NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Players at the Crossroads

Episode Date: June 13, 2017

A room filled with heroes – Dan Hanzus, Chris Wesseling & Gregg Rosenthal – recap all the latest news from around the NFL including the Ravens signing Jeremy Maclin, Melvin Ingram's long-term contract and Dez Bryant's attempts to recruit Darrelle Revis on Twitter. Then, in an homage to the 2002 coming-of-age classic Crossroads, featuring Britney Spears, the heroes discuss which prominent NFL players are facing their very own career crossroads this season.Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comNFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Hey, everybody. Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the 6th, we take you inside the game from breaking down college prospects and NFL rookies to evaluating team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. We study the tape, talk to decision makers, and give you a perspective you won't find anywhere else.

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. I'm Marcus Grant. And I'm Michael Florio, and together we host the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. Ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Then you need the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast, your ultimate source for player news, draft tips, and winning strategies. Whether you're a rookie manager or a fantasy vet. We've got the insight to help you crush your opponents.

Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. The Around the NFL podcast has bolted up this offseason. Welcome back to another edition of the Around the NFL podcast. My name is Dan Hansis, and I am joined. by a room filled with some heroes. To my left,

Christoff Wessling, to my right, Greg Rosenthal. What's up, boys? Hey, Dan. Hey. Hey. Wes here in his lab coat. It's kind of disarming me. You look like a scientist right now.

It's kind of a larger white button up, but then you have it over a blue polo, Wes. So you do kind of like a hot scientist. I'll give you that. Well, I knew that we were going to be in a colder studio. It's always colder in here. So I just grabbed a white button-down shirt from my chair when I went up here. That's all there was, too.

Wow. It's huge. It's a big shirt. Big shirt, big man. And Greg Rosenthal, too, my right back from his big vacation. Went back east. And don't hide. You went to the vineyard and you had a nice little week, didn't you?

I had a... What is this? It's just taking us there to the coast. The big blue house. Four stories high. Please. Private Beachfront View. Spent a couple nights in Boston, actually, with a friend of mine, Dave, and met some

listeners of the show. He's a big-time listener of the show, but also talked to some other people that love the show. Nice. Very cool. You know, then went and stayed with my parents for four or five nights. It was great. First time had the whole family together with my son. Was this your first time ever on Martha's Vineyard?

No. Okay. Just wanted to me. make sure that was out there. No, my parents moved there. They retired there about 10 plus years ago. Well, we missed you while your gun. You missed a lot.

You missed the NFL Media Summit. Yeah, bad timing. You missed the Dodger game. Missed some swag from that, apparently. Some swag. Softball game. And also a little bit of a nuclear fallout. Well, you sent me to my vacation.

I meant to texting, too, in such a happy mood because you gave me a game ball right You know, the night before I got on the plane. What a game Greg had. What a way to go into your vacation with a... I was flying. With a great softball performance, I believe. What did you get on five times in that game? That's right.

A bunch of RBIs, a bunch of runs scored. Greg has really stamped his place on the lineup. As the skip, now comes the time we're going to stop pussyfooting here halfway through the season and lock in a lineup. And, Wes, I think Greg has made a very strong case to be a very strong case to be irregular at this point. But there was a veteran move getting that piece of job security like a game ball right before you go on vacation.

Very smart, Greg, very smart. Good timing for your performance. Anyway. That was right after you put him on notice too. It wasn't Greg specifically, but. We read through the line. Yeah. But Greg, again, you got to, you know which buttons to push.

Skip. And Greg responded. Greg responded. A lot to get to today, including. an issue that Greg had with the wife of an NFL player, and we'll get to that a little bit later. We also, this is a big episode. It's a big episode.

You know why? Because we are going to break down players at the crossroads. And what does that mean? That means high profile players, stars even, who enter the 2017 season, and there's a fork in the road for their career. They can go one way, which would be a good way, go the other way. It takes you into some dark territory.

Or they can make a deal with the devil that gives them a little juice for the rest of their career. Nice crossroads ref. Good crossroads raff. So we'll talk about some players that are in kind of an interesting position in their career as entering 2017. That'll be fun. Also, a lot of news to get to because how many teams is it? 30 teams? That's correct.

30 teams have their mini camps this week. So, yeah, a little surprise. I bet you're a little surprised. right now. You said, oh, I thought we didn't have a show until Tuesday. No, no, no, no. Audible data that. We checked into shotgun formation. We reconfigured some guys sent a guy in motion

and we're going to do three shows this week. No Mark, by the way. Mark, feeling under the weather, a little food poisoning. We'll have to do some investigation there to find out if that's connected to the Tom Brady diet. Oh, wow. That's a good call.

He has been posting a lot of photos from that cookbook, that infernal cookbook. Well, Mark likes to be the super sleuth in any scenario. Yeah. I think it'd be cool to have the tables turned on him. So we sleuth around and see what's really going on with his Tom Brady diet. Yeah, I like that idea a lot, Wes. So yes, doing all that.

And before we start, we get her one more show. Well, we'll see. What do you mean by that? At least one more show, Emma VP behind the glass. We did a great job on Thursday. It was kind of a hybrid show where we had Damashek in for Greg. and then Emma behind the glass. Now it's just the three heroes in Emma.

And I, you know, Wes, maybe you could help me with this. This is a delicate situation, but, you know, streets are talking. Streets are talking. What are they saying? The Reddit board is lit up with several different threads about Emma VP. Several. Several, multiple threads about your prowess on Thursday show. Wow.

Thanks, guys. I appreciate it. And unless we forget. that our prior producer, the immortal LaSid, I'll just leave it here. And I don't want this to seem as a bribe or a future bribe of some kind. Basically got a new car out of being in that chair. And now ask yourself this. Is that happening on the Dave Damshack football?

I can tell you it's not. Wow. All right. Something to think about. Let's do some news. They may be drinkers, Robin, but they're also human beings. Yes, Adam West My favorite Batman

Passed away this weekend At 88 years old I will tell you something about Adam West That show went off the air 12, 13 years before I was born And that show is a major part of my childhood Which really speaks for how that show transcended Just the 60s

It was a show on the air for two and a half seasons two and a half years and I felt like a family member died when I got the news I'm way in on Adam West always was West did you watch the old Batman series Greg I know you didn't but

I didn't you're right my brothers and I we watched the Batman it seems like every day it was on reruns after school or something and I did I watch the movie they put out a movie in 1966

and it's on Netflix now how crazy it is that that movie is really funny and smart in terms of of winking to the audience and it was playing to kids but also really on the nose

in terms of the things that Batman, his dialogue and talking about drinkers and it was all geared also towards adults. Adam West, my boy. Now let's do some news. Listen, you didn't think of Adam West,

Eulogy was coming, but no. Here it is. I'm surprised. Here we are. It's more a West type of move. Don't put me in a box. Don't put me in a box. Jeremy Macklin's got a job.

