NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Best and worst signings

Episode Date: March 13, 2015

A room filled with heroes -- Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, Chris Wesseling and Marc Sessler -- breaks down all the latest free agency happenings, including DeMarco Murray's move to the Philadelphia Eagles. Who made the most sensible signings? Which team will regret dropping the big bucks? Tune into the latest "Around the NFL Podcast" to find out.Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comNFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. The Around the NFL podcast. Lost the locker room and can't find it. Welcome back to another edition of the Around the NFL podcast. My name is Dan Hansus and I'm joined by a room filled with heroes. Mark Sessler, Chris Wesley. And Greg Rosenthal. What's up, boys?

Hey, Dan. We're back in here. Mark, I'm actually disappointed that you're not wearing your overall. oversized sport jacket. I was hoping it would become your thing like you would start dressing like Paula Poundstone or something. Wow.

That's where I'm trying to go. You always make fun of Wes for outdated references. No one knows Paula Poundstone in 2015. Oh, I feel like my Twitter feed will say otherwise, Mr. Rosenthal. My references are great, by the way. So they're great, Wes. So this is, we're back in the studio one day later because that is what we have to do

free agency week, even though things are starting to slow down. a little bit. It's calming down. There's still plenty of things to talk about, obviously, but we're not in the frenzy. Greg, we add in the frenzy at this point? No, we're in the slow trot right now, but today was busy. Still more news

will happen over the next four days than really happens for all of May, June, and July. So we've got a lot of people out there. Unless you're Dan. Whenever Dan is in on a weekend, there's always a wild string of arrests. Usually a felonious incident goes down that leads to trouble. I'm looking forward

to Sunday, basically. Wes? A lot of incidents when you're on, because Mark and I are off. I know. It's almost suspicious now that I think of it. So, yeah, so we have a lot to get to today. I think this is going to be a really good show. It's going to be a great show, actually.

We're going to talk about the moves that we've loved so far. We're going to go around the table at least once. Give us a move you love. Then we're going to do a move. You hate it. and we'll talk about why we feel that way. We're also going to check in on our Go Get My Lunch, a Dirtbag.

I don't like that one. Go get my lunch, Sleez Bucket. Clown. Go get my lunch, clown. It's got a nice ring to it. Yeah, we're going to check in on those. Kind of like, Go Get My Lunch, Mark. Oh.

What do you think of that? I think it's, again, Greg creating an hostile work environment. Yes. Going to create a letter to. HR. I was really talking about that you've struggled with the game was really what I was I went through I went through all of them we got about 60, 70% already decided and some they'll be interesting to check in on now that a free agency is three days old.

But before we do any of that, we're going to check behind the glass and this is a new thing now late in the week, our final podcast, our old friend, our current friend and our future friend, the gold standard. What's up, buddy? Sirs, not too much. How are you doing? are you doing just great i have to say i got to just put it out there so everybody knows i walk into the the studio and immediately there's gold standard on on the board he's uh he has

some new drops that he took care of he's doing some organization uh on the hard drive and you wonder if it's a bit of a shot across the bow of td who maybe getting a little too comfortable now under his glorious stewardship he's done a fantastic job and i'm just here you know for general maintenance doing my thing keeping the ship dip afloat, but he's doing... Isn't that exactly the answer you would give? I don't... You know, we all know Gold Standard away from the podcast to one of the nicest people at NFL media, and, you know, that is who he is.

But in this particular case, there is, it was a case, he was really trying to outshine T.D. verbally. I think it's like a lot of pro athletes. That answer might be politically correct, but it hides the fissures that are below the surface. It's like Tom Brady when he stepped in for Drew Bloods, saying all the right things, but just trying to take a lot of. There are some parallels.

Most parallels when it comes to Gold Standard connect to Golden Tate, as we know, who he has active sandwich wager over. But the Tom Brady, but that is TD Drew Bledso? I don't know. Yeah, he'll be in Buffalo working on the Buffalo Times podcast two years from now. Now that's a shot. All right. Let's do some news, TD.

Ooh. That's right. Wow, that's awkward. No, let's do some news, Gold Standard. Let's do it. Beautiful. The great Ted DiBiase, the Million Dollar Man, makes sense.

Perfect sense during Free Agency Week. So let's talk some money. And let's start with DeMarco Murray, the number one running back on the market, at least until if or when an if Adrian Peterson shows up. But DeMarco Murray, the reigning rushing champion, is now a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. He signed a five-year deal

where the touch over 40 million, more than 20 million guaranteed we're hearing, according to Ian Rappaportar, NFL Media Insider. So, DeMarco Murray, going to the Eagles. But that's only half the story here because in kind of like a weird day where we're trying to figure out what's going on with the Eagles, Ryan Matthews, we thought, had a deal. And we talked about this on yesterday's show. And then it looks like Murray gets the deal, and Matthews is out. But then Matthews, before we came up today, signs a three-year deal with the Cowboys. So Murray.

The Eagles. Oh, excuse me. It's the Eagles. So Murray and Matthews both on the Eagles. Thoughts, Greg? I wonder if the Eagles just felt like they owed it to Ryan Matthews after they already agreed to a contract. You know, that, like, whether it was too late. Because Mark, you talked about it downstairs.

This probably wasn't their plan all along, the Murray Matthews combo. I don't think you, I mean, I don't think you plan on your offseason and say this is how we're going to attack it. But maybe Chip Kelly feels like he can. have both i don't have a problem with that wait so you're saying that you think that they did it almost that of uh as a favor to matthews not to hurt him too bad after this not a favor but they agreed to a contract with them they're not going to back out now i thought it looked like matthews was going to back out

and that that the possibility of him going to oakland or somewhere else was really coming from his camp that was the sense that i got it sounds like maybe in between they surveyed what market was still out there for him and the deal they had with Philadelphia was probably the best deal, and he said, I don't mind sharing the ball with DeMarco Murray. He's a great player. This is a great team. I just want to contribute. And ultimately, he's not getting really any more money than Shane Vereen's getting him. He's getting high-quality backup money, and he's probably the best backup in the league. I love the Matthews signing yesterday, or Wednesday or Tuesday when it first was agreed to.

