NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Hopkins to Titans; Training Camp Storylines That Matter

Episode Date: July 17, 2023

In a virtual room filled with heroes - Dan Hanzus and Gregg Rosenthal get you ready for the start of training camps with a look at the most important story lines from around the league. Before a look at training camp, the heroes get caught up on the news from around the league including DeAndre Hopkins agreeing to a deal with the Titans (08:05), Evan Engram getting an extension from the Jaguars (15:05) and Joe Mixon taking a pay cut in Cincinnati (19:42). After the break, the guys look ahead to training camp and discuss why they're most intrigued by Anthony Richardson (33:00), the Rams (38:50), Odell Beckham Jr. (42:54), the quarterback battle in San Francisco (48:25) and more. Finally, Henry Hodgson returns to the show to recap the NFL Supplemental Draft (57:30). Note: Time codes approximate.NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. The Around the NFL podcast. The Alternative Rock of Football Podcasts. Welcome to another edition of Around the NFL. My name is Dan Hansis. I am coming to you from a virtual room filled with one hero. It's another two-hander with Greggy Rosethol. What's up, buddy?

I like being the alternative rock. football podcast. What do you think that means? How do you, how do you like describe that or break that down? Well, you know, it's like there's mainstream and we're like a little left of center maybe. We rock hard. We're old enough that we were around when alternative rock radio stations were invented. Like they did not exist when we were children and then they they popped up around 1993. Right. I kind of see us maybe as if we're going to extend this, the smashing pumpkins, I but maybe before like gish era or a siamese dream but before melancholy and the infinite sadness put us in that slot certainly before eva door i mean as long as you're billy corgan and i'm

uh james iha i'm fine with it uh who makes who's darcy then um speaking of music i is definitely mark mark is in parts unknown right today um speaking of music. I am at my parents' beach house in Jersey for one more week before we batten down the hatches back in L.A. Thus, it would be a fun exercise. My dad, Keith, has roughly 200 old LPs down in the basement that have survived through 50 years now. So I'm going to share you just five that I pulled at random. This one, Connor Orr would like this one. This is the best of the Grateful Dead. How about that? Don't you miss LPs? Well, we kind of missed them entirely, Greg, but the cover art and everything is very nice to have that. The artwork there. I can just

imagine you, Dad, you know, rolling joints on top of that. To use the part? I really can't. I'm joking. I kind of can't imagine that. Well, you were on the right track. To use the parlance of the time, blown a bone while listening to the Grateful Dead. Then the 80s came along. And look, here we go. here's Huey Lewis Sports, which is seminal in 80s pop rock. Somehow, George Carlin, check out the YouTube show to see these covers. George Carlin Toledo Window Box, a stand-up special of some kind. I don't know if this is Pete Carlin or not, Gregie, but seems to be close. Of course, here we go.

Everyone had it in the 70s Fleetwood Mac Rumors. does he have a working record player that you can play these on yes and my goodness look at stevie knicks on the back of that greggie marro now beautiful woman and finally and i i'm going to ask keith about this one because i think some of my mom stuff sneaks in but here's the self-titled album by share 1971 all right i think um i think uh young men were were share fans my dad my dad had all those records maybe not the share one um but there was definitely some Linda Ronstadt, some share, and I think that was that was appropriate for the young men of the time. Yeah, Ronstad had that Laurel Canyon cred back in the 70s. It is, so there you

go. Nice little detour there. And maybe I'll share a couple more on Thursday show. Today is Monday, July 17th. Gregi, for those who are hazy on the details, training camp, when is it kicking off, bud okay i'm glad you asked i found this out today i didn't know the jets are the first team to show up they're doing that thing that i said teams should want to get in the hall of fame game because then they get to show up for practice a week really and then they get all the coverage for a week so the jets are showing up wednesday the brown's taking their time also in that game showing up two or three days later and then the rest of the team start showing up a week from when we're recording this which is Monday, so they start showing up next week.

So this is also our last week where we're in parts unknown. We'll be all back together for the rest of time, essentially, till a Super Bowl champion is crowned. That is interesting that the Browns have opted to take those few extra days off. Just on the track as we spin forward into the new season. And yes, with training camp on the horizon for all of the 32 teams, we're going to a little bit of a pre-training camp primer, you know, storylines to watch out for, storylines Greggy that matter as teams report for another season of NFL football, the 11th season of the Around the NFL podcast. Can you believe it?

If we were like an NFL player, who would we be? I think Brandon Cooks might be entering his 11th year, 10th year. I don't know. At some point, we're going to, if we're lucky enough, we're going to outlast every NFL player. I'll tell you why Clix doesn't work because you got to pick somebody that's spent their entire career with one team. Let's think. Not the Andre Hopkins. Yes.

DeAndre Hopkins, a great wide receiver joining a new team. Let's get before we get to the free agency primary. Let's get to the news. 14 seconds to go. 31 31. Matt dodged the punt. Get the high snap. Gets it away.

It's a knuckle. Jackson takes it at the 35. He picks it up, looks for running room. He's at the 40. He's at the 45. Midfield. He's in 30. He's going to go to Sean Jackson.

I don't care if he jumps, dimes. He's running around, and he is in the end zone, and there's no time. And the Eagles win. The Eagles win. This is Maricoy in the Middle East number two. Yeah, one of the craziest games of the last 20. years. The Eagles Giants 2010. That's the Michael Vic year down 3110 midway through the fourth quarter. Crazy comeback to get it to even. And then Matt Dodge, poor Matt Dodge, the rookie

Giants punter kicks a line drive middle of the field to the most dangerous man in the world, Deshaun Jackson, who takes it to the house for one of the great comeback wins in modern NFL history. I'll never forget, Gregie, Tom Coughlin being so angry at his punter that that's the only thing on his mind immediately after the play. He ran confronted Dodge and said, what the hell were you doing? He was supposed to kick it out of bounds. You don't kick it to D. Jacks, who, you know, the reason I had Eric Roberts pull that Greggie is because it appeared this morning that Deshawn Jackson was ready to end his career. He posted on Instagram a photo of breaking a tackle as a Raven. He's bounced around a lot in recent years

with the accompanying text did it my way 15 years strong never another one like it and then when it started to float out there that he was retiring he sent a follow-up message y'all will know when the boy boy capitalized and it spelled b o i retire and um i like that gregg actually

first of all the fact that deshaun maybe does have another year in him but a smart veteran move letting the people out there by getting himself in the news cycle letting them know that hey, I'm here and I want to play. And that was, I thought, a deft use of social media. I mean, I don't know if it was totally intentional the first time around. But yeah, Rams legend Deshaun Jackson. I mean, yeah, the last few years, he still looks faster than everyone else.

He is one of the rare NFL players that always looks faster than anyone else and has an age that way. But he never stays on the field. Yeah. So we'll see if D.Jax shows up again. Somebody who definitely will be on the field is D'Andre Hopkins, uh, whose long odyssey in free agent, free agency came to an end. when he agreed to a deal with the Tennessee Titans. So he returns to the AFC South, of course, started his career and became a superstar with the Texans,

spent the last few years with the Cardinals. Rap sheet reported on Sunday that the three-time All-Pro wideout has agreed to a two-year $26 million contract, base value of $12 million for year one with a chance to get it up to $15 million, and the deal could be worth up to $32 million if he nails every incentive, you know, that rarely, if ever, happens. But he ends up Greg getting da bag, DeAndre Hopkins, or something close to it. Maybe he didn't get the O'Dell money he was looking for, but that's pretty good money for a veteran wide receiver has been sitting on the market for a month or two.

