NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - NFL ATL: 'CJ2K' recap; AFC North Roster Reset

Episode Date: April 16, 2014

A room full of heroes -- Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, Marc Sessler and Chris Wesseling -- picks apart the Chris Johnson signing, breaking down how he’ll fare for the New York Jets.  Elsewhere, the gang checks out the penultimate division in its “Roster Reset” series, heading this time to the very tight AFC North.Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comNFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. The Around the League podcast always passes their physicals. Welcome back to another edition of the Around League podcast. My name is Dan Hanzas, and I'm joined by room filled with heroes. Chris Wessling, Mark Sessler, and Greg Rosenthal. What up, boys?

Hey, Dan. How is everybody? It's the middle of April. It's beautiful out. It's Los Angeles. Warm as can be. I'm just savoring this time with Chris Wessling before he leaves us for a few shows to take a well-earned vacation. Don't think that I didn't notice that when Wes came in off today, he came in to do the show.

He had a little bounce in a step because he's going back to Tybee Island. There's a lot of good things waiting for Wes and Tabia Island on a lot of different levels. I have a fair amount of concern, and this is fair amount, that he will not return to the West Coast. Because I was going to say, and I want a straight answer, Wes,

A, are you bringing your laptop with you? These are little hints whether he plans to come back. I am not bringing my laptop with me, and that is a first. I've never gone anywhere without my laptop. All right. Number two, what is the percentage chance you return to Los Angeles?

92% That's pretty low There's an 8% chance You lose one of your employees It's like dirt no whiskey Shooting a free throw He misses though He misses

Yeah So should I start Drawing up a job description You know just in case we need to fill a position here By the way if I were to skip town I would leave work property In the town I'm leaving

Yeah So that speaks to the 8% The I'm leaving my laptop here That's not cementing him as a guy that's coming back for a work laptop. I have unfinished business here. I feel like I still need to grow as a person in Los Angeles, so I'll be back. All right, that's good. Unless I'm physically tied down like the road, you know, Wality Coyote and the Roadrunner.

What would the job listing be for Wes if you had to replace him? I would say football savant, a fan of Animal House, and other uncle movies of the early 80s and late 70s. It would be like bullet points. So also does not like other humans interacting with them. Huge fan of online internet deals. Reader of books and pub dweller. Must be a good reader. Outrageous pub dweller.

Great at film breakdowns. Volacious reader. Did we get that? Occasionally shows up to work with a rash of new flannel shirts. Big shoes to fill. If anyone out there, this sounds like you. And I can't imagine there's anyone out there that that just lined up with. You know, see a therapist? I don't know.

And there's an 8% chance that you'll have a new job. Right. All right. So we got a big show today. We will continue our roster reset series with Chris Wessling talking about the AFC North, the subject close to the author's heart for a number of reasons. But before that, we will start as we always. do the gold standard

how are you by the way buddy doing great thank you gold standard rushed in from the building there was a little bit of a miscommunication about when the podcast was rolling we were on the second level of this structure looking down Zach in a soccer shirt

walking briskly to get to the studio today little frazzles right to a meeting by the way Mark Brady if you're listening to this Zach Mark Brady does not have to go to to your meeting

because he had to produce this podcast it was an emergency we needed him scheduling so we're sorry he couldn't make it total listener disconnect wait by the way Zach about an hour I know he didn't sleep in

because about an hour and a half ago released a tweet and it was a Greg Cosell level tweet about soccer I have no idea what the terminology was but I could tell you we're like deep in the weeds there was a big game this morning it was huge

I heard, yeah, I heard there are some big football games at all times at any hour of the day. There's some football game to watch. That works. All right, let's do some news. Chris Johnson has signed a two-year contract with the New York Jets. The deal has a base value of $8 million with another $1 million available in incentives based on yardage. Johnson, of course, spent the last six seasons with the Tennessee Titans before being released. I'm feeling good about this move as a Jets fan, but I want to know what you guys think about the move.

I think you're saying you feeling good is a little bit of an understatement. You were positively giddy down in the news. Feeling great. I'm fire. I mean, you have talked yourself into this whole Michael, Vic, and Chris Johnson. How could this go wrong? Offense. I want to go that far.

I do. But the Chris and Chris backfield. Chris Cross, as Mark Sessler named downstairs. So you go to him with all the royalty money. That is a nice one-two punch. And the offense is better with Chris Ibray, of course, being the thunder in this equation. Yes, sir. They needed playmaking ability more than any offense in the league.