I thought it was great. They got an extreme bargain, one of the best early down running backs in the NFL. And then I don't know how to feel about DeMarco Murray. It looks like, I thought that they were bringing him in because he was such a bargain, and he came at a discount rate, but it doesn't look like he did. Now, $20 million. That was the one really stunning thing here was the money for DeMarco Murray. Yeah, I mean, especially in this market, as we know, to get over $20 million. And to me, it's just like, all right, this is good for DeMarco Murray's career

after a 400-touch season. You would think that he's not going to have to be used in that way again in this offense. I will throw it to you guys with this question. If you're the Eagles, would you rather have Lashon McCoy or the DeMarco Murray Ryan Matthews combo? Are they better off now than they were a week ago? Yes. They decided by the end of last year that they didn't like McCoy on the field and all those important situations. Would Chris Wesleyan rather have McCoy?

I would much rather have McCoy and Matthews than – or I would rather have Murray and Matthews than McCoy. I would too, and I'm surprised it seems like Eagles fans don't feel that's way. Because to me, DeMarco Murray, you can say he's an injury risk, but he's a top – five to seven running back in the NFL. So the difference between him and McCoy is not great if it is at all. And then you get Matthews, and you really get Alonzo too. So I think it's those three guys or Lashon McCoy. And the volume with which they run the ball,

I don't have a problem with over the course of a long season, two guys. It's not going to split 50-50. We know that. And they must have talked to both running backs behind the scenes and said, here's what we might do with it. I don't think they even know. And by the way, Dary and Sproles is in the mix there. Two. The one thing, and we talked about this yesterday,

Chip Kelly continues to bring in guys that have some injury history, and Ryan Matthews is basically best known for not being able to stay healthy. So you think if you have two... Which is, which is, it's not even true. I mean, he's a running back. Running backs get hurt. Oh, he has not been a lot. Hold on, hold on, hold on.

There's a lot of people throwing around the phrase injury risk when they really mean recency bias. LeShon McCoy, two years ago, nobody knew if he'd play another down of football because he was still three months. later experiencing concussion symptoms. To me, still, that's a much bigger injury risk than anything Ryan Matthews had. That's true. It's a fair point on McCoy.

But the reality is McCoy hasn't missed almost any games in his entire career. And Matthews has throughout his career. He missed four as a rookie. He missed four a couple years ago. Maybe. He missed for him. I don't think it is. I think it's five years.

Well, it's like Daniel Jeremiah says hurt players are hurt players. They stay hurt. That's what they do in their career. Only when they don't. I mean, there's a lot of examples where they don't. I mean, I just don't. Well, you're right, Wes. But I think it just emphasizes the fact that having two over one in that kind of of offense.

That's why I like having the two of them and not just leaning on one guy and then he's gone in week three. That's a fair point. And we've heard that they want to have a three-headed monster. To me, Murray's a three down back. I mean, that's why you get him is because he's the most complete guy. That's why he's getting all the money. But it does make you feel like Kelly doesn't exactly have a plan and he's still the fantasy owner kind of like the first day waivers open after the season starts or you know before

the season and he just is like picking up everyone he can and then dropping and then changing his mind is like okay I'll go with them at running back and then a wide receiver typically it doesn't work out the fantasy owner that overthinks things but i don't know it's like this is the weird move to me i don't know there's a lot of money now invested it in the running back position for for the eagles and and i don't know it's like who you're trying to prove what are you trying to prove into who chip and maybe it all works out and they're going to be great this year But I don't know. I just don't believe in these moves either.

Not both of them anyway. One or the other would have been fine to me. I think he's getting himself into money problems, potentially. I like both of these backs in that offense. You know, we heard so much about the North-South thing. In my opinion, two of the top five North-South runners in the NFL. But the head-scratching part is they both operate better when they're getting 20 carries a game. Right.

Like we saw that especially with Ryan Matthews two years ago. Well, maybe one of them gets hurt. It's essentially maybe Matthews is an insurance. policy and a very good one and a team that is run first or maybe they're going to be run first everyone thinks that chip kelly is the passing guy but at oregon and we've seen in philadelphia he's just as much about the running game you call him insurance policy don't be surprised if manthes out produces demarko murray what we saw the last two months of the season demarko murray was not the same back that he was the first three months of the season and i think that's that has

to be part of the reason why the cowboys didn't show any aggressive so what do the cowboys do they go to the draft. That's the weird... They got Adrian Peterson in their back pocket, don't they? I don't know. That's the weird thing about the Chip Kelly as a GM. You know, is it the best value to spend all this? If the Raiders did this, we would make fun of them.

That's the reality. That they're spending this much money when the draft is this deep at running back. So we talked about two running backs that got paid and now running back that just got cut. Trent Richardson was waved by. Wow. See, you get a millennial in here behind the glass And you never know what's going to happen Trent Richardson waved by the Indianapolis Colts

Capping, I would say one of the In terms of personnel lows in the Colts history A first round pick that gave up a year and a half ago or so To get Trent Richardson And Richardson was stiff He could not move, could not gain yardage Good stat that we heard downstairs That he has the second lowest yards per carry average

Is this from U.S.? No, it was from ESPN. Okay, Twitter account officially. Okay. Second lowest yards per carry average of any running back in the NFL ever since 1970. So could not, had no explosion, no burst, never was what they want him to be, and now he's out the door. One of the biggest draft busts of all time, or trade busts of all time, and could go down as the last ever trade for a first round pick for a running back. I mean, who's going to give up a first round pick for a running back anymore? I don't know.

Maybe Adrian Peterson? And goes down as a, man, I was talking the other week about Michael Lombardi's charm life. This was the Lombardi trade, right? I'm not mixing it up, am I? Yeah, it was him in Banner, and they were openly fried from all angles for even considering this trade. Actually, this is a good reminder of how stupid we all are, that when this trade came out, it was mostly people thinking it was a great trade for the Colts. You say that, though, and I do remember on this podcast, we were split. We thought that the Browns made a good deal, that it was a fair deal for the rounds.

