NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Free Agency day 1 recap

Episode Date: March 10, 2016

A room filled with heroes - Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, Chris Wesseling and Marc Sessler discuss the biggest deals from the first day of free agency, including Brock Osweiler heading to the Texans and Matt Forte joining the Jets. Then, the heroes end the show with a speed round with other news from the NFL.Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comNFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. The Around the NFL podcast. Only signs, prove it deals. Welcome back to another edition of the Around the NFL podcast. My name is Dan Hansis, and I am joined by a room filled with heroes. Mark Sessler, Chris Wessling, and Greg Rosenthal.

What's up, boys? Hey, Dan. Happy New Year. Did I stress those words properly? Yes, I think you did. There was a big countdown. I don't know if you guys noticed that in the newsroom today as the free agency clock was dwindled down about to start. It was like New Year's Eve.

I try to block out as much of the activity in the newsroom as possible without being irresponsible to my duties at the office. But it was anti-climactic anyways. Most of the big names, half of free agency was over before free agency started. It was busier last night, which means Tuesday night and really early Wednesday morning than it was after free agency started. Well, here's the thing. They changed the rules. The legal tampering period went from three days to two, but with that came a lose. of the negotiation practice here and all these deals really free agency and west you were

in tiby island during basically the first two days of free agency is the way it worked out i know you he loved he read the fine uh wording in the uh change in the league policy because free agency kicked off it at one p m eastern on monday really or whenever it was yeah that's fair and it's been it's actually been good for us it's been a steady stream of news really since the week started we we covered some of it on our first podcast. I believe 21 of our top 35 players are accounted for 11 of our top 13 are off the market. You know, just an hour after free agency started, that was true. Also, Matt Cobb and Matt Castle.

God, if you wanted them, you're too late to the party. Wes, I openly had concerns that you'd come back to us in a box. Well, he wouldn't be buried here. right but maybe there'd be a mix-up because they'd send the body to his home address and then he'd be like well he doesn't want to be buried here a mix-up corpse we got to send him they'd like where do we send him i don't know cincinnati i don't know an island off georgia but you were at tyby island you don't appear to be as ill as when you left um how was your trip i'm recovering from the trip i got out of my system i don't need to go there for a long time do you remember our conversation on the podcast last thursday i do remember i don't think it happened on Thursday, did it? Good job by Wes. He caught a trick question. It was Monday. Oh, Monday. He'll see. Come on, man. Sorry.

So that was a long week for us, too. Yeah. Yeah. I caught that one. I like that. I'd have a quick question for you because you said you noticed teeth on a bar top and that they were women's teeth. How did you know they were women's teeth? I had no idea if they were women's teeth. Well, you, okay, you made a very pointed comment that it was a woman's pair of teeth. I just was wondering how you knew. Might not have been operating at full capacity. What, Wes was walking, stubbleed around, Tybee. I don't.

looking for a gummy woman that might have been that his dream lady i don't like i don't like where you going that i did i asked west privately uh if he was faithful when he was in tie b he said yes i asked west if uh you what else did i ask you a lot of private questions maybe i won't share all of them i think if i was tempted yeah to be unfaithful of course not i was not tempted at all yeah that was a test dan your hair right now yes what's wrong is that an absolutely out outrageous level i haven't you know i'm busy it's free agent frenzy don't have time to check it out am i wrong gregg now you're right it's hands this hair frenzy right now in the studio 66

does appear to be more wild than normal well come on guys this is an audio show listeners aren't getting much out of this i will check i will check it out in the window in the mirror when i get out of here but we have so much to get to and as uh the evidence is in my left hand i i like to print out all the news that we talk about each day and really um i don't i don't like to see it first before it goes up to the masses uh my hair of course um i hold in my hand the uh all the news that's fit for the pod and it's almost i've ever printed up so there's a lot to get to so that will be the totality of today's show no fun in games mark i know you want to have some type of a wacky, you know, side game where we get away from football and you just want to

have fun and have flights of fancy, but not today. Pass. Not today, Mark. You will talk football and you'll like it. So let's get into it. And Brandon, behind the glasses is show number two for you since you took over for the great legend, Living Legend, La Cid, up there on Mount Rushmore. We all know, Wes, while you were away, we made it clear.

to Brandon that Sydney the gold standard Zach Goldman and K. Rich, Crystal Rich. We're all on ATN producer Mount Rushmore

and there is a open spot if Brandon wants it is the way I put it. Dangle that carrot. Poor TD. Oh, I know. That's true. TD is more property

in terms of producer the Damashek family. That's all right. I see where you're going. It's not a slight in any way. No, no, no, no. This is more a carrot and stick thing with Brandon.

I see what you're doing here. And so far he's doing a great job. The effort is there. I appreciate that. Whether he becomes a transcendent type producer remains to be seen. Most likely not. I have several months to find out. Let's do some free agency news.

The 2016 league year is upon us. Happy New Year, everybody. That, of course, the voice of a friend of the around the NFL podcast, Andrew Siciliano, about, you know, 20. 24 straight hours of live coverage in Studio 1 and 2 at NFL network here. So let's get into it. It is a new year. And it starts with the biggest news of the week.

It went down on Wednesday afternoon. Brock Osweiler, who just won a Super Bowl ring with the Broncos. He started seven games, of course. It was then replaced by Peyton Manning for the stretch run. And, you know, a lot of people assumed Chris Wessling that once the dominoes fell into place and Peyton Manning retired, there would be a deal done for Brock, and away they go after, you know, basically, you know, shining him up for four straight years. Instead, Brock Bolts. He signs a huge deal with the Houston Texans.

It's worth $17 million, excuse me, $72 million over four years. A source told NFL media insider Ian Rappaport, Texas owner, owner Bob McNair told the Houston Chronicle that, quote, quarterback was our number one priority. and now they have a quarterback, or do they? I think that's a fair question. I also think Dave Damashek was correct about this. We nailed it. We heard from Jeff Darling to today,

and John Elway basically backed that up that Brock Oswald had his feelings hurt and stopped returning phone calls in Denver, not just to executives and general managers, but to players as well. Yeah, he didn't like the fact that he was benched and he had another opportunity, and his agents played it perfectly well.

He had exactly two teams. teams going after him, which is a great recipe to get paid, and he's getting paid huge money. And we can talk about it from both sides. Maybe let's start with the Houston side, which is the pressure that's going to be on Brock Osweiler now. Because in the regular season last year, Brian Hoyer was a better quarterback than Osweiler. It's close, you know, whatever. They were both kind of middle-of-the-road type of starters.

But numbers-wise, you know, Hoyer was a better quarterback, and the expectation will be that this offense needs to get a lot better. fast. I mean, there would be pressure on him, were he to have stayed in Denver and replaced Peyton Manning. Any quarterback starting is facing a ton of pressure. I like this move. I do, and I understand it's going to get whacked, and it has a potential for disaster if he doesn't emerge to become the quarterback that people think. This could be an all-time disaster. It could be, but it also is an example of a team saying, look, we've won nine games twice. Over the past two years, nine and seven, two times in a row. We've got key players.

We've got a great wide receiver. We've got J.J. We've got players all over the field. We don't have a quarterback, and it is an upgrade over Brian Hoyer. I don't care about last year's stats. I think it's better. I don't care at all about last year. Brian Hoyer, and that whole hodgepage of nonsense needed to go, they went for it.

Go, I like it. How are we confident he's an upgrade over Brian Hoyer? He has some skill set. He's good pocket movement, a good arm. He had a poor sack rate, a poor TD rate, and led the NFL in three and out rate, and got benched for one of the worst quarterback. It's a risk. I'm just saying I'm not going to sell them down the river after a fair amount of starts.

This is how human beings get paid. The last team wasn't happy with Brian Hoyer, so they have money to throw around and two teams interested. I just find it fascinating. That if Brian Hoyer has a slightly better game in the wild card round of the playoffs, Brock Oswalders probably staying in Denver. I like the onions, though, that Rick Smith and Bill O'Brien. I don't know if I like it, but I respect that they are putting their careers on the line with this pick.

