NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - NFL ATL: Potential NFL Draft surprises

Episode Date: April 28, 2014

A room full of heroes -- Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, Chris Wesseling and Marc Sessler -- breaks out the crystal ball and predicts some potential surprises that could shake up the NFL Draft.  Elsewhere, the gang goes over all the latest headlines around the league and dips back into the mailbag to answer your burning questions.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. Hey, everybody. Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the 6th, 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.

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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, haze its fines with straight cash, homie. Welcome back to another edition of the Around League podcast. My name is Dan Havis and I'm joined by a room filled with heroes. Chris Wessling, Mark Sessler, and Greg Rosenthal. What up, boys.

Hey, Dan. How are you, buddy? Happy Monday. It is a, it is a happy Monday to us? We've been having fun. It's been a fun day at the office so far. It's not happy if you're a hip-hop fan. Why?

What happened? DJ Easy Rock died over the weekend. Who's that? From Rob Bass and DJ Easy Rock, one of the ten greatest songs in hip-hop history, It Takes Two. To make a thing go right. The Gen Xers love our podcast for these reasons, when Wes chimes in with the pop culture.

That was, I don't know, Wes and I are the same age in our high school years, a staple at any sort of high school event, not just dances, but it would get blasted out over the lunchroom and other things. Is it possible because you've been writing a lot of tributes lately that the ATL account will have one for EasyE? Who I thought it had already passed away in the mid-N-N-D-J-E-Rock, different guy. Not the same guy. Oh. I want to put together a greatest hits of West singing on the podcast. This would make it. Also, there was the Usher performance that you came up with that.

It was great. By the way, guys, not to get up, and all due respect to the great. DJ Easy Rock. Who knew how to rock a microphone. Really gets short shrift because everyone thinks of Rob Bass when that song comes on. I know. It happens all the time. Is it okay if we move on with football elements?

Yeah. It feels weird in light of what West just brought up. Okay, Greg. So the draft is 10 days away. How about that? I didn't know that until you told me. You're going to New York this weekend. Mark's going to be joining you soon after that.

I mean, it is here. The ATL team will be represented in New York in Manhattan, and Mark will be staying in New York under an assumed name at a Midtown Hotel because the fame has hit special levels since you've got. across the 15,000 marker on Twitter. It is a particular nuisance, but it's the territory that we're in. So, yeah, we're going to continue talking about the draft all week, as you would assume. I mean, what else are we going to talk about?

It's not like the NFL world is spinning out of control right now. Basically, it's this weird, there's a weird vibe going on if you cover this league because everybody's under the impression that the draft should have happened this past weekend. And now we're all kind of in this malaise where we need to get. to next Thursday. So it's just like this weird in-between quantum leap thing where you're in the space time continuum

floating. Nice use of malaise. I think the malaise is over. The malaise was the last couple weeks. Speak to yourself, Greg. Now that we're close enough, seriously, though, that it's next week and you're leaving this week. It's like, all right, we can just get down to it and then it's almost over. I think you're suggesting

that maybe this would have been a time for Dan not to be sunk in a malaise, but to have been studying and preparing for the draft. Start stepping your game up. Revitalized. Okay. No, that message sent. Message sent, and it's very clear.

So we're going to get into, we're going to talk about the first round specifically of the draft a little later and talk about some surprises that we potentially see in store next Thursday at Radio City Music Hall. We're going to dip into the mailbag. We did a little call out earlier Monday for some questions. We got some good ones, so we're going to dip into that. But before any of that, the gold standard behind. Behind the glass. How are you, buddy? I'm feeling great, thanks.

Had a great weekend. I'm sure you did. A lot of soccer. A lot of soccer. You're wearing a cricket shirt today. I noticed the difference. You got it. I did.

And, you know, Zach, there will be no love letters written to you. There will be no callers. This will be strictly about football. All right, I believe you. You know, I hate to just jump in here, but I'm looking at our Twitter feed, and someone just sent in something for the ATL mailbag. As you're talking, this is from shadowy league figure, which has turned. turned into a great Twitter account. And he says, does the gold standard make it a point to talk about everything but the NFL on his Twitter feed?

I'm going to answer that. Hey, if the people want it, I'm throwing in some football talk. Please, let's do it. I think people, because you've said yourself that you've gotten many followers from the podcast now. Those people, not to break to you, they're not coming to you now thinking that they're going to get cricket. They're thinking they're going to get some mirth and some NFL talk. Yeah, no, I'm there. You know what?

As we get closer to the draft, I'll start throwing some gems in there. Cool. Don't change you. Still be you. Just add some spice. Think that you have, there's now some responsibility on your Twitter feed. All right. I like that.

All right. Why don't we do some news? Let's do that. It's like we're accomplishing things today. No, no, no. We've worked through a lot. I learned about a dead hip-hop star of the early 90s. I was told that to step my game up.