We were split. I wrote an article saying Ryan Grigsden pulled off a heist. Right. I was wrong. You were half of the split that was wrong, but we were split on it. And in defense of everyone that defended or defended the move by the Browns, or excuse me, got. It's okay. It's all right, Dan.

It's been a long week. In defense of anyone, anyone that said Trent Richardson was going to be. a stud at Indianapolis. He wasn't that bad as a rookie with the Browns. He had a bunch of touchdowns. He never looked like that. He ran over some people. They even made a new rule because his crown of a helmet

destroyed someone that one time. So he didn't look too bad. It was only really after he got to the Colts where he looked totally sluggish. So at the time, the guy he became wasn't who he was at the time of the trade. And Dan and I have a major sandwich bet on this because you claim that he will never...

Proposition. I don't even know what it is called now. I don't even know. You know what? I've never qualified the word. Proposition's way better. It's cleaner. Dan says Trent Richardson will never play another snap in the NFL.

Oh, a regular season. I went in the regular season. Well, not in the playoffs, of course. Well, the preseason. All right, well, no. I am taking that he will because, hey, he's only 23 years old. 24, I had the date wrong. He's 24 years old, just a year over 23, Dan.

Sure. And, you know, what do you get picked up two years from now? Maybe he has a big comeback story and gets in a week on game. Well, one thing you're missing. is that he stanks. Yeah, but he's a bum. He's got the pedigree in the background for some team to say, we're going to fix this.

I'm going to take, can I jump in on this? No, this is personal to Mark and I. Here's the funny thing. This feels like you backing out here. Either you believe in Chuck Richardson or you don't or whatever. I'm talking to the person that I did the prop bet with. Would you please let me do it? When Mark and I were downstairs and I was laying out what I thought would happen,

this is how I know I'm going to be the victor. Because I know you're plugged in on Richardson from his Browns days and all that. I said, this is how I see his career going. He's going to, he got cut, he's going to get cut in training camp by some team that took a look at him. He's going to sign with the CFL and then kind of flame out after a couple of years. You said, no, he'll never go to the CFL because he doesn't like football enough. Well, then how is he going to get back into the NFL? It ain't happening.

I guarantee you that some team's going to think we can make something out of a guy. If one thing, he's 29. He's got to get in shape. Who cares about his age? He doesn't show nothing. If you look at every player that had a carry last season, there are probably 20 guys on there that none of us outside of Wes and Greg, so you and me, have ever heard of.

There is some GM out there that is still thinking about his evaluation that he made of Richardson coming out of college. Exactly. That's why he'll get signed. These guys always get chances, and it can be a third running back that gets two or three carries at some point. I'm going with Mark. Cajana Carter was the worst player.

not worse it was an injury problem but he kept getting chances Washington New Orleans late in his grade people just let these guys who get taken high in the draft get chances after chance it's over Dan Richie Incognito got back in the league and you won a sandwich and by the way you should have learned because I pick my spots and when we get to the prediction sandwich props you'll see that I'm on a roll so I might be right about this too

you'll see you are you are cleaning up somebody feeling his onions too yeah moving on the Jets are finalizing a deal for a reunion with Antonio Cromartie, the 30-year-old cornerback is close to a deal, reports Albert Breer. This will reunite Dorel Rivas and Cromarty in the Jets' secondary. They played together from 2010 to 2012. We know the Jets also signed Buster Screen.

Scrine, Screen, is that? Screen. Screen. So it looks like they have a brand new secondary. I like this move. Don't love this one as much as Revis, obviously. And again, this makes them a lot better in the short term. Their secondary is going to be so much better.

And Cromarty had success with Todd Bowles last year, and now he's playing with Bowles again. Wes, you think it was a bad sign. No, the Jets just crack me up. They're hilarious. They couldn't pay Cromarty 3 million last year because they wanted AWOL, Dmitri Patterson, on their roster. That was John Idzick.

Right. Don't paint the whole Jets. That was awful Jeter. He was running. He was running. I think it's funny. Like Rex Ryan would kill with this team. He would be doing awesome with this team, and they couldn't give him Kromarty last year.

They couldn't give him Rivas. Well, but you know what? It might not have been – you should have signed a Kromarty last year, but that doesn't mean you should sign him this year. You want Kermardi that's hungry coming off a disastrous season on a contract he doesn't like. You don't want Kermardi here, who's been wildly up and down in his career in his 30s getting that final payday. Like, that's not the guy that I'm really looking forward to. Well, who would you rather have, Kromarty?

or what's on the market. I'd rather draft someone and not sign big, bad contracts. Bringing back a team. Wait, why are we going back and forth? Sometimes it matters the money and sometimes it doesn't. What happened to how the salary caps

getting bigger and bigger and this stuff doesn't matter anymore? We never know. I don't think Cromarty is a good signing regardless for big time money. It doesn't mean money doesn't matter. It means we have to recalibrate a little bit of our expectations. Would you take Cromarty in the New England secondary right now?

Depends on what the contract was. We should let the list. behind the curtain here a little bit. The scientist heat in the newsroom has been replaced by AFC East Heat between the hand in the egg all week. Wes and I just look at each other a couple times a day saying when this has gone ahead soon. You know what's always a great idea in the NFL? Bring back a team that was moderately successful three or four years ago,

but pay them way more money. Somebody's nervous. Listen, I'm being honest. I don't think this was a home run signing, but it makes them better. Again, they've got better. They're better in their secondary now. So I think I'm on board of it.

It's just, they're just, you know, they're making moves. They're doing it. I like it, and I'm excited. The book that we've referenced roughly 4,200 times on this podcast. The Bible, yes. Oh. I just love reading the mixed reaction to everything that Antonio Cromarty represented as an on-field player and off-field nuisance and the mixture of all of it, that I wonder if, you know, Bowles made it work with him last year. That's a big part of this.

You're not throwing Cromartie on a guy that's never worked with him. If they can make it work, Revis and Cromarty together, they studied a ton of film. Revis was a good influence on him. Maybe D. Milner isn't a total disaster. Buster Screen is serviceable. You fix the second. Servicable, but you're paying him like a really good player. Well, I think he's more than serviceable.

