NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - OBJ to Ravens + Irresponsible Conspiracy Theories (with Conor Orr)

Episode Date: April 11, 2023

A room filled with some heroes - Dan Hanzus and Marc Sessler bring you all the latest news from around the league, starting with Odell Beckham Jr. signing with the Ravens (6:05). The Lions traded CB Jeff Okudah to the Falcons (11:58), Bryce Young is now the favorite to be the 1st overall pick (16:04), the Cardinals are fielding calls for the 3rd overall pick (16:46), Jeffery Simmons signed a 4-year extension with the Titans (19:31), Kliff Kingsbury is joining USC's coaching staff (21:40), and Carson Palmer thinks Joe Burrow is the best QB in the league (22:30). Then, Conor Orr stops by to join the heroes in revealing their irresponsible but feasible NFL conspiracy theories (25:36).  Note: timecodes approximate.NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. The Around the NFL podcast. Spent too much time in the sun. From the Chris Wesleying podcast studio, it's Around the NFL. I did get a lot of sun. Palm Springs. Take that person.

And I took that person. Dan Hans is here with one hero, Mark Sessler. How are you, buddy? I'm doing good. You don't not partake in sunscreen? I do, but I do have a fair complexion, and the sun where I was in Palm Springs is remarkably powerful.

Yes, I have been there, and I would agree with you. It's a desert sun. You know who else was staying at the hotel? Our old friend from the NFL Media Talent Summit, Tori Spelling, with her family. That's great. I wouldn't know if I'd call her a friend, but we did meet with her in her.

room full of people. I don't know how that happened, but she was there as well. How are you, Mark? I am fine. I heard the chaos cast went off very well. I think that I learned that your job, some of the particulars around what you do,

are tough. Like the hours going into a show, I'm in a different mindset. I also was dealing with incredible allergies during the actual show. So, you know, battling some things. But Colleen. Were you in the power chair?

I did sit there. Did you make a lot of eye contact with the grave digger? I don't think it made any difference, to be honest, on that front. But I get for the world that you're in, it seems to bear a lot of weight. It was nice to be able just to see Gravedigger, who did a nice job on the show, too. How are you, Justin? Oh, I'm doing well, thanks. Well, I heard that you went to Hawaii, and the weather wasn't exactly what you had hoped.

It was a little bit rainier than typical Hawaii, I would say. You got banged. but it was still nice to get away and have some time alone with my girlfriend. It's almost as if they've become so entwined, Mark, that he'll say alone, but it will be meaning with his living girlfriend. Yeah, so there's a yin and yang to the two of them, it seems. It's like a lot of yin. Yeah.

I agree. Just be careful with that. Okay. You always sounds like he just started dating her like eight days ago, which is very endearing. Like, I think what sometimes gets, as Mark and I are, you know, older than you and we've been through wars and, um, we're, appropriate word. I think we're, I think we're sometimes surprised just in that the passion is, is burning at the level it is. And I guess, and I don't mean this in a negative way. And if you play it back for Jessica, don't tell her.

She will listen. No, she'll definitely listen to this. I worry, Mark that, you know, burning too brightly could. lead two issues down the line rather than having a steady burn, if you will. Again, I think I see where you're coming from, but I mean, these two may, maybe they have a special situation. I'm also sensitive to the fact that I feel that a number of times when I've spoken on this unique relationship, that it's been twisted and turned into something else. So I wish you nothing, but fine tidings to the both of you. Thank you. Well done. Well done. You can tell me

your actual thoughts privately after today's show. I will. I will. All right, today's show, good one. Greg is going to be back with us for our second show of the week. He is in Hawaii as well. I hope he's not also getting trained on since Greg when he saw the weather report. Also, apparently no effort was made for Greg and Justin to link up and spend quality time together. Well, Justin was alone, remember. Leave it at that.

By the way, coming up our second show of the week, Eric Edholm from NFL media. He's very plugged in on the draft. He just put out his latest top 100. The draft, by the way, Mark, is two weeks away now. Two weeks and like three days as we tape this. How about that? I do feel like...

What? What? I feel like the extra week to the season has this, like, insane effect on everything because it's like this offseason just feels way more compacted. Yeah, I hear you on that. And yet it will, it's right around the corner. and then, and then, only then, Mark Sessler, will our quote-unquote busy season wrap up.

Then we get to recharge the batteries post-draft. Those were the great, the minute we'd wrap our Saturday afternoon, end-of-draft special, within about eight minutes after the episode ending, you'd be with Chris Wesleyan, all of us, like, in the closest possible tavern, celebrating that kickoff. So that's how we used to do it. And speaking of the draft, we are planning something a little bit different. I don't want to share all the details yet

for the Thursday night show and how we're going to tackle the draft this year but we're excited about it that's a little tease industry tease I think it's a huge departure from what we've done in the past and so stay tuned for that coming up later today

one of our great buddies in the industry and personally Connor or legend around the NFL Hall of Famer I say if they were to open up a Hall of Fame in San Bernardino down the line. And this is highly presumptuous

that such a facility would exist. Connor absolutely has a bust. Yeah, I think he would. I mean, have you been to San Bernardino? I have. Speaking of Taverns, you, me and Wes, a trip to Big Bear several years ago, you had insisted we stop at the San Bernardino Tavern. No one knew how you even knew about it. And it was exactly as I would imagine one to be.

It was a complete disaster, and I know that you and West did not enjoy your time there. It's all right. I enjoyed being with you guys. Anyway, as I was saying, Connor will be here, and we're going to talk some irresponsible conspiracy theories in modern football. But first, the news. Here comes third down and three. Spins it right side. Looking for Odell Beckham Jr.

