NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - NFL Pressure Points

Episode Date: April 11, 2024

In a virtual room full of heroes - Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, and Marc Sessler tell you where the pressure is building across the NFL landscape. First, the heroes discuss Ceedee Lamb's future in Dallas (08:30), Josh Allen's new contract (19:00), and more! After the break, the guys tell you where the pressure points are in the NFL (32:30). Note: time codes approximate. NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. 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.

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 podcasts. The Around the NFL podcast needs a sleepover at Mark's Man Cave. Welcome to another edition of Around the NFL. My name is Dan Hansis and I got heroes here. Greg Rosenthal and Mark Sessler. Sestog, you got a man cave? I've been to your place.

I don't recall there being a dedicated man cave, nor have I ever seen you as a man that would go man cave if given the opportunity. I mean, I think like you could reference the whole place is that from some angle, but no, within the apartment, I don't have a room that would be called classically a man cave at the moment. But you've, you know, before the show, you were,

if you're on YouTube, you're talking about my background that looks a little Spartan, could use a little bit of help. So the place is in development, I'd say. And Greg, you know, because Greg's going to Greg, and he was labeling it as constructive criticism. And that certainly was not what I was going. I was offering a suggestion that maybe your remote background,

because that's what we're doing the show remote for the next couple of days, that it maybe could use a touch of color on the wall. And I thought that would go a long way, not criticism, merely unsolicited advice slash suggestion. I did not take it purely as critique. I understand what Greg was attempting to accomplish there verbally, but I didn't fall for that either. So, you know, point and pointer taken.

And I, you know, I look at my own setup and it does look, it looks a little suspect. It could use a little bit of just a little bit of life. And I'm going to work on that this offseason. It's not normal criticism, though. It's constructive criticism. That's the gentleman's criticism. Like if he's a man, a manly enough to you,

even have a man cave, he can take some constructive criticism. Yeah, I don't have a man cave, so maybe I can't take the criticism. But I am, in this case, I can. And less we forget, I mean, silly me, not only is Mark have a man cave, he has an entire Super Bowl segment based around it. That's true. And that went very well. Now it's time for a trip to Mark's Man Cave.

Brought to by Deborah McGregor. I forgot the Devlin McGregor, the crooked pharmaceutical giant from the fugitive, sponsored your segment. Well, the greatest part of that segment beyond the fact that I have no memory of it because of the state of my health that day. But the Denzel Ward and Miles Garrett were not wearing like the cans. So they couldn't, they couldn't even hear any of that. Greg, I'll never forget the anxiety coursing through Mark in addition to, the germs due to his illness ahead of that interview with two Brown's greats. And speaking of anxiety, I want to bring in the fourth person on today's show. You know her. You love her.

You've missed her. Colleen Wolfe. Connie's the queen. She is the queen of NFRAedia. That's how I get brought in. Speaking of Anxon, anxiety? Great. How you been, Colleen? Anything new going on the last couple of weeks? You know what? No, I've just been laying real low, real low, just chilling. A lot of just not doing anything, really. I can't wait until we write the around the NFL memoir. That's all I'm going to say. But it's so good to see you. It's so great to be back. Guys, I've missed you. I'm preparing for a soft launch of the summer of Connie and then go into full swing right

after the draft. So it's a, these are big months, a huge lead up to what's going to be an amazing summer. Are you doing the draft night stage thing again? That's a big spot. I am. Draft night stage thing. That's nice. I, that's exactly what they call it. So yeah, I will be in Detroit on stage for night one. And then I wanted to do day three because they're doing puppy adoptions. And so I've never done day three before. So I'm going to skip night two and then stay for all of the shenanigans on day three. Are we going to maybe leave there with a puppy?

I don't know how I don't leave without a puppy. So we're going to see what happens. But I'm going to probably get my pick of the litter since I'll be with them backstage. And that's kind of my dream is to just be in a green room with a bunch of puppies. That sounds great. And then, like, will the inevitable party at your compounds occur, like, how many hours after you return from the draft, roughly? Minutes, moments, seconds. It already starts on the flight home.

You know, my beloved dog captain, who's now about 16, 17 months old, but shortly before Christmas, 23, or 22, Emily and I went to this, oh, I should give them a shame. shout out because they do really great work here in terms of serving as a foster home for pets here in the South Bay and in the Los Angeles area. But we went over to this couple's home and there they were in the laundry room. It was captain as a, you know, a three week old puppy and then three other siblings of his. So it was a female puppy and then three males. And here's the one advice I'll give, Connie. Okay. We picked Captain.

Initially we wanted to get the girl dog, but she was totally insane. Emily wanted to get the girl, but she was nuts. And you could tell she was the Pied Piper and she was a maniac. And we're like, all right, I love the dog, but we can't pick it. The other two dogs were various levels of overactive. And Captain, as a puppy, was chilling way in the back and hiding and acting really low-key. And we're like, that's the puppy we want.

But I'll tell you something, Connie. we got that little bastard home and immediately he morphed into the other two brothers total maniac that we wouldn't have him any differently but they are smart enough even as puppies to con you and sell you so just be aware can I ask you a question though Dan

like if he was caughting you he just wasn't like tired at the moment Greg I am Greg I am telling you dude that dog was straight up acting to separate himself in the pack and he is a very intelligent canine so I really give him that benefit of the doubt Wait, can I ask you a question, like, is it possible?

And this is a theory, and we don't always agree with each other's theories. And it's also not a critique. Oswald backed it alone. Go on. It's not a critique. But is it possible that Captain is maybe a little less, or maybe a little more emotionally dense and wasn't aware like the other three dogs that they were, the siblings were about to be separated where the other three are reacting. Then Captain gets home and realizes he no longer has his siblings and his acting up.

I'll tell you what, Mark. I love you, buddy. But I don't need a cat guy telling me anything about the nature of the dog, an advanced species. I'm asking, I didn't tell you, I'm asking the question. And it was, you know, constructive criticism, as Greg would say, or just a question. Dan, I was trying to find, I was trying to find the rescue that, because you said it to me before and was telling me like that's after Blitzin. So I was actually looking at that rescue a bunch.

They have the cutest dogs, but I can't find it now. But I will tell you that Dash. I'm going to text my wife and we're going to get it. All right. Let's get on track. We got a good app today. We're going to talk about front offices, GMs, you know, coaches with pop owners, obviously the decision makers of the organizations that dot the NFL, who's under the most pressure

heading into draft weekend. But before that, we're going to hit some news. Let's get caught up. now third down and 13 blitz coming Prescott able to get out of the end zone and now airs it out for Lamb he's gone he's gone when he gets there

it's a touchdown Cowboys on top CD Lamb from 92 yards out although I do and we're going to get to the NFL conquering the days of the week again in a few minutes. But I really do enjoy those late regular season Saturday night games where like Daddy can have a couple Tidos. My sons are with me. We don't get to watch football enough due to the nature of our jobs. And when like a really exciting play happens like that, it kind of electrifies the house. I was that was and I'm

everyone knows that listens to this pot. I love me some CD Lamb. In what was a brilliant season. That game, he was an absolute monster. And now the Cowboys are dealing with the repercussions of it being a monster because you got to pay him like a God. I'm still a little stuck on, you know, you calling yourself our daddy. But I do want to move on because that highlight, I think, was the first time this off season that I saw a highlight from the season. And like for a few weeks afterwards, I got to admit, like seeing highlights from the season. It almost gives me the chills. Like, oh, remember that back then? It was just like you were in a totally different mindset. But now Teams have showed up.

