NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - NFL ATL: DeSean landing spots, winners and losers

Episode Date: March 28, 2014

A room full of heroes -- Gregg Rosenthal, Marc Sessler, Chris Wesseling and Kevin Patra -- breaks down the latest turn in the offseason saga of DeSean Jackson and puts some sandwiches on the line with regards to where they think the recently released receiver will land.  Elsewhere, the gang sifts through the frenzied reactions to Johnny Manziel’s pro day performance and goes over this week’s biggest winners and losers.Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comNFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. The Around the League podcast. Keeps sandwich shops in business. Welcome to another edition of the Around the League podcast. I'm Greg Rosenthal sitting here for Dan Hansis. I'm alongside Chris Wessling, Mark Sessler, and Kevin Patra. Very emphatic. What's happening?

Happy Friday, Boss, The Boss. I wanted to make sure I brought the same energy that Dan brings to the top of the show. That's a veteran move. You just sunk Wes's consistent opener, though. Oh, that you did. That's all right. It's only meant for Dan. It would be weird if he said hi, Dan, too, to Mark.

You don't want to say hi to me? You didn't say, What Up Boys. I'm just happy. I didn't have to sit there silently like I normally do because I know What Up Boys is a rhetorical question that really should have no answer. There is no answer. You're saying you're more logical host than Dan. I would not say that, but let's stop with the chit chat this time

because we've got a big NFL story that dropped a bomb on us in the newsroom just a couple hours ago. We thought we were going to have to stretch and make up some crazy segments for this show, but we don't have to because we've got big news. We're going to talk to Sean Jackson getting cut by the Eagles first, talk about some potential landing spots. We'll go into the news, and then we'll wrap up the show just with a quick some winners and losers from this week.

But let's start with Deshawn Jackson. We didn't think it would happen this soon, did we? Why did the Eagles let go of Deshawn Jackson, and why did it happen now, Chris Wessling? Well, I think they realized nobody was giving anything in a trade once the rest of the 31 teams knew that they were going to release him anyway, so why give anything up? And then obviously, well, not obviously,

but we can surmise that whatever personality class he had with Chip Kelly or missing meetings, whatever was going on off the field, asking for more money, the Eagles decided wasn't worth what he was doing on the field. So that's why. I would say that the timing of coming out of the week we just were at the NFL annual meeting where whoever's going to help finesse and grease a trade had every chance to talk with every possible person you could at length, nothing came out of that and like clockwork he's gone and for all the reasons that

the west just mentioned do we think the fact that an article was released today on nj.com that basically detailed some of the off-field concerns the eagles had about deshawn jackson including his inconsistent work ethic bad attitude missed some meetings they referred to some possible connections with his friends and to gang members. Do we think it's a coincidence that this article comes out today and he gets released later that day? I don't think so. I think this is an inevitable thing that was going to happen. I don't think that it – I mean, do we think that it sped up the process,

somebody reporting that he might have been a member of a gang or had gang affiliates? I don't think, though, I think this is – it was Eagles that already made up their mind to release him. And I think what Chris said earlier that they didn't find a trade partner and they had no, that might as well do it now, why let it linger into the off season? It's disheartening

to me that this ruse that professional sports teams have been perpetrating on the American public for... Wow! For hundreds of years. I mean, over a century, when we cut ties with a player, we have to pull the wool over the public's eyes

and give them a reason why we're doing it. The same thing, the Panthers, a report leaks on the same day they release Steve Smith that says he was a distraction, despite over a decade of reports saying he was a team leader. These things just, it's disappointing to me that teams feel like they have to do this, and they don't have to. Just to release the guy, stand by why you released him, and if the fans can't deal with it, they're still going to turn out because you have an NFL team. What's more valuable than that? On the Jackson front, though, outside of some of the more detailed reports of the gang connection.

And that was lower in the report. But we've been writing about Deshaun Jackson for weeks, and the narrative that he's not a great fit for Chip Kelly's team building operation is not an alien thought to us. We've known this for ages, and I think that's, along with his salary, something that made him a tough sell for a big chunk of teams that might be interested. Whether or not it's founded, by the way, has never been arrested, has never really done something. Well, but he's been painted that way, which if you're Deshaun Jackson and his camp has to be annoying, I think. It's not going to stop teams from going after him, and that we'll get

into in a minute. Who could? I mean, whatever concerns we're talking about, there are a lot of NFL players who have had way bigger problems with the law or off-the-field stuff that are making a lot of money. You know, the teams are, they'll sign them. Teams aren't going to just get rid of a player with his talent just because of red flags. There was those off-to-field things. There was more going on in the background. Chip Kelly, I think, has faith that his offense can move on from and be successful without Deshawn Jackson, and they have pieces that they believe that can fill those

receptions. It's nice to have Kevin Patrick in the studio. It is. It is. It's such a woolly, manly beard here, too. I mean, it just adds a level of grovety toss. Somebody has to, Greg. Somebody has to.

