NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Free Agency Kickoff! Crosby Dealt, Mack Stays and Last Minute Deals

Episode Date: March 9, 2026

Gregg Rosenthal and Nick Shook get you caught up on all of the news from around the NFL so you're ready for the start of Free Agency Frenzy! The guys react to the Raiders trading Maxx Crosby to the Ravens, Kahlil Mack staying with the Chargers, Travis Kelce possibly playing for a team other than the Chiefs next season, Geno Smith being released by the Raiders, Taylor Decker parting ways with the Lions, Trent McDuffie's new contract with the Rams, the movement at the center position across the league, the Colts trading Zaire Franklin to the Packers and more! Plus, Gregg and Nick take some time to remember Bob Harlan. NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I am Greg Rosenthal. I know that, Greg. We're teaming up on 40s and free agents, the podcast that owns the NFL offseason. This is where teams are built.

Free agency, combine, pro days, trades. Every move matters. From my draft boards and mock drafts to my vaunted top 101 free agents and how rosters come together. Quarterback movement. Surprise signings. We'll tell you what it means. And who really.

really wins. Open your free IHeart radio app, search 40s and free agents, and listen now. Welcome to NFL Daily, where we're not waiting for any stinking tampering period. I'm Greg Rosenthal. I'm in my garage on a hot Los Angeles March Day talking to my friend Nick Shook of the Vanquished Cleveland Cavaliers. We're not getting into any NBA today, though, Nick. It's all about Max Crosby and all the moves that are leading in. into the big free agency period that starts with us Monday. Sorry for the low blow to start this. Yeah, I was going to say I'll look past that

dig right now. We'll just move forward into the news of the weekend, which is the shocker that Max Crosby is now headed to the AFC North and the Baltimore Ravens. When you looked at the possibility of a trade in my mind, the Ravens are always in play because they love to go after vets. They always love to make the big swings with

the brand names in pursuit of a ring. But even I was shocked when this came about on Friday. I was shocked, too. It got thrown out for a second, I believe, in the studio. And I can't remember if it was me or Patrick who just said, like, that's not really what the Ravens normally do. And yet they did it. So, yes, we saw the Crosby trade.

I'm up at Indian Wells, the tennis tournament Friday night. I'm like, ooh, the moves are starting to happen. I want to start taping. And then we think about, okay, we got a lot of re-signings coming up. We have some cuts. we have some really good speculation. We thought, let's do a show on Sunday night to kind of clear the deck. So all of this isn't just thrown into our Monday show.

Really looking forward to our shows all week long. We're going live at 4 p.m. Pacific, 7 p.m. Eastern throughout the week. But yes, let's talk about what could be the biggest move of the entire offseason. Crosby goes to the Ravens for the 14th overall pick and a 2027, first round pick. So we heard those reports back on Thursday when we last taped that the Cowboys not willing to give up a second first round pick. Reportedly the Jaguars were also in on this. That's very interesting to me, the teams that were in. And then some of the reporting that we saw on ESPN was the Cowboys, you know, tried to make them sound disciplined. They would not go

to a second first, but they were willing to give up another player and a second. And a Second, which is crazy to me in the end, even though the Cowboys had the higher pick, it's the Ravens who go over the top. They give up the two first round picks. And there's a lot of ways to talk about this with the Ravens. We're going to get to. I have 20 big moves I want to talk about, 20 big trends. But this is the one we'll really dive into.

To me, it is a sign that like the way they've been doing things, especially in terms of their pass rush and their defensive line shook, isn't worth. And Eric Dacosta maybe sitting there at number 14 overall looks at this edge class. Ruben Bain's probably going to be off the board by then and thinks, like, who am I getting there? And we have a chance to really push our chips in the table in the middle of Lamar Jackson's prime and do something we haven't done in the past. Like, what do you think it is about maybe this offseason with Jesse Minter coming aboard that made them finally do this type of move?

I think that it was the way that they kind of fell apart last season. Like we can always look back at Lamar's injury and say, well, that contributed to them struggling in the mid-portion of the season. But the truth of the matter was that their defense couldn't stop a nosebleed, which was once their hallmark. And it really happened up front with the front four and the front seven. And they couldn't afford to do that again. Not only could they not stop the run. They couldn't consistently generate a pass rush. Then they move off of O'Dafay-O-Way at the deadline and that sort of thing.

Like, it just kind of got worse and worse. And you could tell that they needed to upgrade it. And I feel like coming off of the season, which they were so close to winning the division that was just a very mid-dive division at best, they understand that they still have a franchise quarterback. They still have the makings of a team that should be contending for Super Bowls, not just for their division. And in order to ensure that they can at least be a lot stronger on one portion of the defensive front, they'll do that by making a big deal like this. Because instead of being a team that could draft and develop and just rely on that year after year after year, it feels like the pressure is a little bit more increased,

especially after the coaching change. Let's go capitalize with a defensive-minded coach and Jesse Minter. Yeah. So Max Crosby is just. do about $29, $30 million guaranteed this year. His salary stays similar over the next couple years, around $29 million, which sounds like a lot of money, but actually for the edge market, you know, he's only fifth or sixth. I'm curious if they're going to do a new deal with Crosby, guaranteeing money further out into the future or if everyone's happy now because the idea here is like Baltimore still needs to spend.

They're in on Tyler Linderbaum, according to Ian Rappaport. He was just on our air talking about how they're trying to hold on to Linderbom. They need help at guard. They need help at wide receiver. We don't know if Namdi Madabweke is coming back or not, which to me is a huge part of this equation. You're either getting, like, you could be getting Max Crosby and a borderline pro bowl defensive tackle, like added to your roster, or you have a huge hole in the middle. So that's like a big X factor. And I am curious if Crosby, like, needs more money, wants more money, or if he's just happy, he's coming off a major surgery.

I was reading kind of the day after athletic article by Vic Taffer, which was interesting, which said, you know, him and Mark Davis were on the outs at one point, that that Max Crosby wasn't happy with the Alex Guerrero slash Tom Brady influence on what was going on in Las Vegas. and it does make me happy just as someone that likes football to see Max Crosby just added to a team that should be playing meaningful football in December and January because to me I don't think this was about the money. Maybe they won't even touch that contract unless they feel like it helps them open up more cap space. Well, I mean, let's think about it.

He just got that contract redone a year ago and it was just out of a sign of goodwill. It wasn't because he was entering a contract year. It's just that's how much the Raiders appreciated him. But things can change quickly when you don't win. And it felt like he was one of those guys on a deserted island just operating out there, being great, at what he does and not getting any attention for it or any of the benefits of being good at football

because the rest of your team is just not good. And so you're right. It's good to see good football players join teams that actually have real title ambitions and to get that done. But it is interesting. You're right about the contract because I think that the contract could stay, but I would still understand if they restructured, because if you look at their top five guys in terms of cap number entering 2026 according to over the cap. You got Lamar at 74.5 million, which has got to be restructured. No way you're carrying that cap number for him. You push some stuff out into the future. Roquan Smith at 32.7 million, Matabike at 30.9 million, and then Max Crosby at 30.6 million.