I mean, this is going to decide the football future in Houston and Denver for the next couple of years. And Rick Smith, at a point in his career, it reminds me of when Ken Wizzinut and Rod Graves traded for Kevin Kopp. If this works out, those guys are made. And if it does not work out, those guys are probably gone. Sorry, there was a mandate from the owner to get a quarterback. And they were not sitting in the position to draft. They were not going to necessarily get one in the draft. And so in a way, it's not that it's interference from the highest level.

level, but if there's a mandate, maybe that explains a little bit what's happened here. I think John Elway botched this totally. I think now that we're hearing that Brock Osweiler was legitimately upset, to me, by the way, that's a little bit of a, calm down, buddy. Let's get some perspective, Brock, on the situation here. Peyton Manning is a legendary player. Your coach was in a tough spot. He came back, said he was ready, and Gary Kubiak chose.

to believe in Peyton and say, okay, I think you can take us there. That was a, that was not a typical benching. That doesn't bother me, though. That shows he's competitive and he thinks he's great and he's confident. Well, it's against everything he said at the Super Bowl, but that's fine. But that's, I mean, that's fine that he was upset about it. But, I mean, just shutting down all contact.

I mean, I don't know if I buy into that. It's just, I don't understand why Osloiler would shut down emotionally with the Broncos. I think it's a lot of them. He's also being coached by his. his agent and his representation to act a certain way and to speak a certain way during Super Bowl. Well, and they were, right, I have no, he has to do that during Super Bowl week. That's being a good teammate. That's supporting your team that's in the Super Bowl.

That's absolutely the right thing to do. You should lie in that situation. Or at least, you know, not say anything that's going to become a story. He knew he should not be a story. He was trying to avoid that, and that's all he could do that week. I do think from the Broncos perspective, though, that John Elway did not handle it well, and you can see it in the interview that he has with the team website, which he says he only wants Broncos that want to be there.

And I'm thinking, okay, well, why do you offer him $16 million a year, bro? I mean, he got played. Osweiler played and his agent, it's not really Osweiler, he played those two teams against each other perfectly. Both the Broncos came in with $13 million a year as their offer to start, and that number kept rising and rising. It got to 16 for Denver. they ended up squeezing 18 out of Houston.

And some of the comments from Elway was taking it very personally. It should be a business for him. But wait a minute. How can we say that Elway got played and they got waxed here when we're all saying we're not sure that Brock Osweiler's even worth the money he's being paid on any level? So they got outbid by a team desperate to get a quarterback. He might get lucky, but he wanted to keep him. I don't want to hear anything from the Broncos that, well, they didn't want him that bad.

No, they wanted him. He deserves a benefit of the doubt. Elway. This is an amazing thing. I agree with that. I'm going to read this from the team's website, which was this is the article that the Elway quotes were from. And this is, you know, from the team's website. And it even mentions how bad the quarterback play was for the Broncos last season.

And it goes through all the stats. And it was basically saying, hey, man, we won the Super Bowl with terrible quarterback play. True. Which is true. And it even says, considering they won it all with suboptimal quarterback play, the Broncos like their chances with even modest improvement under session. among the various modes for roster building. There appear to be areas where they can find it.

It seems like they're playing both sides of the place because they wanted to keep him. I believe that John Elwood deserves the benefit of the doubt. He's a reigning Super Bowl champion right now as a general manager, but he's also not beyond reproach. And it feels like to me this maybe wasn't handled as well as it could have been if there was bad blood on Osweiler's side. The fact that they didn't even negotiate with him until got too close to free agency, it felt like, where they were juggling this man's situation.

That's a good call. I feel like it could have been handled better. and now they're going to spin it and say Brock is a guy that doesn't want to be a real Bronco and all that stuff. But it seems like maybe Elway was sleeping on this a little bit and he got burned. I don't think he took the outside people seriously and he should have taken this Texan seriously. There's one thing we know about today's NFL. Mediocre quarterbacks taking up a 15 to 20 million percent or 15 to 20 million on the salary cap are competitive disadvantage. I have no problem with the way John Elway handled.

Quickly before we move on, we should mention what's been reported of where the Broncos go from here. they've been caught a little flat-footed. Ian Rappaport reported that they're definitely interested in Colin Kaepernick. He mentioned Case Keatom as a possible trade option C, but Keatom got the first-round tender as a franchise restricted tag. And the Rams think he's Johnny, you know. So the Rams probably aren't traded him. Mike Cannon.

Fitzpatrick, your worst-case scenario there comes up. But that's what Denver's got to be looking at for their week-one starter. Sanders Proposition Update. All right, that's the horn that lets you. And let's hear it one more time. Sandwich Proposition Update. Okay, handsome, excuse me, Damashek had a sandwich prop, Wes. And I don't know, did you listen to the show Monday?

I did not, and I didn't understand what that, what sandwich proposition update. That sound drop was. Yeah. The Bronco, this was Sheck's prop. The Bronco starting QB in week one will have never started a game for them previously. Sheck hung some onion there, and Dan, Greg, and Mark all took him up on it. So Shek gets three sandwiches right there. That was great job.

Andy nailed the whole personal feelings of Brockie and her. Big moment for Sheck. In other Texans news, by the way, they also have a new running back, Lamar Miller, a four-year, $26 million deal, $14 million in guaranteed money. So not only do the Texans have a brand new starting quarterback, they now move on from the Arian Foster era and get, in my opinion, and a lot of people's opinion, the most promising running back on the open market and Lamar Miller, the Texans, looking good.

They're going to be a buzzy team, no doubt about it, as we head towards week one. Could be the week one kickoff game. Brock Osweiler at Denver. Doesn't that sound like what they'll do? I think that's exactly what they'll do. That would be intriguing. JJ Watt and Brock Osweiler,

I mean, they're not going to be selling Lamar Miller. You love Lamar Miller. I mean, Lamar Miller to the Texans reminds me of like the guy has a big game against your team, then you sign him. Because remember you had that huge game when they were up 41 to nothing? and I think he had a couple hundred yards. I'm surprised you guys find that compelling. Brock Osweiler against the Broncos.

I don't find it super. I could pick a better matchup, but I think that's the direction. I don't want to see Brock Osweiler versus whatever crappy quarterback the Broncos get on the opening. Brock Kaepernick. That is true. You could get Brock Osweiler versus Brian Hoyer.

Yes, you could. A couple of Matt Flynn. Moving on, the New York Giants had one of the worst defenses, if not the worst defense in football. football last year. I know Greg, you enjoyed it a lot because you have a personal vendetta against their defensive coordinator. Well, I speak the truth.

I came into the season saying they were going to struggle and Spags wasn't going to save the day and they stunk. Well, guess what? Spags is still there, right? That's true. And now he has really a brand new defense to play with. And let's just go through this and we'll start with, West, your boy, Ali Vernon. Olivier Vernon, who was the odd man out, I guess you could call him in Miami when they

ended their musical chairs on their defensive line. But he's doing just all right. Ali Vernon signed an $85 million deal with the Giants. That is crazy money, but it gets even crazier. It's 85 over five years and a whopping 52.5 million in guarantees. That's the most of any player in football. That actually tops what Malik Jackson got with the Jaguar's a day earlier in an agreement that came out. He got 42 million, and Greg, Olivier Vernon. Very nice player. PFF ranked him as the number one

defense event in four three schemes last season. But is he a guy that should be paid like a true superstar of the NFL? Well, we could bring this up with all these deals. It's just a different league. And so I think it's fair to criticize some of them. I'd like to see the fine print on this one in particular, see how it's structured. Well, the guaranteed money is, Well, but it says it guarantees, and so we'll see. More than JJ Watt, according to what we know. It's crazy. Then again, the Giants do have a much more promising defensive line.

I know you're going to talk about Snacks Harrison, but let's get to it. Because to me, you've got to kind of look at these. Okay, let's get to the entire line, which has been completely redone. Okay, JPP's back on a one-year deal that came out on Tuesday. So he signs a essentially is a very lucrative prove-it deal. I think he got close to 10 million, if I'm not mistaken. So he comes back, JPP, and then they go and they pilfer from my jets. Damon Harrison, Snacks, who has been, of course, one of the best interior run stuffing

limine of the past four seasons, a guy that undrafted and now he got paid. He gets $24 million guaranteed a $30 million a deal worth $30 million over its first three years. So now you have Vernon, snacks. They have Jonathan Hankins, who's there. And then JPP on the other end. That's a great defensive line. You believe in JPP 2016 more than perhaps Wes and others. He's got a glove now.

