NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - Trade Tsunami 4: BACK FOR MORE

Episode Date: March 22, 2022

A virtual room filled with some heroes - Dan Hanzus, Marc Sessler and Gregg Rosenthal bring you through all the latest news in the NFL including Matt Ryan to the Colts for a third rounder, the Falcons signing Marcus Mariota for two years, and Jameis Winston is heading back to the Saints.NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

It's everything you need to understand the why behind what happens on Sunday. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Sticks podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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.

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My name's Dan Hansis, joined in a virtual room filled with some heroes. It's Greg Rosenthal, Mark Zessler. The little ATN long weekend, boys, you know, took Monday show off with some logistical issues. We had a tackle, and we figured it was a good time to push things back 24 hours. Also gives Mark another data process what's been a wild few days on the NFL grid. I think, you know, we talk about the huge numbers, boys, that the ATN broadcast does, and that will be back on Friday. But legitimately, our podcast downloads for the Deshaun Watson episode on Friday were massive,

according to Ricky Hollywood. And I think a part of that goes back to directly you, Mr. Sessler, and people wanting to know how Mark feels right now. So I'm just curious, because you're as passionate as a fan as I've ever known, how you're feeling now that 72 or so hours have passed since the biggest trade in NFL history since the Herschel Walker deal read into that however you want I would just I would say waves of immense apathy towards that team and how apathy works it's I don't know if it's typically not it's just sort of a disconnect I'm drowning in the waves of apathy I can't stop not caring I'm at the

stage where I'm getting a lot of, um, uh, hateful tweets, uh, from Browns fans, from certain Browns fans. And I, I, you know what? Great. Um, I, nothing really has changed, to be honest. I just, again, I feel kind of apathy. I'm not really being tugged in one direction or another and nor does it revolve around me. So, uh, that's where I know it's not about us, but I do feel for you, Mark. Um, I, you don't want to be the center of the, the attention of, uh, this podcast for this reason. And I can just imagine after coming out of the weekend, there had to have been a thought of like, oh, wait, we got to just like talk about this every show for the rest of my life three times a week. It's not like, it's not like, oh, we'll put that to the side

and that we covered that last week. It's over. No, it's going to be hanging out there for years. And I was. I was honestly thinking about it because I care for you, Mark, and consider you a really good friend like that it such a seismic situation that has these repercussions and then I was thinking about a little deeper and I know your Browns fandom obviously goes back to the 80s and like when you think about everything connected to Watson and what he represents and what it means for the future of the Browns good and bad and what it means to be a fan of the Browns now like the only other thing that I could even connect to it, like what's something similarly, similarly massive that would just change the way you look at things. It's when the Browns, you know, when Cleveland

lost the Browns. And that was another, like, major shot to the stomach for totally different reasons, obviously. And now you're living through both these things with a break of however long it's been, 25 years or so. So, Mark, my thoughts are with you. You know that. Thank you. I think that's a great point because I think that that moment in time forced Browns fans to decide what to do, what direction they were going to go in. Like there was a concept, do you become a Ravens fan? Do you wait and see if they get another team? And then when they do, hang on for the one of the worst rides of your life. But like there was, there seemed to be nothing but civic, total unified support for the idea of another Browns team back then. This one's different because I think it's, it's,

it causes a major chasm in the fan base and like uh there is high emotion on both sides well the idea of dropping it on the friday kind of work because by monday once these the NFL shows started it's like a lot has happened since you know what i mean like by the time they even got to the monday night total access or you know it's like that's it's not even a story anymore deshawn watson it's like it's in the sea block because so much has happened this offseason and this week that's why they call the Friday news dump. All right.

So we have so much news to get to. Since we last left you on Friday, so much more has gone down. As expected, the Watson move so huge in terms of the entire NFL that it had a domino effect and multiple quarterbacks on the move in the wake of that decision of the Browns to trade for the problematic former Texan star. I want to share something before we get to all the news. And this is via Tom Pelliserro, who was on Good Morning Football this morning.

I saw the clip and I liked it. And now I'm going to steal it. And I could have stole it without crediting anybody, which happens to us all the time. But I chose to. So I just want to make that clear. But you're a real journalist. You have high integrity. In the past three weeks, these are just the trades that have gone down in the NFL.

All right. Here we go. March 8th. Russell Wilson to the Broncos. Carson Wentz to the commanders. Oh, yeah. Khalil Mack to the Chargers. Oh, yeah.

Amari Cooper to the Browns. Oh, yeah. Yonnik and Gokwee to the Cults. Oh, yeah. Devante Adams to the Raiders. Deshawn Watson to the Browns. I'm legitimately... Matt Ryan to the cults.

Oh, yeah. NFL research says that traded players combined for 33 Pro Bowl selections. Somehow it says the most since 1994. Someone actually researched that? I'm highly annoyed by... all of this because I have been assigned a piece that is due tomorrow grading every trade. And you may think, you know, maybe you got two or three of these to unpack and then you're out, you're good. But there's like 85 things that happen. It's like you just start whipping me

in the face. I mean, some might call it a trade tsunami, you know? Oh, yeah. Trade Tsunami for back for more. Mark, can we get a little sneak preview? I mean, you are divorced from the Browns right now? What would be the Browns grade for that trade? Well, I've not even thought about the article yet, but I would say that from a football angle, you'd have to, they went for it. In general, you like the idea. But you get to grade it however you want.

I can grade it however I want, and I might be very stern in my grading. And also, there's more to come because you got Baker Mayfield twisting in the wind now, and he is twisting because all these moves are happening. I mean, is it Seattle or bust for Baker? I don't know. Like, where else does he? Carolina, maybe. I don't know.

We'll see. Jimmy G. is still out there. Is Kyler Murray on the market, potentially? We don't know right now. Christian McCaffrey. Remember that was floated around combine time? Is that something I could still be in place?

So things are a lot different now with this trade tsunami than things used to be. Even when we started this podcast, it wasn't like this. I mean, teams are just much more bold, much more bold than they used to be. There's no way around it. It's where Greg, because he's so good at just drilling into the heart of the things, had one more, one more nug, and then I was just spin to the news. I would probably just point us back to our time in Indianapolis when the best and the brightest reporters in the business and all the GMs and coaches were all in the same city.

And the thing that was said by most people more than anything all week was, well, it looks like there's not going to be many trades, not many quarterback, not much quarterback movement. That was just like a lot of hot air. Don't sub-tweet Mark Sessler. He's right here. I was absolutely saying that. Maybe I was, if anything, wish-casting that. I said that.

Everyone said that. That was, everyone was saying that all week there. So nobody knows anything. All right. Let us get to all the news. Whenever we need a brilliant insight, he's available at the drop of a hat. Hey, Mom, I'll go with my segment. Let's give a much-deserved shout-out to John Clayton, longtime NFL reporter, radio host, died at 67 on Friday after a brief illness.