They've started working out. Football is back. I was excited to see an NFL highlight there. Let's go. Mark is going to reach through your monitor and put an end to your juggler. They're working out. We got Kurt Cousins doing interviews in the Falcons facility. They're there.

Football is back. All right. And we just lost Colleen. Hopefully we'll get her back. Connie has technical difficulties from time to sign on these remote shows. But we'll hopefully get Colleen back. and if we don't, it was great seeing her and she'll be back soon enough. Let's get into the CD-LAM story here, which is, I don't know if I'd call it thorny,

but it's on the radar, and it's worth talking about. The Dallas Morning News reported that there is, quote, NFL precedent for CD-LAM not taking the field until he signs a contract extension. He's entering the fifth and final year of his rookie deal, but he is one of the best wide receivers in football. we just talked about. He's coming off an incredible season where he posted career highs and receptions,

135, receiving yards, 1749. Touchdowns 12. So he's a first time all pro. He deserves a contract that matches that. And yet the Cowboys are just in slippery conditions here, Mark, with their salary cap, with what's going on with Michael Parsons, with Dak Prescott,

in some ways it's a good problem to have, but also in other ways you're seeing the challenges of a team with top flight stars bunched together. Yeah, I mean, it's, you know, this stuff happens. There is a precedent. I like that word attached to this, but they've gotten to this point with those three players you mentioned, like Prescott, Parsons, and Lamb,

where all of them need their contracts to be addressed. And for all the business and hype around the Cowboys, it just feels kind of like bad business, like a little bit disorganized, because these wide receivers each year get incrementally so much more expensive that you could have done this before. You could have found a way to do this before. Like the whole DAC thing, I'd say the same thing.

It's like quarterback wide receiver becoming incredibly inflated price-wise. And I think it's Lam's prerogative to say, look, I want to be paid like what I am, which is one of the top receivers in the league. And you're not going to have my services without that money. And if you look at what else they have on the depth chart, they don't really have a other choice, but to make it happen. It's just part of the off-season playbook right now. I mean, skipping off-season workouts, they're voluntary anyways.

If he skips a mini-camp or not, it's not that meaningful. If he starts taking into training camp, again, that's part of the playbook. It's a catch-22 with this fifth-year option. You retain his rights longer than if he was a second-round pick. But they just never want to play on that fifth-year option if they're the kind of player that CD Lam is. He's made a total of $14 million in his four years, which is, you know, great money for a normal person. But for the level of production that he's had, you know, it's minuscule. They will get the deal done. They don't have a ton of cap space. But I do think the

Dak Prescott situation is looming over this, that they, in my mind, are going to choose on some level to pay CD Lamb first and wait and see how Dak Prescott does this year. And I think it's meaningful with the draft coming up because I just look at a fairly deep question. quarterback class and I know they don't have a high pick and yeah I just look at like the model that the packers have shown and I've to me it's not crazy for the cowboys to be considering taking a quarterback in this class and part of that equation I think is cd lamb's going to get his money it's just a matter of time we don't need to spend like a crazy amount of time this off season even though i suspect it will go into training camp or something like that and this is you know their

cowboys are victim of their own success on some level but also it's another reminder and it's like you know, you saw the digs trade and the bills in some ways, and you look at their roster and what they're doing now, they're trying to reload on the fly with the star quarterback, that the Cowboys had their window. Like, they had it. Like that, when you hit on Parsons, Lamb, and DAC, you had that three or four years where that's when you go and you win Super Bowls

and they weren't able to get over the hump in the NFC. And it doesn't mean that they can't contend for the Super Bowl again, even this year. but now it's getting increasingly more difficult. And Parsons is a top five, maybe even top three player, maybe the number one player at his position. Lamb, you can make the same case for his position. These are two of the highest paid positions in the sport.

And then Dak, maybe not top five, but probably a top 10 quarterback, and he's a QB. So that's the highest paid position in the sport. So it's almost a perfect storm mark, kind of which I'm less feeling critical of the Cowboys, but that they didn't get the job done, winning, and now they have to find a way to pay these three dudes at, like, the most expensive price tags in the sport,

and it's kind of impossible. Yeah, and I think, like, I mean, there's no way to really shape-shift the message to not say that Dallas has had an awkward, unpredictably strange off-season. That, I guess, the start goes against the actual messaging of what they claim to be this off-season. And I'm with Greg, though. I mean, we can let this one go,

until he gets paid. You know, the Chris Jones holdout last year was one of the rare ones where like a star isn't there when the season starts. I typically just tend to think these things get ironed out. But they're in a thorny spot. Yeah. I think the story here is not the idea of will CD-Land play for the Cowboys will he show up and more just like the bigger picture situation around the Cowboys.

He said, by the way, to TMZ, I'll be in Dallas, which was like a clever non-answer to like, yeah, you'll be in Dallas. he lived there, but he wasn't saying he was showing up to practice necessarily. Yeah, parse that, Harvey Levin. All right. In other news, we told you, NFL won. They've defeated days of the week. There's no longer any issue.

You could play an NFL game whenever you want, and issues with competition, be damned. There will be a way and a streaming platform that will air it. And let's talk about week one. It's going to have a new wrinkle. There's a lot of new wrinkles with the schedule now. because everything's been blown wide open. The Eagles will play the NFL's first game in Brazil to kick off 2024.

And yes, they will do it on a Friday night. So now we get the Thursday night opener. We're going to have a, this is the Brazilian national anthem, by the way. We're going to have Thursday night opener. We're going to have Friday night. We're going to have a dozen games on Sunday and then games on Monday. So you do the math. That's four out of seven in one week of football.

So the Eagles last played an international game in 2018. We'll face a to be announced opponent in San Paolo, Friday, September 6th, the day after the NFL season kicks off on Thursday night. So it will be the NFL's first Friday game on an opening weekend in more than 50 years. Mark, what was happening 50 years ago when they last played? I mean, I was born 50 years ago, so I think that was probably one of the bigger news items in the country. Yeah. I was just saying it was in your life cycle, so not Greg and I, so I didn't know if you knew who were the teams.

Did they have TV back then? Did you watch it? There was a form of television back in the early 70s, Greg. Roger Goodell had this to say, by the way, we are just incredibly enthusiastic about our growth on a global basis. Samezies. Yeah, I was curious because I saw our frequent guest, Andrew Marchan, asked the question, Is the NFL even popular in Brazil? And I know it is popular to some degree,

but I wasn't sure as much, but the NFL says that Brazil has the third most amount of fans in the entire world. Number one, U.S., number two, Mexico. They credit 30 million fans in Brazil. Now, it's not a huge part of our audience because of the language barrier, but bring it on Brazilians. We're sending you a good game.

It shows how much we respect Brazil to give them Packers' Eagles. And that might be the best prime time game in week one. I also read that actually in Brazil, that the Packers, you know, they probably looked into this, have one of the biggest, one of the biggest, like, fan fit, the teams, the Packers are like the second or third most popular team there. But, you know, Dan, you said that they can play games any day.

There is this, like, age-old rule out there called the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which happened before I was born. But you are not allowed to play a game on Friday. as of the second Friday in September. So what they've done is they've found these calendar openings where because Labor Day is happening on September 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, you can squeeze it in there. And they've noted that the other years that are eligible would be 2025,

2029, 2030, and 2031. So they're not going to, they can't do Friday night every night, but when they find their way, they're going to squeeze it in there and disrupt your weekend, Dan. We'll see. We'll see, Mark. That was good reporting, though, by Mark. Sound like a challenge, Mark.

Didn't know all that. And I think it was valuable to anyone making plans for 2029. I could see the league office like you just challenging that sports act too. All right. And thank you guys for giving me that information, an updated information about their opponent. That is exciting. Moving on.