And, you know, they're going to get playmaking ability four years ago. Wow. Chris skewing negative about the Jets, Stunner. No, I'm not making Chris Johnson. I mean, these guys are on the Jets right now because they're not as good as they used to be. Forget about Michael Vick. That's the only reason the Jets have them right now. You wrote a high octane, to use Mark's word, analysis piece about the whole Jets off season,

and Vic was a big part of that. The Jets had one of the worst, if not the worst offense in football last year, and especially when it comes to playmakers, they had nobody, essentially. Now, is Chris Johnson the same guy as he was in 2010? No, is Michael Vic if he ends up being the quarterback, the same guys he was in 2010. No, but that doesn't mean that these guys are shot. Both of them have years, and I want to focus more on Chris Johnson, because you don't know what Vic is and where he'll fit in.

But Johnson is going to be a big part of this offense. I see, you know, he'll split the load with ivory, but I think he'll end up being the primary ball carrier. He's 28. He's going to be 29 to September. No major injury history. Wes, I know you've said he doesn't have maybe the same lateral movement that he had earlier his career but that doesn't also you have to factor in that the guy he's rushed for over

a thousand yards every year and put him in a new surroundings get him out of tennessee i think it's highly likely that this guy has a very nice season with the jets i think one thing we have to point out is that a thousand and fifty yards it's a lot different season than 1500 yards so every thousand yard season isn't created equal sure and i don't i you say we don't know what we're getting with michael vick i think he is your quarterback and it's silly to think that Gino Smith will be. I think we don't know what we're getting with Chris Johnson, as much as any player in the league except maybe Sam Bradford.

I don't know who Chris Johnson is anymore. And I'd be more concerned when you say that he is going forward their leadback, I'd rather see Chris Johnson used situationally where ivory is more your leadback and the guy you use early on and you give Chris Johnson more maybe 15 touches a game, 12 touches a game in third down situations because he's not a guy. That's one reason he lost time to Sean Green last. sure he's not a guy who's not that good in your offense he's Sean Green you guys just got rid of Sean Green running behind the same offensive line in Tennessee Chris Johnson 3.9 yards per carry

Sean Green 3.8 so you're getting an extra 10th I would rather have Sean Green on my team than Chris John here's where I agree that's crazy talk that's a crazy person talking in the room right now I really do I don't think you believe that you just Bunsen burner blow torched yourself but really i mean i don't i don't listen i know what i'm getting into here i just under two years eight million he's a guy he fits the spot for them he's an upgrade over mike goodson or or whoever else and i think their offense and the credit that i think goes to john idzick a little bit in the fact that they the offense there's no denying the offense is better now that it was two months ago and he was able to do that without killing their salary cap leaving themselves

open to sign some of their big young players to deals down the road. They still have their first round pick and a bunch of other draft picks. Their offense is going in the right direction, and I think Chris Johnson's a part of that. It does allow them in the draft to address other needs, but the thing is, they killed him

for being a glacier. But a glacier lasts a lifetime. It lasts ages beyond. He's going to be around long after everyone else. He continues to add talent. A glacier is a giant ice structure

and it might not you look at it whatever but it's always moving thing is just inching right it's almost like a superpower so I'm listen I'm fine with Idzick he's gone to work it's in vogue to rip on adding a guy like Chris Johnson I think the

jets have to be and their jets fans need to keep their expectations in check because if you're expecting too much from these guys it's like a nice coat you put on but what the jets are underneath is unchanged They still have issues. I'm looking for a Corey Dillon-type second part of the career where people wrote him off

and then he turned out to have some good years left in him. I don't think that's too crazy. Maybe I'm just being optimistic. I was kind of thinking that we don't really know how running backs age that well. We think we do. But it wouldn't be, I don't think it would be a major shock if he all of a sudden had a bounce back year in a new location. And he got $8 million over two years. We don't know the breakdown of how much money in each year, which I'm curious if he's getting,

let's say $3 million this year or four. But that's the top of the running back market, actually. So they gave him the kind of money that you would expect a guy that's going to get the ball a lot to get. He's going to start. I guess so. Moving on, another New York team, the Giants reached a one-year deal with Josh Freeman to become Eli Manning's backup.

Freeman, of course, melted down this past season with the Bucks and then Vikings, and now he is a backup. locked into a backup job for at least one year. Says a lot. The silence in the room says a lot. Well, we knew he was going to be a backup, right? Right. I mean, he could have ended up signing up with a team where maybe he had a shot in camp,

but obviously that is it. He's on the bench, barring into Eli Manning injury, which has never happened to cause him this time. Josh Freeman's out of the picture, like Mark Sanchez for an entire year, most likely. I've had a lot of Raiders fans ask me what move I would have made at quarterback if I was Reggie McKenzie. Josh Freeman signed to a cheap deal, not in a guaranteed money, and then not promote him as the savior like he did with Matt Schaub. I think Freeman makes a lot more sense as a guy who could maybe be your answer for a few years and going back with the same offensive coordinator. I would have liked him a lot more in Oakland than New York.