The professor he was known as, and if you follow the NFL and, you know, have an active Twitter feed, you saw just the waves of appreciation for Clayton, who was a dogged reporter and an all-round good guy from really everyone. And I didn't know the man personally, so I can't speak to that. But I will say that as a football mad kid who kind of came of age as a sports fan and was a teenager throughout the 90s, like he was like the NFL reporter. And they put him on every show on ESPN. And my whole like television schedule revolved around SportsCenter and NFL Live and whatever programming Sunday countdown and the Chris Berman Sunday recap show, prime time like and Clayton was so prominent so it's a sad to see John Clayton pass away at the

age of 67 yeah great reporter I did his radio show a bunch like a I always just remember him with his wife who who had a mess and how much he loved her and would talk about her and always was like really nice to young reporters and helping them out well I think whenever there's someone like that where half the stories and anecdotes are things that happened in the shadows where he went and helped someone or gave someone advice or went out of his way to like do something generous for them and no one else knew about it. Like that's kind of who John Clayton appears to have been to so many different people. I mean, met him twice and I thought he was just like the nicest guy and like, you know, it wasn't fake. It was real. Rest in the peace, John Clayton. All right, let's get into the

news. We'll start with this. Matt Ryan on the move. And the Falcons, of course, were a quote unquote finalist for Deshaun Watson, and they were thirsty as hell to get Watson. And one thing that I think got a little bit overshadowed was how, what's the word? I mean, how blatant the Falcons were hunting for Watson when you had this guy in your building who's been nothing but a consummate pro for 15 years and owns every passing record and won an MVP and nearly took you to. a Super Bowl championship. And you're basically disrespecting him, to put it boldly here, by chasing after Watson.

So the writing was on the wall. And very quickly, after Watson goes to the Browns, the cults acquire Matt Ryan for the Falcons in exchange for a 2022 third round pick next month. So here we are, Greg. Ryan is on the move. This is something I was kind of pounding the table for for a couple of months because It just never made sense to me, given where the Falcons were, given the need for quarterbacks for so many teams that were looking to take the next step, that Ryan wouldn't

be in the mix because his cap charge was hard. And it goes to show you once again, these teams have a way to make things work, even if it means the Falcons eating a ton of dead space right now. Yeah, I mean, they made it work by having $40 million on their cap to not have Matt Ryan. Like, I don't think this was the plan. I really don't. I think the plan was to go get the Sean Watson ownership. push for that. I don't think when they agreed to this restructure a few weeks ago,

necessarily they expected this was how it was going to go down. And then Arthur Blank, who has made some emotional decisions as owner, including maybe the way they've restructured this contract year after year pushing this pain into the future, did right by Ryan by finding a place for him instead of maybe keeping him in Atlanta when that's not what he wanted anymore. And I respect that and I like that as someone who likes to watch Matt Ryan play football. But they only got here by mismanagement and incompetence. And they're downgrading at quarterback and their roster looks terrible. And it's like you said on Friday, maybe the only thing worse than getting Watson is missing out on him because the way this ended is just, we use the word Friday, shameless.

Like it was a shameless day for the Falcons and they didn't get anything out of it other than, you know, some hastily put together social media clips of like Matt Ryan's time in Atlanta. Yeah, I mean, I think if you're the, if you're a Falcons fan, the fallout leaves you staring at a team that looks completely disorganized. They almost easily have the worst roster in the league. And if anything, if you're Matt Ryan, I like it for him because, you know, we spent all last offseason talking about how, what a great landing spot it was for Carson Wentz. And the only question was how Carson Wentz would handle the job. And for Matt Ryan, you're in a place where you're getting to get better protection than you did last

year. He had no weapons around him. Cordero Patterson was their leading rusher. You've now got Jonathan Taylor. They can use more help at wide receiver, but they've got money to spend. I think the cults came out of this looking great, considering the fact that, you know, quarterbacks were running off the market. We were running out of options for the cults, and they pulled this off. Like, it is a win for a team that even still has, you know, this is a patch for a couple of years. They, they were fused, basically, to find like, the quarterback of the future. But this, of all the scenarios that could have gone down, I like this for Indianapolis and Chris Ballard. Well, the already iconic Flashpoint series started with

Carson Wentz, and we had Zach Kiefer, the athletic on the show. And he did a great job pointing out that once they decided Wentz was a mistake and they had to get out of this. And they did, of course, sending Wentz to Washington. They really didn't have a clear path to get better at the position. And yet, and that was a few weeks ago when it felt like a pipe dream. or something not realistic that Matt Ryan was going to be on the market. The fact that they do end up with Matt Ryan, and I know he's not the same guy anymore, but I absolutely love the move for the Colts because I think,

and Greg, you might disagree, but I think Ryan, if you put him in a better situation, you give him blocking, which is so key, and he needs some more weapons, perhaps, to make this work. But he has Jonathan Taylor. I think he can be a better version of what Philip Rivers was two years ago. Now, is that enough to get the Colts over the hump and the loaded AFC? Probably not, but I at least give them a puncher's chance for some things to coalesce here.

Whereas any other scenario outside of Deshaun Watson joining the team, it felt like they were just going to be stuck in purgatory for a year at least. I totally agree. I think when he played well last year, he played really well. We saw that game against the Jets where actually they had a lot of pass rush on him and he moves so well in the pocket. He's so accurate. He's not afraid to put the ball in tight quarters.

He's one of the most accurate quarterbacks. I think the comparison to Rivers is apt. He's a few years younger than Rivers was when he got to Indianapolis. And I think he probably makes better decisions. I don't think the roster is quite as good. But as Mark mentioned, they have cap space still. They have Michael Pittman, and they need help beyond that at wide receiver. They don't have a left tackle right now.

I think they're a little short at cornerback. But Ballard has shown he's resourceful. he's still got room to spend. That's the part of this deal that I love for the Colts is he's only due, Matt Ryan, $53 million over the next two years. That's like a bargain at quarterback rates. That's what they're paying him. So that's 27 a year, a little under that.

That's less than Carson Wentz. You know, you gave up less to get him. You only gave up one third round pick. That's one of the lowest veteran quarterback salaries actually in the league. The Falcons are eating all that dead cap and that restructure and roster bonus. So that part of it worked out really well. I do think his arm strength is diminished. He was never fleet of foot, and he's definitely lost some athleticism.

But I think he, in theory, could be a little like Tom Brady, where he can still move well enough in the pocket to get it done. And Frank Reich, I think, is going to love this guy. Paging Alex Guerrero. Right. I'm excited to watch the Colts in a way that I wouldn't have been if they just got like whatever, Mitchell Tribesky or something. that wasn't going to be a possibility to go further in the playoffs.

Well, I mean, they were prepared to send a plane to pick up James Winston for a visit. I like this better than James Winston. I also like, if you're Matt Ryan, I mean... It's not a huge difference, I don't think. I mean, I think Matt Ryan is a big difference over James Winston. I do personally. But like, you're in the AFC South where you've got, you know, you... I don't trust the cults as a Super Bowl contender, but I trust them as a 10-win team that could

win that division because it's a very manageable division. So it's not a, it's a good situation for Matt Ryan. Also, not only is Matt Ryan far more decorated than Winston, older, obviously. Winston, if we're going to talk about Deshaun Watson, is not squeaky clean either. So teams are taking on his past with any decision to bring him into your building. And speaking of options that the Colts could have ended up, roads they could have gone down. Yeah, they could have ended up with Marcus Mariotta and said it's the Falcons who signed Mariotto, who most recently was backing up.

Derek Carr with the Raiders. Tom Pelliserra reported that the contract is effectively a one-year, $6.75 million deal, $12 million option for 2023. This is what the Falcons mark should be doing here, right? Because you have a team clearly rebuilding. The cap gel they're in because of the Ryan deal, obviously hamstrings them, and they're not going to contend anyway. So get a bridge quarterback by like Mariotta.

