NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Surprise Pod! Baker’s Back, Chris Jones’ Deal and Trade Rumors Pick Up

Episode Date: March 11, 2024

In a virtual room full of heroes - Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, and Marc Sessler take one final look across the NFL as free agency quickly approaches. The heroes start with a discussion about Baker Mayfield returning to the Buccaneers (03:22), then breakdown Chris Jones getting the bag in Kansas City (09:55). The guys then run through Mac Jones being traded to the Jaguars (15:58), Jerry Jeudy being traded to the Browns (22:31), major pieces of the Chargers possibly being traded (28:19), another Eagles legend retiring (37:00) and more! Note: time codes 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 knows there's no basement in the Alamo. From Austin, Texas, it's Around the NFL. Free agency week special edition. Sunday edition was not the plan. And yet here we are in hotel rooms, giving you the information you need. Dan Hans is here, Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler,

and we are in Austin here, the capital of Texas, the place where I got married to my beautiful wife 12 years ago in May for the IHeart Radio Awards, and we are up for Best Sports Podcasts. That's tomorrow night, but that's just a personal journey we're on.

The reason we're here today is to get you caught up on free agency week, which has already started, and this is different. Greg Rosenthal, and did I mention? I'm with Mark Sessler and Greg. I think I did. We've done this for many years now.

This is the 12th year of the podcast, and we've usually been okay starting Monday and going Monday Tuesday. But there's been so much churn going on, so much big news that it necessitated a clearing of the decks, and that's what we're going to do to you do for you guys today, bunker style. There's nothing better in life than something. It's a surprise, a little surprise podcast. The NFL wants to just own our lives every day, every segment of the year.

And so I think they've kind of extended free agency. It used to start like on the Wednesday or whatever when the league years started. Then it went to Tuesday and Monday and now it's Sunday. And these are the biggest award shows happening in America this week, the I Heart podcast. But also what would the best sports podcast do? They would land at the airport immediately, you know, jet streamed to a cab, get to the hotel, don't even unpack our bags, set our equipment up, record a mic. Is Club Shaysay Shay's closed on Sunday? What do they do?

It's like Chick-fil-A. Club Shay-Shay is still coasting off the Kat Williams interview, and here we are giving you the content that you need. And yeah, like so much has gone down. We're going to get into it. And I mentioned, yeah, Bunker cast style. If listeners that were following us during the dark days in the early days of COVID, remember, we would give you guys a daily news run down from our garages, and we're going to kind of get you up to date. So not a lot of bells and whistles to this app. It's just what you need to know as the legal tampering period opens on Monday. Shall we dig into it?

Please. All right. Hit it, Eric. So if you ever got a problem with Agent 89, I'm sorry for saying that you're an average wide receiver that they eventually will move on. And when teams call me and asking, should they trade for you, I will say no, don't trade for Jerry Judy. because he's mentally unable to handle constructive criticism from people

who watch specifically, can he be a Y receiver? He could be a Y receiver. He's a tier three. And we're going to get to Jerry Judy, who's on the move. But there's something so crushing about Steve Smith having his own little tears and just dropping it as the final line. He's a tier three. Ouchers.

outchers. So let's get into the big news, though. The lead news, Baker Mayfield, he has signed a big deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It is a three-year contract, or at least that's what it is on paper. It is worth $100 million. At least that's what it says on paper. But rap sheet says the deal includes $50 million in guaranteed money,

and he can earn as much as $1.15 over the next three years. He'll never see $1.15. Gregi, this contract for Baker, which comes after, you know, I don't think he was connected in a couple different places, Atlanta, New England, but Tampa always felt like the place he would end up and both sides of this marriage seem happy and they will move forward together for how long we'll see, but at least for 2024. Yeah, at least one year and we'll circle back to the contractual details, which I think are interesting, kind of inform how in they are on Baker.

But to me, that's not as interesting as this journey he's been on to sign a one year, three to four million dollar contract a year ago at this time, nobody wanted him to this moment where I think he is smartly realizing his best chance for success is just to stay where he is in Tampa. It's not going to be the same offensive coordinator, so that's a little bit of a concern. But to stay with Mike Evans, stay with this organization. And I just can't remember a guy having this much of an up and down career this early into his career. And if you're Mark Sessler, a big Baker fan. I think this is best case scenario.

I mean, he's flying. He's crushing the Sam Darnold debate right now. And this is his chance, I think, to be a legit starting quarterback. What does that even mean? It's been ups. There's been downs. But right now, Baker's making a lot of money. Bullish comment.

Go ahead, Mark. I would say that, you know, quarterbacks are like cats on some level because they do have a chance to overcome what appears to be death. I mean, we are two seasons removed from Baker being. axed by the woebegone Carolina Panthers that had no other answers at quarterback and we're willing just to move on from him and he goes to that Rams and has that, you know,

three quarters of, like, you know, milk toast play and then that magical final fourth quarter where he slays the Raiders after being there for a couple days. But then the Rams didn't want him ultimately either. It seemed like, oh, that would be a place where he'd stay behind Matthew Stafford. So he goes to Tampa Bay, pulls off arguably his finest season.