Well, and if had Oakland done that with the coaches that knew who Freeman was, that would have made some sense. and some of those coaches had success with him. I don't think it's a bad move for the Giants, but I think it's more of an off-season planning move that allows them to have a veteran in place if Manning misses time. I think it's a great move for the Giants. He's a good backup quarterback with some potential,

and your quarterback is not a mobile guy who's coming off of ankle surgery. You're assuming Eli Manning will play 16 games, but you never know. He's getting up there in years, and he's coming off a fairly major surgery. And he may be in decline, Greg. Well, he is in decline.

That's what they're saying. If he has another bad year, they're going to have to think about other quarterbacks. And Josh Freeman is a young guy that they're going to have in the building for a year, and they'll know more about him. You never know. It's not the craziest thing in the world to think a couple years ago that Josh Freeman would be a more valuable quarterback than Eli Manning when Eli Manning's 35 years old. One sticky issue, Tom Coughlin does not roll with players that show up

late to meetings. He rolls on Coughlin time. That's true. In many ways, show up 17 hours early for a meeting or die. What would happen if Coughlin arranged a meeting with Izzick? Interesting. He'd be like at Izik's house trying to shuffle him out of bed.

Other quarterback news, backup quarterback news, Matt Flynn agreed to terms with the Green Bay Packers. He will be Aaron Rogers' backup for another season. Of course, Flynn signed with the Packers late last season, had some moments both in his first go-around with Green Bay and then his second go-round, and now he's locked in behind Aaron Rogers. Of course, the Packers hope they don't have to lean on a backup again this year.

Greg and I, go get my lunch sporting competition on this one. Go get my lunch. Yes. The last part's implied. Now that Greg is paid up, we're back to Square One. We need more. We need to get more sports. and this is one, I don't think Matt Flynn will make the roster.

Oh, yeah. This is how I know I have a problem. I couldn't remember what it was, even though we made it yesterday. Wait, what is it exactly? It was whether he was going to be on the week one roster. And I've made a lot of sandwich bets in my time, but I feel no better of any of them than this one. I mean, I'm a heavy favorite on this one. I'm in on this one, too.

Matt Flynn is the number two quarterback in Green Bay. I will have in because Mike McCart. Mike McCarthy said in Orlando he wanted to keep Flynn and Tolzine behind Rogers. Will he do it? That's where you're assuming that won't happen. I know he likes Tulzine too. And once they get into training camp and they see Matt Flynn's arm, they're going to like Tulzine a lot better.

I feel like Antoine Walker right after he makes a three-pointer right now, just ready to do a little shimmy. You know what I'm talking about? Don't they know what Matt Flynn's arm is at this point, though? That's not going to be a surprise to him. They do. That's why they let him sit out there when he was free. for the taking last year

enrolled with Tulzine and Seneca Wallace. Then why go through the exercise of agreeing to terms with them and bringing them in at all if they're... Do you need three quarterbacks for camp? I would like a chicken parm sandwich well. You got to win it first.

I think they like Flynn. I mean, they keep bringing the... I don't like him, but they keep bringing them back hell or high water. I respect Wes's skills as a mad scientist but this is truly a difficult equation. I mean, this is one that's cooked up in the laboratory.

It's hard for us. If somebody who's covered the league for more than a decade, how many veterans have you seen surprisingly cut on August 31st or September 1st? Why would Matt Flynn surprise you? That's fair. I can't believe it would be surprising. Are you in on the sandwich bet too, Mark? No, because I don't even...

Because no one likes Matt Flynn less than you. You despise the man personally. I would like to see the Packers draft a young quarterback and move in that direction. I'm not advising that they keep them, but I have no interest in sandwiches in general. So I don't want to... Who are you? What? Who are you?

I don't want to... I'm going to lose another... I have like 12 sandwiches right now. I got some bad news for you. Your Rolando McLean jersey, the Baltimore Ravens jersey you bought on a lark last summer. That was really weird.

Yeah. That was a weird move, number one. Yeah. It's staying in the closet. The former Raiders' first round pick bombed in his Baltimore Ravens workout according to NFL media's Adidi Kinkabwala.

Is that properly pronounced? Edi, King Koala. It shouldn't be, you know, we have heard her name many times, right? I know, I don't know if I've ever read it on the podcast before. It was a little sluggish in your pronunciation, but it was correct. Soft B, Dan. Yeah. Oh, it's a, uh, I got you.

I think if you weren't looking down on it, you would have been able to say King Koala, but maybe reading it. I said it perfect. King koala. King koala? King koala. It's a little bee. It's a kiss of the big.

It's a kiss of the big. It's a kiss of the big. The gold standard has it. Kinkabwala. No, there's no B. I mean, you don't say the B. Really? This is your sandwich, Beth.