However, you know, it's the Titans and there's going to be questions about whether he ended up making the right decision for his career beyond his bank account. Yeah, I saw some Patriots fans, like, unhappy that they didn't get him. It sounds like it probably came down. the Patriots or the Titans that there was a clue that Mike Reese said the Patriots were maybe around 10 million a year, whereas the Titans were, I guess, $13 million a year. So he's going to take the money in Patriots. Oh, it's like, oh, you're taking the money over a better chance to win. It's like, I don't know. I think the Titans signed DeAndre Hopkins because they

think they're going to win. Not that I think they're going to go win a Super Bowl this year or anything like that. But I think it's a sign, Dan, that Mike Ravel is in with this whole rebuilding an idea. He's still got Ryan Tannhill. He's got a defense that has a lot of veterans, most of the same group that was the one seed two years ago. And he's trying to go scrape out 10 wins and win like an ugly division again. And DeAndre Hopkins is going to help him do that in his mind. Yeah, exactly. And I think we all waited for the Titans to dismantle their roster this offseason because it just felt like that this current iteration of the organization or roster had reached it's sealing and was coming down a bit

after the AJ Brown trade last off season, then a very disappointing year and Derek Henry's another year older, as is Ryan Tannihill, Teller Luan retires, it just felt like the end of an error. Instead, Mike Frable says, I think we could squeeze another year out of this. So Tannahill's back, Derek Henry's back, and now they go and find, hypothetically, the replacement for A.J. Brown, Trayvon Burks, who was the first round pick last year who was supposed to step in and fill that void for Brown a year ago now gets bumped down, but you have a compelling one-two punch there.

And, you know, I thought it was interesting that I'll look at ESPN, for example, headline Hopkins Defends Choice of New Team and then on Twitter, which is never, you know, how you want your big signing to be spun in the national media. he wrote, I always loved having haters and doubters, but I appreciate it even more now. Titan up. So if you're a Titans fan, Greg, you're pumped up because you feel like the team has a chance in a division. That's frankly, even with the Jaguars rise, I think, wide open. Yeah, I've thought people have been digging dirt on the Titans too early even before this move. Like, yes, it was the worst or close to the worst wide receiver group in the league before the Hopkins move. But now you got Burks, who I wasn't big on.

coming out of college, but I actually thought showed some things in the time that he was healthy as a rookie. Him and Hopkins are a reasonable one, too. You have Oconquo at Tide End, who we love. You have Derek Henry. We'll see. But mostly you have a loaded defense. The question is, like, is Hopkins truly like an ex-receiver still where he can get open and win enough contested catches? I don't know.

I think Trailing Burks might be the guy that they might use that's moving around a lot more. and they hope Hopkins is on the other side of the formation and just winning those jump balls, almost like OBJ was when he was with the Rams. I don't think he's that guy anymore. He's not getting paid like that guy. $12 or $13 million is like number three receiver money in today's NFL, and it's the best that Hopkins could do.

But it kind of shows where he's at. He said he'll retire if he doesn't gain 1,000 yards. Like he's going to retire the day that he doesn't gain 1,000 yards. So that's a lot on his plate. this year a lot of pressure like i think uh it's it's something like 52 yards a game if you play every week will get you to a thousand now right and he pointed out his pace like technically he wasn't a thousand yard receiver last year or the last couple years uh and tech you know his pace was way over a thousand so he was saying that i don't know um like this titans team has a chance

i don't think they're going to be that bad i did they always find a way even last year like i think it's easy to forget what was their record at one point there were seven seven and three, and then they lost seven straight. I mean, if I'm Gravedigger, our former producer, I'm excited today because it does feel like if you looked at where the team was, let's say at the start of free agency, when there was so much uncertainty, it felt like this team might be going into a total rebuild. And now you could, yeah, talk yourself into them playing relevant January football. I think I definitely think they can.

And I've been vocal about this, Greg. I think it's a bad job by the Patriots, who seem to be organizationally. and maybe I'll come up a little later, but kind of caught in the middle of what they're trying to do. And Jeremy Fowler, VSPN reported that they did stay in contact, as you mentioned it earlier, but they weren't even, quote, in the same ballpark as the Titans in terms of a negotiation and money. So I thought he would have been a perfect fit for them, not necessarily like what you're talking about, like, oh, nooks in a much better spot now, but for the Patriots, I feel like that would have been a nice cherry on top, where you had a lot of good vibes going into the season with a restart on offense.

it's now still a lot of question marks there. And I understand it, I'm sure, Greg, if you go on like a Patriot subreddit, there's a lot of upset fans that thought they should have finished that. Yes, my Twitter, what I've seen on it, it seems like people are unhappy. I got to think, though, they were a little ambivalent about them, though. I mean, why wouldn't they extend three or four million dollars more? They were really trying to bring him in at a total bargain basement price, unless Robert Kraft is cutting them checks, which Bill Belichick kind of hit into that

in terms of their cap spending a few weeks ago. But I really don't think that's it. I don't think they want them that much. And I can't really keep my thoughts straight because it's 3 a.m. right now in Tokyo. And I feel like I'm podcasting while underwater. Oh, my goodness. That's right.

You are back in L.A. You had the long flight. Talking like this is making me realize I'm more out of it than I realized. You do. I mean, and I mean this and then I say, you look a little nuts right now now that I kind of give you now that you said that

and I'm kind of looking at you in a different way. I need a haircut. We're going to get through this, bud. Hey, I love Evan Ingram, by the way. I'm an Ingram guy. I thought when Trevor Lawrence got a real chance last year and made that big leap in year two with the Jaguars, that Ingram really reached his, came into his own.

And I think it could be just the start for that pairing, as long as Ingram could stay healthy, which obviously struggled with. giants. But anyway, the Jaguars aren't the same thinking as the old Zeuser because Ingram and the Jags agreed on terms of a new three year 41.25 million dollar contract ahead of Monday's deadline that's today for franchise tag players to work out an extension. The contract includes 24 million fully guaranteed. So he was going to be on the tag. They decide 28 years old. It is time. And he was a pro bowler. I kind of

forgot about that. He had a Pro Bowl season in the pandemic year with the Giants. So he had flashed with them, but he was a very kind of maddening player with drops and inconsistency. But the Jags think he's a long-term piece. And I agree. I think this was a smart move. Yeah, I love seeing a player like this who was disappointing, but showed talent kind of find the right home. Doug Peterson knows how to use them. I'm impressed they were so willing to commit that it's essentially the franchise tag for two years. of what this year's tag would be, and then if they had kept him,

next year's tag would have been. So that's a franchise tag, I think actually working out for the player because now he gets two years. They sort of have an option of a third if he's playing really well at what will be a relatively team-friendly price. And the Jags are a good example of,

like, you don't need to have some crazy number one receiver. I think they hope Calvin Ridley becomes a dude for them. But the big trend in today's NFL is like, you just need three or four or five actual receivers. And Ingram's absolutely going to be one of those guys for a couple of years. In other contract news, unless we should we hit on the quickly on the franchise tag deadline? We don't need to dwell on it because it's still got a couple hours from now is when it goes