I would say his rookie season had this sort of magic to it where you're like, the ceiling, we don't even know what the ceiling is, but to go do what he did with the Bucks, I really think the best situation. And the money for him is a surprise after where he was a year ago, certainly, is that he is in a place that wants him. And that wasn't true of Cleveland, that wasn't true of Carolina, that wasn't true of the Rams ultimately. And I think what he went through with the Browns was, you know, certainly humbling, certainly almost on the border of humiliating after the way he started. So to be here, it just tells you that the story of these quarterbacks

is about as unpredictable as any position in sports. I think even though it is short-term, and it is more or less, Greg, you and I were talking about it at the airport, the Gino-Smith contract, and Gino is probably in his second and final year with Seattle after signing that deal. I don't like it. I don't think it's a bad deal for the Bucks. It's one of those deals that makes sense after last year,

but then it's like, you know, and you said it. Like you want Baker on the deal when he's, trying to prove it. Now you're paying him as a guy that's supposed to actually lead you potentially to the promised land. I know he's not paid at the top tier of quarterbacks, but that, for me, that's way too much for Baker where I can, and you bring up guys like Jake Brisket all the time and players of those, that ilk, in terms of what Baker, Baker actually gives you over the course of a 17 game season, I think they'll regret this contract, but I also understand why they did it. It was a safe move. It will be.

seen mostly as a logical move, but I have a feeling this time next year, it won't be remembered as a wise one. But Dan, what if he gives you what he gave them a year ago? For an NFL quarterback, is the price out of hand at that point? I guess. I think it's like one of those things good as the enemy of great. Like, I think he is a solution where it's, it's, he is in a way kind of the progress stopper for them finding the next true quarterback after Brady.

but also I say that knowing, you know, the Bucks' history, for the most part, they've been combed in the desert looking for a quarterback. Brady was this outlier. They won the Super Bowl with Brad Johnson, and that was a huge defense that really got that done. So he brings them a level. He was obviously a professional competent quarterback this year, but it's just like he has to repeat that. And consistency has never been Baker's thing.

Staying healthy has never been Baker's thing. It's just a deal that I feel like is. a major red flag for me and where he's going to be a lot of deals over the next five days that you're going to put your eyebrow up on. This is one of them for me. Yeah, I do worry that his play will go down because he's, he's been streaky. Now, I actually thought he played his best ball at the end of the season. He was, the playoffs and whatnot was kind of like, okay, this is almost the Baker people were talking about how he was playing the whole year where I thought he was a little uneven. Without Dave Canales, that's a big concern. But if he does decline, Dan,

And he's not going to be on the team next year. It's very, very similar to not just the Gino contract, but the Derrick Carr contract that the Raiders gave Derek Carr before the 2022 season. Both of those contracts with Gino, they gave like around $10 million in this case to Baker. I think Gino's was like 12 into the second year. Derek Carr's was similar. And the Raiders just decided to eat that money and they cut him because he didn't play well. Gino was like just over the line, I believe, for Seattle to just be like,

okay, let's kick the, let's keep Gino. And who knows, he might even get a third year if he plays great. But they're in a spot where they can draft someone. And I don't think the bucks would eliminate that. To answer your question, Mark, though, where you said, would it be worth it if he does play at that level? I think it would be. If you actually do like the average quarterback salary now,

Baker's still only 16th or 17th at the time of signing it. So this is your middle class. There has to be something between superstar and, you know, like Jacoby Brissette. And it doesn't seem fair that it's like that huge of a drop. I think it's fine. If he plays at that level, I think it's worth it. And I think it shouldn't eliminate them from even thinking about drafting someone like in the second round. When I woke up this morning, I was feeling pretty dangerous.

In other big news, other big signings, Chris Jones and the Chiefs, get it done. Kansas City agreed to terms with the defensive tackle and a five-year extension through 2008. it's a deal that includes 95 million guaranteed. So that is different. That is kind of I feel like where things are continuing to head in the NFL, where players, at least the superstars, are getting massive guaranteed deals on shorter contracts. And for a player like Chris Jones, Mark, who's 32 years old,

excuse me, he's 30 years old now. This contract, maybe even. sets them up for one more big deal after this, but I think everybody wins here. The last time we saw Chris Jones, he's pressuring Brock Purdy on that critical overtime third down that forces them the 49ers into a field goal that sets up the chiefs to go do what they did. He is a direct reason they got to the Super Bowl, won all the games they did, won the Super Bowl. He is arguably the best defensive tackle in the league right now. And I think if you're Kansas City, you're in one of the rare positions in sports where it's like,

You look out over the length of this contract and say, it is not ridiculous to suggest that we win four Super Bowls. Three Super Bowls would even be like, to me, just like the overrunners sitting there at three with all the pieces they have. You don't just let Chris Jones walk away. I think they walked into this offseason with a tricky situation on defense. Wait, three more during Chris Jones' contract? I was saying they could win three of the next four Super Bowls,

and I'd have no problem with saying that that is not an outrageous claim. It's like back during the Yankees' heyday. saying they win three of four World Series. Like, they're that kind of football team with what they have right now. And it's like, you let guys like this go. We've seen three different types of chiefs. Offenses and defenses win Super Bowls in the past half decade. And like, so keep adding to what you have.

Keep your star players around. Jones wanted to be there. He said that emphatically during their parade. And he's sticking around. And it's like it's a lot of money. But it won't look that. None of these contracts look bad, you know, 700 days from now. They're fine.

and he's worth it. This one worries me less, Greg. It worries me less, but the history of the NFL would say that giving a 30-year-old defensive tackle quarterback money, although I guess it's like Baker quarterback money, you know, has some sort of risk in it. He hasn't shown any decline to play. I love it.