Zach knows he has to step his game up. Everything's flying. All right. Let's do some news then. Brown's General Manager Ray Farmer spoke to the media today. Johnny Football came up as you can imagine he would for a team in need of a quarterback. Farmer praised Mansell as an exciting electric player and said he's different. Mark Sessler, you were tracking that press conference both as it was happening and also along on Twitter.

What did you take out of it? And he did say that. And, you know, certainly he also praised him as a, in terms of character, said he had absolutely no reservations after meeting with him last week. But I thought, you know, Cleveland and Wes had written about this in the past. We all did that under Lombardi, it looked like they were heat-seeking Johnny football. That was clearly a target unless it was a total smokescreen dating back for a year. But under Farmer, I'm just not convinced that he's the guy that they're looking for.

He said that he said of Mansell, he's not the quintessential guy who has. everybody points to and says this is how you would draw it up this is the packaging you'd want there have been whispers that they're looking for a different type of quarterback to come into an aFC north team and play in the cold weather so we'll see maybe that means that's exactly what they're doing at number four i'm not i'm not sold mark you know you and i've spoken about this privately and i've talked about on the podcast too that i think that manzo is the perfect guy to finally take a shot in this guy and lift them out of their collective malaise since they entered the league in 1999 was.

Two-shay. Four points. Aren't you going to be a little disappointed? Be honest with me, Mark. If when the time comes and somebody else takes them off the board, potentially, if the Browns passed on this chance? Yeah, I think if you're, any time you've followed a team for decades where they don't have that quarterback,

it feels like a big chip to pass on and just say, we're going to take, hey, by there, we're going to take a guy who's going to play right tackle. Because he's really solid, which, I mean, it's in play for them, potentially. I think it's a high ceiling in a potential disaster, Mansell. Yeah, but it's a ballsy seismic-type move that this franchise, I feel like they need to take a chance. And he would be the perfect guy, you know, it doesn't come around a lot.

Hard to disagree. You'll end up following Johnny Mansell now rooting against him if the Browns don't take him. Because if he turns out to be this legend, I just know the math of when you're rooting for a team like that. Then it becomes like we could have had him. this whole career, that's all you'll be thinking, watching him. He'll wind up in New England. That would be fun. He could galvanize the Factory of Sadness.

Well, I think that that there is... The factory workers will be just gleefully going about their business. Because it takes a... You're a Factory of Sadness! I should have known that was going to. I just wanted to wait for it. You know, it was actually Gold Standard before we walked in here, and this is what he brings. Gold Standard said, I don't have a team.

I don't, like, sit there and worry week-to-week what my team is going to do. But he said, wherever Johnny Football goes, I'm locked on watching him week to week. And I think what it brings is that interest level that a team like Cleveland or another team like Jackson or whatever does not have on any level right now. Don't you have a team? I do like the Packers. But as I was saying, I've sort of evolved in my fandom into this sad person

who follows players more than teams. So while I pull for the Packers, I definitely have a vested interest in sort of the excitement factor that Johnny Football brings. And by the way, we have a direct connection to the people that operate the homepage of NFL.com who come up with the headlines. As soon as we finish recording, I'm going to go downstairs and talk to Patrick Crawley and tell him, if the Browns take Mansell, headline, Factory of Gladness, bang, home run.

Nailed it. Barnum and Bailey over here. By the way, if the Browns don't get Johnny Mansell, Mark, I want you to know that Vince Young is getting a tryout with your Cleveland Browns. Ray Farmer confirmed the report earlier today that the former Tennessee see Titans and other team's quarterback. We'll have a physical with the team on Monday, and then we'll have essentially a tryout this week.

Tyler Thigpen will also be in the mix. So, of course, this is a Brown's team that has only Brian Hoyer, who's coming back from an ACL working hard in that pool. And then, Mark, your favorite, the trick-shot artist, Alec Taney, are the only two QBs on the roster right now. So Vince Young. Greg is a closet Vince Young fan. I'm not a closet.

Come out, Mark. Come on out, Greg. One, you know, every single time I would write about him. I would just say, I'm the last member of the Vince Young fan club last year. And, you know, this was his last best chance in Buffalo. And then it was his last best chance in Green Bay. So he's had a lot of last best chances. This makes me think, though, you know, Ray Farmer was talking about Johnny Mansell,

not your typical in-the-box quarterback. He's a little more eclectic. Well, Tyler Thigbin and Vince Young are, that's saying something specific. I know it's only tryout guys. And they'll probably sign one of the two, you would think, that's in there this week. That's one type of quarterback. That's a Johnny Mansell type of quarterback. Well, when you have Kyle Shanahan, it's your coordinator, fig pen to me, connects the dots on they're going to continue to run the pistol.

Because that's one of the earliest NFL guys that ran the pistol for Kansas City dating back years ago. And Vince Young would certainly fit in that option where you're on the move. Someone suggested is Brian Hoyer draft a trade bait? Not for much, but maybe they clean him out of that. You can't see them getting even a seventh round pick for Brian Hoyer coming off an ACL injury. And I think Vince Young is a better quarterback than Brian Hoyer. Well, he's certainly done more in his career. And I thought Green Bay should have hung on to him last year.