He's headed to Baltimore, the 29-year-old. again in the Ravens Nest. I don't want to hear, I'll tell you what, I don't want to hear another freaking thing from Ravens fans

because ever since the Ravens Nest became a thing, it's all we talk about on this show. I think some other teams need their own little sound drops. See what happens. The 29-year-old

Pro Bowl wide receiver had to decide between the Ravens and Bills and he went with the Ravens on Monday, joining Joe Flacko and Marty Morninwig on a two-year deal.

At the time of this podcast, We don't really have the numbers, but what we know is that Jeremy McLan joins a wide receiver group, Greg Rosenthal, that definitely needed a little more juice. How much juice does he actually add, though? He adds a quality pair of hands there, someone that can take snaps, and they needed it. Their number three receiver behind Mike Wallace and Prashad Pyraman, whoever it was going to be was among the worst in the NFL. And I think on this podcast we said they got to bring someone in. Don't be surprised if they do at some point.

With that said, he had a bad year in Kansas City last year. They made the decision to cut him. I know if salary was involved, but if they thought he was a true number one type of receiver, they would have found a way to keep him. And I've read a lot of fantasy optimism on him, like penciling him as a number one receiver there. I don't see that.

I see him, Mike Wallace, who had a very good year for them last year, and Bresad Perman, all kind of splitting it up, you know, improving the offense. I don't see him lighting it up and having a 1,200 yards. or even a thousand yard type of season, though. I mean, it depends which Jeremy Macklin shows up.

The one from two years ago who was a legit number one receiver, lived up to his contract and posted number one numbers with Alex Smith as his quarterback, or the guy from last year who was outplayed by Tyreek Hill in limited snaps. So it depends which one shows up. But I think it's interesting that two of the best team builders of the 21st century, Bill Belichick and Ozzie Newsom, have essentially reached the point where they have admitted they cannot draft wide receivers. So they just go out and sign veterans all the time.

And Ozzy, this is his move. He tried to trade for Terrell Owens. He signed Kevin Johnson from the Browns. He signed Derek Mason, signed Anquan Bolden, traded for Lee Evans, signed Steve Smith, and now it's Jeremy Macklin. This is what Ozzy Newsom does, often late in free agency. Right. He did a great job with Mike Wallace.

I heard people on Twitter, my timeline, drag in Mike Wallace. People didn't watch the games last year. He was a really good role player who went over. a thousand yards very similar to the numbers that macklin put up in can city macklin's never been i mean he had that one year under chip kelly put up huge numbers he's not a huge numbers guy but this gives them a chance they have some serious holes and now this is one less hole that they have on that offense and uh in other news related to this so macklin's uh signs with the ravens the new york jets of course are have already announced that they were looking to either trade or release eric decker

they were in talks with the ravens they couldn't work out the money, even though Decker was open to taking a pay cut to move to Baltimore. So on Monday, the Jets formally released the wide receiver after three seasons with the team, meaning that beginning tomorrow, Decker can sign with any team, including potentially, Wes, the Ravens. It's not completely inconceivable. This is unbelievable. I mean, there's too much, too much Raven stuff.

But we can't control it, Wes. It's not inconceivable. We're being told that the Ravens could also grab Eric Decker, but we'll see if they can make it work. Yeah, that would surprise me with Wallace, Perriman, and Macklin already on hand. It's not happening. And they have a roomful of tight ends even after losing Pitta. Are they heroes?

Me, is Eric Decker a hero? It was a roomful. Oh, got you. Roomful of heroes, our podcast. Right over my head. Step right on it. Sorry, a lot of your bits go over my head sometimes. Your joke, so now you know.

Your bit went over my head. That whole, like, Ravens still interested in Decker maybe sounded like an agent trying to keep his value afloat after this potential trade in which he was willing to take less money. It didn't work out. One of the things I was really interested in listening to the Macklin reports, it did not come down to the Bills and the Ravens. It came down to the Eagles and the Ravens. The Eagles, according to Ian Rappaport, didn't. offer nearly as much money as Baltimore, so it probably wasn't a tough decision.

But that makes me wonder, maybe the Eagles would throw a little money at Decker, and maybe that means Tori Smith, I guess, would not have a safe spot on that roster in that scenario. Am I the only one that thinks that Eric Decker might be a, and I know he's coming off two surgeries, but be a better option than Jeremy McClain right now? Can you tell me why you think that?

Well, I just, when last time he was healthy, he was as good as anybody in the red zone. He's not old. He just turned 30. Macklin actually, so seems to show signs of decline last year. That's why I'm making that case. I know Macklin's had good things as well. I think they're very similar.

I like Decker better, too. I'm with you. I do not. I think that Macklin showed two years ago he can be a number one. I don't think Eric Decker has ever showed he can be a number one. To me, Macklin has been a number two his whole career. Yeah, he had one year where he lived. Except for 2015 when he was after.

Absolutely the number one. Sure, but it was 1,000-50 yards. It's the same amount of yards as, I mean, he's a good player. I mean, you can throw out stats all you want, but when you watch the 2015 games, he was absolutely a number one wide receiver. Decker has had more 1,000-yard seasons. He's a solid player. They're similar in terms of the levels, and I do think he can help a team out, though.

I mean, this is a nice free agent to become available at this time of year. It's pretty rare. He's coming off a hip and a torn rope. A major major surgery. which is pretty people didn't think he'd even be ready to play until week one or later. In other wide receiver news, good news for Giants fan. O'Dell Beckham was at the team's East Rutherford facility to take a physical on the eve of Tuesday's mandatory mini camp we learned today.

This comes after Beckham caused much consternation. Really not necessary, I feel like. But, you know, if you're a Giants fan or in that building, I guess you can get yourself worked up by not attending. OTAs. He is probably one of the most underpaid wide receivers in football, given his incredible ability. But Greg, not a surprise that he is there for minicamp. This wasn't going to turn ugly at this stage. No, this, Kim Jones reported it a month ago that he was planning to and he is and it wasn't voluntary work. And I don't get, we did a whole show on this, what

matters, what doesn't. And him missing OTAs didn't matter to me. And he's, here's newsflash. He's going to get paid in the end. He's going to get his. contract, I bet, before the season starts. Let's break down this consternation that you spoke of. 99% media and then 1% split between the Giants and their fans. The media cares way too much about Odell Beckham and what he's doing and he gets treated like no one else in the business by the media. I don't doubt, I agree with you, and I don't doubt that the Giants coaches were annoyed because

they want total control and they want everything to happen. but they also know in their head that Odo Beckham works harder than anyone else in the team. Right, and it's going to win them games as an incredible player. So like any workplace, those types of people, they're not necessarily bound to the exact same rules as everyone else. I don't think you need to worry about the competitiveness of a guy who's putting holes in walls after games. Also, Beckham, yes, it's playing in New York, it leads to a bigger spotlight on a guy. Also, probably one of the big, is he one of the five top stars in the league that certainly Nike believes that to be so?

