NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Fearless Predictions for 2016

Episode Date: June 6, 2016

A room full of heroes -- Dan Hanzus, Chris Wesseling, Marc Sessler and Colleen Wolfe – discuss the latest NFL news, including Marshawn Lynch’s comments on his retirement and Aqib Talib suffering a gunshot to the leg. Then the heroes weigh in on the passing of the “The Greatest,” Muhammad Ali before wrapping the podcast sharing some fearless predictions for the 2016 season.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. Call the fight. It's the best podcast around. Welcome back to another edition of the Around the NFL podcast. My name is Dan Hansis and I'm joined by a room filled with heroes. Mark Sessler, Chris Wessling, and Colleen Wolf. What's up?

People. Hey, Dan. Hey. They like that. People. Yeah. That's better than female. Yeah.

So you're improving. Yeah. This is, again, is showing good host listens to feedback. You were somewhat offended by me calling you a girl. I mean, I would say that I was offended that you were calling me a girl, but it was just in the delivery, I think. Hey, female. So, I mean, I should maybe return the favor. So what's up, male?

See, I don't like that. It's weird. Yeah. Call me boy. This is the Monday edition of the Around the NFL podcast. Sponsored by no one, loved by many, feared by some. Yeah, in this building. The very dangerous podcast that we have here.

And Colleen is sitting in to my right. She's sitting for the boss, Greg Rosenthal, who is away on some family business. Maybe we'll get into that a little bit later. We're just happy Connie Fox is here. We heard some travel a travel fiasco that had you in St. Paul, Minnesota, just hours ago. It was just hours ago. Yeah, I traveled from Philly and I almost had to stay the night in St. Paul, but just sort of like a PSA for everybody, if you buy a round-trip ticket, especially on Spirit Airlines, it's probably your first mistake. But if you don't take the trip out on the round-trip, they will cancel your return.

Let's save this with the sports personalities complain about travel. I'm not complaining. That's not a complaint. She goes right down the Bert Breer pathway there, very narrow. American airline. What were you going to say, Wes? I got nothing. Yeah.

So. Not complaining. I'm here. And then you did HQ, which as we've said before, is in an absurd situation where they have all the people on the show come in at like midnight to tape a show that's running on East Coast time and that starts at 6 a.m., which is 3 a.m. on the Pacific Coast. And yet you're here. I powered through.

I'm here. I'm ready to go. What a great person you are. Thank you, Dan. Absolutely. It's going to say woman pulled back. black boy um all right good show today like it pre show great b plus you you like it to some degree is that a confident b plus you got to read my inflection okay uh nice show nice show we have

i love this actually and this one's got it from the b to the b plus for me um probably because it was my idea but fearless prediction i may live to regret about the 2016 season so we'll go around the horn and this is where you hang some onions all right this is where not only

but not you don't want to be a funny guy like Johnny Chuckles it's not just about to make everybody laugh this is something you actually believe

will happen Johnny Chuckles yeah and if you make people laugh in the process hey good job with the mirth but what you really do

this is a real opinion you have about the 2016 season that I'm assuming if you're doing this right not many people have because after all it is a fearless

prediction may live to regret. That's the part that Johnny Chuckles is not delivering. Yeah, exactly. Check out this one. It's a real bellyache. Glad he's not on this podcast. He's a ventriloquist, done.

I don't know, for some reason that's what I was. Johnny Chuckles is a ventrilochrist. That's what he sounds like to me. We also have a bunch of news to get to. Of course, again, it's the slow period of the NFL calendar. But when our last show is Thursday, things happen. And we're going to talk about it to get you completely. caught up to date.

And before we do that, we will check behind the glass. There's the Irishman. Dan, you got me worried now with my travel arrangements for Wednesday when I go back east. Like that, I'm going to have to be, you know, stuck in some random place like St. Paul for hours on end. Look at the upside. If it goes haywire, you and Connie Fox can co-host the sports personalities complain about air travel. I'm not complaining. I never complained.

It's a lovely airport. They have a restaurant with. kiosks. A lot shot at Spirit Airlines. Shots fired. Also, you're being accurate. Yeah. They let you down.

Mark's got the vapors. And we got to get, oh, no. Is it hot in the studio? No, it's perfectly nice in here. I don't know what's going on. Mark's got the card waving in his face. I got the vapors. Let's do some news.

I'm saying here once and fall blowing my own horn that I am the greatest fighter of all times bar none. Ah, yes, the late. Hamid Ali, formerly Cassius Clay passed away. We'll get to that a little bit. But let's start with some football news. And, yeah, some bad news for the Denver Broncos who found out Mark's waving his face. I can't even concentrate.

Are you okay, Mark? I will stop doing that. No, no, don't stop. It's just for air. I don't want you to pass out. Are you really distracted by this? A little bit. Well, I'm not as good as a host.

Oh, wow. I'm going to put it down. I'm going to put it down. I'm going to hold up the paper like this. All right. Let's start with Broncos cornerback Akib Talib, who was shot in the leg on Sunday morning in Dallas. The team announced over the weekend.

It was a gunshot room that did not need surgery to repair. But he was shot nonetheless. And the NFL media insider Ian Rappaport reported, citing sources close to Talib, that is expected to be released Monday from the hospital. The wound is, quote, minor. and only required stitches and medical cleanup. So no major surgery.

To leave is 30 years old. He spent his high school years in the Dallas area, became a standout NFL corner. And, you know, this is not the type of story you ever want to hear, especially when it's one of the most important defensive players on your team, right, Wes? No, you don't want to hear it, but I can't say it was surprising, considering the player involved. I mean, he's been in and out of trouble ever since he entered the NFL.