He's brought the lavender shirt to the mix. Is that lavender or a purpleish? Yeah. I'm not great with colors. We're in L.A. It's like the only city you can wear a purple shirt. That's an off-field concern right there, that shirt. Yeah. Just don't cut me.

The thing with Jackson, though, is he's coming off a 1,332-yard season with nine touchdowns. That is the best season of his career. And you can make, I would argue, he's not a true number one receiver in the sense that he's not a top-10 NFL receiver. Because he has a little more limited. of a skill set, but he's a great vertical threat, and it's not that crazy to pay him $10 million, and he's coming off a great season.

So what's going on? He's uniquely talented. They have tons of cap room. They have tons of cap room. That's not the issue. And the production is not the issue. So there is something going on here. Right. I think that's what we talked about a few minutes ago. We can't say what

it is because we're not there, but the reports are he and Chip Kelly don't get along. Chip Kelly wants to establish a culture that Jackson doesn't fit in. And, you know, I think Chip Kelly's the kind of guy that believes in his offense, not the players. And it's not just Chip Kelly sitting in a room by himself pulling a trigger. This is Howie Roseman.

This is the owner. You know, they gave this guy a fat contract, and there's the report out there that he came back two years later and asked for more. And it's maybe a conversation the Eagles had in general because, hey, don't tell me that Chip Kelly didn't have players at Oregon that didn't have sketchy pass. or sketchy current lifestyles. Yeah, I don't think it's about the past as much as his actions within the building, how they feel like if he's missed meetings or his leadership or whatever issues they have

when they're actually face-to-face with them. Do we think the Eagles' offense takes a significant hit here, Patrick? Well, I think we have to see what do in the draft, who's healthy. I mean, Darren Sproles in that offense, I think, is an interesting piece that he can move all over. That's the kind of player he had at Oregon, maybe a little older, but he moved all the way around. I don't think a significant drop-off, no, because I also think that Nick Foles will get better over the course of the year. All you hear is that it's a super deep draft for wide receivers.

The one thing about D-Jax, it's one thing that it would have been more... He's good, though. Well, he is, and his yardage from weeks one through eight was about 600-something yards, and he doubled it in down the stretch. He didn't fall off a cliff, and he wasn't replaced by someone else. They do have Macklin back. I think that's a big part of why they were able to consider. are doing this. He wasn't targeted as much by Foles at the end of the year as he was in the beginning of the year. We have deproduction did say that he wasn't targeted as much. The player

closest to him in the NFL got a five-year $60 million contract last year, Mike Wallace. These are two guys with about 433, 435 speed who can get down the field and blow the top off a defense. They're valuable. And I'd take Jackson over Wallace. I think he's a smarter player, like just in terms of how he gets open. He has seemed more motivated the past two years than Mike Wallace has. I wouldn't be shocked, honestly, with this thing that gets published in two hours, that by the time people are clicking into this tonight, he already is on a new team. Oh, no. So what would we do then? Well, we would, I don't know, we would probably all come back in here at midnight and refashion a show about Clay Harbor. What if? I'll call in,

I'll call him from that bar I'm in Chicago. We could just replace Deshaun's name in this. I think one of us is going to nail his landing spot, and so that'll make one of us look very smart. I do worry about the Eagles that we're just assuming Chip Kelly can solve everything. Jeremy Macklin and Raleigh Cooper, not a really exciting starting wide receiver do it. But let's talk about where Jackson could land, like you mentioned. And let's bring back one of our favorite games that was such a big hit. Go get my sandwich. You know what's next, it's implied.

Let's pick landing spots. And if any one of us in the room gets the right to. team, the other three gentlemen in the room have to go get them a delicious high-octane sandwich. Am I going to have to fly in to get you that sandwich? We'll have to, that's a good... I better just win, right? Go get me my Deshawn Jackson, high-octane, elaborate sandwich, Kevin Patrick.

We might have to wait for the time when Patrick comes back in to cash in if you, you know, win. Or either way, you're going to have to, when you come back to L.A., you'll have to get us some sandwiches. Goldman, Zach. The gold standard is behind the glass. You could jump in on this if you want, but you have to have the fifth draft pick

and give us the sandwich. So you take that challenge? I mean, I already know one of these picks, and it's my pick, but I'll hop in. Wow. Nobody else is taking the Titans yet. I'm just impressed if you can, if you know five NFL teams,

you're going to have to do some Googling. Here we go. Wow, that's a backhanded compliment. Let's start with Wesley. I'm going. with the team that was in the original Deshawn Jackson report as already having made inquiries. Deshaun Jackson went to college at Cal

which just happens to be very close to the San Francisco 49ers. Jim Harbaugh said this week, I'm looking for a third guy who can get open and make plays, a guy who can attack all areas of the field, a playmaker. That's what we're looking for. Deshawn Jackson's that guy. It's perfect for that offense. They need a speed guy.

They said publicly, Trent Balky, that they weren't interested in trading for Deshaun Jackson. I like how Trent Balki went about his denial. He said, as of this moment, those reports are false. Well, they weren't interested in trading for him. Ian Rapport reported that, and no team was. That's obvious. That's why they got cut, but this changes things. Now that he's free, man, he makes a lot of sense.