Whenever you say something nice about him, people go crazy. And I realize he's got to work on the penalties. But all they wanted was the new front office to go in and fix this defense. They've done it. And Screen was their number two corner last year, right, for the Browns? Yeah. So he's going to be the Jets nickel corner, their third corner. So you're giving him a different role.

Glad to help you out there, too. So I don't know. We'll see. The only thing with the Jets that would worry me if I was you is every time, you know, you couldn't have been more optimistic. Like the Jets Nation was very positive about the team a year ago, weren't they? Kind of coming off that 8 and 8 season and it falls apart. Going into the 8 and 8 season, everyone thought, oh, this is the worst team in the league.

Like, it's the worst Jets thing ever. And then they kind of saved it. It could go very wrong. It's like winning a March championship. No, the fan base, honestly, the fan base was confident before free agency last year coming off that season with Rex back. After Idzik put the stink out there almost immediately. Jetsunds are very unhappy about what he did in the secondary.

And I don't know. It's all over, though. It's gone. It's a new era growing in the AFC East. It's not a new era at all, but they are maybe a game better. The New England Patriots, speaking of which, And the Jets, former wide receiver, Percy Harvin, former Jets wide receiver, Percy Harvin, now a free agent after being cut.

The Patriots, according to Chris Wesley, wrote a great piece breaking down where he thinks Percy Harvin winds up, a list, a great list of five teams and gets into it on each of it. He puts it at the top of the Pats, which you think, Wes, that Harvin makes sense on the Patriots. Well, Bill Belichick's always been a huge fan of Percy Harvin. to the point where Brad Childress used to go around gloating that he drafted Percy Harvin one spot before Belichick

because the Patriots really wanted Harvin. So I think that makes the most sense. Ian Rappaport has said that Patriots have a very good chance to get him. Of course, he visited Buffalo first, so we'll see what happens from there. Where is Brad Childress right now? He is at a right-aid instant photo booth working as the second photo man night shift. Wasn't he like a still telling that story? Special projects coordinator or something for the Chiefs?

That's my favorite. Is he done with his special project? Yeah, it's my favorite title. He's like over in the corner playing Lincoln Logs. Didn't he become like spread game coordinator or like wildcat? It became something that he had nothing to do with what he's. Special projects coordinator. What was Chud when he first got hired after Browns?

Didn't he have a ridiculous title too? Yeah, something like. Admitted a minute. Excuse me. We've been working a lot this week. This is outrageous. I like that Percy Harvin, by the way. kind of leaks to ESPN's Josina Anderson that he's grown tired of being a gadget guy.

He wants to be used more as a traditional wide receiver and he wants to play with a more experienced quarterback. This is a guy with not a lot of self-awareness in terms of like his market value. You know what I mean right now after everything that's gone on in the last few years? I don't know. Look what happened the one time he played with a Hall of Fame quarterback. Brett Farve. He was the best slot receiver in the NFL. I mean Russell Wilson's not like the worst player.

Russell Wilson wasn't not known for being one of the best passers in the NFL. Were you going for administrative assistant? Yes, I was. Admin Assistant 3. That's a higher pay grade. I just got this one. His title was Special Assistant to Head Coach. That doesn't sound that.

There's a lot of those. Not too bad. But how do you think that makes all the other assistants feel? Not so special. That's Orwellian. I don't think they were envious of Brett. Get Harvin in the mix, by the way. Brandon Gibson's not going to cut it.

By the way, your boy, Danny Amundal is coming back. So that would seem to indicate maybe. He's my boy. West floating across the newsroom. He is definitely. I don't even like Danny Amandol. He is your boy. No, he's in the stable.

It's just started because Greg's been trying to cut him for a year and a half. Well, he took a pay cut to stay, so he smartly realized. All I pointed out is that his value would be the same as Edelman's if he did not get hurt in the first game he played with the Patriots. He was largely responsible for that Ravens win. I don't know. largely responsible. He was a big part of it, so I give him credit. Moving on.

Stick with the Pats. Brandon Browner, now former Patriot, they let him walk. He is now a member of the Saints. The Saints reach a deal with Brandon Browner. Three years and roughly $18 million.

I don't know. This one's a bit of a head scratcher. To me, the Patriots could have brought him back for less than $2 million, correct? I think it was five for the Patriots. But the Saints are paying them more than that, and they gave him $10 million guaranteed, I read, which I am surprised. But the cornerback market has been crazy. It really outlines how much teams value cornerbacks.

Plus, the big cornerbacks. That's what everybody wants now. And he's probably the biggest cornerback in football, right? Well, great. Let's talk about big cornerbacks. One of Mark's favorite phrases, off-season hype bunnies. Saints draft a guy in the second round. I don't think I've ever heard you say that before.

Hype bunnies? Offseason hype bunny. That's a Jim Reinhick and one of our editors downstairs. We've talked about hype bunnies. It's typically draftable guys, though. Okay. Saints draft a guy named Stanley Jean Baptiste last year. Supposed to be the Brandon Browner of the Saints, 6-3-2-20.

Second round they drafted him. He plays like eight snaps all year. They just throw in the towel on him, and then, all right, we wanted Brandon Browner. We'll just go get him. Let's get the Brandon Browner of Brandon Browner. Instead of some guy with a Haitian name. Again, the Saints, I feel like, are floating into the Abyss. This rap sheet tweeted out, if the Saints do sign Brandon Browner,

and it could very well happen, it happened. Sean Payton gets his locker room enforcer. Browner will take ownership. What? Who said that? Yes, because two championship teams have wanted him gone in the last two years, right? Patriots can't wait to wait to get rid of him, clearly. Can't wait until Brandon Browner puts a chokehold on the first guy to step out of line in that locker room.

St. toasting CJ Spiller, too. That would be fun. Maybe we want to take a sandwich proposition that Brandon Browner is back in the free agent market next season? No. No. I bet I'd do one that he leads the league in penalties. How's your vapors, Mark? It is hot in here.

I don't know what's happening. Mark fanning himself. We should get in one of those the Asian fans, like the elegant ones. I just enjoy the fresh air. I got the vapors. I don't want you to pass. It's been an outrageous week.