He can wear a glove. There's no more club, apparently, after this surgery. He's got to be good. If he is 75% of the player, that is a formidable defensive line. That is a very good defensive line. And they're paying like crazy. And we'll see if that comes back to haunt them. And it just seems to me like this is the ultimate win now team,

even though they have a new head coach, it's a win now GM. It's got to be tough to mix all these news guys together, but it's a good-looking defensive line. Well, it is a win now GM. And, like, we ripped Jerry Reese for failing to build a defense, so he is trying to reverse course. And if you're a Giants fan, you've got to be happy.

It stinks for Tom Coughlin. It's got to be thinking, where were these guys last year? And it's a lot of pressure on Smagnolo and the whole organization. It is a thing, though, if they start out three and five, it's got to be like the Dream Team Eagles. what is wrong with this team get rid of these bombs it'll just be a lot of pressure but they're a much better team today with coflin i thought of how rex ryan how they're going to start

how rex ryan felt last year when the jets opened up their piggy bank after they didn't spend under it's like you know what cofflin was there plenty of years plenty ups and downs it's not like he didn't have a shot over there enough too this is still not a good roster and i just want to add one more move they made and it's one of the biggest moves of free agency so far janaris jenkins becomes one of their starting cornerbacks. And he got a massive deal, $62.5 million over five years, close to $30 million fully guaranteed, earned $40 million over the first three years of the contract. If he sticks around, I mean, this is, he's now one of the highest paid cornerbacks in all

football. Number two. Is he, is he that good? I mean, John's throwing out a lot of, like, superstar money to guys that are just stars or less. Giving up 22 touchdowns in his coverage over the last four years. This is not a shutdown corner. And frankly, I would rather have Prince of Mukamora than Janoris Jenkins. The Rams would rather have Tramade Johnson, who's not exactly a Pro Bowl superstar either,

because they literally chose Tramane Johnson over Janoris Jenkins. I just like the Giants basically saying we're going for it. There are a rash of bad teams around the league that sat in their hands and did nothing. This is the opposite. It's a bad team that did a whole lot. But you say that you say that they have holes all over the place, but they went and tried to address them. What else are you supposed to do?

Right, but I don't think, I think the dolphins have proven that this isn't the method for winning in the NFL. Not for Miami. Buying March trophies doesn't really get you anything. Couldn't agree more, but at the same time, you cannot fix if you're Jerry Reese and you are on a one year, you've got to turn that team into a double-digit win team. You can't rely on your draft picks alone to make that happen. I have a. The defense, the whole defense was a team need.

It was a disastrous-looking roster on defense. But you're right. They're running out of time with Eli Manning. as well. That might be a little bit of the pressure. They have some other holes on their roster, but I don't know. The Jenkins stuff, I just can see it going sideways. I have a bit of a Cessler, by the way,

that the Giants, Eli Manning is 35 years old. About three years from now, I can see Eli being old, they don't have a quarterback solution, and they're in cap hell and they're the worst team in the league. When you really lay out money this much money, everybody's like, oh, the cap's always going

up and money's not an issue, when you're giving super-duper-star money to these guys. I mean, Snacks is a nice player, by the way. I love to have him, but he's a two-down lineman, and you're paying him like, you've already got... He's already got Hankins to be a two-down lineman.

To me, he's the safest one of those three, too. These deals should shame anyone that sign, the agents that signed deals at the end of the season. Oh, poor Derek Wolf. Guys like that, like people like Von Miller, like there is no chance he is signing his franchise tag now. He's not saying, oh, yeah, I'm going to take a warm. year deal for $3 million less than Olivier Verdon's making?

I mean, give me a break. You think Mo Wilkerson still pissed at the Jets for not getting his deal taken care of? Now he's like, you know, back up the Brinks truck, baby. And no free agency period more than this one. Did you see on Twitter players freaking out, former and current players freaking out about the money being handed out? Did you see the Matt Flynn tweet, Mark? I know you, Flynn have a complicated relationship.

No, I'm fine with Flynn now. Oh, you are? Well, my issue with Flynn, he's upset about quarterback. making a lot of money. He at least was self-derogatory, though. I mean, he's saying he's a guy that went out and made way more money than he ever deserved to make. Good for him. He showed a nice sense of humor, a level of self-awareness.

I think so, too. I think a Mark Sessler would connect with. I think maybe you and Maddie Flynn can move past. More in common than you think. Well, I think Flynn's another example of what we're talking about here is getting paid isn't about always earning it. It's about being at the right place at the right time. You're a better off in the NFL being a very certain type of player in terms of getting paid, which is the very good player that is just below Pro Bowl level.

It's like those guys end up making more money than the Pro Bowl players because they get the money early. Who's the best example of this of all time, DeAngelo Hall? Yeah. Gets paid by everyone. Speaking of somebody who's been paid and got paid again, Mario Williams, the former Bill's defensive end, who barked his way out of town, has signed a two-year deal with the Dolphins.

It's worth $17 million with close to $12 million in guarantees. The deal was confirmed on Tuesday night. He was released by the bills, of course, so he was able to sign before the free agent period actually began. So the dolphins, and this one, Mark, feels kind of shaky to me. It feels kind of like a Dolphins move that's not going to work out, and we've talked it. at length about Mario Williams,

not being a guy that maybe you trust on another contract. And now he's going down to South Beach. I don't know. You got a bad vibe about this? Yeah, because you just, Wes, you mentioned the Dolphins being a prototype of a team that overspends. And I have a problem with overspending for, in my estimation, the wrong type of player.

And, you know, we don't play and we weren't in the locker room with Mario Williams, but there were multiple reports. Oh, yeah, Greg, you were in the locker room with Mario Williams. I'll give you that. No, I'll play. Nude. You played nothing. You played tennis in middle school.

Offensive tackle. Whoa. As far as I'm not. You want to speak to that because you did go further than middle school. Well, I was a better high school athlete than Mark. So if he's going to bring that up, I mean, that is nonsense. I lettered in three sports. I don't know how.

Weren't you an offensive lineman in? I was a cornerback. That's exactly right. All I did was participate. Didn't you play some college tennis? We won the state. We won the state. We won the state.

What state? In college? Massachusetts. Well, that wasn't what Dan asked. But anyways, Mario Williams, I mean, there were multiple tweets today from people, his own teammates, saying that he quit on them. And so this is who you want to go. If you're the Dolphins, say we're going to anchor our defense around this.

Mario Williams is talented. It's just that is this the player you're going to identify with on your defense? I don't know. I hate this deal. Yeah. I can't stand it. And they did it instead of paying Vernon. And I know Vernon, maybe it was impossible to keep Vernon.

I think once you saw what he got. They rescinded that transition tag. It was over for Vernon. It's a signal that the new coaching staff comes in, but nothing changes in Miami. You go get this guy. And I thought maybe on a contender with some strong leadership, you could get Mario Williams to fall in line

and be motivated for a Super Bowl run. What's the motivation in Miami where all they do is throw money at their problems every March and then throw a bad team out on the field in October and November? Popular opinion was wildly against all Miami moves this week, which sometimes you should then go the opposite direction. But I feel like we've seen this, like, fail in Miami before this type of roster building. It doesn't seem like anything's changing.

When they had their version of the Dream Team a couple years ago, one issue was they were signing, they were overpaying for subpar players. And they've gone out and they've done it again. This is a weird strategy that they have, which is they are trying to not exactly buy low, but by medium on guys that were disappointing elsewhere. So, Maxwell, you know, Byron Maxwell from Philadelphia, Kiko Alonzo, and now Mario Williams. It's like they're getting these guys as their prices going down

as their careers maybe. As they're available. It's a weird strategy. Allowing another team to dump salary with Kiko Alonzo, a post-surgery Kiko Alonzo who has not seemed to be the same player and Maxwell, who was an epic bus last season. The terms of that deal, by the way, were interesting. So Maxwell and Kiko go to Miami and the Eagles get back.

