NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - First Trade Reaction + Mega-News update!

Episode Date: October 30, 2023

In a virtual room full of heroes - Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, and Marc Sessler react to an injury plagued Week 8 in the NFL and look ahead to tomorrow's trade deadline. The heroes start by giving you updates on the status of Kirk Cousins (02:14), Matthew Stafford (12:00), Desmond Ridder (15:00) and Daniel Jones (19:00). After the break, the heroes talk about the health of the Jets offensive line (27:00), Kenny Pickett possibly playing on Thursday Night Football (28:50) and react live to Leonard Williams being traded from the Giants to the Seahawks (35:53). Note: time codes approximate. NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. The Around the NFL podcast knows what they call you down at the station, Jack. Welcome to another edition of Around the NFL. My name is Dan Hansus. I got a virtual room filled with some heroes here, Mark Sessler and Greg Rosenthal. And yes, we kept this open-ended audience of loyal listeners this season that when there was a particularly newsy Monday morning. We might break out of our typical cycle, which has been Monday night recap plus news

and just give the news its own little platform. And that's what we're doing today because there is a lot to get to. How is everybody? I've missed you guys. I feel like I haven't seen you in easily six hours. Well, we've also been texting. That's the thing. We spend so much time together on air, certainly off air at work.

But then it's usually like the minute we leave work, then we start texting and it basically continues until the next show. So you are my brothers. There's a healthy codependency, you know, at play. But, you know, we have only done this news show once. And we, you know, the bar needed to be high. A lot of quarterback stuff happened. And before the show happens, you know, Greg typically will create a little news rundown. And it was like five items. And it got longer and longer and longer and longer so it's like we got to go do this well said mark you put a bow on it beautifully i thought he was going to say it it turned into a russian novel by the end that's a markism a little uh little toy a little war and peace here the news so yes check out the week eight

sunday recap and we will have the monday net football recap uh for the game between mark what are we saying are you total i was drifting off to space detroit the lions the raiders the team of ATL versus Jimmy G, the most handsome man in the league. Let's go. Just a different vibe when Mark is in that homespace. I got to tell you. I do like the plaid, though, so everyone check it out on YouTube. All right, let's get into it.

No sense messing around any further. Let's do some news. It just didn't feel like it should end like that. You understand only one team at the end of the season is able to walk off the field, victorious. It's kind of a cruel reality of this business. But, you know, we'll keep working. And I will continue to have the goal that someday I'm standing here talking to you all. And it's a much, much bigger stage.

So thank you. I know it's not the most popular take on this show. In fact, I believe, Mark, you excused yourself from the studio when we talked the quarterback's Netflix series that ran this summer. But I thought that that was one of my favorite like NFL films productions that I've seen in recent years.

If there was a tugboat cut, we're getting rid of everything Marcus Marietta based and then we take it down. But then the two figures that are left, Patrick Mahomes, possibly the greatest quarterback who's ever lived playing at the height of his powers during a Super Bowl championship run covering him day to day during that run. And then Kirk Cousins, who is perhaps the most, you know, lightning rod,

like a lightning rod quarterback of his generation. And the news became official just before we went on today, the Vikings announced that Cousins did indeed tear his Achilles tendon and Sunday's win over the Green Bay Packers. He's out for the rest of the season. the timeline and details of his upcoming surgery will be determined this week per the team. And again, there are there are implications for the here and now for the Vikings about what happens next with them, which we're going to get to. And also the bigger picture for Cousins, who was in a walk year of his contract that the Vikings specifically chose to let this year play out.

And he just so happened, Mark, to be having one of the best seasons of his career when he took that fateful step at Lambeau Field. So here we are now. Cousins out for the year. A great season cut short and his future and unknown. You started to feel like this Vikings team, record aside, was a team that had a better chance with the way he was playing to operate as like a berserker down the stretch, potentially make the playoffs and maybe do some damage there. There's just a lot to like in this offense.

And when you get this version of Cousins, I don't know. It felt like the ceiling was a mystery. in a good way for them. And so I think there's sort of a feeling of depression around this development because, yes, it's one thing if a young first round pick was stepping in or someone that had a lot of promise, there's really nothing behind them right now. And it changes the NFC. I mean, I feel like from another angles, a team like the Lions that doesn't play

the Vikings till week 16 and week 18, they basically, this division is an empty husk. And so it's like it changes a weird NFC wildcard picture. It changes the NFC North. And it changes the career arc of Kirk Cousins. We don't know where he'll play next. Yeah, I think if you look at that wildcard picture, that seventh spot is going to be funky. You know, and that's even assuming, you know, second place in the NFC East, whether it's Cowboys or Eagle, second place in the NFC West, assuming the Seahawks, you know, keep it going and can make the playoffs and the 49ers.