It seems a little odd that Young could not, has not been able to catch on with the team. He hasn't taken a meaningful snaps as the 2011 season. But I think some of that went back to that bankruptcy stuff he had hanging over him. He admitted it himself. It goes back even further than that when he has. psychological problems and was talking about killing himself. Well, that was years ago now. But he got chances. He got

one with Chan Galey and Buffalo where they wanted him to succeed and he didn't, and he had a chance with the Packers just to be a backup, and he couldn't get it done. And I'm a big fan of Vince Young. The Buffalo chance was legitimate. It sounded like, and I feel like Mike McCarthy said after they released him, that

he just didn't have enough time. It just wasn't, the timing wasn't right. I don't know. I mean, the guy is a two-time pro bowler, former offensive rookie of year you file it under where does the time go because he's turning 31 next month which is really shocking to think about that but uh he should be he should have a job come on he's not like the in the top 60 you have a job too i love that we're living in a world now where vint young week one brown starter is that least on the table it's better than rex grossman i agree with you that's

way better than rex grossman actually it is promising sign that rex grossman will not have a job in cleveland which listen it's monday things are good that's a good point Just saying if you're bringing all these other guys in and Rex Grossman isn't one of them, at least if one of these guys win it, he's staying out of Ohio for now. That's good enough for me. He's like Will Purdue.

They're saving him for later. Stop. All right, let's talk some more quarterbacks. Texans owner Bob McNair has hinted that the rookie Texans QB that's sure to come on the roster would sit at first. That's a reference to, of course, David Carr.

Back in 2002, the first pick the franchise ever had, an immediate start in, took a savage bee, that, you know, I don't think his career ever recovered from the beating he took. So here's what McNair says now, 12 years later. I think the main thing I look back on is that we should have had a veteran quarterback in there. We should have let him start the season and let David learn what it takes to be an NFL quarterback. So it doesn't, you don't really have to read between the lines. Whoever they draft in the first round is not starting immediately or whoever they draft.

Yeah, what I take from this is they're not drafting anybody in the first round because number one overall draft pick quarterbacks don't sit anymore. That's right. Not in today's NFL. And also, that seems like an apples and orange comparison. They put David Carr behind an expansion offensive line. That's a much different story. I hate all this hindsight stuff, though.

David Carr would have never been a good NFL quarterback. Didn't matter what situation he was put in or what team he was drafted by. And by that, I mean, a top 10 guy that gets a huge second contract type of quarterback. It's kind of like saying they didn't have enough time for Vince Young last year. Well, if he was a great player, that is one of the 20 best quarterbacks in the world, that would have been enough time. He could have made the Packers

and beaten out Seneca Wallace as a backup. So to me, you shouldn't draw some big conclusions because David Carr wasn't very good. He wasn't good when he went to other teams either. And it's complete and utter wind because McNair months ago is calling Houston a team that last year was a mirage. They are a playoff-ready team,

and that's the way they're viewing their off-season. And what will concern me is that this actually was an edict from up on high where Bill O'Brien isn't the guy making week-to-week decisions about what to do with the court. You tell me if they ever took Johnny football that a week eight, you're going to have to continue to sell the fan base. You're going to get 16 weeks from Ryan Fitzpatrick. If they took Johnny football, he'd start week one. Thank you.

No matter what the owner says. I wonder who's making the decision here on the number one pick. Is it Rick Smith or is it Bill O'Brien choosing a quarterback? I mean, in theory, they're combining to do it, or is McNair involved? Probably not. Sounds like he is. I'd like to just poll you guys quickly. Texans, are they the first pick?

Are they picking first next Thursday? Why not? Well, they could trade the pick. Oh, yeah, I think they'll pick first. I thought that you were asking for information. Yes, they hold the first pick. How did they do last year? I think they will keep the pick.

That would be my guess. I think they are game to trade it. It's going to take a lot, though. Yes or no, Mark? I think they're going to keep it, but they'd like to trade it. They're going to keep it, though. I like that. I'm always taking the field.

That's my thing. You love taking the field. Which one is the field here? Well, that's a good point. Let's just think on that one, Greg. All right. And finally, speaking of the Texans' number one pick and the chance that they trade it, the Atlanta Falcons continue to explore all trade possibilities as the draft approaches.

This, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rappap Report, reports, according to sources familiar with the Falcons thinking, it's becoming less likely that the Falcons actually pick at that number six slot and they will move. Now, what we don't know yet is whether they're going to move up or down, but they potentially could move all the way up to one. They've actually worked out Jadavia and Clowney. So that's in play. That's where we are right now.

If I was like sitting there waiting to make a bold move, I probably wouldn't tell Ian Rappaport about it. Yeah, and they really said they're strongly looking at moving up was more of the talk that it could possibly be for Clownie, but there was some other talk that maybe it's not to the one spot, maybe it's to two, three, or four, even four. So that makes you think, well, maybe they're not looking at Clowny. Maybe it's the second best pass rusher in this draft, Callio Mack. Maybe he's the best pass rusher.