All right, so anyway, Adi reported that the retired linebacker attempted to stage a workout with the Ravens on Tuesday, and then according to someone close to the session, McLean bombed. He showed up late and then couldn't even finish the conditioning test and then failed to do any of the drills. So Rolanda McLean once highly touted, at least by the Raiders, we might have seen the last of him.

It's weird because Rolanda McLean and his agent have been talking up this comeback for six months. We did a search on our site, and we wrote about it in October. We wrote about it in January. You would have thought they would have been prepared, right? Greg, I point you back to the file photo on the internet of Rolanda McLean being put into the back of a patrol car. That's why that guy wasn't ready for this workout. You remember when you were like 23 years old Just graduated from college

You wake up and there's potato chips on your chest You crack out about noon You don't know what you want to do with your life Rulanda McLean's only 23 I think Yeah And it doesn't seem like he knows what he wants to do with his life He talks about loving football but he clearly doesn't I mean Ozzy Newsom

They both went to Alabama It's like he went out on a limb and showed some faith Nick Sabin was talking this guy up endlessly as if he's refurbished his entire life. But it's maybe he has or he's working on that part, but the football side disconnect. It's a good point by West though. I was lazy and directionless right out of college.

Were you being offered a potentially multi-million dollar chance to get your career going? That's also why I thought maybe McLean would turn it around. It's like you had this moment where things didn't go well and maybe he was ready to realize his potential. this guy talk and read what he's said in the past, football is not the number one priority in his life. He's conflicted about what he wants to do.

He's already been married and divorced at such a young age. He doesn't really know what direction he wants his life to go. And he's not a dumb guy either. There's also that picture of him being led to a police car. Does anyone know what I'm talking about with that picture? Yeah. That told me everything I needed to know. The man is perhaps adrift at sea, Mark, as you were once in your life.

Sure, I alone. Once? Speaking of men that have been a drift or, I guess, rumored to be, Brandon Lloyd, out of football last year, a noted locker room lawyer, Greg. Locker room weirdo. Yes, we finally settled. I never have figured out. What's a locker room lawyer?

People always say what locker room lawyer. Zach, do you know what a locker room lawyer is? Have you ever heard that phrase? No, I haven't. He knows what a pitch lawyer is for soccer. Soccer's don't have locker room. I come from a family of attorneys, too. I don't think I'm at liberty to discuss.

The pitch lawyer. It's something people just throw out there, and I never really understood fully what it was. And we asked Charlie Casserly last week in the newsroom. He was sitting near us. It was a great guy to have around you in the office all week. I want to hear Dan's Charlie Casserly impression. So, Charlie, what is a locker room lawyer, Charlie?

Ah, see, that's a great question, see. You know, a locker room lawyer is someone that, you know, You see, he talks to the media. He runs his mouth to the media, see. And then he talks in the locker room, and he causes trouble in the locker room, see? So that's what happened. And you got a reputation.

Was that the actual definition? There's also some connotation of whatever the coaches say, he undermines that. It could be scheme-related, personal life-related, but anything the coach is saying, he's undermining it constantly. And he's got his own little plan, and he's trying to get people to do that.

It also gets into, like, grievances and employee... Most of these players wind up on television later on. I would assume. Guys, that's a good way to put it, though. Guys who have their own agenda that's not with the coaching and the team's agenda. Yes, and that reminds me of the book that Wes has lent me the... Wait till next year? Yeah.

The dummies guide to how to be a locker room lawyer. Yes, exactly. Wait till next year, a book on the 1987 sports year in New York. And Keith Hernandez is an all-time locker. locker room lawyer known as the Prince of Darkness for the way he went about his business with the media and with the players. Yeah, very fascinating. This is how much sports has changed since I first started following it.

Keith Hernandez, after every game, had a metal bucket full of beers at his knee when the media was interviewing him. He'd just pop open a bud light and start holding court. And depending on what his night plans were, depending on how many beers he put back before he left the locker room, great book. Well, yes, he was smoking cigarettes at the time. William Goldman and Mike Lupica. Anyway, Brandon Lloyd signs a one-year deal with the Niners.

Of course, the Niners are the team that Lloyd came into the league with now a long time ago. He was out of the league last year, was once the leading receiver in football a few years back. I guess 2010 with the Broncos was with the Patriots. Didn't work out there. There were some criticisms of how he behaved in the locker room. at a football now back this doesn't seem to me you want to talk about

if you want to talk a sandwich but I don't know if this guy is going to be on the roster week one well I think we always underestimate how much it takes out of you to be away from football for a year you're not going to come back

in the same shape he was already an aging receiver before he walked away it's funny because they keep asking Jim Harbaugh about Quentin Patton who I think we like in general thought there's a lot potential there and I don't know if maybe they're trying to either push patent or they're concerned

about the fact that patent is not a legitimate number three for some reason because Harbaugh talked him down actually in Orlando and then they go out and they add Lloyd who you'd think this guy will not be on the roster come September but I kind of wouldn't be surprised if he is on the roster because unless they think it's still moved well it depends who they add from here but they're missing types of players when it comes to the receivers I think I I think he's going to be their number three receiver. Why I'll sign him? I know he's got to make the team, but you're right.