See if Arthur Smith can work his magic. And if it doesn't work out, you say bye and you focus on the draft. and find a young passer. Right, because the team is totally lost. And I mean, yeah, Arthur Smith knows Marriota and there's a, you know, there's a relationship there. I think that's a big reason why this happened. It's notable to me that Atlanta and other teams, the cults too, have zero interest in trading

for Baker Mayfield. I think the contract is part of that, but the player and the person seemed to be seen as a much lower option than we would have thought of maybe a couple weeks ago. Mariotta, look, he came in and did some nice things for the Raiders in. patchwork. Do I believe in him in as a starter? No. No, I do not. Not in this situation where, like we said, they're going to try to rebuild that offensive line, but it was unplayable last year for Ryan. And I got some people in my mentions, oh, why do you have him so low in the QB index if you're saying he's good? Like his high moments were high and it faded hard. The second

half, especially the last six or seven games in Atlanta, were tough to watch. And he couldn't overcome a brutal situation. It's hard to imagine Mark. Mark, Mariotta doing that. Arthur Smith, I think, coached his ass off by getting them to seven wins. This is one of the worst teams in the NFL last year. Their number one receiver, at the moment, I would say, is Olamedi Zakeas, right? You know, Christian Blake is maybe number two. I mean, I guess Kyle Pitts is, but you have big time holes throughout the roster on defense, too.

And I like that Mario da gets to play football again. And Arthur Smith is the right guy to have by his side because he had his best moments. with Smith on that type. Remember that week 15 game in 2020 against the Dolphins when he went in for Derek Carr and I think they blew the game at the end or I can't remember who blew the game.

Somebody blew the game in a savage way. Fitzpatrick completed that miracle pass with the face mask thing. Yeah, anyway. But Mariotta, I remember Mark, we did the Thursday night football, I think recap of that. And he played his ass off in that game.

And I think some teams probably look at that tape and be like, I wonder if kick the tires on this guy. Maybe there's some magic in the number two overall pick from years ago now. I would just look at all the other tape, too. I get that, you know, that seems to be certain quarterbacks that slip into situations like that, that up the fascination level. And there's always going to be coaches that look at Marriota and his skill set and say, I can do more than the other team did. I mean, Arthur Smith is basically saying, I'll do more than I did before with him. But I just don't

trust him as a starter on any level. I love the contract. Like you said it. No, the contract's fine. When Falcons fans are wondering about Baker, for instance, who's definitely the best available guy right now, Baker's going to cost a lot more. Marioita got Teddy's contract, you know, and they got a second year option because Mario had no leverage where if Mario had actually worked out, they can keep them for incredibly cheap next year. So he got Teddy's contract. He got Tyrod's contract.

He got Mitchell Tribisky's contract. So that was like one level this year. Winston got like double that. And Carson Wentz got double of that. which is crazy, because to me, it's like all those guys are relatively in the same area. Mark, how cute is it that Greg calls Bridgewater Teddy, first name basis? I mean, who wouldn't call him Teddy? What a great name.

You know, there's no other Teddies. James Winston's come up a couple times on this show, so let's hit on him because he's in the news. Once Watson spurns the Saints, New Orleans is back in the same quagmire. It's like, bring back James. Do we give Tayson Hill another? chance. Why are we still talking about this stuff? They decide to bring back James Winston on a two-year $28 million contract. That deal includes $21 million guaranteed. Greg Winston's coming off an ACL tear. I know there are certain numbers that back up that he played well before the injury on Halloween.

I wasn't as impressed. But again, these teams, and that's why I think part of the reason why would Indianapolis manage to pull off, I think is notable. If you don't grab Ron, and if you don't buy Baker as a guy that's a nice bounce back target, you're going back to the well with guys like James Winston. Yeah, I think they see James Winston as a better player and certainly has the experience in that system and they know him and they know he fits. This is not a rebuilding team, though. They're caught in this spot, which is different than Atlanta.

Atlanta's blowing it up. The Saints have, you know, Michael Thomas and Alvin Camer and Cameron Jordan and Davenport's on his fifth year option and Latimore's getting a ton of money and Jenkins like this is a veteran team like they are trying to win now you're right Dan his numbers were great like at one point

in the season he was number one in the league and EPA per play he ended up fifth I didn't see that either but I thought he was okay he was like a mid-level quarterback I don't see a huge difference between him and Matt Ryan necessarily and I think they're excited and the money they gave him showed

the Taysom experience is well over, and that's been the reporting there. They're not going to consider him at quarterback, and they decided to give James more money than I thought he needed. Maybe the Panthers were in on him because he got 21 guaranteed. That was significantly different than all those other 1B bridge quarterback. So maybe the Panthers were sniffing around or someone was, maybe the Seahawks, because to give him that much money was a declaration. You are definitely our starter this year, and we'll see about.

We'll see about the next year, but we'll have to eat some money if it's. not next year. I mean, it will be, it's James Winston in a Saints offense minus Sean Peyton. And I don't know if there's any bigger winner this offseason than Tom Brady and the bucks, because you are looking at a Saints team, a Falcons team, both in flux, disorganized. Carolina totally disorganized with no answer at quarterback right now. I mean, there's not really Are the Saints that different, though, to be fair, other than Sean Payton, are they that different? Is the roster that different? I don't think, I don't, I think that they're the most competitive team in that division outside of the Bucks.

But I think that Sean Payton is one of the two or three coaches that probably, especially when you look at what he did with Teddy Bridgewater, what he did with James, I'm giving them two or three more wins a year with Sean Peyton as coach. It's a TBD with who they have now. If the Saints ended up getting Watson and assuming the suspension that is to come is in a complete season wipeout in 2022, they would have been really scary to pair Watson with Michael Thomas and whoever else, and then that defense, which is still really good. Instead, yeah, I think they're a fringy wild card contender, but you can't say that about the

Panthers or Falcons. I think Tampa seems like a team that is going to walk to 11 or 12 wins, but Brady has to stay Brady at some point? They have to be a dominant defense. I mean, they did shut out Tom Brady. They kept Dennis Allen because of the defense. And so it's hard to count on being like a number one defense, but that's, that's what their county on. And they're counting on Dennis Allen learning from his time with the Raiders. I have this

conversation with James Jones in my head who works with us at NFL Network where like those players hated Dennis Allen, basically. I mean, he was a bad, they did not like that experience. People change, Greg. I'm sure. I'm sure they did. But he wasn't, he wasn't ready for that experience the first time around. The players, I think, all but like revolted on Dennis Allen. But they seem to like him in New Orleans. So it's a little different. All right, let's take a break and we'll continue to comb through the news. What's up, everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks.

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

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

We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen to NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the I Heart Radio

app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. I'm Marcus Grant. And I'm Michael Fiorio, 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. What's up, everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks.

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

If you want insight that goes beyond the box score, this podcast is for you. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Six podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Matt Jones. I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit.

different? Did you see the Colts Pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game. What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen to NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the IHeart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. I'm Marcus Grant. And I'm Michael F. 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. All right, we're back. We're just talking some of the big quarterback moves before we dive back in and get into the nitty-gritty on some more QB action.