I got some of those fans. I can bring some in. Oh, that's right. Greg connected to Asian culture through his wife. I like that just all of Asia is the same culture to Dan. Well, Japanese culture for you specifically. Four HR level comments coming through. through the mic here.

I don't understand. What was wrong with what I just said? Wait, Gold Standard. You're a cultured man. You travel the world to watch soccer. You know, what was wrong with what I said? No, I think you did fine. It just be kind of like someone, like if they were...

You can't say Oriental. You can say Asian. If they were having, like, let's say a swimming podcast in Japan and they just, you know, refer to to North American culture, that would make about the same amount of sense. Well, I wouldn't take offense to it, though. I'd be like, oh, that guy's probably stupid. By the way, they're swimming podcasts. It's a broad net geographically.

Since we are entirely reasonable people, we don't take offense to stuff like that. That's fair. I think also. I think Greg brought it up. I think you'd do better with like a southern Spanish fan. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. Well, we've got some money attached to the show.

Let's get some equipment. We've got to talk to a shadowy league figure about getting you a fainting couch. Why do you get so affected by the heat? I think of this a little bit. Some people, I guess, are just born that way? Just hot-blooded, I don't know, Greg. Why don't you keep making comments about my person that I can just file and send right on down to human resources?

Moving forward. Let's move forward. Because things got a little testy. The Saints have traded Ben Grubbs, their guard, to the Chiefs, in exchange for a 2015... It's hard for me to read with Mark in my periphery, fanning himself. I put it down. We're fine.

No, do it. I'm sorry. It's just a little bit to destroy. Oh my God. Trade Grubbs to Kansas City for a 2015-fifth round pick. Grubbs is on the books are $6.5 million in salary, 9.6 million in the cap. Wes, I hate when your scientist stuff gets blown up because you sounded really smart yesterday when you said they wanted to build stronger up the middle, but I guess they're still trying to trim money at the end of the day. This trade is as boring as the chiefs are as a team. It's just another reminder of what we're saying about the Saints, though. It's that they don't seem to have a coherent plan.

They signed up to huge money three years ago, and now they trade him. Well, they were talking about cutting him all offseason, and now we hear several reports today that basically every player in the Saints roster outside of Ingram, Breeze, and Brandon Cooks is being shopped around the league. So this is entire – it looks like they're blowing it up. There are whispers, by the way, some Drew Breeze whispers. I know there are. Are they all coming from Mark's death?

Yeah, from who? Mark and Damashak? No, I've heard. I've heard. You know what? Just keep Gaffling in your haughty nature. Just keep staying above the fray, Greg.

You know what? You're going down. Breeze will not be on the roster. I get it. It's your bit at this point. Every year a Hall of Fame quarterback must be traded or die or something. Next year it's going to be Aaron Rogers moves to join like a volleyball team or something. I really think also there's a lot of evidence with the Saints in general.

Forget Breeze. They are just letting pieces go. It's a fire sale. I don't know. what they're doing. Kenny Stills is reportedly on the market. Let me just throw... Let me just throw something out there.

I'm always welcome, no matter the context. If Drew Brees were to become available, I'm just curious. I'm going to ask the scientists, Mark, you can jump in as well. Thank you. What a pleasure. What would it cost a team to get Drew Brees? 36 years old, maybe on the decline, but still, a Hall of Fame passer, with, you would imagine, a couple years of the tank.

If the Saints decided we are shopping him aggressively or we are willing to have our socks. We're not desperate to get rid of him, but at the same time, they've made the internal decision they would like to trade him. Here's where you start is a franchise quarterback, because there's no way they would trade him without getting a top 10 to 12 quarterback

or a rookie quarterback that they love. So Gino Smith and a third for Drew Brees. Stop. What? So, you know, if there was some team that was willing to give up their younger quarterback that they liked or Marcus Marriota or something like that. That would be the starting point. I don't think they would trade him unless they had another quarterback in the building.

Like Rapsheet reported last year, surprisingly during the season, that the Saints would draft a quarterback this year. Right. So maybe if they draft a second or third rounder this year and that guy looks promising in a year or two. How about Tampa Bay, number one overall, with an extra number one pick and one of the best players you can pick on the roster? They're not ready to compete either. The Bucks aren't ready to go.

Yeah, but Lovie Smith would much rather, I think, work with a total known quality under center than to start over with some young quarterback. I don't think Sean Payton is thinking long term. I feel like he's year to year right now. It's a weird situation. Ownership is. I just can't see them rebuilding. If they got back a great quarterback like Mario, yeah, if they thought Marriota was great, that's a little different. How about Drew Brees, and I'm being serious now, Drew Brees and a five for Andy Dalton, two number ones.

and a conditional two. Are you saying who says no? Yeah. If I'm the Saints, I say no. You're getting a quarterback that's an established guy that can do some things. Not good enough. I think franchise quarterbacks are untradable. And if I don't have a franchise quarterback,

I'm willing to give up three first-round picks to have a franchise quarter. What about a 36-year-old franchise quarterback when the coach and GM may not even be there a year? If you're – Dan asked this in the newsroom. If you're the Jets and you feel like the rest of the – of your roster can compete, I would have no problem. You know, he's not 39, he's 36, and we've seen what Brady and Manning have done from 36 to 38.

I'd be fine with it. Well, you also can't underestimate that Drew Breeze is the Jim Brown of Cleveland. I mean, he brought them a Super Bowl. He is the greatest athlete that cities ever had by far. So to give him up. Pistol Pete. To trade him away would be the biggest, like, it would take stones. People would hate it.

People would stop doing season tickets. So you better have people coming back. But why not trade him when he has value? What if a year from now we're like, you know what, Breeze fell off a cliff last year and he's no trade value? I just say. If Wes is the GM, he's trade him because you already think they're windows closed. No, I'm not trading them.

I don't trade franchise quarter. But you just said their Super Bowl window closed. It's the NFL. It could be opened up. If you have a franchise quarterback, the window can open up again. Okay. Okay. I got you.

To me, franchise quarterbacks are off the table. You cannot trade them. Good talk, guys. Well, but Belichick has done that a couple of times. They had something in place, but I mean, I think that, you know, thinking outside the box. What do you mean, Belichick? Then what? He traded Bledsov once he realized Brady was better.