He high points the football and has the six. Touchdown OBJ. Touchdown L.A. That is a great call from our friend J.B. Long, voice of the Rams. And that was Odell Beckham in the Super Bowl, not this most recent one, but the one before that, when the Rams barely were able to get by the Bengals and claim that Super Bowl title. Beckham later in that game, I think the next series may be, in fact, Mark,

if not a couple series later, blew out his knee on another reception. And with that said, he now had. as a new team. O'Dell Beckham, and this went down a few days ago, is joining the Baltimore Ravens on a one-year contract worth up to $18 million, $15 million guaranteed money. I read that there are some void years involved to kind of spread out the hit, but this is big-time money for Beckham who, Mark, of course,

now I believe he's entering his age 31 season, and he is also coming off his second reconstructive niece. surgery, and yet the Ravens needed a wide receiver, and then there's the Lamar component of this. Your thoughts? I mean, the money threw me. I don't know. Like, there were very, like, minor whispers in terms of interest for O'Dell Beckham at this stage. And, you know, he balked at the idea that he wanted $20 million a year. Well, he could get up to 18. So I think that him saying that was a ridiculous report tells us what was really going on there. He did want this money. And I don't know why the Ravens needed to pay them this. But I do think in general, it creates, you know,

Ian Rappaport mentioned that there is this sort of feeling that there's a likelihood that Lamar Jackson is going to come back to the Ravens. And I think this is an olive branch of sorts. It's a team that's obviously struggled to draft wide receivers. They've been probably among the worst teams in the league of drafting and grooming wideouts. The opposite of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the rivals. Odell Beckham, which version of them do you get, I guess? That's the question for this kind of money. I mean, his first 62 games in the league, he averaged 93 yards per game.

Incredible. In his next 34 games, 47.1. That's an average, below average wideout. So which version of Odell Beckham do we get for this kind of money? And are we certain that Lamar Jackson will essentially be paying quarterback? Well, here's the other thing, I think, too. O'Dell Beckham, not a guy that's going to maybe go do every single thing in the offseason, right? He's at that stage in his career.

He's always kind of trained on his own whenever he has that. Right, which is not totally atypical. But new team, we don't know when Lamar Jackson will be back in the building, even if they do figure it out. And you've got a completely new offensive coordinator. I just don't love that unless a lot of this gets solved quickly. Now, Todd Monkin, who is that new offensive coordinator, was the O.C. in Cleveland when Beckham was there.

Obviously, it didn't work out with Beckham. And from what we hear in the reporting that that was less about what the Browns thought of Beckham and more like an impasse between Beckham than quarterback Baker Mayfield that kind of blew up that relationship. Yeah, it's, it is a lot of money. I think it's kind of, I think most people think it's an overpay, but if it, if it helps the Ravens get their house settled and ultimately brings Lamar back, it's worth it. And again, not to go down this road, this rabbit hole, but Lamar doesn't have an agent.

And now Odell, who does have an agent, gets this like really big. for a player coming off an injury who's been out of football for a year and a half. You know, maybe some of this money, like maybe Lamar could have been getting some of this money. It's almost like OBJ is taking some of his money, but that's okay because Lamar and OBJ are celebrating in Miami, I believe, when the news comes down. Obviously, I don't think Beckham, who was also very much a target of the Jets. In fact, they had a meeting on Monday. and according to Connor Hughes who covers the Jets

and the New York sports scene Beckham reached out to the Jets after this Ravens offer that night, Sunday night I believe it was and said hey can you match this and the Jets said no we're not going to match it so he goes to the Ravens and now we see if Lamar follows

and I just think Mark's part of this like with the Ravens and they caught heat for how they've handled the Lamar situation to let it get to this point but doesn't it start to get you get the feeling that this is going to settle in a good place for them and a team that we were like saying wow this organization is so well run for years I can't

believe how they handle this Lamar situation they're going to probably end up getting him back in the building on this transition on this franchise tag that's not the exclusive franchise tag so at a lower number and now they'll have a you know a marquee wide receiver at least a name value and they'll go into the season feeling pretty good about their chances yeah and it was a winding, almost endless drama that might just have the most predictable result of all. I mean, there's not a lot of interest in Lamar Jackson. We've heard nothing.

We've heard nothing. So it's just a waiting game. I don't know at this point what the difference is in terms of money for a long-term deal between the two. I think Odell obviously created a different environment when you see him communicating with Lamar Jackson. It's like, yeah, I'm with you. I think that we're getting to a point where this is going to heal itself on some level.

I don't know what it means beyond this season if he stays on this tag. but the Odell Beckham thing is a one-year deal too and so I think they're trying to tell him we're going in all in on you we moved on from Greg Roman which I think matters to Lamar Jackson too to some degree so it's like there is these there are these like elements of where you can tell

they're trying to work with the quarterback but just not on the contract so I think we're just a waiting game to see when he comes back yeah we shall see in other news this went down today Tuesday Jeff Akuta in 2020

remember we did the 2020 NFL draft from our area garages right as the pandemic was landing with thunder at a level that none of us had anticipated. It was a weird draft. That was on my 40th birthday, actually, this happened. Well, you had a very weird birthday that year, too, where we, I think your significant other created, you know, not intentionally one of the weirder group Zoom meetings that you'd ever been a part of, and it lasted for all four and a half minutes.

Yes, she, my wife, I love her, thought it would be nice. given the state of the world at the time and there would be no party or anything to celebrate my birthday in April of 2020 she organized a big Zoom call video call that had all of my New York friends New York family, L.A. friends and colleagues and she thought let's just put them in a big old room

and when I walked into my living room and it was revealed that they were like had been cast on my TV against the wall it was, I was horrified by it. I didn't know. How do you, I don't like mixing worlds. No, it's not, like, it's not, it wouldn't have been what I think would have been created for you.

I would say that I enjoyed it more than any of my own birthday parties because of the level of bizarreness to it. And I did, I pulled the, I pulled the plug on it after about three and a half minutes. I said, no more than, everyone. This was very nice. This is now over. And it's still a source of tension between me and my wife. But again, I loved what she was thinking.