So Jimmy G, Baker Mayfield, Panthers, Seahawks. Like, is there any? scenario. I know there is a scenario, but in terms of like those guys feel like guys that should be starting somewhere, and now those seem like the only two, unless those teams, you know, go with a rookie through the draft. Like, is that where those two guys are going to end up one or the other? Or is there a curveball in here somewhere? Probably. I think Seattle's the team that makes sense for Baker to me. I think John Lynch got caught

bluffing or just no one was that interested in Jimmy Grapple. I'm not buying these reports from pro football talk that he was telling people he had two seconds in hand for Jimmy G and he was waiting for a better draft pick. I just, I don't believe he ever had those two seconds. And if that was true, what's going on here? Because, you know, I don't know if anyone's taking Jimmy G, period. He's like he played poorly and he's coming off a bum shoulder. So Baker to Seattle or Carolina, for that matter, makes a lot of sense to me.

I don't know what's going to happen with Jimmy G. I don't know necessarily that he ends up starting anywhere. I mean, if you're the Browns, you're not going to get much for Baker Mayfield at all at this point because it is just clear that, you know, I thought more teams would be interested. But we're at sort of a saturation point where, to Dan's point, there's not a lot of landing spots.

I don't imagine Jimmy G. being traded to the Seattle Seahawks inside the same division. I think Baker's the more logical candidate there. It kind of just seems like more of a fit for Seattle. But Seattle's not running to chase after him either. I think the problem with Baker Mayfield is that whoever takes them on, you got them for one year, that's fine. But then you're stuck with the same decision that Cleveland didn't want to deal with, which is what do you do with them next? Also, what's the rush right now?

Wait till, like, if Seattle only wants to give up, let's say, a fourth for him, it's just wait till the draft. Like, wait until the second day of the draft and send your offer. And you don't really, they apparently don't really care if they are just going in with this. drew lock gino possible poo-poo platter which seems crazy but they don't seem too worried about it yeah i don't think you inherit what the browns did because it was a little more thorny with baker because you had him as the number one overall pick and he had success and all that with with seattle and really anywhere he goes he has no personal leverage at this point so it's just like he has to play out this rookie deal and then if he's good enough they'll do business with him if he's not they're going to move on i mean he's

kind of in a he's no longer the golden child because he's not going to be connected to the organization that saw him as the future, you know. Well, there's a chance he's a backup, too. I mean, which is kind of a stunning departure from where we were a year and a couple months ago when I thought he played as well as almost, he was a top five quarterback down the stretch their playoff year. What did you want to faker over Carson Wentz in Washington? Well, yeah.

Well, why did Washington rush for that Carson Wentz move? That was a timing. Washington fans are in their feelings right now. I like follow their SB Nation site, which they do a great job. And it's all been like trying to like explain away like, well, you know, at the time it made sense. And we didn't know these guys would be available. That's fine. They blew it.

I got a wild card. I would much rather have Baker Mayfield at the exact same price, much less at a cheaper price. Like at it, I think Baker's contract is an asset. I think the fact you're only going to have to give up a fourth round pick for him is great. Like he's a bet I would much rather have him than Carson Wenton. Mariotta for that matter. That was like when we were doing Flashpoint on Baker, though. People didn't know what was going to unfold.

They didn't know what was available. The timing bang them a little. I have a Cessler on this one. I know where Baker's going. It's a team that he would fit in so well with that city and the perpetual chip on its shoulder and they're all scamps over there. We know some of them. They secretly don't love their quarterback, but they don't love the

raft and they didn't want to get involved with the Sean Watson, the Eagles, they trade for Baker and then stick him in the picture, and then when Jalen disappoints them, Baker rises up and becomes a folk hero over there. Is that crazy? It's not crazy, but they have kind of the rich man. They've got like the slightly poorer man's version of Baker already in Gardner Minshew. I don't know. Right. And it's not, it's not crazy, though, because they went and got Gardner Manchu a year ago in the same situation. So if they wanted to upgrade, I kind of think there's this one other potential landing spot that would be very juicy, which would be Pittsburgh. I just, I don't see it. I'm just saying, like, why not, like, you want to

talk about chip on the shoulder and would it work out for the Steelers? It probably would work out quite well. And that would blow that division up. You know, if you were a Browns fan, Mark, which you're not anymore but if you were a browns fan that would be quite spicy as well i know maybe what if i became a steelers fan how about that i've heard this theory and just hearing mike tomlin over the years and knowing that mike tomlin prepared defensive plans to stop baker for the last four years i just don't think they'd be interested i just don't think they could put him on stilts right i just don't think that they would think he's that dude i think Carolina is the is the other spot other than Seattle that makes sense to me.

They're just spinning their wheels. They're just trying things. They don't have anything. They seem like the baker's spot where they'd actually give up a pick, not wait around to the draft, beat Seattle to the punch. And I think that would make sense for them. I mean, compared to what they have now, what else are you doing? And you have that absurd photo out there of Dan and I,

the evening following the first round of the 2018 draft where we're at the Cozy doing shots together, slapping each other on the back, because we both had in Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield, the Saviors, and they'd actually been competing for a job where neither one of them are possibly even starting material at this point. Burt Breyer of S.I. included that tweet in his column this week. I regret nothing, Mark. Optimism always lives within me, hoping that that guy will be the guy.

And now there's someone else. My son was running around the playground yesterday in his Zach Wilson shirt. my other son running around in a Justin Herbert shirt. So there's a lot of heat in the house, in the AFC. But anyway, let's hope is a good thing, Mark. Hope will take you home. Time for news and notes presented by Upwork, where you can build the team that will build your business.

Learn more at Upwork.com. Let's finish out the quarterback talk here. All right, so the Browns, you know, we're killing the Browns deservedly on Friday for their, yes, shameless pursuit. and successful pursuit, ultimately, of Deshawn Watson. And we were checking their Twitter feed and no announcement, no announcement, no announcement. Finally, the team announces the deal on Sunday that they have traded for Deshaun Watson, D.

And Jimmy Haslam, the co-owners, husband and wife, they all released statements. I think Kevin Stefanski released a statement. I'm not even going to bother reading them because you know what it's all about. It's all about the Browns trying to win with a franchise quarterback and not any due diligence and any of that BS. so I will spare you any of that. And they also make a move. They move on from Case Keenham as the backup quarterback. They bring in Jake Briscuit.

Wow, Jacoby Brissette is. Ooh, slides me off a piece of that, Jake Briskey. Man, he really moves. He really moves around the dial of the NFL. They also trade Case Keenum to the bills. So he replaces Mitch Trubisky. It's all a big game of musical chairs as the backup to Josh Allen and Buffalo. and finally Greg Matthew Stafford gets a big fat extension.

That's what happens when you win a Super Bowl. Yeah, I love that for the Rams that just happened so quietly. He sort of fits in the middle tier now. It's like people are trying a little too hard to give him credits. Like, well, he could have made more than that $43 million. It's like, okay, he's doing fine. He also got like a huge raise off that last deal. Jake Briscuit's going to play games.

Like Jake Briscuit's going to be a big factor. I believe whether the Browns make the playoffs, or not because I do expect the Deson-Watson suspension to happen. We'll see what it is, whether it's four, six, eight, two, we have no idea. We don't even know for sure if it's there, but the way they structured the contract indicated that they thought it was coming. They did it in a way that he wouldn't lose any money during the suspension. It was amazing the amount of leverage that he, you know, extracted out of this Brown's

front office. and I think Jake Brisket is kind of showing you that, like, hey, we're going to have to play some games with Jake Briscuit. I don't know how he's a fit in Kevin Stifansky's offense. Like, he is the opposite of a quick trigger guy. He just, he holds on to the ball forever. And that is not what Stafansky liked about Baker Mayfield. They are being linked to Will Fuller. There is talk that they could potentially look to bring Jarvis Landry back.