official and hopefully we don't get burned on this podcast. But Tony Pollard with the Cowboys, Josh Jacobs with the Raiders, Saquan Barkley with the Giants. pay attention they're all running backs all trying to get deals done but nothing as of press time anything you want to add there gregie sounds like uh pollard definitely not getting the contract jacobs almost certainly not getting it barkley you know this will be out of date but i wouldn't expect it it jacobs is the one in barclay potentially that we're going to be stuck talking about a lot because i think they're going to go into training camp kind of annoying just like yeah because you know how it's

going to end they're not going to miss any regular season time but it'll be it'll be a topic because they'll skip the first few weeks of training camp and who wouldn't like to do that and it should just a quick reminder that if you look at the last five 10 years of the NFL the franchise tag has gone up like considerably for every position but down at running back so that is a that's been like one of the big offseason storylines Greg has been this running back situation and how teams view them and you're seeing it again as we hit this deadline for long-term deals. You know there hasn't been much going around in NFL news when like every different website and television show is doing their version of like the how come the running backs?

You know, like that's all we got now. Normally it'd be like some controversial arrest or something else. So I think that's a good sign that we're in a good place. I don't think it's changing either. I think this is the new normal. These teams are signing up for five years. these backs and unless you are a super duper star uh that's just the nature of the beast play a different position kids get out people talking like it's so unfair and like i get all that like you're right

it is unfair to running backs but it just feels like a hill that i mean i'm i'm okay with it that they're making 10 million dollars and oh look at you it's not like greggie the old these guys a millionaires with your big cigar on you mouth. They shouldn't complain about nothing. I'm just saying, I'm not saying that. I just mean like, okay, they're underpaid compared to other, like kickers and punters and interior offensive linemen didn't used to get paid. I'm not saying kickers and punters should get paid, but it's just like they're all

doing fine. It's okay. All right. In other running back news, Joe Mixon is going to come back to the Cincinnati Bengals. It looks like for a seventh season. The two sides finalized a restructured contract for 2023. This reported on Friday by Tom Pellasero, the Pellraiser, originally in Mixing had been due to $10.1 million this season with a cap number close to 13. The rework deal, according to Rapshit, includes a base of $5.5 million for $23.

He can hit up to $7.5.5 with incentive. So he took a haircut, Gregie, and the way it sets up, maybe he can be around next year as well on this contract if he plays well enough. but now that becomes the focal point. What's left? Or does Joe Mixen have more big years in the tank? Yeah, he just didn't have that juice last year. Like, just the, he had that great explosiveness that you can just see. Like his zero to second foot was as good as anyone in the league his first few years.

And so maybe that comes back. He's still not that old. It was drafted in 2017. It's pretty rare to see someone take like a $5 million pay cut. That's a sign of the running back market, too, because he knew if he got cut. He was not going to make $5 million a year. He probably would have made, if I had to guess, three to four or three. And so he can go try to win a Super Bowl.

He likes the situation there, and he was willing to take a $5 million haircut. It is funny to me. Is it Cam Acres, the guy that came out? The only guy that didn't get was going on, and he wanted the Rams to give him a new contract this offseason. Everybody else is kind of like, okay, we see what's happening here, including Joe Mixon, as you see by what he was willing to agree to. Cam Acres is like, give me that bag. I deserve it and I need it.

Come on, bud. They kind of need Mixing to be great, by the way. Their backup running back is either fifth round pick Chase Brown or Travion Williams. Like, if Mixon actually got back to being Mixin, as good as that offense was a year ago, like it'd be even better because I think the offensive line is better. And isn't there a certain former Pro Bowl running back? back with the Vikings who's still out there? Like that that's still a thing, huh?

Like I was going to say maybe the writing was on the wall in retrospect with Cincinnati looking to stay in business when they didn't make a aggressive draft pick of a running back. But man, they maybe could have done business and gotten gotten with Cook, but they decided to stay with mixing. I'd rather have Cook. I do wonder Pollard is coming off of a broken ankle and leg and we'll see if he's ready for a week. week one. I think that's the expectation, but they, they're thin in the backfield, the Cowboys to me behind him. And like, you're going to ask him to have his biggest workload ever coming off of a huge injury. They would be an interesting team. I think that no one has really talked about for Cook or for Cream Hunt, who is out there as well. This is kind of cheating because

this, you could say this like about any player, just something about the Cowboys, but I could picture Dalman Cook in a Cowboys uniform. It kind of makes sense to me. Let's finish up with a couple fun items here, Gregi. Speaking of running backs, Miles Sanders, former Eagles running back now with the Panthers. He's excited to play with number one overall pick Bryce Young. But Bryce Young has another quarterback in the room with him. It is Andy Dalton and Miles Sanders, Greg. Did you see this guy? Miles Sanders was on Sports Radio 92-7 WFNZ, speaking about Andy Dalton, our friend, the man, the myth the legend the Dalton line himself and this is what Sanders had to say and that's the main thing i've noticed in OTAs uh we got a very very good young quarterback that's being mentored by

a very very very good quarterback future all the famer andy don't they have a lot of respect for give it up for miles Sanders and yeah it's a little strong to call Andy Dalton a future hallfamer maybe a touch maybe a touch maybe a touch but you know what else I respect you Miles Sanders for giving Dalton the pop the glowing ginger man three-time pro bowl selection he is top 30 all-time and passing yards and uh he's he's an incredible human being obviously and eyebrows to die for hallfamer to me so maybe that makes two of us i mean i think two of those pro bowls were like as the number six you know replacement on the afc but i I guess they don't put those asterics up.

I would like, I do feel like it's the natural evolution of future Hall of Famer. At some point, the term just becomes meaningless, kind of like goat. Like, and that's fine. Now everyone accepts if you say goat, it just means you're a good player. Right. Future Hall of Famer can just be like anyone who is pretty good. Yeah, I hope that doesn't happen. Hall of Fame and Shrine's coming up.

What is that next weekend? This weekend. We got, it's a Hall of Fame weekend when the Jets. and Brown's play. That's right. Actually, they play on Thursday and yeah,

the Hall of Fame ceremonies a couple days later. They announced the order of that today, Dan. That's how slow the news is. That was a hot news item. Damn, Greg. Joe Thomas.

I think is the last guy speaking that night. 24th most, oh, he's going to be good. 24th most yards in league history, Greg. Wow. Now,

I'm with it. If only because true Hall of Famers do it in multiple places. And his 2022 season will always be remembered by me as like a sneaky underrated season. You love his 2020 season. Yeah. 244 passing touchdown 27th. Top 30 kind of guy.

Finally in the news, congratulations are in order and some privacy for Tyler Lockett, who once upon a time, Greg, a few years back discussed his, he was a chaste man. Is that a way to put it? Sure. He was waiting. He was patient. He separated the carnal side of relationships from the love side of it and the ring side of it. He was waiting for marriage.

He was a virgin, okay? You made me say it, Greg. I mean, I had nothing to be afraid to say. He was saying it. He was a 30-year-old virgin. And by the time I think he got married here. He'd been with his beautiful bride girlfriend for four years, made her weight. And so congratulations are in order.