The number eight overall pick in the draft and the dolphins send back the number 13 overall, or the Eagles send the dolphins the number 13 overall pick. So that's a lesson to everyone also because I think everyone was, oh, whenever a picks to be named later, it's never something interesting. It's pretty sexy. First round picks involved, you know, it's just like six spots or whatever. That's a good move for Philly because I think they're really happy.

Howie Roseman. I think they're happy to dump the salaries for nothing, and they got to move up, you know, to the number eight pick of the draft. And you've gotten your quarterback situation settled, so you don't have to reach for a quarterback in the draft. And you can really, there are some great defensive players in this draft. Philly is a good job. Oh, your Roseman running circles around the rest of the NFL right now.

Mark, do you think Callie Roseman ever takes or plans to take his children or future children to the archery shack buried deep in the pokeros? Why not? Why not show your darkest moment? Rise and grind type. Right. I think it's great for anyone to go through what Roseman went through. You know what it's like? It's like at the end of Mad Men season six where Don took his two kids to the horse.

warehouse where he was raised. There's a parallel. There's a parallel. And the message was strong. And it was delivered. One of the best season ending scenes of all time. That's one of the only scenes they gave his son in the last like four or five seasons. They cut that guy out of the show.

Here's something that broke earlier in the week. But of course, we'd be remiss not to talk about it. Calvin Johnson, it's all over. The Lions announced that the all pro wide receiver has decided to retire just. 30 years old, but the decision was made by Johnson that he wanted to end his career after nine seasons at age 30, and he leaves with 731 career catches, 11,619 yards, 83 touchdowns. Of course, he had that record-breaking season in 2012 when he had almost 2,000 yards receiving, and in one of those games, had 329 yards.

We talked about this on an NFL network hit. I don't know, we go on NFL network, and you expect our Twitter feed to blow up. Like, guys, oh, you really did a good job or guys do better with your eye contact. People are at work. I didn't see a single tweet. Well, they could find a link to it on my face. Well, they're not trying too hard. How about that?

I said that out. Good. I think you should keep shaming the listeners. But I will say that we had a discussion that we were shaming anyone who was insinuating that Calvin Johnson was not a Hall of Fame receiver. and Wes, I'm sure you agree as a historian of the game. I totally agree. When you're the most dominant player at your position for a stretch of more than two years, you're a Hall of Famer, in my opinion.

I agree. And I saw a post today questioning whether he's a Hall of Famer because listing the other receivers that are around Calvin Johnson and the all-time receiving yardage leaders, you know, he's like 25th or 26. Football stats don't mean anything. It's like, that's not how you do it. You don't just decide what the leaders are. He should get more credit.

that he has the same amount of yards as Andre Reid or whoever these guys are in only nine seasons. Much better player than Andre Reid. A shorter time period. Well, we all agree, but I mean, I don't think, it's not like there were hundreds of people saying Megatron doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame. There were a few here and there. There's a post today on pro football talk.

Yeah. Oh, well, you don't read that site. I don't know what that is. Read around the NFL at NFL.com. You should. Right, Greg? I feel, yes, absolutely. I feel bad that it's very, you know,

typical for Calvin Johnson that he slid this in right as free agency news is breaking. It kind of got overshadowed. Like, if this happened in the middle of May, we'd spend the whole show on it. Well, he didn't even want a press conference. We'd have a Kevin Patra, and he started his statement by apologizing for

making the announcement in a statement, but he just said, if you know me, I don't think you'd really be that surprised about it. And he just walks away. There's something cool about that. I don't know. I like it. I don't remember which one of you guys it was, but Nate Burleson said, was it to you, West, that, oh, you should tell the story since you were there?

I don't really recall. Okay, I will. It was a long week. But he did say that Calvin Johnson has never been fully about football. He's had outside interest. He's a well-rounded guy and a very humble, modest kind of guy. Type of guy that can walk away. The blinds did not.

So we would give, on a normal show, we'd give Megatron more time and perhaps down the line we will. We've got to keep moving, guys. Well, let's say one thing. If you, Megatron at his peak has to be right there. with Randy Moss and the best receivers of the last 20th of the years. So that's the Hall of Fame case to be. An absolute specimen and unstoppable at his peak. Well, and one last thing, Berluson noted that this is a factor too.

He has been, Megatron has played through so many injuries of late that people won't even ever know about. I think that that is a contributor to leaving sooner. You know any of the injuries that nobody else knows about? I did not speak personally with Burleson like Wes, so I'll allow him to journal about his encounters. High ankle sprains, knee injury. Where were you guys?

Fingers, remember his fingers? Where were you guys chat? You and Nate. Right into him outside the green room. Okay. You guys just hanging out there? I went in to swipe a Gatorade. I want one of like a private injury that he wouldn't want anyone to know about.

We didn't really talk injuries. Oh. I made all of that up. The lines quickly moved on and they did it in a very nice way. I mean, they got the best wide receiver in the market. A day after Calvin Johnson retired, Marvin Jones signs a five-year $40 million deal. uh this is a deal that uh includes 20 million and guarantees 17 fully guaranteed i don't know what it means but i'm reading it to you uh and that's 27 million over the first three years so

listen you don't replace calvin johnson but calvin johnson at age 29 30 31 wasn't the same guy was a couple years earlier now you have Marvin jones who isn't as good as calvin johnson but Marvin jones golden tate that's a nice one too from mattie stafford i don't i don't think it is Oh, really? I think you're going from one of the best wide receivers of his generation to a guy who has feasted on single coverage outside of AJ Green and it's going to find a life a lot more difficult in Detroit. How did he get so high on your top 99 West?

Oh, to be a wide receiver in the 2016 free agent market, just pulling in millions. No, I think Marvin Jones is fine, but he's not a number one. It's a risky signing in terms of the money, but we like his skill set. To me, it's a boom or bust type of sight. He's been injured. I think he could be a good player for them.

I mean, when Golden Tate got there, you were one of the only guys, West, that thought he had the skill set to be a really great play. Did he played like a number one receiver when Johnson was out? Yeah. So maybe he's the number one, and then you got a number two in Marvin Jones. Possibly. Or you got two number twos.

That's better than a lot of teams have. It's not that bad. I'd take it. Matthew Stafford, though, might. We'll get to you, Mark. We're going to get to the fans a little bit later. Might be a little bit of a reckoning for Matthew Stafford, though without Megatron there.

Yeah. Another big move, another huge move. Number one, in fact, on your top 99 list, guys, was Malik Jackson, the Broncos defensive lineman. He signs a huge deal with the Jacksonville Jaguar, six years, $90 million, $42 million in guarantees, which is second only to Olivier Vernon. Oh, yeah. In terms of guaranteed money.

So Malik Jackson goes from Denver, the U.S. reigning Super Bowl champion to Jacksonville, a team perpetually trying to be competitive. They also signed Bruce Irvin, correct? No, the Raiders did. Really? The Raiders did sign Bruce. They were a candidate for Irvin. The Jaguars.

I'm having my own ESPN 2 moment. They were out of them. The Jaguars signed Chris Ivory, as you mentioned before. So that's a big time move. And then they signed to Sean Gibson just now as we were coming up to the studio, the former. So many, you know, happenings, you know, Cummings and Go, you can't be perfect, guys. No, no, can't ask to be.

I mean, Malik Jackson, he's going to have a, I guess it's like, I almost, you almost need to forget about the money a little bit right now. It's like they have all the money that they can't have spent. It's not, if I'm a Jaguars straight, it's not your money. You're just rooting on the team. And it's not like they're going to run out of cap space, the Jaguars. They're trying to get that defense better. And Malik Jackson, maybe he's not going to be a premier player.

He's not a pro-o player. He wasn't even a starter in 2004. So it's a risky move. And playing in a different system. You put him and Dante Fowler together. Well, it's less risky than if you're the Jaguars doing nothing, where you talk about another GM and a coach that the owner on down. So this is a, you've got to go out and turn the ship around this year.

And it starts on defense. Their offense has a lot going on. Think about how much money they had to spend and how serious they are about spending it. Well, they almost got Vernon, who ended up getting $50 million from the Giants guaranteed, and they already had in the league. So they were willing probably to drop like 80 million, 80 to 90 million and guaranteed money on two guys for their defensive line.