It is a reminder, you know, when people are saying, oh, the cap, see how real the cap is. Like, you have to make moves. It's like, no. He's still banging that drum. Yes, I am. My main thing is, like, teams ultimately keep the players they want to

if they really want. And I'm really glad that this is a marriage that continues because I started thinking about during that playoff run and he had the pressure that forced Josh Allen to miss that throw that would have maybe won the game for them in the division around the bills. And then he

had another great Super Bowl. And if you just go through game by game, he's the guy making the plays game after game. And Dante Hightower would have, you know, a case for this. But like, I don't think any defensive player in the last 20 years has made more championship and playoff winning plays than Chris Jones. So if you can't reward him, like, who are you going to reward?

And they got to keep the guy. I think you made kind of the point I was going to make that he's, you know, he's under that category. Aaron Donald is obviously seen as probably the best defensive player, certainly the best defensive linemen of his generation. But Jones now has certainly a case to be in that group. and those are the guys that you maybe take the chance on the age 30 contract with. And it does, not to circle back to Baker,

but it also does show you how strange it is that so Chris Jones and Baker got about the same money. I mean, the difference in player and the impact those players have, it's a no-brainer. Well, the guaranteed money is quite different. Now, it says practically guaranteed, and this is one deal where the details haven't come out, which is when they don't come out totally, it usually means it's not great for.

for the players. I want to see what practically guaranteed me. This stuff annoys me. But either way, 95 million guaranteed is quite a lot more than like 40 for Baker. And so that's a difference in terms of the players. And there is a risk. And like he is 30. And also to the 30 today for athletes meets something different than it did, you know, in 1995. But also like the other parallel universe we're talking about is that the Raiders sign him for this and pull him away from the chiefs and make him the centerpiece of their forgettable defense probably for the next four or five years. Like, I like him on the chiefs. I like him part of this team. Like, keep it going. And they're a team that can take risks, has taken risks all along. And like, it seems to work out

for him time and again. And to be fair, defensive tackles have started to age better. Like, Fletcher Cox, we're going to get to in a minute. Like, he's still playing, he was still playing at a high level at 35. A lot of these guys do play very well, 32, 33. I mean, it's a question with Aaron Donald. There's some whispers out there. We haven't put it in a news rundown, but there's some whispers of like, what's going on with Aaron Donald? He might want more money. He might be retiring him or that. If this is Chris Jones at age 33, I think it's a conversation. This, I mean, it just seems like a no-brainer to me.

And then if he continues to play at this level, a couple of years or now, yes, then they really have to think whether they want to continue that. Everybody wins. And remember, they already tagged Legeria Sneed, and he's open to finding a trade partner. So I think their game plan continues to come into focus. Now you got Chris Jones under contract. he's the Patrick Mahomes of your defense. You're going to tag and try to get assets for the cornerback,

and now they're going to build around Mahomes. It's scary. It's scary because the Chiefs are one really good offseason away from really distancing themselves from the pack, and so far, so good, at least if you're a Chiefs fan. So far, not so good for Mack Jones in the NFL, at least after his rookie year. He was a pro bowler.

It looked like the Patriots had found an immediate successor. to Tom Brady, but then it all fell apart over the ensuing years for Jones, and on Sunday, the Patriots moved on. It was reported first by Adam Schefter. The Jaguars have agreed to

acquire Mack Jones from the Patriots in exchange for a late draft pick, I believe it turned out to be what, a sixth than a seventh? Sixth round. Just the sixth. Sixth round pick for Mack Jones, who went 15th overall a couple years back, the 2021 draft class, no great shakes.

even Trevor Lawrence, who now Mac Jones will back up, hasn't quite lived up to the height, but he's certainly been better than all the other players taken in the first round. Greg, I know as a Patriots fan, whatever you are, you were ready to move on from Mac Jones, but it is crazy to think from where we were when they got to the playoffs in that first year and he even made some throws and not lost to the bills of just a really good first year to a couple years later

being shipped out of town for a six-round pick. That's about as sudden a turn as you get. Right. I was saying Baker has had the most up and down career possible. I don't know if Mack Jones is ever going to get the ups again. But, man, his has been like a roller coaster that the tape he put out there. His rookie year was real. Like when you see someone play at that level and I thought he did a lot of things well,

you tend to think that they can have a career, even if it's a career as like a bridge quarterback type of guy, like a middling guy. but I can't remember a quarterback looking more that had shown a high level before looking as obviously broken as Mac Jones did last year. So this deal actually seems curious to me for the Jaguars. I mean, they get him for one year, like two and a half million. It's fine.

It's a one year deal essentially to be your backup quarterback, but they're not going to pick up his fifth year option. And then he's just a free agent again. I guess it's fine. It's just a backup quarterback. But I'm almost surprised that they did it. And it hurt. It hurt my feelings when one.

Walker walked into the bathroom this morning as I was shaving on the way, getting ready to come out. And he goes, breaking news, the Patriots have traded Mac Jones. He's gotten really into the free agency period. He's typing it up on his typewriter. As he must earn your love. Yes, he must. I did notice, like, literally a full gigantic page of typewritten notes coming from Walker's

typewriter, which is like, this is an old school, journal operating at this point. I'm proud of your son. Yeah, it really makes me. But he's really gotten into this. but we're a long way from doing the gritty. He used to think Mac Jones was like the best player ever when Mac Jones was doing the gritty at the Pro Bowl. Now he stinks.