Then that seven spot. Who the heck knows where it's? coming from. I would have maybe made the Vikings the favorite after yesterday. They were four and one in their last five games and they have a spicy defense and a quarterback playing, you know, as a pro bowl quarterback. It's heartbreaking. I think the point of those shows quarterback other than to make money is from the NFL film's perspective to create an attachment with a player, with a team that wouldn't be there. And I think how they portrayed Kirk Cousins absolutely did that. And I think, I think,

that's actually why it's resonating even more dan is because of that yeah it was i'm glad you brought it up because that was the other point i wanted to make that i felt like the people that watched that and um have followed his career there was kind of a kirk asance going on uh this year so for it to end in such sudden fashion when he's playing really some of the best uh football of his career at i believe age 36 now um that is a real crushing thing in terms of what the viking do and we talked a little bit it on Sunday night. And I was in a little bit of a different camp because I didn't think the Vikings should trade a draft pick of value. And I mean like a day one or day two draft pick to bring in a veteran to just put somebody there. I wouldn't I wouldn't mortgage the

future to try to save this season where they are right now. But there is a report out there, Greg, from pro football talk of another name that's out there who would address both the here and now and the future. And that would make a lot of sense to me. Well, yeah, Mike Floreo, who is a closet Vikings fan throughout Kyler Murray. It's a lot to happen in the next two days. And that's because they weren't, if they could possibly think about Kyler Murray, they weren't thinking about it two days ago. So it's a lot to try to wrap your mind around.

But Kyler is an interesting name the next two days between them and Atlanta. What was the reporting exactly from Floreo? I think he was really just throwing it out there more than anything. Like almost wishful thinking, there hasn't been any hard reporting about what they might do or won't do. But yeah, Nick Mullins is hurt. They have Jaron Hall, who is a fifth round rookie, and they're going to bring in someone, whether it's a backup to Hall or maybe like a Case Keenham type, they're going to bring in someone. One name that has sort of been linked to the Vikings because Colt McCoy worked out for the team recently. He was with Kevin O'Connell for three years in Washington.

know, they were glued together in preparation every week. So he knows him well. He would know the attack to some degree. I don't know. I guess like Carson Wentz is still sitting out there, someone like we talked about maybe Matt Ryan gives them a call. Florio, you know, more, this was more just like wild speculation, wondered if Kevin O'Connell, who was teammates with Tom Brady would maybe make a phone call in that direction. That feels like lunacy to me. But this offense is like set to go. That's the one thing. It's like, I don't, like, I don't think the Vikings should give up on the season if they, if they self-scout their quarterback position and say, we've got nothing here currently. I don't think you ride with

Nick Mullins. Like, do you waste another year of Justin Jefferson, a year of Jordan Addison's rookie contract? I think you're like, they're a sneaky good team if they get functional quarterback play. They showed a shocking amount of confidence in Jaron Hall in those two series, letting him throw on early downs, letting him throw on third and eight when they needed to burn clock. He fumbled and kind of burned them. And they did it at a third and long. But they got to get someone and I don't know. You still got to play these seven games. I'm with you not mortgaging the future, Dan. But for a fourth round pick or you just try to do the best that you can. And it's funny, it might give Kirk a better chance to return there, I actually think. Like, because now he's

not going to be healthy until the middle of the next off season. It's weird. Whoever signs Kirk is going to have to kind of play it both ways and not totally count on him. I, you know what, though? Like, I think he would have a robust market in free agency. I think people would, seeing how he played this season, knowing the way players can recover from even a serious injury, like an Achilles, I think he would have a big market and would get paid big time money. We'll see.

Yeah, I do agree. You don't just give up on the season. But, like, I'll use the other, like, when Aaron Rogers pops as Achilles, part of the reason, like, that was such a, like, a tragic thing for Jets fans is that you looked at the roster and you said, this looks like a potential Super Bowl roster with a loaded defense and playmakers on offense. They just need a QB to make it go. So when you think about should they go get a quarterback, it was like, okay, because that maybe they could hoist the Lombardi. If they added a

quarterback in Minnesota, how much does it lift the ceiling in terms of what they can do? It is a wide open conference. I'll say that. I would love the Kyle Murray thing. That makes sense. I mean, that would be wild. But if you're like saving up draft, Or you're thinking about, okay, we need to find a quarterback of the future at some point. So let's not burn our draft picks or our cap space. Like it's for someone like Kyler Murray, right, a number one over draft pick who's had some pretty good production. And it's just interesting, I guess, that it just so happens at the timing coincides exactly

with A, the trade deadline and deadline spur actions. And B, Kyler Murray being cleared to play and this exceeding weirdness coming out of Arizona about not wanting to play them. Let's see. Other news, other injury news, Matthew Stafford, his near future is up in the air at the athletics. Jordan Rodriguez reports that the Rams are, quote, evaluating a range of potential scenarios for Stafford after he suffered a thumb injury on Sunday in that blowout loss to the Cowboys. They have a week nine matchup against the Packers before they hit their buy. So it seems like potentially Safford is on the shelf this week and then gets the buy.