He just got the biggest contract ever for a football player. So when you're that famous, it leads to this type of time. I mean, when you're that famous, you make Instagram announcements that I'm back for like a mini camp, you know, that makes national news. Like hashtag, hashtag I'm back and like everyone immediately. And it is big news. I mean, he's proven. up there with Michael Jordan's letter coming out of baseball.

I mean, but here's the thing. If he believes it that it's big news, he's right because the second he does it, ESPN's leading sports center and we're breaking it. You know, it's like he's proven right. By the way, can you even imagine the press release and the hullabaloo if Emma made the move? Wow. So she would release a statement just like Jordan, like two words? I'm making my talents to be around the NFL podcast.

No, it would just be hashtag AT NFL on your Twitter. We should have you or some or Sully in an awkward moment cut that as a drop we can use. There would be, I wonder if it would be Allah when Belichick defected from the Jets to the Patriots, if it would lead to like a major antitrust lawsuit and it would lead to us having to send first round picks to Sheck to make it happen. Get the cocktail napkin involved. Isn't that what Belichick wrote it on? How about that? I resign as P of the DDFP.

I resign as P of the DDFP. By the way, did anyone notice with O'DL in his Instagram announcement? He appears to be wearing boxers. Boxer shorts? I mean, he should think I heard what you guys did last week in terms of the individualized offer code. Oh, yeah. I was told by a shadowy league figure. that it was not technically an offer code,

but a vanity URL, but it's all the same. Okay. Same thing. Well, you know, Odell should check out that me andy slash around the NFL. Yeah, they are. Join the movement. A lot of buzz. Wait, I thought you were on team boxers, Greg.

Well, I am, but now, they sell boxers, by the way. But now that we've got the code and we've got some motivation, hey, look, who is in the meeting there talking to the shadowy league figure saying, get us that code? So you made it happen? I got a result. You can ask him. Move the needle, baby.

All right. Moving on, Melvin Ingram. And the Chargers did some business. The Chargers agreed to terms with Ingram on a four-year contract. The team announced Sunday that the new deal is worth $66 million. And here's a nice number, if you're a human. $42 million in guaranteed money that coming from rap sheet. Rap report reported late last month that Ingram would consider skipping mini-camp and perhaps part of training camp.

If a long-term deal didn't materialize, but yes, Wes, it has. And the Chargers, again, a team pushing hard is to be the first repeat team of ATL. They got one of their big boys in place and happy. Well, I think if you're a Chargers fan, if you're still a Chargers fan, you didn't want a second straight summer with contract, basically knocked down, drag-out contract arguments with the team. And they had that last year with Bosa. And now, can you name a better tag team?

of pass rushers than Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. I'm trying. You know, Von Miller and Shane Ray, it's a big drop-off. JJ Watt and Genevian Clowny? Yeah. Perhaps. Whitney Merciless, I don't know. But they're right up there.

I think Ingram, he and Khalil Mack are the only two players with at least 50 tackles and eight sacks in each of the past two. I mean, Ingram's been a beast the last year and a half. It's another reminder, you know, be careful of who you really. pick on when you're a fan of your team in terms of a first round pick because fans were pretty tired of Melvin Ingram after his first two years in the league. It took him a little longer to develop. He transformed his body. He kept getting injured and he dropped about 20 pounds and started getting to the quarterback. He's a fun player to watch too. He's very dynamic in the running game.

He's a complete player. I mean, him and Bosa for the next, I can see why they would give him money because just knowing those two guys are going to be in your system for the next bunch of years. And it's a different system this year. They're going to be playing defensive end. And usually that'd be a cause for concern. But I think, to me, on paper, Ingram and Bosa are a better fit for that system. Bad news to the Detroit lines. Taylor Decker, their left tackle, underwent surgery for a torn labrum this week. He has received a recovery timetable of four to six months.

Marron, according to rap sheet, do the math there. That puts them back anywhere between October, which would be, okay, we could deal with it, to early December, which is, oh, my God, we lost our blindside protector for almost the entire season. season. And this is a tough hit. I mean, left tackle Greg. I'm those scientists. I'm sitting between two science today. Wes actually dressed like a scientist. Wes is like Casey Joyner, the football scientist, ESPN.

He used to walk around a media day in a lab coat like that, Wes. We're in the same shirt as Sean McVeigh. And Wes pointing to a picture of Sean McVeigh wearing a fitted collar button up. This thing's flowy, Wes. You got the shirt underneath it. I'm down several pounds. I was going to say you've lost a little weight, so maybe that's a factor here. Yeah, I think that's a factor.

Anyway, so that's the non-scientists of the group. Left tackle. Vital. And now they've got to figure out what to do. It's not just left tackle. They've also replaced their right tackle and another guard this year. So they'll be breaking in three new linemen at three different positions. And as bad as offensive line play has been around the league,

it gets even worse when you're mixing guys in and out on a conversation. Although their offensive line going into the year was one of the reasons to be very optimistic about the Lions. You know, Decker had a great rookie year for a rookie left tackle position players have really struggled on coming into the league. He had a very solid rookie year. And the right side of their line with the T.J. Lang and Wagner, the acquisitions made, that's why they're feeling good. And now you take a huge hit. They have basically no one behind him to fill in. It's a problem.

The Lions will be an interesting case. later either this week or next we'll have our first ever over under episode over unders for wins and people are like oh you can't talk about that on here but what if someone in this room is setting the over under you're fine then right

thinking out loud here what Greg's fine okay over under right can't do that can't do desert stuff but what if the person setting the over under was inside the studio and was not affiliated with the desert.

Yeah, I think we can pick our own over-unders. Essentially, what's more likely is in some of the other games we do are basically like that. Why don't we just have Mark Davis come up with the under figure for each team? Moving on. Let's check in on Dorel Revis.

Des Bryant, the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, sent out a tweet a couple days ago at Revis 24, Dallas. I promise you are going to love what we got going on around here, and this is the one that got me. Your attitude fits our culture waiting. I don't

this is almost like did Des Bryant fall on the ski slope and suffer a head injury that eliminated 2016, and now he's just waking up and he thinks that Dorel Revers is coming off a season where he was a hardworking,

great locker room presence, exactly the guy that fits the culture of your room. I wouldn't say Dwell Revis matched any winning culture if that's what he's insinuating. But haven't you haven't you said that for you know every other season but last year he was as committed

and devoted as any player in the league? He was. He was. I mean, that's why I'm stumping for maybe a major head injury that led to an amnesia situation and he just missed he just missed last year. Maybe. I mean he's an all time great who's gone

up against him and I'm sure respects his game and that's That's true. That's the Revis he's thinking. Well, what's the flip side of that? When I read this report, it's like, oh, Des isn't very impressed with the cornerbacks. The Cowboys are rolling out in practice every day.

