they are a target to draft a running back and then a not great running back draft. It just seems like... Zach Moss feels like a little... I'd liked him in Indianapolis last year, but it feels like a little bit of a projection. I don't know exactly what you're getting there with that running backroom.

Zach Moss's numbers when Jonathan Taylor was injured early in the season are coming back from the contract and the injury and all that were fantastic. I think Zach Moss is a great move. And honestly, I think he's an upgrade. You finally get rid of the Joe Mixon. How long is he going to be here? A question you ship him to Houston and good for Joe for getting that deal. I agree with you.

It's an upgrade here on the offensive line. If Trent Brown, if you get the real Trent Brown, the guy that can actually play, it all comes down to whether or not you keep the quarterback healthy. period, full stop. It speaks to what they thought of the safety play last year. I know the big turnover in the secondary was a question coming into the season. These signings show that they weren't exactly thrilled with it. They get their defensive tackle, although I don't think Sheldon Rankins was the number one target of the fan base here.

They get back. But they needed it. They feel actually more win or not like else than the bills to me right now this year. I feel like they're in similar places. And we agree. There's, there's not, I'm sorry, no Justin Jefferson trade here for T. Higgins. That is ridiculous. Those internet rumors shut up.

Grow up, Peter Pan. Yes. I missed the Bengals last year. I thought the AFC was a more great place without them. Burrow was only truly healthy for a couple weeks. And when he was, it was like, oh, there's Joe Burrow and there's Jamar Chase. And we're having fun again. And then he disappeared with that injury in prime time, which was just like, the Nadir,

what started with Rogers on Monday night football, like when Burrow went down. It was like, oh, come on. This season's annoying. Then somehow the Chiefs win the Super Bowl again without any weapons. Get them back. Let's go. Let's make the NFL more fun again. Joe Burrow in the mix.

I mean, Jake Browning was watchable to say, I mean, if nothing else. I'm going to say it again. Let's calm down, Wesleyan brothers complaining about the Bengals off season. I think they've had a nice thing. Let's take a break. Actually, during breaks, little bumpers, we got a little wiggle room. You're going to get some text from Nick Wesleying about that one. He's not going to like that.

Watchable. will be a little bit more diplomatic. Nick might get fiery. They're just like, what are we doing? It's like, okay, it's the first day of free agency. Let's let your boy, Duke Tobin do his work. Underrated. Let Duke cook.

He's underrated. Mark, any comments before we go to break? I am going to stop talking for a little bit after what happened before. I am very happy. I'm very happy for that holiday and everyone that celebrates. The Italians don't like share in the holiday. but we're going to that we could do that as a that's a separate podcast

well fine I'm not going to say another word save it for October 13th podcast we'll do let's take a break I'm begging you to shut up oh right everybody I saw that coming

that's repulsive and can never be It was pre-played. I thought it was good. I mean... What happened? That was for Monday. That was for Monday show. You have a physical breakdown?

We try a few things. We explore the space. Well, it was Somali-A Monday. Somali-Monday. It was Somali-A-Monday. All right, here we go. The AFC South. Greg Rosenthal get us going with the division champion, Texas.

Oh, yeah. Walker's new favorite team, big Nico Collins. And C.J. Stroud fan. that t-shirt everywhere, but I'm focused on the defense. I think he wore it at the Super Bowl. He did. One of the only people wearing a CJ Stroud t-shirt to the Super Bowl. I'm focused on the defense because that's what they're

focused on. They basically brought back the exact same offense so far other than swap it in Joe Mixen for Singletary. That's fine. Whatever. Foli Fat Dukasi, Daniko Atri, you swap out Grenard for Daniel Hunter. You bring in Al-Sahier at linebacker. Like, how good

can this team be, basically, if they are right about these defensive moves because I think they looked, and I don't think it's crazy as this has a window to to win now, but they looked at it like our offense is good enough. We need to help this defense for Domeco. I think they will be a trendy Super Bowl pick in the AFC. I don't think they're going to make it to New Orleans, but I think they're going to be a trendy pick on the power of the quarterback. The quarterback is now officially a drawing card when it comes to free agency, much like Joe Burrow was a couple of years ago when he burst out of the scene. I think they

might be in that kickoff game, wouldn't surprise me. Would not surprise me at all. I think this is a good team and a team that has really elevated the entire division. A year ago, we were sitting here saying, hey, what are the Jaguars? I don't get to them later. What are the Jaguars? Are they a real contender, or are they just a good team in a really bad division? I think now it's, what are the Texans?