Just not my thing. I mean, would you like that? not at all i just i wasn't you like that i was dealing with it that that's understand not just even particularly you but like um even greg i thought was thrilled by the whole thing it was just a car crash happening in very slow motion um all right anyway on that day april 23rd 2020 the lions used the third overall pick in the NFL draft um to take after i believe joe burrow had come off the board bryce young had come off the board joe burrow i mean uh just a Herbert would soon come off the board, Andrew Thomas, right after the number three pick,

two was coming off the board. The Lions took Jeff Akuta with the third pick, and he has suffered injury issues throughout his young career, including an Achilles tear that wiped out the entirety of his second season in the league. Well, the lines decided to move on, and they send Akuta to the Falcons in exchange for a fifth round pick in this draft, and Mark, it tells you that the. The Lions, obviously, we're down on Akuta and the value they get back. It tells you that the Falcons are like, yeah, we'll take him as a reclamation project.

He's interesting to us, but that's where his value is, and that's a pretty big dip from number three overall. Well, you're right. So when you hear these reports that, you know, Team X wants to trade up into the top five and everyone gets all hot and bothered about it, well, three years from now, that could be one of the worst moves you make. So it's like the draft is such a hit or miss situation. I thought Okuda had a bit of a bounce back year last year. he wasn't great, but he was far from like the disaster that he was, an injury-riddled disaster as well early on.

I mean, the Falcons, it's like for a fifth round pick, why not? You have AJ Terrell, Casey Hayward, you have Mike Hughes, you added Jesse Bates at safety. I mean, this was one of the worst past defenses in the league last year. So if you get the better version of Okuda, you can decide what to do with his fifth-year option, which they'd have to do before the season. I could see him as a one-year rental and then maybe hits free agency again.

This is a very common trade that you see, depressed draft asset from several years back moved for a day three pick the team gives up an asset but a fifth round pick which is let's face it a dart throw in the league and then the other team takes on this guy and you hope maybe there's still that magic and we'll see if it happens for the falcons who did have a lot of issues stopping the past last year so just stockpiling bodies and seeing if akuta takes it makes sense and the lions are in the market to improve that defense in other news speaking of the draft so chris mortinson you ever meet mort mark i've seen him in person seen him definitely seen him never met him mort has been at

esbn forever and he is very confident uh extremely certain almost it seems that the panthers who traded into that number one pick will take albama quarterback bryce young at number one overall mort's actual quote price young is the pick yes can connecting Frank Reich to C.J. Stroud in terms of the prototype of a guy that he's worked with in the past, but they all love Bryce Young. And I'll pair that with this. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that six teams have called the Cardinals about the number three pick. So if Bryce Young goes one, if C.J. Stroud, as everyone believes, goes two in some order, those two guys. There are plenty teams most likely calling to maybe get a quarterback at number three if the Cardinals. Pull the trigger on that. Yeah, I was trying to think about, like, who those six teams might be. You want to try to figure it out? I don't think it's that tough because, I mean, it's, if I'd say if you're the cults

and you don't want to get hopscotched, okay. The Raiders who are at seven. Got it. We're hearing about the Titans, but maybe wanting to move up. Makes sense. That's three. I would say the bucks are a- Tampa Bay, like that.

Possibly, like, and we're talking about just calling, I don't think the commanders realistically, like, have the fortitude to go do this, but I would add. them and as a spy like the falcons maybe but i don't know on that one but i thought maybe a juicy one could be the patriots although that goes against their DNA to do something like that we'll get into that a little bit later yeah interesting okay that's good those ball makes sense um but the car speaking of car i think we have new head coach jonathan ganon uh speaking on is it this report specifically or just in general the what's happening at the draft it's just in general okay in general with jonathan ganon

Every day I ask Monty. I'm like, Monty, what's you doing with that pick? What's you doing with that pick? He's like, you know what I'm doing with that pick. I don't know what you're doing with that pick. Sounds like they've got their house in order. That is Monty Austin Ford. He's referring to the new general manager.

And, you know, you get the feeling that Gannon is one of those nice guys that you see it in this NFL world that might not quite know what he's getting himself into right now. Yes, the only thing, though, is I've banned myself from even commenting on these things because of Nick Siriani, who at this time, after being a couple months on the job, looked like a flaming disaster from a PR perspective. Can I give a counter to that? I mean, there have been some disasters. He was at least joining an Eagles organization that you know the house is in order there. So what maybe we should have done as the football guy was given how he wrote. Roseman and Company more credit for knowing and identifying someone.

And there are reports out there about the Cardinals and ownership right now and all sorts of strife going on behind the scenes and it's leaking out. You know, I just think Gannon's in a tough situation here. I think we all agree. I've been talking about that. He just seems like a nice guy that I hope. I hope they give him an opportunity. I think we'll get into that a little bit later.

All right. Leave it there. Let's see. Let's see. Let's see. Jeffrey Simmons oh let's bring in the grave digger on this one Jeffrey Simmons now that was a draft hit by the Titans

the defensive lineman has been an absolute mauler for Tennessee since entering the league and they signed Simmons to a four-year $94 million contract extension so for every Jeff Akuta in the draft you could also get yourself a Jeffrey Simmons a former first round pick who has been everything Tennessee could have hoped for and more. I'm sure you're feeling good about that move.

I am as a Titans fan feeling pretty good about that move. Jeffrey Simmons was a guy that was projected top 10 until he tore his ACL preparing for the Combine and the Titans were able to get him a bit later. So that ended up working out pretty well. And now they have the guy along with Harold Landry that can anchor their defense, at least the defensive line for the next few years.

Quentin Nelson called him the strongest defensive tackle he's ever faced. and he gets comp to he's sort of the second guy behind Aaron Donald but a totally different body like I mean they do different things and I mean Jeffrey Simmons is the best player on their team I think I think he is too and you know he's had like some of these

incredible outburst games where he'll go for three sacks like he had three sacks in the playoff loss to the Bengals a couple years ago he had three sacks in that win over the Rams at SoFi Stadium half that team had three sacks against the Bengals that Sunday actually it's true they had nine sacks as a team stupid but yeah I think that this is just, I mean, he's like, when Mike

Vrable talks about the players they're looking for on the team, when Rand Carthon came on and was talking about, like, what makes an ideal Titan, he pointed to Jeffrey Simmons and Derek Henry as, like, the guys that we, that really represent our culture and... Look, Grave-Degger had the B-roll ready of Simmons here. If you're

watching on YouTube, he's just got just that domination... Well, you'll probably be watching on Instagram soon, because this will be cut off to be the social media clip of the day as well, so... Is that true? Is that your point? If I were to predict it. I might post it from my own Twitter,

but I was actually thinking Dan's story about the Zoom call would make it for a good IT code. Although that just don't, you know, share that with the family. Yeah, that's absolutely true. All right. Speaking of the Cardinals, I should have said this before. Bad job by me. But Cliff Kingsbury, former Cardinals head coach,

is joining USC to work with the QBs, according to a report. Makes a lot of sense. Who's the head coach at USC now? Lincoln Riley. Yeah, it's Lincoln Riley, who's, you know, obviously very security. job there.