I think it's fair to point out that it's not your money if you're the fans. And you do need to upgrade talent because you can't get enough talent purely from the draft. But it's also fair to point out there's a reason why these players are available, which is why I'm more negative on these signings than maybe you would expect. But Malik Jackson isn't going to have DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller coming off the edge. He's not going to have Derek Wolf next to him right now. I think it's fair to wonder how he's going to do with double teams. And yeah, everybody always says, well, it's not your money, but also, but it's your team. And if you support this team and this guy ends up being massively overpaid,

it bangs your team that you root for for years to come until they can figure out a way to get out from under. So it does matter how much this guy is getting. You make a great point, though, because the problem with free agency is you take someone who's thriving in a system with talent around him, and then you go put them in a completely different defense, probably a lacking defense, because it's typically your lesser teams that are going to swing for the fences. They're a terrible defense. Well, specifically Jacksonville, yeah, but in a lot of teams, it's even Adomac and Sue, move him to the Dolphins.

It's Malik Jackson to Jacksonville. And you're asking them to be the same player with so much less talent around them. It's not going to happen. Well, and the thing that I think's been a little underrated is there's a salary floor. These teams and Jaguars and the Raiders have to spend their money this year more than ever. So why not spend them on good players? Right, but they can spend it on themselves. I mean, there's only some.

The free agent list, though, isn't that great? I mean, this is the top guy we had on our list. Real quick on Chris Ivory, I thought that was the most surprising signing I've seen so far. He got way more money than I expected for one of the most injury-prone running backs of the past half decade. And they drafted T.J. Yeldon, who was drawing Leveon Bell comparisons as a three-down back. Maybe they just see Yelden as a guy who can't handle physically 20. I think they were talking about Yelden, too, as someone in the red zone that they don't necessarily trust. Right. And Ivory is that guy.

And when you already have signed a power back and free agency, like Toby Gerhard and that moved worked out so well you just got to double up do it again with ivory Chris Ivy obviously a upgrade over Gerhard who is going to be released but I will say this as a jet swim one of the great

teases in all my history of fandom of jet thing the guy and I tweeted this there were times where he literally looked like Marshawn Lynch Jr and absolutely you could talk yourself into wow this guy is like one of the best three running backs in the league maybe because he could be that dominant

And then two weeks later, you'd have this slug in the backfield that couldn't get two yards and was limping off the field. Let me ask you this. What did the Jets pay for him? Next to nothing. I couldn't tell you exactly. That's what I mean. The Jets got him at a great deal.

The Jaguars are overpaying. And they're setting him up for, I think, success in terms of not giving him the loan. I mean, he's got to share the ball with Yeldon, you would think, 50-50 and maybe even did Arn Robinson. A lot of his injuries are just hamstrings. I mean, it's not like their contact injuries. Well, since we're talking about the Jets in their backfield,

Why don't we now move on to who they have replaced Chris Ibrie with? He is a former Pro Bowl running back with the Chicago Bears. He is Matt Forte. Sandwich Proposition Update. Yes, guys. I didn't get one, by the way, for Verdid. Because you're not Dan. Technically, I haven't won it for sure.

What was it? Garendon getting the most. You can call for it, by the way. Okay, I'm calling for it. Olivier Verde. Top $55 million guaranteed. I guess it's possible. It's not over yet.

Someone could do it, but that one is looking good, baby. All right. So you said Olivia Vernon, Olivia, that's what I call Ollie. Ollie Vernon gets the most guaranteed money in free agency, Denmark, and Sheck. All took you up on that. That could be three sandwiches. We had a good day as a room, like, in terms of picking some tough ones.

But can I tell you something? This is Matt Forteam news. You know what this was? And Mark, Mark hates when anybody brings attention to themselves. Mark, just let me enjoy this, okay? I've said nothing. It is, exactly. This is one of the hottest tracks in America right now, Mark.

Roll it back. Is this guy ever produced another song? This is actually only on Young Monday character. It's only on title right now. It's so hot. This is one of the rare, I don't know if it's ever happened, by the way, and go get your lunch. The rare Grand Slam sandwich win. I got four sandwiches off this.

I got it from everybody in the room, which was well. or excuse me, Mark, Greg, and Sheck, and handsome Hank who happened to duck in at the right time. So let's talk Matt Forte, though. I'm very excited about those sandwich wins. Five and O, by the way, right now, my picks. You just got to call out these things. It's a competition.

Forte is a very nice addition. I think he will be that third receiver that Fitzpatrick, hopefully if Ryan Fitzpatrick is still there, about a seven and a half at the P scale right now. now guys my pants are getting a little soak i got my diaper on there there's some teams out there that need a quarterback and mine through 31 touchdowns last year i'm a little nervous uh so about seven and a half to eight in the piece scale not the first time fit patrick's ever had his own team's fans worried get me some adult diapers just in case uh

but uh belal paul stepped up at the end of the year who they're trying to keep and was a great receiver for them and a guy that made some things have a forte is going to have you know throw it out there at least least 80 catches for the Jets this year. Well, what, he's two years removed from having 100 catches? Yeah, and he's got, he's 30 years old. Like I said last week on the pot, I think he could be that Ladeneon-Thomlinson, Jets player like Rex Ryan had. You get one really good year, maybe a year where he's in clear decline, then he's gone.

But like I said, especially if they can get Ryan Fitzpatrick here back in the building. They're a win-now team, despite what Lindsay Rhodes had to say last week. What did she say? He said, when I predicted this as a move that should happen, and she said, well, Matt Forte wouldn't go there. He wants to go to a team that has a chance to win the Super Bowl. It's kind of how I feel. I agree with Lindsay.

Yeah, well, whatever. Good, good move. One of my favorite players of all time. Oh, because he went to Tulane. Oh, sure. The most. And a fun player to watch. The most yards from scrimmage since he entered the league in 2008.

I think he's always, of late, been overlooked, too. I think he's got a chip on his shoulder. He had a chance to go to the Packer. Well, there was whispers that the Packers and him could have been a match. But I like the Chan Galey. in the Forte-Tay-Cangeli partnership here. Why not? Jets suddenly, look at the offense they had two years ago compared to now.

It's a lot better than Greg. Yeah? One of your favorite players of all time? Now playing in East Rutherford. It doesn't take away the Super Bowl titles. They're going to... Foxborough wiped from Human Earth. And by the way, they'll sign Bilal Pow,

and he'll get 1,200 yards and beat the Jets a couple times. Probably. In other running back news, here's somebody who got paid. Doug Martin agrees to a five-year deal with the Buccaneers. Muscle Hamster,

doesn't like to be called that, but he does like to be called a Duggernaut. What does that mean, by the way? He's like a juggernaut, but with a D. Oh, that's stupid. I thought at first it was like an astronaut. That's what I thought, too. No, it's just stupid.

Or a cosmonaut. No, it's just stupid. The Duggernaut. No, you guys are missing. His name is Doug. So it's like a play on word. Oh, Greg, Greg's cracked the case. Wait, he honestly, he backs that nickname.

I know. Well, if your original nickname was Muscle Hamster, you'd probably sign off on anything. Well, you wouldn't want to be called. I'm not sure I'd settle on. For yourself. You want me to call you that? Yes. All right.

I'm going to sign off the show calling you Muscle Hamster. Don't care. Okay. Anyway, Doug Martin got paid by the bucks. This is a deal worth five years, $35.75 million, $15 million guaranteed. he can make up to $42.5 million. He never will, of course. But 26 years old coming off really a tremendous season.

He averaged almost five yards of carry, 1,400 yards. That coming off two years where he averaged less than four yards of carry. So he really picked an amazing time to get his career back in check, and now he is one of the highest paid running backs in the game. It made sense to me all along that this would be what happened. Mark mentioned guys who are a great fits for their skis. Keems where they are originally, and Dirk Cutter went to bat for him last off season, saved his job, and he had a career year in that offense, why leave?

It was almost underrated how good he was. I thought he was the best running back in the NFL. That's what I was saying. I was talking about it on Damashek's podcast. I don't think people watch the Bucks a ton, but he was great. I don't think that was missed on this podcast, though, because he and Charles Sims, the combination got a lot of attention. And when you have James Winston at quarterback, I love the move to not have to go try to

suddenly find another featured back because Sims was not going to be, Sims would never have played that role. They fit together well and your young quarterback has a great backfield to work with. In other news, let's move to the Oakland, unless somebody has something that's Doug. No, let's move on.