And he brought together, you know, I saw the pictures from the wedding. You got Russell Wilson there. You got Gino there. He's bringing people together. I wish I had the, and yes, not to question anyone's faith-based choices. So if you're out there and you follow it a similar path or currently following a similar path, go for it. I have a lot of respect, quite frankly, for the willpower that must take. And I don't know how it works, Gregie, but that is outrageous to be able to wait four years.

You said they dated? That's what the article says. Unbelievable, Greg. That's me is like the greatest achievement in the history of mankind, more or less, from my perspective. Well, and that I respect anyone that can do something so out of step with the rest of society and the rest of like an NFL locker room. It takes some chutzpah, some cahones to put that out publicly, that this is how I'm going to lead. You try to make fun of me. You try to and just, I'm not, I'm not going to act like you act.

Right. And he, and he also to put out a poetry book too. I mean, this guy was just operating on levels that I can't help but admire it. He also owns a real estate company, I believe. So he's a renaissance man. Meanwhile, Greg had like, you know, one girlfriend after another in high school. And, you know, I don't imagine you were a man of faith or much class back then. You were just rolling through Western Massachusetts back then.

Minichag Regional High School. I mean, not exactly. that that's exaggerating it but there was a little sweet spot before um before i realized short guys aren't supposed to get all the girls you know what is you came to that realization no i'm just that awareness and that it slowed down no i don't know maybe a little bit or the or the girl started carrying in high school they'll just take anyone with a little confidence high school was tough for me yeah that was um i was on the tyler locket uh path to enlightenment but not by choice because again, I sometimes forget, Greg,

we have a lot of younger listeners. If you're a younger listener and you're kind of not doing so hot initially with your opposite sex or your choice of sex and a partner, hang in there. It is about confidence. It's all about confidence.

If you don't think you're worthy of having girlfriends and stuff like that, you're not going to get one. I don't know when I gained that enlightening, Greg, but it took into my early 20s to really get. that put a bow on the conversation i mean it's it and it can go up and down so you know you could have the conference you can lose it for a little while you can get it back so if you lose it don't

worry it's coming back i think this is the plot of the second austin powers movie basically watch that kids and you'll understand everything that i'm trying to express let's take a break and we will be back with some training camp talk all right we are back uh Greg, before we get to a primer of training camp, things to watch for, things that matter. One last thing that I saw this morning, I wanted to share with you. Somebody over on the NFL subreddit put together a chart. Let's fly that up there, Eric, of one score game flips in the NFL in 2022. I find it interesting, Greg, when the difference, you know, how, how, how, how

many games just come down to one or two plays and how different things would be. And when you talk about teams that will come back to the pack or maybe go in a different direction, look at how the previous season ended and maybe you, maybe you get some, what do they call that positive regression. So teams that one score games, if you flip them, for instance, the Eagles had five one score games. If you flip those wins to losses, they would have finished nine and eight. The Raiders and Broncos both. If you flip their one score losses to one score wins, they would have been 11 and 6 and 10 and 7 respectively. The Chiefs, the defending champions were a negative, if they went negative four, 10 and seven, they would have been, which by the way, good teams and well coach teams win close games. So you're going to see that as a theme as well. A little surprising, though, to see the Raiders suddenly ahead of the Chiefs in the Sixers. Right. A lot of heartbreakers for the Chiefs, a very strange AFC West season last year. And then, And if you, the NFC North, I'll just, I'll take a look at the, the, if the chiefs lost three game game, so one score, they could have been 11 and six in a different world.

The lions. Bears could have been, uh, the lions, excuse me, could have been 11 and six in a different world. The bears, uh, if you flip five losses by one score, they would have been eight and nine. Uh, and they still ended up with, uh, you know, top pick and a reconfigured roster. And then the Vikings, again, such a strange season, Greg, in so many ways we all know it. Uh, this exercise is very interesting. had nine wins by one score, a historic. If you would have flipped that,

they would have finished four and 13 weird, weird, weird, weird. Well, not just nine wins, but like plus nine, you know, they didn't have any close losses or maybe, I think they might have 10 close or 11 close wins and two close loss, something like that. Uh, it is very weird. And, uh, I think that's why a lot of people are picking the Vikings to maybe actually come in last instead of just coming last in this.

And two outliers, Greg. the Ravens and the Patriots, their Delta, which is an interesting way to put it, zero one score games last year. Is that possible? I guess it is. Well, it's no, it's that they were at 500 in terms of one score games. Oh, I see. Now I get it. Okay. Like they went one and one. Got it, got it. It makes more sense. All right. Interesting. Kind of. All right. Let's get to it now, Greg. Training camp is ready. We are about to have a new season of NFL football. Tons of storylines are going to start flying at football fans.

We are going to call out some impending storylines or situations to watch across the league that we think matter more than the avalanche of content you're going to get. So we're cherry picking here, stuff that we think really matters. Why don't you get it going? Yeah, I've learned over the years, like, love camp because it gets you ready and it gets you thinking about all the things, but so much of it is just waiting for week one to start because you don't really learn that much about veterans, but you do learn a lot about rookies. And the one rookie quarterback that I think

it really matters to watch is Anthony Richardson. Because I'm just assuming Bryce Young and C.J. Strader start in week one. I don't really, I know Young is, and I pretty sure Strouders. But Richardson and how he develops throughout the month, and then especially how he plays in the preseason to me, you know, impacts big time whether the cults are going to be interesting to watch week one or not or if it's going to be Gardner Minshu. And his development to me is one of the most fascinating stories to watch. That was my number one story to watch also. And it's because of multiple reasons. Starting first and foremost with like how much hype is around Richardson now is this unbelievable athlete and potential playmaker at a elite level. But also,

what happened last year with the cults and management and this feeling that what is that ship being run in the right way are is quite frankly jim mersey patient enough to handle a prospect as ross richardson who started just 13 college games uh he becomes the number four overall pick you have a very um suitable passable uh competent backup in gardner minchu if you want to play the game and you know coming from I'm a fan of a team that rushed a green quarterback into the lineup, like the Jets, the Jets did with Zach Wilson. I'm not saying that would have changed Wilson's career necessarily, or even Sam Donald before that. But when you do that and the guy's not ready or the team around him is not ready, you could irreparably harm the player. So I hope the best, the best case for this for the, for the cults and for Richardson, is

that he is locked in. He's progressing quickly. He has some nice moments in the preseason. And there's a lot of positivity. around him heading into week one. But the reports out of the rookie minicamp, OTAs, veteran minicamp, this is from James Boy to the athletic. He, quote, rarely had the best day overall.

The rookie must become more knowledgeable of the playbook and sharpen his throwing mechanics if indie plans on handling the keys in its opener. He's a raw player, Greg, and they have to be careful not to, because they want it so much, just to put him in week one. I know the way we do it now in the league is you just put the kid in almost always. But that doesn't mean you have to do it. And I just hope they are monitoring this the right way rather than just he's playing and that's it and it's going to work out. Right.

And I think that's where having a good like beat reporter crew covering the team. And in this case, they do have a good one. We got our friend Zach Kiefer. They got Stephen Hold. Like they'll be giving us the real deal of how he looks. And the first week, less important. It's a couple weeks in once you put the pads on, once you get a couple weeks of data and the preseason will matter for him. Russell Wilson, to me, is the number one example of a guy who almost immediately was kind of winning the practice reports and then won the preseason, too.