But good news for the Broncos, it sounds like it was tis but a flesh wound. I mean, he told the Dallas police that he was, in quotes, too intoxicated to remember what happened when he was shot. Sounds like a night. It's the kind of thing we're going to talk about here, and we're probably going to learn more and more about as the hours creep along. Yeah. And, I mean, when is a gunshot wound really just minor? I mean, I'm sure it's not major, but it's still a gunshot wound. I mean.

A notable event. But I guess, like, whether he was at a club or wherever. he was i mean i feel like this stuff happens it's sad to say anywhere all the time so i mean how often does it happen to you in santa monica well yeah in santa monica does not happen a lot or it's spirit airlines but like i just feel like i don't we don't really know what happened but i'm not going to be mad at him for being at a club the real tragedy here by the way is for a keep talib's wardrobe because it was just last week that he acknowledged that he had spent three thousand five hundred dollars on a new suit that he was wearing for the

trip to the White House to see Obama today, Monday, instead he's in a hospital. So sorry about the suit, bro. Let's move on on that somber note. Harrison Smith has signed a big new deal with the Minnesota Vikings. It is worth Mondo money, five years, 51.25 million with a 10 million signing bonus up front and nearly $29 million in guarantees rap sheet reports. the former first round pick, has been an all-pro twice. He's earned two first-team all-pro nods in his first four seasons.

Last year, two interceptions, 47 tackles. Wes, what makes Harrison Smith so special? He can do it all. He's one of the safeties who can cover, tackle well, and he's really good on the Blitz, too. So he's like the key piece in Mike Zimmer's defense. And I think if you say that Earl Thomas is the best safety in the NFL, Harrison Smith's in the discussion for the second best, right there with Malcolm Jenkins and Rashad Jones last season, really. It's always interesting to see when a new coach comes to a team,

what players he inherited are prioritized, re-signed, and he fits the Zimmer profile. And I think, you know, Zimmer, I really believe after this season, I'm not saying the Vikings are a Super Bowl team, but I see him as a top five coach, and I think that we'll think about him this way after this year. Plus he's in the NFC North, so he's going to be facing quarterbacks that aren't afraid to sling the ball either.

And it makes me wonder after this deal what Tyron Matthews, is going to get, what Eric Barry is going to get. I mean, those guys are going to get paid massive amounts. Good point. I think Rapsheet has reported that Tyron Matthew will probably become the highest paid safety in the NFL. Even after the two major knee surgeries. It's interesting. They see him as the more, even like beyond Larry Fitzgerald,

whose career is coming to an end is their franchise player. And he's more than just a safety. He's a slot corner and he's sometimes lines up at linebacker. He does everything. Plus he's dependable too. When he's not injured. Yeah, exactly. Harrison Smith, also one of the best-looking dudes in the NFL, him and Decker,

right at the top of my power rankings. Have I said too much? I'd like to see this full list. Decker a little overrated, in my opinion. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. It comes down to taste. I just don't see him as the most handsome player in the NFL. He's coming from a guy who has a crush on Doug Peterson.

I don't, I actually am recalibrating that coach's hot coaches list. Peterson's looking like he's, you know, a little too many hours in the office, A little more sun, a little more. Though he was out in the sun this weekend, he was taking batting practice at the ballpark where the Phillies play. The athletic type. Yeah, the Eagles were all hitting, and he was wearing flip-flops, which I thought was an odd choice.

Damasek hates that. Really? Chek hates men wearing flip-flops. He doesn't think a man should ever show his toes. Speaking of Chek, we'll get him in here this week, and we'll talk to him about that and also win West's toaster, which we need to. You know, we've got to figure out this.

toaster situation because I'm not happy about a 2-1 Damashek win in a strange round of Win West's toaster over Chris and now he's just going to hold this toaster forever. Hold it as long as we're waiting for sandwiches to be sent our way by Shaq for losing

in our latest round of go get my lunch props. There's a lot of stuff we've got to talk about in Shaq. That's called Pulling a Rosenthal trying to avoid the competition for many, many months. Well, Greg's sole quest was just to bury the segment. Right. That's true. But can't do it he can't do it let's move on hey marshawn lynch won't return to the nfl don't listen

to any of his ex-teamates at least that's according to marshawn lynch who had this to say on 60 minutes sports which is apparently a thing no i'm done i'm done lynch said i enjoy putting my time playing now it's time to watch my cousins do they thing and then he looked at the camera and said this i'm retired is that good enough which camera you want me to look into this Listen to me, I'm done. I'm not playing football anymore. Lynch has yet to formally file his retirement papers, but he was adamant about his retirement. I wonder why he's waiting to file those papers.

Is it just like sort of like... It's probably boring. I think he's waiting to like... Kind of annoying, maybe. I mean, he what, he announced his retirement in the middle of the Super Bowl, throwing all sorts of viewers and reporters into total chaos. So he's probably waiting until, like, humans land on Mars or something to interrupt that event. What big event can I interrupt with me saying I'm coming back to the NFL?

I hated that move. I don't know. I still, I don't like how he got praised for it. And then Arod did the same thing in the World Series a few years back, and he was treated as one of, you know, members of the Axis of Powers or something. Because Arod is a member of the Axis of Powers. Well, it's such a, like, oh, look at me. Like, how about I get some attention now move?