Let's keep moving. Bruce Irvin. You know, I made a hugely embarrassing error early in the show and I'm deeply regret my comments earlier that Bruce Irvin signed what a misstep with the Jacksonville Jaguars. I blew it. But he actually is signing with the Oakland Raiders, who are locking up the former Seahawks linebacker.

He was ranked fifth in the top 99 free agents of around the NFL. So you get Irvin, and now you get to pair Irvin with Khalil Mack. I know there are concerns, Mark, that Bruce Irvin would go to a team where he needed to be like the man. But in Oakland, he doesn't have to be like the face of that defense. maybe this is a good spot for him. I think it is. I mean, you mentioned Mack. They have complimentary pieces there.

The Raiders still need more on that defense. But listen, Reggie McKenzie, who was just getting lashed by all of us a couple years ago. He had it coming. Well, he did then. But what they were doing a couple years ago was massively overpaying for players well past their prime and trying to tell us that Matt Schaub was just up there with Manning and Philip Rivers and the AFC West. utter complete nonsense from a PR angle. And what the Raiders have done since is I think

with a couple of solid drafts, they had high picks and they hit on them. That helps you hit on a quarterback in Derrick Carr. And now this kind of thing is you're adding strength to a good nucleus. Raiders are on the way up. The Raiders also, oh no, I wasn't looking forward to this, have signed guard slash tackle calce ocemole.

Did I get it? Nailed it. Yeah, that's good. to a deal. This is a contract worth a maximum of $60 million. So they get somebody they needed a Semillai who can, I guess they could play them in one of two spots. I believe he was a guard last year.

But they strengthen their offensive lines. So not only do they get a pass rusher, they improve their protection for Derek Carr. Well, if you go by our rankings, they were the big winners in terms of the top of the rankings. It's two of our top five players there, Bruce Irvin and Assembly. What a weak free agent crop. Yeah, well, that was also after some of the franchise tag guys got taken out.

I think we might have overrated Irvin a little bit. One thing I saw with Irvin is everyone's like, well, they got their second, you know, they got their book-end pass rusher for Khalil back. It's like, that's not Bruce Irvin at all. No. He's a versatile sort of, you can play him in a variety of different roles. He can stop the run. He can do a little bit of everything.

He's not like a great pure pass-rrrrrrisher. He hasn't been at the president. level. Well, let's see what he does in another system. Seattle's linebackers don't rush the pass. The one thing that worried me a little bit with him is that, you know, the Seahawk, maybe just didn't fit their scheme and that was that was that. Well, by the way, this is a similar scheme.

This is, this is Ken Norton Jr.'s former linebackers coach. That's why they valued six other guys on their defense before they valued him. I mean, because six of those guys got long-term contracts and they never really tried. Right. They never tried to sign Irvin Long. But Mark's, right, you guys are all right about this. the Raiders have to spend to get the salary floor, at least get players on their second contracts who are a good player.

They're a fun team. It is hard to be a defending Super Bowl champion because everybody wants to get paid and everyone's in the spotlight in a good way. So, and you know, the Broncos are learning this. Brock Osweiler out the door, Malik Jackson out the door. Danny Trevathan also out the door. He signs a four-year deal with the Chicago Bears,

reuniting him with John Fox, his former coach in Denver. Also, during the Fox regime, that's when Trevathan was drafted. So a nice little fit. It looks like for both sides. Right, Greg? I like this move. Trevathan was a guy who was surprised that the Broncos just sort of accepted that he was going to leave. Maybe they just, you have to make priorities.

But now that they know that they weren't going to keep Jackson, that they weren't going to keep Oswald, and maybe they could have spent some of that money on Tramathan. I like him. I like him, too. He can, he's a guy who can stop the run and cover running backs and tight ends out of the backfield. of what you need to do in today's energy. Talk about a team that needs everything on their defense.

I mean, they were in worse shape than the Giants. They have no experience, no good names on defense. And they signed, I like to see the details on this, but the weirdest deal I saw all day was Tracy Porter getting $16 million over three years. That was crazy. That was from the Bears. They have a good defensive coordinator, though. Yeah, I think they did great.

Fangio is, Fangio will do well with Trevath. I think they did great last year overall on both sides of the ball, considering the talent on their team. I think they overachieved, especially on defense. Mark, more like Vic Fantastic. He is definitely high in my... What a guy. Oh, Greg.

Greg. Greg has a giant, like, murky-looking coffee next to him. You got to put that down, bro. I can't tell you what that looks like to me without getting kicked. The podcast FCC would have an issue with it. That being Brandon. All right, moving on.

So Sam Bradford signed that new deal with the Eagles and everybody's like, oh, why did they give them all that money? And I guess they still believe in them. Well, see how much they really believe in them because the Eagles did something interesting on Wednesday. They signed Doug Peterson's boy, Chase Daniel, to a three-year $21 million deal. And I don't see the guaranteed money in our post here. But I know that it was substantial and it was not backup type money. So then I don't know if it was Bert Breer, but I hope.

heard whispers that or report that this is going to be a real competition, which is strange, Chris Wessling, because you give Sam Bradford a lot of money and a prove it deal essentially. You don't give guys proof it deals and a lot of money and then maybe not give them the starting job. It just feels like a big old mess where they're hedging their bets. Strange like a fox. Come on, Hallie Roseman. Get on board.

Look, you can't, Sam Bradford, you can try to pay him like a franchise quarterback, but Howie Roseman knows if you have Sam Bradford, you can't trust him to play like a franchise quarterback or to stay healthy, so you have to have a really good backup or a competitor. I did forget that we're talking about Chase Montana. I'm sorry. Right. I think Howie Roseman realized that Chase train is leaving the station. Get on board.

This guy's got to be winning multiple Super Bowls. Well, yeah, and these things didn't happen on the same day. I mean, they didn't know if they would get Chase Daniel. And now, after what's happened in Denver, you could always trade Sam Bradford. you could train Sam Bradford to a couple different teams. I don't know who's going to fall for that, but we've seen over the last 24 hours, there are a lot of dumb teams.

Maybe Denver will panic. Who knows? But I mean, if you're Denver, maybe Sam Bradford isn't the worst. What are you going to go after? It's virtually unprecedented of a move for the Eagles to sign a guy to an $18 million a year contract and then say he's battling to start for the job.

And then who knows if he even gets traded? That would be even more unprecedented, but I love it all. Howie Roseman runs this team like, an aggressive fantasy. You love ratios, right? Oh, yeah. The leashed to salary ratio here is unprecedented. There you go. That is the type of ratio I'm looking at. Dan, all I'm saying, I know you... There's your money ball. I know you don't believe in Chase Daniel. All I'm saying is giving Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, and I would take him easily over Ryan Fitzpatrick. Okay.

I guess I mean, so why? I've never seen anything from. He'll play. San Bradford's been in the league since, what, 09? 10 or 10? He's only started 60 games twice. So history will say that Chase Daniel will be starting some games for the Eagles. I'm not convinced Bradford is even on this roster by the draft. Well, he would have to be traded, correct? They can't get out of the deal, right? Yeah, I think he's a trade candidate. He was a trade candidate last year.

How many teams? He's going to go to make $40 million for CVS. How many teams could go for him? Yeah, how many teams would be sincerely interested at that salary? The Niners, the Broncos, the Browns. There's some. Oh, you would hate that. I would, but I don't think the salary is, for some of these teams,

the salary isn't that big of a deal for him. I agree. It's not that long of a contract. It's a short contract. He might have done better looking at this free agent market. I mean, if Brock Isswiler gets four for 72, I would think St. Bradford could get more. In other Howie Mania news, Rodney McLeod, the safety, former RAM safety, got a five-year, 37 million deal, 17 million guaranteed.

Don't have a ton of knowledge on Rodney myself. If you guys want to jump in, have at it. I believe he's McLeod. Okay. That's, let's start. Yeah, that's where your lack of information starts. That's fine. Greg liked this guy.