Are they a legit contender or a good team in a mediocre division? I think they are a legit contender if they could run the football, and that's the key. I think Mixon helps as much as we might be fine with the Bengals moving on from Joe Mixon, I think they've showed a commitment to him with the contract and he's having a big role. That was a problem for them a year ago.

I thought they were maybe going to address wide receiver in free agency with someone significant, but it's good news for Tank Dell and Nico Collins. Right, the exact same receivers, the exact same offensive line, it's interesting. The one thing is, I mean, some of these teams when you're a frustrated fan where it's like a year-eight of a 10-year rebuilding process,

I can't think of too many teams that flipped the switch as quickly as they have under them. They were a dead zone. They were a wilderness a number of years ago. They completely have transformed that. And I like them as much as the Bengals or the Bills go deep into the playoffs. I mean, I felt that way last season. Tankdale suffered a bad leg.

I think he broke his leg. He's up and running. However, this week, everyone says he's great. And they have a second round pick for a wide-out. So that's great. They do not have a first-round pick after their trade with the Vikings. So, yeah, I think they're telling you, we like what we're building. so they've kind of kept the roster more or less intact,

and they're going to see if they can build off year one with Stroud. You can't blame for that. Right. I mean, it's an amazing luxury to have that sort of continuity with a relatively young roster on offense, but there's plenty of veterans sprinkled in there where. It's like literally the exact same group in year two under Sloick. I mean, they're expecting that growth to just come from, you know,

everyone knowing what to do. Expectations can be a bitch. Moving on, the Jacksonville Jaguars with Mark Sessler. And to Andrew's point, I felt the same way about the Jaguars. A year ago, they were the centerpiece and a team that we were focused on as a playoff nuisance that could go do things we didn't expect. But they've already tumbled behind Stroud and the Texans. And arguably, even maybe the cults with Anthony Richardson in like the AFC South

sexiness rankings. And I do like what they did, though, on one level. They didn't overpay for Calvin Ridley. I think that showed that was a smart move to not do that. I thought Mitch Morse at center makes their offensive line tougher, nastier. I love adding, along with keeping Josh Allen, Eric Armstead, who's about the size of a front door to go next to Frey, Trayvon Walker. They can stop the run.

That matters against the cults. It's going to matter against the Texans. That said, this is a team that went one in five down the stretch, and it kind of made me question kind of the soul of the Jaguars. And do you also feel a little suspicious about what this team is? ceiling is. I think so much goes back to, and I feel like we've been talking about this couple of years now, but Trevor

Lawrence and whether he's going to become that dude, and he showed signs of it the previous year. Last year, he was just ruined by injuries. And so I don't want to, I think people are like, while everyone's so high in Houston, I think people are a little quick now to just

to say Jacksonville's in the deep background because I think if you can get a healthy year out of Lawrence, that's going to cover up a lot of ills in this team and they might be more competitive and even be a team that could win this division with better health and circumstances. Let me ask you this real quick. It is heading into year number four for Trevor Lawrence.

It is that offseason like with Herbert or Burrow or Josh Allen where you write the big check. He is now extension eligible. Do you write Trevor Lawrence a big check this summer? I would. Same. I would because the price only goes up. Correct.