I don't like it either. Colleen's calling him a glory. Sorry, boy. I'll translate it. I am. But I mean, does this, I know we had this conversation a couple of weeks ago and there was an idea, I think it was a split in this room. Oh, we'll see him again, even if it's with a different team.

Does hearing Marshall and Lynch say this, Wes, change your opinion at all? Because I think you thought we might. No, I was, I was listening to that podcast a couple days later because I wasn't on that day and I was throwing stuff at my phone. Like, why are you guys taking this so seriously that a couple of teammates think he might come back? Of course he's done. he's done throwing pencils at your phone did you whatever i'm throwing stuff in my phone like

why is it why is everybody nobody there is saying of course he's done he's retired well now you've said it all right uh let's move on clay matthews you know i was going to file this under a trope alert trope alert but i'm not going to do it because this to me this story actually makes sense to me clay matthews had moved inside at linebacker for what the last two or the better part of the last two seasons filling a void on that defense at Green Bay. But it wasn't necessarily his strongest position. And now Coach Mike McCarthy said that Matthews has spent the quote majority of his snaps at outside linebacker in OTAs. And here's the quote from Clay Matthews.

As I've continued to say, I think outside linebacker is my most natural position, my most impactful position. And I think we'll see that on a more consistent basis. this season. He told the Milwaukee Journal, Sentinel, Mark, here's my question. If everyone knows that he was a much more effective player on the outside, why do we burn two years of his prime putting him in the middle? It happens to players. I mean, they had a total need, but I couldn't agree more that you want them back.

It reminds me of the way that Greg operates with his employees. He puts them in a position to succeed. So let's put Matthews back where he's most important. That started out as a dig in Greg, I thought, and it wasn't. No, it shouldn't be in. Yeah, exactly. During the prime. He was a defensive player of the year candidate at outside linebacker early in his career. And I think you see in the draft, outside linebackers go in the first round,

inside linebackers going the second and third rounds because they're not as valuable of a position. He's good at that position. He's successful at it. It would behoove them to have him play that position. But for some reason, they just didn't have him do it. They kept putting him inside. And that sort of baffles my mind a little bit why they kept doing it. But I guess it happens all the time.

They're also a team that they've long refused to sign free agents. And maybe that would have been a time where you find that inside linebacker in free agency so that you don't have to move Matthews over, but that's not how they operate. Imagine how frustrated he's been playing that position, knowing that he's better in the other position. Don't think we didn't miss that behoove. Nice drop. Oh, thanks.

Very improbably. Moving on, JPP, who lost parts of his right hand in a fireworks accident. on the 4th of July last summer. He has different plans this July 4th. This is what he had to say to reporters at Giants OTAs. I won't even be in the United States where I'm going. They don't celebrate the 4th of July. Colleen, that's a good idea, isn't it?

Get the hell out of America. Lay low on old Independence Day. I haven't seen this story yet. So that's amazing. He's leaving the United States altogether to avoid July 4th completely. Goodbye, Estados Unitos. I guess it's a smart move. Get as far away from it as possible.

I mean, by the way, the issue is in what country he was in. I mean, it might be harder to procure fireworks. I think I saw somebody said Haiti, maybe he was going. It's probably harder to get fireworks in Haiti. It's where his parents are from. And I don't think Haitians are celebrating American Independence Day on July 4th. But they might celebrate explosives. I doubt it.

It's a weird thing. I mean, why are fireworks the thing anyway on July 4th? Like, what's the... I feel like they've been around for. what 1500 years now maybe we could move on to something else i have an uncle i have an uncle who every time we would go to a whether it was fourth of july or some type of place that had fireworks he would get emotional and he would start to get his eyes would water up they would well up with tears because i think it probably had something to do with his old man who was had passed by that

point but i never asked but i always noticed that he got emotional i love fireworks i always but i was never the guy that was like, oh, let's go set him off behind the old high school. You were observing them. Yeah, I was an observer. Yeah. If you see one firework display, you've seen them all, right? Not true. I think you were together last July 4th, and you were like, this is ridiculous.

I don't know why we walked all the way down here to watch fireworks. Sounds like Wes. We had a party at my place, and then we walked down to watch it. As kids, though, you sit on the front of a car. It does mean something. My, yeah. Yeah, sure. Yeah.

In my Coltown, I grew up Pearl River. Every 4th of July, they had a fireworks, and we could see it from our porch. It was a great memory. I like fireworks. Pro fireworks. You think they might shy away from fireworks with all that coal around. You don't want the whole place. Well, the coal.

Because I know the business. The coal is deep within the Earth's core. And the fireworks are a celebration of being above ground. Good analysis on the Coal Town Fireworks scenario. Coal resonance. Finally. Cold story. Yeah, now it's time for some trope alerts.

Troplanet, Trojanet, Troopanet, Troopanet. Buck's linebacker, Levanti, David says that the Tampa Bay defense can be, quote, the best defense ever. Yeah, I'm going to say it. Put it on me. I'm going to say it. NFL history, Buck's history, anything. Wow. That's just the type of attitude we have.

And Kevin Patrick, who we love, our Chicago correspondent, inserts here, insert obligatory offseason eye roll. It's about right? Are the Bucs are going to be top 10 on defense? Let's aim for being top 25. Best in NFL history? I mean, best in Bucks history would be amazing if they were able to do that. I remember that 2002 team to beat the Eagles. It was one of the best defenses of all time.

Yeah. A time ago, in 2015, the Bucks defense ranked 26th in the NFL, allowing an average of 26.1 points per game, 10th in yards allowed. So there's work. I really like what they've got going on in offense. They've got a great nucleus now. it's very interesting. I am far from sold on the defense.

