NFL Daily with Gregg Rosenthal - What *YOU* People Don’t Know About Teams No One Is Talking About…Or Maybe It’s Just Us
Episode Date: August 1, 2018A room filled with heroes - Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, Marc Sessler & Chris Wesseling – bring you the latest news around the NFL including some England updates (2:30), Khalil Mack’s standsti...ll with the Raiders (8:18), Stefon Diggs contract extension with the Vikings (11:50), and Manziel’s start for Montreal in the CFL (22:56). The heroes close out the show with emptying their pockets into the segment sin jar when they accidentally name teams on the black list. (28:29)Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comNFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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This is an I-Heart podcast.
Hey, you forgot our fifth member of the show.
All these hats.
Oh!
The Around the NFL podcast has ball control issues.
Welcome to another edition of the Around the NFL podcast.
Presented by New Era.
My name is Dan Hansis.
Joined by a room filled with heroes, Mark Sessler, Chris Wessling, and Greg Rosethall.
What is Up Boys?
Hey, Dan.
act natural
there's a photographer in the room
once again I just feel
insanely nervous I don't know how
to proceed or what to do with myself
I'm sorry
you're naming it Shila is in the room
she's taking photos of us all
it's supposed to be some type of promotional
maybe something like it's sent out
to iTunes or something I don't know
the only thing we should do is not
be caught up in the moment of the
flickering camera I'm just staring into
your eyes, Dan, and trying to track
what's happening here. Well, the only reason she's even
back here, they already did this once,
but some of the folks in the room
some of the folks in the room
didn't think they looked good
enough in these photos. Well, it wasn't, it was
not the photographer's fault at all.
It was, it was, I was
told also that when you do these, so it was
me, and when you do these promotional
things, that you want to get a
wide, diverse selection of photos.
And I looked at the other ones and I thought
the photos were crisp, they were
taken professionally, I was not excited about the subject matter at all.
And I had someone, at least someone else agree with me.
We can't change the subject matter.
Like there's only so, so high.
Well, it was.
We were also, it just happened one day.
It was like, I remember, I think it was some like hideous flannel shirt or something.
There was an email I sent, hey, we good with these, this, you know.
And then Mark responded, hey, let's pump the brakes here.
We need a full reshoot.
And then literally eight seconds later, West's like, absolutely, reshoot.
this is the that was like for eight seconds of this entire podcast was a diva about anything like that
i am in like third place at least on that on that ranking on the diva chart
at least a deep third place that'll be next off season i think the off season diva rank
i think west's exact reply was i second everything mark said so you were not happy either we're
the kissing cousins i just second everything mark said i just i couldn't agree more with what his
opinion of my opinion um so here we are again and apologies to the entire
photography team at NFL media for going through this dog and pony show again big show news you
already know we're going to england next month very exciting it is officially next month now oh my god it's
one month from today oh i don't september 2nd to the 10th i had someone reach out so that we never said
the exact date so that's it sunday to monday we are traveling the first of september where it takes
a long time you know old daddy zeuser not somebody known for international travel at all love it here
this hard land.
You have to get a passport called America.
Maybe you had one.
I'm working on the passport right now.
And I've never traveled this far.
It's a 5,500 mile journey from Los Angeles to Heathrow Airport.
So a little consternation on my end about that?
A little bit.
Am I thrilled to be sitting in a metal tube for that long, leaving my homeland?
A little bit.
All I would tell you is that we've flown some flights on some airplanes that probably were
produced in, like, 1962.
We've gotten on these.
Dan and I have a knack for this.
These are, if it's what it's been when Greg and I went,
you are going to be treated well on these flights.
All right.
Okay.
Free beverages, much more leg room.
I mean, if there's enough beverages to shorten the flight via sleep,
that would be nice.
There are.
Okay.
I'm looking forward to it then.
So, yes, that's coming up in a month.
And yes, people have reached out to us on Twitter.
Again, the plan, it's going to be there a whole week.
We want to do live shows.
We want to do at least one meet and greet.
a local pub
there's going to be
the Piccadilly
Circus scenario
there's going to be
a lot of fun stuff
going on
so we're going to
get you
more details
as we get them
it just hasn't
happened yet
also
this is our
video show
so if you
check out
starting Thursday
at
noon
noon
noon Eastern
starting Thursday
yes Greg
noon Eastern
thank you
NFL.com
slash ATN live
you can
check out
the segment that we're doing later today, which is while we're here,
well, let me just say the other announcement is that tomorrow Thursday,
maybe while you're watching the stream of this episode,
we will be at Los Angeles Rams Camp.