But what's the price? Remember, the dolphins punted there were the two of concussion issues. last year. The price is lower if the further you're out from free agency. And I guess the larger question is, is there any chance they're not giving him a contract extension at some point? I would say no, they shouldn't

consider that. So with that in mind, just sign them. Is that what you're asking though? Like, do you really see them as a top 10? The guy. Now, Trent Balky on his end of the year presser said Josh Allen's not leaving. We'll tag him or do a deal. And guys, yes, Trevor is our guy. We're happy to send an adventure. I think he's a step

below the top seven or eight guys. So the contract becomes annoying or tricky, but what else are you going to do? Because to me, he's very much ahead of, he's way ahead of the Dalton line.

I would say his NFL career so far has been a B, but that's the problem is he came in tout as a generational quarterback. And that's, I think, a little bit of attacks that's working against him. I think there's room for him

to develop and grow. And I think those are the guys you bet on. And look how he finished year two when he was healthy. As one of the best quarterbacks down the stretch, in the league. And last year, you're right. He was derailed by

physical ailment. Hard to judge. I like the Armstead move so much. One of my favorites, all off-season. Agreed. The Indianapolis Colts with Andrew Siciliano. Oh. Syracuse graduate. And let me pull up my Colts free agent tracker. The Orangeman. On

NFL.com. Well, speaking of Orangeman, when we start the clock? There it is. Bam. Speaking of Orangeman, Zeyer Franklin. Congratulations on your new field. The Colts, obviously, made a point of keeping our own in the building with Michael Pittman and Zaire Franklin. I feel like this is very much a Chris Ballard incomplete.

Conflicting on who you want to believe on whether or not Legerius Sneed is a legitimate target. I feel like they still, however, have a move to make here somewhere. I love the Flacco move, and I know I'm being a Brown's homer here. I think Joe Flacco, this version of Joe Flacco, not the I'm tired and I don't like Lamar is here, and I want to get out of here, Joe Flacco, that we saw in Baltimore, but the one we saw last year helps Anthony Richardson immeasurably, and I think there is a good over-under to be had here. How many games considering Richardson's injury passed last year does Joe Flacco actually start? I'm going to go over under five and a half. Whoa. He, because I think

Richardson, it's the concussion thing in the way that they want to use them. I could see that happening. And I think you mentioned this, Greg, previously that like Shane Stiking, it's a lot shows confidence to go have Anthony Richardson, but then also say I can build an offense on the fly around Joe Flacco, too. They're completely different human. I love that you pointed out the Sneed news, so there's been some reporting

that Titans, Colts are possibility for Sneed. Him and Marshawn Latimore are two really big names out there that are going to change someone's offseason. And the Colts would make a lot of sense because if you go to the NFL.com, it's a bunch of resignings. Seven of them. They resign.

And Moss, you know, Zach Moss and Minchu are the biggest players that left. So almost no one's gone out. If you go on our lads, which has the best depth charts, it's highlighted if you have any new players. I did this exercise for all the AFC teams today. They are the only team without any highlighted players in their starting lineup. They have the 22 essentially same starters as they did a year ago, or at least people that were on their roster a year ago.

So they've made almost no... I like Rayquine Davis is a nice rotation guy. And that's it. They're basically running it back. I think they have another move to make. The cults, this is from the athletic, committed 170 million to hang on to their internal guys. Pittman, Franklin, Grover Stewart, Kenny Moore, the second. Good players.

And I think like Houston, I think they believe in what they're building. And it's easy to forget now. But Richardson really flashed in between the injuries. And you can't look past the head stuff and then how the season ended. But I really think there's a reason for a lot of it. excitement around this team. And yeah, I still see them as a dark arts. Did you say five and a half?

I say five and a half. That's rude. I'm banging the under just out of hope and optimism. Real quick, I was in Indianapolis week six last year, Brown's Colts, and I was right after they had shut Richardson down for the year walking around town. And in that building, you thought their season was over. Nobody has any reason to come to any game the rest of the year. And look what they did.