And this is how it works, Mark. You know, these guys go to the NFL, and sometimes it goes okay. Sometimes it goes bad, like Matt Rule. Sometimes it goes terribly, which I almost would put Kingsbury in that category. But then they go home to college and, you know, life's okay. Works with Caleb Williams. I mean, we just had a letter from Cliff Kingsbury, a pen pal letter on our last episode. And then within days, he resurfaces from the Far East and gets a new job.

Connect the dots. Yeah. Connect the dots. And finally in the news. Carson Palmer, former NFL quarterback, great quarterback. I liked him. He was like your prototypical pocket passer of the aughts. That's what I would call him.

I love to, it's like Cardinals run as much as anything else. Sure. Yeah, a really good player. And I'll never forget being at the all or nothing premiere in Hollywood with our friend Jason Zumwalt. And seeing Carson Palmer belly up at the bar drinking Bud Heavies, the sun, and everyone kind of orbiting around him checking in, just total control of the room. That's that QB energy.

Anyway, I like Palmer. But I don't like his comments on quarterbacks and the idea that Patrick Mahomes is not the best quarterback in the league. It's the guy that plays for Cincinnati now. I think Joe's the best quarterback in the league. I like it. I know Patrick is phenomenal, but I just think Joe's more consistent.

Joe is just, he, they're talking about not having a league. weakness, mentally strong, physically tough, accurate, can throw it far enough, fast enough, gets the ball out quick, and then he can actually do a lot with his legs. He just rarely shows it. And it's not, I think he's his athletic outside the pocket, you know, and can do a lot of the same things Patrick Mahomes has done. He hasn't done it and showed it yet. He's played more within his system and style, but I think he's the best quarterback in the league.

Okay, so, Mark, we got to stop doing this. I mean, I did it. I did it in January, but I learned my lesson, as we all have. We should at this point. Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league. Patrick Mahomes is the Super Bowl MVP. Patrick Mahomes proved it by beating Joe Burroughs

team on the path to the Super Bowl. And until Patrick Mahomes has proven that he is not that guy, we got to stop trying to crown other guys. Mahomes, like 26 years old. Well, everything he said about Burrow is true, except why, if he says, you know, he has no inconsistency, he's more consistent. Like, show me Patrick Mahomes' inconsistencies. Right. Show me, like, if you're going to counter anything, is there anything that he mentioned about Burrow that's less true of Mahomes? It's more true of Mahomes. So my other comment watching the video, if you watch it on YouTube, is that Jordan Palmer, they look very much alike the two brothers.

Yes. Jordan Palmer looks like if Carson Palmer just colored his beard hair and went back on camera. Right. They look that much of life. I think he's younger, but... Yeah. What is the credit?

They do a podcast together. Is that it, buddy boy? Yes, it's called the QB Room. I think it's Jordan Palmer's podcast and Carson was on. And listen, Jordan and Carson know more about the quarterback position than in their like pinky nail than Mark and I. But sometimes you just... Come on. Let's not do this anymore.

Just don't target my home. Just go anywhere else. All right. Let's take a break. That's what's happening in the news. And our good bud, Connor Oar, up next. 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. 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. Hey, you.

Oh, welcome back to around the NFL. Pst. Come over here. Irresponsible conspiracy theories. This goes all the way to the top. And if we're going to do a segment on conspiracy theories that are slightly irresponsible, or maybe, maybe factual. because we got a real journal in our midst

a long-time friend and former colleague of course we're talking about Connor or what's up buddy hello friends

hello what's up you're wearing a hat hat guy now full-time hat guy Connor's looking good every time I see Connor he's looking more fit

than the last time I saw Connor Connor is we saw him at the Super Bowl and I'm just kind of in awe of the man not that you've transformed yourself

but I feel like as you've evolved is the better way. Conner's at the point where he's like, yeah, I eat one meal day and I run 14 miles every morning at six and I spend seven hours with my kids and then I do hardcore journal reporting anchoring the greatest sports publication that's ever existed. Just like I have a mortgage. It's just like the guy has got his stuff figured out. And it's not that you didn't have your stuff figured out when we first knew you, but you've

been a man that's evolved on a path that we could all respect. You're like a star athlete because you're like a star athlete because you're like 27 or something. What are you going to do when you're 38 and you've already already done all this stuff? Play baseball for the Birmingham Barons. Yeah. I mean, obviously try out for the Mets. I think that's the next move. Very excited about this. What hat are we wearing today? What is that? So this is a good story. So this is an Arizona state hat and I had to purchase this on the fly. I was the pool reporter for the chiefs during the Super Bowl. And this was my first Super Bowl as a bald.

As a bald man. So follically challenged. You've made the decision to take it down to the base. And that's an issue. Our good friend, our late friend, Chris Wessling, we learned so much from him about that, the importance to protect the dome when you do hit that road in life. 100%.