And you're like, wow, this is a third round pick that is going to be better than everyone expects and is going to start week one. But it's not always like that. Yes, I agree. By the way, Urse, you mentioned. Yeah. I know you're on the East Coast. Did you happen to make it over to Boston this weekend to the TD Garden for where the Jim Ursa collection was there, a traveling museum, and a one-of-a-kind free event where the Jim Arce band played to a relatively packed TD Garden.

Again, it was free, including band members Mike Mills, founding member of R.E.M. and Kenny Arna Arnaoff, who has played with Paul McCartney in the Rolling Stones. How about that? It's about a 10-hour round trip from the Jersey Shore right here, so I did miss it. It does remind me, like, R.E.M. is one of my favorite bands of all time. And at the Giants Patriots 2 Super Bowl in Indianapolis, Mike Mills was at the Marriott Bar at the same time as me. and I had had a couple Tidos, and I decided to go up to Mike Mills, who I think he was,

obviously, Connect the Dots, was at an event with Jim Ursay that weekend for the Super Bowl, and I told Mike Mills that I believed him to be, after shaking his hand, the greatest backing harmony vocalist in the history of rock, and he looked at me like, that's a weird thing to dive into immediately after an introduction. But thank you very much. And that was the end of the interaction. Well, I think it's important. You had him ranked that high. He had to know. But yeah, where do you go? Where do you go from that in the conversation? I wonder, do the kids, do kids listen to REM? You know, I would like to know. If you, if you listen to this podcast, has REM had any carryover with the younger generation? I don't feel like it. They have as much

as you would think. It's funny you should say that because, as you know, my buddy Bob, we do the throwback podcast and we've been building up to do an episode called Appreciate REM because I feel like they don't have that kind of next generation understanding of how important they were and how great they were. Maybe that moment comes in time, but I'm with you. They've kind of fallen through the cracks in terms of having a tail, if you will. you know who's falling through the cracks the Rams

this time last year the defending Super Bowl champion it is crazy what's going I know you had Jordan Rodriguez on the show who does awesome coverage of the Rams last week and man I'm being curious to check in with her during the summer because this is crazy what they're attempting to do where they're keeping Matthew Stafford and Cooper Cup and Aaron Donald and you know I know they traded Jalen Ramsey and and Von Miller is not there anymore,

but this is still a team with veterans and the idea that, you know, different situation, but we were talking about it with the Titans, a team that's maybe hoping to squeeze out 10 wins and be in the mix and then see what happens. This team is going to have 40, 40, 40, 40, 40, rookies on their roster at the start of training camp. That is expansion team stuff, Greg. That is teams that are just completely starting over. I think everybody's kind of been scratching their heads,

trying to figure out what the Rams are trying to do right now, where they're at, what kind of needle they're trying to thread here. But to have these well-known established stars and in some cases superstars with cup and legend and Aaron Donald. and then to surround them with a roster fully, almost fully loaded with people with no experience. I mean, this could go really poorly if just a couple of things go wrong, which is what happened last year, but maybe even worse than last year if things go sideways. Yeah, it's a camp where there's a ton of jobs available.

You know, their offense actually looks like a totally normal offense in potentially a good offense. they think it'll be good. It's really all about the defense, and there are a lot of rookies, like undrafted rookies on the offense and stuff, but they're not going to be playing major roles, I don't think. Whereas the defense, if you look at their hour lads page where they put red players and rookies in red, like it's all red. And there's five or six or seven starting jobs open,

and the rookies are competing for a lot of those. And so that's a camp where it's going to matter. The preseason games will matter. Our friend Mina Kimes, who does their preseason games. games with the Andrews, Siciliano, like those games are actually going to mean a lot for a lot of these players because you can get starting jobs from them. Yeah. And I would say that I would be very surprised that the Rams come out of the gate playing at a high level. And I do believe in the coaching staff and Sean McVe's abilities. And, you know, if Stafford can stay healthy, he'll

kind of stabilize everything as will Donald. He'll help, obviously, measurably on the other side of the ball maybe you can get out of september two and two or whatever and then you start to find an identity and the young players get get their feet wet but i think that's going to be you know how do they look uh in training camp the reports keep an eye on what what jordan and the other beat reporters are saying about how these practices are going how that how these preseason games look uh because this is a very green team certainly i would imagine for teams that are recent super bowl winners it's almost unprecedented that this is the roster now look at as a comparison point look at the bucks who are kind of still running back the same team from a couple of years earlier that won

a Super Bowl the Rams are going in a different direction for the most part we'll see how it goes yeah i i think the thought is if you have 40 rookies can you find seven like that there's nothing more valuable than a starter or a significant player on a rookie contract by just throwing huge numbers of it. I wonder what the analytic, like, idea was behind all this that, like, all right, if we can just somehow find five to seven contributors from this rookie class, like, that'd be a great class and maybe just don't, don't bother with the mid-level veterans for now.

Actually, I'm going to go for a former ram as my next one. OBJ is just someone I want to watch in camp. You could extend this to the whole rant, the Ravens Wide Receiver group, because I don't know what's up with Rashad Bateman right now. he hasn't been healthy the whole group was hurt but obj particularly i just am curious and want to be watching the camp reports and see what is going on it's been a while since we've seen him and we don't know what kind of obj is i don't think he's going to be playing in the preseason but even the camp reports and whether he's practicing day one and all that sort of stuff matters to me yeah i mean

they paid him a lot a lot more than a lot of people expected uh and the ravens are expecting him to be the guy, the guy that he was with the Rams and the playoffs and that Super Bowl before he went down with the injury. You know, 30-something wide receivers coming off two knee reconstructions are typically a step slow compared to their heyday, but they kind of need him to be better than that. I don't think they're looking for, you know, late period Derek Mason here or something. They're looking for a game changer and a guy that kind of stretches the field and drives defense is crazy like peak OBJ but yeah like if if the camp reports are glowing yeah I would be very nervous if I was a Ravens fan he could have great chemistry with Lamar jackson for all we know

could be could be like Randy Moss in New England I doubt that but uh I do think he he's someone just health wise and that's what I look for a lot in camp that I want to see that he's actually out there every day um all right let's go to New England we touch on the Patriots earlier about finishing peers second in the D'Andre Hopkins sweepstakes, although they kind of opted out of it. It sounded like we talked about Mack Jones and what's going on there. This is good. This is interesting.

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reported that the question of how third year QB Mac Jones is viewed inside the Patriots, quotes, depends on who you ask. I'll continue to read from Bolins reporting it's clear Patriots President Jonathan Krap passionately defends. protects Jones, the crafts are invested in Jones succeeding. Belichick, meanwhile, barely wants to say his name in public. The Patriots hired the new offensive coordinator, but it's not as we enter training camp. I think the expectation, obviously, is that Mack Jones is going to be the starter, but, you know, Belichick has got Bailey Zappy there and seemingly a chip on a shoulder,

potentially with the quarterback. Does this get a little weird in training camp? How? how are reps split? Do you have any, do you have any inkling that Belchek could do one of those things where he surprises people? And maybe there's a storyline about how reps are being split or any type of buzz in that direction. It wouldn't be totally shocking because he does seem to like Bailey Zappy. And he does seem to have something. But I think he got over it. And I think if Mack Jones is just better than Bailey Zappy, which I believe he will be, then he'll go with him i don't think it's quite a tom brady drew bloodso uh 2001 situation where he just clearly loved brady and thought bledzo was on the way out i think there was a point this

off season where they could have gotten rid of mac jones that point didn't happen and now i expected to be mac jones but you're right as a patriot hater you could you could root for some chicanery i mean listen i was a patriot hater those those days are over gregg please they're over i got bigger fish to fry we'll see how you feel weak uh when do they play is Week two that they play. We'll see how you feel because they got to end that losing streak. I mean, the Patriots, they have one thing left from their dynasty days. It's ownership of the jet.