And they have salary cap issues, but you can arrange his contract now to fit that. And they don't have to get an extension done with Kaepernick. They can pay him less than a million this year and do it next year. Sassler. I like that. I'm going to go Kansas City Chiefs. Two reasons. Well, one, I think their interest is legitimate.

We heard even before we came up here into Studio 66 that there is some feelers coming from the Kansas City area. But big piece for me, because that's an organization that doesn't go out of its way to sign total headcases. And I think that Reed, though, already can go to his owner. and that front office and say, I can vouch for this guy. I've worked with him, and he has. And that takes a big chunk of the risk away. It also fits a big need on that offense.

It would give the Chiefs, it's something they did not have on any level last season. Like you guys say, is a unique playmaker. They can go to that in the draft, but they can go somewhere else in the draft if they do get this. They don't have a ton of space, but they, like you said,

the good teams find a way to get this done. Kansas City. Andy Reid was thanked by D. Jackson, his statement. His name was spelled incorrectly. They can get over that. I guarantee D. Jacks didn't type that thing out. It's not his fault. I like that he's also a good Donnie Avery.

Right. You could tell that like Andy Reid was trying to get a poor man to Sean Jackson last year. Replacing Donnie Avery with Deshaun Jackson is like replacing Sessler's goate with Patra's beard. I mean, it is a major step out. I put no effort. This is just because lazy, you know, this isn't, I'm not trying to make a major statement with my goatee. I thought that was letting your beatnik flag fly. A little bit of that too.

I like it because Sessler is not. You can't compare a goatee to a all-out woodsman's beard. Exactly. You're trying to do something different with your face. That's why your goatee may or may not make the roster this year. But Patrick, gave him some money. Long-term contract. I like that.

Your big Nick Gotee is Don't even. I'll be Jackson. I'll be to Sean all day. Well, you are going on vacation next week, so I think it's in preparation for just letting it go. All right. Reed did say at the owner's meetings, he has nothing but good things to say about Deshawn Jackson.

He drafted him. He had a great relationship with him that he's experienced life things. So it makes all the sense in the world. If I'm going to lose a sandwich, I have a feeling it's the mark. But Patrick, you can still try. Yeah, oh, I'll try, all right. I'm going to give him, Jesse, I'm going to give him to the New York Jets. I think it makes sense.

Woody Johnson's already on the record saying they wanted him. They didn't want to trade for him, but they were extremely interested. Whenever your owner is willing to, in my world, tamper, he was still part of the Eagles at the time. He said that. There's certainly interesting. They have the money. They certainly have a need next to Decker. that would be a good fit there, I think.

He has familiarity with Vic is already on the roster. Maybe he's not the starter yet, but he has familiarity there. He has familiarity with Mornwegg. So, I mean, I think it makes a lot of sense. They can afford to do it. One big issue. All right. The glacial, John Itsick, is currently in central Iowa at a 10-day raw foods retreat.

Doesn't even know that free agency is still intact. Rex waking him up right now. Rex is running to his door. John Igit calls Deshaun Jackson's agent 24 hours after he has signed with another team. Big issue. Not big enough. Not when the owner's on records saying he wants it. We're due for a Woody Johnson fingerprint's move.

I mean, these moves tend to happen every couple years in New York when they need a big splash. Brett Favre, yeah, I'm sure that was Eric Mangini's idea. Really wanted to bring that into the mix. Tim Teabobb, hey, what the heck? He makes all the sense in the world. I like it, Patrick. Not bad. I'm going with the Raiders.

Another Bay Area team. And the biggest reason why is that they are the team most likely to give Deshawn Jackson that number one wide receiver money that Deshawn Jackson wants. The same sort of contract he got from the Eagles,

the Raiders could go get him. It always comes down to money with you. It's a big factor in the NFL free agency. It didn't matter. You're such a cynic. Well, I mean, I threw this out there that Jackson actually might be a little too young for Reggie McKenzie. He wants more 32, 33-year-old. Jason Avant might be more his style.

But it would be a great fit, right? Why not? You've correctly foreseen a time when McKenzie signs D.Jax to play with Oakland in 2019. I love the idea of Deshaun Jackson running a go-rout, 70 yards downfield, and Matt Schaub, dumping off the market. Marcel Rees. Yeah. That is so realistic. That is a problem, but I love my pick.

And we're going to give the gold standard the scraps. You got to pick another team. You got to pick it now. I read the tea leaves. He's going to the Seattle Seahawks. Wow. I see Pete Carroll as a proselytizing healing figure. He wants this guy.