I mean, I'm also, I'm almost willing to give Mac Jones, which is a rare thing, like two Mulligans because I think two years ago, they could have mismanaged him in their entire offense with more of a botched, you know, mindset. Last year was a disaster in New England. It's like when in Josh McDaniels, who I think, you know, Peter Principal can be an offensive coordinator,

like was his tutor. Like, he showed the promise of an organized, you know, game plan and organized process each week. And it's like, you know, for all that Bill Belichick has done, like the way that his apathy towards Mac Jones verbally down the stretch, too, it's like, he disliked them. Forget affidavis. Yeah, they just did not like each other. And he was from Alabama of all things.

So it's like he's getting, you know, I got the seal of approval from Nick Savant. So I would just say that like Mac Jones of anyone, I don't, we're not going to, he's going to be a backup, but he deserves a new start. But I said some of these backups sometimes. It's like he might have to come in and play three critical games and put a new stamp on what we think about him. I think he was exactly the type of, he's a tier below Baker to me, but exactly the type of quarterback of everything around him is Greg strips off. Oh, my God, we just saw Greg's bare chest. You're going to see that on YouTube. He's in his hotel room.

Anything could happen. Anything goes in a hotel room on a business trip. And Greg just showed you. It's hot. I pick off my hoodie. There's no air in these rooms. We all look like, Greg and like cherry tomatoes. I should turn the AC down or something like that. But yeah, it's hot. And I'm just trying to to raise our YouTube subscribers. I know that. I mean, at least you raised me. I'll tell you that. Some of the men, you know, now can just check it out. My point being that if everything is perfectly set up around a quarterback like Mack Jones, you can be all right. Maybe you'll win 10 games if things break the right way. But I think he was exposed. He got, you're right, Mark. The whole de facto offense coordinator Patricia thing was terrible. Kind of in a way,

ruined Belichick's Patriots career as well, or at least how it ended. But also, I think you saw with Jones's temperament, which also wore on teammates and coaches, he's not a guy that actually handled adversity well. And I think that's something that will continue to follow him. And I don't have high hopes for Mack Jones moving forward. And, you know, he's better than, geez, like, for instance, every backup the Jets ran out there and Zach Wilson last year. The Jaguars backup last year, I guess.

I don't know. Like, he's either better or not. If he's like he was last year, he's worse than every quarterback in the league. At least Doug Peterson, it's a nice little landing spot, you know, for a quarterback. All right. So Mac Jones gone, not gone. Hunter Henry, he resigns with the Patriots, three years, 27 million. So that tight end room keeps Henry.

Remember, he was one of the big signings by the Pat's couple years back in free agency. Although I read that some of his Pop the Hood route numbers were among the worst than league in terms of explosiveness for a tight end. But that seems to be in line with what the Patriots are really. aiming for with their offense post Tom Brady. And finally they also added Chakuma Oka4. Yeah, I got that.

Okorfor? You got it. Corifor. Anyway, former third round pick, he spent his first six years with the Steelers. He gives them another option on their offensive line. They're going to lose

some of their line this offseason. It looks like in free agency. So Chuky comes in. They're as thin in terms of their skill position talent as any team in the league. They are the thinest, I would say, and the slowest. And Hunter Henry does not help there. But he is solid, and it's just like one spot. You don't have to worry about as much.

And there's literally no tight ends now in my top 50. There's only one in the top 101. That's no offense. It's a weirdly scarce position and is not supposed to be a good. Will Dislead didn't crack that group? He did not. And there's none in the draft either that are expected to go in the first two rounds at least ever, other than Brock Bowman.

other than Brackbubb. If you needed a tight end, last year was the year to get one in the draft. All right, let's stop down right here real quick, and then we'll keep pouring through all this news. Okay, Jerry Judy. We know that happened when we were in London in October when Steve Smith went nuclear with Mike Garifolo on NFL Network about Judy. However, Judy does have a big-time draft pedigree.

What did Amina call it on the show last week? Pretty Pick. Pretty pick for this privilege. Pretty pick privilege. He was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. Remember, again, God, we say free agency isn't perfect. How about the draft? Remember it was Jerry Judy and Henry Ruggs as two painted as two can't miss a wide receiver prospects.

And Ruggs obviously ruined his career in his life in a different way, but hadn't done much before that happened. And Judy just has not been able to get it going in Denver. So, Mark, he now goes to the Browns. And the terms, the Browns send back a 24-fifth and sixth-round draft pick. So they didn't give up a lot. They're taking on a player that's ostensibly very talented. It just has not translated at this level for the most part. Look at how they're building their wide-out room over the past couple of seasons.

Because they leased the Cowboys for Amari Cooper. I mean, the Cowboys were in a tough spot and gave Amari Cooper to the Browns for very little. They took a flyer on Elijah Moore. and I wouldn't say that there's evidence that that's worked out. This just seems to me... To me, I Elijah Moore is a piece, but I don't know what they were expecting.

Like, Jerry Judy is an experiment. I could argue that he, like, didn't have the luxury of solid quarterback play in Denver during his time there, but he was plagued with drops. I think there were flashes where you'd see, wait a minute, this guy, if he can string together consistency,

there's a lot to like about him. Cleveland right now is a lot of wide. because they also have, you know, they drafted David Bell. I think Cedric Tillman is someone who's interesting. They've got David Adjoku. They lost Bill Callahan. I think that's a big loss for the Cleveland Browns. Nick Chubbs coming off of injury and were another offseason removed,

still asking the same question if the quarterback they traded for can actually play quarterback at the level they thought they were going to get. So it's a weird mix. It's a weird room. It's a weird room. And these are people, and I think that's criticism sometimes, at least in the NBA, but in the NFL 2 of like the analytics crowd like they're maybe not taken into account chemistry and it is just like kind of a weird group Cooper duty Watson certainly like we'll see

Judy's been reasonably productive for someone who gets you know grief for being so disappointed he has 3,000 yards in his career when he's been healthy and three of his four seasons has been healthy he's had 856 670 972 and 758 so it's like he's not great but it's not it's not bad But it's weird because it's a one-year, $12 million contract that he's on. And then after that, he's a free agent, and they'll just have to decide what they want to do. So it's not that cheap. But it's also cheaper than almost anyone else that you could possibly think of getting with that sort of production at this time of year. So Andrew Barry does have a way of winning the trades.

