NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Camp Check-Ins with Connie Fox

Episode Date: August 8, 2022

A room filled with some heroes - Dan Hanzus, Marc Sessler, Gregg Rosenthal and Colleen Wolfe recap all the latest news from around the league. We begin the show with an important ATN announcement (2:23) before getting into the news. Kareem Hunt’s trade request was swiftly denied by the Browns (10:20), and Matt Rhule spoke about Sam Darnold trade rumors (13:37). We round up some injuries around the league (17:02) and take a trip to the kicker club to celebrate Justin Tucker’s extension (24:01). Then, we combine Connie’s Camp Check-Ins with Gregg’s training camp takeaways, starting with Colleen’s recent trip to Rams camp (33:25). The Patriots have struggled with their new offensive scheme in practices (38:27). Colleen gives us her observations from Bucs training camp (44:53), Carson Wentz continues to struggle with accuracy (48:18), Colleen is excited about the Colts this season (51:42), and the heroes have concerns with the Packers’ offensive line situation (55:55). The gang runs through some rookies to watch in the preseason (57:30) before we spin through another round of Camp Quotables (1:04:34), hearing from Matt Rhule (again), Mike McCarthy, Geno Smith, Carl Lawson, Russell Wilson and Dan Campbell. Note: timecodes approximate.NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Hey, everybody. Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the 6th, we take you inside the game from breaking down college prospects and NFL rookies to evaluating team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. We study the tape, talk to decision makers, and give you a perspective you won't find anywhere else.

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Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. The Around the NFL podcast always needs the call. Unless it's Mark calling for them to hurry up. From the Chris Wesleying podcast studio, it's Around the NFL. NFL. I'm Dan Hansis. 22 and a half minute late start here.

So watch out for Mark Sessler, Greg Rosenthal. And yes, back in studio for the first time in too long. The Woman, the Myth, the Legend, a tiny box. It's great to be back. Nothing has changed. Mark, how are you, but? I'm not doing good today. I mean, how is that different than most days?

It does feel a little different, though. You look good, though. I physically feel like a train wreck. And the thing is that I was feeling fine about two hours ago. Right. And it's just like, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, just steady to climb downhill. Again, we had discussed earlier today that after today's taping, we might do some clerical work behind the scenes. We've got to plan some shows out, do some other, uh, exes and nose.

I think we might get another cartoon feet running out towards the parking lot and the car peeling out. scenario for our colleague mark well for my well-being wow welcome back to the show you know it's good to be home home being the studio like me in real life the idea of a nice like relaxing fun time is sitting on the couch maybe at tito's with my wife watching something on TV. Yeah, that's how I feel about sometimes. We go to Rams Camp. Great time at Rans Camp.

I bet I like being home. That's where I like hanging out. I like hanging out with a couple friends at home. That's my thing. I haven't seen you guys at your house in a while. It's been a minute. And when I say your house, I mean the studio. The Chris Wesleyan podcast studio.

It's been too long. You've been gallivanting all over training camp America. And you're going to Minnesota tomorrow, so it's not over yet. How's it been going to talk about it in today's show. You've hit several stops. already so we'll get some of your camp takeaways but how you doing this travel life yeah it's good uh it's hot real hot everywhere a lot of bugs uh a lot of sweating and so it's been super glamorous i can tell you that that's good that's good by the way um me and connie announcement i have an announcement we

have an announcement as teased last week um hard knocks is back this week covering the Detroit lines And for the past 10 years on NFL.com, I have handled the weekly recaps of Hard Knocks. I have passed the reins on that particular project. But I am not out of the Hard Knocks game because me and the tiny fox, Connie Fox, will be launching a Hard Knocks podcast. Oh, yeah.

Oh, I love it. How you like that? It's been a decade in the making. We have put so much planning into this. We've really been talking about it for a very long time. It's kind of true. Five years ago, I feel like six years ago. We tried to get some shadow league figures to let us do it.

And I don't know, maybe it was a clout deficiency at the time. Yeah. This time we pitched it. People were into it and you don't have to look hard for it, listeners, if you're interested, because it's going to drop right into the ATN feed tomorrow night. Every Tuesday night, the Hard Knocks recap for the next five weeks. I'm excited. And now I can listen on the way into work the next day

and not even watch Hard Knock. No, of course I'm going to watch Hard Knocks. I love Hard Knocks. But if you don't have time to watch. Mark, not so much. You just come to us. Although I need them. It depends on the subject.

The test this year will be, can they keep the audience me through the final episode? Because I do feel like the last couple seasons my interest started fading a little bit late in the season. It's a challenge, yeah. Dan Campbell, that's a personality. enough to keep a whole season going.

Plus the last episode, traditionally, to me, is the most compelling because it's whether you make the team or not. You know, speaking of Dan Campbell, this would be kind of my overall thought heading into this season of Hard Knocks that you have to go back to maybe Rex back in 2010 to see such a clear, obvious star of the show at Head Coach. And, Connie, you sent this to me last night. This is, again, Dan Campbell,

sounding like completely like a professional wrestler addressing the crowd at Ford Field during their scrimmage this week. And this is the guy that has the chance to be an iconic hard knock star. Let's listen in. I'll tell you what, you would give your coat in winter.

You would give your coat to somebody in winter that needed it, man. That's what this community is about. However, however, however, nobody will take advantage of our hospitality. Oh, my God. So that's who we're about. That's what we're about.

This team is working the rear off to give you something to be proud of. All right, they're grinding it out right now. And I know this. We are freaking starving. We are starving. So the hyenas better get out of the way.

All right, ma'am. Total word salad. I find them very enjoyable. Someone get him a cliff bar or something. Like, what is it? It's so good. That was still like 20,000 people, too. So that shows that Dan Campbell's doing something right.

I don't think Matt Patricia was getting $20,000 at the scrimmage. Even the brakes and his cadence, that is how the Rock would address an audience from the squared circle in 2001. There's definitely that vibe and that charisma with Campbell. I'm looking forward to it. I mean, just such a good delivery. Like Rock could deliver a speech that was probably half written for him. Some of that delivery went a little south. I do have a question.

Connie is a big, you're a big preparation person. You're going to be doing this right as the show wraps. You're going to jump on and do, how is the show structured? Is it just going to be like a free-for-all? I really diving in here. Getting in the weeds, I love it, love it. You don't know. We're so.

That's what we're always wondering. Has there been any discussion about structure? Yeah, you know, we're going to get a screener. We're working with the people, the film's team. It comes in. The film's team is producing, obviously, hard knocks, and we've been communicating with them, so we'll be able to watch it before the episode airs. record our podcast, schedule it, so it comes out right as hard knocks.

That's our hard knocks producer. I'm excited. I'm as excited for the Lions as I have been for Hard Knocks in a while. Although I think you ignored one coach who kind of commanded the center of this screen here and really was the star. And that was Joe Philbin. Oh, Joey Phillips. I thought you were going to say Mike Smith. Oh, well, Tivas.

Either word of work. Davis? Because I never know how to say it right. Either work. A lot to get into. Gregi has a banger. What is it? 52.

What did you come down with? 52. It's a bunch. 52. 52 takeaways from... Things we've learned, I don't know. Things we've learned this past weekend. A lot of teams had their scrimmages at the stadiums and all that stuff.

So, so takeaways there. Connie also going to share her, I'm going to call it Camp Check-ins with Connie Fox. Okay. Within that realm. We'll also bring back our old quotable segment with Grave digger at the end. But before that, let's get caught up with some news. Did you? Well, hopefully nobody cries around here because of these sunglasses. Ian, you're the best. Thank you, my friend. It was more of a visual thing, I think. Doesn't translate as well when it's just audio.

You were saying that your sunglasses had a macho man. Yeah, he was trying to take a shot at my sunglasses, which I love those sunglasses. So I was happy that he was drawing attention to them. I couldn't get enough of that. And thank you to Mark. Mark, I don't know what was going on this weekend, but so much, so many dispatches about NFL network from you, whether it was on social media or private texts. One of those weird weekends when Mark was like way in on our network and he's like, man, this Sam Mills football life really is jumping off. Well, all right. So I, that's an indicator that I did not do much this weekend.

I watched a lot of, I did what you did sitting on the couch. There you go. Not with your wife, but alone watching NFL network. I've watched television with your wife though that's been in the past I didn't kill my wife With you Oh no

That is one of my favorites Do you have any critiques from what you saw This past weekend? I don't have critiques I thought like number one I do think the training camp coverage Has gotten better than where we were Four or five years ago

Really? That's great news Put it on a billboard That's the tagline That's my slogan Mark has been watching an incredible amount of NFL network this month you sometimes in the past you've been critical of the I would say forced jocularity so maybe there hasn't been as much as that it's been toned down which I which I appreciate because if it

were at the previous level I would turn the television like if you've got Connie involved like it's going to be great you can you can handle that it's sometimes people outside of their you know wheelhouse being trying to be funny it's tough to watch my kids know Connie they're like oh that's the lady with the dogs so they know who you are I mean they've seen you more than a couple times. And seriously, Mark, stay away from my wife. I'm friends with your wife. How close are you guys?