I like it. That sounds like a Sessler. Oh, yeah, I'll throw that one in. That sounds good to me. Yeah, no, it just feels. feels right to me, guys. We're asking a lot of the gold standards to stop in mid-conversation

and then do some heavy-level projection. Can you imagine him in that offense along with, you know who? Is Deshaun Jackson kind of a low-grade facsimile, a more physically weak facsimile of Percy Harvard? No, I think they're different because Jackson is really that vertical guy, not that Percy Arvin can't get vertical,

but you can do anything with him. He's a tough guy running over people in the backfield and the slot. If they did that and then we talked to John Snyder in Orlando and he said they're still interested in Finley, they're just waiting and out. That offense completely different from what we saw. Just give him the Lombardy trip. I'm telling you.

Don't even play the season. Interesting, Gold Standard. The Seahawks have been tied in some shaky-looking national reports tying them to Deshawn Jackson, so it's not that crazy. They don't have a ton of, of cap room, but Pete Carroll did try to recruit Deshaun Jackson to USC. The Seahawks and 49ers are kind of like 10-year-old girls.

If one gets a pony, the other one needs one too. In this case, there's only one pony. Good job, Gold Standard jumping in there. Thanks. Appreciate that. All right, well, let's wrap up this Deshaun talk, and let's get to the rest of the news in the NFL. All right. Let's start with Maurice Jones-Drew.

We thought this would be leading off the show, joining the Oakland Raiders on a three-year contract. Good move or not, Chris Wesleyan. I like him as a bounceback candidate, you know, reading about him. He looks slimmer this year. I don't know. I want to see him on a contender. I want to see him on a rebuilding team.

To me, that doesn't make any sense. I agree. I had a weird feeling that he was going to end up with someone like Sam Francisco or some team where they could use them in the right role. And he would have been an interesting addition. The Raiders backfield with MJD and McFadden, you got Reese in there. I like Reese probably more than any of them, frankly. It's a strange move. And it completely backs Greg's concept that we're going to sign players just a tad after they have done their damage. Surprising that he would move to another team that really he didn't go to a contender.

I thought that maybe he would sign with somebody like the Steelers where he would. might not have as big of a role, but they can go and be in the playoffs next year. I mean, he didn't make much money, a ton of money on this deal as it is. So I'm kind of surprised that he went to another team where he's not going to win again. Probably the best deal he was offered, though. What does it probably come down to? Well, in the best chance to actually become a starter if you want to factor in McFadden's lack of durability. And if you go to Pittsburgh, you're not touching, you're not taking anything away from Levi-on-Bell.

So maybe that was part of his decision-making. Who gets more carries next season? McFadden or Jones Drew? I think Jones Drew does. I think he's a better runner right now. I think Jones Drew just because of McFadden's inability to stay healthy. I'll go Reese. Nice.

This is tough for Wessling because he's been irrationally backing Darren McFadden for many years. And oddly is jumping on the Jones Drew bandwagon this year. Neither this gives are irrational. When Wesleyan is bringing out, he's in the greatest shape, of his life as the best... Wait, hold on. I never said that. He said slim down. I didn't say the greatest shape of his life.

No, I don't think his legs are in the greatest shape of his life. Jones Drew was not a good runner last year, especially in the open field. Usually when you're that old, you don't bounce back. They didn't have a good up. They have a brilliant backfield in 2009. Yes, they do. It did work, though, when they signed the Jacksonville to Oakland backfield move worked very well for them. Next year, you know, last year they had Rashad Jennings.

This year, Jones, Drew, next year, Jordan Toddman. Yeah. Little Jordan Todman joke for you. Mid-season Toby Gerhardt trade. Crickets. All right. Let's talk about Mark Sanchez, Chris Wesleyan's third favorite player in the league behind McFadden and Jones Drew.

Philadelphia signed him as a backup. Championship move? Or not? I argued in the newsroom we shouldn't even bring up Mark Sanchez because he doesn't matter in the NFL. hell anymore? Yeah. So we should just move on, is what you're saying?

That's lame. I'm just saying that. We talked about Ryan Fitzpatrick. We talked about lots of backup quarterback. He's a backup quarterback. He's not good enough to start for anyone, so that's why he's with the eagle. It's interesting that he would sign there where he clearly, I mean, Foles is, I don't see him getting hurt next year. I don't see Sanchez ever getting better than him.

It's like he plays the way like Vic would play, where I could, you know, sense that he would get hurt every five minutes. Mark assumes every player is going to get out. I mean, it's a part of the game. It is a contact sport. I think it's interesting for Sanchez said he would go there where he's clearly going to be back up for just one, signed just one year. I mean, clearly I feel like he thinks he wants to do kind of what Foles did and learn quickly under Chip Kelly. Maybe he gets better. I don't see that offense as a great fit for him.