Well, Shereen Williams, who's now with pro football talk, nice move by them picking her up. Nice, she reported, yeah, great move. She reported that the Cowboys are not likely to be interested in them. They drafted a couple guys. I don't think, by the way, your whole Revis, this has been a blood war this off season. will Revis get signed?

I've been saying it's not happening. It's been quiet out there in the old Revis front. Greg has some skin in the game on this one. Not a lot of got that look in his eyes. Not a lot of Revis talk out there lately. No, I'll certainly, I will not deny that. At this point, it looks like he doesn't have much of a market, but also there continues, and this is one of the reasons you stated,

that he might not, he believe he won't be signed, is that he still has an asking price. We'll find out. That's my number. That's my reason one, two, and three. And but my reason, one, two, three, and four was that this. Big move to top me there. Gotcha.

Was that this was an all-time great competitor who has been run through the ringer and been told he's a bum now. Look, as an impartial observer, you got to give the edge to the zooster there. He went to four. I'm got to top of actually. Too late. Reasons one, two, three, four, and five. Son of a bitch.

Add some zero. Oh, no. That's dirty pool, my friend. You never go back on five. All right. Anyway, moving on. Friday night, real quick, the Patriots had yet another ring ceremony.

Congratulations, Greg. I just want to call to attention one thing. Another reason why I was back east. You were there? I'd craft a manner. I just want to call to attention one thing that got on my grid a little bit, got on the old Zeus's radar. that the Patriots have confirmed that there are 283 diamonds

in their new championship ring. Of course, an allusion to they were down 283 in Super Bowl 51. And I wrote about this on the end around, which you could check out. Obviously, 283 diamonds say, that's a nod to relentless effort, never say die attitude, competitive fire. Also a reminder that you were getting your ass

whipped for about 72% of that game. And so you're acknowledging that. And number two, through seven, you are saying you're rubbing that salt in the wound of your opponent in a little bit. Just a little bit. You're leaning into the 283 thing, which has become an internet. It's obnoxious. Who needs two hundred eighty-three diamonds on a ring?

Well, that's a separate. In general, these rings are obnoxious in that way. I think you're combining all the Twitter memes. which I agree have become annoying and too much in terms of 283. And the Patriots celebrating what is a legitimate thing to celebrate, which is the greatest comeback in professional football history. And that's on the ring, too. I have no problem with that.

Like, it's on, you know how they have in the side of the room? I don't think they're rubbing it in. They're not sending copies to the Falcons. They didn't know that this necessarily would go. I would be evil. They're shooting little nuggets, though, to Darren Ravell, the most popular business reporter in the world. Oh, let's calm down on him being in part.

popular. Well, all right. Let's count down about making it seem like I'm a fan of Darren Ravelle. I'm saying the most, like, well-known sports business supporter in the game and confirming that there are 283 times. They want everybody to know. That is a little sub-notch. Be above it.

Be above what? Be above talking about a great comeback? I don't, I just told. I just said it says on the side of the ring, like biggest comeback ever. That's totally fine. I get that. But then to... Do our 83 diamonds stop.

the 283 thing it's a little too it's not it's not respectful of the opponent in my opinion they just slid down the common man rankings for sure two and eighty three diamonds and finally michael vick and uh roddy white had a retirement ceremony at i mean those rings are ridiculous not to cut you off yeah Wade phillips wore one um he wore his his ring when i interviewed him a couple weeks ago and they're outrageous how could you you couldn't actually wear those anywhere except I suppose, you know, for like a television thing. Right. You can't wear those out.

It's going to be talking. How long has it been since people thought they could wear their championship rings out? It's got to be since like 1980. Isn't it kind of a strange tradition too in general, just the idea of these rings? Like there's a photo of Bill Belichick that the Patriots suited out and he's got like his fingers out like Audrey Hepburn that practice at Tiffany. It's like a reboot like, look at me. What's what I'm doing here? You're still Delchag.

What are you posing like that for? What would you propose as the new ring? Yeah, I don't know. Like, what should take the place of the ring? There is something. Everybody gets a yacht? The thing I didn't, I thought what you were going to say, what got on my radar was the tweet that was like, here's the picture everyone's waiting for. And it was like, you know, the picture with Tom Brady holding five rings.

And it's like, I guess was I was waiting. Emma, you kind of like that board, too, don't you? It's a lot of fun. irreverent, fresh. It's slightly similar to the one in Studio 66. I mean, mechanically, yes, but in terms of the content on it. It's a lot more juice. I mean, people don't buy, remember they used to sell high school, like, class rings,

but no one would buy them. I think we were part of the generation that helped kill that. I don't even think that's a thing anymore because no one would buy it. Well, right? No one would buy them, and I don't know if they're even around anymore. Yeah, I have one. I don't think I ever wore it, ever once. All right, that's what's happening in the news.

Oh, Greg's walking. His daily drop of something about this. Now what are you doing? I can pick up anything during the show. You don't need to point it out. The list, it's an audio media. But isn't it weird that you're the only one that ever gets up? It just shows I'm comfortable in the studio.

I'm going to get what I want. You're always fiddling with stuff and then it goes flying out of your chair and your desk. That's true. Greg did a couple weeks ago called a meeting, and he was pushing hard to get wireless headsets. He's like, let's explore this space. We really haven't been doing that. With a cowbell situation? Yeah, let's just, you know, let's get the room.

Let's get up and let's get moving. We're like, what is he talking about? That didn't happen. All right, that's what's happening in the news. Elevate your underwear game to the next level with Miondi's. What is Miondi's? Just seriously soft, feel good, and he's delivered right to your door.

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I'm just going to pull each month out. How about that? And guess what? You can save time and money with a monthly subscription. I agree. It was a little extraneous. And if you're not ready for a subsist... Who else is doing that, Sid?

Excuse me. Am I? Freudian. That's it. Hey, a little Freudian. Is that going to help? That's good stuff. Favorite producer.