It's all they have left. That is true. And yeah, I would think that if Belichick is smart and he is very smart man, he's a brilliant man, in fact, especially in matters of professional football, he will throw his support behind Mac Jones at this point. and, you know, speak about him in some level of high regard and throughout the training camp and make this story completely disappear and everybody goes into together. But maybe this is, even though the men didn't see eye to eye, Gregi, maybe this is a little the Parcells in Belichick, like how Parcells was with Phil Sims as an example. He's just going to be hard on him.

And until you prove it to me, I'm going to kind of look at you a little side-eyed until I could truly trust you. I think there are trust issues in that building. We'll see if it manifests into anything that gets the beat popping off during the summer. Probably not, but also I've been surprised by some of the leaks out of Patriot way this off season. So you never know. Yeah, everything seems a little messier. That's week three, by the way. It's a one o'clock game in the meadowlands. You know, the Patriots start with the Eagles and the Dolphins. The Jets start with the bills and the Cowboys. I'm just hoping that's not two, uh, oh and two teams there.

None of those, those games sound easy. I, I can't, I can't stress this enough to what you're saying. The Jets cannot, cannot lose to the Patriots at home with a healthy Aaron Rogers, given everything here. Okay. That needs to be a W, regardless of how the first two games go or it's going to feel like the same old, same old. All right.

You're up. All right. I'm going to just go with the main quarterback. battle that matters, which is the 49ers. You can throw the bucks in there. Are we sure Baker Mayfield's this week one starter? Could Kyle Trask get a chance? I mean, that'll keep an eye on.

But the 49ers, quarterbacks, I mean, we don't need to go too long on it. We're going to be talking about. But that legitimately is up in the air. I think it's Purdy's job if he's healthy, but I don't think Kyle Shanahan is totally locked in on that either. I think his mind is open to Trey Lans. that his mind is probably open to Sam Darnold. And it could be a situation where their preseason games are like auditions for week three,

even if let's say it's pretty week one or let's say he's not healthy and it's Lance week one like Sam Darnold playing really well in August in the preseason could earn him like a week four job and a quick hook for whoever is the starter. Yeah. And I'm incredibly invested in this storyline because I do want. want to see Sam Darnold get a shot here. I feel like if he gets even a couple weeks in the starting job, it might be hard to get him out of the lineup if, if, uh, if he's able to play with this offense. There's, he was on the part of my take podcast and, uh, he said,

you're talking about the ghosts? You're talking about the ghosts? Because we did hit that last show. That was right, right up Mark Sessler's alley. I don't know if you heard about that. No, what would happen. Oh, he said that there was some sort of, uh, paranormal. normal activity in George Kill's guest house when he was staying there. Oh, really? You're hitting a different part of the interview, clearly. What, I mean, what a varied interview by Big Cat and PFT commenter. But here is the line, guys are open.

I mean, there's a lot of guys open on dang near every play. It just seems like there's a ton of answers. So for a guy that hasn't had a lot of answers on the field in his time, it would be interesting to see how he performed with an offense. like this and then there's yeah the tray lance of it all is something the track too like how is how many reps is he getting is he getting a real look a real chance at this or is he the past in that organization already he'll play a lot i know you're not a fan of the preseason you know i yeah it has its use but i get sick of it too after the first couple weeks uh but tray lance will play

a lot in the preseason i would assume darnald will too and so those will be one of the most if not the most interesting team to watch in the preseason. Regarding the Jets, there's a lot to be excited about it. By the way, they finally announced Hard Knocks officially today. It's just crazy because it was July 17th. And then they talked to Rogers at some golf event. He's like, yeah, well, they're sticking it down our throat. So we just got to make the most of it.

It's a very different vibe than past Hard Knocks announcements. I'll say that. And while there's a lot of optimism around the team, as there should be, I am nervous about the offensive line because it is a 40-year-old quarterback coming off a downseason by his standards. And the offensive line was a major issue last year in New York. And they didn't make a lot of changes. They made some attempts at changes, some moves. They said they weren't trying to draft a tackle at the first round.

You could believe that or not. But they're ending up with more or less the same line. They did draft a rookie and Joe Tipman at center. So he's going to, it's going to be a camp battle with Connor McGovern there in the pivot. Greg, that's what they call it. I always like that. It's like the pivot. It's like using the word signal caller for quarterback just to not repeat the same word.

Exactly. So you're going to have, Dwayne Brown's going to play left tackle again. You're going to hope Elijah Verre Tucker stays healthy. Mackay Beckton is in the. picture in some capacity, but he also tweeted recently that he's a left tackle, the Jets don't seem to have any interest of playing him a left tackle. So it's going to be right tackle if he even wins a job. That is a question mark on their roster with this quarterback.

And I want to see as a Jets fan. You want to see the camp reports that the line is jelling, but Beckton, who's down apparently 60 pounds from last year is healthy and on the field that they're missing basically two straight years and he finds a role in the starting lineup. It is something to watch because if they don't get a good offensive line play, you could get Rogers hurt. And then all of a sudden, guess who the number two quarterback is on that team? Zach Wilson, which is another questionable decision they made, which is keeping Wilson as the number two. And just imagine, for instance, Greg, that week three game against the Patriots, if it's Zach Wilson back on the field.

I don't even want to speak this into existence, but there's some vulnerabilities here. If the offensive line can't play the guitar yeah i mean joe douglas that's his baby the offensive line he's put so many resources vera tuck is a first round pick beckton's a first round pick tipman's a second round pick tomlinson is one of the higher paid guards in the league they're they kind of remind me of the packers where i think the packers probably their baseline's a little higher but like they could either be a bit of a disaster if things go wrong on the offensive line or they could be really good I feel like there's a high variance with the Jets and the Packers for that matter. All right.

You want to throw out one more? Yeah. Well, this is kind of a catch-all. I'll include your guy, Bryce Hall, in it. And I think it's probably the most important thing in camp. It's just the guys coming off of injuries, their progress. Bryce Hall is a key one. Like, this is the time of year where it's a lot of, like, I expect to start week one.