I don't know where he was going to go and legitimately be a starter outside of one or two teams. The Raiders went off the board with Schaub. Cleveland needs a starter, but I think they would prefer Hoyer over. Sanchez. This to me is the parallel of Chip Kelly saying I'm going to bring in a coach who is about as vanilla and off the radar and potentially not going to be a head coach again in Pat Schumer and re-engineer his entire career. This is good for Sanchez to go get some good coaching. I'm not sure. Morning Weg is a good coach, but he's had so many different coordinators, so many different systems. Let's go see. Tuck him away. I agree with Wes. He's not a factor in the National Football League this year, barring injury. And we don't need to talk about him. until next year when he's going to be on the free agent market again. He's the backup on a division favorite team. The odds are in favor that Mark Sanchez will start a very meaningful game. But he is the perfect kind of player that we forget, not necessarily you or you or you,

but in this time of year that this was a disastrous quarterback when he played last. He is not the guy, unless you're going to have him hand the ball off in 2009 400 times. This guy is not a guy you can trust. my unwillingness to talk about Mark Sanchez isn't because I don't think he will get into a game and play meaningful minutes it's a complete reaction to all of the media jumping on board the Mark Sanchez circus

that every time he sneezed we had to report it this is my reaction to that but I agree it's smart it's smart by him to sign with the Eagles where else can he go and if he gets five starts rebuild his value where better than Phil I think he has a great career in front of him

as a very good backup that is sort of comfortable in that role and helpful to the other starter and you'd be good at that although you listen to his press coverage he kind of made it sound like you know he saw Philadelphia as an opportunity and it's not the most established quarterback in the world it's not yeah he did say that he wanted to start but he also said you know he's talked to to Foles

they have the same agent and you know he's not he knows He knows coming in that he's the clear backup, that there is not going to be a competition that he's only going to play if Foles gets hurt. Essentially, that's what I took it. Nick Foles can look like Johnny Unitas, Mark Sanchez can look pretty good too. And one other system that I think would have been a fit,

and I killed myself when I didn't add him to our potential landing spots, was Mark Tressman and the Bears, because they don't have a backup. Cutler hasn't had a full season since, what, 2009? And that would have been a chance where he would. would have gotten great coaching too, but that's also true in Philly. Maybe it's not just Seattle and San Francisco trying to top each other. Maybe Chip Kelly saw what Jim Harbaugh did with Blaine Gabbard, and he said, I'm going to

top you. If I can turn Mark Sanchez around, I'll have long-term contracts for the rest of my life in the NFL. Well, we're still waiting to see what anyone does with Blaine Gabbitt other than trade him. Well, they're raising the difficulty level. Like, you don't think I can do this? I'm going to turn around. I think Chip Kelly is interesting to think about it from that angle because he came in with this, everyone said when he signed with the Eagles that he needed a running quarterback like a la Vic.

And he had that. And now look at his three quarterbacks. I mean, none of them are going to blow you away on a 40 time. Not to mention J.G. Kinney also on the roster. You're right. That is a... It's a very slow group of passers. It's a relatively slow.

Sanchez is the most athletic of the three of them, so that's not a good sign. All pack 12 guys, too, interestingly enough. Speaking of unathletic guys, Vince, Wilfork signed a new contract with the Patriots, did not get released in the end. It amounts to a one-year, $8 million contract, but it's signed as a three-year deal. Do we still have any hope that Vince Wilfork's going to be an impact player coming off in Achilles' tendon? Is this a Patriots-like move to pay a guy that age coming off in Achilles tendon $8 million this year? Let's start with not letting you slip by unathletic.

with Vince Wilfork and this guy could dunk a basketball. That's fair. I take it back. He's not just King Kong Bundy just rolling out of bed. I mean, this is a... That's true. I'm sorry. I love Vince Wilfork's one of my favorite players of the last 10 years, so I apologize to him

and his wife. In the whole family, really. They must think so. At the owner's meeting, when Greg dispatched me to go and get a quote from an owner on a rather serious matter, I was trying to get Robert Kraft. And the Patriots PR guy, Stacy James,

had me standing somewhere about five feet away from Kraft, who suddenly took a phone call, and it was very clear to me that he was talking about Wilfork with someone attached to Wilfork. And Stacey James walked up, because there's no one else around. He said, excuse me, can you go stand 20 feet over that way? And I'll bring Mr. Kraft to you when he's done. And I knew something was going down and then bang.

Kraft spoke glowingly about how he was hoping and desperate, and that Will Fork was one of his favorite players. So at the end of the day, when the owner is talking that way, maybe the $8 million comes from there. If this was 10 years ago, there's no way he gets that money because that's how far Achilles surgery has come in the last 10 years. It used to be a death knell for any player, especially a player at an important position

where you need the leverage like nose tackle. But the last five years especially, starting with Demarius Thomas bouncing back to an all-pro level receiver, You've seen like Terrell Suggs came back in six months A few other players have come back And Crabtree came back So I don't think I don't think it's impossible to believe

That Will Fork can come back and play at a high level On the Eagles front They must have the same confidence in Macklin Coming off major knee surgery as well Right I don't think this is a move The Patriots would have made 10 years ago Because they didn't make sentimental moves

10 years ago And there is just a little bit of Hey this has been our guy he is next to Tom Brady exactly what we want to put forward as a New England Patriot we're going to have dead money anyways on like maybe we can work out some