That's a significant combined total when it comes to the total of your cap. And if you're going to go improve your roster like you need to, and if you're going to retain your center, you've got to move some of that money into the future and create some cap space now. Yeah, we tried to tape this Sunday evening, Sunday night on the East Coast to try to get as much as we could before the league year started. But we're not going to be able to get everything. The Ravens will be making moves before the league year starts, which is officially Wednesday,

The tampering slash negotiating period is Monday. So between now and Wednesday, that Lamar Jackson deal could very well happen. I think he's going to have a new contract that kind of makes him whole and helps the money out. I think we'll find out about Madabweke. But what a move for a team that just had no pass rush. I'm not that worried about the fact that Max Crosby is 28, turning 29 years old. I am a little concerned that he never leaves the field in Vegas. So, you know, he has kind of the body in terms of the pounding that he's taken of maybe a guy a year or two older.

So I think the Ravens should look to, you know, rotate him a little bit more. But if you look at the numbers in terms of tackles for loss, it's him by a long shot leading the league. And that's in terms of stopping the run. It's him and it's a big gap and then it's Miles Garrett. And then he obviously isn't, you know, the sack artist that the very, very top guys get. But in terms of pure pressure, I think it's going to be awesome. I think Jesse Minner is going to take advantage. And I'm just pumped for that to happen.

And I think we should do it a little talk about the Raider side of things. You know, we talked to John Spitech at the NFL scouting combine. And, you know, he said the right things about Crosby. But I think they're going to be thrilled by this deal. To have the 14th overall pick, I know that the fan base is not going to be thrilled, but you look at the 14th overall pick. You look at a first round pick next year. It really does feel like they're getting to do a real.

restart. And I think it was the perfect time for them to get max value, no pun intended. And also, like, I don't think their fans are going to be mad because they got so much back. No, absolutely. And I think, look, if you're going to turn this team into a winner, 29-year-old Max Carozzie, which is what he'll be in late August, is not going to help you get there in the long run. It's just not. Like, just father time will come for him before you're truly in a position to content. It's much more important for you to get maximum value for him in the form of the draft picks, but it's also you alleviate more cap room to be able to spend elsewhere. Because when we, when fans think about free agency, when the average person just thinks about

free agency, they consider, all right, what big fish can we land? What if you took the Patriots approach from last season in which you spent a ton of that money and spread it across a number of different positions to vastly improve your roster? That's kind of the path that the Raiders need to take. You add in the draft capital ammunition and suddenly you're setting up for a potentially transformative offseason if you can nail both of those periods. And the more capital you have, the more shots you have to do it. And especially in the first round, it's obviously the most valuable.

And it's how you can usually jumpstart a turnaround. So, yeah, they're probably sad to see Max Crosby go, fan favorite. You know, one of those guys that a previous regime had plucked from the draft from Eastern Michigan and seen him become a superstar edge rusher. But sometimes these are the moves you have to make for the greater good of a franchise moving forward. Yeah, my Raiders fan friends. Your Raiders. Texts me, he's like, you've got to be happy with two first.

You got to be happy with two first. And, yeah, I do love the fact that they have the one pick. They have the 14 pick. The problem is they do have too much cap space. $121 million is absolutely outrageous. It's way too much. There's not enough good players to spend it on, but they can go over the top on whoever they want,

including potentially Tyler Linderbaum. We're going to get to him in a second. We have a whole section on centers. There was a lot of moves this weekend, and then they all seem to revolve around centers. By the way, while we're talking Ravens, Snoop Huntley, back with the Raven, so he will be Lamar Jackson's backup. Got a two-year contract.

Shout out to Snoop Huntley, who was kind of kicking out of almost falling out of the league was like a fourth quarterback for the Browns. Like, signed late in free agency, was on some practice squads. So I love he played well last year, and he gets, it's $11 million. Who knows what the real money is, but I'm sure he got some guaranteed money.

So shout out to Snoop Huntley. All right, let's go in order. So I said we have 20 moves to talk about. We're going to fly through the rest of these. Max was the big hitter. Khalil Mack got the most amount of money, though, of anyone else left. One year, $18 million. So it's a one-year contract.

He returns to the Chargers. Let's just start kind of focusing on him and that move. They had Odafei Owe as a free agent. They had Khalil Mack as a free agent. So you get one guy back in our friend Daniel Jeremiah notes how he's really looked at as a really unique leader for that entire organization. So maybe you pay just a little bit extra to keep him because you value what he does. Is it extra though? Because if you look at his contract history, that's exactly what he's made over the last three years. One year for 19 million in 2024,

one year for 18 and 25, one year for 18 and 26. The man knows what his price is. He gets older. His value stays the same because of how important he is to the team. This was a pairing that I really hoped stayed together because, you know, Bears fans are all about getting into the past. ass rushers this off season and they need to upgrade there. And what if we reunited with Khalil Mack? No, stay with the Chargers where you played a pivotal role when you were healthy. That elbow injury early kind of puts you off track. But you came back and finished strong.

You're clearly still excellent at what you do. This makes the most sense. No need to pack up the home and move elsewhere for a season. Just stay here and try and run it back with what you hope will be a better Chargers team with a healthier offensive line and a higher ceiling. So I was very happy to see them get this done. And at a rate that I think he's still deserving of. of. Yeah, it's fine. I mean, it's a lot for Mac who hasn't finished seasons as well as he

started them lately, but you get the leadership. I do, I don't think it was necessarily a coincidence timing wise that the Crosby deal happens and then the Mac deal happens because Cleo Mac's old coach is in Baltimore, Jesse Minter. And, you know, once they kind of got their big ticket item, that maybe removed like an attractive high price option for Cleo Mac. And so he stays what's turned into his home. Now, Adafay Oway, I think they're in on him. And they have a lot of free agent, you know, spending room. But keep an eye on the Carolina Panthers for Adafay OA. I'm just throwing that out there.

I think the Panthers are one of the teams. Commanders are another one, 49ers, Patriots, that are in on a lot of these guys. And I think you're going to be spending near the top of the market, which is where I think OA will be. But good move for Mack. They have a lot more to do, though. They need defensive tackles. They need offensive linemen. We'll get to all that.

Let's talk about some of the veterans, like the potential future Hall of Famers. I mean, you can take the word potential away when you talk Travis Kelsey and Cleo Mac, by the way. By the way, keep saying, by the way. Cleo Mac has made more money in the NFL than any defensive player ever. Isn't that amazing? That is kind of shocking. I saw that from over the cap, like on a tweet. I can't check that.

Von Miller was next. but Cleo Mac, I think, is number one all-time. What you think about his career and you think about the journey. Like, he was a pivotal player for those Raiders teams, the Jackdale Rio Raiders. And then he went to Chicago and was just kind of lost in the abyss while still being a great player. That was a great. That was a record-setting contract. Yeah.

And then he revives it with the Chargers, at least a bit of like his spotlight, his exposure in the last few years. Good for him. Hey, you know what? Mac guy. That's a Buffalo Bull. We love Mac guys getting paid. A couple of Mac guys getting paid. You know what's crazy is I think in.