What are the impact players? Levante, David, Gerald McCoy, and that's the list. Feels kind of like a somewhat covert shot at Levy Smith. We got him out of the building. The defense is going to take a major step. I think that's a fair shot. Troppellate. I like her.

Troopalert. Hugh Jackson has this to say about cornerback Justin Gilbert. He's been sensational. He's done everything we've asked him to do, the way we've asked him to do it. One of my favorite off-season tropes, draft bust turning the corner in a desperation season. Mark. Well, the one thing about Hugh Jackson is he has been exceedingly across the board positive about every single player on the roster. And there is no one with Johnny Mansell, not in Cleveland.

Justin Gilbert is the absolute number one point of suspicion. I won't believe a word of it. Josh Gordon's up there, too. Well, Gordon's not literally on the field right now, but yes, you're right. But we've seen Josh Gordon produce at a big time level. Justin Gilbert played less snaps last year than the year before. And with him, it's not, is he physically talented? He had teammates come out of the woodwork to say this guy's head is not in the game.

So if he can turn that around, we'll see. But that's a lot to take on. He seems almost universally reviled by teammates and coaches in Cleveland over the last two years. You're not wrong. I think some teammates said it's a little bit different right now, but again, it's June. We've got to see this in September. Justin Gilbert, rather have Dilbert in my secondary comic book joke.

Nailed it. He seems mobile. Nailed it. Dilbert. Home runs. And finally, yes, sad news in the sports world broke on Friday night. Muhammad Ali, the greatest. He was known as died at age 74, complications connected to Parkinson's disease.

which he had battled for over 30 years. I was a little too young. I missed Ali. His career ended right after I was born, basically. But he still is a guy that, a huge figure. And actually, I was watching some, I watched a George Foreman fight. I think it was the Thriller in Manila?

Was that the Foreman fight? I think that was the Frazier fight. That was the Frazier fight. But the fight before that was the Foreman fight where he recaptured the title. Rumble in the Jungle? age 32 and it made me jealous and it reminded me of being a kid watching Mike Tyson's fights how excited how exciting it was to be a boxing fan and how I kind of I wanted to talk

to my dad about it how excited it must have been when Ali was in his prime because he was such a not only one of the greatest boxers ever maybe the greatest boxer ever but one of the great showmen and personalities and guy that that fought for things fought for things that he believed in didn't care what the mainstream and what the establishment thought. He was a titan in American history in the 20th century, Wes. Name me or find me a more impactful quote by an athlete than no Viet Cong ever called me that's the greatest quote by an athlete in America, I think. It's the most impactful, most revolutionary quote.

He was willing to give up three years of his prime and jail time to sit out the Vietnam War, which was dividing the country. and he was the most admired athlete by African Americans in the country probably in the world at one time in his career he might have been the most popular human being on the planet also a controversial guy

he was vilified for those same views by a large segment of society and he wasn't afraid to kind of draw that line and say this is who I am get on this side or the other side which he had to give him credit for well go ahead I was going to say he basically invented swagger

for an athlete too I mean that's him trash talking swagger and you can call him good at it. So many people are bad at it. He's great at it. He was absolutely polarizing, but I think when you look back, he stands on the right side of history. He became this amazing symbol of defiance, and he was so charismatic, and he was so controversial at the same time. But it was like he demanded attention anywhere he was. And he was just everything he did was entertaining, whether he was in the ring or whether he was just talking. Yeah, I mean,

you guys did a good job calling on HQ this morning where there was a lot of volley coverage on on the NFL network this morning. But one thing that was said was that along with Howard Cosell, the two of them, and they had a fascinating relationship, that they came into bloom along with television sports and that Ali has to be up there as, if not the best, top two or three most fascinating athlete to listen to. He was a poet.

I thought he went so far beyond boxing, but boxing never would have been what it was on any level without Ali. I mean, we grew up watching Mike Tyson. I remember getting together with tons of fathers and sons to watch that Tyson fight that went 90 seconds. Some guys popping popcorn and it was over before he even came in the room. But we wouldn't have been there even caring. The fathers wouldn't have been there caring if it weren't for Ali. And Howard Costel, I mean, he was one of the first people in the media to actually call Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Ali.

And that was one of the things that I think forced that their bond together because he did not call him Cassius Clay, which he didn't want. Also, one of the great things that we were watching today. and I saw some amazing articles when Lyle Al Zado and him fought in Mile High Stadium. And it was like in the middle of the summer, in the middle of the day. And the fact that he did that, Al Zado did that. I mean, that would be such a crazy spectacle now. If you had somebody like J.J. Watt go in the ring against Connor McGregor or something. I mean, it was so insane.

And he ended up putting his entire house as collateral to cover promotional. costs. I mean, the whole thing was such a show. Born in Louisville, a southern city, several generations removed from slavery, and he ends up spending the final 30 or 40 years of his life hanging out with kings, presidents, celebrities of all type. He reached the top of the world. To me, the thing that stands out the most is, and mind you, I have seen what Parkinson's does to a person. My grandpa passed away from Parkinson's. Most of the people out there now have a story of him post-fighting career after he already. had Parkinson's. And for what he did for over 30 years, mind you, still have that mentality

of, I'm going to make your day, even though my day is absolutely terrible. That's the thing to me that shows that how strong he really was. Well said Irishman. Yes, he did a lot for Parkinson's and the research and awareness. Muhammad Ali, dead at 74. All right, folks, before we move on and talk about our fearless predictions, Mark, you wanted to share some things that we call this section, Mark Sessler has concerns about the boss. Oh, God. Well, I have concerns not about the boss who's done an excellent job from wire to wire here at NFL media, but when he's gone, you know, I've been here since 630 this morning,

just observing the behavior of people that report to Greg. Oh, interesting. I'm going to give you a few details. Do you have a full report on this? Yeah, because, I mean, what would a good employee do other than to give Greg information about what was happening while he was gone? And it starts, I mean, look. Chris, very valuable asset here at NFL media.