I do think maybe ownership got involved or whatever it was they worked out the type of move that this has been our guy let's try to keep them around it's nice to see as a Patriots fan for once does this prevent them from having the ability to go get Deshaun Jackson they have cap issues

it actually saves money for them against the cap compared to where they were, I think they're a long shot to get Deshawn Jackson with Amandola there, and they're really kind of packed at the wide receiver position, don't have a lot of money. And they have no defensive tackles. The other defensive tackles

on their team are Tommy Kelly, who may or may not make the team, Armand Armstead, who's never really played in the NFL coming from Canada, and Chris Jones. I mean, it's a bad position, so they kind of have to keep... The Esquire writer? Wow. Esquire writer effort. I mean,

it's nice that you know him. If he's happened to be listening, a little shout-out. From Toronto. I'm going to do something we almost never do on the Around the League podcast. I'm going to break some news to you guys. While we've been up here taping, Lagaret Blunt has signed or agreed to a contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mike Tomlin talked about how they wanted to get a veteran presence back there. I think he actually works really well with Bell in that backfield.

He can be the third down sledgehammer goal line player that they didn't really use. Seems like a Steelers kind of back, right? Absolutely. You groaned, Mark Sessler. Why was that? That was just the little quiet Browns fan voice. Because I like Blunt and I thought that of the few teams where if he weren't in New England could go and be productive and be used, well, Pittsburgh's definitely one of them.

Perfect. Back when I used to root for the Bengals, I have all these memories of big backs like Bam Morris, just salting away fourth quarter leads, give the ball to Bettis, give the ball to Bam Morris. Walter Amber Cromby. And Blunt's going to fill that role, like he's your four-minute back. Not a team that likes to go on the free agent market and do much, but this made sense for them. Right. And you don't see many backup running backs that don't catch the ball, but it works out perfectly for them because Levy and Bell, I spoke with Mike Tomlin at the annual meeting, and he said, I see him as an every down, you know, 300 plus carry touch.

kind of guy. That's who he is. He's a workhorse. He did it in college. He can do it again. So Blunt in this specialized role behind him, it's nice. Levyon Bell, last of a dying breed. Three down back. Snap them up in your fantasy leagues. Wait until Blunt is announced that he signed a two-year $18 deal.

Because that's the market for running backs right now. It is. I wrote an article last night. The top six highest paid punters in the league will make more money this year on average than all of the running backs average on the open market this year. From free agency. Everyone check that out.

It was a really good piece. It's up on the site. Just Google punters, running backs, and Chris Wesleyan, and you'll find it. Well, I guess I didn't follow up on this, but the next logical step is when do we start seeing running backs don't get drafted until the fifth round? Because punters and kickers don't get drafted until the fifth round. They got it. You still need running backs. So they'll still go in the second, the third.

By the way, one of your favorites, and we won't belabor this point, though. Another move happened while we were up here. The guy that Chris had overrated more than any on our top 100. Pat Sims has re-signed with the Raiders. He's only overrated if he doesn't play well. Is it bad that that's my favorite Raiders move of the offseason? Bad for the Raiders. Let's talk a little number one pick of the NFL draft rumors.

Mark, you wrote a piece today about the Texans and their possible interest in moving from that number one pick. This came across the wire earlier in the day that Dan Pompei, who we saw wandering up and down the hallway of the Ritz talking to a lot of people last this week about obviously the draft came up with a report that the Texans are trying very hard to trade down that the bills are one team that is willing to go up to number one. Now John McLean shot it down and he's a plugged in dude

so we'll have to see what happens. but nothing surprises me that the Texans might want to get out of that number one spot to, a, if they're, A, if they're looking for a quarterback to not over-draft someone at number one, but the bills, Wesley and heard Doug Marone say, anything goes at quarterback, right? But then this week, at the combine, he said that this week, a month later, the GM says Buffalo is all in on E.J. Manuel. So they're all in if they're at number nine and the guy they want is gone. but if they move up to number one, who could it be for other than a quarterback

unless you're going to overvalue a Kaleel Mack at number one or you're going to go with one of the Clowning. Pousy. Obviously you did not pay attention when you watch Drafts Day. I could see it be Clowny, but I don't know. Number one for Clowny, I guess you put him with Mario Williams.

I mean, he would work really well at Schwartz's defense, by the way, that four three that is going to want. That would be the perfect pass rusher for him. I think you're right in that the Texans, it's not a surprise that they want to move back. I think with the depth in this draft, I think pretty much everyone's looking to move back.

The Rams are going to, if the Rams pick at number two, I would be shocked. If the bills drafted Clowny, they would have the best defensive line in the NFL. I think he. Mario Williams, Marcel Darius, Kyle Williams, and Clowny, that would be. I completely agree, but here's the issue. If you're Doug Marone and these coaches don't have seven years to sit around and build their team, Buffalo is a team that you could look at and say they are ready to win now. except for quarterback.

But he's, they looked, maybe they had some interest in some free agent quarterbacks or whatever, but they didn't do anything about it. And now they're not only sticking with manual, they're saying Thad Lewis is the guy they're confident as their backup. So that's it.