Like, we heard that about Tradavius White as an example at this time last year. Tredavius White ended up not starting until about. mid-season and wasn't really himself until about week 10 and that happens fairly often with guys that you hear are coming back week one so we find out the truth on a lot of these guys Bryce Hall is a key one von Miller is a key one Tony Pollard's one I mentioned earlier Javante Williams the running back for the the Broncos Jonathan Taylor's coming off the ankle injury sounds like he's going to be okay Darius Leonard on the other hand I don't know what's up with him and his back injury Isaiah Pacheco you know who finished off that super

he's coming off a shoulder surgery might not be ready jimmy g we're not sure what's up with him jc jackson you remember got that huge contract and had a terrible injury so those are some of the the biggest names coming off like major injuries that there's optimism until then camp starts and then we'll see if they're still optimism yeah and maybe uh if you're dandre hopkins agent there was maybe a little bit of pause do you sign this contract now or do you wait to see how some of these things shake out in camp with injuries. Maybe that's what Dalvin Cook's representation is thinking right now. Maybe an opportunity presents itself that doesn't seem like it's there right now. But yeah, you're absolutely right because you can't trust, you cannot trust any offseason reporting for the

most part. Maybe you could trust it more when you hear it in a negative way about a guy's not practicing a guy is a little behind schedule, but you usually don't hear that. You always hear he's way ahead of schedule or the trope alert sounds and the guy. guy says I've never felt better or my knee is actually better after the catastrophic injury I suffered last October. Training camp has a habit of, you know, separating all that junk because guys are supposed to be out there and practicing and reporters get their eyes on these guys. So yes, G.C. Greg, as we say. And my last one was going to be Von Miller. So it ties together. Von Miller is one of the most important players, I think, of the start of the season

and the AFC because the bills really were getting a lot out of him before he went down on Thanksgiving. He didn't play another snap. And they need that extra juice that Von Miller brings in. Is he still von Miller when he comes back? He's another year older. He's 34. Yeah. You want to see which version of Von Miller shows up if he shows up at all this summer. We shall see. By the way, this is going way back to the beginning of the show, I was trying to think of, like, what NFL player we'd be. We'd be Lane Johnson from that 2012 class with the Eagles the whole time. Goes about his business.

Like that. A lot of sauce to him, you know, when it pops up and Future Hall of Famer. Okay. All right, Greg. Yeah, baby. I like that one. Future Hall of Famer. Think we're going to the hall?

You think we're on a hall trajectory right now? I'm putting us in the in the, in the hall. We can ask our next. You know what, though? You know what I got to say? Yeah, that is a great way, seg. Because you know what they say, as we welcome in our guest? You don't make the Hall of Fame in your first 10 years.

You make him in those last three or four, you know, or that second decade. And with that said, a man that already is a Hall of Famer for the work that he's done, both on our on our shore and now back in his native england he is former executive content man for nfl digital now vice president of uk and surrounding territories henry hotchson what's up buddy i am doing great it's good to see you guys good to hear you guys i do have an issue though already and i hate to do this to you Yeah, in the background here, we're saving the queen. Oh, we got updated.

You may not have heard, but, but I think that, I think that ship sailed. You guys, oh, you change the lyrics, that's right. We changed the lyrics. It's like the, uh, it's like the God save. Candle and the wind. It's like Candle and the wind. Elton was able to quickly pivot from, from Maryland to Diana. That is something we are.

The tune is the same, though. I mean, same tune. The melody is the same. Lyrically, there's an important change in the... Very important change. So let's get that fixed for next time. Apologies, because that's disrespectful. It's okay.

No, it's not... It's fine. You get one shot, though. Next time, it would be disrespectful. And I'll throw you... I'll throw you a bone here and say, I watched Wimbledon yesterday. I didn't. I didn't, but I hope you had a great time.

I wish I had done. I just found myself not watching it. Do you think that... Let's start with the most important thing. do you think that our podcast is on a hall of fame trajectory do you think even here's my take based on gregg's comment even that being uttered is a sign that this is this is rome at the end where it's just like wow that they're talking about that that no hall of fame podcast would ever even have that conversation or do you admire the pluck of the show no i mean listen i i i would liken it to 1984 damarino right

second year in the NFL goes out and breaks every single record. And it's clear at that point. Like there's, from here, that was the Stitcher Award. You're on that, that was the Stitcher Award. You're on that trajectory. And really, you know, even if you don't make a Super Bowl, you're probably going to, you're probably going to the Hall of Fame. And that's what I've always seen you guys as is,

is 84 Marino and, you know, the incredible career he had. So you see us as losers, basically, ultimately. No, not, let's not go there with Dan Marino. I'm not a loser, you know, a giant amongst NFL players. As I was trying to compliment you guys, you decided to take a shot at one of the greatest players of all time. You know, it's like gaudy numbers, but not that well liked in the locker room and doesn't run the locker room.

What he did was demand greatness from his other players and bring them to his level. So in a way, you've done that in the podcasting. industry as well before before the around the NFL podcast existed what other shows were out there now look now look at all the talent around that after your last show Greg I tuned into Jordan's amazing show the play callers I've just listened to two episodes of that on the back of that and you guys you know without you sort of setting the tone and that doesn't happen that's very nice of you to say that's why you're Dan Marino and let me say that I much rather you refer to us as the Dan Marino of podcast rather than the

Ken O'Brien. But I also, I want to say that Dan Reno was very frightening. And just imagine being like a fourth round pick, tight end. And Marino throws one of those missiles between the eight and the four and it hits the turf. And Marino ripping off that helmet and that red face, just screaming at you. What a monster. But that's what I mean. He's demanding excellence. And I feel like that's what you've done to the NFL podcasting industry. I've had some red-faced moments behind the scenes with this program. So I understand that. That's true.

All right. So let's get to what you're here for, though, Henry. And by the way, if you want to get any plugs in, you are vice president of UK. You make a tremendous salary. You have a beautiful office. What? Why do we go there? Yeah, spot the lie.

Greg, spot the lie. I was just surprised. It's just a weird place to go. You are taping from a beautiful countryside, it appears. in England. That is true. Where is Dan today? Not at home.

I'm in my parents' bedroom in Spring Lake, New Jersey. Awesome. Greg, where are you? Just so we've got everything in content. I'm in a very hot garage that I got back to. Okay, you're back in L.A. Welcome home. Maybe when I get back to L.A., Greg,

I'll come over and I'll help you maybe install an air conditioner. You got a window in there? We do. So it's possible. Okay. Let's work. I actually have a spare. Let's talk.

off air. Hank, you are, and this is, I think, of all the great things, and I view you as not only a dear colleague, but a great friend. But I think the thing that I've always appreciated the most about you is your tremendous passion for the NFL supplemental draft. And I know that's the thing that rubbed off the most over a long time together, that that's the thing that you remember. That's the thing that stands out. It's why your relationship has taken a dip over the last four years because there hasn't been a supplemental draft. So we're a little late on this, but this is more like tying a tie in a bow on the situation. The NFL supplemental draft returned Tuesday, excuse me, not this past Tuesday, last Tuesday,

but there were no players selected, two eligible players for the draft, which Henry will tell you about them in a moment. But this was the first year and three years. The NFL conducted the draft, but nobody was taken. And if you want to just give the audience a little bit of a perspective on what the event is, why hold it without making a selection, what's the future of the supplemental draft? Please have that. The floor is yours, Henry. Sure. Well, I mean, look, the supplemental draft is everyone is probably aware, but just for those that aren't, is kind of the jewel of the NFL's offseason. You know, there are these other events that will take place, the combine, free agency, the draft. And to some extent, you look at those things and they're kind of one dimensional, right? There's, there's. There's an opportunity and an outcome, if you like. In the draft, it's the New York Jets turn to pick. The New York Jets make their pick.