Like, I do think that we're being. told that players felt a certain way about Baker Mayfield and they're going to feel different about playing with a true franchise quarterback, whether we like the situation or not. You could see Berset playing up to 10 games. So that was a key signing. And I guess, you know, Case Keening him out the door. And something isn't right in the stew when Watson was able to sit out or was forced to sit out an entire season with the Texans and got paid for it, whatever it was, was it something

like 25 million or some huge number to not play and just work out at the facility. And then the Browns who get a lot of credit for being smart in their front office with Andrew Berry and friends, it was smart. And it was part of the negotiation, which is, yeah, we'll pay you $1 million in base salary in the first year of your deal to protect you from being financially penalized for what you allegedly did to all these women. And it's like at the end of the day, when the dust clears and he's playing again, he'll be, essentially not penalized at all for what happened, at least on the financial side of things,

which also doesn't feel right and maybe something that the NFL will look to address because that was quite a circumventing of the good faith of what a contract is supposed to represent. Well, and right, because, you know, yes, it's fair to look at the Browns and critique them entirely for what happened. But what about the NFL in general? The way that this whole thing has gone down is a bad look for the Browns. the league, it's a terrible look for the NFL.

Just give them down to money, too, despite all those pitches. It's like most of these contracts, it's just like, people are like, oh, well, can we have an organization where free agents want to play? It's like, just pay him. Whoever pays the most, like, basically gets him. And that's exactly what happened. Right. Von Miller went from the beautiful climate of Southern California and everything that comes

with L.A. as somebody who presents himself, was both a pro athlete with the guy that has his eyes on entertainment. being in front of a camera, they went up to Buffalo. You know why? Because they paid him a shit ton of money and he only lives there part time during the season and then he can do whatever he wants. Things are different now. You don't pack up an old truck and drive to wherever you play and then you live there

for seven years or until your knee gets blown out and then go work at a factory. It's a little different now. That was News and Notes presented by Upwork, the world's work marketplace. Learn more at Upwork.com. All right. Let's stop here for a break. We'll be right back. What's up, everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Sticks, we take you inside the game from scouting reports and player development

to team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. Every week, we study the tape, talk to decision makers, and share the insights you won't find anywhere else. It's the kind of conversation that connects the dots, from college football prospects to the NFL stars of tomorrow. We break down the draft, analyze matchups, and evaluate how teams put it all together on game day. Plus, we dig in the coaching strategies, roster construction, and the trends that shape the league year after year. Whether you're a diehard fan or just love understanding the game on a deeper level, we give you the full picture.

If you want insight that goes beyond the box score, this podcast is for you. Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Six podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Matt Jones. Now, I'm Drew Franklin. And this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different. Did you see the Colts Pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game.

What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen to NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever. you get your podcast. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more.

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 rookie manager or a fantasy football. 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. What's up everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here. And I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Sticks, we take you inside the game from scouting reports and player development to team-building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. Every week, we study the tape, talk to decision makers, and share the insights you won't find anywhere else. It's the kind of conversation that connects the dots,

from college football prospects to the NFL stars of tomorrow. We break down the draft, analyze matchups, and evaluate how teams put it all together on game day. Plus, we dig in the coaching strategies, roster construction, and the trends that shape the league year after year. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just love understanding the game on a deep, level we give you the full picture if you want insight that goes beyond the box score this

podcast is for you don't miss it listen to the move the six podcast on the i heart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts hey this matt jones i'm drew franklin and this is nfl cover zero we're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different did you see the colts pretzel that was my other big takeaway from that game What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get.

Listen to NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit Toyota.com slash NFL now to learn more. I'm Marcus Grant. And I'm Michael Fiorio. 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. Oh, Grave Digger, who did a great job last week filling in for Ricky.

Where is Ricky? Ricky, can you jump in? Hey, hey. How are you? Are you engaged? Let's start there. I am not. Nope.

Awkward. Sorry to disappoint. Yeah. I know, but Ricky, I thought that you had the, like, you were describing the way that it operates for the two of you that you could have extended the invitation to get married. And so you also chose not to do that from your end, is that correct? Oh, yeah, no, it's definitely probably going to be me. And there are, there have been purchases, but she was even expecting it.

It was too obvious. Everyone's commenting, tweeting, commenting on Instagram, you know, we had, what does she need to do to prove herself? Oh, she's proven it. Like I said, there have been purchases made. You just wait too long, you need to, that window closes. No, there's no, the window's not closing. The dollhouse window potentially.

Yeah, no, it's good. I just got to keep her on her toes, you know. It was too, like, you know, easy to expect that. And you said you listened back to the shows last week and you saw that you caught some sniper fire, perhaps mostly for me. But at any point when you were on the beach celebrating, did it occur to you that you were missing perhaps the busiest week in the history of the around the NFL podcast? I mean, listening back to you guys, like, you clearly needed material to keep coming back to the ocean bit. So it didn't seem that busy to me. She's upset.

Listen, Ricky, it's good to have you back. Don't leave during Free Agency Week again, please. We need to. I mean, hey, Justin did a great job. He did. The Grave Digger. Also, speaking of a great job, the Titans, great job by the Titans. They pull the trigger on a trade for Robert Woods, who became expendable in Los Angeles

after the signing of Alan Robinson. So Tennessee acquires Robert Woods, and you're seeing this a lot. And again, it's why the commanders and everyone that Ruth's for that organization is annoyed because it's like, wait, I don't have to give up multiple mid-round picks of them taking on a lot of salary. The Titans acquire Robert Woods from the Rams in exchange for a 20-23-6 round pick because you're also taking on his contract. And he's a really good fit, Gregie, for what the Titans are about. They're a hard-nosed team. They run the football. Everyone knows if you follow Robert Woods and the Rams that he's known as this great team player.

a great blocker and a great receiver, just a good all-around player, he's got Titans written all over him. Yeah, great blocking receiver, a possession guy to pair with A.J. Brown. It's a nice compliment. He's guaranteed $10 million this year, which is not much for a wide receiver these days. It's almost half what Kristen Kirk makes. And then he's not really do that much money in future years. This was a reminder of how cold the NFL business can be, though.

like the Watson news is one thing in terms of like you can look at things in a cynical way if you wanted that all that matter all teams care about is money and winning like this Robert Woods move was the one that struck me about that too because all they've talked about is he's the captain maybe the leader of this team and they just had an opportunity to upgrade with Alan Robinson but it's not like Alan Robinson's way younger he's like a year younger he's not coming off an injury he's a different skill set they had an opportunity to upgrade And so they did it, and they were ready to cut Robert Woods. Like, Robert Woods was not going to be on this team anymore.

The fact that they gave him up for a six-round pick indicates they would have just cut him if no one was offering a six-round pick. And that's cold business, but that's the NFL. I'm with you. I mean, I am trying to think of another wideout that when he was lost to injury was more widely praised as a locker room guy and as a blocker. I mean, how often do you even hear that kind of stuff? It's like he was so central to their attack and what they do.