But today, however, I logged the time at 12.14 p.m. I had to ask Chris Wesleyan to sit down in his chair. He was getting up, and this is just, you know, Greg's not around, just get up out of my chair and do whatever I want versus working. And Wesleyan tells me that he's getting up to go look for, in quotes, a post-it note. And I think we can agree, Wes, that I explain to you that you're not allowed to simply get up and roam around the building just because the cat is away, hashtag be a professional. Well, this did happen, and I thought I was a little taken aback by it.

I was doing a book report. Why were you looking for a Post-it note? I'm doing book reviews. It's this project that I've undertaken that is dragging on and on. It's destroyed West of life. And I needed Post-it notes to mark some excerpts in the book. So Mark was on me. And then at one point, I went up to use the printer.

And Mark's like, sit back down right now. Sit back down. There was a pattern to your behavior. Now, Dan, highly productive. Oh, thanks, buddy. Nose to the grindstone type stuff. It did concern me, though, that director of programming, handsome Hank, with Greg gone. This is more about Henry than Dan, who was just obedient, that, you know, Henry just swooped in and leaned very hard on one of Greg's employees to do his own bidding.

Yeah. That's concerning. I'm going to pass that on to Greg when he gets back here. There are power plays all over the place between Henry using him. his influence, and then you using your influence over West telling him to sit down. Well, I am doing that. That's for Greg. Yes.

You're a loyal servant to Greg. The third thing, because we all have this guy on our radar, suspended softballer, David Ealy. I couldn't really track him very closely because he sits 20 feet away in a tediously loud portion of our newsroom. So it's hard to hear everything that he's doing. but one of his co-workers, Shona Holag, Brassy. Yeah, Brassy. That's who we know. Brassy.

She wrote this, an email to me to fill me on on Ely's, frankly, devil-make-hair antics, according to what she has to say. Oh, no. In quotes, she said, in Greg's absence, Ely has not stepped up to the plate and has disappointed us in the following ways. One, Ely spent most of his morning talking about how many bottles of rosé he downed over the weekend. Oh, dear. From Brassy, Greg would never drink rosé, and Brassie is right. That checks out. Two, two and final point.

I also believe, according to Brassie, I heard Ely refer to Greg as, in quotes, that guy who thinks he's my boss. Now, she cannot confirm that, but she wasn't in the conversation, but that's what she overheard. I reached out to Ely for comment as of the start of this podcast, Crickets. Wow. Well, that's a good, that's Mark Sessler, Intrepid Reporter. what's your takeaway

habitual brown noser no no no no see i like how you can spin it that way but gregg's going to come back you know where am i'm in the dark what happened while it was gone i'm going to give him this report yeah besides you had a glowing review well i knew this segment would go south if i criticized dan as opposed to how it did go well that's fair maybe on its own merits it didn't take off

chief apple polisher mark sessler when the real teacher gets back he's going to report on the substitute teachers. You're that guy. You're the TA. Well, listen, I'm doing when I'm being a professional, Dan. Okay. All right.

Mark Sessler, add it again. Great job, buddy. Mark, thank you for the report. Greg, hopefully you're listening to the show and you're getting all this info. Who knows if Greg's going to listen? Well, that's where he would go on to the Coles if he's not even listening to the show. So let's not tell him. Let's see if he notices.

All right. It's time now. to move on to yes fearless prediction I may live to regret and again I stress this

with peace and love you must hang on onions here you must put yourself out on a limb if you don't what are we even here for and I'm not looking at you specifically calling you

you're just like yelling in my direction I'm just saying I don't know all of us I hope we are all bringing our A game because it it may decide how the segment goes. Wow. So we're going to start out with Mark,

who is fresh off, is intrepid reporting of the newsroom politics. He will now give us a fearless prediction he may live to regret. I believe this. Good start. And I will be laughed at. The Cleveland Browns talked about

as the no-brainer worst team in all the sports will not finish in last place in the AFC North. Wow. You believe it. I believe it. I did not two months ago. I do right now. Does this coincide with your statement on the last podcast that Sincere will take a dirt nap?

It feels like it does. Well, let's, I mean, let's look at the division. If the Browns aren't finishing in last place, that means somebody else is. And the Bengals, I guess, are a candidate. Maybe it's the Ravens. The Ravens were terrible last year, but beat up and they have a great coach and a great GM. The Steelers, I think everyone probably the favorite to win the division. So you're looking at either probably tell us if you're wrong, if we're wrong, or I'm wrong.

The Ravens or Bengals to really slip up and the Browns to kind of move up the ranks. Yes, the Steelers, to me, are a Super Bowl contender. I don't do this often, but I have to defend my home city here. Wow. What? This is disrespectful. And every year we kind of crap on the Bengals and don't give them the respect they deserve. We don't predict they're going to make the playoffs.

I think they're as talented as any team in the league. and I don't think the Browns have even a 1% chance of finishing ahead of the bench. The Bengals are not necessarily my target here, but I think the Bengals have talent, too. I think weird things can happen. We saw what happened to the Ravens last year. If the right players get injured, the team can go very south. So I'm not saying that looking at it today, it's logical, but the NFL season is a weird beast. And again, this is a fearless prediction you may live to regret.