The difference here is they don't have that, but if you could go get the number one pick and you get someone like a James Winston, I just think he's not 28 years old. He is 36, it's fair. And still playing at a high level. And by the way, Mark, I do view you as a football head. But within the constraints of the show, we refer. to Wes and Greg. I just want to.

Yeah, we can talk about it later. It would not offend me if Mark was referred to as a scientist. I understand. I don't want to be a scientist. I understand. But I don't want to be a pirate. Moving on, the Baltimore Ravens have agreed to a deal to keep Justin Fawcett in the building. Bert Breer reports the deal is worth about $9 million over three years.

This is a nice little story. Forcette of this journeyman, 29 years old, all of a sudden, shows up out of nowhere and steps into the void left by Ray Rice, almost 1,300 yards on 237 carries and eight touchdowns last year, so they bring them back. Everybody wins, right? Well, they don't bring him back to Gary Kubiak's zone blocking scheme, which was responsible for his career. They said they're going to try to keep a lot of...

Without Gary Kubia. Right. I mean, it's a great world when guys like, you know, Justin Forset get rewarded. Trent Richardson, on the other hand, not so much. I do have to add this. I know it doesn't have anything to do with Forset, but this is a quote from Trent Richardson today.

Me and the GM didn't see eye to eye. My next step, I'll be the starter. Indianapolis didn't fit me. He's so stupid. He's a terrible attitude. He is the king of like... That's going to hurt his chances of like getting jobs. I know.

He needs to not talk as much either. It's not even just lacking self-awareness. That's straight delusional. He's been saying, he's been dropping delusional nuggets, by the way, for a good six months now. And he was proven wrong on every single one. It's got a pipe down. But which is sad,

because when he started as a rookie, he was the opposite. And when he was traded, the one thing, not to get back to that. Success went to his head, obviously. Well, I know about that, but I think that he wasn't this guy who's been, you know, defamed on Twitter on social media for three years now. Yeah, I mean, it makes me think there's more going on behind the scenes if he's changed his personality. When he got traded a couple veterans, you know, there was reports that said,

listen, we won't miss him in Cleveland. Right. Hey, Wes, do you want to talk about some Antral roll, you boy? He's headed to Chicago. He does enough talking for everyone. After a five-year run with the New York Giants, he signs a three-year contract worth $11.25 million with $5 million and guaranteed money to the Bears.

He was a nice player in that giant secondary, made some play. It was a playmaker. It was an important guy for a while there. It was time for him to move on. Now he's with the Bears. Another Bears move. I don't get as excited about this one.

I thought he was that excited about Antro Role either. But Eddie Royal also going on the Bears, reaches an agreement, you know, it's been a long time since that breakout rookie year in 2008. But Eddie Royal in Chicago now, catching some passes. Somebody's got to do it. Brandon Marshall's not there anymore with Al-Shon Jeffrey. Well, filled that big hole you were talking about,

the slot received from Chicago. They knew it was a big team. Look at Dan knows what's going on. Listen, plugged in. Scientist also. The greatest of all football heads. So, the Bears now have Eddie Royal and Antro roll. Thoughts.

It's a lot better idea than re-reus. uniting Chris Conte and Major Wright in Tampa Bay. That's true. Conti leaves Chicago. They got rolled in Goldson leaves Tampa. Chicago probably got the best end of that little exchange. Yeah, I think that the Bears have been trying to find safeties ever since Mike Brown was a stud. This contract by Eddie Royal, it could go in my stinker contract conversation,

but since we're doing it now, I'll just say it. I mean, that's a crazy contract that Eddie Royal is getting more than $5 million a year. What? In $10 million guaranteed in 2000. I actually almost am assuming that the reports of the money are wrong because it seems outrageous. I don't know. Cash foods everything around me. Cream get the money.

Dollar dollar bill, y'all. Oh, yeah. That should be my theme music. I like that. All right. Yeah, isn't that the craziest contract? The two craziest contracts have seen are Carrie Williams getting $7 million for this year, and then Eddie Royal getting $10 million guaranteed.

All right, just so we're all clear, Wes. The rules of the speed round are to be as quick and concise. Even if you're a football head scientist that feels like he has a message, during the actual speed round, got to be quick. And then maybe elaborate after the speed round. I got a couple of messages on Twitter from people saying that Dan Hansa should never cut me off. Really? Your brothers or something?

A couple of girls. Wait, what? All right. Well, we're going to investigate that. area girls call out Dan Hansis for cutting off Chris Wesley. Listen, one day when Wes has his own show, you can go on forever. That will never happen. But right now, we're all as a group.

And in the speed round, we just got to be fast. I don't want my own show. All right, here we go. Let's do this. Here we go. All right, we'll start in Atlanta, Falconsland, former Bucks pass rusher, Adrian Claybourne. Also, pass rusher, O'Brien Schofield. Wes, your thoughts?

Well, Schofield comes over. from Seattle. Quinn brings him back with him, and then Claiborne has been a first-round bust. That doesn't excite me at all. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, more work they're doing on their defensive end. Henry Melton joins them a deal that could be worth up to $5 million. Mark's, uh, excuse me, Greg's Roosevelt. Greg's boy. Greg's favorite player in the NFL. I do feel like the Cowboys, I mean, the buck signing Cowboys leftovers is not the best

strategy. Rex Ryan has announced the bills have signed quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Mark Sessler, get excited. I mean, if you're looking for way as a new coach and franchise to sell tickets bingo the raiders have signed former eagle safety nate allen will that make a difference west come on raiders stop it this guy was burnt all the time in philadelphia so they sign him this year so they can cut him next year got to back off the raiders yeah barred Rahim the dream more agrees to a three year 12 million dollar deal with the texans that's a nice recovery I like that nice little bargain I don't know where Rahim the dream came from.

I don't know either. Anything else? Oh, C.J. Spiller is visiting the New Orleans Saints, Mark Sessler. I don't know why any player would go to the Saints right now, but I'm waiting for the Jets to swoop in and get C.J. Spiller. They don't seem interested. They seem to have no interest.