In the end, he's going to play more for the Chargers than the other teams. Yeah, because he played exactly four years in the two other locations, and this will be his fifth now with the Chargers. So congrats to an all-time bad getter, but it's not like he's like Kirk Cousins, like getting it when, you know, maybe he doesn't quite deserve it at that level. You know, he is one of the best defensive players of his era, but the richest. Okay, I tease Travis Kelsey talk and Mike Evans' talk. I'm grouping these two together as kind of items three and four.

It came out on Sunday afternoon. the Athletic said that Travis Kelsey is returning, expected to return, but the question is whether he returns with the Kansas City Chiefs, he is expected to talk to multiple other teams you're shaking your head. Oh, well, it's just a leverage play. I can't imagine a world in which he actually wants to sign somewhere else when he spent his entire career with the Chiefs. And I honestly would say the same about Mike Evans,

although I believe that Evans could find a more attractive opportunity somewhere else if he was actually truly interested in leaving. and maybe jump at, you know, a big money offer. Buffalo's trade for DJ Moore kind of took that off the table because I thought that would be a good landing spot for him. Ultimately, I expect both of these guys to stay with their teams and just use this to get a few extra million dollars out of their teams for one final year.

And it's just the classic, you know, business tactics that exist during March when we go through this period. It's a tough spot for someone like Kelsey because no one around the NFL thinks he's going to leave. And he certainly would have a market but what is that market? Is it one year like $8 million, one year $10 million?

Like is it really going to be more than the Chiefs are willing to spend? Probably not. But if you're Kelsey and the Chiefs are asking you to essentially take a pay cut, which is what I'm guessing they're doing despite playing very well last year.

Like he looked better last season. I thought than the two previous seasons. He made more plays after the catch. if you're watching us live on YouTube, you can see some of those plays after the catch right now. And so he's in a tough spot trying to get his bag as much as he possibly can. But no one believes that he's going to go elsewhere. And his current APY is 17.1.

And if he took 8, that's more than a 50% cut. So, yeah, it would be a massive cut to stay with the cheese. But I feel like that's about his market. Because while you give him the credit for making plays after the catch, a lot of folks, and especially those in Kansas City, will define his 2025 season as the year in which he made the most crucial drops of his career that contributed directly to losses in big games. And especially because of the fact that they weren't able to return to the playoffs,

that just lingers as something that they're going to have to get over collectively if he sticks around. So I don't think he's going to have that strong of a market because let's look at the tight end market as it stands right now. You're looking at guys like Dallas Goddard, Jonu Smith, David Adjoku, Travis Kelsey. Of those four guys, who are you actually going to throw a decent bag at? No hate on Travis Kelsey. I live in Cleveland. He's a Cleveland Heights guy,

but I would not throw the most money at him out of that group of tight ends. I just wouldn't. Yeah, we're getting some comments that they think Kelsey's washed. I don't think he's washed. I think he can help. I think he's somewhere in between. He's too smart. He's too smart to be washed.

And look, he was very productive last year, but he would have to wait out the market. It's a little embarrassing. It's the same thing with I saw a report today that Mike Evans will hit the market. and Matt Harmon quote tweeted it saying what I thought. It's like, didn't you report this like a month ago? And then didn't you report this like a week ago? And it's basically the agent telling the insiders,

hey, let him know it's serious. He really is going to hit the market. And it's just like trying to get that little extra money. There is a difference, though, in that a team like the Chiefs, for instance, although they don't have a lot of cap room to spend. But some other teams out there, whoever's looking at receiver, San Francisco,

would make a little sense to me. Maybe New England for the right price, you know, would make a little sense to me. I think would actually give Evans an offer, but no one wants to be the team that just is getting used as a leverage play. I give Travis Kelsey a 2% chance of leaving, and I give Mike Evans a 12% chance.

Yeah, I agree. No, those are the numbers I would land. 12 is the exact number. took, come on. Seven and twelve was going to be. Well, over under, 12% under.

12's the maximum. Neither of them are leaving. Neither. Okay. I hope you're right, especially when it comes to Evans. I just assume you're right

when it comes to Travis Kelsey. By the way, breaking news. I did see this on TMZ this weekend. Travis Kelsey's mom is renovating her house. Big news.

Who is the interior designer? Can we see what the thing is going to look like? I don't know, but they sent that out as a post and then Jason Kelsey retweeted it and was like breaking news like I'm going to the park with my kids. I don't know why that was news, but it was absolutely news. I got to see the blueprints.

I want to see the open floor plan. How many ovens? One, two, what will we do we do in? What are we doing here? We got the built-in pancake griddle. Come on. Okay, that was points three and four on our show. Number five also happened on Friday, but it's the Raiders releasing Gino Smith.

And we have some expected cuts. Gino Smith was expected. The crazy part about this is that we have now seen multiple reporters suggest that Gino Smith is either a top or close to the top of the Jets wish list. I want so much better for Gino than returning to the Jets. That seems like a terrible coda to the end of his career. Frank Reich, who is the coach there, also reportedly wants to bring in Carson Wentz as a possibility.

I want better for Jets fans than Carson Wentz. And I want better for Gino than having to deal with the Jets fans who are going to kind of hold it against him what he was the last time. And I'm still hoping for Minnesota, even though I think that's where Kyler ends up. Yeah, and that would take away probably his best fit as a free agent quarterback at this point in his career. But, you know, sometimes we look at players' careers

and we see them returning to the team that drafted them. And we think, oh, that ties a nice little bow on their arc. This would be the opposite. I don't know how else to describe the opposite of tying a bow on it, other than, I don't know, obliterating the tail end of it and leaving him with no soft landing whatsoever. I mean, look, not to hate on the Jets, but any quarterback that is put in that situation has to be a supernatural, like, human to be able to, you know,

get something out of that offense, at least as it stands right now. I know they had some injuries up front. Justin Fields took about nine steps back behind that offensive line, which wasn't terrible, but got worse and worse throughout the year. Tyrod Taylor, you know, struggled to stay healthy, but similar story for him. Putting Gino there would be the worst thing possible because he just came from a terrible situation in the desert in Vegas behind the NFL's worst offensive line. So, Gino, this is my plea to you.

Please hold out for a better offer that might not be worth as much money, but is a better situation than this one. Yes. Like, I would rather see Gino be Stafford's backup or something. Yeah. Versus, you know, in a situation where he could possibly succeed if he was called upon. The Jets have $73 million in cap space. I think they're going to be active. We haven't heard any more on the Kyler-Murie kind of sweet-feworthy.

kind of sweepstakes, you know, since we last taped other than the expectation is Minnesota's the favorite, but I don't think anyone really knows knows. We'll find out. Other cuts around the league. Really surprised by Taylor Decker getting cut by the Lions. The veteran left tackle was, you know, do a decent amount of money, and he announced he wasn't going to retire in February, and the assumption was he's just coming back to the Lions. I think they tried to negotiate a pay cut. he wasn't happy about it and he's cut loose and I don't think we ever hit it on the show

they also cut Graham Glasgow the other week and Frank Ragnos still retired he's not coming back so they don't have a center they don't have a left tackle they need a guard spot interesting time

for the Detroit Lions and where would have you put Taylor Decker and I'll throw in Gino Smith if you were making the top 101 these are 10 seconds for you well that would require some context about who's in like the 30s and 40s. Would you put Gino Smith ahead of Kirk Cousins?