I probably will. You are a factory of sadness. But I do like, I do like. He just rolled his eyes and shrug. I mean, come on. But I do like that, again, it is showing it is much better than this time last year where you were so upset about Cleveland that you weren't even going to watch their games. You're in. You're hopeful.

Believe land is in town. I think they've got their act together in terms of being on the same page with each other. Good. All right. That was a good one. Perfect example. That's great. The Brown's not finishing in last place.

They have a roster devoid of talent, a terrible. history, you know, suspect, front office, leadership. However, this is the year. They move up. Fearless. Wes. You know, during May and June, which is chief trope season in the NFL, we all are guilty of every fan, every analyst is guilty of just taking the previous season and putting

that under a microscope and ignoring the year before, in the year before that and all other data. Green Bay Packers are going to break records this year on offense. That's my fearless prediction. It was just last June when Mike McCarthy was saying, or last offseason, Mike McCarthy was saying, this would be the best offense pro football has seen if we can improve on one or two things.

They have the same personnel, except they've added people. They've added Jared Cook. They've added some offensive linemen. They've added a healthy Jordie Nelson. Randall Cobb's going to be playing in a slot and will be healthy. Eddie Lacey slim down. I love everything about this offense issue. Does it spook you at all that,

Listen, Jordie Nelson, losing him for the year was obviously a crushing blow, and Randall Cobb was never right and that he had his problems. But Aaron Rogers also wasn't quite himself last year. That does not spook me at all because when, before defense is adjusted to the fact that James Jones is incredibly slow and can't get open and that Randall Cobb can't beat double teams, before that happened, Aaron Rogers September was the best month I've ever seen any quarterback play. I think everything that happened the rest of the year was totally on his coaches and

teammates and not on Aaron Rogers. Yeah, and we saw him struggle as the season went on. So I felt like it was just more of a product of his receivers not being reliable and him just getting burned and then him just getting sort of Lucy, I don't want to say Lucy Goosey, but, you know, he was sort of kind of lost at some points in the pocket. He's the best player in the NFL and that was a problem. That was a half decade. Right.

Are we going to concern me at all? Are we going to talk about two and a half months of play or the rest of his career? And Wesleyan, you know, if you want to go back and listen to old podcasts, he was, you were one of the first to say that the Broncos under Manning would have that one season where they broke records. And you talked about the Patriots last year, which I think that could have absolutely been the case again. Had you not lost Dionne Lewis had some of the injuries not happen. So, I mean, the Packers are not just getting one or two. They're getting like the core of their offense back. And especially if Eddie Lacey is kind of a slim down record.

Oh, my God. They're going to be so good. And McCarthy's back to calling the plays. To set the scoring record, just to give some perspective here in a season for a team, which I imagine is that one of the records you're referring to? Yes. The record is held by the 2013 Broncos, 606 points. To break that record, the Packers would have to average, average 38 points a game.

So that is one of the tougher team records that are out of break. But I'm with you, Wes. I feel like it now everything has to click. Lacey does have to be Lacey again. Cobb has to be. healthy. Jordy Nelson has to come back. He's 31, 32 years old coming off that ACL.

And then Rogers, everything has to, you know, coales. Let's not forget what they were saying about Devante Adams at this time last year. I know he had as bad of a season as you could possibly have. But Rogers was talking about it as a guy who is no doubt going to be a star, has the swagger of a number one receiver. And he took it as there's no question this guy's going to break out. It was kind of a Murphy's Law kind of year. Everything went poorly.

But I still believe in Devante. And Ty Montgomery, too. Time Montgomery, Jeff Janice? Jeff Janice, people. Dan's boy, Jeff. Get excited for Jeff Janice because he's crossing 750 yards with seven touchdown. One quick question to you, because for that to happen, they also have to have a defense that's keeping opponents off the field.

You can't have long dry. You just got to shut people down. Or a defense that gives up a lot of points, so you have to get involved in shootouts. All right. That's another way to look at it. Now, here's one thing. I don't know. Was that a fearless prediction?

I don't know if it was fearless. It was a well-reasoned. I could have said they'll have the best offense in the NFL. Instead, I went for breaking records. Okay. That's true. Yeah. All right.

Well, how about this one? Meanwhile, on the throne of sleaze. We come in peace. They seem friendly. I say we trust them. How great for our planet. Father time. Oh, my God.

Listen to it. Whoa. Nothing there. Father time. Here, winter. Father time at long last calls his son, Tom Brady. It's time to come home, Tom. Well, he's not going to die.

Well, like, where are you going with this? Tom Brady will live decades longer. Maybe into his 90s if everything goes well. Maybe with the way he treats his body, he'll be 130 years old by the time he breathes his last breath. I hope so. Okay. However, as an elite talent in the NFL behind center, I know people have been saying it for years.

I think I've been one of them. This is the year that he shows signs of slippage. And let me tell you what's going to happen. I'm going to get into details. Talk about living to regret. He's going to miss those four games. He ain't getting them back. He will throw more interceptions this season than in his 2014 and 2015 season combined.

That is, I believe, nine. No. We get the number right for you guys. Whoa. No, nine, he threw in 14, 7 and 15. So 16 is going to throw more than 16 interceptions. He will post a passer rating below 90 for the third time in the last 10 years. And buffoons across America will be calling for Jimmy Garapolo by December.