And I would say it does make sense to me for what they paid. I would, yeah, I was going to say I would like Jerry Judy at that cost for my team, as a team that's looking to fill out a wide receiver room. So I think the trade is a good one for the Browns on the surface right now, because who knows, maybe the light does click and maybe Deshaun eventually returns amongst the living as a franchise quarterback. But Amari's turning 30 this year. And, yeah, now you've got kind of two former high draft picks and Moore and Judy

that you're hoping to kind of salvage and turn them into something bigger. It does put a lot of pressure on in Joku and the running game and Chub coming off a major injury in the offensive line, which lost kind of there behind the scenes leader. So many range of outcomes, Mark, for the Browns on that side of the ball this year. Yeah, I just think it shows how they value the wide opposition. It's like, I guess you could go, what, give Calvin Ridley a ton of money and wonder if he's going to be the guy you hope he is too.

And it's like they don't have a ton of cap from that wasn't the route they were going to go. And they knew that the Broncos were trying to trade Judy since the middle of the 18th century. So they, you know, they probably got a better cost than you'd think. Right. Our guy Kevin Saunders, by the way, like, just keeps taking L after L. I mean, there was a point where you could have gotten

a better return for Jerry Judy, but they kept never making those trades, and now they're just kind of taking whatever they could get for him. And they got a year of him starting, and he wasn't terrible. Like, they did get that out of him, but Kevin Saunders, I do wonder if Kevin Sondon, you never wish to.

Referring to the general manager of the Broncos. Yes, of course, his alternate name. there is an outcome where he's no longer with the team after the draft and Sean Payton is the one that's kind of calling the shots here but that is total guesswork I have not heard anything like that and for those who may be curious if he no longer if his employment is terminated

he gets his name back that's that's fair that's the right move that's the right play and that and that's where we'll go on that all right in other news Right? That seems fair. I think you made it.

It was a unilateral decision by you, but I think it was fair. There was a report out there in terms of Saunders taking the L that there was a third and a fifth offered for Judy as recently as the fall. And they were like, now we're holding out. And now they give up two day three picks. So let's see if the Browns could turn that into chicken salad. All right. But we shouldn't, Steve Smith, that guy was fun and we enjoyed it.

And the headlines were great and everything. but I also trust Steve Smith's judgment on players as well. Well, he kind of was proven right by the, the GMs apparently listen to him, except Andrew Barry, but even he didn't have to give up much. All right. Here's a saucy report that's been floated out there via Albert Breer, of course, of sI.com. The Chargers have had exploratory talks. I love that.

Whenever you hear exploratory talks, I feel like exploratory talks. I feel like it ends up happening. Oh, yeah. Okay. Something. It's happening. Not always, but many times it turns into something. So, anyway, exploratory. Exploratore five-syllable word. For the number of letters, you might not find too many words that bang out a five-sill in that amount of letters.

What, about 10 letters? Anyway, you're a skilled out broadcaster, Dan. Yeah, come back to us, exploratory. Try to be a little more like 60% G here. We got five letters, one syllable. we're efficient. Exploratory talks about trading receivers, Mike

Williams, and Keenan Allen. Breer adds that Allen is less likely to be dealt, but they are answering the phone on both of those. And that comes on the heels of a continued speculation on the other side of the ball around both Joey Bosa and

Khalil Mack, their two premier pass rushers. So the Chargers in the Harbour era, we cannot Gregi, close the door or turn our back to the idea that Harbaugh is just nuts enough to look at this core which everyone else sees as untapped and say, that ain't my core. I'm going to build this team in my vision. And that means turning all these marquee names into draft picks and whatnot and starting fresh with the quarterback most likely.

There's logic to that too. I think it makes sense. I actually think if in a weird world where the charges won three more games, but these players were all about the same. I think they might be gone anyways. Like, if you look at them one by one, Joey Bosa never plays. I think they kind of have to cut or trade Joey Bosa. Then get something for, like, he never plays.

And he's one of the highest paid players in league. He literally has played more than, like, 500 snaps, like a couple times in his career. He just doesn't play. Cleo Mac, good season, but getting paid a lot. I would guess Mike Williams and Joey Bosa are no longer on the team. I would guess Keenan Allen will be. and then Mac, I don't know. But I don't really know any of them.