Yes. And Aaron Rogers. No. I would put him behind Rogers and ahead of Kirk. Okay. I actually put Kirk ahead of Rogers because I think Rogers is so tricky to fit into a different system. But I had them all basically in the same tier. They're ranked between 50 and 60.

I'm calling that bridge quarterback land. Yeah. But you know, this is Gino Nation. I'm still standing up for the. in the right situation, he could be better. We got a comment here that the lion's window has closed. I disagree with that. I don't think the lion's window is closed,

but this is a big month for them. Yeah. Look, anytime that you're, what was the story of the 2025 Lions? The offensive line, the injuries that they suffered up front, the fact that Frank Ragnow retired and replacing him didn't go as well

as they thought it would, which it's always a risk. Him trying to unretire and failing his physical and then being sent back to retirement against his wishes and now Taylor Decker leaving, this feels like an emotional move on his part. Like, I'm going to come back and play one more year and you're going to ask me to take a pay cut.

All right, I'm out of here. Because then where is your next market? Do you end up with a team that has the same ambitions? Like, I think about teams that need offensive line men, and I think about the Browns. And would Taylor Decker want to go play for the Browns over the Lions? Because I wouldn't if I was Taylor Decker. So I think if you weigh the priorities, apparently,

it must have been offensive enough for him to be like, you know what, screw it. I want to leave entirely. And now he's out there. The idea, though, of investing in a guy who's probably only going to play one more year, It's got to be with a team that really desperately just needs a veteran to fill that last spot on their offensive line. I put them in my top 100, though, because there's no tackles out there.

No, he's definitely in the top 100, but I'm thinking, like, does he end up in Chicago? Because, like, they have questions to answer on their offensive line. Oh, that actually does make a lot of sense because it's just a one-year option they really need with Zadillo coming off an injury. This is what Lions correspondent Kevin Patrick said about how Taylor Decker played last year. Serviceable. He missed more block. than we'd seen in the past few years. I think injuries really restricted him a lot.

Like, he looked like a guy who knew where to be and what was coming, but couldn't always get there. Average with the arrow pointed down. Not where you want to be in life, where I feel like I am. Average with the arrow pointed. You know that's a lie. Let's go Packer says Jamir Gibbs' stats are going to plummet as they pass more and become one-dimensional.

Let's give them the next couple weeks. because the Lions actually have very little flexibility financially, at least on paper. But Brad Holmes has done a great job overall. I just want to, I'll grade them at the end. I think I don't want to be premature. Yeah, I don't want to be a doomsday guy either, but I think there is some validity in the comment about Jamir Gibbs.

I actually talked to him at the Pro Bowl in San Francisco and basically was going to ask him about the new offense and heard him just quickly reject the premise of it by being like, I haven't been there yet. I don't know what it's going to look like because I haven't been in the building yet. So then I was like, all right, well, can we be honest for a second? We know your offensive line struggled last year and how it hurt your numbers. And he basically acknowledged that.

He was like, yeah, I mean, they had injuries up front and it kind of hurt our entire offense and took away a lot of our running game, which was the basis of our offense. So this is going to be the number one priority for this team, not to mention the fact that they need to find an edge rusher to pair with Aidan Hutchinson. They could use some more defensive, you know, reinforcements. It's going to be a pivotal offseason for them. It really is. how quickly things can change, but this is the way the NFL is,

with attrition, with roster turnover, falling short of the mark one year, suddenly you lose a couple of key guys up front and the trenches get a little weaker. Things get a little unstable, so I hope that Brad Holmes comes through for the betterment of the Detroit Lions fan base. The trenches are looking rough, but they have a lot of great players still on that team, including Panaisal, by the way, and Aiden Hutchinson. So I'm not pushing the panic button yet. Here's what I'm going to do, though, is test Nick Shook.

and our producer Eric Roberts with a little breaking news. As we're taping this, the Rams have signed Trent McDuffie to a four-year $124 million contract extension. Look, we already hit the trade at length on the show. This is part two of the trade, getting him locked in long term. $100 million guaranteed reportedly for Trent McDuffie. Now, you know, it says highest pay. cornerback in NFL history, says $100 million guaranteed.

I hate to say it when it comes to these insiders. I can't trust it until I actually see the contract come up. But it's not shocking because to me he's a top 10 cornerback. And generally, if you're in the top 10 at your position, you kind of become the highest paid player when you're up. So it sounds crazy. But what that tells me probably is it's guaranteed money into year through three years. So of course Trent McDuffie is going to be on this team.

for three, four years. He's 25 years old. I don't think he's as high level as the very, very best cornerbacks, but he's not far off and he's a guy you can build around. What I like is his versatility. He proved that in Kansas City. He essentially started in the slot. He had a great performance in 2024 when they got to the Super Bowl and beat the 49ers in Vegas. And he played a pivotal role in that game itself, breaking up a few key passes. Again, largely manning the slot throughout that playoff run. Then the next year proves that he can be inside and outside and make a difference. PFS grades have him super high over the last three years. I think the second best corner in the NFL since 2023 and coverage grade.

Wow. I agree that he's not necessarily like the high level elite brand name guy that you think of as position, but the Rams needed this. We knew the only real weakness with the Rams, especially entering the postseason, was their secondary, which is why we were so shocked that the secondary made big plays and that went over the Bears. Some of that had to do with DJ Moore not finishing his route and flattening it out, but still, they made the plays when they needed to. they go after it. This mirrors what they did. Not against the Seahawks. They didn't. You're right. And this is what, that's the game that tells them, this is what we need to focus on

the offseason is our secondary. So this mirrors what they did when they went after Jalen Ramsey, when they were going all in back then. He was around the same age. He was considered the same level of cornerback. They said, screw it, we're going all in. So it's less need. Understanding the time is now again. Let's go get one of the best cornerbacks available in a trade and pay him. 124 over four. Now the highest pass the sauce guard are at 120.4. But the hundred million guaranteed, you're right. I need to see the details because the top guaranteed numbers right now, according to over the cap, are like around 48 million for Derek Stingley. That would be massive. I don't know, there's no way that that's a really true, 100 million guaranteed.

Well, who knows? And yeah, even the per year at 30 per, you know, tops the highest before. And at his age, he is more likely than most to get every dollar in that contract. But the cap's going up. You can always massage it. And yes, the Rams are trying to win the Super Bowl. And I like what Jordan Rodrigue said on our show a couple days ago. Like, look, it's not a position they've drafted well. So if that's a position you need to overpay a little bit in a trade slash contract, yeah, F them picks and give the money to McDuffie. By the way, yeah, I put Eric on the spot. He had that graphic up in 4.21 seconds.

That was faster than the fastest 40 at the combine, getting the Trent McDuffie graphic up, despite not knowing that it was coming. Now I'm really throwing another curveball here because we're going to hit point number 14 on the rundown since it was the Rams anyways quickly. In the secondary, Cam Curl got a big contract, $39 million over three years from the Rams. They also brought back Tyler Higby for $8 million over two years.