So I didn't, I guess I don't know why I thought Arizona would be not a sunny hellhole. Yeah, but standing there and when you're the pool reporter, you know, you really, you have to be so locked in and you have to take attendance, but the team doesn't want you to take attendance. And so they're not going to tell you who's not there and they're not going to give you a roster. And so I had like 30 pages printed off the team website that you're frantically trying to cross off to make sure that ever. everyone's there all the while the sun is just burning a hole in my head like i and i left practice and i took a shower and i felt like someone had split my head open with an axe so the next day i told andy read i was like buddy i had to go get a hat what big andy say what big red say probably just like oh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah sure sure i'm gonna go win the super bowl okay

exactly all right well i'm glad that you're protecting yourself in that way and uh you know because we're talking conspiracy theories, we knew we had to have Connor back on the show. Do you want to get us going? Do you want to throw it? And again, these are somewhat irresponsible in some cases of conspiracy theories, but we know from talking with Connor

that maybe in some cases there are conspiracy theories that are rooted in fact. Sure. I don't know if we want to save that one, Connor, or you know, you tell me, but I know you have some type of exclusive for around the NFL perhaps later on in the sec. Yeah, I'm going to save that one for the end.

I have a true conspiracy theory that just for you guys, I have confirmed. An exclusive. All right. Okay, why don't you get us going, though, with something a little less concrete? Well, I think when you look at it, as everything does in the NFL, where all the bodies are buried, where all the blood is stored, it all goes back to the Manning family. And there are currently four members of the Manning family who are shadowed GMs for various NFL. franchises, two of which are the Packers and the Steelers. The plan would obviously be to have the Little Manning Child who's in Texas pipelined to one of the elite franchises, just like they did with Eli and the Giants, and restore that franchise to glory and further solidify their vice grip on the NFL.

So you're referring to 17-year-old Archmanning? Yeah, I forgot his name for a second. I knew it was something silly. Yes, it's Arch. Yeah, the little Manning boy, yes. Interesting. Well, so hold on. So that's, there are three other teams currently.

Are we saying that, are you saying that Peyton and Eli are two of these GMs? Cooper. I think, I think, I think Olivia is heavily involved. Heavily. Yeah, yeah. I mean, Olivia, like the mother is obviously, the grandmother. Like, do you ever see, oh, gosh, the Ozarks? the like the region of the country

of the program watch season one and then a loss I'm not going to spoil anything here but I think that there is certainly an overlooked aspect to many criminal enterprises where the maternal figure is center and very powerful

like the eldest matriarch and I do think that the Arch's grandmother holds some serious weight here I like that so but just in terms of being about we got Eli Peyton. Cooper is the patriarch involved? Is Archie?

Archie would be, right? Well, I think Cooper is obviously too close, right? And so you'd need him a step removed, which is why you know, you would have the grandmother sort of making a lot of the heavy hitting. She's like the Kingmaker. I got it. Absolutely, yeah. Well, they're great thespians then, too, because they come across

a sort of an affable, like, punch you in the shoulder, brother duo on ESPN, and then suddenly they're doing this behind the scenes. Is Eli like the bag man? Is he the one that's really, you wouldn't think, but he's the one that's, you know, when the trash needs to be taken out,

he's prominently involved? No doubt. And I think this is where the, definitely where the arrows and the dots were connected for me. I was at a bank the other day. Inside the banks, I was inside a bank headquarters the other day. And gigantic photo of Eli Manning doing some sort of generic business deal.

I mean, And this stuff obviously was, you know, this isn't public-facing stuff. And so I do think that there are some breadcrumbs out there, certainly. I mean, the blood money, you can see it dripping from the bottom of that sack. I mean, the Eli Manning bank photo has to be my favorite part of this entire thing. All right, that's a good one. That's a good way to start things off. Mark, you want to share something?

I know that Connor has some Cardinals-esque themes here. and I wonder if we're digging into some similar stuff. I want to just present what I've been working with here. This is not, this does not even feel like a conspiracy theory, but the Cardinals, to me, feel like the NFL's next great tank job, where they brought in Jonathan Gannon with a promise of like, we're not going to want and done you, you're going to go through utter hell for the next season.

Plus, but my theory is that Kyler Murray will never play another snap for the Cardinals. that they are, that the last thing they want to do is have Kyler Murray come back from his ACL injury and guide the team to victories when they're truly aiming for the bottom of the barrel. I think that inside the building, there's a couple different sort of AKA titles for this operation. Red Dawn by those who were around in the 80s. Scarlet Apocalypse. And then this is rising up. Little Red Riding Hood is now an adult.

And I just think it speaks to the phases of this. program and that Kyler Murray to me is absolutely my number one targeted trade bait for middle of the next season when they when it's apparent that he's healthy again or after next season but I do not think he'll ever play another snap for the Cardinals ever again so the plan I think you move all assets so number one it's like oh they're interested in trading the number three pick well I think that's happening first of all because you're going to get all you can And then you trade your franchise quarterback because was he paired with the whole vision was Cliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray are, you know, two peas and a pod. Like they can just do this thing together.

They know each other so well. And it failed epically. And I don't think the Kylo Murray experience in general is made for a two to three season trip into Deepel on any level. I don't think that's how he's built from the neck up. And I think you hit the ejector seat, get all you can over the next two seasons and rebirth yourself as a new Arizona. of Cardinals. All right, Connor, you cover the league for Monday morning quarterback Sports Illustrated. Is there smoke and fire here to this conspiracy theory that the Cardinals want to go to in 15

and they want to blow up the entire thing? Are you hearing anything like out there? Well, it's funny. I did, which was not, wasn't very well received, but I did an article the other day called the five teams who need to tank for Caleb Williams. and the Cardinals were number two on my list because now this isn't what I had prepared for today. But I do think, I think you're right, Mark. I think that Caleb Williams and Drake May in particular are generational-level QB prospects.

And you know you're not going to be able to do it this year because Kyler's not healthy. Probably aren't going to be able to trade them until like right before the trade deadline if you wanted to or obviously early next year. So I do think it's a complete asset dump. And it would jibe theoretically with the fact that, you know, you saw a lot of revolving door stuff with that coaching search, right? A lot of guys coming in and a lot of people saying, well, I'll take my chances anywhere else in the world than this. And, you know, it's when it's small world or perhaps another red string here,

Cliff Kingsbury, now on that coaching staff at USC, Caleb Williams. I don't know. That's odd. I'm just, you put it on the board with the red string and you leave it there. and maybe it connects back to something else. I don't know. Let's do another one. I just had,

I just want to read what I had written down because clearly I didn't, I didn't take the assignment as usual. This happens. I just have written down in my notes. The burner phones had nothing to do with Steve Kime. The franchise is a front for the modern Genovese family. And then I just have, I just have three other sentences.