I know. Well, West forgot to rank him, and I was like, I had him in my top 30 or 40, and apparently the Eagles did too. Greg Williams, who doesn't get a lot of publicity, he gets his, I know. Well, yes, he does. Well, not anymore. This won't be a consolation to Rams fans, but if you're a defensive back,

and you want to get paid. Play for Greg Williams. He just got Rodney McLeod, Janoris Jenkins, and Tremaine Johnson. Monster bucks. Yeah. It's true. And it's not like people last year were like,

watch out for that Rams secondary. Like, they're the best secondary league. We talked about that they're underrated secondary. They had their best secondary in a long time, but I think these guys get paid because they hit. Well, it doesn't hurt to have a fantastic front seven in front of you at least defensive line. Philadelphia does not mess around.

They also got Nigel Brassie. Adam has reunited with Jim Schwartz. I like that signing, too. They have branded Brooks, who is not a well-known guy, but was in our top 60, a guard for the Texans, who's a starter and got big money. Leonis McKelvin got a little scratch. They also got Ronald Brooks. They're cornering the market on Brooks.

They are active. Okay. By the way, just so everyone knows, so we can get an official, the pronunciation of Rodney's name is... Jairus Bired. It's a wrong safety. In other news, Charles Johnson, you know, got cut, released by the Panthers last week.

Dave Gettleman went as far as to have a nice little goodbye, you know, press release or he thanked him for all his work. Clearly seemed like the end of the road. But he ends up going back to the Panthers. He met with some teams, including the Giants. And he was offered up to double the $3 million one-year deal. He ended up taking to stay in Carolina. The Bucks and Giants both offered him double the amount of money

the Panthers offered him, but Charles Johnson stays home, 29 years old, ranked 28 in our top 99. Countdown, his quote, it's not about the money. Carolina is home, and I wouldn't have been happy if I went somewhere else. He told Josina Anderson of ESPN. I bet the Giants wish they would have kept Dave Gettelman. Barking to the offseason. He watches the Giants go pay $80 million for Ali Vernon, and he gets Charles Johnson back for $3. Hey, wait a second.

How many rings does Dave Gettleman have as a GM, and how many rings? rings. How many is Dave Gettleman have as a front office executive for the giant? Same as Jerry Reese. One. That's the deal of the off season. People say, you know, it's not about the money. He really showed it.

I mean, he passed up $6 million or something for the bucks. I would rather have Charles Johnson than Mario Williams, wouldn't you? And he's cheaper. And he's 29. Well, I would because of the price tag, especially. Even if they were the same. I kind of don't get this one. Well, I wonder if maybe he's at the age where he's got kids in school,

he's got a foundation in Carolina and that helps I mean I don't know what his situation is but I am now that we know that I successfully brought back the Dean scream yeah that you just got me thinking it's time to bring back show me the money wow I don't know if that ever totally left about the Kwan well yeah I mean not yeah show me the money I don't think show me it's not going underground but in like the the the Cuba getting junior uh inflection like that it that excited pumped up. Show me the money, Jerry.

Maybe you can just take your talents to South Beach. You're still my agent. Hangs up on him. It is a possibility, Dan. Let's explore it if you choose to. Okay. Moving on, the San Diego Chargers doing some business. Travis Benjamin, former Brown's

Deep Threat signs a four-year, $24 million deal, 26 years old, had a career high, 68 catches for 966 yards and five touchdowns last year. In Cleveland, you know, and that's pretty good production considering Cleveland's quarterback room. And now he is a Philip Rivers receiver.

So that group is looking pretty good because they also re-signed Antonio Gates. I don't know how much more Gates has left in the tank, but he always seems to find his way in the end zone every year when he can be on the field. He gets a two-year, $12 million deal. So add it all up. You got Keenan Allen. You got Travis Benjamin. You got Antonio Gates. You have Spice Racks boy, maybe having a bounceback season in the backfield,

and he got Philip Rivers, and maybe, just maybe, the San Diego Chargers can be a competitive team in their potentially final year in San Diego. Greg has a really sour look on his face. Yeah, it's still hard to get excited about it. I'm with you. Travis Benjamin's not moving the meter for me. I like Travis Ben. I thought that was a good fit because they needed pure speed.

They basically replaced Eddie Royal, who used to be there. Well, the only thing I'd say about. version of Eddie Roy. Benjamin did not have Keenan Allen on his offense last year. I mean, people would just line up knowing he had the time he was the only weapon on the field. And he helps their special teams.

He's a good return, man. Right. Moving on. Let's talk the Cleveland Browns and Sashi, of course. Big, big time. Big time off season for Sashi as they attempt to rebuild that team.

It's starting off a little slowly, first of all, Alex Mac, the center, who opted out of his deal with Cleveland, kept his options open, was speaking as if he was interested in staying with Cleveland and liked the new regime. He ends up taking a five-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons. So Alex Mack, the center, has gone, had been a big-time player for them for the Browns for several years. They also, the Browns, had been working out a deal with right-tackle Mitchell Schwartz. I know, Mark, you're a fan of Schwartz. he had brought him up in the weeks leading up to free agency.

He leaves the team because the Browns kind of pulled out of negotiations. So he goes and signs with the Kansas City Chiefs. And of course, finally, and this was just a news item involving the Browns, Johnny Mansell, who was widely believed he'd be released as soon as 2006-16 league business began. He'll probably still be released this week, but he's still a member of the Brown. So essentially nothing happened involving the Cleveland Browns mark. So your thoughts? Well, I think it's, I mean, you know, free agency brings out the worst

than any fan base where there's just nothing happening. And I get that if you're the Packers. I think Browns fans just desperately wanted to see this front office has been crowed about as being, you know, they're all from Harvard, they're super smart, they're going to do things differently. Well, differently just looks like complete in action today. And it seems to me from what we were hearing from, what Michael Silver was hearing and what other people were hearing was that Sashi and the front office

a little bit over their heads in this whole thing, that they didn't quite, the agents were complaining about how negotiations were going and to pull the contract off of Mitchell Schwartz. Jeff Schwartz, his brother basically said that he couldn't have been happier to see him go to the chiefs after the nonsense that he endured during these negotiations. I don't know what any that means, but Cleveland basically lost a pro bowler in Mac. I don't think Gibson is a true Pro Bowl but he made the Pro Bowl but listen, Travis Benjamin off a wide receiving group

that has literally nothing left at this point and you also lose half your offensive line and you're going to draft rookie quarterback. They lost a lot of their best players. Ladies and gentlemen, for one night only. You are a factory of sandit! You know what? Mark doesn't like hearing that. Well, that was clearly planned before the show

so thank you very much. That was a very angry look by Mark there. Well, I'm not angry. I just, I think at this point, Browns fans, you have to look at this roster and say it is a complete rebuild. The 1999 roster is not much worse than this roster. I don't think it's a huge deal that you lose a bunch of good, your best players off of what's a bad team anyways, but I do think it's disappointing that you extended yourself to keep Mac and he chose to go to Atlanta and Kyle Shanahan for a tiny bit less money. It's not really the less money thing that bothers me. Well, it's more guaranteed. It's more just that he decided to go. You know, he kind of had two options.

He decides to go there. So that hurts because they really did want to keep him. And then the Mitchell Schwartz thing, just hearing that you pulled the offer when it was high, but he kind of wanted to stay in Cleveland and that ends up just, it's a, it's a, that one's weird. Mike Silver almost had a meltdown on our airwaves today because obviously he's close with Hugh Jackson, so you could tell he was fired up. And, you know, all kidding aside, Mark, like, this isn't happening. again, is it? Is this, are we in a situation where the Browns are in over their heads with their new news?

I have no idea. I mean, I think that probably, you know, if you want to read through all the white noise, that probably Hugh Jackson has to be a little bit surprised with what happened today. I don't think that's how he thought this was going to play out. They talked about, you can't say it's a big priority. Any bad team saying we're going to re-sign our own guys. We're going to groom our own draft picks. And then you let all these people walk. Jabal Sheard walked last year. And no one can blame it. any of these players for going. You're leaving a toxic situation to greener pastures, but you had a plan, you didn't get it done, bottom line. I agree. It looks, from your point of view, it has to look like Hugh Jackson might have asked to keep these guys, and whoever works above him didn't get it done.