Josh Allen. No, the other Josh Allen, the one that plays for the Jaguars, gets paid. He agrees to a new five-year, $150 million deal. makes him one of the,

makes him one of the highest paid players at his position in the league. It is a contract that includes $88 million guaranteed. And it replaces the franchise tag that he was playing under that was set to pay him a little more than $24 million. Gregie, Allen coming off his second pro ball trip in five years. He is coming off a perfectly timed breakout year where he had 17 and a half sacks, 66 tackles, two force fumbles. an interception, big-time player.

They nailed the draft pick. I remember when he came into the league is like, oh, it's another Josh Allen. Is this the right way? And it turned out to be, yes, the right play. Right. He's sort of a classic example of a first round pick that was a big win, a B plus, a minus

that wasn't a superstar, but better than the average and got better and better and developed, I think, and times his best season for his contract year. And it just reminds me how important. self-scouting and getting ahead of all these contracts are because they could have paid, they could have paid him so much less a year ago. And they could have paid him this contract months ago. And then they could have kept Calvin Ridley, but they couldn't because then the franchise tag wasn't available. And he ended up being able to squeeze him. It's a good thing,

though, for players like franchise tag players, we saw with Kyle Dugger earlier this week, are getting their long-term money, which is sort of how it's intended to be used. But these quieter contracts, It's like the Eagles, for instance, with Dickerson and Milada, who are doing it years ahead. Like, those are the teams that are smart. They're saving money in the long run because this is pretty wild. I think it's 76 fully guaranteed, 88 guarantee. Like, he's getting that money. It's not backload at all.

He actually has a chance to play a lot of this contract, I think, by the looks of it. And it links to exactly what we were just saying about Micah Parsons. I mean, it's exactly what Dallas has to look at and say, oh, we're going to have to top that. And like, you're right, seven of nine tag players have gotten contracts and quicker than they would have in other such a time. So, like, I like that part of it. And the Jaguars needed to do this. I mean, Calvin Ridley is not to me like a star wide receiver, but they are letting players go. And you're watching the AFC South, the Texans specifically turn into a firestorm.

And you've got a wait and see on what Anthony Richardson makes the cult. So it's like the Jaguars who, you know, 600 days ago were a really sexy new operation in the AFC. are now like maybe the second or third, at least the second best team in the south, maybe the third. I was going to say hold that thought, but it was too late. We'll talk about the Jaguars a little bit later, potentially.

Are we going to have a balki off? I mean, our multiple co-hosts here, don't be ridiculous. All right, finally in the news, God, if there's one person out there that got that reference, please hit me up on social media. I enjoyed it. But go ahead.

I mean, I don't want to spell it out for the listeners out there that, you know, give me the letters, but you're lucky Bartakamas, big time fans. Okay. The Bartaka heads out there. Anyway, finally in the news, Bill Belichick is about to enter an NFL season, not as a head coach or a coach of any kind.

And that will be the first time since 1974, which... Predates Mark Sessler? No, it is, I was, you know, on the earth to witness the start of that career for Bill Belichick. Man, this is like a whole fun game. Like, can we find an event in history where Mark wasn't alive? Anyway, 50 years, okay? And Belichick, though, is keeping busy.

He recently spoke at Nebraska's annual coaching clinic. And, you know, the head coach is an old man, an old friend of the show, a guy that once, stole Mark's heart at the NFL scouting combine at a tavern, a local steakhouse. That is Matt Ruhl. He did not do well as a head coach in the NFL, but obviously he's landed on his feet well. And he was blown away by Bill Belichick's presence, his knowledge, his Junisekwa at this clinic. Let's listen to Ruhl who also was very pointed in his commentary about Bill being out of work and how is that possible. He is so smart, I've seen so much that he can make the complex so simple

that it humbles you and embarrass you. I was embarrassed yesterday. How smart he is, how simple it was. He went, he went four and a half hours with just with the coaching. Forget the clinic. He came in and met with our coaching staff. And three and a half hours in, I was like, coach, would you like? a water, a cup of coffee, like to use the restroom, because I desperately had to use the

restroom, you know? And he's like, I'm fine, Matt. I was like, yes, sir. And just sitting there and just talking, right? And just his recall from things 15 years ago. And, you know, the only reason why we don't get through more information is because he's having to slow down to make sure you understand what he's saying. I mean, so you have this man who's a savant, right, who's been a defensive coordinator he's been a special team's coordinator he's coached you know he could be an offensive coordinator he's been a head coach twice he's been a GM person I mean he's and he's talking about football in a way that just like I mean illuminates things and makes things so simple that you're like oh my goodness um I love that and I wish things worked out better from that rule

because he seems like a good guy and a personal guy in the NFL uh So, and some people, and I saw some, some, you know, criticism out there that, who cares what that guy says? He's terrible at his job. Okay, he was bad as a Panthers head coach, but he's clearly someone who respects the profession that's done it for a long time. And what he's telling you right there, does that sound like an over the hill football man, someone that doesn't have more to give to this league? I think it's one of the great follies and honestly the most ridiculous thing in all our time doing this podcast, which is we're going into our 12th season. that Bill Belichick wanted a job and did not get one this year. And that will probably be rectified next year.

But let it be remembered when the next round of firing and firings and dismissals goes down that a lot of those teams had a chance to get Bill Belichick and instead chose to outthink themselves. I could see one, you know, silver lining here for Belichick because it's pretty trenchantly noted that when coaches take a year off, they, they're, health improves. They're able to watch football more globally. I mean, you're not going to teach Bill Belichick new things. I get that. But just the idea of kind of getting out of the grind, re-energizing, taking a look at football from a different place. And I think for Belichick to go

around to these coaching clinics and to talk to other coaching staffs, it's got to be fuel for him. And I think it takes the hot butt rankings and everyone who's on that list, it dials the notch up because whatever exhaustion or ageism was happening around Bill Belichick, a couple months ago at the end of the New England thing. And the documentary that came out all that, it's like, other owners are now going to be like, wait a minute, everyone passed on Bill Belichick. But if I'm like the Giants owner, I'm like, we could bring Belichick, Bill Belichick back to New York to be the Giants coach in a bit of poetry if this thing continues to go south. So I think everyone's now about to be watching it. Like, wait a minute, Belichick is already

the lead candidate to take a job a year from now. Like, that's all stuff I agree with from both of you and yet I don't think it was some travesty he didn't get hired he needed a year off what he was doing was stale he was doing a poor job I think it's going to be extremely valuable for him to take a step back and do some self-accounting of how he went 29 and 38 with no playoff wins for four years three out of four losing records like because there's no way he is happy with that and he is as critical as it gets and I randomly like reread a critical of himself as he gets as he used to be. I reread this book Patriot Rain, which is one of the great season in the life embedded reporter books that kind of got slept on. It's Michael

Holly who spent two seasons, all sorts of inside stuff with the Patriots 2002, 2003. It's kind of amazing. It's like him going to Belichick's cousin's house with Belichick when she has cancer, all this stuff. And like the number one thing that he stressed that he like was important to him was to not have yes men around him, to have people around him that he respected that could push back on what he said because it can't just be one person running the show like it it can't just be one person and scott peolia especially in that book was really important as someone who he trusted to do a lot and he loved how man genie pushed back and he said i never want to be the type of leader that gets masturbatory he used that word in terms of my

opinions and no one's got he didn't have to use that word but he didn't but he was and and what did he turn into he turned into a guy who had who started making all the decisions had had no one around him didn't groom anyone that would push back and he will i'm sure reflect and say i did a poor job for four years 29 and 38 with with three losing seasons is a bad job no matter what and i think he'll come back a better coach but it to me it's not some like like he was a little he needed to reset and and change the way he was doing things i know but everybody everyone's seems to be so sure of their opinion that he needed to reset and he needed this year away. But he didn't, he didn't think it. And just because he, listen, he could have

gotten a job in January and still done some self-reflection and self-scouting and went into this enlivened and re-energized and learning from what happened at the end of the New England run. And the idea, like, I think ageism played a part in the fact that he's in his early 70s. And now you're kind of in some way, like the point I'm trying to make will be made in January when multiple teams want the guy and it won't be because like oh now he's had the year and head coach jail where he was able to you know come clean and and go to confession and finally see the error of his ways like he's going to be the same guy and he'll learn and he's learned some things away from the game but I think he would have been learning and scouting

himself either way why did he do such a bad job well he I mean that's also I understand what you're saying and you could point to the end of the run he also ended up with a a quarterback that couldn't really play. And that really shades things. I think if he ended up with a better quarterback prospect than Mac Jones, we probably aren't having this conversation. And that's not to put everything on Mac Jones because he played a major role in Mac Jones.