He's now been replaced. I love the move for the Titans. It fills a huge need. They didn't have a ton of money to go out and get a lot of players this offseason. But this was a savvy leverpole for Tennessee. I also took a picture with my son Walker. It was very nice to him when Walker said that was his favorite. Class act.

Yeah. It's a nice man. Check it out. Instagram. The Titans also acquire awesome. Houston Hooper. They signed him to a one-year, $6 million contract, formerly of the Browns, a free agent pick up a couple years ago. It didn't really pop for Cleveland, so Titans hoped to get him in a bounce back year. Big Bone Randy. Randy Bullock also comes back, the kicker

who replaced Sam Feikin in week two and had a pretty good year. So they say, eh, we'll bring them back. Hopefully he doesn't screw us. In other wide receiver news, the chief signed Juju Smith-Schuster, formerly of the Steelers, one year, 10.75 million contract. Reggie another contract I like here. Look, smart teams make smart moves. That's cool because Juju has never come close to replicating the success of his first two years in the league. And yet, how much do you connect his falloff statistically the last couple of years to a couple injuries? And also Big Ben becoming a statue who couldn't really play anymore.

Now you pair him with Patrick Gowms. When everyone's concentrating on those studs on that offense, Juju going to eat. Yeah, you rarely got a second chance in life. And I think Juju made a mistake resigning with the Steelers. last year when the chiefs offered him the same or more money. And so he's like, oh, I shouldn't have done that. I'm out. And I think he's kind of misunderstood as a player, very hard-nosed player.

As long as he stays healthy, he's exactly what they need. I'm sick of waiting for, like, DeMarcus Robinson or Miko Hardman to turn into something that they're not. They're useful players, but they needed another reliable wideout and they got one. Yeah, they don't really have time for prospects to slowly grow into what they would hope. I mean, they were sitting right in their Super Bowl window, and I think Juju is a big bounce-back candidate there. Oh, looks like we have, boys, some developing news.

Zadaria Smith agreed to terms with the Vikings, according to Ian Rappaport, a source tells Ian. Three-year deal, base value of 42 million, worth up to 47 million with incentives, 14 million APY average per year. Is that more than the Ravens were going to pay them or about the same? It could be, it is more on paper, but there could be some funny money because if ever there was an agent in a player that's going to tack on some fake years to make it look like

they got more. This would be the time. So you got to kind of see the terms. What's the first two years? It's probably in the same ballpark, though. And also, Daniel Hunter's roster bonus, which was a robust 18. million triggered on Sunday. So they've got both of them.

Vikings fans are excited about this. They've been waiting for something to happen. It's been quiet up there in Minnesota. Like they were mocked. They were making fun of almost like they sent out a tweet. Free agent visit. It was like the first one of those. So you're on the board here, Minnesota.

You're doing things. The Bengals, they keep doing the thing. Did Duke Tobin lie to us? I feel like we point blank asked Duke Tobin at the combine. It's okay. by the way, if he lied, because they don't say anything. They're not supposed to. We said, Duke, everybody knows you're going to fix your offensive line.

That's what's going to happen in free agency. He was like, oh, no, we like the guys we have. I don't know. And then they sign Alex Kappa. They get Ted Karras, Karras. Karras? Karras. Yeah, Ted Karras.

And now Lyle Collins, formerly the Cowboys, three-year, $30 million contract. Good job by Cincinnati. The first visit for Collins was to Cincinnati. He doesn't get out of the building. without signing a deal. So they have now rebuilt 60% of that line, three out of five nailed it.

And Mark, they've done their job. Now, sometimes us football people think we get the game, we're now going to go through the entire summer and season and be like, oh, Cincinnati's fixed their offensive line. Everything's going to be awesome now. And then it doesn't turn out that way.

But that's where I stand right now. Cincinnati's fixed their offensive line and it's not going to be a problem anymore. Well, the one thing that they were not good at doing was drafting linemen and developing them. So you've got known quantities at least. And I'm not saying these are perfect additions, but like Kappa did not give up a sack last year, regarded as a super tough player. So in general, you're essentially what the chiefs were a year ago. You were throwing bodies at a massive like position of need. It's all about your quarterback. Like I have no problem

with what they've done. I think that this is the way to do it. And I don't know if general managers typically come on our show to break news. I think they like to chop it up a little bit. But We seem to not maybe always draw the most richest headline-breaking concepts from them. I'm just saying, I looked good. I looked eye to Duke and I asked him that question. I think I did. Maybe I didn't. He lied to you.

Now, you did. He had a bunch of stats about what their offensive line did. And then he used those same stats on the podium a little later. Oh, you know what he did? He was like, well, you try to block Aaron Donald and who are all the other guys that they faced during the playoff run. and he just ticked off all these. Yeah, all pros. It was like, we're actually not that bad on the line.

You guys like us, I don't think that would be the targets to help. Yeah, they got to figure out how to coach the position, but Lyle Collins seems like a great pickup. Nice move. He only got $20 million guaranteed. He was three for 30. His market was a little depressed because the Cowboys did him somewhat dirty, cutting him a little late in the process.

Patriots try to get him in the building. They end up keeping Trent Brown instead, but I think they would have liked. Lyle Collins. Like that was the exact same contract that the Steelers re-signed their right tackle Chuka Acora for.

And it's like, those are not equal players. Collins is, you know, any team would much, much, much rather have him. So the value of it also worked out. They've done a nice job. All right. Let's hit on some more moves here. Running back return. Lombardi Lenny returned to the bucks

to Brady Effect. I think he had a goodbye Instagram post to the people of Tampa. He did. And he raced it, you know, seconds after Tom Brady. He did when, like, no one really wanted to give Leonard Pornay that big money. It supposedly was asking for 11 or 12 million. It was like, that wasn't happening for it.

But he's a proven perfect fit on that team and has been good for them for a couple of years. So Corderell Patterson, this one, I don't know why CPAT was so, like, pumped up about going back to the Falcons the whole time. Did he not have a market after what he did last year? Why is he, maybe he just likes it in Atlanta? Maybe I shouldn't overthink it. I think he went to the team that offered him the most money, most likely. I think everyone kind of looked at his first eight years and was like, well, Arthur Smith did this magical thing with him, but I don't know if we have that same idea of how to make

him special. Let's just let Arthur. Just use the plays that Arthur Smith used in the playbook. I don't know. I don't know. I think he also thrived in a scenario where there were no weapons. So it's like he's not going to be the same guy. It was him and Russell Gage and now it's just him.

And Rashad Penny also returns to the Seahawks, the former first round pick, who was just like a total bust, the first round pick, right? Yeah. Yeah. Total bust. And then he got healthy finally and balled out at the end of last season. And that was enough to get him a second contract with Seattle. And one more player returning, well, not directly.

But now he's back. The Patriots make a move and sign the offensive lineman Trent Brown. Rasul Douglas and Robert Tonian also back with their team. teams with the Packers, your thoughts on those moves, fellas. Also, Fletcher Cox and Zach Paskill to the Eagles. I think they are reminders, and as Patriots fans get more frustrated by the day of just like the lack of new blood being added to this team, it is a reminder. Half of my top 101, for instance, is still available, and there's plenty of good players

not in that top 101. This free agency market has moved slower than others. So like, free agency is not over by any means. And there's a lot of players still out there that are going to make very meaningful contributions who just didn't have the market that they thought they were going to have. But some, you know, really good players, Dwayne Brown, Jedevian, Clownie, Tyron Matthew, like, they're a player, Stefan Gilmore. There's fairly big name players still available. And there's good players almost at every position available. So it's like, all right, We'll come down. We'll see what it looks like in three weeks.