to recover but it could go beyond that right yeah the report says they haven't ruled out injured reserve so that would all but end the ram season and again the timing's interesting with the trade deadline here did they possibly think of just pulling the ripcord here trading some people for this to be reported in this way and she's the only one that's really reported this you know indicates to me like the best case scenario is probably that first thing that you said if you want Stafford to return, that there's a range of outcomes and it's going to be cold in Green Bay. They even mentioned like the weather this week, like with the buy coming up, that that would be unlikely. But when they do further tests and kind of see how it goes the rest of the week,

like it might be pushing it and they might have to be careful. And then it's suddenly, again, Mark, whoever's got the Rams on their schedule the next four weeks, like totally gets lucky because Stetson Bennett is on the did not, is on a reserve list. list right now, non-football illness list. They haven't given details about that, but it's, it's Brett Rippin as the backup. Yeah, it's, you know, you were demoralized by Dallas, then this was the anti-icing on the cake. And it's, you know, two years in a row where the Rams are thrown into the blender because of losing Stafford. And I mean, like cousins, you know, we've been talking about Stafford correctly for the last month that it's not as, you know, numbers so much, but he's

playing as well as we've ever seen him play, throwing the ball, as well as Matthew Stafford. whatever has. And there was sort of an energy and a spirit to this Rams team. And he was right at the heart of it. And you kind of lose your North Star now. And you're back in that wilderness where it's like if you lose him for, you know, if he goes on IR, check you later Rams. I mean, it's just, it's like the drop off from QB1 to two on a lot of these teams. It's pretty drastic. Yeah. And we'll get to the Giants in a second. Because I had a thought on that about what's going on to the depth charts in our league right now. Mark, what would be anti-icing on the cake? Are you are you scraping off essentially the top layer of what's already like a pretty like shitty cake.

Yeah, like it would be, I mean, icing on the cake would suggest, well, this is just a beautiful thing to taste and experience. But anti-icing would be what? Like a layer of, you know, if you were to go into like your sink and like deep scrape whatever's down that sink pipe and then put that on top of a cake that already didn't taste good. Maybe it would be like anti-freeze on the cake. That would work. Some anti-freeze and it ruins the cake.

You know, it's a little more anti-freeze on this cake is, and I know it's a little awkward to talk fantasy football after injuries. Of course, we're disappointed for these players. Oh, our society is long past the stage where it's seen as awkward. We just talk about it. And it's disappointing for these teams and these men, but if you were enjoying Jordan Addison's insane season or Pukunakua and Cooper Cup and all this stuff, like it's not going to be the same. you go in the next few weeks um in other quarterback news oh boys um true to what i said on sunday i couldn't believe it i didn't think it would ever happen but the first game that i teed up this morning for a rewatch was indeed titans football where will levis did look really fun

in lighting up the falcons defense uh the falcons on their side of the ball finally mercifully benched Desmond Ritter, who's been holding the back all year. Taylor Heineke comes in and plays well, and that team produces in the second half. And I'm thinking to myself, like, how committed to this bit will Arthur Smith be? Because there is no way you could go back to Ritter after Heineke badly outplayed the starter. But Arthur Smith has kind of made it a joke of like how to handle a roster and how to deal with the media and being truthful and honest and make sense. and be logical.

So let's see if he finds a way to keep Ritter in the lineup moving forward. Here's what Arthur Smith had to say on Monday about his starter. I got to see where he's at. So that's what the best I can give him. I got to see where he's at. I can see if that's the best thing for his team this week.

Obviously, it's not something I'm concerned. Long term. He's not a lot of good things. But we've got to find a way to go on this game. So whether, you know, we had it. If it's Taylor, that's what we'll do. But my concern is Des, and I've seen him in long term, you know, you got back out there. I don't think he's ready. Okay, someone translated because that was, it might as well be another language.

I'm going to translate. Yeah. Taylor Idake is starting Wednesday. Yeah, but what was all that says about Des about I got to see with Des? Okay, so he's like hiding behind the injury thing still. Now, he was tested for a concussion. and he kept saying, look, health can affect you. And so we got to see how he's feeling.

But then he also said, like, I'm concerned about him as a person. And so... That's what I mean? Like, what are we doing here? Right. I think he's talking about... I think he's maybe a little scarred from the Marcus Mariotta, Ryan Tannahill transition, which Mariotta took very poorly and had some issues with Arthur

Smith about. Well, he quit the team. No, back in Tennessee, I mean. Oh, oh, yeah. It's confusing. It's confusing, the Arthur Smith, Marcus Mariotta Benchings. But good point. There was one last year, too.