West, Stevie Johnson has been released by the 49ers. Anything left? I don't know why. It took him a week to do it. The guy was making $6 million and they would only play him 10 snaps a game. I have a note here that Redding to cards. Greg. Oh, wow. Corey Redding. One of my favorite veteran defense alignment.

Good player. And cut it. Speed round. That was speedy. That was great, Wes. Tell all your minion of women, your Manson female following. I don't have any accolars. It's not personal.

It's just the speed round comes with an element of speed. That's all. I think some people like it when I have messages for stat nerds. We do love it. I feel like I'm still not getting through on this. I'm trying to, though. We went fast that time. That was great.

No, I just made my overall point on that. I love hearing the scientist pontificate. I love it. West cannot be shackled by normal rules. Well, I got right. That's what I'm getting at us. For normal men. All right.

Two more things before we go. Let's start with moves that we loved and moves that we hated. And so we'll do one each. If you have more, if you feel inclined, you need to get a second. one out that's fine it's our podcast we can do whatever we want so first up let's go around the room Greg well that's the thing Greg it's about picking the one beyond all the others here's one way around that I'm going to smash a lot of the Colts ones together I just like what they've done Andre Johnson and Trent Cole especially I just like these veterans not over the hill good

enough mid-range money like it you love that yeah I'm quick but do you love it Andre Johnson I love that was one of mine too and and I just wanted to add Andre Johnson reminds me a little bit of Steve Smith last year. He's going to have a chip on his shoulder. Right, and I think he's even better, and I think he's a better player. I think he's a better player right now than Steve Smith is. I love that move. I love Andre Johnson. But I do think there is the chip on the shoulder factor.

By the way, I also had Andre Johnson on my list. So even though he showed signs of decline, yeah, he's a pumped up guy. He's ready to do some destruction, and he's playing with maybe the 2015 MVP. So I love that move. Mark. I like Seattle getting Jimmy Graham, and I know that sounds. sounds like an overt positive for the Seahawks, but it's a move that puts them over the top of the NFC again. And it started with New Orleans that just wants to get rid of everything

and get Max Unger. They wind up giving away Jimmy Graham. Nice job by John Schneider. You know what? It used to be Seattle and San Francisco. That's gone by the wayside. The rest of the NFC can't keep up with this team. Seattle's going back to the Super Bowl.

Oofa, Oofa. Hot take. I also love the Derello Revis move, but I don't feel like I needed to be stated. He'll go 8 and 8. Do you have anything else, by the way? Well, don't you have that movie you love? I heard that 8 and 8.

Browns are going 4 and 12, so. 8 and 8 would be a huge improvement for the Jets. All right. Do you have another one that you love? Oh, you don't love anymore? I love Jabal Sheard to the Patriots. I love Randall Cobb. In this wide receiver...

That's my other one. In this wide receiver market, that was great. He should have made more. I love the common sense of it. It never made sense for him to leave Green Bay. It never made sense for the Packers to move on without him. I think he got banged by this theory that grew and grew and grew that he could not possibly be paid more than

Jordy Nelson or else the world would spin off its access. We should have gotten more money than $10 million, whatever. But still, great job by the fact. It's moves we hate it. Moves we hate it. We don't always like to skew negative. That's not a lie. That's a lie.

We do love it. Greg. I already mentioned Eddie Royal. So we'll stick at the wide receiver position. Jeremy Macklin's had won 1,000-yard season in his entire career. He has now paid like a top four wide receiver in the NFL. that didn't make any sense to me. Okay. I am, and Wes, you put it well yesterday about it's too soon to really say whether

Chip Kelly is doing anything wrong or right, but I just, I'm not a big fan of what he's been doing right up to the running back situation. It's signed in both those guys. I feel like he's making some young GM mistakes right now that have come back to get him, so I didn't like the Spiller edition with DeMarco Murray. Wes? Oh, move I hated? Yeah.

Bears picking up Cutler's option and not cutting him. I would have cut him, I would have eaten the $15.5 million, and I would have moved on and given my fan some hope. It's fair. Mark? A team not giving their fan much hope is the Browns. A team like Seattle goes out and gets what it wants. The Jets, I give them credit for chasing down and filling needs. You can't do it all in free agency, but you have three ways to do it.

Trades, free agency, and the draft. And the Browns have stayed utterly silent on two of those three options. And I'm not saying it's over, but from where they are at this point, they've got a lot of hose to fill. Four and 12 sounds about right because they've got. got no quarterback. I was going to say my other move that I hated, I hated the Josh McCown signing.

Sure. 6.25 million guaranteed for a journeyman that's coming up a real crappy year. I just didn't get that. They're just making the same mistakes over and over again. Well, this is kind of sound like I'm biased, but my last one I hated is the trio of Jets moves that felt like too emotional. Wow, stunter. 15 million guaranteed for a 31-year-old inside linebacker

because you didn't want Rex Ryan to get him, and then Cromartian's screen just seemed a little crazy. All right. anything else, Wes? Raiders, spinning their wheels, doing the same thing they do every year. The whole passel of their guys they signed. You're going to cut them next year like you always do. It makes no sense.

Overpay for mediocrity. Go the first 10 games of the year without winning a game and then cut all the guys you signed the year before. Way to go, McKenzie. You deserve an extension. I got one more for Greg. How about the Patriots when you got Tom Brady for maybe two more seasons? You were the one that said,

how about go out there and go for it? And they let a Hall of Fame cornerback go. No, it's a huge loss, but give me a break with the Patriots fan saying, I can't believe we're not spending in free agency. They signed the third highest paid player in free agency. Devin McCordy, he's like one of the richest patriots of all time. You know, Revis, good job by the Jets. They spend more money.

Also. That wasn't one of my bad signs. You know, I hated. I hated Drew Brees dressing up his child in a Jimmy Graham jersey and have a sulking on Twitter. I'm not for that. Do something about it. You're basically running that franchise with Sean Payton.

You could have made it happen if you really wanted your child not to be on the carpet. Dad talk. Scorching bad talk. All right. Finally. That's fun. There's more. Finally.