They're stuck there. These are the types of reports that we're going to see a lot over the next six weeks. And I don't put too much stock into any of them. They're speculative. They'll go back and forth. I think, of course,

the Texans are trying to trade the one pick if they can get the right offer because no one seems to be convinced that they're going to take a quarterback there or that any quarterback is worth taking number one. And Clowny, it's easy to sort of forget because a lot of negatives have come up about him. You know, he's arguably the most talented player of the last three or four drafts. So he's a guy you would trade up for. Let's stick on college football.

You know, we don't do a lot of college football around here, but we're getting into the drafts. I mean, NFL draft. I mean, we got to start getting into it. It's coming up. Johnny Mansell, Pro Day, this week, apparently did his job, did it like no one else's done it. As a Brown's fan, Mark Sessler, who might have the chance to take Johnny football. Your thoughts?

I mean, I guess the Pro Day, you keep hearing that it's overrated, it means nothing. It's in this sterile, perfect environment. but it kind of, I found it a little bizarre that everyone, even some of our own analysts on the network, admitted that they're just like a Johnny Mansell fanboy at this time after what they saw at the Pro Day, which I guess what happened to looking at the game tape that other people say is so damning

that there's no way you can take them. Number one, I haven't watched that tape, so I can't really comment. I think something like the Brown's getting questioned for why they didn't send somebody, there even though they said they weren't going and already said that they would have a private workout with the quarterback. Why does it matter whether they sent somebody or not? I agree with Mark on the sense that we're told that these don't matter that much. These don't matter that

much. And then the same people who have been saying that freak out when Teddy Bridgewater doesn't do well. Or go the opposite way when Johnny football does really well. The only thing the thing I took most away from yesterday because it was interesting that he did it in pads and helmets but not that it's the way he kind of presented himself like he gathered all the media around him before and the you know whoever was there and gave a little speech and he had a mix tape and then after the after the way he you know he was kind of like he was he was very self-confident but not like boastful after with the media so i think those aspects of it are interesting whereas because he gets so much attention off the field so i think that was important for him

whereas the stuff that he actually threw the ball i i don't think that matters as much as this tape does. I am buying in, not on him being a great player, but I just like the fact that he's coming. I like the fact that he's got this Joe Namath sort of, I don't care what every other pro day is going to do. I'm going to make my own mixtape and the Bush family is going to come out and the whole pro day is going to stop for that.

I mean, that's great. It's great for us. Great football. Why not? Be interesting. I like the Broadway Joe comparison. And I think pro day. He's a charm, too.

Pro days mean nothing, and whether the Browns were there or not means even less than nothing. Oh, yeah. I don't know. To me, I know people who follow the draft get all worked up about this kind of stuff, and I just, it doesn't even get on my radar. Right. All these teams are working them out privately. Which do you think matters?

The choreographed pro day, you know, charade in front of everyone. Or the fact that you've got them in your building, you can ask them to do a million different specific things and get them on the board and interview. I mean, that's obviously going to matter much more. media is not at that. I'm excited for the Johnny football NFL era. And I think Greg said it well. I mean, it's like no matter what or where he goes in the draft, it is going to be one of the more fascinating players to write when week one's over and that game rewind all 22

hits on Tuesday. I want to watch him and sit back and see what he looks like. I don't have an ounce of free time to go back and watch his game versus Louisiana tech from September 2012. Don't care. as a devotee of the it factor I'm waiting on Johnny Mansell I believe in the it factor

Right I got tired of the Tim Tebow coverage very quickly Not tired of Johnny football Yeah, I like that All right let's wrap it up with a quick segment On our winners and losers of the week And if you guys like this You can tweet at us and let us know And maybe we'll do it every Friday

Or maybe we'll do it some Fridays when we have the time Basically we're looking back at the week can, you know, each one of us gives a winner or a loser or both from the last seven days. Kevin Patrick, let's start with you. I'm going to start it with a both that way we can. Okay. I think that the Bears won with getting Jared Allen because I think he changes their defense. And they have to get after guys like Aaron Rogers and Matthew Stafford in that division.

And I think that helps. It's an immediate upgrade. But on the same time, I think this whole process kind of like would have humbled Jared Allen a little bit. He wanted $10 million. He didn't get it. Now, he got $8 million. They still paid him a good amount. Pretty good, but not what he was wanted.

And I think in the way these stars think of themselves, I think that he had to, he went through the ringer a little bit. So he would be a loser. He would be the loser, the Bears are a winner in this situation, only because he didn't get what he set out to get when free agency started or whether he got what he thought he was worth, which means more. So I think that he's a loser. I think he got lucky to get that much, and he landed on a good team.

Right. That would make him a loser, though. But if he was lucky to get that much, when he valued himself so much higher, he came down lower on the... I'm just happy his agent isn't going to send any more angry emails to Chris and I. Well, we don't know that. We got a win, win, win. If he is the loser and he's cemented as he's very upset about... I don't feel like I'm out of the woods yet.