Yeah, it's time to draw a line. There's too many comments to read into at this point. Graver is really the one that you've got to keep away from. Yeah, Graver's like, hey, just a heads up, guys. It's my girlfriend's birthday. I'm like, really? And then, oh yeah, what's your name again? How did you say it, Justin?

You're asking me to say it? Yeah. How did you say it very affectionately? Yes. Her name is Jessica. It's not how you said it, though. You said it like this. Jessica.

There was a real effect to it. And you're going on a trip with her, I believe. Is that correct? We are. This upcoming weekend, we're going on a little trip, mini vacation before the season. Jessica. Slightly romantic?

Let's get to the news. The Browns and Kareem Hunt. Hey, listen, I guess it's progress. We're not going to talk about the other guy. with the Browns. But still, this isn't a great story for the Browns who have a running back

in Cream Hunt who's behind Nick Chub on the depth chart, but obviously a very important player. He is looking for a trade. He's looking to get out at a town. He wants a fresh start according to reports.

Brown's head coach, Kevin Stefanski, not happy about Hunt staging a hold-in during the first week of training camp. And that's because Hunt, I guess, and move on, Mark? He's got one more year on his deal, but it doesn't seem like the Browns have a lot of reason to move him at this time? They're not trading him. I mean, he's back at practice.

They basically shut the whole thing down and find him, and he's working again. And to me, it's absurd. First of all, how much money are you supposed to dedicate to your running back room? They have a great backup into Ernest Johnson, who in two games last year showed up and showed well, and they've given Nick Chubb a bunch of money. And so Kareem Hunt is out of luck on this one. He also, you know, sorry, but he missed nine games last year. He wasn't that productive for them, and it's like he's not an indispensable player. They'll move on and find a younger running back if they need to. No, this was the most unsuccessful Holden and Holden history.

He started it because it's really only a couple years old, the Holden. And he started it on Friday. He was back to practice on Monday because they immediately started finding him. They said, we're not going to trade you. We're not going to give you a raise either. he brought he went into the GM's office and asked for this literally two days after the Deshawn Watson appeal was filed by the league it's like hello like the Browns just do hey we've got something that's like a little more important oh by the way we're the ones that saved your career when you missed eight games because of domestic violence because you were on video kicking and pushing a woman and then on top of that Way to go, Browns. This is the thing where I think it got crazy and someone was like, just go back to work.

He's eighth in running back pay this year. He's a backup running back making $6.25 million. If for some reason they were upset and they said, like, we're just going to cut you, he would not make that money back. He is not getting more money as a guy who had 70 carries last year coming off injuries and has a leak suspension. And like, I had some people since like, well, you got, you know, you got to get over that. That's old news.

He's at a bigger risk because if he does anything again of being suspended for the entire year. So, of course, that affects, like, his future pay. And I think the Browns probably told him all of this. And he quickly just went back. This Holden crumbled so fast. It almost didn't even have enough time to develop into a real story. I like it, though, it's buttoned up now by the time we even talked about it. That's true.

But, like, it's also one of the most running back friendly offenses when you consider the quarterback situation. They're going to have to lean on the running game so much. So he's going to have plenty of opportunities to prove himself that he can get paid. So as long as he doesn't get hurt, meaning for next year, as long as he doesn't get hurt, then he's going to be in good shape. I feel like he's been hurt a lot too. Well, yeah. All right. In other news, Rapsheet reported that Baker Mayfield has the inside track to win the Panthers starting quarterback job. Then a report serviced out there that the Panthers are maybe looking to move. Sam Darnold, the incumbent in a deal, whether or not that's legit, we don't know.

But it was a big enough story that the quarterback and the head coach were asked about it. Here's what Matt Ruhl said about the idea of potentially shopping Sam Darnold with Baker Mayfield in-house. That was obviously mentioned to me. I haven't had any of those conversations. So, you know, we're in the middle of a quarterback battle. I assume along with quarterback battles, things like that are going to be said. But there's nothing that's been said to me by Scott or anybody that we're in that. That's Scott, as in Scott Fitterer, the GM.

Darnold acknowledged that he approached his GM and said, is this legit? So is there smoke, fire here? I don't know, Greg, but Baker looks like he's in the driver's seat. It's sort of a fascinating window into, like, our media culture, though, because it was from a radio reporter who does some national stuff, but in Denver, that kind of throws a lot of reports out there. But eventually it got back to Sam Darnold. I hadn't even heard about the report.

It got to Sam Darno because someone was, probably blowing up his Twitter account or socials. And then he ends up talking to the general manager and it becomes more of a story. I think Sam Darno probably knows where he is right now. And that's being a backup this year. Ian Rappaport said at Panthers camp, he thinks it's Baker's job to lose because Baker's, even though they're splitting reps evenly so far, Baker's shown more high-level plays and here's a little more.

The way it was explained to me, said Ian, is that Mayfield has more ability, the wow plays, the splash plays have been more towards Mayfield. So he's pulling away in this. And what are you going to get for Sam Darnel in a trade if that was even possibly nonfiction? A bag of spoons? I'm not sure what you're going to get for San Dorn or who needs Sam Darnel on any level right now. Maybe it is something where if they can just get rid of them for like a conditional seven

and take some of the salary. Oh, you want. Who's going to buy him though at this point? Because you also have Jimmy G floating around out there. So if you need a quarterback, that's what you need. You have him. and then also Darnold's going to make $18.8 million this season on the fifth year option that for some reason they picked up, which was idiotic when it happened.

So I don't know what his market even is. So what they would do is sort of do the reverse Mayfield. They're like paying Mayfield only $5 million, and the Browns are paying $10. And they would just say, look, we'll pay $15 of Darnold's $18 million. Together you're paying a quarterback salary. Because they do have a rookie quarterback there, Matt Corral. They do have PJ Walker who is probably as valuable as Sam Darnold. For what it's worth is 2 and O as the Panther starters and at least could be a second or third guy.

But I wonder if the 49ers are going to have to end up cutting Jimmy. So then he's just going to be floating around out there. If they don't have any papers, they need to get third of him because of the cap. They're going to hold on to Jimmy G. until after final cuts. I think they're just hoping for the landscape to go dark somewhere where they suddenly need a quarterback. That's like a $25.5 million cap hit. I think there'll be a similar thing as Darnold where if they could find a mid to late round pick, I think the hill is more like. This is even true.

Right. He's even more likely to be cut, though, the, the Jimmy G thing, I believe. Yeah. Landscape turning dark. How about this podcast? Because we're going into the bear cave. Wide receiver issues for the bears. First up, Byron Pringle.

May or may not be ready for a week. go on he has a quad injury there is no time table for a return and then nekeel harry who is acquired in a trade with the patriots this weekend suffered a potentially serious ankle injury i think it's been ruled a high ankle sprain so you know that is never good so for a team that doesn't have a ton of depth really anywhere on offense this is not a good sign for justin fields in year two No, and I feel so bad for Nikiel Harry, whatever you think of him. It just, it stinks for him because he kept talking about how he was looking forward to this being a fresh start and all of the good vibes there. And it was a really nice reset for him.

And this Bears wide receiver room just keeps taking hit after hit. They're down three of their top four wide receivers. Their rookie is day to day. But Byron Pringle, Matt Eber Fluse, I learned his nickname is Fluse. So now I just want to keep calling him Flues. do it. Ooh, that's good. Fluse did say he thought that he'd be able to recover in time for that week one game against San Francisco.

But who knows with the quad injury? But it's such a shame when you look at this young quarterback, Justin Fields, who's trying to this year take some type of step because last year was a disaster with the coaching staff and the scheme that I don't even think was really built for him at all. And now he's having all of his wide receivers go down. So you have Darnel Mooney and then who? Right. And that was the case even when they were healthy.

I always, this was one of my 51. Oh, it's not a 51 now. Well, you know what I realize is one of them was how James Winston was healthy. And so we got to pull that. Got to scratch that. They got to pull that out of there. So we're down to 51. You're not going to go with an even 50?

Oh, right. I like the odd numbers. I like the strange numbers. That just feels better. Like when I set an alarm in the morning, it's always like 647. It just feels wrong. I do that too. It just feels...