I'm just guessing, but those are my guesses. I'm reading T leaves here, Mark, and I think we're seeing enough out there now that Harba is really going to shake up the league and a lot of these guys are going to be playing elsewhere in September. And I'm here for it. That sounds fun because a lot of these guys also play positions that teams are scouring looking for help

and they will flood the market as potential big-time contributors. Right, because the Chargers experience with both, is, you know, case example A, but other teams are going to look at Bosa in a completely different way and say that's exactly the piece we need to, you know, get two-edge rushers. But the one thing I'd say about this,

because I agree with it. I think Harbaugh is going to come in, do things differently. Maybe they play with no wide receivers. Maybe they, you know, have eight offensive linemen and run the ball 465 times a month. But the only problem is if you do get to the point where you move Khalil Mac,

you move Joey Bosa, because they need to make moves no matter what because they're caps. So exploratory will turn into the point. something. But if Mike Williams is gone, Keenan Allen is gone, it's like, okay, but you still need to fill those key core positions, especially at edge

rusher with someone else. And it's like, the fallout of finding like a C-minus version of those four players or some amount of them could be costly. And it's like, I think Harbaugh has to set the table a little bit and say, if we're going to have a totally new team, because when you went to the Niners, they what, started like 6 and

just rolled into the playoffs. He had great players. He inherited a lot of great players. He really did. And here he inherited great players, but a cap hell and like so changes have to be made and I would not be surprised at Bosa somewhere else. So Herbert's 26 years old. Actually, today's his birthday. Happy birthday, Justin Herbert, who turned 26 today. I hope he's doing something marvelous. Friend of the show. Best friend of the show. It totally makes sense to me because you have a situation when you look at that team. You have a head coach who has complete job security.

quarterback, who is the unquestioned franchise star, and he is under contract. Harbaugh is not in a rush to make this the year. So if he plays with some level of patience, he could really set them up with some trades and moves where even if they take a step back this year, and I don't even know if they will, because I never underestimate the combination of high level quarterback play and a good coach, you know, like they could surprise people this year, even by getting rid of a bunch of these guys, but they could set up and become a big time team in a couple years. So if I'm a Chargers fan, I have trepidation about this because I might own some of these

jerseys and I might be a, you know, a fan of a lot of these players. And I might think to myself, like, we want to keep this core together for one big run with a real head coach. But maybe give Jim the benefit of the doubt. I would. I would. Who's got it better than us? Nobody. Let's take a break and then we'll hit the rest of the news. Great. Welcome back. Let's get back into it. Yes, we are here in Texas, by the way, for the IHeart Radio Awards. We are nominated for Best Sports Podcasts. A lot of people say we're an underdog. I say, Mark, you know, right now the hotel we're staying at, the pool deck is closed for renovations ahead of spring break, which is, I mean, what about us? we're here. Sure.

Forget about the rowdy teens that you're preparing the deck for. I had a whole plan. I was going to go out on the deck like Joe Namath in Miami in 1969 and I was going to get a young Brent Musburger at my feet while I held a cocktail.

And I said, we're going to win a ward at the I-Hearts. In fact, I guarantee it. But now the pool's closed. So I can't do it. So we'll just have to settle for a win

in the thing. Well, you've set it to our, audience. And I had told you that I felt a different energy. I think when this was first announced and you realize you're going against the Kelsey's, it's like, I don't, it just seemed like not only David versus Goliath, but like baby David versus like full grown Goliath, like literally a baby that's immobile. Like that's the position we seem to be in. But now I feel like we're growing more powerful, more strong. And I have a conspiracy theory that, you know, the shadowies who have done us right and wrong through the years, I just feel that maybe behind the scenes they,

They sent us here because they know that there's a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Now, no matter what, there's a, there's a nice hotel to stay in and a city to explore. So you want to talk your shit, talkio, a great city. By the way, I like the idea of the shadowies being an award show too. And then we just nominate different middle managers in a series of levels of awards. Best changing of the subject when the ATN crew brings up something you don't want to do. Like different awards like that. All right. Greg, do you have anything else to add there?

Not really. I don't share your guys as confidence, but, you know, I don't think, I don't think we have, like, particularly less than a one in five chance. But, you know, there's five strong podcasts. I definitely don't think the shadowy league figures know anything or there's a conspiracy. But there's five strong candidates. So I'm not giving us, I guess I'm using the boring math analysis here is like, I wouldn't see why we had to. a better chance than Club Shay Shay or Dan Levitard or what. I would imagine that the Kelsey's have probably never heard of our show, have never listened to it. Like, if they're, this also award, they're doing so well that this award process may not be on the radar on any level, but I cannot wait to hear the commentary when we do upset them

and just sort of their feedback to that. Well, it's on TD. It's got to be on TD's radar, our old producer, who's their producer, one of their producers. So we're going after you, TD. I would say, though, like if, um, like Meredith Battener, Matt Schneider, like if we, who are here,

management with NFL, like if we do win and then it turns out that you're right, Mark, that this was all had been prearranged, I would say they would be getting a shadowy lifetime achievement award. Yes, absolutely. You know, that would be, to me,

that would be at least, or at the very least, something they deserve. I want a drunken Travis Kelsey overseas, like bitching to, you know, Taylor Swift about losing like this award to three podcast bozos and just I want to be a fly on the ball for them. I want Taylor Swift to write a song just burying us for winning the I Heart Award. All right. Let's get back to it. The Eagles, the Eagles, man, the Eagles are in transition.