He was the face of the organization behind the scenes as well. I just, I still can't believe. And I don't want to dwell on it anymore. And I think we're all on the same page. I'm just a little more strident in my feeling that the teams, these teams think they're so smart and it's a copycat league. And I think once other teams kind of put it out there that, oh, we don't want that guy.

He needs a good team, though. I'm not assuming he's going to do well. The odds would say, like, he could be mediocre again. And he loves that, Greg. A turnkey team like the Cowboys or the Jets, not like the Jets are going to hire him, but a team that actually has it in place, his mind is obviously so sharp. He's such a great defense of mind. Like, he can do all that.

Running an organization, I think he showed that his best days are behind him when it comes to that. He'll need to make some adjustments, obviously. And he's not somebody to speak on this. He's not going to do a last dance, Jordan thing and speak his mind on this stuff. But he loves like guys, like national guys like a Greg Rosenthal, who no one was ever more in his corner saying he can't do it anymore. He's got to be in a perfect setup.

He needs to kind of, he can't run the show like he used to. I think he's going to be hungry. And I think he would have been hungry this year too, I guess is my point. This idea that he needed to take the year off, well, he's getting the year off and let's see what happens. I think a little bit of all of that can be true. Like, even if he didn't want the year off, it can help him. Like, he can be doubted, but you have to look at the full body of work.

He's one of the greatest coaches, if not the greatest coach of all time. And I find your versatility, Dan, to be impressive, that you can come out and attack appropriately the agis and the people that, you know, killed Bill for his age on a show where you're asking if I was here for, to witness the. revolutionary war. So I, that versatility is no. That's a fair point. I think versatility, I'll tell you're saying it's a little hypocritical. Versatile seems like the word that's a nice guy move. I'll fall on that sword, baby. All right. Let's take a break and we will talk about, speaking of pressure and decision makers,

who's under the most as we enter draft season. What's up everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. the sticks, we take you inside the game from scouting reports and player development to team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. Every week, we study the tape, talk to decision makers, and share the insights you won't find anywhere else. It's the kind of conversation that connects the dots, from college football prospects to the NFL stars of tomorrow.

We break down the draft, analyze matchups, and evaluate how teams put it all together on game day. Plus, we dig in the coaching strategies, roster constructions. and the trends that shape the league year after year. Whether you're a diehard fan or just love understanding the game on a deeper level, we give you the full picture. If you want insight that goes beyond the box score, this podcast is for you.

Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Six podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Matt Jones. I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to,

try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts Pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen to NFL

Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com NFL now to learn more. Welcome back. I'll tell you what, this sport is not for the meek of heart.

And leadership in the front office, that Holy Trinity, owner, GM, head coach, all teams are different and who has the juice. But ultimately, there's always someone who's responsible who will be either celebrated or dragged through the mud for the draft. And then free agency is a test for these decision makers, but I feel like the real pressure point, the future of the organizations are really built on the back of these three days

every April. And that's what we're going to talk about. right now. And that's why you're hearing that ominous synth, Mark Sessler, because I can only imagine. I mean, look it, we just talked about Belichick. One day you're the goat. The next day, you can't even get a job. And that's the pressure these guys are under. It's what have you done for me lately? And if you're coming off a so-so draft, for instance, and there are a lot of GMs and front office leaders that are coming off so-so to bad drafts, man, you better hit on this one, or you'll be joining Bill Belichick at the next Cornhuskers summit.

If you're lucky. I think you're right. It's a stark, stark environment. That's why, and it seems to be happening a little bit less, but you've got these, like, coaches that like to brag about being in the office, 90 hours a week. And GMs right now are doing the same thing. They don't see their families for four months.

And I think this year, especially there's a lot of new GMs, but the pressure is turned up on some of them, but especially some of these guys that have been around for a while and there have been some disappointing tracks in the background. So this segment comes at the right time, Dan. I don't want to get, you know, in this podcast especially, but I did hear one of the many of what, you know, a lot of new head coaches to make your point mark.

I heard from a birdie that an example is one of the coaches toward the facility after being hired. And the first thing he asked was like, where are the beds, where are the pullout couches for my assistants? and you could infer quite easily what will be expected of that staff. And the fact that the assistant coaching offenses didn't have a place to sleep meant that needed to be handled, put it that way. So yes, there's a lot of pressure all the way down the chain.

But let's get into some teams and front office leaders who are under the most pressure entering this draft. And Greg, why don't you get us going? Throw a team out there. We'll go around the horn. And by the way, for those that are wondering, Colleen Wolfe still missing in action, we're going to continue to track this,

and hopefully she returns, but hope is growing dim. Go ahead. All right. I'll save Bartokomis for you because I'm not kind of teammate. And I want to mention a name I feel like has not been mentioned since the day he was hired,

and he's going to be drafting for the first time, actually. And he's not in a great spot. And yet I still feel like he's under a lot of pressure. His name is Dan Moore. He's the Panthers GM. Not getting a lot of pop this offseason, the Panthers, not getting a lot of attention, partly because they don't have a first round pick. But you know what they do as have is the first pick in the second round and then another

pick, six picks later in a draft that it's the perfect spot to have those two picks where people really feel like the strength of this draft is in the top 50 picks, that the difference between, let's say, 15 and 50. is not that great. And to me, the Panthers have so many needs that he can put a little bit of a fire sale up for that 33 spot overnight and see what it can get for and pick up more and more. They're thin everywhere. I love the Deonté Johnson move.

But Adam Thielen, you can't expect what you got out of him to happen again. Like, he is a three in a perfect situation. You need more juice. You don't have a receiver. You don't have a tight end. Your left tackle from a couple years ago has essentially been a bust. and they're going to say that they love them, but they're going to need another option there.

And then I look at their defense, and they've added some, like, good, just veteran players that kind of fill the snaps. Josie Jewel, DJ Wanham, Aishon Robbins, and, like, clownies there, like a bunch of solid guys who can play, and they needed that. But when you look on Our Lads, which I have my favorite depth charts, you can see, you know, when they got drafted,

where they came from. And I noticed, like, only three players on the Panthers starting defense were drafted by the Panthers. And one of them, Shaq Thompson, who was practically playing with Dan Morgan back with Dan Morgan was quite an exciting middle linebacker back in the day. And so they need homegrown talent and they need to win fast because we've learned with that owner, like, you might think you might have a timeline. Dan Morgan's been in the building. He was part of the last regime. He's not going to have that long of a timeline.