I can never let the last number be zero. Yeah, or five even. I can only do five or zero. I swear. I can't do it. So one of the points was, you know, over the weekend at one point, Justin Fields is dropping back to pass.

And so, of course, it's the first team. He's taking all the first team reps. And his three receiver set was Chris Finkie, Nassimbi Webster, and Isaiah Colty. Okay, who are the real players? Because you made those out. And this is, it's one of those points that I don't, spound on it beyond that, but you sort of feel bad because these are young men who are

professionals who've gotten to the highest level of the NFL. But essentially, just by listing their name, I'm kind of making the point that this is a disaster. Don't they have echolinius? I feel guilt. They do. I feel guilt about it. Are you okay? Like, do you just lay in bed when your alarm goes off at 617? I was just like, is this mean? My insight, does it hurt the humans involved with the sport? I say a culty and Chris Finke, but yes, I'm not familiar with those guys. Who was the other, Nisimba Webster? Nisimba Webster, Chris Finkie, and Isaiah Colty. They definitely sound like names Mark made up.

They also have Kevin Shaw, who made a couple really nice catches. They got Darno Mooney in there. Probably was taking, like, the day off. Okay, speaking of which, injury roundup. Yes, James Winston tweaked his foot. Adam Schepter later reported that was a rolled ankle in practice. Keep an eye on that. He's, of course, coming back from the ACL tear, but doesn't appear to be too serious.

But, again, Winston's such an important part. of what the Saints are trying to do. Speaking of important parts of what teams are trying to do, Mackay Beckton, the former first round pick of the Jets, slated to be the starting right tackle. He had some type of lower leg injury in practice on Monday. He's headed for an MRI Jets fans holding their breath on that one. The guy doesn't seem to be able to stay healthy.

And Ravens' first round pick, Senator Tyler Linderbaum, that dreaded harlot, that scorpion woman, Liz Frank, on the scene. hopefully not one of the type of Liz Frank injuries that ruins the season. But the Ravens once again coming off for summer in 2021 where injuries essentially blew up their season before it started in some ways. This would not be something you want to have your first round pick out of the picture when he needs valuable reps.

So they are counting on him as much as anyone is counting on a rookie lineman around at this point. It's a sprain, not a rupture, according to Mike Garifolo, which is good. This was the Linderbaum had a list, rank injury in college too at Iowa. But he also recovered from that to become the highest graded PFF center in the history of PFF. So I think he's like the perfect raven if he's healthy. I mean, they're, they had a great draft and he is exactly what they need. Maybe he's the perfect raven because he's hurt.

Maybe that's the new raven. Well, that's a newer trend, but I see where you're going with him. For the most part, this. Greg's like, oh, he's a human. No, no, no, no. I'm just saying for the most. I know he is. When I've been reading their reports, I'm like, are the ravens going to like be devastated?

this year, and for the most part, they've been mostly healthy. I think is Vince Beagle on their team? I think he's out for the season was going to be like a reserve linebacker, but from the most part, they've been healthy. But you're right, Linderbaum, they were going to change their offense for him. Because what he, you know, kind of like Creed Humphrey changed the Chiefs offense. In a way,

like Linderbom is a zone blocking, get him out in space, Jason Kelsey type of guy, and that's very much not what the Ravens have done before. And Greg Roman kind of talked about, look, we drafted him because we want to do what he does best. We're going to add to the mix, like become a little different in the running game just because of Linderbom.

So it'd be a big loss. I hate to hear the Liz Frank name. I don't like when it comes up. It scares me. I know that I shouldn't be scared of it, but it's just something that happens. It's a real thing. You know? That's good.

That's a good one. I finally understand where this segment was going considering earlier in... Well, this is still news. Can I apologize? I want to apologize to Colleen because in the initial rundown, I had actually... accidentally put Texans first round pick out of Liz Frank. And literally, it sent Colleen for a spin emotionally and mentally that she didn't recover from until like seconds before we started the show.

You also put it twice. You put it in the run down twice. You threw me for a loop for 40 minutes as well. And I'm like, how many Google searches do I have to do here to figure out what the hell the story is? And because it was, this was why it was concerning. And I know that we discussed this before the show. But the Texans first round pick, Derek Stingley Jr.

did have a list frank injury in college. So I was like, I'm looking for trenching updates, and there's nothing from like two weeks. Like, they think he'll be ready for week one. It's like, why are we discussing this in news? I can't tell you how much time I wasted trying to find the story that was not a story today. I'm sorry I threw a Maltov cocktail into the pre-show set up.

It's great to be back on the show. It's good to be back. And let's stick with the Ravens because this is one bit of news that can't slip by us. Tucker, it would be the longest in NFL history if it's good. A 66-yard try. Tucker's kick is on the way. It is good. Rossbar and it pumbles through.

It is good. Time has expired. Justin Tucker with the longest field goal in NFL history. The hay is in the barn and it's mayhem on the field. Bang, Ravens signed Justin Tucker to a four-year, 24 million contract extension, 17.5 million guaranteed for a kicker. Yeah, but this is not just any kicker. This is Justin Mother Effing Tucker.

Seven all pros in 10 seasons, including five times first team. That's more than Morton Anderson, John Stennerud, who are both Hall of Famers. He's in the Superstar Club for a reason. and now he's paid better than any kicker ever, and that makes sense. I think your superstar club inclusion might have prompted them to get this business time. I hope it got him a couple extra zeros on the contract.

Probably not, but if it did, that would be a career highlight. I love Justin Tucker. I'd sign him to a 15-year contract. Put him in the Hall- Fame. Let's see, how old is Justin Tucker? He's probably about 32 now. I mean, how many, he's to me a Hall-Famer. He's 32.

He turns 33 in November. Unless things go off the rails in a horrific way, I would like argue if he continues this for a couple more years, Greg, I think he's first ballot hall of fame and people need to use him as the precedent. I think so. I mean, he's a bet. I don't think there's much argument against him as the best kicker in NFL history.

Like if he retired now. So I think you're right. He'll be a no doubter. And that's why, you know, I saw this money and you're really happy for Justin Tucker. and it's like, oh, the Ravens are team special teams and like, oh, this is all great, the richest kicker ever. But then you look at the contract, and Justin Tucker and his family will be taken care of for the rest of their lives. I don't feel bad for them, but I just started, like, thinking about other NFL players and what they make. And I quickly just looked for who's making $6 million a year on a medium-term, long-term deal.

And I found three quick names recently. Mark Gloewinsky. Offensive lineman. Offensive guard, I would say. a mid-level guard, I believe, with the Giants now. Ted Karris, kind of a journeyman interior alignment with the Bengals. Your point is coming into focus quickly. I love it.

And a receiver I like a lot, so this is no shade, but Braxton Berrios, who's a nice receiver, who's probably the fourth receiver for the Jets now. New Deal, yep. Six million a year. Just saying, I mean, are they winning and losing games like Justin Tucker? He's an incredible value. Who knows where the Ravens would be in the last 10 years without Justin Tucker? but I will say that

I wonder if he ever hit the open market if it would be a situation I wonder if he thought about that I love it here my family set up here the Ravens have always taken care of me but I wonder what kind of bidding would go on Justin Tucker a lot of bidding I feel

Maybe it's not about the money for him You know what I'm sure it is to some degree And it's tough they're like well kickers have never made this much This that and the other and it's like okay Well it's the kind of thing where you um his agent would agitate many other agents if suddenly Justin Tucker's kicking salary was three times more than any other kicker.

I think the agents would love it. I think other teams would be like, what are you doing? But he's also, I think it's very clear. Even within the market, in the marketplace, if he got a out of this world contract, he is an outlier. I feel like that would be understood.

Yeah. Anyway, speaking of the Ravens, they have that our favorite streak in the world of professional football 20 consecutive preseason wins, which is totally bonkers and doesn't make any sense. Even for a team that, oh, the Ravens try to win, so many things have to fall into place to win 20 consecutive preseason games. Guess who's up first on Thursday when they hope to extend that all-time preseason streak? You heard it.

The Gravediggers team, the Titans. I mean, I know they're not a division. rival, but I know there's talk in that building with Mike Vrable. They would love to take down. What is like the equivalent of football of Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak? Can it be done? Can the Titans do it? If anyone can do it, I feel like the Titans might be well-positioned

because when all the third-fourth stringers are on the field, the Titans at least have Malik Willis probably closing the game. And even if he can't do a whole lot, he's going to run around and be exciting. So the Titans and the Ravens have a rivalry that goes back historically. Mike Vrable and John Harbaugh almost fought on like the 50-yard line on a field. He would love to take that. You might say that the history is rich. It is.