And, you know, this happens for every team, high profile team that's, you know, made the Super Bowl, didn't quite get there coming off a very disappointing year, obviously. And now we know they lost, speaking of the Kelsey's. Jason Kelsey retired last week. Now Fletcher Cox stand out on the other side of the ball. He also retires. So Cox, I mean, for a team that, and it's kind of surprising because Fletcher Cox and, you know, Jason Kelsey are two, like, highly respected,

decorated leaders that are known as guys that can command a locker room. that all went down with them in the locker room. So now you're taking them out of the locker room. The Eagles are a wild scene right now. And they're like the Brown's offense. The range of outcomes is all over the place in Philadelphia. But they're also doing business. Brandon Graham, another important part of the defensive line,

he has re-signed, but also a report out there that Josh Sweat and Hassan Reddick are available in a trade. So a lot of info just downloaded there to the listeners, Gregie. Where do you want to go? start with Fletcher Cox who Look if you had said five years ago that like Fletcher Cox and Jason Kelsey retire the same week the Fletcher Cox news would have been seen as like oh that's the bigger news

like he's made four all pro teams three as a second team guy like one of the defining defensive tackles of his error wouldn't surprise me if he's you know he was on the two thousand you know considered for like an all decade type of team that's the quality of player that he is now he's not as you know active in the media and everything is Jason Kelsey. And Kelsey's career finished so strong where he was finishing on top. Cox was

a guy who signed a contract year after year and you weren't sure if he was going to return. And that's what Brandon Graham is now. But the fact that they brought back Brandon Graham and then they put it out there that they're not really into their current edge rushers. They're putting a little blame on Josh Sweat and there was a report and Hassan Reddick that they just

weren't happy with essentially those two players. It just supports my belief that the Eagles are going to do a lot over the next week. Like, I don't know what it's going to be, but they're going to be super active and they're going to do a lot. To me, they shift into high intrigue, no matter, I mean, you're right, the range of outcomes and what they're going to look like, but they're going to look so different.

I think you were looking at a head coach that has been rendered far less powerful than where he was a year ago. And if you're Vic Fangio, I can understand, like, looking at what the dolphins have had to do. Fongio might have, you know, if he's looking at their cap and, like, you know, we're going to make some changes. And he had links to the Eagles to begin with. So you move on from that, but you come over to Philadelphia and it's like your defensive scheme is a bit different, but like

key components of this side of the ball could all be gone, big chunks of it. So it's like that's challenging. I just think the Eagles to me are a very weird, weird operation at the moment. All right. In, oh, any other Eagles takes? Okay, let's move

on because we got a lot to get to the Bears doing business. They sign a four-year deal. This went down earlier in the weekend. A four-year contract with cornerback, Jalen Johnson, 76 million, 54 million in guaranteed money, almost 44 due at signing. So they had put the franchise tag on Johnson, Mark,

and now they get a deal done. So, you know, as the team is in transition, looking more and more certain that it is Caleb Williams. That's the new face of the franchise. And I saw some, by the way, not to get sidetracked, because we will talk Jalen Johnson. But I saw, I don't know, I think it was Florio, wrote a piece about like, oh, what happened with Mack Jones is not a good sign for what the Bears will get for Justin Fields.

And I'm not saying that Justin Fields is going to command like a first round pick or whatever, but there's a big difference between what Justin Fields has put on tape and his situation and what we've seen from him, both as a player and as a man and as a teammate and what Mack Jones showed the last two years. So let's calm down with that tape. Yeah, I would, I'd also like to hear whispers about actual, you know, people feeling around for Justin Fields and having true interest in them. I mean, that could be happening without us knowing. But you're right. They're not the same player.

I mean, if you're mad Iberfluse, like you're, you know, you had to move on from Rokwan Smith not so long ago. And that was the core centerpiece of your defense, goes on to the Ravens to be one of the better linebackers in the entire league. So at some point, you've got so much cap room. And I know you're rebuilding, but like, you got to keep some of these guys versus having to replace them. So this makes a ton of sense to me. And I would say, Greg, I think you noted this online at some point, but that Matt Iberfluse, he's gone through the process that I think some of these coaches come in where they're coordinators and, like, they're a bit pasty, they're not in front of the camera,

but now he's on the thing where he's looking a little more fit. He's got his hair done. He's grown his beard out. And he just looks about 10 times better and more, you know, viable as a head coach. Oh, the Iber flus glow up has been a huge storyline this offseason, showed up to the combine looking good, had, like, was at a basketball game with Matt Lafleur. and it was like, hmm, like, who's more groomed here? Who'd you rather?

One of those situations? It was just, Iber flus is coming strong. He's a wacky personality. Both him and Jalen Johnson timed their, like, career year as well. Not seeing Iber flus is never going to be better. But like five games into that season, I thought Iber flus is gone. And you're like, what is the vision here? And then it all kind of came together in terms of his defense really improving.

And Jalen Johnson was a huge, huge part of that. And I think he was smart. He took, like, 55 million. I saw someone to be like, why didn't he just take the franchise tag and bet on himself? Because it's like if you have the option to take $55 million guaranteed versus 20, like I don't care that I could make more in the long run if I didn't take the guarantee. I'm taking that guarantee the first time around. It's football.

He could plan his leg and he can lose his ACL MCL and his meniscus. And then he's signing a prove it deal after this season. He's also coming off a career year. Like if he had been a free agent a year ago, he would not have had this contract. so he played the game right smart man played it right uh also playing it right raven's defensive tackle just a justin matibuque who signs a four year 98 million dollar contract that includes over 75 million in guaranteed money the numbers are huge and the salary cap keeps going up so it it it makes sense anyway the former third round pick this is why the ravens are

always good because they identify a guy like matabuque as a third round pick and now he's an all pro and now he's paid like an all-pro, which creates other challenges for the team, but they'll welcome them. Patrick said something, I think it was on Mina Kimes' show that is right. Like, the prices always go up with these guys, though. Like, if the Ravens really knew Justin Matabweke was this good,

they could assign him to a deal about half this price a year ago. But they didn't know how he was going to play, and then he really exploded. And I like that the franchise tag players, some of them at least are actually getting paid instead of just a tag. Yeah, like I think they're using that correctly. He's only 26, so if we're worried about the Chris Jones age thing, this is like the sweet spot to hire him.