Good coach. So Shane Stuyken can coach. He's a great coach. Good GM. Team of ATN? I'll take it. Like, hold on. Do we have to wait until that very last note

fades into Bolivian, as somebody once said? Take it. You take the shot. Siciliano. I don't. These rules confuse me. Take it from the sixth floor of the book deposit. Well, also, these darts appear to have no effect on a human to begin with.

I'm feeling loosey, I have to say. Book depository. Check out the new Rob Reiner, JFK. Podcast, it's interesting. You want to talk about a call timeout, okay? Dardom. Can't talk in the middle of the segment? I mean, this is just...

The Tennessee Titans. All right, where are the Titans at now? Okay, so Derek Henry, out the door. They also lose Aziz Al-Shire, John Murphy Bunting, Danico Autry. Okay, but we add Calvin Ridley, Tony Pollard, Lloyd Cushenberry, that addresses three major areas of need for this team.

You get Mason Rudolph in the building. so here's my question the seventh overall pick they have they have Will Levis and they seem to really believe in Will Levis and maybe that's fine to just turn the season over to him with a nice supporting cast

and see what happens but I wonder like move the sticks Jeremiah and he's saying Joe Alt's the guy and everybody loves Joe Alt and adding someone after the Andre Dillard misfire makes a lot of sense at left tackle and you further build around

this prospect but man if there's a quarterback you like not going to be there at seven though but maybe you get a little ballsy and trade up and make a move I'm just saying are they laying in the weeds a little bit on a quarterback? I don't think so I think though they would love a quarterback to fall there

so they can get out sure and get more okay I think that is their perfect scenario they're pretty committed to let's it's a new coaching staff so that was a question mark coming in I mean this is the team that added Bill Callahan I think that matters the issues around the offensive line

were terrible for every quarterback the past couple of years in Tennessee. They weren't great for the ground game. And so getting the best tackle makes a lot of sense. I think it starts right there to keep your quarterback safe, to have a functional offense. They still have the third most amount of cap space in the NFL. There's too many teams with too much cap space. They have $46 million.

What's the point of all that? They have no good players to spend it on. So I guess that's the reason that they played a lot of good players, great money in terms of Ridley, like Ouzi is coming off of a down year. they are kind of slipping a little back into the background here. They're the least exciting team now to me in this division. I just, I don't want to, because we've been a little critical Tennessee and I don't want to go too far down that road.

But I just didn't see it with Levis the way the Titans see it. And they're going to develop him another year. It looks like, but I just think they should get their off. He had some moments. The Steelers game in prime time. Take out the one like monster game had and how much did he really show us? He showed some big-time throws. He showed some traits in terms of being able to read the defense.

He also showed some, you know, craziness. I think you just like, I think your point about Callahan is good because that's, to me, the biggest reason to believe in this. Because otherwise, it's kind of like a, eh, coaching staff and an en roster. Yeah, I mean, I'm with you, Dan, though. Like, there's only one way to survive in the league right now, and it's to have the best possible quarterback you can. And, like, Levis could just be a one-year realization that this was not the guy.

and then you've wasted a season. And you could have had Derek Henry with Brian Callahan and a rebuilt offensive line. You could have that decision. But then you're paying a 30-year-old running back who has had... But you're paying tiny...

Tony father just as much. That's fine. I like that combo. Yeah. Look, they're the worst team in the division, but I think... Pieces.

Good job there. Pieces. I don't know what that means. Group discipline. I was... really nervous for you there because you've taken many shots to the body and the throat area. The jugular took

a couple of hits. But that one you landed beautifully. I feel like Indiana Jones here floating down the river on a raft just getting the blow dart. No, don't give them the dart because now we're heading into a break. We have a little bit more. I don't get the rules around this, the

darts situation on any level. What? It's pretty clear. Good night now. Let's take a break and hit the AFCI. All right, we are back. It is time now to wrap up this path around the AFC in 48 minutes. And let us start with me, the Zuzzer and the Kansas City Chiefs, the defending Super Bowl champions. Okay, here we go.