I'm thinking about the one back in Tennessee. And so he kept pointing out, like, long term, it's Des. And so, but we got to win a game this week. And so that, to me, said. But if he's cleared, Mark, if he's cleared this hypothetical health hurdle that's being floated out there potentially in a Fugasey manner, does that mean that Desmond Ritter would start if he's healthy? I think he seems like the door was open.

that quote I mean if you read it versus I think the way he speaks sometimes you kind of drift away as the listener but I've never heard him say this it said it's not something I'm concerned about long term he's done a lot of good things but we got to go find a way to win this game like he's never introduced like yeah but like no matter how healthy is or how good of a job Desmond Ritter's done we're in a different situation now as a team so I think for me I took it as a clear indication that Heineke will start and by the way they're playing the Cousins free Vikings. So you got a chance to Tidal Honekes in a better spot than he would be with Cousins. He did announce Wednesday, he will announce the starter.

He said, no matter what, I promise you, I will tell you Wednesday who's starting. Usually that means that's a new guy. Yes, but I also would not be surprised if Wednesday comes and goes and there will be no starter announced. He's got some, his commitment to this bit is, I mean, almost admirable. All right. Now, moving on, more quarterback news. Daniel Jones, who has a neck issue for the second time in his career.

And that spooks teams as it should. He has been practicing with the team the last couple of weeks, but hadn't been able to get cleared for contact, which is why Tyrod Taylor started the last couple weeks on Sunday against the Jets and so much was happening in general that didn't get to drill in on this as much. Tyrod scrambles out of the pocket, gets brought down near the sideline, suffers a rib injury. He was pretty scary because he's down on the field,

then he runs off the field and then kind of collapses on the sideline. They ended up taking him to the hospital for observation. And I believe as of this recording, he's still being observed at the hospital. And the news is Daniel Jones is now cleared for contact. He will return and start for the Giants in week nine in what is obviously a must win for them. And that's good news because one other takeaway,

from that insane Jets Giants game was Brian Dable having a quarterback on his roster in Tommy Davido, who went to Don Bosco Prep, which is where all like the kids where I grew up, went to play sports if they were really good, by the way. So like a super local kid, he would not let him throw the ball. He finished with negative passing yards. And even in overtime, the Giants win the coin toss. And they throw, three consecutive screen passes behind the line of scrimmage and punt the ball back to the jets. They essentially gave up,

but it almost felt like because they wouldn't let DeVito even try a pass. The fans at MetLife Stadium, it was a Giants home game, so all their fans were there were chanting, let him throw, let him throw. And it was just as crazy to me that they wouldn't, like you would have this guy on your active roster,

you would go through all the training camp, and he would be ostensibly throwing the ball downfield in these practices. And then when the games comes, he literally never let him throw the ball once. So thank God for Giants fans that Daniel Jones is healthy enough to return to the lineup. But that was a head scratcher to me. Well, yeah, like I'm with you.

What is he doing on an NFL, anyone playing quarterback in an NFL roster? Are you going to be great? No, not necessarily if you're a third stringer, but you've got to be able to be trusted to in that situation. Try to make a play. Go for it. So I'm with you. It was mystifying.

I don't really remember a game where a team ended with negative nine yards passing. I'm sure it's happened. But it's an outlier. You know, the one thing about Daniel Jones, it's like the reoccurring neck issues, he's had disc issues. It's just kind of like, I know they gave him the money, but it's like the durability has been a B-line for Daniel Jones outside of last season. And he's playing behind a terrible offensive line. He was so heavily punished before he went out that it was getting hard to watch. So that is a concerning situation for his health in general.

Well, at least he gets to play the Raiders next week. but it's it's pretty heartbreaking for Tyrod he's had such an unlucky career and he's been a solid NFL quarterback that's why he's still playing at age 36 you do wonder if that is potentially the end of his career hopefully he can come back this year and continue being a backup but I think he's still in court suing the Chargers doctors for botching the injection that led to his collapsed lung, same area. We don't have any information here. That started the career of Justin Herbert.

Right. So it's just, man, you feel for this whole team, this whole quarterback room seems spooked. I went to school with, again, grew up in the same area as Tommy DeVito. I went to school with a kid named Tim DeVita, and this is Tommy DeVito. A lot of Italians in my neck of the woods. Here is Tommy DeVito on Twitter. you're watching on YouTube. Can we please take a moment? This from Andy Wilson to talk about Tommy DeVito's TD chain. Yeah, it's a gold chain with maybe diamonds spelling out the name.