Well, I guess like two other thoughts here. It was wind energy. And then am I allowed to, I know I wasn't in the past, but am I allowed to name a large cell phone carrier on this podcast? Absolutely. Why not? Go for it. And then obviously Verizon. So Verizon, wind energy, that's all in there.

So I think we could see that pop. That's a responsible conspiracy theory. Yeah, and by the way, you're right on target with the exercise's goal, which is to make people think, and again, get some red string on the board, and we see what connects to what? Don't laugh when you see this on ProPublica in like six months. That's all I'm saying. Let's head to New England.

Let's know it. And, Connor, I'd love to hear your thoughts, because I think you have a theory there as well, but I'll start things off. You know, there's way too much smoke here with this Belichick. Belchek, Kraft, Macs situation. There's got to be some fire. There's got to be fire.

That's my walk in. Let me try that again. There's got to be fire. It's fine. It's a solid. It's a six out of ten tops. Anyway, so what's going on? My theory is that it's an all-out war behind the scenes on the Patriot Way right now.

And Kraft, Bob Kraft is 81 years old. And he's looking toward a final chapter of his Hall of Fame ownership career. and I think he's looking at it without Bill Belichick in mind. Just as Bill, a few years back, was thinking about the next phase for his career without Tom Brady and how do I best put myself in position

to be a success and cement my legacy, I think Kraft is now doing the same thing in his mind. And as for Bill, I believe, and one can surely understand his side of this, that after six titles and nine Super Bowl appearances, that should be enough to have total control. of the football operations, especially at the game's most important position.

But Bill wants a new quarterback. I think the reporting out there that he had, I think Florio, PFT had reported that he had put Mack Jones on the market. The report that we heard, and Tom Kern, who was a guy that we trust around here, said how Belichick was, quote, pissed off that Mack had went outside the building and talked to his old Alabama coaches figuring out how to fix the offense under Matt Patricia, who was completely underwater, and Mac didn't hide how frustrated he was by that. And I think that showed up Belichick. Remember, Bill Belichick benched Malcolm Butler, was it? And the Super Bowl

against the Eagles, we still don't even know why. He did something to tick him off or challenge him in some way or another. I think that's a major issue. So anyway, Bill wants a new QB. Kraft is throwing up roadblocks. And I think in the end, one way or the other, it almost certainly will bring down the curtain on a historic partnership between these two men, really no matter what happens this year. I think this is it for Belichick and Kraft. I love it. And I do think that before I kind of get to the meat and potatoes behind it, I do think that

he deserves the right to be old ineffective. And I just think there's something very American. at stake here you know in this whole thing where you know i just don't want to see a 70 year old man get pushed off the assembly line because he's just a little slow and i likened it to i wrote a column about this like imagine you just have a you know you're a legendary pizza maker and you've built this successful business and yeah okay now a couple crusts are burned every now and you're just going to you're just going to throw this guy in the middle of the street i mean if Bill Belichick, if I were the owner of the Patriots and Bill Belichick said, I want all my lacrosse buddies from

Andover high school to make up the entirety of the coaching staff. And between the first and second quarters of every game, I'd like to just sit at a white folding table and have a cappuccino on the sideline without my headset on. I'd say, go for it. I mean, you've earned it. There has to be this like, there has to be something to aspire to in terms of like being able to slack off. be lazy. And I feel like Bill Belichick has earned that. Right. Like senioritis as a high school student. You've earned that right to kind of not work as hard. Now, Mark, I guess the ownership is going to have a different viewpoint on that, especially though. And I think there's ego

involved here. And I think, and we've talked about it with Greg, like Kraft wants a piece of this legacy that it was him as well, not just Tom and Bill. It's me. And that's why that was Rosemont. We're not going to play it. I've asked Justin to pull it, but sorry, Justin. Those comments that that Kraft made, basically putting it out there that it felt like it was winner,

playoffs or else for Bel. It just felt so strange because who we're talking about. Yeah, I lost a sandwich prop years ago suggesting that Bill Belichick would secretly meet with the New York Giants during an impasse in that franchise's coaching, tumult,

and just join up with the, there was the clips of him walking through the Meadowlands in the complex and just like shedding a tear over those old giant's memories and the pictures on the wall and just seems like there isn't any given Sunday Al Pacino type scenario where a Belichick who people are ready to write off goes to Team B with quarterback X and starts all over and proves everyone wrong because I don't really take him to be a lost old doddering man quite yet. I think that the Patriots have just hit a part of their history where they're in a down cycle and he's not putting up with me i think mac jones is not on

this roster come week one at this point that seems almost real to me wow hey connor what about the idea by the way uh you know wickersham who's a competitor of yours let's let's be honest espn investigative reporter licking never heard of him licking his chops licking his chops he wants to have the long form breaking down this war that according to this irresponsible conspiracy theory is going on actively you kind of have a leg up now because we're having this almost thought exercise beating wickersham to market it i mean it nothing makes me feel better and you know i'll just i'll just drop this on them you know all along i think that belichick's plan has been to uh buy the patriots from robert craft um by using his connections to uh you know like he's amassing a small

fortune via Nantucket real estate. And I think that also has some prior connections unknown with a Croatian chemicals and plastics company, which can be used to devalue the product of craft foods and craft enterprises to the point where you would be able to lower the sale price and then sort of you yank it from them and then just erase craft off the face. When we discuss this segment, I am the one that got the entire thing wrong because I read it as completely responsible conspiracy theories. Oh, no. Irresponsible.

I mean, I would say that I have come up with a laundry list of responsible ones and I'm listening to what Connor's done. I'm just like, I'm just a listener to the show at this point and enjoying it. I mean, I could just, I could double check to make sure I didn't have a typo in the text. Oh, no, because I classically gets, I did come up with two quick hitters that. Connor, I think you might like this. Can I just say on the point that because the one thing that was not, yeah, we're going to get to that. I just want to say the thing that was like, how does it work for Bill Belichick? Because he's not, he's not a B billionaire.