Hollywood Brown, in the building. MVS, out of the building. I guess it's an upgrade. I'm not that on fire about it. So we'll see what happens. I think Legerius Sneed, as we just mentioned earlier, still on the roster on that franchise tag. Is he the guy, the chess piece that allows them to bring in that real piece they need on offense and to make an aggressive move, whether it's up the draft board or a player for player swap?

I am so curious, Andrew Siciliano, if the chiefs really have the gall to go into another season with this type of skill group around them and Travis Kelsey another year older on offense? Or are they going to make the splash move that makes so much sense? I think they need to go out and get a legit number one Marquise Hollywood Brown, although a nice piece and certainly I think makes that offense better is not in any way

a legit number one. Go back to the trade where the Cardinals gave up a first round pick to get him on draft day a couple of years ago was still just dumbfounding to me, but happy for him that he found a good spot. You can get it a legit number one likely picking at 32. You could, or you could try to make a move up. I think they're fine. I think

they will figure it out one way or the other. I do think tackle is a concern. Certainly, you've got to replace Donovan Smith, and let's face it, Juan Taylor, who lined up at fullback for much of the season seems like a questionable signing now a year pass.

It's not a terrible draft for offensive linemen, so it's same with wide receivers. The Markis Brown thing, I don't hate it with this fit because it was a one-year deal. They didn't overpay them. Like, and Markies Brown was stuck in a run heavy. Greg Roman offense in Baltimore and played largely without Kyler Murray for much of his time in Arizona. So it's like, I think the chiefs are the one, a lot of landing spots for him I would have been annoyed at.

This, I think, is part of a larger plan. It's good for Rishi Rice. I think they draft someone. It looks like a different way of Super Bowl. I think he's a significant upgrade from Val de Scantling and he's cheaper. And the difference between this year and last year is you're going into this year kind of knowing Rishie Rice is a two plus maybe with room to grow. So now you have two guys that are guys. You need one more.

The Sneed piece is massive. I do wonder if they're letting him test the market and see like, hey, no one's giving you that contract that you want. Maybe it's not so bad to just come back with us for one more year. Because that defense, man, they have great continuity for a defensive defending champion. They're quite young on defense with a lot of the same players coming back. Like, I like that if I'm a chief man. It was Mahomes with some help, obviously, just enough help.

And then a great defense with a great defense. that got it done. I feel like also that they kind of got away with murder a little bit this past year where they had some roster flaws that otherwise would have sunk their season. But so many things broke against other teams around them. Thank you. That they still won the chip. It reminds me of the 2018 Patriots.

Like a lesser team that won the title. They dance with the devil and survive this year. Give yourself a better chance. The Raiders with Gregi. All right. Is this it? quarterback, this is it? We're going to just go into giving the Raiders like five primetime games again

with Gardner Minchu and O'Connell because, man, they've been quiet. It's been a quiet, like they swapped in Alexander Madison for Jacobs. They got a lot of work. I look at this is one of the worst rosters to me still in the AFC. Defensive tackle, huge need. Running back's a huge need. Wide receiver to me. They're kind of thin there.

Quarterback is certainly a huge need. They need cornerbacks. like, man, Antonio Pierce has got a tough job and it's even tougher if that's really it? Or do they move up for a quarterback? Flip this off and send it to Antonio Pierce, please. Well, it's, it's almost saying if you get seven wins out of this roster, that might be a good work. Did you see how we finished? It's one of those, it's a team that kind of feels like they're just floating out in the ether.

And I'm not sure what the plan is. You're stuck with the 13th pick. If you're looking for a quarterback, you've got to move up probably to get the guy you want unless it's the fourth or fifth guy off the board. It'll be the fourth or fifth guy off the board. board. But it feels very Raiders-esque to just have to sort of settle for that. It feels like years in a row we're settling a quarterback.