Right, the second drafted one, I should say. And we have a good source, Greg Kosell, who's on the podcast. Friday, who said that Khalil Mack, not Jadavi and Clowney, is the best prospect in this draft. Thomas Dimitrov is one of the boldest general managers in the league, but he's at a much different window right now than he was when he pulled off the Holyo Jones trade. The Holyo Jones trade made sense because they needed playmakers and they had a roster that could go to the Super Bowl theoretically.

They just needed that one last piece. They don't need one last piece here. They need depths all over the roster. I don't buy that they're going to give up a bunch of draft picks to move up. Is there a roster any worse now than it was a couple years ago? Yeah. Where do they have depth on that roster? I mean, at any position.

It's fair. I thought Kevin Patcher, by the way, put it well in the post we had on Monday morning because Ian also reported that they can consider dropping back in the draft. So Kevin wrote, so we're clear the Falcons could move up to number one overall take Clowny. They could also move up to the two, three, or four spots. And they could also move back into the top ten. So, you know, we don't know. That's draft season in a nutshell.

And last off season, they, remember there were tons of whispers about the falcons saying, we'd happily move up or down last year, too. So this is how they operate. But we've seen them swing for the fences with Julio Jones, so I wouldn't put them past them. Well, they've got a little bit of depth, I guess, a quarterback. Maybe not depth, but they just drafted two pretty good ones. Then they got nobody behind them. I guess I would argue a couple years ago, there was really no different.

Their team wasn't that much different than a different. They didn't have major glaring weak spots. Like now they do on the offensive line, on the defensive line, well, at pass rusher anyway. In hindsight, they did because their offensive line is stunk, and their defense has been mediocre to poor. Their offensive line was fine when they made the trade. Right. They wanted a pass rusher last off season very badly, and Uminiora is an aging fill-in candidate right there. They never went and got that guy.

They wanted it. I think they're viewing if Clowny is that difference maker, he is for the defense. what Jones would be for their offense. Just say, because they're not in... Dinosaur, that's what you're trying to say. They're not in a championship window right now. They can't afford to do that. They must feel different than that.

They must. They must feel that they're in a championship window every year with Matt Ryan in this team. Why do you think they must feel different? Because there's a report out? Uh-oh, scientists. And that all of a sudden teams are telling reporters everything they're going to do in the draft? No, I don't put much stock into any thing coming out of any GM's mouth, privately or publicly, that includes Ray Farmer, it includes Dimitrov.

It doesn't matter, as Dan would say. But I think the Falcons are a team that view themselves like the Patriots or other top teams in the league, that they have a chance to win the Super Bowl every year and that that's the way they operate. When they have Matt Ryan in their prime, I think that's how they see themselves. Why wouldn't they? Coming off a season where they've won 12 games half the time. Decision makers are smart enough to look at their defense and say, no, this is not a championship caliber defense.

And to look at their offensive line and say, we have holes here that need to be filled. It's not that different from a defense that came within a play of going to the Super Bowl. It sure is. They should have known that last year, then. The defense was lousy last year. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. This is what they're dealing with, a lousy defense. Stop fighting, guys.

Come on. Let's be friends. I've been a discussion over here. Oh, it's a discussion. I think so. Okay, I apologize. No blow torches. Unless it boils into something other.

As long as... I just seem to get it. I felt the temperature rising in the room, that's all. As long as Rex Grossman isn't brought up, we're good. All right, so speaking of the Falcons, yeah, it would be a surprise. If they move all the way up to one, maybe people will have said they saw it by then, but it's still a surprise if they make that big play. So why don't we talk about other teams that could surprise in the draft?

I guess maybe we'll focus it for now, because that's where the real selection. salacious juiciness is, is Thursday night, round one. And I thought, we thought, we spoke about this downstairs, why don't we go around the room, name, throw out one potential scenario that, I don't know, maybe not that you're predicting necessarily, but. Would be a surprise. It's out there, and it makes some sense to you.

So why don't we start? Salacious juiciness, by the way, was a film I saw playing like 1.30 in the morning on Skinimax. last weekend i thought it was like a tag team time yeah a tag team from glow you want dan the step his game up what are you doing with your weekends sounds bizarre uh chris wessling the mad scientist the mail mad why don't you start us off throw something out of well let me start by saying that sammy walkins to the bucks makes more sense to me than any match in the entire draft and it should happen but i think the bucks it seems like they might just take a quarterback there

They've been talking about it. Lovie Smith talked about. There's Bermie reports that they like Johnny Football. And they certainly don't like Mike Lennon. Made that clear. Yeah, I mean, they've made that clear and everything they've done since Lovie Smith came in. That guy is trade bait, I think.