And they just need to start finding some players. And I just wanted to say hello to the Carolina Panthers fans that listen to this show. I'm going to because they've been completely ignored. That is a perilous spot because I think if anyone's going to want to try their test at being a GM and it was kind of an uncreated I think Dean Morgan could be as good as anyone else somewhere but it was a hire from within

which tells me sometimes about what the owner wants to be able to have control over. I don't know if that's the case here but the odds on situation tells us the Tepper wants to have the strongest voice. You don't know if the quarterback can play. You inherited a job where you have given away a ton of draft picks for the future

and made a ton of terrible team-building decisions over the last three or four years. That's why Matt Ruhl doesn't have a job. So it's like I think Dan Morgan, like selling that pick maybe and acquiring all the assets you can, I agree with you, Greg. I think that makes sense. Yeah, because this is obviously the critical year for Bryce Young. It comes quick in the NFL, the number one overall pick coming off a nightmare rookie year. If he's bad again, very, very real chance that they just clean house.

Two-fifth, as I mentioned, two high seconds, and then the first pick of the third. Like, that third is almost as good as a late second. So he does have, even though they traded all this picks away, they have some maneuverability. They've got to make it happen. And I'll throw one more before we throw it to Mark with his pressure point. Just a little, Greg, I like the way you did that. That was an optimistic type way to say hello to the Panthers fans. That one thing that you got to remember to do

no matter what, no matter what obstacles you face, no matter the hardships in your past, there's only one thing you got to do. Hey, pound it. Right, Mark. Been a while. I, you know, when you look at, like, the last Panthers GM, Scott Fitterer, like, not surprising

why he's not there anymore. I think there's one GM sitting out there that it's like, it is a surprise to me that he's still in the building. And it's George Payton, who I think we have a nickname for. Was it Kevin Saunders, I believe? That's it.

Okay, so Kevin Saunders has enough on his resume where he shouldn't be there. I think he's got a head coach who essentially probably runs that front office, if not directly, just sort of spiritually. And a head coach and Sean Payton who's verbally, whether,

I know Greg always thinks whatever Sean Payton is saying that he's lying. But he says, you know, there are teams up there above us in the draft where they're at number 12 that we are, you know, trading up for a quarterback makes them very valuable front offices and assets. And I think like you're looking at a team that has Jared Stiddam and Ben Danucci in a post-Russell Wilson apocalypse. And there is a lot of pressure to get up there and get someone if they don't like who's going to fall to them as the fifth or sixth guy. They do have more draft assets than you would think. But I think either way, if you,

for some reason it doesn't go the way that Sean Payton wants, that Sean Payton has the easiest fall guy around. And there are, you know, once every couple years, there's a team that cleans house in the front office right after the draft. And I could see that being a real problem for George Payton slash Kevin Saunders. If it doesn't come out real well for them, I mean, they absolutely need it. I mean, if that's happening, the decision's already made. It doesn't matter. They're not going to let them do anything on draft weekend if they're going a fire. Well, so I'm saying I don't know if the decision's already made or if they, maybe they work better together than we realized. I don't, I just think that the power structure puts them in a

tough spot. And it's almost like you have someone you can blame other than Sean Payton if you're Sean Payton. If it doesn't go well a couple weeks from now. I mean, you could almost like look at it a different way than Mark, like that with especially these teams coming off disappointing years, there's not a lot of pressure. I mean, there's pressure to try to be better. But if things go wrong, Sean Payton's pulling the strings anyway and he could just blame the GM and start over there. And if things go right, Kevin Saunders keeps his job most likely and McVeigh and Peyton gets all the credit. I don't like the, I don't like the power structure for George Peyton to begin with. But I would say secondly, who like Kevin Saunders. But if you if you like

goes into another rough year with Sean Payton, I think things get real ugly. And you know, I just I just do. think they, I think they've got to come out of this draft with a lot more hope than they're, that their roster to me on offense is just like, come on guys. Like, and the drafts have not been great. They, they've not had great drafts under Kevin Saunders. So it's like, what's the track record here? There's a Walmart that owns the Broncos. Yeah, I don't, we don't know yet how patient they are. We, when we talked about the Russell Wilson trade, I, I made my opinion that, or shared my opinion that I thought, if they're being run the right way,

that Peyton should be mostly absolved of year one because he had to inherit the Russell mess and everything that came with it. For sure. And now it's pretty widely known across the league that the Broncos are in a very difficult spot in terms of how they can spend over the next couple of years because of that disastrous Russell Wilson transaction.

And I guess I just disagree just a little bit about like what the expectations are in Denver and when the expectations are lowered because of their unique situation that maybe it's not as high a pressure point as other teams. Broncos fans didn't like it going into last season, but I'm going to make the same point now is like, where is the strength of this team?

Give me a position group that has much. It's a pretty bad roster. I might put it in the bottom six in the NFL. Like I think Peyton did a fine job, Sean Payton. That's why we talk about Kevin Son. They're fine job coaching up what they had. But there's not a lot. there's not a lot to, like, wrap your arms around here and feel, feel good about for the Broncos.

So I'm with you. They need some talent infusion. And if it, and it's tricky, like, Bo Nix as a second rounder feels okay. Bo Nix, if you take them in the, you know, top 15 feels a little rich. Yeah, they definitely need to get better. All right, we started with two bad teams, two sad teams. A bad team and a sad, or, hmm, Panthers are kind of sad and bad. Anyway, Panthers, Broncos, two teams that are.

looking up the hill. I want to talk about a team that's in a really the opposite place, but I kind of attach some headlines to these. So the headline here is take a window for granted and soon enough, it will be a wall. I like that. Pretty good, made that one up. Talk about the Packers. And you have Brian Gutakuntz. He's been there for a while now. He survived the Aaron Rogers power struggle, handled it beautifully looking back on it. nailed the Jordan love pick. You have Matt LaFleur there, his sixth season with the team. There's been a lot of success in those six seasons,

but also they have not gotten to the big one with LaFleur. And this is an organization that expects to get back to the Super Bowl. And last year's, the whole last season, they went nine and eight. They closed very strong, obviously. They went into the playoffs. They were the team nobody wanted to play. They took the, gave the line. all that they could handle, and now it is understood that this is the year that they make

that leap. And it better be because I think that these windows, especially at the Jordan Love situation, Gregie, and maybe you can provide just a little clarity because of his situation. Where is he out contract-wise? He's entering the second year of a two-year contract. They're probably going to give him a new contract this offseason if I had to guess in the summer. Yeah. And then things get a little more difficult for the Packers. And so what you have with their situation, they have the 25th overall pick and they have a early second round pick. That is the Aaron Rogers trade. It was going to be a first rounder, but Rogers didn't reach the percentage of snaps because of his injury, of course, so they get a second rounder. So that is the

ninth pick of the second round. They also have the 26th pick of the second round, and they have two third round picks. So that's pretty nice. They have for a team coming off a successful season with a really exciting young core. They now have five picks out of the first 91, including three in the top 60. And I think the pressure here is it's not like Goudicund is going to lose his job, but

this is, look at the bills as a recent example, or what the lions are now entering as they come into what feels like a big time, important year for their organization. I could have talked about the lions in this exercise. This is kind of the year. And if Goudicund nails this draft and makes smart moves

and picks up, hits the first round pick and then gets value in those ever valuable second and third rounds, that could really fill out whatever ills this roster at this point, whether they decide they want to go after an offensive tackle, even though they had a pretty good season from Rashid Walker, who filled in for Bakhtiari, but that's a former seventh round pick. Do you want to upgrade at that position? Do you want to add some help to the defense? You finally made the decision and changed defensive coordinators, but do you want to add more

talent there. I suspect that they will and they'll be aggressive addressing the defense because the offense is in a very good place overall. But this is such a pivotal moment in recent Packers history because if you hit this draft, look out. You could be hoisted in Lombardi in February. If you miss on it, you could be the next bills, the team that could have would or shoulda that was on the make and then never got there. I would just say like one thing though, quick though, because I see what you're saying that it could swing either way. But you know, with the way that Packers operate in general, like, I would give Goody, like, an A, if not an almost an A plus, on rebuilding the offense.