And even Wilkins, you bring in Wilkins and like, yeah, they still need another defensive tackle. They have like the eighth most caprum too. For me, they need a lot. And they've been very quiet, surprisingly, other than the Wilkins move. I don't think Tom Telesco can come in and just tear the whole thing down, although there was only so much to tear down. I like the Wilkins

thing. I would, I don't know that he's worth the 13th pick. I am a big Michael Pennix fan. I know DJ in his most recent mock draft mocked panics there. That would be intrigue. That would be spicy. It's chaos.

That would be spicy. We know, because they are together at ASU, that Antonio Pierce loves him some jeez. Loves, loves, loves, loves, loves, loves, loves, loves. But that is expensive to go up there. That's the one to watch. But that, I mean, you are, you are selling Vegas time shares for the next five years worth of draft picks to move

up. Don't, yeah, don't again, like we said earlier, don't force a QB pick if it's not there. You want to be aggressive, go get it, but I don't the Minchu story was a nice story playing in, you know, a lukewarm AFC South. If you send Minchu out there in the AFC West

and you get the Chiefs twice and I just feel like he needs to be the backup or the bridge I don't know if he meets out of O'Connell, even if this is it. I sort of can't believe this is it. They've had They should have done, to me, the commanders type of offseason where it's like they did role players.

Just sign 10 to 12 guys that can possibly play. Like Casario three years ago. Yeah, instead of spending all your money on just one guy, Wilkins. There's definitely another move to be made here. I just can't believe this is what they're going to try to sell to Raiders fans. And, you know, you got, you're probably right. They probably get Pennix or Nick. Peace.

Devante Adams is there too. That's a major chess piece to play potentially. Who will be agitated. Cannot wait to see the receiver show on Netflix with McDaniels and Adams. How you got it? The Denver Broncos with Mark Edward Sessler. All right. Sean Payton, you know, came to Denver and right out of the gate.

What are we doing there? You started talking before the clock. I got to reset clocks and stuff. Sometimes you guys are quick on the... You say I'm quick on the trigger. It's like you're running the... It does seem, Eric, though, that you tend to interrupt Mark more than others. Is that a respect thing? What it's going on?

That seems to carry over. The clock is still running, by the way. Here we go. Still running. All right. Here we go, Mark. All right. So, hey, fresh clock, Mark. That's, that's, that's, that's, that's, I would say this. Like, Sean Payton in a very Sean Peyton-esque way, came to Denver and, you know, quickly slashes the previous coach. Old Daddy Hackett and. Old Daddy Hackett and. Blames him for all the, get the slacks. For all the team's troubles. Like, if we're at a fresh start, now I'm here.

Then the Russell Wilson, you know, does what we expected him to do to some degree. And it's you blame Russell Wilson to get him out of the building. I think it's interesting that this team has done literally nothing. They are cap strung. They're in a, it's a weird season. There's a depressing feel around it. But Sean Payton is running out of people to blame. And I always kind of wonder, like, how long is his patience for this project that they don't get someone at

that he can work at? Maybe it's Bo Necks at this point. But do you believe still in Sean Payton as someone like he did with the Saints, Way back when he can fix all this mess or is it someone else gets blamed and then he's the fall guy in the I believe in Peyton still. I also kind of disagree that he's running out of people to point out because when he came in last year, he inherited Russell Wilson in an odious contract. And it was almost like you had to get through last year just to kind of make your move through the Russell Wilson era. And unfortunately, now you have to trade Russell Wilson.

It's really why Sean Payton taking job in the first place was a big. risk because of the Wilson situation because now obviously your cash your cap strap for multiple years. So now I think is the beginning to me of the Sean Payton era. However, Andrew, I also think he has one hand tied behind his back and it's going to be challenging to get this team up and running this year and maybe even through next year. So it's a huge challenge. If he is as good as he thinks he is and as he's proven in his past, we're going to have to see it starting this year. I think they're another team that obviously we've all said this. You have to keep an eye on to be aggressive on draft night to try to move up and get the quarterback.