Wow. Even though, because they'll do well. What are you saying? I've called a trooper. What are you saying? People trying to bury Tom Brady. every off season for the last three years as no longer elite in Father Time's catching up to him. This is a trope.

Piped down, Wes, with your gutless predictions. Mine's fearless. It's happening this year. And I've said it before, and people always say it. But guess what? Now it happens. 39 years old this year. Tell me who has not been taken by Father Time by age 40 in this league.

Look at Peyton Man. Brett Farv. It's the best year of his career. Brett Farv couldn't even walk by his 40th birthday. That's a 112 passer rating. It is time for you to realize that he's not always going to be Tom Terrific. And that starts in 2016. Get ready, America.

So this is just all him. I mean, this has nothing to do with the team. It's just him. I didn't say that. Other time. I didn't say that. I think it could be a number of factors. I do like his support around him.

I don't love it necessarily, especially with Dionne Lewis coming back from a knee injury, who knows what you're going to get from him. But I think that it's just. slipage. It won't be a fall off the cliff Peyton Manning season, but it will be a season in which he regresses and is kind of like Derell Revis last season, how he was

still very good, but he was no longer viewed as the best. That will be Tom Brady's 2016 season. I mean, when it happens, it happens pretty quick to these guys. And it's sad to, it's just depressing to watch. Not for Jets fans. No, I mean, I think that's the... Part of this is you're

kind of waiting for it as a Jets fan, too. I don't blame you. But the only My argument would be this, that Tom Brady, one thing he'll be looked back upon as changing the way quarterbacks take care of their bodies. And we don't have to buy into it, but the proof is what he's done on the field. He's shown literally no signs of regression, so it would have to come out of nowhere, so it is a bold prediction. Yeah, I think it would have to involve an injury, a serious injury.

Yeah. Or a nagging injury that he... Which can happen, because when you get old, your body starts to break down. To Wes's point, Farve had one of his best seasons in Minnesota at age 40, but by age 41, he couldn't even throw the ball anymore and ended the season on the sideline.

And that guy wasn't even eating Himalayan Pinksoe. No, but I mean. No nightshades. Yeah. But like, you know, Farv is kind of the outlier. Everyone else ever has been done by age 37 or 38. Warren Moon.

And, well, okay. I mean, do you want to go down the list of all the stars that broke down? Well, I'm saying that the end of them. Or do you want to name two guys that were. decent at age 40. I think, well, I think Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback in history, so he's the outlier. I don't think the normal rules apply to him. And also, how can he be the outlier where he hasn't gotten to the H40 area yet?

You've got to wait to stay. Well, who's played as well as he had for, who is an MVP? Peyton Manning. 38, 39 for a couple straight years. Peyton Manning. Also, Tom Brady and all today's athletes have much better technology, nutrition, weightlifting, routines than anybody had even 10 years ago. Warren Moon's last big season came at age 39

And then he kind of fell off a clip Not true So well check it out Check it out So I'm going to say Fill in scientist heat Yeah he's a yeah Moon was a nice player

But a borderline Hall of Fame type guy Did he make the Hall fame? At age 41 he threw for 25 touchdowns in an era When 25 touchdowns was Rivaling for the league league That's not go crazy led the league in passing yards per game at age 41. Oh, no.

Who will ever forget that 1997 Seahawks team, please? Or a moon. Carrying my team to the fantasy football championship that year. Whatever. It just shows you've been playing too long, old man. All right, Colleen. Oh, I can't wait for this season. All right, all right.

So get ready to be wowed by this one. Colin Kaepernick will not only be named the starter, but he's going to have a career year with Chip Kelly. All right, so logic would say, oh, you know, they're in the NFC West and that's a tough division. And that defense really struggled. Now it's going to be terrible in an up-tempo system. Oh, you have a cocktail of Tori Smith and Quentin Patton and Bruce Ellington.

Deadly. Does not matter because Chip Kelly and Colin Kaepernick are going to be perfect. for each other. Colin Kaepernick is what Chip Kelly has been looking for. And Chip Kelly is what Colin Kaepernick is going for. Wow. And he is going to get a career year out of him just like he did out of Nick Foles, out of Mark Sanchez, out of Sam Bradford.

It's happening. I like it. That is fearless. It is. Especially since he... Onions. Last time we saw him, he was like 140 pounds and he has not been cleared for any activities.

And Chip Kelly said that him and Blaine Gabbard are similar players. Yeah. Yeah. Except Blaine Gabbard's. more accurate. Yeah. It doesn't matter. I see your thought process.

I see where you're going with the Colleen and I like the onions on display. I wonder if this would have been better like two years ago as a terms of logic. Is Kaepernick has he too far gone physically and mentally to put it back together on a bad Niners team? I think it would be a huge upset for this to happen. It would be. It's fearless. Big onions. I was sitting in the parking lot thinking about this on zero.

hours of sleep, and I'm confident in my prediction. You know what surprised me most about this is, as I recall, you are not the biggest Chip Kelly fan. I'm not. I'm not. So this is, I'm really going out of the line here. How much does this tie into your lack of sleep? Probably a lot.

I did say Lucy Goosey earlier, and I've never used that term before in my life, and I'm still thinking about it right now. I don't know where it came from. Are you bringing Lucy Goosey back? I'm not. I'm not trying to bring it back. I don't even want to talk about it. I'm getting hot.

I brought back the Dean's scream. It's possible. You got the neighbor. I know, I've lost of the papers. No. I'm right now fanning down, Colleen. Thank you. All right.