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All right players at the crossroads Oh I'll meet you at the crossroads That's what we would play right now if we didn't have these arcane rules in effect against copyrighted music that's the next battle got to climb that hill next to us

how do we get to the top of that hill I think people might have to die right I think we might I was I wasn't thinking death necessarily but I was thinking we need to just take out some shadowy league there's going to have to be human sacrifices all in the name of progress anyway so entering a season

every season it's the same way players that have been stars for years or maybe just kind of get on the scene but all of a sudden things happen around them and they find themselves at a fork in the road and let's talk about some name brands at the crossroads and Chris Wessling professor Wessling

we're going to call you today or scientist Wessling can you tell us a player at the crossroads first guy I thought of was Todd Gurley a guy whom Brian Baldinger famously said during Gurley's rookie year, look, my mom can scout this guy. That's how good he was that first month or five games when he had four straight 100-yard games. He looked like one of the most talented backs

he had seen enter the NFL in the 21st century. And for the last 18 months, he's been arguably the least productive running back in the NFL. So it's his new coach, Sean McVeigh, saying, look, if you're going to get this guy on track, it has to be an 11-man effort. They've reshuffled their offensive line. They bring in a left tackle. They're trying to turn Jared Gough around to have some respect and not have eight men in the box all the time.

So this is the year. Does Todd Gurley's obvious talent win out? Or are we going to stop making excuses for him when he doesn't? So what happens? What happens if he's not that guy this year? And there again, let's say there are once again, you can make excuses. Why do the Rams go back to it again? or do they think they act on it through the draft or free agency?

Well, he'll still be under a manageable contract, so you would think they're not going to cut him, but you would have to think you have to cover your bases, too. You have to go get someone to compete with him. And you just start thinking about him differently. And that was the case I was trying to make. I wrote about earlier in the off season that, yeah, all that stuff about the Rams is true.

It was a total mess. The coach is bad. Maybe it affected him mentally. Whatever. If you gave, this is a guy that we were thinking had a chance to be one of the players in the NFL. And I don't care what was around him. If you gave Adrian Peterson the ball 325 times in this second year of his career, he could have been playing with a Pop Warner team or give Marshall Falk the ball 325 times

or give, you know, any sort of all-time great or a guy who's going to be at the top of the game that many times, they're going to do something. They're going to flash. They're going to play. They're going to show you something. It didn't really show. It's a little more complex than that. He didn't show anything.

When you fall into bad habits, take Aaron Rogers for an example. For nearly a two-year period, he went into slumps. And people spent a significant time during two different seasons asking what's wrong with Aaron Rogers when it was clear that he was falling into bad habits. We knew he was still talented, but he wasn't producing like Aaron Rogers should. And how much of that is Todd Gurley's talent and how much is it the bad habits he's picked? up the last two years. Yeah, I think the one thing, I'm not a scout, but the one thing I think you'd like to see out of him

would be to make people miss in small areas and even on the outside. I mean, there were plenty of times where he had a chance to beat someone he didn't beat him. He just kind of ran into him. And he wasn't really running over people. I'm skeptical.

You're skeptical about it. We can tell. Well, not that he's not, I think he'll be good, but I don't know if he'll be great. I don't think he'll be a bust. He'll be better than he was last year. So the guy we saw those first five games, that guy's just no longer there.

I guess if I have a major injury it's hard for me to believe that that guy's just not there Here's the good news guys we're going to find out yeah all right I guess my thought is maybe he's he's a good he's a good player that we just got a little over excited about And so he'll be good again but just not I think Wes's point is that he flashed in the NFL that he was much more than that And then that guy seemingly disappeared I'm going to throw a quarterback out there how about cam newton and uh brief timeline none of this is going to be breaking news but a brief timeline of cam newton an outrageously productive 2015 season that ended with the mvp award and then it literally ended at the super bowl after a great run through the nfc playoffs and they were 17 and one

entering the super bowl and then i think things took a sharp turn starting that day in uh in san francisco or north of San Francisco. He had the end of the game. He struggled through the game against a great Denver defense. I still, when I think of Cam, I do think of that play at the end of the game where he didn't scramble for the loose ball.

I know some people kind of let him off the hook for that, but that really left a sour taste in my mouth. The press conference after, I know a lot of people let him off the hook for that and said, no, it was the media's fault. It was the setup at the stadium's fault. It was the team on the other side of the curtain's fault. That wasn't a good look.

But after the really, sour ending to that season what happens you would think some players you know come back better than ever and refocus he then has his worst season ever uh and carolina has a very mediocre season uh he now goes under the knife shoulder surgery he's not going to throw in mini camp this week and you hope he'll be ready for training camp and that of course can cloud this type of tracking the situation how how healthy is but in general you wonder if maybe cam mootin is it possible he peaked already. Is he now kind of in a hashtag slight regression?

Don't send me down that road with him. But did we see the best of Cam Newton? And I feel like we'll kind of have a better idea of that after this year. Crossroads, baby. Well, we talked about this a couple weeks ago, and Greg mentioned that he's, his last three years, he's not been a top 10 quarterback for two of those years.

And he was MVP, the other one. So will the real Cam Newton please stand up? But he has never been an above average passer. except for that three-month hot streak during his MVP season. He's always been a guy with wacky mechanics, inconsistent in his mechanics, and he's not an accurate passer. And how much longer is he going to be an absolute physical specimen at that position?

He's taking a beating. He's a good passer, I still think. He's not strength and weakness. He's certainly a good deep passer. I mean, I think he has to make tougher throws. He's an inconsistent deep passer. When he's throwing from the right arm slot, He's a really good deep pass.

He is so fascinating because, you know, Michael Vick officially retired today, and he was, you know, when he came in, he was kind of a quarterback that no one had ever seen quite like him. And I would say Cam is like that, too, just that the physicality. And we don't know how his career is going to. I mean, we would have thought. I just realized we never got back to the Vic Roddy White thing. It's gone in the past. It's fine. Like, we don't know how his career is going to go.

After that MVP season, you would have thought, okay, now he's starting his way into Canton. And now, I don't know. I think, like, a worst case scenario is they have a good starting quarterback in Cam Newin. Like, I'm not that worried about him. But there's a difference between, like, a good starter, an asset, and the very top. So is the MVP season possibly an anomaly in his career? Was that just a moment in time? And we'll never see that guy?

You actually think that's possibly? He's just now kind of like a goodish quarterback? I think he has to adjust his game. And Ben Rothelberger is a guy who, to me, is the most similar. When you look early in his career, he had to change the way he played. He couldn't keep taking so many big hits. He had to step back, and they created a new offense under Todd Haley, where everything, he gets the ball out faster.

And he still has plays where he ad-libs, but Ben's a bit different quarterback now than he was five years ago. I think Cam will figure it out. I don't know if it'll be this year. Maybe it'll take getting a new coordinator there. I don't know. I think he might. Oh, you turn it on him again?

What? Uh-oh. I'm just saying it's been, you know, he was the great whipping boy of Greg Rosenthal for so long, and then you'd begrudgingly came around on him and now you started to turn again. He wrote a big piece on him. Mike Shula. That was. Oh, no, that was Riverboat Ron, but you had some Shula in there.