Because if not, then you are looking at Jarrett Stidman-Bodinix. I mean, I don't know that that is the pick there either. I don't know what they're doing, to be honest with you. And they have a plan. You want to talk about a team, however, that has pressure on its shoulders come draft night on April 25th to do something. I think this is that team. It is interesting. And they had the 12th pick and the Raiders

had that 13th pick. That could change the division for a long time. No one's done less really this off season. I went to check that improvement index. I was just looking at it. I was going to say that Broncos got to be pretty low on it. They are 29. So consider they got they gave away Judy for a five and a six

when they were asking for a two last year. Judy, they're starting QB and Russell Wilson, which you know, they can replace but Cush and Barry who played a lot for them. Josie Jewel played a lot for them well. Justin Simmons who played a lot. So it wasn't a roster to begin with. Who have they brought in, like, Brandon Jones, a safety from the Dolphins

who's okay? They got Will Lutz back. Oh, wait. They brought in some like 46th guy on the roster players that used to play for Sean Payton. What a shock. We have no money. We close out the AFC with Andrews Siciliano on the Chargers.

The third week of October, gentlemen, last year. Where were you? You're likely here. I'll answer. He might have been in London. Do you remember then maybe from over there watching Sharon Moore and Michigan run 28 consecutive times against Penn State? Because they couldn't block. It was the one where he cried afterwards. Correct.

About how much he loves to do, that's what I remember. That's what they're going to do here with your chargers of Los Angeles. When their moves are Will Disley, Hayden Hurst, and Gus Edwards, that tells you everything. And then Mike Williams and Keenan Allen are both out. the door. Everyone who thinks they're going wide receiver at five. No, they're playing big boy football. But they may take Joe out then. You, you, they could. You want to do a over under a flacco starts. How about Herbert pass attempts per game? Like that, that's going to be like 20. Andrew. Here's the problem with that thinking to me is that this isn't Alex Smith anymore.

Jim Harbaugh's got Justin Herbert, who is a great young quarterback. Oh, you're going to, you're going to throw the ball into that. Greg Roman, look what they did at Stanford with Andrew Luck. Okay, fair. They played six tight ends. Right. Is there any world where, like, you are rebuilding the team to some degree and, like, you would ever move Justin Herbert?

No. And get a different quarterback. No. Absolutely not. I've heard that. I would have been. I would have been thinking, like, hey, there's this non-zero chance we can get Herbert next. No, it's actually zero.

It is zero. Yes. So I've found, because I'm like, what are they doing here? You know, it's new GM, Joe Hortz. We don't know. Harba's back. It's been a long time. What are they doing?

And it feels to me like they just decided to keep the defense as you can only overhaul one side of the ball maybe per off season. And they decided we're going to restart this offense because we're offensive coaches. We know how to coach up offense. We actually inherited quite a good offensive line on paper. We can add like one piece, but like compared to the league. average. This is a good offensive line, a good quarterback. We trust that we can

remake the offense and let's just kick the can down the court, you know, a year on defense by keeping Mac and keep. I actually think that's the smart way to do it because they can coach up the offense, maybe more. My one thing is like issues with Herbert with the last two offensive coordinators, like not quite using him the way that you'd want him to be used in certain situations, especially a couple years ago. And so now you're going to put them into an offense that looks like a 1943 creation. We got to see, though. They're very creative they're very people are copying what they do in terms of the

run game like they are a creative often even if it's run first. I thought getting rid of both their standout wide receivers and Gerald Everett was a choice as they say I see I thought they might have those guys and gotten rid of Bosa and Matt. That's what I expected and they did the opposite. They've got nothing

they've got Josh Palmer and nothing like Tramber Keenan Allen if you want and keep Mike Williams or cut Mike Williams and keep Keenan Allen but now they've really put themselves in a pickle in terms of Playmaking. Show me your lightning bulb. We did it.

And we went into the locker room with the T.O., which also maybe you don't want to do, but we did, and that's okay, too. Well, we had to get, you know, Andrew to Beverly Hills. I have a Beverly Hilton or something. What's going on?