You just might. So I hope, I don't know, we'll see. Hopefully Malik Willis can make some plays and make it a game. It is bizarre. I mean, I'm going through some old preseason box scores of like when this streak started. And at one point, the Ravens are winning games with Thad Lewis, Josh Woodrum and Ryan Mallet as their quarterback, but they just find a way to win.

It's unbelievable. And they broke the Vince Lombardi Packers record. And you know, Lombardi was playing Bart Star every snap. Sure. You know, that was a whole different world. Like this is so much stranger than whatever the Packers did in the 60s and 70s or whatever. Does Jessica watch a game like this with you when it has this much meaning? Jessica.

She will actually probably watch with me on Thursday. Wow. Hey, guys, one thing before we get the show going, it's my girlfriend. his birthday. Jessica. That is a gross exaggeration of how that happened. That's not too gross. We can only whisper her name now.

All right. We'll take a break and then we're going to do some check-ins on Greg's 51 takeaways and Connie's Camp Check-ins. Up next. What's up everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Sticks, we take you inside the game from Scouting Reports and player development.

To team-building philosophies, coaching trends and how front offices construct winning rosters. Every week, we study the tape, talk to decision-makers, and share the insights you won't find anywhere else. It's the kind of conversation that connects the dots, from college football prospects to the NFL stars of tomorrow. We break down the draft,

analyze match-ups, and evaluate how teams put it all together on game day. Plus, we dig in the coaching strategies, roster construction, and the trends that shape the league year after year. Whether you're a die-hard, fan or just love understanding the game on a deeper level, we give you the full

picture. If you want insight that goes beyond the box score, this podcast is for you. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Six podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Matt Jones. I'm Drew Franklin, and

this is NFL cover zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts Pretzel. That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen to NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the IHeart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more.

I'm Marcus Grant And I'm Michael Flawio And together we host the NFL fantasy football podcast Ready to dominate your fantasy league this season Then you need the NFL fantasy football podcast Your ultimate source for player news, draft tips, and winning strategies Whether you're a rookie manager or a fantasy vet We've got the insight to help you crush your opponents

Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast On the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. Oh, welcome back. Connie, where'd we go? Wait, I think I wrote this down.

Colts, bucks, Rams, Broncos. You went to the Bengals, but you also said that was so long ago that you don't remember it anymore. Is that correct? Pretty much. So we're not going to hold you to that. That was the first camp. At this point, it's a little blurry.

Like, there was a lot of hotels, a lot of plane rides. a lot of camps, a lot of stuff to remember. So I will tell you... Short to medium-term memory, not your strength. No. I wonder why. What about fans, ATN fans? A ton. A ton of fans.

I love the listeners of the show. They're the best. They are the nicest across the board, and that's always been the case. But at all of the camps, there have been ATN listeners there. Wow. when I did something in D.C. with McColl Hardman and players from Byron Munich, the soccer team. And when I was there, one of the guys that works at the stadium or does PR for someone there, his name is Taylor and he wanted me to say hello. He is such a big fan. So, yeah, shout out to all of the ATN listeners.

Are you getting recognized in airports nonstop when you're going from gate to gate? I'm getting a lot of Connie Foxes, which I love. It's my favorite. Any tiny boxes? Tiny boxes, too. Tiny boxes is great. Don't yell that out. Like, people yell that out from the crowd.

It makes me laugh, though, when they do. I just feel like that. Don't try to police people. I'm just saying, if you talk to her private, I just feel like that could confuse a lot of people. It makes you uncomfortable, but not apparently not the people that are shouting it. I went to a concert in Hollywood on Friday with my buddy Bob. We saw Sam Fender, who's like an up-and-coming British rock guy.

And we got there. I love the Brits. Yeah, and I was like, oh, man, you noticed in this venue at the Fonda Theater, a lot of Brits were there. And I was like, okay, like, our throwback pod has a lot of, like, overseas listeners. It's Sam Fender. A lot of people came over to see him in a small venue as opposed to watching him in the 700th row at Lastenberry. I'm setting the over under two and a half for ATN listeners being here. Within 30 seconds, I turned around and there was a guy right in front of me with his wife.

Very nice. Talk to him intermittently threw. throughout the evening, the performance. Two more people in the aisle. We hit the over. Hit the over. They're everywhere now. I like this.

Well, you're big time now. We did it. New contracts. New you, guys. Did the large man, like, follow you around the venue? No, no. It was just like a general admission scenario. We had a good spot on the stage right.

He's like, one more point, Dan. It's like, that happens sometimes. Like one night there. The guy that was outside of Elmo's at the Combine was my favorite. I, the tiny box. Just completely took his attention away from everything else. You have that effect on people, Connie. Congratulations.

Thank you. Thank you. All right. Let's get into it. Do you want to share it before we get to Greg's top 51? Do you want to share something from one of the camps? Yeah, let's go back into place you've been. Your boots on the ground.

I think your notes are going to be better. So the most recent place I was, I was at the Rams this past Saturday. And I know that you guys had Alan Robinson on the pod. that was a great interview. I was cracking up, Mark, when you asked him if him and Stafford just like look at each other sometimes and are like, we're way better off at this point. Yeah, it's got to be real.

But he caught a beautiful no look pass from Stafford on Saturday. It was right behind us where we were doing the show. Cooper Cup raved about him afterwards. So they obviously love him. It's not hard to see how he's going to be amazing in this offense. But Leonard Floyd was another guy that we talked to. on defense who he's going to have an interesting role in the pass rush considering von Miller isn't there anymore and I feel like his journey is one that

people don't really talk about a lot because he was cut by the bears he signed a one year deal with the Rams he delivered then he got a really nice payday and won the Super Bowl so his last two seasons have been the best of his career he has 20 sacks in the last two seasons combined and he had off-season ankle surgery this past year it was something that had bothered him all season. He had played through it. So now he's healthy. I think he's going to play a big role in that pass rush. But there was a hilarious exchange when we were talking to him because MJD was nonstop talking about his Ram Super Bowl ring all day long. So I asked him how

important MJD was to their Super Bowl run. And Floyd's response was that he didn't know MJD worked for the team. And that really just made everything so worth it. That took a on a peg, I assume. Yeah. But in terms of like, I love that. And we love MJD. He's the best.

He's so much fun to work with. How did he take that? Oh, he was not happy about it. And then Floyd was like, well, my ring is bigger than yours. And MJD was like, we got the same ring. It's the same size. Is that true? Yeah.

Because we had J.B. Long, who is. They all get the same ring. MJD's partner on the radio. That's pretty cool that you get the same ring. Oh, yeah. They don't give you, like, that would be disrespectful. I think that would make sense. Like, if you're on the team or you're on the coaching staff,

hell, even within the team, I think Matthew Stafford's ring should be way bigger than, I don't know, like. John Wolford, the back. John Wolford. I kind of like that. That would be. Aaron's rings should be, you could see it from space. I could see a lot of hard feelings there. That would not go over well.

Like Floyd, you get a great ring, but not as big as Vons, you know. It just keeps guys hungry. Sometimes you hear about, oh, this idea, well, they won a title and they got soft. Not if your ring sucks. Nothing would push them to achieve more. I worry about their passers. They're one of those teams that there's some good teams where everything's like set. Like the Bengals have no position battles, for instance, going on.

There's just a few really boring camps because there's not much to be settled. The Vikings weirdly are one of them. The Rams have open spots, is my point. Like Floyd has the one and a total question mark of who's going to kind of. be their other edge rushers. All right, that's good. And by the way, I still think there's a little more to the Stafford thing that everybody is trying to chill everybody out with the elbow situation with Stafford on Friday when we were there. Talk to somebody high up with the team off Mike and he kind of laughed it off as nothing. Then Sean McVeigh, after Stafford threw in Saturday's

practice, said he will sleep better. Why would you say you sleep better if everyone says, oh, this is nothing? Because they don't know. No one really knows. You're right. Yeah. It's a little bit more of an issue than they want publicly people to let on. And hopefully it doesn't become a long-term issue. I thought, you know, saying that he's never dealt with an injury like this. It's more of a baseball thing. But that, like, I think it's a wait and see a situation that could be more concerning if it turns into pain. And that was, I think, what McVeigh was specifically answering was like, oh, that was that.

I think it's more of just a pain tolerance thing, too, not necessarily something that's going to affect how he throws, just how he deals with the pain when he does throw. This sounds to me like it's been a situation that they've dealt with for a while. At least Stafford has for a while. And I think the Rams knew about it when they brought them into. They were hoping for relief with the procedure and they didn't get it. We're not going to see Stafford, obviously, in the preseason. We're not going to see, according to the L.A. Times, John Wolford, either. So this is just a little quiz, your depth chart knowledge.