But you're saying to depress the assets and craft enterprise market to the point where where he exits the B club. And then that opens the door perhaps for some type of bear hug. Correct. Like that by he would be, he would be just backed by. I mean, I, you know, I said obviously the Croatian chemical and plastic community, I think, because I think that not a lot of people are talking about that, that aspect of it, for sure. Right. And Nantucket, Mark? Well, no, he mentioned Belichick's Nantuckets, you know, his Nantucket connections and there's a lot of money up there.

I would not, I would not down real estate. Like, during the pandemic, I don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if he had sold six or seven multimillion dollar property. you know interesting food for thought by the way here is the text yesterday at 1126 Connor or will join us tomorrow um irresponsible but feasible conspiracy theories okay I missed the second part I think there's there's some muddying some muddying of intentions there but I mean it's created a fascinating there's nothing that Connor is thrown out there the Croatia part maybe but like otherwise it's fairly feasible everything

that's been thrown out there's logic I I am It's starting to bridge a gap logically to me with each of these seconds. Now we're talking how the sausage gets made. Oh, all right. Let's pause right here, and we'll be right back with more conspiracy theories. Hey, this is Matt Jones. Now, 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. All right, we're back. Connor, who's up? Do you want to go again, Mark? I had two quick ones.

Okay. Connor, I wonder if you would buy into this. And it's just one single sentence. Well, the first one was from 1987 to 1996, the Lombardi Trophy was secretly made of cocaine. But that does not fall under feasible. But how about this? I believe that the inside,

like if you cracked it open like a Cadbury egg? Well, you can do incredible things with the process of him of cocaine. You can make furniture out of it, all sorts of things. So I just think that it was kind of like a big, a big FU to everyone, that that's sort of what was going on for a moment and time there. like 87 especially. Those 89-9ers. I think that the owners have a second secret owners meeting that none of us ever hear about. Kind of like out on that island with the large... Bohemian growth. Yes, like a similar situation where it's like that's how they're always figuring out what to do

together and they're in lockstep and it's not happening at the little one where there's a bunch of nerdy reporters running around trying to spy them at dinner and stuff. It's like, no, no, no. Away from all these little scribes and people and anyone else and just have our own secret gathering. Kind of like skull and bones at Yale? I think so. And you know what I? I don't think there's any doubt.

Can I throw just a little? I don't think all the owners are allowed. I don't think the Haslums have been invited of late. I think it's the cream of the crop. It's the real disruptors and the ones who make the product. Absolutely. Just like a big billboard that's like $11 beers and no guaranteed contracts.

Yeah. Who leads it? Is it, Jera? I would think he'd be at the top of the list. Like, there's got to be someone with the gavel. Who's got the gavel? Mark Murphy. Definitely not Mark Murphy.

That's good. Yes, Mark Murphy. The meeting is adjourned. Power players of the universe. Connor, give us another one. Okay, so this is the true one. You ready for this? Are we ready for true links?

So, yeah, we're ready. All right, nice little plug for s.i.com, because you can read about this later this week, okay? I have confirmed via Ancestry.com that there is an actual bloodline descendant of a Norse god who is flaming his way onto draft boards everywhere. Whoa. And by next week, we'll be one of the hottest names in the draft. Let's hear it. Who is it? Actually, you're gonna have to, you're gonna have to go to s.com on Friday.

I'm telling you. Plug it. Boom. But I'm telling, like, Norse ancestry. Actual, wow. Like, actual, North, God-level bloodline.

God. When you see this player, does it surprise you to learn that? Connor. Like, this person looks like a Viking. Like, an app. Absolute Viking hero. Is he a skill player? You know what?

Save it for then. Friday. S.I.com slash NFL. Some point this week. That's a fucking plug, dude. Boom. That might be one of the best plugs in the history of the show. He's done 1,500 episodes.

He just did a multi-day teaser involving a potential godlike figure entering our league. I wanted the numbers on that article. that blog post. Mostly because I don't know when it's running yet, but yeah. Let's see. I have a few more. Elway didn't jump.

He was pushed. Tony Romo's quiet quitting. No, let's go with this one. What are the Raiders thinking a quarterback? They signed Jimmy G. And let Derek Carr go. All right.

That's fine. Whatever. Save some money. Kind of got the same quarterback. Whatever. Then they led a compelling backup in Jared. at Stidham go to a division rival on the first day of agency.

Hmm. That was a little bit weird. We got Jimmy G. Guys like the most injury-prone quarterback in the league. And we got a quarterback that we like in the building that threw for 365 and 3rd against Niners on New Year's Day.

Oh, just let him go. Why? Oh, because they had someone else they like better. Brian Hoyer? He's like 400 years old. Josh McDaniel's favorite, of course. He's actually 37, but clearly he's in the, you know,

I'm a coach on the field, third string guy phase of his career, which is a nice place to be. I know you like Brian Hoyer. I do as a person. But that's, you know, let's be, let's be serious. He's not an actual number two in our league at this point. They have four picks in the top 100, and I think they know that they have enough roster holes that they want to use that to build up the roster outside their quarterback room. So how about this? Their Jimmy G contingency plan, it's hiding in plain sight.

It's a guy that's where, I don't know where home is, but it's still working out somewhere. And he's doing the football exercises and eating right. Tom Brady is ready for the call in October when Jimmy G. breaks his ankle. And I don't want that to happen. Or if Jimmy G. goes down, Josh McDaniels, Tom Brady, it's happening. That's their backup plan. He is their backup quarterback.

there was there was a lot of buzz to tom brady to the raiders back then before he retired i don't think that's an that's it i like that and if they i'll be wrong of course if they go and take a quarterback high in this draft i'm wrong and i'll raise my hand and say hey this conspiracy theory was irresponsible no i'm kidding i'll never mention this again but if they don't draft a quarterback book it it is brady through phone calls and back channels who is the guy that will be ready to step into the lineup. He'll know the offense. He'll be in contact with McDaniels throughout the summer and into the fall.