And I could tell you as someone who grew up in and around New York, New Jersey, this is a very normal look. And people shouldn't think it's different because I know a lot of men like Tommy DeVito and they all have that chain. Yeah, don't, you know, don't shame the accessory crowd in the tri-state area for the way that they adorn themselves. Yeah, but Dan, are they all, are any of them football players with the word to your initials meaning the word for touchdown? I mean, it's perfect. I've talked about my life in the coal town a lot on this show. And there was just an uneasy existence between the Irish and the Italians. And we were all kind of in the same bucket. We all went to the same church and all that. But the Irish and the Italians were different

types of dudes. And the Irish had a certain way about them. And the Italians, they had a certain way about him, the gold chains and stuff, that was the Tommy DeVito crowd. It kind of makes me nostalgic for that time of my life. I kind of like seeing him, I hope, I wish you would have been allowed to throw a forward pass on Sunday at the middlelands, but he wasn't. It was like 1930s in the Bronx, but I understand where you're coming. It wasn't exactly gangs of New York. I'm not saying there was warfare, but there was definitely a rivalry in terms of like,

you know, that those two, you know, cultures. I wish there was like a, who's the butcher from, what was? Ben, I wish there was a butcher character. Benny the bitcher. That was like my dad. No, what's his name? The guy, Daniel DeLewis. Like if my dad was actually the butcher of Pearl River, there would have been additional

path to the story. Betty the butcher is a rapper, you know, probably which is a takeoff of Bill the Yeah, definitely not referring to Betty the butcher. Benny and then. All right, let's take a break and then we'll hit the rest of the story. the news. All right, we're back. More injuries. So many injuries in the NFL, it feels like this year. Falcons defensive tackle, Brady Jarrett suffered a torn ACL in the team's week eight loss of the Titans. He is out for the year. He's a two-time pro bowler, a key, a key to what they

do. And he's done for the year. Also out for the year, Gregi, Kendrick Bourne. He suffered a torn ACL, the Patriots wide receiver and their loss that from Mike Garifolo and that happened in the fourth quarter he was having a really nice season especially for Patriots playmakers in terms of that category and now his season is over as well

quite a bummer. Their offense is so tough to watch. He had the most juice of any receiver they had along with DeMario Douglas, their rookie so that it turned out to be a decent free agent signing. I mean he was their second best receiver two years ago

was totally in the doghouse last year, was back out of it, and I expect he'll be gone. Grady Jarrett, though, is a bigger impact here, a team competing for the playoffs. And you could see the difference. The Titans who have struggled to run were really opening up some holes in that defense once Jarrett was out. He's the, you know, him and A.J. Terrell are the two best defensive players on that team.

They're better than they used to be. So it's not as catastrophic, but they're pretty thin there. They have David on Yamada, has been playing well, but that's a huge loss for Atlanta. I could see that being a trade deadline, a source of activity. I could see them bringing someone in along the line. They've been so active trying to pump up that defense and it's been good. Otherwise, like, they have a ton of cap space, by the way.

That's why Kyler actually would make more sense for them than almost any team, just because they have all the cap space in the world. Yeah, they seem active. And I, like, when I watched Kendrick Bourne go down, it was one of the ones where you knew right away, he's gone. And, like, their list list of leading receivers was Kendrick, Born with 37 catches. Then the next person is Ramandre Stevenson, then Hunter Henry. And you mentioned DeMario Douglas. He has 19 catches on the year. I mean, he's been in the dog house. He at least

unlike anyone else, he makes people miss when he gets the ball. But I hear what you're saying. Kendrick Bourne was a little more of a veteran version of DeMario Douglas. Neither which, at a good team, they'd be the three and the four, you know, not the one and the two. Let me get some other injury stuff out of the way there. Will Levis, who we talked about, briefly he bawled out against the falcons and he's expected to start on Thursday night in place of Ryan Tannehill who has a high ankle sprain and you would think if Levis continues to flash he will continue to start there and who knows what Ryan Tannehill's future is the Jets also so much going on in that game they were on their fourth string center by the second half of that game

against the Giants Connor McGovern their starter he suffered a dislocated need cap out he's out week to week. His backup comes in and only lasts a couple series before he hurts his calf and he's going to be out sometime. And this is a great tidbit from my father-in-law, Bob Bates, because the guy they put in as the fourth stringer and his first snap was a lost fumble and the second snap nearly went over Zach Wilson's head and threw the back of the end zone. But then he calmed down and did a great job in a really tough spot. Xavier Newman. He's a Baylor guy. That's why Bob Bates, my father-in-law is all over it at B. At B.U., according to Bob Bates' text. He actually started only one game at center, his entire college career,

and all of a sudden he's playing in the rain in the NFL snapping the ball. So Jets are a snake bit at offensive line. Against Dexter Lawrence, who might have had like one of the best days any defensive tackles like ever had. That game was just stupid. But shout out to the Baylor Bear for holding it down. Mike Tomlin said Mika Fitzpatrick, their defensive back is out. I believe it's a hamstring. And the door is, quote, a jar for Kenny Pickett, who was also injured in that loss of the Jaguars. Here's Tomlin on Pickett status. I think the door is definitively a jar for Kenny, you know, probably a game time type decision based on the information that I'm holding here today with no structural damage and so forth to his ribs. And so we see how we'll go through