Who would be get in line to get snaps for the Rams? No looking at your laptop, Greg. I got it. But I give it some. Oh, Bryce Perkins. Damn it. That's good, Greg. I was there for last year's preseason opener and Perkins played the whole time, basically.

Craig, you're sure. How does your mind work? I don't understand. Why isn't your short-term memory affected? Yeah. I mean, it is, but it contains. I got the rosters. I got the roster.

What do you got, Greg? Give me a 51. Give me one of the 51. What's your favorite one? Well. Not favorite, but juiciest. I think the juiciest one we haven't discussed on this show is the whole Patriots idea that they're really going through

with like installing this zone blocking scheme that after 21 years Charlie Weiss arrives you could really go back to the mid-80s with Ron Earhart and Bill Belichick will talk about it when they installed this offense for Phil Sims and other players on the Giants but with the Patriots you can go back 21 years to the offense Charlie Weiss

installed they've been running that offense since in terms of their running game it's like a power power running game where you're taking up the blockers now they see what's going on around the league they lose Josh McDaniels

who's a fantastic offensive coordinator and there was like this kind of whisper like oh we're going to start installing this zone blocking scheme in the offseason but people weren't really sure if they meant it and the Patriots weren't talking about it because they don't talk about anything fast forward to this training camp

and anyone watching the Patriots on a daily basis is saying they didn't just, like, tweak the old offense, they ripped it up, they started from scratch, and it's going horribly, that Mack Jones looks out of sync, he looks uncomfortable. The most telling quote, Tom Curran pointed out, and this is why Curran's the best, that just sort of, as an aside, Mac Jones said at one point in his press conference that he was getting his feet wet in the new offense. And it's like, oh, wait, we didn't totally know you had a new offense. And wait, why is Mac Jones getting his feet wet? Season starts in one month, by the way. Also, they were a top 10 scoring team with a rookie quarterback and a pretty lackluster group around them. They were a very effective offense last year,

considering they had a rookie quarterback, primarily because of their running game. And he ripped it all up. And, oh, by the way, it's going to be Matt Patricia and Joe freaking judge that's, like, that's installing it. I was trying to. He's nervous. Coordinator by committee.

It's what a ripple trickle-down effect from losing Josh McDaniels. Because none of this would be happening. And you'd be, you know, enveloping Mack Jones with a great offensive coordinator. And now instead you have the hubris of the Patriots to think, we'll just install Matt Patricia as an untitled play caller. That's who's in the ear of Matt Jones. But how does he know how to install like a shot? No, I don't think it is fine.

I think it. Well, no, that's not fine either. You're right. But if they were running the same offense... It's a disaster. I feel like maybe that can work. You have Belichick running it. You have the institutional knowledge.

It's going to build a show. And maybe it all work in the end, but it is a huge departure from their gap-heavy sort of power-rushing attack, which was the core of their offense. And these are the guys installing it. I know exactly where this is going. It might work out in the end, but, man, to me, it's a very important story. This is just another version of, oh, my God,

what are the Patriots doing? They have no idea what they're doing. And, I mean, talk to me in, like, November because the Patriots always end up starting a little slow anyway. I think they are a huge, obviously they represent a huge question mark in the AFC entering the season. And it does seem to point to if you're getting the Patriots on the schedule, and this is kind of how it always has been, like get him in September and into October because there probably will be some bumps and bruises for this team trying to figure things out right now. But again, also with Patricia, yeah, he's the play caller. If things are going poorly and the boss thinks it's Patricia playing a role, well, Belichick's going to call plays.

He's going to take over. There are big practices where he has been the play caller. Right. And I think if this zone blocking scheme is going poorly, he might just rip that up and give up. Why are they doing it? That's what I would think. Because Bill Belichick thinks it's better for the Patriots, and I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt. Is it the personnel they have?

It's better fit for this personnel. That's the thing that's confusing. They have these big offensive. lineman that on paper fit the old scheme better. Oh, when you, certainly, Trent Brown to me, you know, they drafted Isaiah win with this other scheme in mind. Then they draft Cole Strange. That was sort of like a tip off to where they were going, who's maybe going to fit better

in like a zone scheme. And Curran thinks that Belichick's in too deep, that basically he thinks this is going to be better for the organization in the really long run. And that if they have to stink, even for a season or whatever it's going to be, that he felt like basically they were running this old attack and the league has changed and this was the change he wanted to see and that he's gonna stick with it.

But Greg Bedard who's watched every Patriots practice forever was like this was the worst practices I have seen in my life with maybe the exception of the Cam Cameron Dolphins. But is it worth it to put Mack Jones through that just in his second year in the league when you say young how many voices are in his head right now too calling plays when you're used to just one,

Josh McDaniels and you guys have a rhythm and now all of a sudden there's like three different voices and three different personalities. It reminds me of what bad teams do, where it's like you've had the best rookie quarterback a year ago and you've found a way to muddle it up and remove all momentum. I think I'm the only one not really freaking out on this. I'm not freaking out as much as like I find it, I find it fascinating because I do find the exes of note. Fascinating is one thing, but the fact that it's not strike you as disorganized.

bold. No, not disorganized. It was a very... Bill Belichick's team is not disorganized. It was a calculated move and they sort of used the McDaniel's departure for him to do something he wanted. And I don't question his bona fides, but it's dramatic. Considering they've literally been running out of that old playbook in some capacity for 21 years. Right.

I'm just saying it's one of the Belichick, even with Brady there, sometimes it took time for them to figure things out. maybe it's a little more rocky this year or maybe even a lot more rocky but I think come November I think they're going to be in the mix for the wild car they could be in the mix for the division I think there's a lot of like idea that the Patriots are going to be terrible this year

because some of these things going on I think there's a better chance that they figure it out by the time it counts they'll probably win nine games or ten games I don't have an issue with that I just something about the whole Matt Patricia and come back home thing in the way that they've dealt with it

is unusual to me All right, Connie, what else? Okay, so also two little random things. Boots on the ground with Connie Fox. From Tampa. So I don't know if you guys saw this, but Mike Evans, before he heard himself, he is a huge Harry Potter fan,

so much so that he got a Harry Potter tattoo, a pretty sizable Harry Potter tattoo. I was afraid you were going to say that. On his calf, this off season, which I was with Steve Smith Senior, in Tampa and we were asking him like you know Harry Potter hasn't really come out with anything new in a while so what prompted you this particular offseason to go with the tattoo he loves Harry Potter he said he watches it every day and that's how he falls asleep he watches the movies

every day that's how he falls asleep every night putting on a little HP that is the last thing that I would want in my ear as I was falling asleep he said a little HP he said a little HP I A little, he said that. That's a direct quote. Little HP. He was so funny about it. He was great. And then we also talked to Leonard Fordnet, who had a lot of fun about all of the trash.

Everyone was talking about him coming into camp overweight. He laughed a lot about it. But he also, I don't know if you guys saw this, there was a clip floating around on social of him brushing his teeth on the sideline at practice. And so we were asking him about that. and he told us that he has about right now ballpark about 40 toothbrushes in his locker. So I tried to get into the weeds on that

a little bit more to find out why, but I was getting wrapped. So there is some intrigue there as to why he has 40 toothbrushes. My father-in-law is a retired dentist. I'm going to ask him, when is it too much in terms of brushing? I would imagine you would run into

potential enamel issues Yeah, for sure. If you're repeatedly scrubbing your teeth. You know, I think I would be more concerned about gums, like gum recession. Absolutely. You know? What? So, wait, the NFL network decided that wasn't not an interesting enough topic to develop.

This was after we had been talking to him for a while. This was at the end of the interview. And so he was just going on and on about how important mouth hygiene is. He's like, by the way, there was a breaking at the water gate. Yeah, can't argue. Can't argue. Yeah. So those were two little things from bucks.

I get, I'm in the league. I'm in the weeds a little bit, like things like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. But I understand it's incredibly meaningful in those franchises to people. I don't know anything about Harry Potter. Wish I did. I don't know about giant tattoo on the calf for a 30-year-old man, but at the same time. I'm not judgment. I was thinking, like, is there a point he gets older?

Maybe he ends up having a family where he feels differently about Harry Potter. But I think the answer is probably no. If he's this in at this point, he's going to love it forever. I don't know if he has children, but I'm sure he's excited to introduce. The Harry Potter franchise, maybe the books. Yeah. I mean, if it makes him, I'm sure every day that he sees it, it makes him happy. Great.

Who's to begrudge that? So Jason Light's son, the Bucks GM, his son was there waiting for an autograph from Mike Evans. And so we brought him over during the interview. And Mike Evans and us, we were asking him if he knows anything about Harry Potter. He's a young kid, little kid. Had no idea of what it was, had never seen it. Not at all. Mark, do you want to throw out a nug from Greg's write-up that interests you?