I don't think we need to go on much about that, but Cam Curl was a guy that was in my top 60 overall free agents, one of the top safeties available. And a lot of people thought, Oh, when they bring Quentin Lake back, say goodbye to Cam Curl. But no, they're going to spend money on the players that were good in their secondary. And that is a really diverse, I think, trustworthy trio. And it really speaks to how NFL defenses are run now,

where they can play all sorts of different styles between Curl, McDuffie, and now Quentin Lake. And, yeah, they're still going to be looking at cornerbacks, but they're going to feel really good. I'm Luke Wilson. Join me each week for Film Never Lies. Since retiring from the NFL, I've had a lot of my mind, and now I've got my own show. So if you're tired of lazy takes, if you want honest conversations, join us each week.

Film Never Lies, available on all TSN platforms in the IHeart Radio app. I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I'm Greg Rosenthal. And this is 40s and free agents. The games may be over, but the NFL never stopped. This is my favorite part of the calendar. Yeah, mine too, Greg. Free agency, the Combine, the NFL Draft, Pro Days, trades.

this is where teams reshape their future. This is where Daniel Jeremiah makes his money. On 40s and free agents, we break down every move that actually matters. From my draft evaluations, mock drafts, and team fits. To my top 101 free agents and how real rosters are built, cap space, contracts, and all the tough decisions included. You got quarterbacks on the move. We got teams rebuilding. It's hope season.

Yeah, absolutely. It's hope season. We'll tell you what's real, what's noise, and what it means for your favorite. team. Smart analysis, real conversations every week. I don't know about the smart, but definitely analysis. Listen to 40s and free agents on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Let's go back and let's talk about all the centers. So I'm just going to rip off all these center moves that happen over the weekend as one point. Connum McGovern got $52 million, $32 million guaranteed from the Buffalo Bills. That's a four-year contract. That came just a few

days after he told Tim Graham of the athletic, he assumed he's leaving Buffalo because no one had even contacted him. And Tim Graham believes literally that conversation helped kickstart negotiations, which is bizarre, but they got a deal done. McGovern gets big time money, maybe because they were looking at the rest of the market. Tyler Biotis gets three years, $30 million with the Chargers. If you remember, Biotis just got cut by the commanders. He finds a new home very quickly with the chargers. They had three interior line spots open. Now they fill one.

The Packers have signed Sean Ryan for $33 million for three years. $11 million guaranteed. He's expected to play center, which means Elton Jenkins might get cut. We don't know about that. Maybe they could move Jenkins out to a different position. He's still on the team. Garrett Bradbury got traded from the Patriots to the Bears

for a 2027 fifth round pick. So the Bears filled their center. hole that was, uh, phrasing, uh, you know, opened up by, by the fact that Drew Dalman retired the other day. So it's just a game of musical chairs at center. The Patriots send off Garrett Bradbury. Jared Wilson, who they drafted a year ago from Georgia, is expected to take that position. And also another spot opened up. Ryan Kelly, uh, retired from the Vikings. He had been having a concussion issue. So that was a lot, Nick, but I just kind of want to just put it all out there and let me know what you think, if anything, stands out to you there in general,

about the center market. I thought Biotis's landing on the free agent market was mildly surprising, and it felt like he wasn't going to be out there for very long. Good that he kind of got the early head start in a center market that has suddenly become fast and furious usually isn't this active, but is this off season. So good to see him lay with the Chargers, the team that obviously understands the importance of offensive line strength, given that they haven't been able to produce it over the last few years. And luckily, their quarterback still has all of his limbs.

as for the Patriots trade with the Bears. Very funny how this construction of this Patriots team has already evolved from year one to year two, where they went and got some of the vets that they thought could plug holes. And then now that they finished that first season, they're like, all right, you're out, Stefan Diggs, Bradbury, you're traded. Wilson's going to move over to center. The succession plan completely in place and active. And the Bears get an answer after a surprise retirement from Drew Dalman.

I know that Bears fans, I am very close with a few. of them. They have been panicking all week since he announced his retirement. And so it's nice to get that done before the start of free agency as well. And Bradbury, a guy with obviously with a ton of experience and did a good job as the veteran leader of the pivot of the Patriots

this year, an offensive line that was very diverse being so young on the left, so experienced on the right. Didn't play the best in the Super Bowl, but I think Bradbury overall deserves this next opportunity. We'll see how he does in Chicago. I don't know. Bears fans watch a lot of those Vikings games in division when Bradbury was

struggling. It's a little bit of a buyer beware with Biotish at that salary that the commanders were willing to get off of them. And also, a little buyer beware for the Bears that the Patriots were willing to get off him. It's not like his contract was that much, but they only gave up a fifth round pick. To me, they might bring in competition for Garrett Bradbury. They might draft someone. They might add another free agent. But yeah, it should make Bears fans feel a little bit better that they have an option that knows how to play. But yeah, there was a lot of, like, protection issues with the commanders in terms of communication.

Was that on Biotis? I don't really know. McGovern getting that big of a deal, yeah, kind of eliminated him from, you know, possibly going elsewhere. But, man, the bills who were going to get to in a second, they had to make a lot of cuts, and they still don't have any cap space right now.

And they just paid all that money to McGovern. I'm kind of wondering, like, what else is going to happen here? We know they're not going to be in on Tyler Lindbergh. That's it. I think this is a spot while we're talking senators to talk Linderbom. Ian reported that the Ravens are trying to keep Linderbom, but the commanders, who, you know, just cut Biotto, and the Raiders were the two teams that he mentioned could be willing to pay big time money for Tyler Linderbom. Now, another outlet, I believe it was ESPN, had the Titans and the Giants in on Linderbom earlier in the weekend. And so Linderbaum is going to get huge money.

Legal tampering starts at noon Eastern on Monday. And I think he could be one of the first people sign. And I have no idea where he's going. But it is very interesting to me to see the teams that are out there. And if the Raiders just wanted to give Tyler Lindbram like $27, $28 million a year tackle type money, they could do it. Like Mark Davis would do it. They could just get, they could just make the money.

Absolutely crazy. It would make the PA happy, too, because it would launch the center market into the stratosphere. But it's funny because three of those four teams that were mentioned as being in on him, outside of the Ravens, of course, are three of the four teams of the most cap space at this point as we enter the new league year. Raiders at $121 million, Titans at $92 million, commanders at $87 million. So they will have the money to throw if they really want him.

And a bidding war, I believe, will ensue. And it's going to be one of the fun storylines to track as the new league year opens up. Yeah, I'm really, I'm really looking forward to seeing who goes crazy, but I think these teams that you keep seeing mention, we just said a few of them, Raiders, commanders, Titans, I think giants are going to be very active, Patriots, those are some of the teams that I expect to go crazy. One thing I also thought about with McDuffie, it's probably an extension. So the average per year looks a little misleading because you're not.

not counting the year that was already on the contract. And they fudge around with these money. We see you agents and insiders at times. All right, let's talk about a few dudes staying put. T.J. Hawkinson took a $5 million pay cut to stay with the Vikings. And James Connor is back with the Cardinals on a revised contract. Usually that means a pay cut for him as well. Hawkinson will now become a free agent after the 2026 season.