the week, his ability to throw his level of comfort, his ability of effectiveness, um, et cetera, uh, and let that be our guide in terms of determining, uh, his availability. I want Mitch. I want Mitch on Thursday night. I want Mitch. Oh, come on. Love us. I'm not saying Mitch is going to be good, but I think he's more entertaining to, to watch. I think it's time, by the way, with Mike Tomlin, you know, like right, like in the second half of, uh, his career, like Bono just started wearing the sunglasses. all the time inside and outside. I think Tomlin and these press conferences indoors

to just wear the aviators because it's always like now it's a little weird when he's not wearing them. So why not just roll with him all the time because he looks cool as hell on them? I could listen to him all day long. I think the one development that's a little interesting is that losing Minka Fitzpatrick,

I mean, I'd say you'd just hardcore, rest them as much as you can, if it were the previous version of the Titans that we watched in London, dead and dead on arrival on offense. but Mink of Fitzpatrick being absent against what we saw from Will Levis is a factor if he's going to continue to whip the ball down feel and operate like a super robot. Will Levis, the quarterback we always wanted Justin Herbert to be.

Get in that, Rick. All right, contract news. I don't believe that. Everybody shut up. The Packers gave Roshan Gary a $107 million extension four years. He's a pass rusher. He announced it on social media. This was the final year of his rookie deal, former first round pick.

He has been a difference maker for them. He overcame a torn ACL, Gregi. And I guess this is a good time for Packers' PR to fire out something like this because other news around the organization is not so hot. I mean, shout out to Rashon Gary for breaking this story on Twitter. What I found unique was I actually think he put the amount of money in his original tweet. So it's like, he's coming for your corner. Now he didn't have like the signing bonus.

Our guy Rapsheet got there first with that. It was a $34 million sign. It was, but good job for Gary. He gets over $100 million. Our friends over at the PFF podcast, Steve Palazzolo, noted Rishan Gary, and this was before last week, had the highest pass rush win rate of any player they've ever recorded this season so far. Like he was on pace for it.

Probably wasn't got to maintain because early on they were being careful with him coming off at TORN ACL. But that's how much Rishan Gary is winning. I don't know how their defense is so bad with so many good players, but they are. So he's the player that they always thought Miles Garrett could be. Get me, Mark. Come at me. No.

Now you've just gone into insane worlds. Garrett's got posters of Rashad and Gary in his room. Gary is a higher pressure percentage over the last two years than Micah Parsons and Nick Bosa. So, I mean, you know, he's sort of this gem inside that defense. And they've not been really good as a group. I mean, their offense isn't helping them out. ACLs really used to take two years to recover from. I guess it's just, I mean, and sometimes

people come back slow. Plenty of people. But sometimes they come back and they're better. It's like it never happened. I think age, yeah, definitely factors in. But, you know, for every Von Miller, now there's like a Breeze Hall. And it's like, was he even hurt? Those type of situation. And even Von Miller, the first time around,

he's on his second ACL. So that doesn't help too. That is a thing. The bills add to their backfield. They sign playoff Lenny Fournet. off the street. He'll join a Bill's depth chart led by starter James Cook. He's been very good this year. It also Latavis Murray, who I like.

He's an old man that's still, I just go north and south, buddy. And you'll be all right. Ty Johnson is also there. And now you add playoff Lenny, but I don't know where he fits in, but he's a depth guy. He's a body at the stage.

Like maybe like a go line guy for them, but I kind of, if I like it at all, because it sort of mystified me. I mean, it tells me two things. One, all right, like people are whispering about Derek, Henry still being available. The bills are out on that one.

But also, if Leonard Farnett's going to join any team, I like him joining, like, in November, not like, we can get him for eight or nine weeks. That's probably a best case scenario. I have a theory. To hear it. The mysterious Josh Allen's shoulder injury is leading to some changes to their play calling

near the goal line. So they want to get somebody in there that can, to bang, wild. He did finally run in that game. I did notice that they started. Latavius Murray and any time they were in the hurry up, which they're used more in that game, almost used primarily. And Alan talked afterwards, like, I don't know, we'll see. Maybe we'll do a lot of that. So maybe Ford is an upgrade on Latavius Murray as like the hurry up back. For some reason,