That's true. Actually, Patrick basically just called the agent a loser. We also don't know what other clients this agent has, and Wes is bound to insult one of them as well before this whole thing wraps. Mark, who's your choice? Um, I'm gonna go, I know, you know, we keep throwing jabs at the Raiders left and right, but we did get a chance to, Greg was impressed with Dennis Allen, number one. And I got into a little group with Reggie McKenzie where they were, we were all hitting them with questions. I basically said at one point, how do you, do you admit that to a Raiders fan, it just looks bizarre that you didn't re-sign player X, Y, and Z, Houston, Valdere.

And I thought that McKenzie, you hear, oh, he's intelligent. funny he's got his but we've seen all these things that make me think really who is this guy what's this team about he came across like a total champion i thought that he one question after the next affably uh very clearly went after the answer didn't shy away from anything he was funny he was probably the funniest guy that we talked to the entire week i just liked him i mean i'm human he won me over i thought he was interesting and he didn't seem to be without a plan he went through and explain why they didn't do and why they did do things. They all made sense to me.

Winner. I'm with you on Allen. I'm impressed. I think he, well, I thought even going into last year, he could be a very good coach. He is trying to make a nice meal out of some poor ingredients that the last regime in Oakland gave. Now the ingredients are just a tad still. Right. Little old.

I don't know. At least the Raiders are kind of like Johnny Football. At least the Raiders are interesting. They'll be more interesting than most 5 and 11 teams. They won one week out of the last 50. Well, Wesleyan, who's your choice? The Eagles are a loser. You lose the most dynamic member of your passing game

and replace him with the butt fumble. This is your net game. He's more than a play. This is your net game for the week. And not only that, but you've got nothing in return for Deshawn Jackson. You put him on the market. and didn't get a draft pick or anything. I feel like Brandon Moore really gets out, you know,

easy with the whole butt fumble thing. How can people don't remember him? It was his butt after all. Because he was just there. He got blocked backwards. Had it been a slighter, more live, like thinner, smaller butt, it probably wouldn't have happened. The word live makes its first appearance on the NFL podcast.

My winner for the week, and this conversation only makes this more true, is the Around the League podcast is the winner. I mean, we had Patra here in the studio. That's nice. I make things win. That's what I do. We had a great time in Orlando.

Mark and I not only went jogging together, but we saw Anderson Cooper on that jog. I don't know why. Seems about right. Well, we were a bit off course. Wouldn't that be the perfect montage thing? We're like they're running slow motion together and then they just look over and there's Anderson Cooper.

We were asking if we were off course. And just as we were pondering, have we gone off path? Should we find it? Anderson Cooper, hands in pockets, nice Florida sunset stroll, gives us a wave. How you doing, fellas? This is starting to sound like the dream sequence in Habit Gilmore where like the midget on a unicycle comes by with two pictures of beers. It was very surreal. And then on top of that, when we were at the NFL owner's party, a former general manager, Mike Tannenby.

came up to us and told us that he's a listener of the Around the League podcast. Oh, ain't that nice. I bet him at the Super Bowl and he was as nice as could be. Yeah, he was great. A former Tulane grad like myself, he went to the law school, the tough part, and I was undergrad. So you're saying he was the smart one? I'm just saying he's listening to them. If we're getting people that are in the room with the NFL owners and former general manager,

they're starting to list the podcast. He wasn't just, you know, talking about. win because he brought up his phone, clicked podcast, and it was sitting right there as one of the two that he downloads each week. While we're dropping names, I forgot to tell you guys that I am great Twitter friends with Deshawn Jackson's mom.

What? She started following me like four or five years ago and there was once upon a time where she would wish me good morning like for a week straight. She would see she seemed as nice it can be. Well, start delivering some news. Let's make something of this. I met Deshawn Jackson's older brother last year.

when I interviewed him, and he used to play for the chiefs. He went to, like, training camps with the chiefs one year and was as nice as can be. Deshaun Jackson's older brother. You have no excuse not to deliver a post about 45 minutes from now with a update to the landing spots piece that is just a hammer surefire report. Well, they have no idea who I am anymore, probably. Maybe Deshaun Jackson's mom does. Now we know your bias. That's why the Eagles were losers this week.

They seem like a very nice family. They do. They seem very nice. Plus, the gold standard, you know, spread his wings out. He made it obvious he knows five different NFL teams. He gave a great suggestion with the Seahawks, and he might be the winner of four delicious sandwiches in the next few weeks. Very kind to you.

Thank you. I think that's it. We missed Dan, but he had a great week as well, the first couple shows of the week while we were in Orlando, and he will be back on Monday. Come back to us, Dan. We'll talk about all the news over the weekend, and we're doing a little win-West's

toaster on Monday. It got delayed one show, but we had to have Dan here, and he will be back in his Wink Martindale role. So let's just get, I mean, I'm excited. You're excited, Gold Standard. A little nervous, a little excited. You've got to deliver some good contestants this time. I have faith that you will. So for the Gold Standard, Kevin Patrick coming at you, the Sizzler. What is your nickname anyways, Leslie? The Mailman. No one calls him the Mailman. I'm Greg Rosent. We'll see you next time. This is gold.