Last but not least. Mark cannot wait to get out of you. No, that's not true. I'm looking at my sheet of paper and it's a blank at this point. Surprise me. All right. By the way, all the Raiders hate it, all the people think we hate the Raiders. We do.

I mean, I do. In this case, I kind of like what they've done. I think it's okay. I give them much more benefit of doubt this year than what they did last year. Overall, I don't think it's too bad. I kind of like a lot of. If they have another draft like last year, sorry, I know we're moving on. No, it's fine.

I just want to tell the Raiders fans. There will be propositions involved in this one. There's no way they're winning more than six years. We should set Wes up with one of these Manson women that are following him. I'm not sure we want to. Wait, Manson women? We're not going to classify them as that. They're just simply females on Twitter that no.

It's a totally different neighborhood. No one interrupts Mr. Wessling. No one. I'm going to lock my doors tonight. It's not like that at all. You want to be targeted here. Right. Call ADT up.

Dan Terry Melcher, Hansis. All right. So the last thing we're going to check in on our, go get my lunch, turd propositions. We got some covered. So I'm just going to go down the list here. As we know, actually I didn't bring it up, but the Revis to the Jets actually nailed me on five sandwiches.

I got five sandwiches off that. Excuse me, four sandwiches, including Z drizzle. That's how you're feeling it's going to be like a five-minute hands as gloat. Anyone? No, not at all. That is how you win the game, though. You're going to be up big time because of that one. I love anybody behind the glass.

Sorry, Gold Standard. Anybody behind the glass is going to get killed in this game. Let's see. It's a minnow stepping into a shark tank. Let's see. I'm just going down the list. I said DeMarco Murray is going to sign with the Colts. Wes and Mark, sandwiches for you, from me.

Congratulations there. Thank you. Mark, or Z. Drizzle had Raiders sign Randall Cobb and Julius Thomas. So Zee Drizzle just loses five sandwiches. Unnecessarily risky there. I like this tweet from the Go Get My Lunch account. Z drizzle, colon, jumps into the, around the NFL podcast, loses five sandwiches, leaves. I had CJ Spiller signs with the Eagles

Wes Greg and Mark All took me up on that So I'm in trouble there Wes Falcons either signed a Rackpo or Morgan You might not get that Greg and I I don't think you're getting that

I'm on the hook for that one He didn't They've signed about four different defenders And three pass rushers or so Those are terrible I said Maxwell Will get more guaranteed money than Cobb Wes you took me up on that

So I got you there Wes, you said Jason World's Signed with the Eagles Then how would you know Fail Greg, you're the only one that took them up on it though So that worked out Wes, you said that either

Pernel McVee or Frank Gore would sign with the cults Yes! So there you go, Greg and Dan Oh Sandwiches See, I was getting killed For being conservative I very wisely stayed out of certain ones here If you had just taken, yeah

Well, if you had taken that other one I'm feeling fine right now I keep going I had a feeling he was having a spiritual awakening. Wes said that Brandon Marshall will end up with the cults. Dan, Mark, and Greg, all clean up there. I met Andre Johnson. Wes is in trouble here.

Where will Sue land, the dolphins? Greg and Wes both get sandwiches there. We threw out the first the sign because it got so walked out because of the pre-signing the legal tampering period. Most guaranteed money outside of Sue. Where are we out on that? It's going to be McCordy. so none of us win because none of us had that.

I had Maxwell, which was the highest of our guesses. I should at least get the little potato salad for that. But this is what you'll get. You'll get me a whole sandwich because you said Revis and McCordy would sign with the Pats. So I banged you on that. And then the only ones, we have four more left then that are hanging out there. Well, Mark, you said C.J. Spiller will not sign with the Jets. That looks good.

Did anyone take? Only Wes. Oh, I'm sorry, Wes. You're getting killed here. He could still sign with the Jets. You got to buy a sandwich. These are the four that are hanging out there. Adrian Peterson does not play for the Vikings.

Wes has three sandwiches on the line there. We're all taking that. Gold standard, Golden Tate. We'll catch at least 100 passes. Mark, Josh McCown does not start week one. Above that. We have three sandwiches on the line there. We got to close the books.

That was weird. No, no, no. We agreed beforehand that it could be anything related to the agency. I didn't think you were going to do that, though. I didn't think you were going to make that. Well, it's not getting removed. We had the Sue guaranteed money one. Yeah.

Jay Cutler, this is Greg's. Jay Cutler will not be a member of the Bears after the draft. That's not looking good. Well, that's over. Only Dan and Mark took that. You know, I did a real onion hanger. Wes, by the way, did not take that one. And finally, the...

Wait, why didn't you take that? I said if I was running the Bears, he wouldn't be on my team. Yeah. That was a stupid one. And finally, I had the Sue gets more guaranteed money than all the running backs on our top. one-on-one list. It's looking pretty good. I have... It's looking pretty good for me.

Yeah, for Greg, I have the Charlie Day, always sunny in Philadelphia, chicken scratch, Charlie writing that Greg writes. And we have a lot of the running backs involved. The big one, of course, was... Murray got 21, Matthews got 7.5, Gore got 8 and a half, bring got 5. It looks like I'm going to get to 60.

It's going to be close, but it looks like you're going to get that, but you were the only one that took that. So that's it. That's where we're at with the sandwiches. I like it. Pretty good. You're in a good place this time, Mark. I think Mark and I will be close to even. I might be a little down.

Wes is going to be giving Dan a lot of sandwiches. Give me a break. He's giving Dan just as many as I am. Nom, num, num, num, num, num, num, num, num, num, num, gnom, nam, num, num. And Goldstead is going to be serving up some panini. Get out of here. All right, that's it.

For Thursday's edition of the Around the NFL podcast, we will be back on Monday? Back on Monday. Back on Monday with another show, so maybe some of the secondary market will be cleared up by then. Who knows, maybe we'll have some Adrian Peterson news. It's all happening, people. So we will be back on Monday. Thank you, of course, for listening.

This is Dan Hansis, signing off for Quiet Storm, the mailman, the boss, and the gold standard behind the glass. Bye. This is an I-heart podcast.