He had some major Shula issues at a time. I did. And, and Cam and Shula are at the hip. I mean, they're kind of one in the same. I, you know, I'd like to just see another voice in his ear. I think Cam will bounce back, though. How about another player at the crossroads, Greg? Well, I'm going to mention another guy that was one of the players of the 2015 season,

and you just didn't see him the same last year. He was on the field, but Honey Badger was not Honey Badger. Ooh, that's a good one. Last year. He was a guy who had West, couldn't have been more excited about him as a potential defensive player of the year in 2015, and that was legit. There was really no one in the NFL quite. like him with all the different things he could do,

just his innate feel for the game, his competitiveness, his instinct. And he, for the second time, was coming off an ACL tear, and for the second time wasn't the same player coming off of it. And he's admitted in off-season interviews this year, essentially how frustrated he was. He said he's more confident now that he wasn't having fun,

that he's trying to stay under the radar too. He's saying no goals, no expectations. He was talking a big game last off season in terms of the goals and all the different things he wanted to do. And he even alluded to the fact that he lost a little confidence. I think he's such a player that thrives on winning and confidence and attitude that he was sort of in a downward spiral last year. And I think he's shown us he can be a great, great leader and great player for them.

And that's what they're paying him to do. They're paying him big time much. money, that is the biggest X factor to me with that entire Cardinals team. I mean, you got the offensive line, but you really got Tyron Matthew. If they can get the old Honey Badger back to where he was, that's a different team. Yeah, they're paying him like the defensive player of the year version, and they gave him that contract after the injury. They had to have known, considering his history, that there would be some bumps in the road

in 2016, and they had to have been gambling on 2017 and 18. And people say, you know, the reports are positive. I know it's the off season. Reports are positive. He looks better this offseason. And that, to me, I've been kind of big on the Cardinals bouncing back, and that would be one of the things that would really, really help. That would be one of the bigger bummers of the last, you know,

decade of NFL football if he never was able to get back to where he was because he was such a success story. And a really good guy, it seems like he got his life figured out. And I remember around this time last year being at the all-or-nothing premiere and having like a nice conversation. with him where he just seemed like a nice guy and was talking about coming back from the second knee surgery and he was very hopeful that he'd be the same guy and he wasn't hopefully because it took him a season last time too Wes and then he was amazing in 2015 hopefully it

happens again all right let's keep going west one more time through maybe or maybe a speed round let's have some fun another player at the crossroads gronk this was inspired by an episode that I missed a couple of weeks ago when you guys were all talking about gronk and throughout his career there's always been doubt about him overcoming injuries, you know, well, yeah, he overcame a back injury, but now it's like five arm surgeries. What if he, what if those arms just ruined? Yeah, he overcame the arm surgeries, but now it's an ACL. He shredded his knee. Who's it going to be? And now it's like, oh, he recovered from an ACL and arm surgery, but now it's the back again. Every time Grant gets injured, he comes back even better than before. He is a physical freak. We cannot treat him like other players.

He comes back stronger every time. And I'm not saying he's guaranteed to be better. than he was before. But I think all the hand-wringing over whether Grunk will ever be, you know, we won a Super Bowl without him. Will he ever be that important to the Patriots again? Well, he's their best player other than Brady. So forget the Crossroads. You're putting this podcast, whoever was talking on the cross.

I believe it was me. You're putting us on the cross. It was you and Greg. But it was I, I love Grunk and I as much, what do I? I don't even care. I have no, what do they call? Give me the gambling. Get in the game.

No skin in the game. I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying someone, Someone should have been here to point out that he has always come back stronger. No, that is absolutely true. I said I have no skin in the game because the Jets are basically out of the NFL right now. So it doesn't matter to me if Granc is amazing or terrible this season or hurt. They've been relegated.

Yeah, so I have no, there's nothing for me to get worked up. But all I can say is I really have doubts now whether he's going to be able to make it through a full season. But it is a crossroads. They did just win a Super Bowl without him. They pick up Brandon Cooks. They pick up Duane Allen. I mean, you would think Gronk's still going to be the go-to guy, but they're going to spread the ball around more than they have probably in his career.

Reportedly healthy at practices, fully practicing. That's a rare thing for Gronk in terms of off-season. So as a Patriots, Homer, that's got me optimistic. It's also a crossroads because I think you can accurately make the statement that nobody has ever played the tight-end position at a higher level in Gronk for the past half decade. but if he doesn't have a productive next five years, is he going to go down as a better player than Tony Gonzalez for his career? It is wild.

I mean, we should move, but it is wild that they were still scoring. And you can, like if they didn't have gronk, the crazy thing is he is probably the greatest tight end of all time, offensively, you know,

and yet they could survive without it. Not getting points for defense. Well, I meant as a pass catcher, but then I just thought myself, yeah, stop myself. But,

it's crazy they made that comeback without grog yeah it was i mean listen and that's why it's so amazing that the old zeuser over here would uh include this gentleman next as a player at the crossroads tom brady oh stop this wasn't on your original list this again is this a joke this is a joke no it's not a joke you had three different names before i had too well much like cam newton he is in the middle of his career right now let me tell you something everybody could be all sunshine, puppies, and rainbows about this. Crossroads. Football is, just let me make my point before you two scientists, heartless scientists, shred it.

Tom Brady, coming off an incredible season, of course. No gradual decline. Way to go, buddy. But he will be 40 next year. Now, I'm not going to talk about, I am not making any predictions about his play. But I'll tell you what, he better not gradual decline this season at all or get hurt or give the Patriots any reason to think because Jimmy Carapolo, it's decision time.

I don't see why this is even funny, Wes. Jimmy Garapolo will be a free agent next year if they do not do something about this. And they did not trade him. And I'll tell you what, that was, and you guys don't want to hear this because you got the cookbooks and you know, you're signed up to Giselle's Instagram

and you're doing your little Tom Brady dance all the time. That's Wes and I. But here's the truth. The reason they didn't trade them to the Browns for 14 draft picks is because they wanted to wait another year and get to see Tom Brady for another year and then have that option. So Tom knows this.

You guys might not know it, but Tom knows why Gropolo is still on this team right now, and he better not decline or he's going to find himself playing for the L.A. Rams sooner than you think. That was beautiful. I don't even want to respond in any way that would take away from that. I would now tell me why I'm wrong.

I'm serious. Because I'm not joking when I say this. I think. No, I know. I don't really disagree. I think there is pressure within the organization here. I don't disagree with your points. I was really more thinking there's no crossroads.