Any thoughts on Connor or Hawkinson staying with their teams? Hawkinson making the necessary sacrifice that the Vikings front office probably begged him to do to stay there. And he probably wanted to stay there. I think that it's been a good home for him since he was traded there, despite their instability at quarterback over the last year or so. And it makes a lot of sense. However, Connor is an essential piece to whatever the Cardinals are going to be

under Mike LaFleur because this is all he was. Like, he was their offense in Arizona. Like once they got hurt, he got hurt last year. their offense took a nose dive and then Kyler gets hurt. He ends up getting soft bench for Jacoby. Over the last three years, the story with the Cardinals was, did James Connor have a good game? Did he run for close to 100 yards?

Then they may have won. Did he have a bad game? They definitely lost. So keeping him there makes sense. And coming off of the injury, that also explains why the contract is revised. But they have money to spend. So interesting, I think, negotiation there between the two

and that like running back coming off of an injury, kind of at that point in his career age-wise where you can't justify paying him the same amount. He does it out of, you know, a move of good faith. They do it because they know he's so important, but they also preserve the ability to add elsewhere because they know they have a lot of holes that they need to fill.

So good on them. We got a question asking to say something nice about the Cardinals. They need hope. Look, Malik Willis could be your quarterback in less than 24 hours. That would give me personally a lot of hope. It would also give me a point

in our free agency matchmaker game that I'm hoping to win. I think Malik Willis might happen. And just kind of as a, something to remember if you're watching like a pay cut or a revised contract at this time of year. The team ultimately is saying we will cut you. It's up to you. They're negotiating that. Exactly. It helps the agent and the player, T.J. Hawkinson, look like they got to win that, well, the contract's shortened now. I'll become a free agent after next year. Well,

you would have been a free agent in a day if you didn't accept the pay cut. But ultimately, Hawkinson decided the money I'm going to get there, which is still, I think, probably going to be pretty good. Like $12 million is probably better than I could do on the open market and I'm comfortable here. And that ultimately the team was ready to move on. The Eagles are not ready to move on from Jordan Davis. He gets $65 million guaranteed on a three-year $78 million extension. It's a four-year total deal. and I find that really interesting in the context of the ESPN report that some teams have called about Jalen Carter.

I threw that out there in the middle of February. I was like, I wonder if the Eagles would ever think about trading Jalen Carter. So if you're looking for like a stunner of a deal in the next week, that would be one potential one. The Eagles also reportedly are talking about possibly trading for Jonathan Grenard and are doing their best to keep Jalen Phillips. So I think they're going to spend at edge. We just kind of have to find out if it's Phillips or Grenard. It's a lot there that I just served up for you. But a very cool development arc for Jordan Davis improving in his career.

Yeah, and it lands him, I think, in the top two in APY at his position. Wow. He'll make more than Milton Williams. Actually, I think that's the same as Milton Williams. What, 26 a year? Was that 52 mental math? 78. Yeah, that's the equal to what Milton Williams got paid by the Patriots last year.

I know the Eagles between the two would rather pay Jordan Davis than Milton Williams, so it makes sense. He has improved after he dropped that weight last offseason, he became a more agile player. He was always very explosive and kind of a freak of nature athletically, but he became a more effective and more agile player. Instead of just being a gap plugger, he could also make a bigger difference as a rusher and as somebody you could move from gap to gap, which was big for him in his development. And that's why he earned that touchdown score with that return against the Rams. That boy was moving. Look how slim he looks. Look how svelty looks because he lost all that weight. He felt lighter on his feet.

Now his pockets are going to feel heavier in a good way. Grenard makes a ton of sense. They got to keep Jalen Phillips. That trade for him, they bought low at the deadline, and he was so effective for them. He reinstated some presence of an edge rusher that they lacked since Hassan Reddick's final days there because we know what they try to do with Bryce Huff didn't work out.

I think they have to find a way to retain him because he's still relatively young, even though he has had a lot of injuries. And Grinard, one of my favorite players over the last like four years. He was really effective for a just complete afterthought of a Texans team. And then he goes to Minnesota. They swap basically Grenard for Hunter. Both play really well.

Grinard would make a ton of sense for the Eagles. It would be a textbook, Howie Roseman, move. Yeah, and that's why this Jalen Carter thing, I just think the Eagles are going to be incredibly active. Right now, Mike Garifolo reports that any A.J. Brown talks have stalled. There was another report that the Patriots are not willing to give up a first round pick. The Eagles don't look. like they have cap space, but they always find a way to make it done.

But still, you can only pay so many defensive linemen, so much money. And if we're hearing that teams have called about Jalen Carter, they could get a haul while also possibly, you know, getting a free agent edge along with Dave. Just something to watch over the next few days. No point in speculating too much because we're going to find out most of what's going to happen. This offseason is going to happen in the next 72 hours or so. You mentioned DeNeil Hunter.

he got a one-year extension by the Texans. Dalton Schultz also got a one-year extension from the Texans. I mentioned Hunter, especially because it was like for $40 million. It was a crazy extension. But the bigger picture here is, you know, it just signs him through 2027, same thing with Schultz. But the Texans, every other move I see this week, shook, is the Texans opening up cap space. And actually, that's what this one-year deal does for Hunter. It lowers his 26 number.

gives him more guaranteed money, pushes it out to 27. So just keep it. They also re-signed E.J. Speed, who's kind of a depth linebacker for them. Just keep it an eye on. Like, what are the Texans doing? I feel like they're doing something.

They're up to something. Yeah, well, I mean, they reached the divisional round again and lost again, and they understand how close they are. If they could get consistent quarterback play, they'd probably be another step ahead or an offensive line that was not as bad as two years ago, by the way, folks. Everyone talking about how they've just been terrible.

sack numbers wise they cut it in half from 2024 to 2025 they are slowly getting better marginally speaking but yeah i mean cassaria wheelin and dealing that number by the way for 2027 for deneal hunter 45 million dollars 30.2 and guaranteed salary i don't think he'll be in houston in 2027 wait you said it's guaranteed though in 27 is that right guaranteed in 27 but i bet you that's a new league year deadline to become guaranteed. Okay. I don't know, man. He is one of those players.

Talk about all-time bag getters. He is that dude. And to get that much guaranteed salary in 27, he probably is making that money, which is a crazy bet on one of, as John Gruden pointed out once on Monday Night Football, awkwardly, the best bodies in the NFL. He said, if he could have one body,

I always remember this. That's how long. Hunter's been in the league that John Gruden was announcing Monday night football, he would want to have DeNeal Hunter's body. And yeah, like one of the best paid players of his generation, too, DeNeal Hunter, keeping it going. I think Willie Anderson will get a long-term contract this offseason too. I mentioned the bills making some cuts earlier. This happened back on Friday, but I did want to note Taylor Rap, Curtis Samuel, and then Theran Johnson out the slot corner. Just an indication that it's got to be different. I was surprised to see Teran Johnson, who I think will

have a market as a slot cornerback. But just like, okay, if there ever was a Sean McDermott guy, Ron Johnson is that guy. And we're getting rid of some of the Sean McDermott guys. Yeah, and they're currently looking at a cap deficit that they have to get out of. So you're going to see some of these moves. You're going to see restructures because this is another team that, you know, got to the divisional round, had Super Bowl ambitions. This was supposed to be the year. No Chiefs, no Ravens in the playoffs. And now with a new head coach, but the same pressure to deliver, you've got to find a way to retool this roster. And I think about some of these guys on the defensive side, like a Taylor rap.