they don't like using James Cook for that. I don't know why. All right. You mentioned it, Mark. So let's circle back with the trade deadline 24 hours away. Derek Henry is still available, despite, you know, some things coming out of Tennessee. He is still available, according to Jake Glazer, who is plugged in on such matters. So if you really want Derek Henry, it's probably a pretty decent chance he can be had if you, if you give up what the Titans are looking for, which is probably a fairly nice draft pick. And another report out there is that there is a team, a mystery team that has offered the commanders a conditional second round pick for Montez Sweat. I think this is interesting because you've heard Chase Young's name,

put out there more in terms of Washington Pass Russia that could go at the deadline. But Mike Garifolo said on our show last week that either could be had. It just depends on what is the better offer. So young and sweaty could be gone. Young or sweaty could be gone or neither. Florio, not our Florio,

but PFT is Mike Florio, had some information that the Falcons were sniffing around one of these players. So, I mean, that kind of makes sense with what we talked about before, especially post-injury. I kind of find this whole commander's thing interesting where they're like, we're getting rid of one of these guys. We're not sure which, but one of these guys is going to be off our roster.

Like, why? And we've already discussed, like, who the heck is making this decision or this order. But I don't know. I want to be post-confusing commander stuff. And this feels confusing to me. I don't quite get why you have to do that. I was hoping for it based on the time we were taping this, Eric Roberts behind, you know, the virtual screen.

I don't know if you've been watching this, but I need some breaking news, Eric. We have a trade. We have a trade. Hit me with that breaking news drop. The Giants are finalizing a deal, according to our guy, Ian Rappaport, breaking that news,

to send Pro Bowl defensive lineman Leonard Williams to the Seahawks. According to Rapsheat and Mike Garifolo, Lenny Williams. to Seattle. There you go. I mean, you want to talk about, speaking of that conversation

with Garifolo, you know, talking about how much things can change just based on the outcomes of Sunday and the Giants losing a game that they had a 99% chance of winning, I think absolutely plays a role here in them saying, you know what?

We done. So we're going to get rid of our second best defensive linemen, maybe third now, with Kvon really, emerging along that line. But Leonard Williams is always, he was a good player on the Jets. He became a great player on the Giants.

And he definitely will fill a need, Mark, for a Seattle team that needs some help in the trenches on defense. I like it for them. I don't like it for Williams in the sense that he did the very savvy thing where while he's played for two teams, he probably didn't need to move his residence just by operating for the Jets and Giants. But now you're getting sent about as far away as you can geographically. but you're being sent to a team that suddenly and surprisingly leads the NFC West

after the swoon of the Niners. So fortunes up. And Ian in the tweet mentions gives them some financial flexibility as a primary motivator. So that's interesting. Like for Saquan, I guess, or for who knows? Leonard Williams is a free agent. So this is more of a rental. He's I think 30, 31. He's not the player he used to be, but it's still a good point.

player. Seattle might be looking to sign him to a mid, you know, a short-term contract after this because they are sending, according to Pellraiser. And we got the, we got the skinny on the battle between these two insiders. Now I see they tweeted it out basically the same time. I think Ian barely beat him. But Tom has the trade terms. So that's interesting. Tom gets the trade terms, but Ian wins by like 20 seconds. When will this ever end? It's a 20. 24 second and a 2025 fifth. So that fake trade, Colleen tried to send out there where she was just like asking for like a fifth round pick

for Leonard Williams or something. And you scoffed at her, Dan. That was right to scoff. They got a lot more. They got a second round pick. That is a good return. Yeah. And that is, I mean, that just seems like a very difficult existence,

the insider war. Can you imagine the semantics of it all? Well, what, can you imagine if suddenly our responsibilities, and the three of us had to compete with each other to break news and parse up breaking news. I mean, we'd be in tatters in about four hours. I'm the ATN insider. So I actually lived in both worlds.

But I do it a little bit different than the pelliceros and the Rappaports of the world. Just put it that way. You're a gentle insider. You're not, you're not like, you know, shams and woe. I would never, well, for starters, if my media group ever said you have to be a co-insider, I'm walking. Like, I'm gone. Like, I am the only one.

Don't they all have to do that almost? Like Schaefter had more with them for a while, more, you know. Yeah, but there's always a lead dog. Okay, fair. I think Ian's our lead dog. Yeah. But if they, if I was like, okay, here's the, here are the two tweets and we're going to change the wording here and we're going to change a participle here.

I'm out. I'm gone. Okay. I'm at Yahoo the next morning. Okay. Hello, Athletic, it's me. Do you want an insider? I work alone.

A T-A-T-A-D-Ean, Insider, Insider, Insider, Inside, Dair, Hands, Hands, for the truth, go to the sooos. I like that. I like the idea of, like, this immense career retrospective that's coming down the pipe for you at some point. That is just one of the sort of the way that it's marketed is the gentle insider. I do really like that. Quickly on the Seahawks, by the way. I've been meaning to throw this thing.