What's happening? What is going on? The, um, you want to pull back the curtain on my, on the eligible bachelor of the South Bay. Not that. Lunch date?

A little lunch date? No, I'm going to be doing, it was just announced today, actually, back for a third Olympics with NBC, and I'm going to be doing like a gold zone, like red zone, but the Olympics. Did it for Sochi and did it for Rio. And now we're bringing it back on the peacock. What is that up to do with a Ritzie Hotel? I'm getting there.

It's not a hotel. Have to do a fitting for their wardrobe department. Oh, wow. So, yes. Yeah, their reaction was a little more excited than I was a fitting for the wardrobe. I mean that he's getting fitting. This is, they're like, well, Andrew stays in good shape. They're like, he's actually bigger than last Olympics.

I'm actually smaller than last. I meant like, you know, mussely or something. You did get the suit from NFL Network with your name etched inside them. I did. Did they spell your name right? They did with me, but one of ours was not spelled correctly. I took the L. I took the L. But you know what I did?

You know, I did? I sent it back. Really? I said, bring it back to me. Properly spelled. And they did. How did they spell it? What was the,

It spelled Dan wrong? It was like, the N was after the Z or something. It was an outrageous typo. I checked into the hotel and mobile at the senior bowl and, you know, the Marriott, it says on the screen, hello, come a Greg, right? You've seen that?

Yeah. It just said, hello, Sicilianna. I'm like, what? Is this how we're talking to each other? And I will never complain about free stuff. It was a very nice gesture from the NFL. That media summit, they fitted us for suits and everybody got a new suit. You got to pick out the material.

really cool yeah we don't doubt that you appreciate it i tried on i tried on the suit and it was like david burn in the talking heads uh documentary i was like i can't this is not it's not a flattering look on the zuzzer i can't i can't do this so that ended up with a lot of issues with the suit as it turned i liked my suit you've been you've been through a lot dan and we had you know we note that now we're no longer you know unfortunately um NFL now is no longer a program that was the only I ever wore a suit in my life. So it doesn't come up too often. It's true.

And I'm past the wedding phase. Like I don't really go to weddings anymore. So the idea of wearing a suit is becoming. You don't play bar mitzvahs or anything like that? No. Well, Andrew, try to get me a job with NBC on their Olympics tennis coverage. I attempted to do that. He's not joking.

Oh, I tried 12 years ago because my old boss, you know, runs, you know, things there and stuff. I struck up. Seems like you have it in. Well, yeah. Can you hit him up for this favor off the mic? They had a big strikeout. You and John McEnroe. This was like 12 years ago, yeah.

Andrew, you've said it all. He could have been the next Patrick McEnroe. Missed up. Missed up. Thank you, buddy. Thank you for inviting me, guys. Great spin around the AFC. Tomorrow, the NFC with the Great Claibon.

How are we doing, by the way, Eric, on the Claibon theme songs? I have a couple. I have a couple that we will debut tomorrow. That's something to look forward to. The ATN podcast at gmail.com. Andrew Sziliano theme songs. Anybody. Oh, yeah.

Send them in. Send them in. The ATN podcast. I especially, the call is out for more Colleen theme songs. Be creative. Keep it short.

Be yourself. Keep it short joke for me and Colleen. That's a big one. Keep it short. These three minute long songs that get sent in are straight. What did we decide was the limit?

We want like 20 seconds. Yeah, like a little sting. You know, 30. 30 max. Yeah. We're not looking for November rain here. 30 seconds max. 20 seconds.

Something nice. You know, maybe a little fade underneath them when we intro them you know, a little bells and whistle. But yeah,

nothing longer than 30. Don't test our patience. Exactly. But please give us your music. We would love it. All right, Andrew. Good luck with the Olympics.

Love you guys. Love you too. Till Thursday. You know what you got to do. Greg, do you know what we got to do. I've always known what you got to do.

Chris Wessling told us what to do. I've got it on my arm. There it is. heed the call This is an IHeart podcast.