I don't think that people were very fond of him in Buffalo the way that he performed. Not that he had a terrible season, but I just don't think that they were super fond of him and his presence in that secondary. So sometimes this is what you have to do to get better. I know, but it was Terran Johnson, Bill's fans, if you're watching, hit us up. You know, I thought he was still solid. I know he's had some injuries. You know, he is 30.

Maybe he just doesn't fit the scheme. and it does show that the cap is real. By the way, one of the dumbest comments I've ever seen in my life right now said the Eagles only have one real championship. I don't even know what that means. They beat the goat, Tom Brady, in one of the best games he's ever had,

500 yards or something preposterous. And then they beat the crap out of one of the other goats. Patrick Mahomes, how was those not as real as a guest? Yeah, I don't understand that. The Salty Cowboys fan was incredibly dominant. and lopsided. Those are two very real rings. Almost three.

They say don't read the comments. They say don't read the comments. Another guy that snuck into my top 50 once we got some of these signings and tags was Justin Stranad. And I knew influenced by Ali Connolly. I was a little higher on him than probably consensus. An edge linebacker who can rush the passer, you know, an inside linebacker, but who can rush the quarterback.

And the Broncos agreed that he's an important piece for them. is staying off the market, $13 million over three years, $10 million guaranteed you would assume in the next two years. So a good bit of business for him, kind of a journeyman type who gets the most money of his career. And I did the math, shook from my original top 50, eight are off the board. That's it so far. So that's from resignings and tags.

So for the most part, I think we're going to have a lot of like the big name players changing teams in the next 48 hours. Yeah, you're right. That means we're going to get an active Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, this week for sure. I also think about one of my most loyal Twitch viewers is a Broncos fan, and he jumped in there on Friday and was like, we got to keep Sternard, we got to keep Singleton. Like, these are guys that just define the Broncos defense. So to see him get paid was nice. Yeah, he really earned it.

Makes you wonder, Alex Singleton is a free agent there. And so I, you don't know if he's going to come back. I did not crack my 101, but a solid player who's played a lot for them. Another trade or another move over the weekend. Zaire Franklin is going to the Packers. He's a linebacker who's been with the Colts for a while. He's going to Green Bay for defensive tackle Colby Wooden. Kind of a sign Quay Walker is on his way out, I think, in Green Bay.

Zaire Franklin actually has a decent contract that they are taking as part of this deal. Colby Wooden more of a younger, you know, defensive tackle prospect for the Colts. What did you think about that move for Green Bay? I thought it was interesting that they're resupplying their linebacking court because I feel maybe I'm in the minority here, but I've liked Quay Walker a decent amount, but he's also made some boneheaded plays in his career. Athletic guy that could definitely fill a lot of the job that they need filled at that position.

But you think about Edge Cooper being lined up alongside him and the other studs that they have. that kind of makes more sense. And the Colts meanwhile kind of beef up up front. It's one of those interesting like one-to-one trades where it's like, hey, we have a need here. We have a need here. We don't really care to keep this guy that much if we can fill this need.

All right, same here with this guy. Let's get it done. Right. And he's only making only $6 million, which I was like, do you need to pay that much for him? Like, is he a scheme fit? And then I thought, oh yeah, Jonathan Gannon is the defensive coordinator of the Packers.

Remember him? Jonathan Gannon has a great history of taking linebackers and just getting the most out of him. If I would say he has a specialty, that's one of them. So if he has a vision for Zaire Franklin, I do too. He helped many linebackers over the years. So let's make it happen. I mentioned the Rams earlier. We're talking Packers while we're here.

You see this Rashan Gary stuff? like what happened over the weekend? He was hacked? I mean, he says he was hacked. He put this statement out on Instagram that his time in Green Bay is coming to an end and blah, blah, blah, and then just like a little while later,

he deleted it, and then he said he was hacked. What do you think happened there? Okay, so I didn't see the initial post. And I would have judged a lot of my analysis on this on how well the graphic was done. Because it's either a prepped statement or it's something that's made out of emotion. There's usually a paragraph long caption that says goodbye to the city that they were in and they're preparing for something new.

Multiple Browns did it this offseason. And I didn't see it so I can't tell you. It looks pretty professional. When I got the call in 2019, it was one of the greatest moments of my life and always- That's not getting hacked. I'm sorry, that's not getting hacked. This one has come to an end. The agent called him and was like, take that down now.

Right. my read on it is they're trying negotiate a different contract. Maybe it's a pay cut. Maybe it's some sort of restructure. And at some point, he either was getting emotional or he thought it was over. But the negotiation is not over until it's over. And my guess is that him and his agent are still working on like a possible deal. Super producer Eric Roberts has sent the screenshot to us via text. And yeah, he did not get hacked at all. This is super real. This is absolutely real. Your theory is very correct. We can't be still using hacked in 2026 because who's getting hacked? Although I will say, I don't know if you've gotten DMs from people in the business who were like,

hey, I'm up for an award with these podcast awards. Click here to vote. That's getting hacked. Okay. By the way, we have a comment. I asked the Bill's fans out there, anyone, for some Taran Johnson perspective. And from a super listener, Brad Beetzin here, Taran Johnson, his tackling grades were down the past two seasons with a mistackle rate at 17% plus per PFF. I think it was really just about the cap hit and moving away from the 425 defense. Great perspective there.

Few more mistackles, changing defense, big cap number, this new coach, it is how these things happen. So keep an eye on Rashon Gary, by the way. He would be an interesting guy to add to the edge group. Some official releases that we were keeping an eye on and expecting Joe Mixen is officially cut. Don't know if his career is going to continue. Marshawn Latimore was officially cut. It's crazy, but with his injuries, I'm not totally sure his career is going to continue.

Tremaine Edmonds, a linebacker for the bills. His career will absolutely continue. He will have a market, but they did not find a trade for him at a big salary number. And so he is now hitting free agency. We have kicker news, shook. Chad Rylins staying with the. Cardinals. The Colts re-signed Blake Groupie and then one of the wildest bits of news of the entire

offseason. Eddie Pinheiro got $10 million guaranteed. I need to see the fine print if that's true. $10 million guaranteed from San Francisco, four for 17 total. The 49ers have been trying to solve this kicker situation for so long. I almost feel like they spent so much money shook just to convince themselves that if we spend a lot of money, then Eddie Pinniero is going to stay as awesome as he was for the season that he just had for us. Look, they started last year with Jake Moody. It didn't work out. They ended up

with Eddie Pinnero and it worked out remarkably well. He was what? He was what 28 of 29. He barely missed the kick, but it was one year and Eddie Pinnero's had a long career. And over the course of his career, he's hit 89.7% of his field goals. So yeah, he's not rock solid, but he was also the guy that began his career in the windy city of Chicago, spent a few years and Carolina. Look, you spent a draft pick on Jake Moody and it never worked out. You gave him time to figure it out and it didn't work out. Then you got this veteran who came in. You're rewarding him and you're also trying to confirm your bias toward him by spending this much money and hoping it works out. And they're far from the first team to do this. The Browns did it with Dustin Hopkins like

two years ago and ended up with Andre Schmidt to start this year. So I think it happens more often than we realize. But hopefully it works out for them because he was good this year. Some other odds and ends before we get out of here and kind of start looking ahead to Monday. The Dolphins release their kicker, Jason Sanders, and their fullback Alec Ingold. So if you want a fullback, that's a good one on the market. Trailing Berks is back with the commanders for like a contract up to $400 million. My most niche take right now is that I'm still not totally giving up on Trailing Berks just being kind of like a fun number four based on his commander's tape. Man, he had some crazy catches. I know there was that one that was like the catch of the year,