Number 19. Is this the old number 19 or the updated number 19? I grabbed it around 7 in the morning. It'll probably be 18 now. Okay, well, I grabbed it around. We'll take out Wednesday. We'll take out Wednesday. Not since the Texans Tyler Lindembaum drama has something gotten so confusing to throw the show off track.

All right, go ahead. A rocky morning. This is so predictable to me. I can't believe that this is happening. We already didn't know what was going to happen. Winston Wentz is struggling in camp with his accuracy to the point where Ron Rivera has happened to openly discuss it and say that they're not thrilled with how he's playing. I mean, it's just like you went out and like heat-seeked this quarterback when the market

was still wide open to go in a number of different directions. And Carson Wentz has been a hot mess in multiple venues years in a row and now he is in Washington struggling. Big surprise. But I think it's notable because the other side is he's having a great camp. He's really picking it up. It's like he's standing out to, what was the one of the defensive players was chasing him out of bounds and yelling at him, get rid of it, get rid of it.

Right, because he was like, he was outside the pocket in a normal play. Montes Sweat is chasing him. He's going to get the sack on the play. And it's saying, get rid of it, get rid of it. Like, don't go out of bounds because you're going to take a seven-yard loss, but Wentz did not get rid of it. It's just, I've seen this play so many times. I know how the movie ends. It's great.

They've also been missing three of their starting offensive linemen, almost the whole thing. time. Curtis Samuel has been in and out, but Wenz doesn't necessarily pass that. I feel like the baseline test of an NFL quarterback is like, when you're protected in a game, can you deliver? Because almost all of them can. Like Daniel Jones, to me, for instance, passes that. Like, if you're just protected, Baker certainly passed that. If you're protected, can you just deliver? That's sort of the baseline. And like, Wence is doing this against air. It's not against the pass rush. It's not even when they have. Well, at least he's a ferocious team leader.

I mean, that's part of it sounds like it's going just as poorly as everything else. Every single team, the reporters are like, well, the defense is crushing the offense. But that's every camp. The defense is always ahead of the offense. Except for Jared Goff. Like they just like, Jared Goff is letting it up. But with Wentz, it's like the main thing coming out of camp is that he is consistently inconsistent. And that has been his entire career.

I mean, up until that 2017 year when he got hurt, he was really good. good before that you could see the flashes and then boom i can't believe we have to watch jared goff again on a high-profile NFL films documentary series he's had seven training camps oh yeah that part of it is annoying i think he might have a good season 2016 rams all or nothing 2016 rams 2020 20 20 20 20s and now or hard knocks rams and now somehow impossibly almost 22 Detroit lines it's not golf's fault in a way. It's just that there was so much attention heaped on the ramp. I mean, what is his fault is he's not the most dynamic presence.

That is his fault. But they have a lot of other personalities. Yeah, that's kind of more on him. Let's hope. I don't think we're going to get. At this point. At this point, he has a huge personality. I think he's going to be a star on the show.

Like, at this point, the NFL films crew, like, there has to be multiple people in that crew that's getting invited to Gough's wedding. They have to be close at this one. They've spent a lot of time. All right, give us another camp check-in. So for the Colts, I think. feel like I'm really high on the Colts. And I don't know if it's just because I ended up, like, spending a little bit more time

with them or not. But Frank Reich, he is over the moon with Matt, Matt, Matt, I was going to call him, Matt Ryan. And this is all connected directly to Carson Wentz, by the way, too, because they couldn't wait to get him out of the building. So anybody that comes in, they're going to be happy about. But then when it's a former MVP and a potential Hall of Famer, it was put it this way, not to talk over you. Yeah.

I'm going to throw it right back to you. this was a perfect storm for Matt Ryan Lovin this summer. Oh, no question about it. And all I've heard from the team is just how intense Matt Ryan has been since coming in. Just taking over that leadership role, teaching everyone nonstop. Like everyone absolutely loves him. And also the fact that Frank Reich finally got Reggie Wayne on the staff. This was something that Frank Reich had been trying.

for for years. He said that he probably called Reggie like 50 times to come and be the wide receivers coach. So now Reggie's there and they really love their rookie Alec Pierce out of Cincinnati. He's fast. He's got good hands. He can catch those 50-50 balls. And this is an offense where Michael Pittman Jr., he really emerged as the number one target last year. So now if they can get something out of Alec Pierce, I think that he could play a big role in this offense. Paris Campbell well it's like Paris Campbell season you hope that the injuries don't happen again maybe they don't this year but this is like when I think about this offense with Matt Ryan the fact that he's never had a run game like this this is one of the best offensive lines he's probably had also something that I found out at camp it is not pronounced Bobby Okriki he is going with a more traditional Nigerian pronunciation so it's Bobby O'Caricay. O'Caricay.

I like it. Good to know. I like it. That's a good nugget. Don't mess it up. That's news you can use. Exactly. What about Shaquille Leonard?

Yeah, Shaq Leonard. Let me talk on that. I asked DeForest Buckner, like, if it was weird. He was like, no, we've all been calling him Shaq, and so it really wasn't like that big of a deal for us. But he was like the O'Caricay thing threw me. He's like, because I usually like greet him in the parking lot every day. say okariki and he's like so now i can i got to like change that up a little bit all those all those times like a tear was going down his cheek so he's like that's not i think that he just like

decided this year but um i did find it interesting that like public story their their schedule they haven't won a season opener since 2013 the colts they always start really slow and they play uh i think it's the texans and then the jags on the road first this year. So, like, getting a fast start, so they're not in the situation that they were in last year where they needed to win one of their,

you know, two last games to actually make the playoffs. If they can get a fast start, then that would be nice because then their home opener is against the Chiefs week three. They might have Shaquille Leonard. That, to me, is more concerning

than the change he's hurt. And you mentioned Pierce is a starter. They're going to have a couple of rookie starters. It sounds like Nick Cross, like a third round rookie safety, has just been one of those guys that they say like immediate day one starter, which you do not necessarily expect that of a third round pick.

They had another third round pick who was a lot of people's top tight end in the entire draft, Jalani Woods, who was apparently buried and probably wouldn't make the team if not for being a third round pick in his fourth or fifth on a depth chart. But that's one of those guys like on draft day fantasy heads are like, ooh, Jalani Woods,

that could be someone we draft, and then you get to camp and he's buried. All right, let's take a break and then finish out our conversation. what's up everybody daniel jeremiah here and i'm bucky brooks on move the sticks we take you inside the game from scouting reports and player development to team building philosophies coaching trends and how front offices construct winning rosters every week we study the tape talk to decision makers and share the insights you won't find anywhere else is the kind of conversation that connects the dots from college football prospects to the NFL stars of tomorrow we break down the draft analyze matchups

and evaluate how teams put it all together on game day. Plus, we dig in the coaching strategies, roster construction, and the trends that shape the league year after year. Whether you're a diehard fan or just love understanding the game on a deeper level, we give you the full picture. If you want insight that goes beyond the box score, this podcast is for you.

Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Six podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Matt Jones. I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different.

Did you see the Colts Pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. I'm Marcus Grant. And I'm Michael Florio, and together we host the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. Ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Then you need the NFL Fantasy Football podcast, your ultimate source for player news, draft tips, and winning strategies. Whether you're a rookie manager or a fantasy vet.

We've got the insight. to help you crush your opponents. Listen to the NFL fantasy football podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. All right, welcome back. Let's hit a couple more, Greg, on your list.

You know what? You point out on number 13, or is it number 12 on your list? That's very confusing. Under cause for concern. it's officially time to worry about the Packers' Offensive Line they've been struggling in camp Elgin Jenkins

headed for the Pup list most likely to start the season we all know what's going on with David Bakhtiari and what I mean is nobody knows what's going on with David Bakhtiari other than he's missed basically

all of last season and there's no timetable for return now and I think it makes me think more bigger picture and we just talked about it with the Patriots earlier teams that watch out maybe for slow starts not only is the line of work in progress in front of Aaron Rogers

obviously chemistry is different with Devante Adams not there and Rogers has to learn how to get a connection with his new wide receivers so you combined the loss of the star wide receiver with offensive line in transition that has the recipe for some 10 to 20 point weeks

right and you're at you're at Vikings week one you're at the bucks week three two tricky road games. It's just asking a lot of Rogers. Packers fans will point out like, look, Jenkins and Bakhtiari were gone most of last year. Most of last year they did it. It's just a totally fair point.

The season didn't end the right way. But they also, it's just like guys you don't think about, Lucas Patrick left for the Bears, Billy Turner left for the Broncos. So those were guys that were starting and playing for them too. So it's just, man, it's asking. Rogers kind of makes his offensive linemen in some way, but that's asking a lot.