Because in a way, even though Aaron Rogers is Aaron Rogers, it was a little bit of a progress stopper. And we're really only like four months removed from finding out that Jordan Love can play. And now I think like the hope, hope is gushing out of that organization. Well, Rogers did win back-to-back MVP's before that last season. No, I know, but I guess it's more like you, like, in a way, they found a good quarterback in love, but then you, his rookie contract has been eaten up by that situation. It's two different things in a way, but like, they're pretty conservative with what they do with their front office and stuff. And I think Goody has to be as safe, a GM is at, as, as, as anyone in a division in a way, but also like, because he's on the same page. Because I'm not talking about, I don't see this segment as like who's on the hot seat necessarily.

it's about like who is in kind of, and many cases it will be and probably the other teams I bring up it will be. But in Goudicunts' situation, it's more like here is a moment and it might not be on everyone's radar that this kind of could be the year that separates them

and makes them a true Super Bowl team if he hits it. And it's like a moment in time before Love gets that big deal. No, I thought you said that he would be in trouble for some reason if things went, if this draft didn't go well, which maybe you weren't.

He would live with regret more than he'd be in trouble. I think that's so true that as you were talking and I'm thinking about it, like they have a chance to really set themselves up as the consistent team in the NFC, a young quarterback in a really good young core, a lot of which is on offense. That's how you win consistently. And when you say watch out, you turn into the bills. And part of me thinks like, well, you should be so lucky.

I mean, they did win like the most amount of games over the last four years. And I don't view the Ville's story as remotely closed. To me, Josh Allen is in the middle of their prime. And so their windows open. So consistent winning is what they want. You want to get a little over the top. And some good picks on defense, especially I think in the secondary. Maybe you get a little younger with the pass rush.

But they're a team unlike the Broncos where I look around. I see a lot of strengths. And I don't see a ton of huge screaming needs. You mentioned a couple of them. I think they'll definitely address the secondary at some. point with those first three picks, but he's in a good spot. I mean, Damashek does that list of like the greatest positions in sports. And he, you know, he puts like Bruin's Center and Yankees something. I don't even remember what

it was. Center field. It's like, how about Packers GM going from Wolf to Thompson to Goudicunds? You know, that's pretty good. I feel like most of a Dave's like cross sports points just circle back to Mario Lemieux. Yes, it's, it is penguin center, I think, is like number one all time or something. All right. Let's take a break and then we will go around again talking about different teams that the decision makers. What am I calling this again?

Pressure points. It was decision makers. Team builders. Pretty good. All right. We'll be right back. What's up everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here.

And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Sticks, we take you inside the game from scouting reports and player development To team-building philosophies, coaching trends in how front offices construct winning rosters. Every week, we study the tape, talk to decision-makers, and share the insights you won't find anywhere else. It's the kind of conversation that connects the dots, from college football prospects to the NFL stars of tomorrow. We break down the draft, analyze matchups, and evaluate how teams put it all together on game day. Plus, we dig into coaching strategies, roster construction, and the trends that shape the league year after year. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just love understanding the game on a deeper level,

we give you the full picture. If you want insight that goes beyond the box score, this podcast is for you. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Six podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Matt Jones. I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL Cover Zero.

We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit, different? Did you see the Colts Pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen to NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. Oh, right, everybody. Let's never play that again.

Thank you very much, Greg Rosenthal, who said that. By the way, Greg, have you given any thought so far about the Delaware tapes now that they are in the possession of the old Zeus? Despite, you know, the firestorm of interest on social media. Oh, wait, no, I haven't heard from one listener on this thing. Nobody cares. we waited too long for this bit, the desire has really diminished over the years. Half the listeners are like, what's Dan even talking about? This is from eight years ago.

What a mistake that was. Everyone, all the soldiers of the ATN Army, please hit up Greg on Twitter slash X. And let him know that you do want to hear the Delaware tapes. And it would be a win. Mark, like we said, a win for everyone. a win for you and i think so i think like you know when we're hearing the innocent voices of um children uh you know young minds and hearts asking uh that this be the wish that we're fulfilled not only just for us but for the future generations so i i think it's important yeah that was a rookie

mistake by me and i know you're not i will be turning off notifications until monday april 15th all right so start sending this on monday april 15. No, and I know you're not in it for the glory, but just think, Greg, that you too could have a signed football from Debo Sweeney. Like me. That's how it works. I potentially played a role in the, I'm going to say, an orphanage that was erected in the Clemson region. I'm not sure, but I did play a role because I got that ball. You too could have some type of artifacts celebrating your great philanthropic mind. I think it was thanking you for speaking to the Young Capitalists of America conference or something.

So let's come down with the orphanage. Young Capitalists of America? That is so, that's so false. So anyway, again, just before we get back to it, who wins? Mark and I. Who wins? the audience. And who wins? The Santa Monica Food Bank as an example. Where we will donate on behalf of Greg if he lets us all here. The Delaware, his Prague acid rock group from the mid-90s in high school

at a western Massachusetts. Some of their great work includes, I have it under Delaware bio under stickies on my laptop. How do you want to cook? Shiny Man went to Frogtown. These are all output from Delaware. All right, let's get back to it. We must listen to Delaware. Tiny man went to Frogtown. You're up, Greg. I'm going to go with Brandon Bean.

You know, I started with Carolina. Let's go to a former Panthers staffer here, Brandon Bean, who arrived in Buffalo after one season of Sean McDermott. He joined his power there, 2018. I think what they've done since McDermott got there could be taught at like a sports business school of how to rebuild a franchise through picks, through trade, through free agency,

how to take something where there was basically nothing and create a consistent winner. Hopefully for them they get a Super Bowl eventually and it really completes that story. But I think he was excellent. But you look at the track record over the last few years and in the draft specifically, there's just not enough home runs.

There's a bunch of singles. like at oliver you found a guy who you can kind of build around that was that was 2019 for the most part all their best player their core players were found back then when when they first got their 17 18 19 maybe 20 and since then they've been hitting singles he needs to find guys that can be around now they don't pick until late i've seen some stuff that maybe they trade up for wide receiver i think that's crazy because they do have some fifths and six in this class where they can trade to move around but I think they need to find two or three real difference makers in the top 75 picks. We're going to talk receiver tomorrow, but, you know, their number one receiver right now.

Out wide is Curtis Samuel or Cleo Shakir. I don't even know who would do. Oh, Jesus. It's Kincaid. I mean, they need a wide receiver. They've signaled that they're really happy with their offensive line. They recently signed Layle Collins, too. So I think that's one area they won't hit.

But especially in the secondary, the defense and at wide receiver, they need core guys. They need the bills that are going to help carry Josh Allen to where he hasn't gone before. I think he can do it because he's done it before, but they're starting to run out of time. I like the draft last year. It worked out okay, but they need to start stacking them. The one thing I don't like about Buffalo's situation is when, you know, less than a month before the draft, you created a burning need. At a, you know, for an offense that, you know, you could say Josh Allen go do it all on his own.