Tyler Lockett also is sticking around, but maybe not a happy story for him in the same way. He agrees to a structured two-year, $34 million contract. He gets $13 million in guaranteed money. That feels like, to me, Gregi, a good value for Lockett, who has always been, I thought, an underrated receiver and you already have a number one in DK and you couldn't ask for much better number two and Tyler who's been very good for them for many years. Yeah, I think the line

has questions, but Dino's got a nice group of players around him. The fact, though, that he took a pay cut, you know, indicates to me like if he wasn't going to take a pay cut, they would have been ready to move on. But I think it was only like a $4 million pay cut. It was good for both sides. One of those guys that feels like he should be on the same team for his entire tenure in the NFL. For the Dolphins, Toronto Armstead, their left tackle is not retiring. There had been some conversation or some speculation, and that could be the case. So that is not going to happen. So at least one more year in Miami, great news, Mark, for Tua.

I mean, there's a lot of pressure on Tua. There's a lot of players leaving that organization. Some other have been offensive linemen. And like when Armstead's in there, like the offense is completely different. We've talked about this ad nauseum. And when he's not in there, like the splits and what happens to Tua on some level are vastly difference. So, yes, this is a key person to keep around on a

Dolphins team in flux. 8 o'clock delight. Hit it, Eric. Roberts, which Eric was with us. Go ham with Eric and Austin. That'd be fun. Imagine. Let's get into it. The Rams give $32 million guaranteed

to guard Kevin Dotson. Greg, Quicky. A lot of money for Kevin Dotson. The guards are going to get paid big time in this market. That is a lot of money. Steelers released Patrick Peterson and Alan Robinson to decorated veterans. Well, one more than the other. The Raiders re-signed Center Andre James.

They also release Brian Hoyer, who impossibly is still in the league. The Chiefs re-signed Drew Tranquil, and the Bears agree to terms with Kevin Bayard on the two-year deal. Anything on those, Mark? I love the tranquil re-signing. I watched Brian Hoyer on Good Morning Football

a week or so ago. Thought he did a nice job. Media job ahead. Oh, very nice. The Panthers are going to release Center, Bradley Bozeman. The Packers will release Slimebacker Devandre Campbell.

Oh, Fully Fattukasi signs a one-year deal with the Texans. I was hoping maybe a Jets reunion there, but that's not the case. Anything on those, Gregi? Mm. Always liked me some fatu Kassi, but the Jaguars didn't,

so he couldn't have been playing too well. All right. Man, that's it. We got a little time for once. Throw some else out there. Didn't he redo it the whole time? These guards are making Like any free agent guard

Like there's going to be a lot of guys You've never heard of that are making like $17 million guaranteed Nailed it Bang What are we doing tonight? We're in Austin What a great city I love this place

I've never been so I you know We arrived about two hours ago This is my Terry This is one of my favorite hats I go through my whole life I've had Random hats that become my favorite hat for two years.

And this one is in hitting year one. I just like the look of it. I like the shape. And Matt Tanton, our old buddy that we used to work with at NFL media who actually works out here now. We're hoping to see him tonight. Recommended this barbecue joint, Terry Blacks.

So that's an option. I think we need to hit up a barbecue place. Any people in the Austin area that are listeners, please let us know where we should go for some authentic Texas BBQ. Where's Mark at as well? No, I'll go with you and test it out. I'll give it a try.

You will eat the meat at the barbecue. It's always, you know, it's arrive and assess. It's an arrive and assess scenario. I was telling Mark, I was eating some pigs feet down in Korea town on Saturday night. We're trying to bring him back. And you're leaning into that side of Mark where he just sees it, the, just the visualization of it being disgusting. There's nothing grosser than the idea of a pig's foot being consumed by, humans. I mean, Austin Barbecue has a kind of ring to it that I think, you know, harks back

to ancient times. So it's a, it's an easy sell. And yeah, you mentioned there's a I-Heart. And we are a part of the I-Heart radio network through the NFL. And they've always been very cool with us. So there's a private party and we're going to see the Black Keys. And I've always been, you know, White Stripes guy when it's talking, you know, Black Keys v. the White Stripes. But I'm going to have an open mind and check out the keys tonight and you know maybe we'll have a couple drinks we'll get get a little loose but we need to be also focused boys because free agency week is not something that that goes to the background just because we have a chance to win a major award no it's weird timing it's the like literally the biggest day transaction wise of the NFL calendar

in some ways it feels like the beginning of the end of our show that we would be uh flying to another state in the middle of the country to try to win an award when the this feels like that subreddit this feels like that uh an entire post about this was the point the guys jumped the shark when they got a choice we didn't have a choice right we got hoisted upon us you know we got on the plane we didn't say no we got on the plane to try to win an award at the start of free agency i think it's telling and i think we should be ashamed quite frankly it's up for translation We'll be back on Tuesday in the studio. No regrets, actually, because we can do the job just as well here.

And we'll be back, as Greg said, Tuesday. And, yeah, if we do win the award, you'll hear about it. If we lose the award, you'll hear about that too. So thank you for everybody. Thank you to everybody for listening to this. Podcast one. I think we're going to end doing at least five this week. So if you are looking to stay on top of everything with the new league year,

you have found the right podcast. till Monday. I mean, I hope. I mean, it's possible we're going to have to do another one in about an hour and a half the way the league continues to move things up. I don't think so. All right.

Till Monday, heed the call.