I think one of the bigger question marks going into the next season is if what we saw from Penny is who he is or who he was down the stretch in a flash of the pan type scenario because they have Chris Carson as well and potentially no good quarterback. So they're going to need both those guys. But I mean, the way Penny looked like a version of Barry Sanders down the stretch, if that's who he is, I would be concerned for the rest of the division. We were there for a big Rashad Penny game on the Tuesday afternoon football, Seahawks, Rams.

Oh, that was weird. A big run there by Penny in that game. I don't know, Barry Sanders, wow. What's a big one? Well, I'm just saying he looked like a 10 times better version of himself. Maybe I also think of a Detroit legend. But I was going with Zach Zener. Or like a Zach Zenter and August type dominance.

Well, that is a, that's fair. I don't know if Zach Zetter ever put up whatever, 700 yards in five games or whatever, Penny went. Check out that preseason tape, Greg. There's a reason why Mark was over the moon. Well, that's not the reason, though. It's just, you know, the same reason he liked Toby Gerhardt. That is slanderous. Peyton Hillis.

I appreciated his playing ability. Mark stuffed the ballot box to get Peyton Hillis on the cover of Madden. It's like, you need this. Wait, my sound, my sound is now a sound drop. I just want to clarify to listeners, that's not me live. I don't think they can tell the difference. What? Let's hear it.

Whatever this is. Is that even me? I don't even know. Oh, that's you. That's you. That's the, I agree with your point. And it's also your, watch out. Daddy's about to come down the runway and start talking.

Right. Welcome to my world, Greg. Like, no one knows what I'm talking about. the show because 80% of what I say is a sound drop from four months ago. Oh, yeah. You know, we're working on AI technology for you, Mark. And actually, if you think about it, think about this, Mark. This isn't how I looked at it originally, but maybe ultimately this is the way to look at it. You are an emotional man. Some of these things that happen in the NFL are traumatizing to you. Sometimes you just need a break. How about in the future, when the

Browns do something hideous, Mark, real Mark, sets it out. And we have AI Mark. What was that? Let's do this. And we're ready to roll. I would say as an experiment, like I literally vanish from the show for like three weeks in June and see if anyone even notices. Can you just get, I just need a few more. Why don't we start just banking these?

Can you just say this is a huge story? I'll do that right now. This is a huge story. What else do we need, Greg? I'll, I think, I'll just say this. I'll, okay, here we go. I'll just say this. Can you say, you nailed it, Dan.

We're just going to stand on that point. Here we go. All right, you nailed it, Dan. I think we do, I don't like that take. Let's try it again. Well, you nailed it, Dan. I think we just, we stay right there with that. Wow, Greg.

What a great point. Greg, an excellent point by you and a great article on the site. All right. Let's finish the news. That was fun. Jameson Crowder, Duke Johnson to the bills. James and Crowder is a good receiver if he could stay healthy. And now he gets to play with Josh Allen.

So it's another one of those. Hmm. When Crowder's making big plays in January next year, oh, it's good to have people that are smart making wise decisions. Gerald Everett to the Chargers. Do you like that? You like that? You like that?

He's like the new Jared Cook replacing the old Jared Cook. I love the bill's off season in general. I feel like they are my Super Bowl favorites. They are probably going to be the Super Bowl favorites along with the Chiefs, I would imagine. The only problem I guess they both have is they're both in the AFC. So you could make the argument that the Rams, you have a better path than either of those teams. You know, I'm about to begin, or I have already started, just went up on NFL.com. the post first wave of free agency power rankings.

And I did something now this is my third year doing it that I've never done before. I always had this hard and fast rule that whoever wins the Super Bowl, I keep them at number one through the off season, barring something insane happening with the roster. And it hasn't happened in the past two years with the champions. And then I keep them at number one until they lose.

It's like I just leave them there. And they're fine. And then once they lose, I could recalibrate it. And then I realized that was a little too rigid. So I dropped a bombshell on the old dot com. I haven't even checked my mentions. I can't even imagine what people are saying. I did put the bills at number one in the power rankings.

I have the Rams at two. And I saw the Von Miller changing of addresses just enough to flip them. What do you think? Bold move, stupid move. You okay with saying the bills are the best team in the league right now? I like the concept of shaking it up just to break from your old patterns. The AFC is so rugged that I, I just not sure that, like, I struggle to put the bills at number one.

I don't know if the bills psychologically could handle being number one, but strong argument for it, strong argument. Well, this is, it's starting to turn into your Tom Brady gradual decline take, though. You know, as a high-placed Rams, you know, source pointed out in Indianapolis to you, Dan, you ranked them dead last when there was eight teams left in the playoffs. Dead last. And when there was four teams left in the playoffs, you rank. rank them dead last and then in the Super Bowl you even rank them behind the Cincinnati Bengals who

had a pretty weak regular season. Using the word dead last is kind of misleading. Yes, I had them eighth in the divisional playoffs. I mean, to be fair, there was, you know, there were some teams there. You could certainly argue that they would have been that they had more talent and a better resume at that moment. The only, the only one I regret was the divisional round plays. at eight. But you know what? Those playoffs are crazy. Those are weird. It almost this trophy right here. I almost lost this trophy. You should regret the last one too. Why? Why should I regret it? Because you, first of all, eventually you picked the Rams to win the game. So it's just like be consistent. Because you want to get it right. Ultimately, if you have the choice, don't you want to have the team that

wins be number one? Well, when I wrote the power rings, it was almost two weeks before the game. And don't I have the option of changing my mind? You do. I'm just saying, You're saying, it's like, oh, no regrets. I made the wrong decision. Why not regret it? Why not just regret it? It doesn't matter. In the end, it's largely meaningless.

But like, where do you have the Bengals, by the way, in your rankings? Thank you for the follow of question. Well, that's a great point, Mark. Thank you. Did you make a point there? More of a question than a point, but I'll take it. The Bengals, I have, at a very respectable number four. So that's where we're at.

All right. Here we go. And I kept the brownies at 14. I don't know. Let's see this quarterback. When's he going to play? I don't know. Let's move the Browns.

You know, the Browns are the real deal now. Shut up. I don't know if the Bengals would make my top seven or eight. Sorry, wrestling bros. Even after these reinforcements on the line. I just, you just look at the other teams that you could put there. are the Chiefs, certainly, the Packers. You're right.

After that, it gets, it gets, it gets kind of... But they're not a classic Super Bowl team where you just lock them in at number two. They're not that. Show me that you can coach the offensive line. But you're right, maybe there's not any, like, locks ahead of him now that I really think about it. I put the bucks ahead of them, too.

So I think I'd probably have them five or six. And that high-ranking ram source is not going to be happy when he sees this either. But he is a very nice man. He's probably flipping out right now in his office. I have it. Top 10. Bills, Rams, Chiefs, Bengals, Bucks, Niners, Packers, Chargers, Broncos, Titans, 10. That's the top 10 for me.

All right. Check it out, NFL.com slash Hansus. That's a Dan Hansus shout out. Finally, in the news. Mark, a little thought exercise. My parents got into town yesterday. I've been really busy. And I did not get a chance.