How much I wanted to happen? No, there's no crossroads left for Tom Brady because he could get hurt or he could play poorly. But he's like 41 years old and he's going to go down as the greatest quarterback of all time with his five rings. And you're right. He wants to play another five years. I just feel like the worst case scenario for him is. You're saying there's no stakes. really for him. But that's not true. I'm not saying

there's no stakes, but to me he's past the crossroads. Once you've established yourself as the greatest player of all time, if he's not past the crossroads, the crossroads come in different place for all players. And for the grades it comes later. I feel like that's... To me, he's good. I feel like that's

the take you were summoning up. Look, it is football. They hurt each other. They hit each other in every play. Every player's in for a crossroads every year. No, no. I like that, but no. I honest, because the timing of it, the Garoppolo timing. I mean, isn't it more of a crossroad year for Jimmy G than Tom Brady? No, because he's not even going to freaking play.

He's banged again because he's stuck behind the goat. But I'm saying all your love letters, you're busy as a pen pal. You're writing those love letters to Jimmy G. And there's a reason. It's because you're in love with his film, what you've seen from him. Don't you think the Patriots are thinking the same thing? And they see that he's 25 years old? They also know that nobody's film is better than Tom Brady.

So that's not really, I mean, if I was Bill Belichick and all I'm worried about now at this point in my career is my legacy and winning more Super Bowls, why would I trade Jimmy Garoppola? Because your quarterback's going to be 40. I think. It's like if Tom Brady takes a hit to the knee and is out for the year, God forbid, you want the guy who can still wing you. I think it's obvious they see Garapolo as a franchise quarterback, as a top 10 type of quarterback. So they don't want to lose them until they're not getting rid of them. Why get rid of them? Unless some teams can't pay for them both. No matter how to.

Fine, but you wait another year at least, see what happens. All right, go ahead. Maybe they can figure something out. Before you go, Greg, let's take a brief moment to talk about the 2002 Britney Spears film Crossroads. Hey, really? Is this the bad news you had for me before the pod that you couldn't say? Three childhood best friends and a guy they just met take a road trip across the country, finding themselves and their friendship in the process,

of course, directed by the great Tamara Davis and Brittany in her first lead performance. Wes, what were your thoughts when you walked out of the theater back in 2002? I think 20-02 was during my 15 years without going into a theater. I definitely have never seen Crosswood. I don't think if you had been going to two,

movies a week you would have ever come across crossroads anyhow well i'll tell you Greg did you see it no i've not seen crossroads but uh underrated cast wait a second you guys knew that we were doing the crossroads podcast today and didn't watch crossroads no but i did listen to bone thugs in harmony you know who oh yeah that's for another little crossroads yeah we talked about earlier on the show it's good ref i like that i was how old was i in 2002 like like You were a young man, the whole life. I was not the target demographic for the Britney Spears vehicle. How about a young, a very young, M of BP?

Your thoughts when you walked out of the theater? Crossroads. Nine-year-old M-O-V-P did not catch that one. Big Britney fan, but I actually did not catch that flick. I'm going to go do that. So you were the only one who's seen it? I have not seen it yet. He played it again?

That's going to say. But I could tell you that Spears herself described that is a teen movie that deals with real issues that normal teenagers live on a daily basis. And one last note, yes. Justin Long, who played one of Lucy's best friends from high school, that's Britney's character, potentially, thought that Crossroads is, quote, like a road trip buddy movie, but for girls. Some big names in this movie, Zoe Saldana, very young.

It's written by Shonda Rhymes, who's turned into a mogul. Big time. Wow. And it should be said that Justin Long was also impressed with Britney's work ethic commenting that she, quote, could not have been more down to earth. Do you believe that?

I believe anything I read on IMDB. I just like this screen capture of a young man playing guitar to her on a white, on a bed during the movie. It's like a good flick. Can I offer an anecdote to partner with that story about Britney Spears being so down to earth? Sure.

We went on a wine tour last weekend while my mom was in town. through Malibu and Torgaib was telling us that the oldest Hindu temple in the world is in Malibu and Brittany Spears used to take her children there for yoga. It doesn't seem very down to earth to me. Well, she's a woman of means. You've got to take your kids to the oldest Hindu temple in the world for yoga. All right.

And the final note on Crossroads. Wow, there's another one. Hanson Mound, who played Ben, of course, in the film, revealed that actor Robert DeNoon Bobby D. himself ran a few of Spears's lines with him while rehearsing for the film. Matt revealed that De Niro called the singer a, quote, sweet girl and convinced him to do Crossroads. And that has been The Crossroads Minute. Back to you, Greg. The Crossroads Minute took him.

This was one of those things like we sometimes throw around ideas before the show. And I actually, I'm usually the one that I just sort of come up with things that are, well, Obviously not never be on the show and, you know, people laugh or they don't and we move on. I thought that was that was what this is. But this was really on the show. You mentioned this possibility. Immediately I said that is gold. Cool Mo D. by the way, in this movie.

How you like me now? Wait, we're outside the minute now. Played a bar owner. We're outside the minute. Let's move on to football talk. Greg, come on. Keep it about football. Let's talk a little crossroads about a player that I, again, would have been sure that his career was headed

towards canton on a great franchise. Pro Bowls year after year, all pros year after year, you know, getting into his mid to late 20s. And then what happened to Clay Matthews? Maybe he's already had his Clay Crossroads year. I don't know, but I feel like it's a little too early to give up on Clay Matthews as a big time difference maker. And there's been a lot of blame in terms of how they've used them.

They've moved him around to play inside lineback. and hasn't really been stuck at one position the last couple of years. He's turning 31 this year. Maybe that old Clay Matthews isn't coming back. Maybe he was just kind of a star that went all out for five or six years and then kind of burned out. That's surprising to me. I never would have thought that.

I still would think that the Packers can get a big time difference maker type of season out of Clay Matthews, but we haven't seen it. And it's especially a cross-road season because I think if he doesn't do it this year in terms of the salary that he's making, then he could be an ex-packer next year. I feel like since this podcast started five summers ago, we have repeated every year that this guy used to be a defensive player of the year. This guy used to be a defensive player of the year candidate every year and now he's not that guy anymore. I feel like we've done that every single year. And it's been. Are you right?

Is that true? It's been a half decade since he was at that level. I mean, he's played in spurts, but he's a guy who's banged up an awful lot. They move him inside and outside. Now he's going back outside, apparently. But, yeah, he's now 30 years old. And it's like me last year hoping Chris Long would be the guy he was at 25. I don't know if you're ever going to get 25-year-old Clay Matthews again.

That's fair. You want to do a couple more quick ones and get out of here? Sure. Last one of yours. A guy who sometimes looks like he could be one of the absolute best wide receivers in the league. and other times disappears for months at a time, Amari Cooper. Who are you? Are you the guy who can lift the top off a defense, take every pass to the house?