I think it speaks to Quentin Patton. If they had faith in Quentin Patton, they don't make this signing. Lloyd isn't your average guy that's been out of the league for a year. He's younger. I think he's 32 now. He's turning 33 in July. Turning 33 in July. So he's getting up there, but it's not like Randy Moss when they signed him also out of the league for a while.

And then they signed him at 35. He's younger. And the last year he was in the league, he had 950 yards. He was a productive player. He was at times that year the best wide receiver on a very good team. He did take a sabbatical to do a zombie movie, so I don't know. I think we like that, right? Well, this would seem to be.

I guess it was a movie. By the way, I just said that Brandon Lloyd was better than Wes Welker by mistake. I take that back. All right. He was never better than West Walker. Is that like a metaphor for his career that he's rising from the dead now? he's undead there you go

well Brandon Lloyd I think Greg's probably right he's probably gonna be a number three receiver because what does Brandon Lloyd do well gets outside the numbers works the sidelines works down the field isn't fast doesn't do anything after the catch but he gets outside the numbers

which the 49ers don't really do but he's also similar to Crabtree and Bold and he's not good after the catch so that's where they're different but they're all good at catching the balls in traffic the catching passes while covered they're not really guys that are going to get past you and get wide

open at all. There was one more item I wanted to touch on. Wes, especially. You are the resident single man in the group. And you're also unaffiliated with any NFL team after your breakup, your bitter breakup of the Bengals. So I want to

roll this by you. The Green Bay Packers not affiliated with the team, but there is a website open for business exclusively for Green Bay Packers fans. And I did some research. on this. We did a post in the around the league blog today. I just want to read some of the

literature from the site. Green Bay Packers fans are the most loyal fans around. Just look at PAC's die-hard fans that tackle the brutally cold winters to storm outside and cheer on the PAC attack. I didn't know that was something that existed. At our site, you could find other Packers

backers, cheeseheads, looking for love whether you're looking for true love, a long-term relationship, or marriage-minded, just looking for fun or maybe even just looking for friendship, doubtful. Green Bay Packerslovers.com is right for you. I think, Wes, you could, if you wanted to, sneak in the back door and be part of this group. My whole life before I moved to L.A., I was staunchly against all dating websites, and I got out here, and Dan's wife, one night at Happy Hour.

Yes, the lovely Emily. Emily signs me up for a local, maybe it's a national dating website. I don't know. It's national. So I get onto this website. I've never had a date off this website or anything. but I've noticed that women are more shallow than men. They have your, this is going to get dangerous.

They have height requirements, financial requirements, racial requirements, all over the board. Like, they have to be this. So my philosophy is, welcome to Los Angeles. Hey, ladies, if you're listening right now, still available. Look, men, people shouldn't be that shallow. And I feel like Men are plenty shallow

The best love is found In unexpected places The views of Chris Wesleyan Are not indicative of the rest of the Around the League podcast Or the NFL media group as a whole What did I say that was bad? No, keep going

That women on dating websites tend to be shallow Anyway, so I think you find love In unexpected places So Packers fans Shouldn't just be looking for other Packers fans Lions fans? He's now...

Jay Date shouldn't be just for Jersey Who's, single black people or whatever that is, shouldn't just be for black people. MeetFarmers.com. Farmers only, shouldn't just be for lonely farmers? I think farmers should stick together. That's one I draw the line there. That passes. It's not just farmers.

It's farmers and people that are fans of the farming lifestyle. Right. Fair? Like people weigh into agriculture. So what I'm saying is I don't believe in exclusivity. Okay, I got you. And you know what? It is interesting in this time of increased tolerance.

that these websites are splintering more as if we're trying to, like, put up these walls that we've broken down. It's a bad sign. It's like news on TV. Republicans have to watch their channel. Democrats have to watch their channel. And the society as whole has no more civil discourse. So you will not be joining this website, is what you're saying. No, I won't.

I'm just glad we have our five-minute sizzle reel for the Peabody Awards this year. We're going to be sending this baby in. How about the Stitchers? I hope you're listening to that, guys, wherever you are. if you actually exist as an entity. All right. So good. I'm glad we got that out of the way

because it's always good to check in on those matters with Wes. Moving on. There's a reason why I'm single. You're a special catch for somebody out there, Wes. Thank you. I think. The AFC North is undergoing change, like all divisions.