I really think they have a higher ceiling right now than I expected going into the year because their defense is so much more capable. They're not going to be a shutdown defense, but they have so many playmakers. I think some games, they're really going to pop off, like, different guys just making plays. I think it's the best CX defense in seven or eight years. The offense hasn't totally clicked, you know, but they have talent there. I think their ceiling is a little higher than I expected, and this is a nice move. They lost to Cheninuosu, who's an edge rusher.

and I know Leonard Williams is in the interior, but they were quite thin on the interior. This is a team that's pushing now. Pete Carroll's getting up there in the air. Like this is a window. I think they think they can go make a run at it this year. I mean, look at the NFC. Yeah.

The Niners are obviously vulnerable. They're on a three-game losing streak. They'll, they're not going to fall off the cliff, but they have proven they are far from some type of, you know, decades spanning dominant team. The Eagles are winning for the most part, but we know that they haven't been a perfect operation either. And then after that, I mean, the lions are obviously very good team,

but they've shown themselves to be vulnerable. Cowboys, same thing. It's a wide open NFC. So I think it's a trade, giving up a second round pick. That is, that's pricey. And the Seahawks have been hurt before looking for that one final piece on day and giving up high draft assets. But this one, I think, makes a lot of sense.

And Williams, I bet will be. excited to play with that team. So good one. Makes sense for both sides. And you're right. I think the takeaway about the finally changing his address is notable, Mark, and should be a conversation point as well. Beautiful area of the country, though, Mark, maybe expand his horizons, you know?

No, it does. You ever hear a pews it sound, bro? Like he can live like pee on the water, you know? He's also, it's not the same as when, you know, some Joe Blow has to travel across the country to get a job and, you know, pay for it themselves. This guy's like a multimillionaire. like nice moving trucks will come and move all sorts of gold chains and big boxes of, you know, treasure like from east to west.

He actually has like old school cartoon treasure chests that were found at the bottom of oceans. I think so. The century. Yeah, it's possible. Finally, in the news, there's a good little newsy thing, Eric Roberts. We got to slap that headline on there. This from front office sports.

The NFL has demanded that the University of Houston stop. unauthorized use of the Oilers trademarked Love You Blue uniform. And here it is. If you're watching on YouTube, it is obviously a callback to the old Love You Blue Euler's era. Check out Chris Wessling's Love You Blue feature. He wrote years back for our site. It was excellent.

Anyway, there's a lot of things going on here. First of all, the gonads of the Tennessee Titans, imagine Mark. And I understand this situation was. different because it was so contentious when the Browns were taken from Cleveland that the Browns won the right to keep all their IP. So the Ravens could never do something like have a throwback in Baltimore wearing Browns orange, which is confusing, but that's the way it is there. So that couldn't happen. But the idea that you would ever want to do that, I mean, I'm watching. The only thing I didn't like about Will Levis's debut is that he's wearing the uniform of a team that was ripped

from a city, and that is a salty reality for Houston football fans that now have the Texans but miss the Oilers and those beautiful get-ups. So we got two things, two levels bothering me. One, that that happened at all. And you should have the good sense if you leave a city behind and all their fans, not to antagonize them from a thousand miles away. And two, now the NFL is saying to this Houston area that still has a lot of pride about those old Oilers teams that you don't even get to call back to that for your local college. I just come on guys. Can we just clean up the entire operation end of rant?

Yeah, like for me, the levels of absurdity up top are trying to go at the University of Houston in regards to a uniform that was attached to a team that the NFL did very little to prevent from moving. The whole thing went down in a way where it was a little bit different than Cleveland. It was sort of a wet fart. It happened a year after the Browns were pulled to Baltimore. And the Houston Civic Up War was not the same. But this next level of absurdity is the Titans doing that.

The only thing that I'm torn about is that, you know, we have our childhood football worlds. And those old, those old Oilers uniforms were wonderful to watch. So I kind of love seeing them in action. But the way that it came to us is problematic. Agreed. Also, you know, this is... picking a knit here, but those uniforms look quite a bit like the well-regarded, well-reviewed Tulane University, blue unis. They broke out a little bit. Former AAC rival Tulane. So they're

trying to copy Tulane's nice, clean unies. But let, let Houston wear. I'm with you. Good rent. All right. That was insane. That was an insane little addendum there, Greg. Top 25 team, baby. You know, let's, Enjoy it while we can here. All right. There's what's happening in the news. Yes. So we needed to jump in.

Obviously, so much to get to, including a breaking news trade, Leonard Williams, fortifying that Front 7 in Seattle and the Giants looking ahead to 2024 and beyond. We'll be back later tonight with a recap of Monday night football, a matchup between.

Mark? The Raiders and the Lions of Detroit. There you go. So make sure you check that out. And that's it for now. All right. We all have to head into the studio now. We've got to do an NFL Plus recording.

They're getting their money's worth here. He the call. Thank you.