It's putting so much on Rogers this year. They really are putting a lot. You got another one, Mark? I'm intrigued by the reports on Isaiah Pacheco in Kansas City. Seventh rounder in the running back race. And they just said Greg Wright's in his thing. He's making noise in a wide open running back battle, and he just moves different.

He's getting first team snaps with Patrick Mahomes. So that's the kind of stuff I like to watch in the preseason. It's someone who's bubbling up in practice, starting to penetrate the first team depth chart. Zach Zenter All-Star. Mark Sessler, Zach Zenter all-star. This guy sounds a little spicer than Zach Zenter. Patego is one of those guys that you saw in the draft process that, man, he just moves crazy. He's a little bit of an upright runner.

But he's someone in the preseason that can earn a role, like a big role. It sounds like he's going to be their kick returner, which means he's going to be on their game day roster. And it's Andy Reid. That running back room seems like totally wide open for him to just step in and be one of those fantasy guys. is a preseason rushing champion. Never forget that. That's true. You more than any other person, preseason rushing champ.

I think that matters. I feel like Damien... He also carved out not the worst little career for himself. I mean, he hung around. Texan's fourth round pick, Damien Pierce feels like another fantasy, like, sleeper that could emerge in the preseason. But the rookie, like, reports are probably more important than anything.

Like, there's some guys like Romeo dubs in Green Bay. It's like, now you'd be surprised if he wasn't starting or having a big role in week one. And he was a fourth round rookie, that he's already passed Christian Watson, the guy that they traded up all those picks for in the second round who hasn't been able to play at all. But then there's also the flip side.

And the one point I did want to just get in here before he moved off was the Bill's cornerback situation that Kair Elam, their first round pick, has really been struggling that they've picked on him. They're thinking maybe it's because you have to go against Josh Allen and Stefan Diggs and this offense and practice every day. but that, you know, he's splitting reps with the sixth round pick, Christian Benford, who's maybe looked a little better.

And then you kind of look at the whole picture. Tradavius White is coming off of a torn ACL. He hasn't been able to practice at all. They're a little thin there to begin with. It's like Dane Jackson and a couple of rookies that are struggling and potentially got the Rams week one. The defending champs has two and a half point underdogs at home. I'm not saying the rainmaker is coming out on August 8th.

but the traditionally, that one caught my eye, because, you know, it's the home team in week one. Generally, I would give them the edge regardless, and they could be matching up against some pretty nice receivers there for the Rams. Connie. I am just looking over your article, which everybody should check out. They could find it on NFL.com. You'd be done to, Rosenthal.

Great plug. The weird coach stuff section is something that I didn't notice when I first pulled up this article, but I didn't realize that Brian Dayball isn't letting the media or fans. How do you police fans post any clips from practice after a couple of... Was that Sean McDermott's style too?

I think there are a decent amount of teams that do this. So initially media is putting up the videos. And that happens all over the place. You see it all over the place. And then they have the PR staffers or whoever, like the really lowly coaching assistants, like

tell the media you're not allowed to do that. We're going to change policy. He changed policy a couple days into practice. You're very important to make the wide receivers or the bears, you humanize them. Yes. But then the coaching staff is referred to as the lowly members of the coaching staff. Those are humans too, Greg. I get it. But table is the one who's being a jerk to them by like, okay, you got to be the one to tell the media they can't send out videos. But then even lower than that is whoever's stuck going into the crowd and stopping the fans. But how do you believe? That's what I want to know. How is this being important? That feels That's unenforceable.

But you know what's interesting, what was most interesting about it, and I think this was Dan Dugan of the Athletics way to fight back just a little bit, was he said, without mentioning a source, said that Dable has staffers monitoring other teams videos that have less stringent policies. So he actually believes there is a competitive advantage. But I like that Dugan put it out there, that Dable's got people checking Twitter to find maybe, let's say, some division rivals or whatever that might be. So they're doing like scouting reports on Twitter and Instagram?

Just seeing what they can get. Yeah, I get it. Listen, I'm not going to judge. Let's see how he does. Let's head coach. Do you have anything else from your takeaways, Connie, before we move on to quotables? Those were the main ones. Those were the good ones.

All right. Keep following Connie. She's going to Minnesota next. Where else are you going? Oh, yeah. That's the last stop. Yeah, I think we're going to talk to Justin Jefferson. Are you going to visit our TGI Fridays in Minnesota?

Oh, my gosh. Yes, I'm going to try to. That same bartender still operates out of that. What was the hotel? Do you remember that it's, It's a cross from the Mall of America. That's all I remember is that I walked out those doors and it was a short, cold walk. Right.

It's not in downtown. I see. If you find yourself, I believe, north of downtown and you were at the Mall of America doing that thing, yes, check out the well-known hotel chain that also has a TGA Fridays. That is a very famous stop on the ATN history tour. Still, to this day, the only guests of, we're lucky enough to be able to bring guests to the Super Bowl. The only guests that were still awake at 3 a.m. and getting loose when we got back to the hotel after recording the Super Bowl wrap-up podcast, my brother, Kevin Danger Hansis, and my brother-in-law, Tanner Bates, a U.S. military man, still, the only people that were ever still rocking. Good crew. That was fun time at the Fridays.

I can't figure which hotel this is. It's confusing because there's actually a Friday's in the mall of America. Right. There's two. That's how popular. And that's how good this Friday. is they have such great service that they've survived despite they're being another Friday literally half a mile away. I'm going to go ride the roller coaster and do all of the things that we had done.

Oh, right, of course. I forget what other rides we went on. Yes, that was... That long afternoon, and there's probably no digital footprint of all, at all, connected to it. Oh, completely lost in the way. We do have... We do have the pictures, though, of us.

I love the Wes in those pictures is a standout. That's the first... Wes had been like to me, wow, I didn't realize that you were so pigeon-toed. And I was like, thanks, Wes. Thanks for noticing. Ouch. I didn't notice that until right now. I think, like, when I get tired, it becomes more pronounced.

Maybe I just start dragging it behind me. Wes weirdly was super into people's gates. Yes, he was. He noticed everyone's different types of walks and he would categorize them and he would speak and analyze them. That's true. Quite often, yes. He was like, you know, some of the best athletes in the world are pigeon-toe. Well, he is pigeon-toeat, so he looked at all right.

Very much be on his radar. He was part of the club. He also had incredible calf muscles. I mean, that's some of the best people will ever see. Incredibly developed. He loved calves and others. So maybe he was in my, he loved what was inside of him. Digintone, big old calves.

Don't we all? All right, before we go, why don't we check in? Quotables. What are some quotes that Justin Graver, sometimes with our assistance, sometimes on his own, came across in the last week or so. And let's react to them. We turn it over to you.

you, Mr. Grave-Digger. All right. I wanted to... Jessica. I really wanted to, like, expand and hear from some coaches or players that we hadn't heard from in the last segment. Good. But, unfortunately, Matt Wool is just so, like, he's perfect for this segment. Sure.

Everyone was talking about this one over the weekend. Hot butt alert. Never apologize. Yeah, I just, you know, we're not a team that, you know, we're not a team that reaches a ball across the goal line. You know, you know, I told us. the guys, hey, after you score a touchdown, celebrate, have fun today. This isn't a true game, but we're playing it like a game, but in between the white

lines. What is that in reference? So this was Baker Mayfield hit former Brown's teammate, Richard Higgins, for a touchdown, and Higgins, did they lean the ball over the thing, and Rule kind of like shut the whole thing down and said, we don't celebrate that way, the Panthers don't operate

that way. This is not how we do things. And it caught fire on Twitter because... You were saying, like, in between the white lines like celebrate but not don't celebrate first downs i mean i i think it got misconstrued a little bit because a lot of teams i think smartly have a don't uh you know put the ball over the goal line rule belt the patriots like every anytime someone messes up doing that they're like how come they don't just make them not do that yeah you know what i it's fine to get on mat rule has been incredibly unsuccessful so far but i'm going to give him a pass on this one i'm sure

it was used as a reason why he sucks again but i don't i don't i don't I don't know. I'm not buying this one. Everyone made fun of the, we're not a team that reaches the ball across the goal line. Like, oh, yeah, we know the Panthers don't score touchdowns. Got it. I got it. Got it. He stepped right into that one.

Whatever. All right. Here's Mike McCarthy explaining why he chose the Mojo moment. Off to a slow start here, Graver. What do we have? Why do he chose Mojo? This is a buildup. We're now getting ridgill moments.