Well, no, we can't. Like, that's just not how this is going to work. And so you have to go find that wide receiver. It's absolutely you need to use it. You might need a trade up if you fall in love someone. But then you need that wide receiver to like produce right away. I just don't love the situation. I think things, I think there is a lot of pressure on the coach. There's a lot of pressure on the quarterback. There's a lot of pressure on the front office. And they were, they did Brandon Bean did such a good job building this thing. But they're in a place that they did not plan to be, I don't think, on any level right now. And they could make an aggressive move up the board potentially to grab one of these

top wide receivers. But it might end up being more likely that with that 28th overall pick, or even in the second round where they pick 60th, yeah, they have to be sharper than ever and identify someone that is a high value guy and hope they hit on it. See, I agree with it. You're saying, Mark, they just seem very kind of vulnerable where they, where they are right now. And if you were going to trade Diggs, the timing of it, post-free agency, pre-draft,

almost just puts more pressure on the organization to hit on something. And it's not easy to hit on these guys. It's as good as this wide receiver class is. And like Greg said, we're going to talk about that in an episode later this week. Like, it's not easy to land on the guy that actually turns into a big-time pro. And they need a guy who's going to be a big-time pro. They're trying to win the Super Bowl. It's not good enough anymore just to go 12 and 5.

or 13 and 4. Amense pressure in Western New York. That was a... Gregi. Marky. I mean, I think the most interesting spot in the first round is number four, the Arizona Cardinals. And I think with some of these guys,

like with Brandon Bean, you can look back and say, well, what have his drafts been? And with Monty Austin Fort, their GM, I'm less concerned with, you know, he doesn't have that track record. But he did, he almost reminds me of our old guy, Sashi, where he came in with a very distinct strategy.

They used last year to compile draft picks. They didn't trade Kyler Murray, which was kind of this thing that, you know, I thought might happen. But they're cool at quarterback, so they're not a candidate to take a quarterback at number four. They talk about a team that needs wide receivers. They've got Michael Wilson, who I like,

Greg Dorch, who I like is these are supporting guys, and Chris Moore, essentially. So, you know, there are another team that, like, well, what do you do? You created this burning need. You could also, I think, obviously, trade these picks to the Vikings and get a good wide receiver down the board a little bit. I guess I just cannot wait to see what they do. They've got 11 picks in this draft, and it's cool to keep accruing them.

But to go back to Sashi Brown, because the one thing that kind of comes up is like, I love the strategy. Because I think it's like you're always going to have a team. When you're number four and they have needs all over the place, so recreate this team with young players. But that's Sashi Brown accruement of draft picks. And this is other teams to try this too. It's like you got a hit on them and they missed on a lot. There was one draft where they drafted like four wide receivers and a quasi like tight end wide receiver type hybrid.

And like none of them worked. None of them worked. And like that's only the beginning of how it didn't work. So I guess what I want to find out is like Monti Austin Fort, great plan, good strategy. You've got you sit at the inflection point of the entire first round where you're going to get great value like you did from the Texans a year ago. and you can't argue with that strategy,

but then are you the front office, the GM, the group of people to go get the right players? Because if that doesn't happen, you passed on someone like Marvin Harrison Jr. It's like you could get a legit, bona fide, likely hall of fame, or you can continue your draft capital building plan. I just cannot wait to find out what they're offered,

what they say yes to, what they say no to, and what they do. They have so many needs, and they're just like a little unlucky. Do you remember? I sort of memory hold this game, but week 17, they were down 21-6 to the Eagles. And Kyler Murray ends up putting up 35 points. This is like, it felt like the bottom of the Eagle season, and yet they had more lengths to go. And they won that game. And, you know, they would have only won three games. I think they would have been two picks higher if they hadn't won that

game. And they would be in such a better position here to trade that number two pick for a quarterback. they could have gotten the farm for it. And sometimes it is a little lucky. It's like the Panthers got this one pick for the Panthers. I mean, the Bears got this number one pick for the Panthers being like this bad. No one expected them to be this bad. So it's just like a little bit of bad luck.

And they have so many needs that it's like you could pick any position and they need it other than quarterback. I would say maybe offensive line. They're pretty good. I'll go glass half full in the sense that, yeah, we don't know if this management, you know, And never forget ownership and when you look at the teams are successful and teams that aren't like it all connects like can you trust the Arizona Cardinals to make the right decision? And if they were sitting with the number two pick, as you're saying, like then they have to or more most likely make a decision either to draft a quarterback or they trade out of the pick and maybe they the trade they make is great or maybe it makes them overthink things and mess things up.

The way it is now, it's almost dummy proof. It's like you got in a top flight wide receiver year, you need a top flight wide receiver for this quarterback that you paid all this money to. Go just take Marvin Harrison or whoever you think is the best wide receiver. Don't overthink it and get better overnight. How do you mess this one up? Like, I don't know.

It seems like a tough one for even the Cardinals to. But they're like, I think they're likely, I would, Greg, where would you put the odds that they trade it? I mean, it depends what... I think the Vikings are already called them. It's like, I would put it at like 60% that they would maybe trade it. That may be a little bit high, but...

Or just add, like, Justin Jefferson or Jamar Chase or a player of that level to your roster right now with your quarterback that you're still trying to figure it out. Like, I guess that's what I mean. I said there's nothing wrong with trading back when there's a quarterback starved team out there and you have to pick up the phone of it. It rings, but also, like,

it feel like just taking a potential, first team all pro level wide receiver is a path to getting a lot better also, you know? And to give Monta Austin for credit, look, last year, Will Anderson turned out to be great for Houston, but the Cardinals are happy with that trade. They already did a trade down last year. And they had a sneaky good rookie class. They got, you know, four or five real contributors, real NFL players. So, like, they're off to a good start. I think it's a good coaching staff. And the GM has done a good job so far. And yeah, Mark, I think it's significant. the chances they trade.

I'd put it a little lower just because Harrison's so special that it's like 40, 60, but it feels like it could happen for sure. Okay, I got a weird one here in terms of the headline because I wanted to give a headline for each of these.

Yes, the Jaguars. Let's talk about the Jaguars. Little Bartakamas, the Bartaka heads are going off right now. Got Doug Peterson. And I was thinking of headline for some reason, the phrase, I do not want

what I haven't got. just came into my head. And that is the title of Shnade O'Connor's 1989 album that had, of course, nothing compares to you on it. And I'm like, why did I think of that? Why did that just come into my brain? That seems strange.

I'm not even like a huge Shnade head. I respecter and rest in peace and he's Irish. I loved Sheneid O'Connor's voice, but it's not like I was a super fan. I don't own an album. So why did I do not want what I haven't got come into my brain? So anyway, apparently it's a, you know, it's a song off the album. It's said to be about finding acceptance for what can't be changed,

making peace with loss and limitation, and finding the courage to live and to love. So that kind of, this is about Trevor Lawrence? What? Like, are the Jaguars now we maybe didn't. in draft the savior of all saviors and and he's he could he could be very good and but there's some limitations here he's not going to be the the guy that takes you just on his back but you can move on from that you once you know that you have a very good to potentially great quarterback but maybe

not a first ballot hall famer now that we know that we process that and maybe there's some grief involved there but it's not the end of the world you still have a quarterback that 25 teams in the league, maybe 23 teams in the league, maybe 20 teams in the league would kill to have. So we move forward. And how do they do that now? And here's a quote. Do we have this quote, by the way, ETP from Doug Peterson? I don't know if I'll ever get over it.

I think for me it's going to be my motivation, my fuel, you know, moving forward. You know, and I'm not going to let it cloud the vision, but at the same time, it's going to be, it's going to be, It's going to be close in my mind as I move forward with the team this spring. Doug Peters was talking about the one in five finish to the season. When they were eight and three and on top of the world, they won in Houston right around Thanksgiving to go to eight and three. And then the wheels fell off. And Trevor Lawrence's injury played a big role in that.