So, yeah, to me, I think it's interesting you see what the Bucks do at number seven, whether they go wide receiver or quarterback. Maybe they were listening to when Dan used to really go after Mike Glennon's ability to dance, was it? You thought he would come in last in some sort of coordination contest? Well, no, coordination, I'm sure his hand-eye coordination is quite above average. But his ability to dance in rhythm, if there were a contest of NFL players, he would make Eli Manning look like Michael Jackson circa 1987.

So he's like the Mark Madsen of the NFL? He would make Mark Mattson look like Bruno Mars. I mean, this is what we're dealing with with Mike Lynn. Poor Glellan. This is a high-level athlete. Actually, he's very good avoiding pressure and throwing. Actually, he's actually... Dancing in the pocket and dancing in rhythm to some type of hip hop or young...

What's his name? Young MC. DJ Easy Rock. DJ Easy Rock. Shout out to heaven. That's a totally different scenario than, you know, evading a pass rusher. That's all I'm saying. You know a lot about dancing.

Well, I'm not saying that I'm an expert, but, you know... They brought in Josh McCrower. Cowan, who I imagine is a great dancer. I mean, he's good at Dunkin Basketball. I just have a feeling. That's possible. Mark, your turn. What's that coach?

I don't know what's happened here, but, you know, you mentioned Sammy Watkins, and I'm just going to try to dig us out of the deep pit that we've all felon to. I think that the Bucks logically are an excellent match with Watkins. I don't think he ever gets to number seven, so if they're going to trade up, maybe it's for someone like that, but I think Detroit, who is, who is. talked a blue streak about Watkins for weeks. They bring him in for a visit. The owner sits down and meets with him.

I mean, they've given him the full-on treatment where they're at number 10. There's no way they get him at number 10. So unless, why would you try to position yourself as a team that's going to trade up showing that you're desperate for a guy unless you're really, really that into this dude? I think the Detroit Lions want to get out of the situation

they've been in the past few years where you had Megatron, and no one else. You've now got Golden Tate. That's an outstanding duo right there. You put Watkins into that, and Stafford has no more excuses. This Jim Caldwell coaching hire was brought in to change this offense.

Watkins puts them at an elite. You talk with the Redskins is maybe the number one receiving core right now. If you added Watkins to Megatron and Golden Tate, that's my number one. So the missing piece in Detroit is playmakers and scoring points and moving down the field. That's where I don't get this. I'm with you on this. I don't buy it. You didn't spend $30 million on Golden Tate to make him your third or fourth option in the passing game. Or fifth option, whatever. I don't know. They still have major problems on defense. I don't get why they would trade up for a wide

receiver. I'm not saying it's their only need, but I think what they're looking at is in the way the game is today, we're going to overload in the passing game. We're going to give our franchise quarterback not only a ton of targets, but Megatron's not going to be around for another 25 years either. We've got, we're continuing to grow this position. Is it their number one need? I don't know, but if it's the player they fall in love with, we see that happen all the time. You don't draft for need. It's part of the reason why this draft sets up to be one of the most exciting that we've seen in the last five or ten years, because there's so many guys in the top ten that in normal drafts would be the guy you trade up for. Sammy Watkins is

one of those guys. Kosell said some guys in the NFL think he is the best wide receiver prospect since Calvin Johnson. And there's other people that think Greg Robinson is the most talented tackle prospect in five years and you go through the positions and there's so many guys that make sense to move up for from 10 to 2 or 10 to 3. Watkins is definitely one of those guys. It would be fun. It'll be interesting if they ever did that and they stacked all around Stafford and then Stafford had another season similar to this past season. You wonder how much heat would start going under that guy. He and Sam Bradford would be on a small tiny boat sailed out to the ocean. It's over, baby.

All right, I'll do mine next. Wes is going to go nuts when I talk about this one, because I know this is not something Wes is behind. But I have a feeling, in spite of all their other issues, and this is not an original thought per se, because I know it's out there in other realms. But the Dallas Cowboys and Johnny Football are a match on multiple levels to me. I don't buy into Caleb Haney or Brandon Whedon.

I don't think Kyle Orton is, you know, They don't even know if he's coming back. We have a starting quarterback who's 34 years old and coming off his second back surgery. You talk about the Cowboys' needs all over the field. Quarterback's a huge need. They like to make a splash. Jerry Jones, it's Jerro World. We've got to bring people into the seats for the next 10, 15 years.

Johnny Football, in play potentially. I know they're picking when? Pick 18? No, that's a Jets. The Cowboys are at 16. He might last that long. but I would think that they would even read the tea leaves and maybe make a move to move up

if they think they can go get them. My favorite annual tradition in the NFL is the Bengals losing on the opening Saturday of the playoffs. But my second favorite annual tradition is which iteration of the Cowboys are going to trade up to draft a quarterback to replace Romo, which has been going on for at least four or five years now. I remember when they were going to trade up to draft Cam Newton

because Romo was going to be replaced. This is every year it's a different quarterback that they supposedly love. And they just handed Romo. like 20 million a year. But that was silly when, I don't even remember the Cam Newton thing, I trust you, but like obviously you weren't going to do it when Romo was 29 and was still an ascendant player, but now he's older, and Johnny Mansell is not like any other QB prospect.