But also, it's disappointing that they've been leaking stories or all the stories out of Cleveland have been, these guys want to play for Hugh, and now a lot of them are leaving. It's also day one of free agency And like a lot of times people love the Browns After some moves they make a free agency It's like let's just see how the you know you just don't know I mean the teams that don't do anything today

Are some of the best teams in the league The Seahawks the Patriots So let's see how it goes These weren't exactly the 27 Yankees players They're losing here Yeah who knows if it's even true What's out there widely thought That the Browns wanted to keep all these guys

I'm sure, you know, these teams have their agenda. They don't share everything. Like, you know, who knows? Maybe they hated the roster. They're like, we are gutting this thing, and it's a complete rebuild. Yeah, I think that's to keep these guys in the building. You're exactly right. And like other bad teams, when a new regime comes in,

you have a lot of mistakes to try to overcome from the past regimes. And the more you hear about what happened last year and the year before, I mean, it's going to take time. You don't want to do a patch job if you're the Cleveland. There's no way to do a patch job. I mean, the hole is bigger than a patch. Sandwich Proposition Update. Mark, you had Alex Max signing with the Jaguars.

He went to the Falcons, so that costs you three sandwiches. And I think that wraps up our sandwich props for day one. Finally, in the news. Jeff Cumberland's time with the New York Jets is over. the tight end who for many years was my favorite player on the Jets, his ability to, despite his size and lack of speed, he was able to shake free in big spots, secure the ball for up to 11 yards gains after, you know,

not break a lot of tackles, but his ability just to be a guy in the middle taken out of the offense almost entirely by Chan Galey. So now he's out the door, clear a little cap space. So I just want to say, you know, the road rise to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. Jeff Cumberland, sweet, sweet Cumbie. Stay forever young. Well, that just means that Sam Bradford will always be locked into the lowest production

to publicity ratio on this podcast. I can't wait until the Jets careers over. Yeah, I can't wait until the Jets resign him at a lower cost like three weeks from now. Oh, and it incumbent me, if you happen to listen to the podcast because you get mentioned some more, you will, yeah, Dan's never going to mention you again. It's over. Well, I mean, listen, if this is the end, and usually if Rod Stewart gets played, it's the end. By the way, I wish I could say, who was somebody on Twitter mentioned that song should be playing on this day.

And I said, wow, that's appropriate. Get some late period Rod. Way to go. Somebody on Twitter. Yeah. So I don't want to steal that guy's idea, although I did. You just appropriated it It is what it is

Now So Godspeed Jeff Cumberland Sweet Cumbie Now we'll end the show With a speed round Because we have still stuff to get to here But we got to go

I mean this is getting Shecky And the length of the show But we had so much to hit it The biggest news day of the year Absolutely so there's nothing Nothing to be ashamed of here But I talked with Brandon Before the show

To make sure we get through the speed round As quickly as possible I asked him to pick A song from our music library that costs no money and just to play that underneath and that's how long we have to complete this speed round i said listen pick a song that's obnoxious too that really wants we want to get out of here so once the song starts we'll begin the speed round you by the way irishman just let us know uh when the song's kind of halfway over so we'll have to know we got to keep moving guys

basically is what i'm saying okay uh all right whenever the song begins we begin speed round The Chiefs lose two draft picks for tampering with Jeremy Macklin last year, guys. They lose a 2016 third rounder, 2017, 6-round anti-tampering policy grade. That's a pretty significant loss. Slap on the wrist. Third-round pick? Patriots lose a first runner for throwing a slightly deflated football. How about Doug Peterson's new team?

Banged his old team. Very naughty, Kansas City. Shame on you. At least you weren't pumping in fake crowd noise, though. Speaking of banging, this song is kind of banging. I'm in on it. Moving on, Kobe Fleener, the former Colts tight-in. Indianapolis decided to choose Dwayne Allen, Wes's boy, over Kobe Fleener.

So he goes and he signs with the Saints replacing Ben Watson, who signed with the Ravens. A good spot for Kobe Fleener, isn't it, Wes? I'm not wild about Kobe Fleener. He's a soft player. He doesn't catch balls when anybody's near him. And I like Duane Allen much better. One of the great punching bags of PFF, by the way.

Moving on, Richie Incognito is remaining in Buffalo on a three-year deal. Richie Incognito, Mark, you wrote the post. Your thoughts on Richie coming all the way back. No memory writing the post, but I will tell you that, you know, we talk about fits. This is one of the few places that seem to be a good fit for Incognito. Nice job, Rex Ryan. Keep bringing in those all-stars. Greg, help me out with this name, George.

George Aloka. George Aloka. and the Bengals reach a five-year contract, $30 million with the safety per source and form of the do. You know what? Mark, the Bengals, they do a great job keeping their guys in-house. Halfway. Well, you know, with Mike Zimmer trying to sign every single Bengals player, this was a coup of Cincinnati. This is one of the top five bargains of free agency.

He's a great player. Mike Wallace has been cut. The Minnesota Vikings released the wide receiver after one miserable season. Never a good fit. A burner deep guy may be on the other side. and Teddy Bridgewater can't throw down field. That was never going to work, right, Wes? Wasn't going to work.

Go play for the Ravens, take Torrey Smith's old job. Oh! Oh, banged in a big spot by Chris Wesley. Taba Ali. It wasn't banged at all. Okay. Taba Ali agrees to a three-year deal with the Chiefs. He stays home, Greg.

Derek Johnson did as well. Very Chiefs-like free agency. Just kind of stay on the tracks. More tempering. Speaking of the Bengals, and I wish I put these back to back. Good job. I had a Chiefs, by the way. Oh, yeah, they kept Jay Howard, too.

One of my favorites during this show. That's going to cost this. That was too much. Better hurry. Cornerback, Pac-Man Jones, three-year deal. He stays with the Bengals. Great news for strip clubs and Cidsey. Matt Hasselbeck retires.

He joins ESPN. I thought he's been on ESPN for like 10 years. That's his brother. Pallodi Nata is back to the lines on a two-year deal. He was, of course, Sue's replacement last year. Mark. Don't care. And finally, Matt Scha back to the Falcons, Mark, with the final word.

How much time do we have? Why does this person still have an employment situation? Because if you're a backup quarterback, the people like you stick around. It's not 2010, Kyle Schen. Have a heart. It's a homecoming. Shop to Atlanta is one of the great stories in NFL history. Go Sean John Beck while you're at it.

And we're out. We did it. Hit all the news. That was perfect. Perfect. Hit the post. I kind of like that was almost like a daft punk song, like a knockoff. Well, Arjina and I were like, you know what?

What kind of song should we get? And I was like, I'm going to go disco. Let's play out with that song, too. in a couple seconds. Oh, yeah, 100%. Great job today, guys. A lot of news. The day's not over.

Good show. Of course, I wish we could all just leave and just head out. I'm leaving. To the watering hole, you know, we wish we could leave with you, Mark. But Wes and I have to hang back. Greg, you have to do boss activities. What we learned. What we learned post.

Make sure you check that. Greg's writing it every day. The what we learned from Free Agency. This is the big day Wednesday. We will be back. Tomorrow. Friday. Friday we'll be back on Friday and we will do our winners and losers of free agency

week and we'll have some fun while we do it guys because that's the thing about the show you got your news and you got your analysis and you got your mirth and you got your friendship you got your disco you got your disco so that's it mirth Vader what a combo murder not to be confused with never mind this is dan hans for the watering hole uh signing off for quiet storm the muscle hamster the mailman can't call me that patrick's going to take offense that's true i can't believe by the way patria uses a whiteboard and writes down slight said on the show i'm still not over that yet the boss and the irish from behind the glass beautiful work today you're really at opening on mount rushmore

from Mount Rushmore. We're starting to just in pencil. Get the craftsman. Yeah. You know how long it took to build Mount Rushmore? It's to carve Mount Rushmore?

Well, it's not a real thing. We will back in Friday. What? How long? I don't know. Come on, Melman. Over a decade. Till Friday.

Thank you. Hey, everybody. Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the 6, we take you inside the game from breaking down college prospects and NFL rookies. to evaluating team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices

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