Or are you the guy who, when Oakland goes into Kansas City and the weather is not perfect, you just don't show up? I mean, I need to know who Amari Cooper is at this point. Yeah, and that makes sense because, yeah, if he has a season where he's a little up and down and disappears, maybe the Raiders, that's a result of this. Next year they think they've got to get a number one wide receiver. And then all of a sudden Amari's value isn't the same. Greg's Adam's chair again, that penit down.

There are too many long stretches when he's outplayed by Michael Crabtree, and that shouldn't happen. I'll tell you who he's not, is a guy that smiles in pictures. Mari Cooper is the most serious player in the NFL, I would say. Interesting. I'll throw out, ah, they'll hit the hat trick on quarterbacks. Andy Dalton, we've talked about this, so I don't have to dig into it, but I think it's a very real thing with him as well.

I think a lot of people, at least I did, and I think a lot of other people on some level gave him a mole, for last year because he was so good the year before before he got hurt and then they didn't give him the weapons now he's got the weapons him like elin manning another similar situation got to do something now uh and i know the bangles don't they're not quick to do anything so uh maybe he's not a perfect example is just because Cincinnati probably wouldn't eliminate andy dalton but i think the seat would start to get hotter under his but if uh he if they struggle again they go seven and nine eight and eight and missed the playoffs and he has another

ho-hum year. He's only had one truly I don't even want to say great. But he's solid. He's cruising along. He's Andy Dalton. Is that good enough to have a 12-year career with the team? Maybe it is.

I don't know. I just feel like they... In Cincinnati. Cincinnati, they went out of their way to say, Andy, now you can be the guy you were in 2015. If he's still 2016, Andy, maybe he could have some problems. Greg, you.

My final one, Sammy Watkins. Hopefully I haven't repeated this on the show. I'm feeling bad about that Clay Matthew as well. No, you're not the only one who said that about Clay Matthew. I think we've all said it. You're right. It was a good point. Sammy Watkins did not have his contract option picked up by the bills

because they don't necessarily see him as a number one receiver. They want to see what he is. He has a good chance to enter next offseason as one of the top, if not the top player on the scientists top 99 for agency rankings for 2018. because it's rare that a guy with this kind of pedigree and who has flashed this kind of talent gets to free agency right in the middle of his career. What's he only 25, 26 years old?

I've seen plays out of him. I've never been totally convinced that Sammy Watkins is a top 10 NFL type of receiver. He's obviously a very good, he has a potential to be a very good receiver if he can stay on the field. I don't know. I've never seen quite the AJ Green type of potential out of him,

but this would be the year to do it because if he does it, he's going to get paid like crazy next year. Yeah, I don't think he's as well-rounded as A.J. Green. He's more of an inconsistent guy. I don't think he's as good of a route runner. But he was also like when he came into the league, there were some people who thought that he was too much like a running back

and not enough like a pure wide receiver. And I think all of the injuries are part of that physical running back style. Right. And is he mature enough? Is he competitive enough? Does he want to be great? He's 23 years old. He's turning 24 this month.

He could still be a young guy. He could still be a Hall of Famer. You never know. It is a crossroad year for Sammy Walk. And let's cap the crossroads section with one more nugget on the film Crossroads. Film made $14.6 million. Is that good? And it's opening weekend, and it was a modest success financially, ultimately grossing $37 million, made its budget back.

No Crossroads 2 on the radar as of now, but you never know. Yeah, I mean, let's calm down a little. That's not a big-time hit. 27 on Metacritic, by the way. That's pretty, not many movies get lower than that. That's pretty low. That's out of 100. But while critics frowned upon Crossroads,

it did tell a story to many young girls like a young Emma. Who has never seen the movie. That you can have a good time like the boys. That you too can go on a road trip. And find yourself along the way. not just the roads and your destination you know what because it's not about the the destination so much as it is the journey it's the journey it's the journey that's what crossroads was maybe about you you've sold me you know what else you sold me on i saw tropic thunder oh all right that's that takes us out of this great movie one of my favorite comedies of the decades loved it i can't believe i've never seen before i thought it was one of the best comedies i've ever seen and now it puts us on a weird because Greg, I have the copy of the Blu-ray in my desk drawer. I've been trying to give it to Greg for literally six months as an active, you know, friendship.

It's been like a year and a half. Like, basically I said, Greg, like this comedy is one of my favorites ever. And I really think that you would like it too. Your sensibilities would be a great match. And what do you think it says for that to be just sitting in my desk? Oh, I think Greg's sensibilities would be a perfect match for it. Whatever, Greg. When you get a chance.

I'll watch it. Well, I did take it from you. for a while but then I realized I wasn't it was during the season so I gave it back I even lifted my Ben Stiller band for it yeah oh please he uh he plays the same jerk in every movie he can't get oh I messed this up I messed that up I can never do anything right greenberg's uh slept on a little mini classic there uh you have been talking about Greenberg for years that was and Tropic Thunder was Stiller's passion project so you got to give him a lot of credit for that I think he kind of that was the beginning of the end but we'll say

this for the Ben Stiller podcast. Greg, we ran out of time to talk about your run-in with a famous athlete's wife, but don't worry, we will get to it on a Wednesday show. I was worried. You thought you were going to get away with it and we're just going to talk about it. I really want to jam that in there.

We will talk about it because it is, it does deserve some time. Emma, that's it. But that's up to you, really. There you go. She's feeling awkward. I mean, that's it for us. You joining us for two shows, I think Sully's back.

But, you know, does it have to be it? I don't know. Yeah, I guess we'll find out. I guess who's here on Wednesday. Yeah, we'll see. So, like, on the list of people that will get annoyed if they hear this show, Damashek would rank high, certainly, you wooing his producer. I think Sully might rank even higher.

Now, Sully understands that he's a busy man and he's working. with the move the sticks people. And a note to the listeners. Right, Sally, you know your business. Sally understands his part-time help. Listeners, snitches get stitches. I don't want a hundred people adding Damashek about this little conversation we've had.

Oh, that's just an invitation for them to do it. We've just having a, there was no, hey, did anybody hear a formal offer to Emma? No, that's what's so great about it. Simply friends talking between a pane of glass. Right. That's exactly what it is. Okay, now it's time to go.

I think that we've covered our bases there. Stan Hans is signing off for the mailman, the boss, and M.V.P. What a great name. Behind the glass till Wednesday. Hey, everybody, Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move to Six, we take you inside the game from breaking down college prospects and NFL rookies to evaluating team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters.

We study the tape, talk to decision makers, and give you a perspective you won't find anywhere else. It's everything you need to understand the why behind what happens on Sunday. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Sticks podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Marcus Grant. And I'm Michael Fulrio, and together we host the NFL fantasy football podcast. Ready to dominate your fantasy league this season? Then you need the NFL fantasy football podcast, your ultimate source for player news, draft tips and winning strategies. Whether you're a rookie manager or a fantasy vet,

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