Chris Wessling, you wrote up our roster reset, which you could find on the Around the League page at NFL.com backslash ATL. Greg, how you like that? How about NFL.com backslash roster reset? That really would have been the next level way to get right to the source. All right, that's the source. Wes, why did you just give us to start an overview of what's happened in the AFC North since the end of the season?

The AFC North is unique in the conference. Patriots, Broncos, and Colts are clearly head and shoulders above the rest of the teams in their divisions. The Bengals won the AFC North, but they haven't really... really added impact talent, and they've lost both coordinators. The Ravens are much better on offense. The Browns have a new regime, and they have talent in every position except quarterback. The Steelers won six of eight games to close out the season. This isn't anybody can take it if the Browns get a quarterback division.

I agree. I think it's the most intriguing division in the AFC. And you can see the Browns being very competitive. Well, I think you know, if you don't get a quarterback play, no. Here's the team to me that I'm most curious about. And, Wes, you have them at the top of the list, which says, you know, we rank in the division who's improved the most. You have the Ravens at number one. Obviously, won the Super Bowl two seasons ago.

Last season missed the playoffs and some weird things happen. And now you think they're the best team in terms of growth in the last few months. This says a lot more about what they were dealing with last year on offense. Dallas, Clark, Brandon Stokely, and Ed Dixon were so bad that Steve Smith and. Aging Steve Smith, a healthy Dennis Pitta, and I guess I'd admit in Aging Owen Daniels, are a major, major upgrade in the passing game. I would say also that Baltimore quickly found the tools to get a Gary Kubiak-type offense together. I think you're going to see Flacco.

Remember, the opener against the Broncos with Stokely out there and a bunch of nobodies. Black was slow-motion theater. You're not going to see those games this season, I don't believe, from Joe Flacko. I think he's set up to have an improved. They fortified the line, too. It's rare I disagree with Wesleying so much that because I look at Owen Daniels and Steve Smith and I see some, if you're lucky, they'll be okay role players. To me, it's not something that changes anything in a division.

They're guys that you're hoping are the third and fourth best receivers on your team, and they might not be very good. I wouldn't put Steve Smith out to pasture just yet. All right. I think he's been lashed around this offseason, and you know what? What, the guy made plenty of tough catches. As if he wasn't fourth in the NFL and forced miss tackles. The guy can still run after the catch.

Okay. Smith, perhaps. Owen Daniels is, I guess, putting him in there, and that's really the big part of their offseason, these two guys. They re-signed Eugene Monroe, which was big. Well, don't underestimate a healthy Dennis Pitt either. And Daniels is number two. He's not the number one tight end anymore.

Right. Talking about guys that might not make the team, Owen Daniels, I think he could be a very good addition or he could be a total washout. The way John Harbaugh has talked about him for the past week, I'd expect him to be a pretty big addition. Wes, let me ask you one more thing about the Ravens. Ray Rice, obviously coming off a miserable season, an even worse offseason with his legal issues. Do you see the Ravens, obviously it seems like his roster spot is safe, but do you see them maybe using the draft and maybe starting to phase someone else in that becomes their feature guy?

I wouldn't expect him to draft anybody in the first three rounds. And I would think if they're going to ease somebody into the feature guy, it would be Bernard Pierce. And, you know, Breer last night... What happened to Pierce last year? Well, Breer is in Baltimore, and he was talking... He basically reported last night that they added Justin Forsyp, but they're looking to add, along with him, maybe two other running backs,

and that they aren't sure who their starter is yet, that that may come from who they add. Now, that's not free agent market, so I don't know if they're going to draft someone to take carries away from right. I'd expect it to be like fifth rounder. I really don't think that anybody's, they're not going to bring in anybody nearly as good as Bernard Pierce or Ray Rice. By the way, Greg, to answer your question,

Bernard Pierce saw that he was on my top 30 running backs list last year and he crumbled under the pressure. The weight of expectations. Him and Sean Green, right? Wasn't he on that list? Shawnee made the back end of the list as well. Shawnee. Sean, I see another person that likes Sean Green over Chris Johnson.

The Cleveland Browns, Wes, Mark's team, Mark, they are your favorite football team, have been since childhood. That's not really the point of this. But Wes, you think they have also gotten better? Yeah, I think Ben Tate's a major upgrade at running back. They've gotten a couple wide receivers they didn't have last year. Andrew Hawkins is pretty good in the slot.

The defense, I think that's pretty even trade. Carlos Dansby and Dante Whitner for DeQuelle Jackson and T.J. Ward. It seems like Petton wanted to bring in two guys who would help him install his system and play along well. veterans who have been around and can teach the younger guys. So I think they look like a slightly better team. Are you pleased with the off-season, Mark, as a Browns fan? It's B, B-plus, the new regime. I mean, I'm not displeased with it.