He's a guy that comes with a lot of glitz and glamour, and I think Jerry is attracted to that. So I think while they need to fix a lot of different places, this is not one other point about the Cowboys. I want to say that DeMarcus Ware, letting him leave, the fact that a lot of people see the Cowboys as a team that's not close to winning, what if the Cowboys aren't stupid, and they see that as well, and they're going to start looking toward the future now, and drafting Manzell would be that move.

Because Jerry Jones has come out and said we are ready to win, we're a playoff contender. Well, because they just gave Tony Romo all sorts of guaranteed money. That's the biggest issue. His base salary this year, the huge signing bonus, he's due $17 million this year. If you cut or trade it, you could trade them in theory. But if you cut Tony Romo, you're taking a monster cap hit that they couldn't. They're committed. You said it was a need.

Quarterback is the last need. They have a great player at quarterback. Why have the Cowboys going eight and eight in each of the past three years instead of 11 and 5? Defense. Because they get injured and they have no one to back them up. They're the shallowest roster in the NFL. They never have anyone to back up their stars. They're a very star-heavy team.

And if you trade up for Johnny football, there's more draft picks. You're surrendering. You're surrendering. You don't have depth again. I'll ask you this then. And you're making a lot of sense. God forbid. We're at pick 15, right?

We're at pick 15, and the Cowboys are up next and Mansell's still on the board. The 15th pick is made. Manzell still on the board. Are you shocked at that point if they took John Menzell? Yes. Because of the money invested. And because next year's quarterback, It's supposed to be even better.

They always said that about this class. I know. It's another annual tradition. Yeah. You could draft him and then trade them. That always works out well. Well, I think that Romo is not getting any younger, but the way that the, it's one situation where when Jerry Jones speaks glowingly of Tony Romo, I believe it. I think he really does think that Tony Romo is the kind of quarterback that can get.

Of course he does. He put his money where his mouth was. I think so, too. And I think the money is the issue that prevents this. All right, Greg. Yes, Dan. Greg, what is your choice of the team that could surprise? Well, I'm not going to go with a specific team or a specific player.

I'm just going to say something that could happen in the first round. And that's only two quarterbacks get drafted. Maybe it's not going to be a shock, but we've seen four or five in some of these mocks. I think Bortos and Manzell both go early. Manzell's not lasting to 16. They're both gone in the top 10, maybe top seven. But that's it. There's none of this trading back into the first round,

and there's none of this second crop of quarterbacks that gets everyone so excited that you've got to take them there. I think there's such great depth of this quarterback class that just like last year, the quarterbacks will all go later than people thought. Everyone thought Gino would go earlier, other quarterbacks, and teams are smart. They'll wait. They'll take the better players first.

So Bridgewater's second round? He would be second round. Everyone's second round. Would you see him being the first one to go in the second round? I'd like to think so. I like the sound of him, but I'm no draft expert. I could see Derek Carr being the third quarterback off the board. Is there a such thing as a draft expert?

NFL Films, executive, Greg Kosell. I don't know. It's like being a fantasy football expert. Quarterbacks are the toughest things to project in these drafts. People get so wrong. No one had ponder or locker anywhere near the top 12. No one had Tim Tebow going ahead of Jimmy Clausen. That was a stunner at the time that Tebow went in the first round.

People thought Claussen was a lock for the first. So usually the quarterback tend to go a little later, but it's always a surprise. That would set up a second round where I think would be an outrageous second round where there's a massive run on signal callers. You've got maybe 5, 6, 7 go in the first 15, 16 picks. And that'd be fun. It'd be good for our Friday midday speculation articles, which we'll be pounding out on the around the lake site.

Guitar solo. All right. Before we go, why don't we hit the mailbag, as we promised, the gold standard. Does that sound like a good idea to you? I would love to do that. Thank you. So compliant. If he said, no, Dan, that's not a good idea.

We'd shut it down. We'd walk out. Got it. Because we trust him implicitly. Appreciate that. Here we go. we'll start out with NFL Brit View so many listeners shout out to the Europeans

that listen to our show and the Australians and really everywhere everywhere around the globe thanks guys there right while we're on that why don't we just talk about the map now oh yeah why don't you hit that

I'm getting a lot of questions about our listener map which you know has been delayed longer than I expected because of the logistics of the studio we had the map we had the pins we had it all set up to put up and the map would not stick in the wall. So we had to buy a cork board.

That finally arrived. So now we're probably waiting. This is like inside the beltway red tape, hit this thing. Well, a lot of people are asking, so I'm telling you, we've got everything now. And once the draft is over, then I can pull my spreadsheet out, pull all the pins in, and we'll take a picture and send it out. Yeah, so don't worry. Wes still has everyone that's sent into us where they are.