Is that he's talking mojo moments again? All right. I'm in this. Let's hear it. You know, because when you get ready for a team meeting, obviously, you look at it in your office. and sitting there watching my office I just thought this thing was the funniest thing ever and then you play in the team meeting

and that's not the response you get and I say well I obviously enjoyed this a lot more than they did but it made the point as I was trying to think so oh he's reflecting on last year on hard knocks oh no it's back I saw this actually doing my because it didn't go while last summer either I was doing my column and I saw last Monday he was talking about how he had brought Moja moments back

No way. I just thought we had that on the show. Oh, my God. You know, last year, because they were on hard knocks last year, of course. And in his mojo moments set up, he had a clip from Austin Powers 2, the spider who shagged me. And 90% of the roster wasn't even born when it came out. So maybe one thing he updated was some of his pop culture references within mojo moments, but I don't know. Right.

And they're having a kicker competition there. They both had mojo moment opportunities. It was the first one of camp. both kickers missed. That was a bad side. The mojo moment was too big. It's a rare run where I think it actually somehow was even funnier in print, but this was part of the quote was he says,

it's a clip ball. They'll never forget because it's just a little different. It's obnoxious. What is he talking about? All right, what else do we have? Oh, my God. This segment is nose diving. All right.

What else we got? That one's on me. Let's hear from Gino Smith. This one's fun. Right, and it's not being critical of the quotable segment. You know, just let it breathe a little bit. We don't need to do a post-mortem every clip. I'm adding sort of a game show element where each one gets a score.

I often support failing segments verbally. Do you believe this segment is failing somehow? I think it is fair to say that the last time we did it, it was a rollicking event, and it's gotten off to a slow start. There's still time to recover. I would counter that a reason why maybe it's not off to as fast as start is you guys don't shut up about saying what's working and what's not working, why don't we just let it roll?

Well, you're also critiquing our critique. All right, you said Gino Smith. Guys, I love being here. I know Gino Smith is going to bring the goods. Let's hear what he's got to say. I will go on record to say I have his back. No matter what, I have Julex back. I want that to be known.

And we're teammates, we're competing. But, you know, we're in the same offense and we're in the same room. And we're going to make each other better. Unbelievable. Okay, this is great. I mean, that's a teammate. When I think teammate, I think Gino Smith.

And I absolutely, Greg, believe every time Drew Locke takes a snap, Gino Smith is the guy rooting for him the hardest on that sideline. He was then loving their scrimmage on Friday. Drew Locke started 10 for 10. Slaughter Gino. 10 for 10 for 150 and two touchdowns to start off against the Seahawks' first team offense. Still not getting first team reps, but Drew Locke won that round.

Was that hard for you to see, Greg? It's early. It's early. But I think it opens the door. Gino didn't do that bad either. He scored, you know, his, he ran the offense and the numbers were fine and he scored a couple times. But Locke had a nice day. All right, let's break down that one. How was that, Mark?

I thought that one, that had better production elements to it. It had more going on for it in general in terms of its spirit. Good. Okay. To Mark's the best execution. It's good if it's a fast-paced segment. Sure. Absolutely. What else we got?

All right. Let's go to Dan's Jets. All right. And discussing the first round pick, sauce gardener. Oh, yeah. That's a great, talented, you know, obviously long, lean athlete. You can see him. But he's a mod right now until he gets to the field. He's not sauce yet.

Until he plays and he balls out, then we'll call him sauce, but he's a mod right now. Oh, that's Carl Lawson, by the way. Okay. He's got to earn the sauce. Hey, Grave Digger, just to make the segment sing, you've got to give this a little more context. Yeah, I realized as soon as I started playing it, then I need to say. Carl Lawson. We're getting better.

Another day. It's training camp. We are just getting ready for the season. We're working through stuff. We're seeing what works. That's good. That's good, though. Lawson's back and looking good too.

So that's good. He's taking sort of the leadership. And also, infamously, when we had Kvon Tibado on the show last month. That's the right word for it? He said, I don't want anything to do, essentially, I don't want anything to do with any rookie hazing. Nobody can stick me with a bill. Nobody could do anything to me. I like this more old.

school mentality where it's like I know you're sauce gardener in your mind and that's what your chain says but you're a mod until your sauce on the NFL field I'm with it you can't just like walk in here with that nickname and not earn it like that's by the way our friend Kavon is having a very nice training camp according to multiple reports I don't want anyone to misconstru our infamous interview with Kvon I got to listen to this interview yeah I was there for the first two first time when when Greg moved to L.A. Right. And we had started our version of our podcast, the debate club.

Greg's only piece of advice was if you're going to do it, why not do this professionally? Why not have it be an actually like a podcast that sounds professional? Right. Sounds like an obnoxious comment from a guy. So I don't need Greg to listen to the Kvon interview necessarily. Oh, no. Oh, really? Don't.

Now you're beating yourself up too much. Well, no, I'm saying it was not. I'm sure it sounded professional. I think back in the day it was more of a sound quality. thing, right? I think I missed this interview. Yeah. But anyway, my point being, you know,

it's okay for a rookie to have to earn it in our league. That doesn't mean you have to tape them to the goal post. No, it's different. What else we got? Let's check in with Russell Wilson on how hard he's going to work in Denver. Oh, boy, here we go. Well, I think, first of all, I think that, you know, for me, I've always been about, you know, the extra work.

You know, if somebody said, you've got to do X amount. I triple it. Everything, just triple it. You can understand why he's a guy that's a source of eye rolls within his own locker room at times. I talked to him at training camp when I was in Denver. How'd that go?

And, you know, I tried to get him to answer something about Seattle, tried to, like, walk him into something and asked him, like, about the importance of a first start considering their first game. is against Seattle. But what he ended, he didn't go for any of it at all.

But then he ended up talking and saying that you have to play without emotion, which I was like, wait, but isn't everything, isn't competing like emotional? And he was like, you can play without emotion.

You can be passionate, but not emotional. And so that was his whole thing about playing Seattle, was not playing with any emotion. Interesting. He was not playing ball with you, though.

Our friend Henry Hudson, And it's, you know, spent a lot of time with him over the years once in Brazil. And then recently in the UK when Dangerous was over there promoting something or other. Just like very tight. Yeah, there are stories. Not all of them we could share in the show. Anything else? Grave-Degger.

I have two more. One is Ron Rivera speaking on Carson Wentz accuracy issues, which we kind of already touched on. What else you got? I have Dan Campbell comparing wide receiver Josh Reynolds to an insect. You know, this is a good way to close with hard knocks on the way. All right. He's a different athlete. He's, there's a slippery, he's slippery, man.

He's, I call him the praying mantis. He's a spider of death. He's just, there's something about him, you know. So, freaking serpent. I love him. I love him. Yes, Dan Campbell. Praying mantis, spider of death.

And then he goes all the way to like a biblical. level, serpent. That will be on Hard Knocks, I would imagine. I hope so. I mean, yeah, that's like not what a praying mantis is like, right? Slippery is not the first thing. It's not a spider. Speaking of, you know, we spoke about the movie, nope.

Prane Mantis with a crucial role. This is not a giving anything away, but a crucial role in the movie. Nope. Speaking. Big summer for Praying Mantis. It is. It's a big Manta season. Colleen and I, Hard Knocks podcast, rolls,

out tomorrow night. So look for that in the feed. Get excited. Also, this particular program, the Around the NFL podcast is now, in addition to being on YouTube, which I think people knew, but it is.

We're also now on the NFL app, the NFL channel, which is a new thing. That's whatever, wherever on your device, I guess type in NFL channel and you could come up maybe a flashier name for that.

Well, there's NFL network and NFL channel. And some people probably call NFL network. Oh, NFL channel, but that's two different ones. On your TV at home, the little NFL app, it's right there. Yeah, and if you have the NFL app on your phone, you just go to the top right menu, and then it can pull up, like, there's NFL network, and then under that, there's NFL

channel. Right. And YouTube, I mean, famously, there's like a 30 seconds of the video rolling after we finish that people find... See the real heroes. Electric, Mark, throwing off his headset and running out. Now that I think about it, me. critiquing the name of the channel, probably not going over very well with executives inside

the building. Maybe we'll curtail that commentary on future use. Of course, we're also now on NFL Plus, which is the new streaming service rolled out by NFL. And that's also where you can get game pass. Oh, it's a sensational product. Yeah, there you go. Subscription start at $4.99 a month. Go to plus.com. I know all the promos by art now. All right, Connie, you've said it all. We'll see you tomorrow. Thank you. Hard Knocks podcast, rolling out. Thank you to everybody for listening.

We'll be back on Wednesday with another show. Until then, heed the call. Hey, Hey, everybody, Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On move to six, we take you inside the game. from breaking down college prospects and NFL rookies to evaluating team building philosophies,

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