I think we nailed it up top, though, that if Brian Hoyer is not, you know, a franchise guy and we've seen nothing, what we've seen is far too limited to really know, that they need to find a quarterback or the story remains the same. We're not going to, we talked about this months and months ago after he heard his knee coming off the strong little run of play he had. There's not going to be a scenario where the Browns actually get behind Hoyer to the point where they don't look at the top of the draft, the quarterback, right? That's not going to happen, isn't it? I think the problem a little bit for any of these teams up in the top seven, eight picks is like you, do you have a quarterback that you pick there that you aren't overvaluing? I don't know the answer.

I just think that it seems like that group of quarterbacks, there isn't that. Andrew Luck guy out there, there isn't the RG3. They're taking a quarterback. There is no... At number four? No, maybe not at number four, but there is no chance that they get out of the first two rounds of this draft. I would say two rounds, maybe three, without taking a quarterback.

They have two first round draft. Right, they have three picks early in the draft. One of those picks is going to a quarterback, right? It'd be a shock. I couldn't agree more, but I think then you land... Then you suddenly have like a Derek Carr as your franchise quarterback, and I'm not... We just don't know what that is.

I mean, there's no doubt. There's a lot of pressure on Kevin, Costner right now. And it's one of those situations. No, I don't know. Last draft day joke ever. What are the odds in a veteran not on this roster? Specifically, Rex Grossman starts week one. I think that's a disaster. I mean, over Brian Hoyer, that would be a disaster. You have a better chance of staying in Tybee, I think. Why would Brian Hoyer coming off an ACL injury seem like a great bet to start week one? I don't see it. I think I think that he has a fan in petting. But if you're, if you, if you talked about someone else maybe Rex Grossman. I understand that he knows

Shanahan's offense, but that's outside of that, what's the upside? I think if you put a Rex Grossman against Brian Hoyer coming off an ACL injury and make it a fair competition, Grossman will look better than Hoyer. Yeah, I would take, I would take Grossman too. The Hoyer thing, the Hoyer thing mystifies me. A guy who was a fourth quarterback that nobody wanted a year ago plays three OK games and then has a torn ACL and you're counting on anything but just competing for a two or three spot. You want to know, Greg?

You want to know what the difference is? And you're looking at him as a guy that couldn't get a snap, obviously, ever in New England. But in Cleveland, three good games in a row. Or Pittsburgh or Arizona. Well, but three good games in a row in Cleveland after what's happened is one of those things that's memorable to that fan base. That's the difference.

But it's dangerous, I think, just because of the sample. Of course it is. And it's a new coach. He wasn't even there last year. But you do see the difference, though. That's why in Cleveland that sticks out a year later. We had three good games in a row. But that's fans thinking.

That's not a team. I'm surprised the team would think that way. Well, you don't know what the team thinks. But that kind of goes back to what we were saying. Like, that's the dangerous thing, that because you've had no success, this guy that was basically a nobody has a little bit success, and then you put too much stock into that just because you've had nothing. They just cut the other two quarterbacks that even had playing. Greg is right.

They're going to draft someone. He's going to be given every chance to compete. Rex Grossman will probably will be on the team a week from now. To answer your question, if he's starting week one, that is ripe territory for you to go all out, as you did last year on Cleveland's group of quarterbacks. You will have a field day. It is an epic disaster if he starts week one. You are a factory of sadness.

Let us... Just digging it in there, Zach. I love when Sessler gets intense. It makes me feel alive. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Chris Wesleying, who, by the way, the pointing, which usually happens at me, was going at you. There was sweeps. What's a disaster!

Sweeps of the right arm toward Wesleying. How would you feel if Rex Grossman was the Jets starter a week? What a disaster! I just caught you. earlier in the pod about Chris Johnson. We've got to deal with this sometimes. What a disaster. I was enjoying to get you worked up.

I really think it's a possibility. Wes is a man without a country. Greg has known nothing but glory for the past 15 years. They don't know what it's like, but I know what it's like, Mark. Wes, Pittsburgh Steelers. I know you do. Pittsburgh Steelers, and Greg did before long ago, he knew as well. The Pittsburgh Steelers, the youth movement, is it finally on?

I think it is. I think we've seen them release some guys. and Greg and I talked about this in the newsroom yesterday I think the guys they've lost aren't that great they're just average starters that's who Lamar Woodley's been the last three years that's who Emmanuel Sanders is that's who Ryan Clark is now

Jericho Kotri these guys aren't hard to replace so I think they're fine with the youth movement and I think really this draft for them is as important as any draft for any team they need a big physical wide receiver and a guy who can come in and be their number one quarter cornerback is Todd Haley and Ben Rathesberger

and an offensive line that, in theory, has some talent to it to own this division. They have the most continuity of any group in this division. They're the only team that has the same offensive coordinator as a year ago, right? I mean, Kubiak, to me, is a big upgrade in Baltimore, so that's a plus. But they have continuity.