I don't know. I kind of like that move for the commanders as like a fourth, fifth receiver to see if he can do something. The Cowboys put a second round tender on their kicker, Brandon Aubrey, haven't been able to work out a long-term deal. Darius Williams, the longtime Rams cornerback,

retired. The Panthers are expected to cut Andy Dalton if they cannot find a trade partner. That was David Newton from ESPN that reported that. The Cardinals released Dalvin Tomlinson. Tommy DeVito is back with the Patriots. Right now he's their third quarterback,

but maybe he'll become their backup. And then Drake Thomas, who had some nice moments there for the Seahawks at linebacker, is back in Seattle for two years, $8 million. Let's start spinning ahead a little bit, Shook. Kind of what's next? Is there anything you're looking at

as we head into Monday and really the meat of this free agency season? Well, honestly, now that we just covered it very quickly here, I want to know if a team would be willing to risk a second rounder, to go after Brandon Aubrey. Because I think they would. I think that that tender is actually pretty competitive.

Just given how much of a... Like a late second for Aubrey? Yeah, I would... If I was in need of a kicker desperately, I think that I would. That is really funny. Who just got a late two? The Bears did for Curtis Samuel. Do they need a kicker?

No, Cairo Santos is fine. I was like, I think that is pick 60. That was why I was sticking in my head. If nothing else just make the Cowboys spend a huge amount of money. But then it kind of ties you up for a week. That would be really funny. It does feel like Alec Pierce is maybe a candidate here to get the most guaranteed money of anyone in free agency. Now that he is this close.

The Patriots, the Raiders, the commanders, and the Titans are all reportedly in the mix for Pierce. Patriots fans are really getting excited about it. but, you know, Vegas, commanders, again, it's these same teams. I still, if I had to pick a team, I would go Colts, but as we get closer, I might go with the field over the Colts now. Even though I do kind of think in the end, the Colts will find a way to keep him. Yeah, so Pierce said this past week that he felt he earned the right to test free agency,

but he also acknowledged that quarterback has a big part in it, you know, plays a big role in making. making his decision. And yes, the transition tag is on Daniel Jones, but we don't know when exactly he'll be back or what form he'll be in. And if Pierce believes that he is going to, you know, have sustained success, it's going to have to be with the quarterback. So if you look at the other three candidates, Drake May is very enticing, very enticing. Probably gets more money offered to him by the Raiders or the commanders, but you have Fernando Mendoza expected to be the number one pick of the Raiders coming in there. And then the commanders have Jane Daniels, but can they

protect him? Can they keep him upright and prevent the others? He's just who off Where's the most money there, Shooky? Yes. But if all the money is the same, then where are you going? Because that actually becomes somewhat intriguing. I would probably rank the Raiders last on that list because of the unknown. I put Drake May and the Patriots first, although he'd get the battle for targets with Kishan Booty. Yeah, come on.

With that money, you're getting it. And a great deep ball thrower. That is a nice. They're running the streak and the dagger and Booter running, Booty running the dig. Oh, yeah, let's do it. I want it. I want it. There's a report to the commander's in on him, which would be interesting.

They also seem in on tight ends. Isaiah likely maybe as a possibility. One thing I've liked to see, Tom Pelliserro had his list of players who will get a surprisingly good contract and free agency. And they had our two highly ranked tight ends from my 101, KDaten and Charlie Kohler on his list. So I liked seeing that. I'm curious how quickly the edge market goes. Where does Hendrickson go? Where does Jalen Phillips go?

Cowboys, bucks, Eagles, I think all in the mix for the big edge. Edges, Adafioi, obviously, out there to Romeo Dobbs is maybe like kind of the backup for a lot of these teams. If you don't get Alec Pierce, even though he's a very different player, I just think a lot of the same teams could be going for him. I think the 49ers are laying in the weeds there, but no sense predicting too much because it's all going to be happening by the time, you know, people really start listening. I also wanted to say before we said goodbye, just rest in peace to Bob Harlan, the longtime Packers president and CEO died on Thursday at the age of 89. And we had Kevin Harlan on the show last summer, and he told a great story about how his dad,

Bob Harlan, helped to, you know, helped Mike Holmgren and Ron Wolf really execute the Brett Fav trade that, you know, even though he wasn't the one making the decision, he let the football people do it, even though everyone was giving them heat. That was a time in the Packers history where you had sort of this committee that was almost overseeing things and having to rubber stamp all these big moves. And Bob Harlan said, no, let Ron Wolfe make the football moves. He brings in Brett Farr. Similar thing happens with Aaron Rogers. And Bob Harlan ran the Packers for over 18 years and really turned it around. If you weren't around in the 90s, like there was a minute there were Packers weren't in great shape.

There was some question about whether they were going to be able to keep the team their long term. They end up doing that stock sale and go public. They renovate Lambeau Field. And now it's really a treasure. And oh, by the way, he won a Super Bowl. And they won another one after he was running the team. To obviously, you know, his son, Kevin Harlan, we're friends with his granddaughter, Olivia Harlan Decker, too.

And so our thoughts are with the family. Just wanted to mention that. before we got out of there. Man, Chuck, I hope you're ready. You're going to be writing a lot of posts in the coming days. And we're going to have you on NFL Daily later in the week. I'm excited. This is when we set the table for what lies ahead in April and then going into the season.

This is when it was hits a peak right here. I mean, by Friday, things will be calming down. And the shows are going to be great. And we'll have a new off-season winner. Yeah, most of the moves will. will happen really that matter this offseason by Friday. And we're going to be analyzing that all week long. So if you're listening to us now, come back with us.

We're going to be on YouTube all week long, Monday through Wednesday, I should say, at 7 p.m. East Coast time, 4 p.m. on the best coast. And we're also going to be on the NFL channel. So if you have the NFL channel, which is the free over-the-air NFL network, it'll be me. It'll be Steve Weish and Jordan from the studio. Let's hit that music. Let's get out of here, Eric. Really appreciate everyone joining us for this live YouTube on Sunday evening.

A little different. I'm really excited. And I'm also annoyed because the second we say goodbye, Shook, this is already going to be out of date. So we'll see you on Monday podcast all week long. Can't wait. See you there. I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I am Greg Rosenthal.

I know that, Greg. We're teaming up on 40s and free agents, the podcast that owns the NFL off season. This is where teams are built. Free agency, combine, pro days, trades. Every move matters. From my draft boards and mock drafts to my vaunted top 101 free agents and how rosters come together. Quarterback movement. Surprise signings.

We'll tell you what it means and who really wins. Open your free IHeart radio app. Search 40s and free agents and listen now. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human