I set this aside. I have it on a tab open. tab this athletic report on the dysfunction around Urban Meyer, and I haven't had a chance to read it. I'm looking forward to it, but I was hoping if I could test you in real time as a man who's written literally hundreds upon hundreds of news articles for the old around the NFL blog on NFL.com. If you can give me a nice lead in real time on the athletic story that you would put up on.com. Let's do this. You're asking me to to verbalize, like, the sentence I would actually use to open up the article?

Yeah, give me the sentence or the opening graph, yeah. I would say, I don't have any idea, to be honest. Like, the article I perused and, like, found it. That was a tough one because I don't think that way. All right, Greg, he's going to try. He's written maybe thousands going back to his years of pro football talk. He should lead this off. From the outside, the Urban Meyer experience.

in Jacksonville looked like a mess, period. It might have been even worse than we imagined. And then get into the details. We might need like a Jason Zumalt narration of that one. That's a lead, baby. My favorite part about this article is that DJ Chark is like the only guy on the record, just slamming Urban Meyer the whole time, you know, just like this guy was dope. He wasn't prepared.

It was toxic. the coach, it would seem like a terrible job for the spot to be for the coaches. He made some racist comments to John Brown, like saying that he was slow to pick up things because he's from the south. Like everything about it just makes this guy seem like the biggest fraud that's ever been an NFL head coach. And my biggest takeaway is kind of like, sweet. Just like forget whatever happened with Trevor Lawrence now.

I'm ready to just ignore all of that and be excited about Trevor Lawrence moving forward because this situation was that miserable. The article had so many overt things like you just mentioned that showed what kind of leader he was or lack of a leader. But there were some bizarre little peculiarities too where at one point he was telling offensive players that he wanted them to dunk the ball over the goalpost whenever they scored even though they would be openly fined by the league to do it.

Like that he was, what is, this guy just sounded about as bizarre and detached as possible. Right. And he would, like, deny that he took players out of the games to his coaches. He's like, why are you saying, you know, I didn't do that? And it's just like, what, you told us to take about, like, what a clown show. Well, here's the one that stood out to me. And I couldn't, I can't even tell you because, again, I have to read it.

But is it true that in the article, it's revealed that Urban Meyer didn't know who Aaron Donald was? Yes. Like, who is this 99 guy? Yes. I mean, according to a staffer that was like inside the. building. They were about to play the Rams and he's like, this guy sounds like he could be a problem for us. Who? What is going on with the cons? How did not, how were there not, how was there not a single La Raville Magnifico? During your vetting process and interview

process to realize that the guy didn't know the league. I mean, and that makes me worried. Like he's a con man because he was, he was a con man. He was like a Ponzi scheme as a how about this how about this for a lead ready the con men hired a con man period i like that we're in the story that is really good dang i liked yours better yours is a little more professional like mike florio approved that one's a little more ATN there's a little no kiss off the glass i like yours better you got to know as an editor when you can when you can juice it up this this guy was literally on Fox talking about leadership. Like, he was getting passed around a lot of the best people in our industry being like,

listen to Urban Myers rant about leadership when he was like on that Fox College football Stoge. What a shame? What's going on in the NFL? What is up with you, NFL? And finally, Al Michaels, thank Christ, has moved off the one yard line. He got his deal. with Amazon.

It is a deal that reportedly gets him, quote, Joe Buck money after Buck and Akeman went together over to Monday night football. And, you know, this from, of course, there's only one source, Andrew Marchand of the New York Post. He will become the new voice of Thursday night football. And guess what? Who will be his partner? Well, guess who it is. I don't know. Do you guys know? I do know. It's Kirk Herb Street.

Good. That's a good partner. They did a nice job. We are set up really well now with these, after years of us all complaining, we have Monday night football. Well, we have Sunday night football. Our guy, Tariko, and Collinsworth. Monday night football. Now we have Buck and Aikman. And if you so desire, the Manning cast with Peyton and Eli. And then you go to third. Thursday, and you have Al Michaels and Kirk Herb Street, who is an awesome college guy, so he knows all the guys coming in a league. And he's just a really talented, polished broadcaster. We have finally figured it out. Now, if we could just keep these guys, I mean, Al is almost 80, you know, but if we keep this for a few years, we're cooking with gas slash grease, Mark. There have been weak spots in these prime time lineups for ages. We have complained, and I think we've rightfully complained, especially with Monday night football, but you even dip into the new talent on Sunday as well. Beyond

Roma, like Greg Olson, looks like he's going to be awesome for as long as he wants to do this as well. So you can't, there are less, I guess, Trent Greens out there, which is a good thing. I'm sure he's a nice man, but like I find his analysis somewhat exceedingly bland, and that's not as acceptable as it used to be. Got to wipe the grid of these clones. Well, we don't know for sure who's going to be number one at Fox. So that is, that'll be interesting to track. It seems like Burkhard and Olson are the logical. And they'll be fine. We don't know.

That's good. I think they'd be great. I think they'd be great. Because you need, you obviously need a pipeline of younger teams that are going to become the iconic older guys. And I think Olson has showed and Burkhart big time. That guy's a rising star. We've had him on the show and we're all good with Tony. I know people like to get on Tony now and I've done it as well.

But Tony Romo is still a great big game announcer with Nance. So we, we did. I think it's a mirror. But I think we finally did it. I want Kevin Harlan in there somehow. He is doing the radio on the big games. But, you know, maybe when Al retire, so I'll get into one of these big cheers. Right now, tomorrow, up to Schult, five seconds left in the game.

You believe in Miracle? Yes. I was unbelievable. Miracle. I tried, I had it queued up and then Greg started talking. I said Miracle. You got to let me know. You got to let me know.

drop in the history of sports broadcasting. It's not your fault. Just sometimes you hope these things line up and didn't. And we're just going to live with it. I mean, we are not iconic broadcasters. That's what's been proven repeatedly. Yeah, there was no debate around that. That is, that's proven.

All right. So there you go. You're caught up on the league of 32. We'll be back on Thursday. Well, I won't be back. I'm going to, you know, little Zusser. Daddy Rich is going to be a daddy down there in Anaheim for a few days. going down to Disneyland.

I'm going to look for the original Tom Brady with the very average male face, the guy that was on the teacup, on the, what was it, the Dumbo ride back in O2? I think that that human being actually does not exist at this point. He was removed from society. What if I just see that there's like a statue of Brady on that ride?

And, but it's actually, what's that? It's the guy from the movie with the space balls and the, Beoboo! Wasn't there, somebody got put, clay, like a statue? Are you talking about Hans Solo? Right.

What if the original Tom Brady is trapped in the clay, the hardened clay? Carbonite, I believe that's what you're referring to. Yeah, that's a possibility. You've convinced me. All right, so I won't be around for a Thursday show, but you guys are going to hold it down. Who's sitting in the chair? Claybonne will be involved. Nice. Professional.

I don't know. Maybe a fourth. Who knows? I don't get crazy. All right. Enjoy it, boys. And I'll be back with you next week. So enjoy, enjoy the rest of the week with the boys and Ricky. And we will be back. And the Friday show is back as well around the NFL broadcast. So set your DVRs or however you ingest media in 2022. I don't know. Connie Fox on that one. Yeah. Nice gang. Nice gang. All right, let's go. Stan Hans is signing off for The Old Boss and Quiet Storm and Ricky Hollywood. Until that, heed the call. Hey, everybody, Daniel Jeremiah here.

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

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