They need this offense to be great, because when you look at the defense, it's not that exciting. And the guys they add this offseason, Mike Mitchell is the headlong. liner of their free agent crop. One thing to note on their offensive line, when they move Kelvin Beecham to left tackle over the last eight

games of the season, they give only seven sacks in eight games. That's a major, major upgrade. So they have solidified their offensive line. And rare consistency, because that line, you know, and also look at who's the coach of that line now. That is a huge upgrade for Pittsburgh. And Marquise Pounce, he missed the entire season.

He's coming back. One thing about Pittsburgh where I think they pulled something away from what Baltimore would have liked to do, LaGarrett Blunt. I think that's a nice addition for Pittsburgh to pair with Bell. That would have been a great fit for the Ravens and that's stealing from your rival

right there in my opinion. They should have the best offense in the division by far. And plus they add my boy Lance Moore. What a weird free agent crop. Not that I expect Lance Moore to be that great but Moore, Mike Mitchell, Darius Hayward Bay, and Lagart Blunt.

That's a motley crew. It's weird that they sign anyone because they never do that. That's like high-level acquisitions for the Steelers. It's kind of a typical Steelers thing. They usually go for below-average starters at discount rates. Finally, the Cincinnati Bengals, Wes, you wrote it very well, I thought. It was a nice turn of phrase that the franchise's unprecedented streak of three straight playoff appearances led to a, quote, brain drain with offensive coordinator Jay Gruden and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, each landing head coaching jobs elsewhere.

Now it's Hugh Jackson and Paul Gunther. They're asked to take the lead, and you think that's going to be. a major issue for the team. Well, Zimmer particularly, I thought he was for the last few years the best assistant coach in the NFL. I mean, he's been spectacular as their defensive boss. I don't

think that losing Jay Gruden, if you're promoting Hugh Jackson is a big loss. Jay Gruden's fine. I just think Hugh Jackson's really good and has been underappreciated himself. I'd almost call Jackson an upgrade because of what we've seen. A, he's a good play caller, and I think we talked about this on the last podcast,

but he's kind of talking about getting Andy Dalton back to what Andy Dalton is. I like that. I think this is an upgrade for the Bengals. Not on defense, though. I totally agree because the passing game, we've seen it. And we've seen what Jackson has done in his previous spots.

I'm more optimistic about their offense, and I'm much less optimistic about their defense now than a year ago. Okay, Wes, and what is the loss of Michael Johnson to this team? He's been one of their best pass rushers. I guess they're counting on three guys coming back from injuries. Gino Atkins, Leon Hall, and a guy I really like, Emmanuel Lemur,

who is a speedy, rangy linebacker who's going to take James Harrison's spot. With these three guys coming back, maybe they can make up for the Harrison loss and the Michael Johnson loss. Aren't the Bengals just due to slide back to the pack? Well, it's overdue. Well, historically, yes, they're always due to slide back to the pack. But just even as a... Any team that makes the playoffs three straight years as the 11th or 12th best playoff team

and doesn't win a game. It just, they just feel ripe for a six and ten. The first Saturday of the playoffs won't be the same without them. All right, so that is the AFC North. We will conclude our series on Friday. What's left? We have one more. We've got the NFC North on Friday,

and we're also going to give you our winners and losers from the whole shebang. It will be an overview, a shebang situation. Wes, you will not be there, and we will be hurting without you. We know where to contact. Yeah, we will. We're going to touch base.

We did, of course, during the season, famously, for our listeners anyway, call Wes at his local establishment. What is it called? Huckapoo's. Oh. Huckapoooooooo's Bar in Tybee Island. We called up the bar and got Wes on the phone at some state. We're going to do that again. Maybe.

You don't know. And you'll never know. We're going to call whenever. We're just going to assume you're at the bar, though. Fair. You better come back to us. Yeah, 8% chance West does not come back. Let's hope that the odds are with us.

Patra's in Chicago being like, don't come back. Don't come back. I'm getting that chair. All right, Wes, well, enjoy your time and definitely come back to us. We will be back on Friday, as I said. Signing off, this is Dan Hansis, for the mailman, the boss, the sizzler, and the gold standard behind the glass. See it.

It was like a little... Yeah, like, wow. Hey everybody, Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move to Six, we take you inside the game from breaking down college prospects and NFL rookies to evaluating team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. We study the tape, talk to decision makers, and give you a perspective you won't find anywhere else. It's everything you need to understand.

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