It's still logged in somewhere in some supercomputer in Wes's laboratory. And we have the materials. I have a cork board right behind me right here that was purchased using the ATL account by the boss or by his own personal spending account, which was quite kind. Oh, yeah, big money that thing cost. I'm going to be in debt for a while. Yeah. So I guess, Wes, what you're saying is this is going to get done. It's just, it's become more of a process than we imagine.

It's not a motivational issue for you. You haven't lost interest in this pursuit? I have plenty of interest in this pursuit. Just want to check. All right. So at NFL Brit View tweets, and this is interesting. I like this one. Can I join the Go Get My Lunch Bets with this?

The last part there was supposed to be implied. Oh. The Cowboys get no more than three wins. Ooh. Is he willing to eat his softball pants? No, this is a sandwich bet. Oh. So this would be.

So we would have to send him sandwiches if we lose. I'm in. And he would have to say, yeah, I would take. I'll take that. He would have to send us a sandwich. Well, we could work on that later. We're taking the over. We're saying, I don't think you, with Tony Romo quarterback, you're going to win.

More than three wins. It's usually a quarterback thing. Maybe he's predicting another Tony Romo back injury or something. Well, that's. Well, then you got Johnny Football coming in right behind him, so then we're all set. So four wins, four wins. Yeah, we will all take you up on this NFL Britview if you are man enough to man up if it doesn't go your life. Sounds like he already has.

Yeah. I think I want one of those Bon Me sandwiches from the restaurant about a mile down. It was delicious. Yeah, don't be giving us any bangers and mash either. You're going to get a sandwich-scent sea mail from Britain. Well, he can just order delivery through place around here. Yeah. Oh, that's a great idea.

Do they still have sea mail? What is it? It's a low-level book rate mailing where you'd send it on a boat. You're always, it always goes back to the water for you, Mark. Yeah. In another life, you must have been like a Marine merchant or something. Chris noticed it that in many of your posts, there's analogies to men adrift that sea on little, I don't know what you would call it.

I think it's apt. Here's a draft question from Patrick Kopp at Patrick Kopp, obviously a cult span. What direction do you think the cult should go with their pick in the second round? Of course, they don't have a first round pick because of Trent Richardson. where would you go if you were a Colts team that's right at the bubble of becoming a real contender where do they have to address right now that team needs a safety

they need a center too they do need a center they need everything on defense what do they have on defense that you're like they're set there they need outside linebacker don't need another one of those pass rushers don't need another Patrick has so many directions right now they are set at defensive end I don't even think that's true

But they've got Arthur Jones now. Corey Reddy. Ricky Jean-Francois. Well, they weren't in love. Warner last year at Outsal linebacker wasn't perfect. You got you need that. But for me, you lose Antoine to the 49ers. You need a safety.

All right, I take it back. They're set at defensive end. So any defensive end. Except defensive end. Yeah. You need a cornerback? Really anything. They're lousy defense.

Yeah, you're talking them up like they're not a very good team at all. They're lousy. They have a lot of them. There's a lot of depth issues on defense at every level. When Ligarrett Blunt has the game of his career against you, you've got some problems. When Alex Smith puts up 45 in a playoff game, I mean, they're a pretty bad defense, and Pacano's supposed to be a defensive coach. I got this tweet from David Mobley at Saints 632213.

Immediately I marked it, and I'll show the guys that for Mark because I thought this was right in his skill set. Can you name the top 10 small school guys and what team's interest slash best fit? Mark? I felt like that was right in your wheelhouse. I'm very high on Troy's young linebacker from Troy. DeMarcus Ware? No, no, no. This is, they've made that comparison.

William Galubi. Wow. Sounds like an assassin from the 1950s. Potential late round nugget. Put on your Nolan Naraki hat here and give me a little breakdown of some of the strength. There are concerns. They're assassinate him. Well, no, it's not that it's his character, but he is easily swayed because he lives in a house full of essentially novelists and poets, and they're trying to sway him away from football.

By the sea? This is like, no, he literally has other things that are more important to him than football. So this is some sort of writer, workshop, like communes? It is a workshop at times, but really they do everything together, shared meals. Can you be sued for this? this level of line? I'm just saying this is like those silicon...

If you can get this guy to focus on football, you have a potential steal in the third or fourth round. I thought it was Martin Burge who had that scatter report. As a reader, though, do you think the world might be losing

more if he steps away from the arts and letters? That's his personal struggle. I don't know. Okay. Here's a question. I can answer this one. Thank you, Mark. I knew I could trust you that. special um moving forward i'll answer this one can we have a this is from darrag or darrag

robinson at drizby 23 can we have a soccer quiz for all the guys in studio orchestrated by the gold standard the answer is no yeah yeah we don't have ratings on these things but if we did we don't delve out of our wheelhouse and zach you know that is not a slight at you it's just it's not going to happen on this show i completely understand but there will come a day when the people will revolt and you're going to have to deal with those consequences And yeah, and I don't want to get it, because I always get a couple tweets whenever there's something soccer related, whether it's writing about it on the blog, on the site, or doing the podcast, there's no problem with soccer here. We like soccer. We like soccer.