But it wasn't the only thing. The defense melted down as well. So now they have to figure out where they're at. And they have, let's see, they have the 17th overall pick. They also, and they have the 48th overall pick in the second round, and then they have a compensatory pick in the third round. So they have three picks in the top 96, two in the top 50. Where do you go if you're Balky?

Where do you go if you're Doug Peterson, who took the end of that season very personally? You're definitely set at quarterback. You believe you've got to decide whether you're going to make Trevor Lawrence a top five paid quarterback in the league. That's a decision that it's going to be. difficult. But what do you do to try to get better in the AFC South and be, as also Peterson said in that press availability at the owners meetings, like they're back to being the hunter

in the AFC South. And I'm looking at like move the sticks, mocks, Terry and Arnold, a cornerback out of Alabama to Jacksonville. There's a lot of issues with miscommunications in the secondary, a lot of blown coverages late in the season. So that makes sense. They also, the repercussions of a move that a lot of us first guessed at the time, the trade on Walker, first overall pick when you had Aiden Hutchinson, who seemed like the safer pick. Because Walker hasn't become the guy they expected him to be, they have a big needed edge rusher still. So I think it's the defense where you focus, but you can't ignore the offense that needs help with Ridley out the door. And Trevor Lawrence at a kind of an inflection

point in his career, like who is he? Well, give him the right setup and give him the cast that allows him to maximize what he is. Very important. A lot of pressure on the brain, trust in Jacksonville. I kind of maybe part of it is like see what type of wide receiver falls to you. Or they're 17 you said. Because it is, it's a special draft on that on that note. And like I kind of think it's easier when you're a team that has a couple burning needs. Like they need a wide receiver. They need secondary help. Like you maybe can't go, I mean, you can go wrong with any of these picks, but you probably can't walk away from the first around not feeling good about whoever you add.

Like, it's, I, I don't hate their spot there. I'm higher on Trevor Lawrence, maybe than you are. I know what you're saying, but like, the injury heard him a lot last year, but he's still like, the way he ended the season before, outside of the playoff game, like, he's 6-6, he can run, he can do everything. Where would you have them in your quarterback rankings right now? Well, so, I mean, the QB rank, the QB index is based on like literally the last kind of stuff we saw from him.

The off season, we can just, you kind of do one. Yeah, wipe that, just like in general. I would say this. I think he has absolute potential to be a top 10 quarterback. But where would you put him right now? That's all I'm saying. 12? Yeah.

And I would too. I would put him in that territory. And I'm saying, is it time to give up the ghost that you have the top three guy? Not yet. That's all I'd say. Just not yet. I mean, that that would be like a. But by the way, you could win Super Bowl's with a top 10 quarterback, obviously, and many have.

So it's not the end of the world. I'm just saying him as the all world. Savior, Peyton Manning type guy, maybe that's the calibration or the recalibration that needs to be made. Yeah. I need to write the list down and I feel like I'm lower on Lawrence and consensus, but maybe not in this room. I think he's still in the top 10. He's probably right around nine or 10. And that's his play so far. And I think he can get back. I think he's a, he had a lot of good play last year that they were not supporting him early in the season. But they are a weird team, I agree, Mark, that the needs aren't that screaming. They're a better version to me of the

Broncos where it's like they're average to good at most spots. Secondary to me is, and especially cornerback, is the biggest need, but they feel like they solve something by signing Ark Armstead, but that's an older player with an injury last year. And so you need defensive lineman, even if it's a third edge with Walker and Allen, or if it's a defensive tackle. And they would a love to keep Ridley so that receiver wasn't a need, but now you go into it with a need. Like, I think Lawrence is emblematic of this whole team. It's sort of in the middle. They spent a lot on the offensive line, and it's not a bad line, but they spent a lot of

resources for it to just be eh. And, you know, their guy, our guy, Balky, our guy, you know, he survived a lot of different power struggles. Do you know who the coach was when Trent Balky entered the building there? Don't be ridiculous. It was Doug Marone. It was, you know, Maron.

He was there with Marone. Urban Meyer kept him around as like, okay, you can kind of be my guy who takes care of that side of things. Darryl Bevel, remember, he was an interim head coach there for a while. And now he's still here with Peterson. He had all those power struggles in San Francisco. He supposedly wants a team that's like bigger and tougher and stronger and faster than everyone. And I don't quite see that. They're very middle of the pack.

I agree. You know, it's time to figure some things out there. All right. Good stuff. Let's take a break. And we'll wrap things up. What's up, everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here.

And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Sticks, we take you inside the game from scouting reports and player development to team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. Every week, we study the tape, talk to decision makers, and share the insights you won't find anywhere else. It's the kind of conversation that connects the dots from college football prospects to the NFL stars of tomorrow. We break down the draft, analyze matchups, and evaluate how teams put it all together on game day.

Plus, we dig in the coaching strategies, roster construction, and the trends that shape the league year after year. Whether you're a diehard fan or just love understanding the game on a deeper level, we give you the full picture. If you want insight that goes beyond the box score, this podcast is for you. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Six podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Matt Jones. I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL cover zero.

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By the way, we're still, Colleen has been missing for about 45 to 50 minutes now, and I think where we're at now, Mark, it's gone from a search and rescue to, I hate to say this, a search and recovery. Well, yeah, I mean, I think part of the difficulty is that we're still, you know, locked in our chairs trying to produce the show while realizing that we've lost our friend. And so we're going to have to shift into full investigation mode after the show.

But if you can find the Delaware tapes, I believe we can find like a five foot one blonde. There have been reports out there from various. police scanners on the east side of los angeles that there's been witnesses to a young um blonde woman talking about quesia dofo mensa's uh third year in his rebuild that that it's kind of go time uh so i do feel like that might be a a little bit of a clue for where to find just talking just on the street street street corner it's a little worrisome um Colleen's become like the gone girl of this podcast over the last couple of weeks we just got to find her and hope she's okay All right.

That is it for the Wednesday show. And we'll be back a little later in the week. As we said, we're going to continue our draft wormhole and really dig in on one of the most exciting positions, or maybe the, it depends, quarterback, wide receiver, position groups in this draft, which is wide receiver. So that's coming up later this week. Anything else to add, boys, before we say goodbye.

Never. It's been a pleasure. As always, as always. And Mark, again, not constructive criticism, but just a suggestion about your background on remote. You have put it on my radar fully, and I'm going to think about how to address it. Oh, and let me underline this with my wife got back to me.

The dog rescue place is Love Leo Rescue. If you are in the Southern California area, it is an incredibly run organization that really put the pet first, adopt a dog, save a life. Love Leo Rescue is a non-based, a nonprofit based in Los Angeles. We believe all dogs deserve a second chance. So check out Loveleorescue.org. That's where I got my beloved captain, and they do amazing work. So check that out. And until next time, he'd the call.

Where are you, Connie? Hey, guys. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Around the NFL podcast. I can't wait to do the same. I'd like to thank producer Eric Roberts for going into the office on an off day just so I'd have everything I need to do the show remotely. Eric, we tried our best. To Greg, thanks for sending out the news items so early.

It's a true hero move. You know me so well. To mark my brother in anxiety. Thanks for probably over preparing today. You're always ready for anything and everything. I just wish I could say that about my internet provider, especially today. And to Dan, who never stops believing that my remote appearances could maybe work this time. You miss all the shots you don't take, and we've taken a whole lot of shots.

So good times, gang. We'll reconvene in studio to properly heed the call And now I've got to go I'm going to go throw my computer into the sea 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 in 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 podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.