What turns the supplemental draft from that one-dimensional event into a three-dimensional event is there's another opportunity in there. And you saw a couple of years ago the Minnesota Vikings try to bring this to the draft, but really what it is is sometimes you don't make a pick. And as you guys know, some of the best choices you make in life are not making choices. And so in a way, that makes this year's draft where there were two players eligible, 32 teams, seven rounds, seven times 32 as Dan knows as whatever it is. Thousand, even.

And at the end of it, everyone didn't make a pick seven times. And so that really is what made this year's drafts so exceptional and such a one for the books because we actually had an event, but in the end, the event wasn't an event that happened. And that's what, you know, it's chess checkers thing compared to the NFL draft. And look, every team out there, you know, you want to find the next Bobby Humphrey. You want to find the next Bernie Cozor, the next Chris Carter. And that's hard to do. And this year, the two guys that were out there, Jackson State wide receiver, you'll remember him from last year, Malachi Wyden.

um who who had i think 540 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2021 with the tigers and then uh Purdue's Milton right also a wide receiver um Milton um didn't play uh last year so I don't have his stats classic tough stage exactly every team looked at them and every team made an assessment and in the end every team passed seven times well I think that's that's really the supplemental job. Now, look, I mean, there have been some great names that have come through the program. And again, I mentioned some of them, Bernie Cozor, Brown Bosworth, you'll remember, came, came through the supplemental draft. And there is some, you know, there have been some guys that haven't worked out as well. And, you know, we, we, you're all, as I say, you're looking for

the good guys, but you could end up with a Harvey Younger or a Milford Brown or a John Davis. So. How about Steve Walsh? Steve Walsh came through there. Steve Walsh, you know, and that really was where my passion, it's interesting. You mentioned that, Greg, because that's where my passion for the supplemental draft actually came about. So that year, the Dallas Cowboys, with the very first pick in the draft, Jimmy Johnson, came on board and said, I'm bringing in Troy Aitman. Troy Aitman's my guy.

Then doubled down in the supplemental draft and went and got a guy that he coached in college, Steve Walsh. Now, Steve Walsh, University of Miami quarterback, obviously, one of the other University of Miami quarterbacks who came out of this program and performed so well, Bernie Kozah. So he was looking for gold in the same place, but didn't necessarily find it. And if I may, just to put a bow on this,

and talking about the importance of the supplemental draft, as Henry stated, 32 teams decided not to make a pick. So their pick was to not make a pick. That was 32 teams decided that. Only 31 teams made a selection in the first year player draft because of Miami's issues. In the first round, yeah. Yeah, 32 is higher than 31.

So, like, just from a pure, like, math standpoint, when you talk about, like, what's more important, that's what's important. Yeah, I mean, I think I've outlined all the reasons that it's, it's, as I say, the gem of the NFL offseason. Right. I mean, beyond the existential delight, that is, does this event even exist or not? If someone doesn't get taken, I mean, it's sort of, it's mind blowing, frankly. There's no other event like it. There's also a way that you take the most exciting part of working in the 22nd or 21st century that is and it will be the next century, which is a massive group email, which is essentially what the supplemental draft is. And it's 224 straight group emails just saying pass. Yeah.

And you're waiting to find out, oh, it's round four. Will something happen? The Texans are up. I'm on the edge of my seat. Pick 134. Nope. It's pass again. Well, and there were trades.

You can trade and you can still pass on the trade. And that's, you know, it's almost practice for deputy general managers. You know, like go out there, really, you know, work a trade, work the phones. And then when you work the phones and you've traded up or traded down, pass. Well, you famously did the supplemental mock draft year after year on NFL. dot com and it would it would always include a lot of trades that always it always made me laugh yeah it ended with pass um always ended with pass henry uh before we say goodbye in addition to your duties with uh the nfl uk and surrounding territories you're also huge surrounding territories you're

really you're really like on the fence on that one you just don't know where to go do you you're also incredibly connected and a champion of the International Pathway program. We just did a, we just did a training camp primer. I was curious if there are any IPP players that maybe we should keep an eye on that have a chance to make some noise across our league this summer. Boy, you really put me on the spot. I think there were a couple guys last year who were often, you know, it takes maybe a year for the guys, you know, not like Jordan Mylata and the guys that get drafted, but then the guys that are in the program, what it is is you go on the practice squad for two or three years. You can be around there.

So I think it's normally the guys who've had a year's experience that probably get the best shot. So off the top of my head, the Indianapolis Colts had a defensive back named Marcel Dabo, D-A-B-O, who was super athletic, you know, could easily, he played in Germany, could easily get a shot, you know, depending on how camp goes. There's a handful of really immensely talented players from Nigeria, that OCEU Minora found. And, you know, they're playing a bunch of them across the NFC North this year. So, I mean, we'll look out for names,

but I'm sure one or two of them will pop up, and at least in the preseason make some noise, and then we'll see where they go. Actually, the other guy to look out for it. Do you remember in Hard Knocks? I'm very excited for you down about the Jets and Hard Knocks. Remember in Hard Knocks, when the Cowboys were in Hard Knocks, there was a Mexican offensive tackle. Yes.

Who was Isaac Alicon, who was a big part of the show. He's actually, there's a British coach, Adam Dirty, who I think I've talked about on this show before, who's on Dan Quinn staff there. And he has converted Isaac from offensive line to defensive line. And they are raving about how Isaac is super strong, is. is performing as a defensive lineman. So another one to look out for. Beautiful. And you had me at Marceau Dabo.

So I am. Marcel Dabo. Okay. You're in. Have we, Greg keeps dropping notes or hints, rather, about going to Germany because I don't know if you've heard it's, it's, it's, uh, the country that his father's from, a little bit like, I don't know if you've heard, but Mark grew up in the UK.

Um, so, like, you know, you know, isn't it funny, Henry? I catch a lot of he's like, oh, Dan doesn't want to go anywhere and Dan loves America. It's like, these guys won't shut up about this other stuff. And it's just like, how about looking at it from that perspective? I love it. I mean, actually, I wish that you weren't so steeped in the red, white and blue. Can't help it, you know, willing to come and join us. I know, I've seen.

These colors don't run anywhere. They just stay right here. They just stay right there. But I hope that, you know, you guys will be in London or Frankfurt at some point this season. We've got some fantastic games. We're going to have fun. If it happens, we'd love to be there. Um, and we love having you on the show, Hank.

Thank you very much. It's always great to see you guys. Take care. Love you. There you guys. We're going to update that. Thanks, Hank. Save the queen.

That was a bad. That was a bad one. We just got to be better than that, Gregie. What about, uh, you know, Princess Kate? You know, she was there at Wimbledon. She was at Wimbledon. She should be saving her. Yeah.

That's true. We should have. Yeah, we're going to clean that up. Uh, apologies to our, um, British listeners. We're going to get that right. I think that's, that's important. good show good app we're back Thursday like we said um we're going to be all back together next week so we got one more uh show remotely uh i'm i'm working on getting maybe connie uh on

with us uh maybe maybe another special guests that we haven't had on the show in a while which would be very nice we're working on some things greggie uh but any final thoughts no i i think i need to go get some sleep yeah okay you do do that and then we'll talk air conditioner as well it is it is quite warm it's all right all right everybody thanks again uh for listening uh until thursday you know what you gotta do heed the call this is an i heart podcast this is an i heart podcast Thank you.