I can't wait for the World Cup. I love watching the USA getting up early and going to a bar, having some suds. But I'm not fanatical about it. And I think everyone agrees with that, right? There's only room enough in our lives for one sport. One football. I think what you really like is the suds part of that equation. Yeah, it is fun.

If you've ever gone to a bar at 6 a.m. Yeah. And the bar is filled with people. It's a pretty fun experience. Usually I'm still in the bar at 6 a.m. Well, that's a different bar experience. And finally, this is from a longtime listener and a good man, Neil Dutton at N. Dutton 13. And this is a thinker, fellas.

This will be our last one. Who, out of all the football people you guys have met, has been the most different from his public persona? I will jump in right away Brandon Marshall was a delight when he came in the studio I don't know if that makes him much different than his persona because I feel like he has

now that he's kind of gotten his life on track there's a lot of rave reviews about who he is as a person when he was in here he was funny and engaging and was totally into it and was a great dresser and I enjoyed Brandon Marshall

he was good the guy that comes to mine quick for me When I was, in my early days here, I got to interview Kellan Winslow. And obviously it heard all the ups and downs about him. And someone specifically in the office, I am me and said, look out. I don't think it's a good assignment for you. This guy is bad news. And if he starts to get ugly with you, don't feel wrong about just walking out on the interview.

So I walked over. Well, no, this was someone who'd been around the block. And I felt kind of concerned. I go in, he was a delight. very honest answers, willing to answer any question, and a humble guy, I don't know, completely different from what I was told. Kellyn Winslow. Wes, anybody for you?

I haven't met many football people since doing this job. Oh, that's true. What about Greg? Greg is exactly what you would think he would be. That's good. Is that a compliment? Yeah. Greg's Greg's Greg.

That sounds like calling for something. Greg's Greg's going to be Greg. Greg's going to be Greg. Well, because no, you guys worked together for years and never met each. That's true. That's a good question. Greg is about what I expected. We work together, yeah, four or five years.

Yeah. I'm sorry. I didn't mean that to be. He is with, Greg's a smart guy. In reverse. He's a smart guy. I trust his voice on matters. So yeah, Greg is who I thought he was.

I moved across the country. I moved across the country. He's still digging himself out here. Yeah, I moved across the country for him. All right. That's romantic. I think that's a good way to end it But I'll say Brandon Marshall

I'll echo yours I was a big critic of his For a long time For his off the field activities And he struck me when he sat here As a man who was in a very good place In his life Who's had to come to

Reach some not too pleasurable Not too pleasant conclusions About his own life And had to change things And he did And finally Greg Rosenthal A man that's been around the world Multiple times

That might be an upsell But you know Total lie David Caldwell I thought he was just going to be a big raging A-hole But he turned out No, I don't really I was I was going to say

No, the first name that came to mind was Devery Henderson And I couldn't come up with a better answer than that He doesn't really have a public persona But he's not the guy that I would have expected to be A quiet team leader that everyone on the team looked to And was fascinated and talked to And that was the case when I went and covered that Super Bowl So that stuck out

Devery And that's that That is good. And one guy I will throw him in just because he's a hero of mine. Joe Namath was exactly what his public persona was, non-Susie Culver related. But in terms of, you know, when I met him before the Super Bowl at NFL honors last year, the guy couldn't have been more nice.

And I'll never forget that, you know, he called me by my name. It kept eye contact the whole time. And it was just such a cool dude. And you don't expect that from somebody at that level. So shout out to Joe Namath, because I know you're a big listener. And that's it. That's it for the podcast. He did try to kiss you, though, right?

We do have some breaking news, and I know we'll have to be quick about it. But as we leave the podcast studio, we are learning Ian Rappaport's reporting, Earl Thomas, signing a blockbuster long-term extension, will easily be the highest paid safety in football. He deserves to be. And look out now because Richard Sherman wants his money, and now they took care of Earl Thomas first, then we'll see how Richard deals with this.

And then next year, Russell Wilson. Right. I don't know if Sherman's going to get his deal in time. Maybe they just let it ride and you franchise him because you've got to get the Wilson deal. Obviously, that's a must. You speak with your wallet, though. They're saying Thomas is the most valuable guy.

They always say that in the press, how he's the MVP and everything he does and now they're showing it. They're making him the priority over Sherman. I think he's been the key to their defense for a few years now. Earl Thomas is the fastest safety in the game. It covers way more ground than any other safety. All right.

That was good. Some late-breaking news on the A-Tale podcast, and now we are out of here. We will be back on Wednesday. Talks some more draft and anything that's going on in the NFL world. This is Dan Hens is signing off for the mailman, the sizzler, the boss, and the gold standard behind the glass. Until Wednesday.

Feels like you could eat a picnic off me, doesn't it? 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 the why behind what happens on Sunday. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Sticks podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

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