Who is that guy who steps in if Goropla's body betrays him once more? I think that what we all assume, and maybe even Tom Brady thinks he retired, but you don't actually retire until like the Raiders or the Titans or one of these teams that's like six and three in October calls you. is like, come and fulfill the, like, that massive hole in your life right now and be our quarterback. And I don't think it's far to reach. I mean, how many of these insane stories have we heard of coaches just calling like 45-year-old

men out of pure desperation like Bruce Ariens and Kurt Warner or speaking of Seth Wickersham? The, the hilariously bad text that Frank Reich sent to Andrew Luck in the middle of like a lost season. Remember that? The SOS by the police was on, and he pulled over on the side of the road and texted Andrew Luck sending out an SOS. Oh, that's bad. I mean, I like the police a lot, but that's bad.

They don't care about anybody. They don't care about anybody with themselves. And, of course, Tom Brady is finally going to be, like, finding a purpose. Like, he'll be making bonsai gardens, or he'll, like, he'll discover this other passion and flair for life. And McDaniels will just be like, we got a. make the playoffs Tommy can you come in here you know we just got to get a Reese Witherspoon to sign off on this at this point uh exactly sending out an

SOS was the first line of that text message you're referring to and uh it was added that the answer was no just flat out no no like play on words like no like every breath you take I'll be rooting for you just like no I go it would have been great if he if he did respond like Every move you make, every step you take. No. No, exactly. Oh, no, Daddy. What was that? Oh, no, Daddy.

I don't know that one. Tom Brady, Monday Night Football. Post game. Right, right, right. All right. You got another one, Mark? Got one more? I do think that over the next Fortnite Plus,

we are going to hear whispers. Fortnite is two weeks, everybody. Old love dies hard. I think we're going to hear whispers. of Trey Lance on his way out of San Francisco as Kyle Shanahan makes one more final play to bring Kirk Cousins on board. The Brock Purdy thing bothers me in conjunction with all that,

but I just think that there's gonna be a little bit of smoke. You're gonna hear something, a nugget of some sorts, that the Niners are always looking for quarterbacks. Like, I don't care who's on their roster. They're connected to Tom Brady left and right. There's whispers about them having looked into Aaron Rogers all over the place. after they had taken Trey Lance.

It's like, Trey Lance is an unproven product that you could probably move for in a deal like that, and there's always been a little bit of a man crush between Kyle Shanahan and Kirk Cousins. Interesting. The conspiracy here is the...

What is the conspiracy? Well, I guess it's more of a prediction. I told you, I'm not sure I nailed this exercise, but it was the last thing of my life. list. It could be something there, though. I think they'd all deny it heavily. That's an important part of a conspiracy.

There's a little doubt that they are scheming. They're always scheming. Right. You know? Like, there's just groups of coaches, like, you know the pre-draft press conference where they all come up and they just be like, oh, we can't say anything. But like those guys come up always looking like they have just buried a body,

you know, and that there's just something seriously nefarious going on. I got it. Red string. We got the red string board. We just went through all these. Connect the red string between the Patriots and the Niners on this one. Belichick has been in heavy conversations behind the scenes about Mac Jones. That was Kyle's guy he wanted in the draft.

That's who he wants. And if he could offload Trey Lance and that first round salary, but again there's a war behind the scenes potentially what about a Mac Jones Jimmy G flip-flop with the Raiders spicy all the way to the top spicy

Connor you've said it all and I cannot wait for that article to land thanks for having me on guys it was good to see you it's always fun it's always fun are you going to be in Kansas City for the draft no way

nor will So when will we see each other again? I don't know what kind of like tent pole league events? Like what's our schedule looking like? You can have your people call my people. I like that by the way, ever since I brought up that you used a booker on me one time, you've booked me directly. And it means a lot. It makes me feel incredibly special.

Well, you've got to massage the talent. And you had sent through a direct channel, not even a back channel, your displeasure. So we had to, we had to clean it up, basically, and make Connor feel special. And those fences, absolutely. Pat him on his heinie and say, we love you. At the end of the day, it's what it's all about. All right. We do love you, Connor.

And thank you for giving us so much time and follow Connor on Twitter. And of course, his writing and everything else at SI, including the big scoop, a actual Norse God-level bloodline connected to a draft prospect. And you will learn who that is. Eat it, Wickersham. through Connor or on Friday when it drops. There he goes. I mean, that's a mic drop.

You know, like, Wickersham's, like, one of the nicest people around? Well, sometimes you have to manufacture conflict. I mean, that's, that, yeah. And you can't tell me that there's not a little juice there, a little ore sham god. He did not, he did not deny it? Did you ever, yeah, at any point did Connor say, hey guys lay off that. No, he didn't.

I think he took that as a challenge. I may be overstepped by even suggesting that he's nice because clearly there's some other aspect to Seth's character that we don't know about. Now I feel like we're diving in too deep on it. But Seth, keep on doing your thing. All right. Grave digger, anything else?

We didn't even talk about how the day we were meeting Connor at the Super Bowl that we were just me and Mark and a couple people when Connor were sitting in a bar for how long just kind of waiting for our meetup to take place. Do you remember this, Dan, as you wandered the streets of Phoenix trying to find the bar. Oh, yeah, that was, yeah, a logistical nightmare. I kind of put that out of mind. But we did see Connor briefly at the Super Bowl.

That is true. That's right, before the game. Yeah. So that, but then we actually ran into him in the upper deck at the stadium on Super Bowl Sunday and had a nice conversation. I love Connor. He's good dude. A great man. A great man.

All right. That's it for today's show. We're going to be back on Thursday, right? Thursday. So that's not right? Correct. And Eric Ed Holm will do some more draft talk, breaking down that situation and anything else that's happening in our league.

Until then. Good up, Mark. Good up. I had fun. Good, good. That's important. I hope the audience enjoyed it. What?

He'd the car. This is an I-heart podcast.