I think it's, if it happened, it would be one of the great stories because if you want to, I can't find a coach quarterback pairing where both sides are more maligned by people right now. Chip Kelly's stock has never been lower at the NFL level. And Colin Kaepernick, a wonder boy a few seasons ago, is considered persona non-grat at this point. And maybe sometimes that's how these things. Let's lift each other out of this. I think me with Colin Kaepernick weigh the same right now. He is not a muscle bound.

Well, he is actually, but he's kind of, how would you describe him, Dan? He is. Lanky? Why did I bring you down this alley day? Trying to be nice. He's like, he's a little Manzell-esque right now in the body. Yeah, he's an injured professional athlete who hasn't been able to lift weights, apparently. That's the key thing holding it up.

Is he healthy? Will he be? We'll find out. So, all right. So we brought back the dean. scream Colleen says she's not bringing back

Lucy Goosey despite her comment earlier today I don't know can we edit that out did I know did I mention I don't know if I brought this up on an earlier podcast

because I'm so excited about Dean Scream I was thinking of bringing back you are the weakest link goodbye oh God wow get to the next thing that is a that is a bad idea

you are the weakest link goodbye What do you think? I'm not officially announcing it that I'm bringing it back. I think about it a little bit more. Workshop it. Don't be so loosey-goosey with the things you're bringing back. Oh, my God.

Help. All right. Good job, guys. Nice predictions. Many of them fearless. We'll see if you live to regret them. And that is it for Monday's edition of the round the NFL podcast. Connie Fox, get some sleep.

I know. Aaron Rogers is not, he was not Lucy Goosey last year. Let's just like, let me just throw that out there because I know I'm going to get to eat all about that on Twitter. I need to go to bed. So take us through this now. Is it straight back to the Fox Den right now? Yeah. For hours of slumber?

Yeah. How many hours? Like, when will you wait? Are you doing HQ tomorrow? I am. So I usually, I get up for that around 11. So, yeah, I might just like go home and go to bed now. I don't know how you could.

I could never just on command fall asleep in the middle of the day. Oh, I have like, I have a whole system. I have like this industrial fan going. I tie like a sock around my head so like no light gets into my eyes. Do we get a video of this? If you get us video that we promise to take out your loosey-goosey reference. Okay, maybe. I don't know what's worse though.

All right. So that's it. We'll have a special guest in the studio next time we're here. And also a little later in the week, we might have a member of the Arizona the Cardinals in studio. So a lot of stuff coming up this week on the Around the NFL podcast. Greg will be back on Wednesday. So make sure you rejoin the boss as well.

Until then. This is Dan Hansis. Signing off for Quiet Storm, The Mailman. Connie Fox, to your lair you go. Yeah. And the Irishman behind the glass. Until Wednesday. And now, the story of

And now, the story of America 3, Chapter 16, Part B. They crossed a half-melted train track. into what remained of the old city. Everywhere around them, wasted storefronts, fractured throughways, vistas of total collapse, no sign of human life. Over the hilltop, the shrill cry of a vortex skull interrupted their walk. Rhodes gripped her weapon and said to Wolf, keep going with your list. Cool Ranch Doritos, Funions, quarter-pounders, those tubs of ice cream,

the one with a chocolate vanilla strawberry. What was it called, Wolf asked. Neapolitan. Do the TV One Now, Rhodes said. Boy Meets World, I Dream of Jeannie, Voltron, Shaza Sunset, the reunion of... Hold up, Rhodes said. The vortex gull was overhead, circling, descending, unaware of the duo as it landed on a patch of cement in front of what used to be a hybrid Exxon gas station slash carwash. Nobody had used any form of petrol since 2019.

The concept of oil was a child's myth. The V-Gull was killed instantly as the Zyconian laser arrow from Lindsay's four mega-soul destroyer crossbow. rip through the bird's nerve center. Dinner, said Rhodes. They built a fire inside the hushed remains of a white brick structure that served 25 years ago as a two-star YMCA. The now-dead vortex skull crackled over the fire.

Wolf and Rhodes took turns peeling streaks of tangerine-colored meat off the bone. I really miss beer, said Wolf. I miss waking up on the couch after a house party. Jugs of wine everywhere in Al Pacino roaring on some distant television at 3.15 a.m. Just what I thought I was out.

They pulled me back in. I got a job for us, Rhodes said, over the firelight. High risk, high reward. I'll listen, said Wolf. Why will I listen? Because we're eating a bird that tastes like Capri's sun meshed with checks mix. It's a big job, said Rhodes.

A sea bean. One of their heavies, Ty Zephyrine. Their chief nautical map maker, said Rhodes. We have a Soul Destroyer Crossbow, one M-Valt pistol, and a knife that three decades ago struggled to cut watermill and Wolf said suspiciously, Look, we can get out of this gun for higher life

if we take down Ty Zephyr, Rhodes said. Then let's hand Ty Zephyr a one-way ticket back into the godless sea, said Wolf. We rise at pre-dawn, said Rhodes. We'll need to kill and steal the entire way. We'll need to triple our arsenal by the time we get to New Iowa. My calendar's wide open, said Wolf.

That night, they slept beside the fire, capping another lost day in the drifting badlands of America 3. In the morning, they'd move east. Yeah, listen up Hey, hey, now we're back Dumbstruck boy, evil attack Look boy, why you saw men Second December should hit that

Hey, damn you picked the wrong lover Should I pick that one is cuter than the other I just want to laugh because you're trying to be a hipster Kick it to the club, take a portal or you're twitcher But even if the stars in moon collide I never want you back into my life This is an eye heart Ignore your life

Oh, I really don't care This is an IHeart podcast