We're going to do a whole show from Rams Camp,
and that will go up Friday, and we're going to talk to some Rams Stars,
hopefully get some big fish over in Ramsland.
So that's very exciting.
So that's what's coming up on,
Friday show
taping tomorrow
and yes
the segment
on the video show
that you'll be
able to see
is what
you people
don't know
about teams
no one is
talking about
or maybe
it's just us
it's a little bit
maybe a little
confusing
a little convoluted
it's going to
make more sense
when we get to
that seg today
it's the
really two
different titles
of the segment
smashed together
we decided to
do that
one note on
the Rams
visit
we'll need
a ride from you, Dan, because my car is
not in my house right now. I was planning
to use that time to have some privacy.
I need a ride, too.
Wait, really? Wouldn't it be nice for us to go
as a group? Why should we? We aren't the 76
Red Sox here. Why are we taking 25
cabs for 25 guys? I'm
the type of person. I'm
taking my own car. I don't like that. Oh, we know
that. We know that. You have your music? What if
something happens? You have to leave? Well, that's
fine. You two enjoy the Rams show.
while Wes and I, carless, remain at our houses.
No, of course you boys can have a ride with me.
If you can come to the designated pickup point,
which is my fucking driveway.
Of course.
It's the least we could do.
No, we'll figure it out.
We're going to make it work.
Anyway, so, yeah, we're going to talk about that.
But there's the news to get to first.
To do that, we check behind the glass.
There she is.
Hey, guys.
The loose cannon.
Hello, hello.
Erica Tamposi.
What do we know about Erica?
She's talented, both with a camera and with the mic.
And she has a infatuation with both Colleen Wolfe and Danny Amandola.
A little different with those two, but, okay.
Okay.
I mean, but basically it's true, though.
You have that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And our last show, you actually reached out on text.
You shared it with the people.
Hey, the guys are saying that I'm obsessed with you, Colleen, and then you got a no answer?
Yeah, yeah.
Have you heard of her yet?
Answer, yeah, yeah. Today she texted our group because it's Emma's, it's Emma's birthday.
Happy birthday. 25, the big two-five.
So she texted, happy birthday, Emma, and then she was like, I miss you so much.
And then she said, what about that other girl? What's her name? Amelia?
And then Emma said, Aaron, and then they kind of went back and forth.
So I'm going to chop her.
She's chopped.
Chopped? She's chopped.
You guys should just do your own show. I mean, this is the way you interact in private?
Yeah, we're thinking about it.
I won't be ignored, Colleen.
All right, let's do some news.
Great.
Did he want to get him for his birthday?
Yeah, it's a secret.
We would all get in trouble.
Well, I would.
Is that gronk?
It feels like gronk.
He said they're talking about Tom Brady's birthday at the presser, and he was like, we'd all get in trouble.
Who had the nervous laugh?
That was gronk.
Isn't that weird?
Yeah, it was a little bit weird.
It was a little bit weird.
Tom Brady, 41 years old.
on Friday. Let's start with the Oakland Raiders, who have a real serious situation developing now
with Khalil Mack, their star defender. He has not reported to training camp, as we know.
He is in the fifth year, or he's in the final year of his contract on that fifth year rookie option.
Base salary at $13.8 million. He wants an extension. It hasn't happened yet. The Raiders haven't come forward
with a present offer
and there have been no contract discussions
with Max agent since February
rap sheet reported
John Gruden, Wes,
hasn't even met the dude
since becoming the head coach.
Well, you probably met him
during ESPN pre-production meetings,
but never as a head coach of the Raiders.
This one feels dicey.
I did a triple take when I heard the news
that John Gruden hadn't even really talked
to Khalil Max since, what, February?
this defense was one of the worst in the league last year,
and John Gruden knows it was one of the worst in the league.
His personnel isn't that great,
and he knows their defense has to be better,
and yet there's no sign of Kaleel Mack coming to camp
any sign anytime soon.
The part about Gruden, not having spoken after hearing a little more about it,
doesn't sound out of the ordinary,
that no coach would speak with a player in a contract holdout like that,
or that that's not too abnormal.
Not having any contract talks since February seems
insane. Like, what are we doing here? I think we can surmise that Mack had a certain area where
he let the team know what he's looking for, and the Raiders had their area, and they're so
insanely far apart that neither side wants to make the first move, and it's a crazy stare-down.
But it's like, get over it here. Since February, what are you there for?
Yeah, I mean, we spent the last couple episodes talking about the Falcons in their front office
and how over and over when there's hurdles,
they find a way to get their best players on the field.
And the Raiders desperately, they're a team that's top heavy
where they have a couple, I'd say so-called stars in Derek Carr,
we think he is, potentially.
Kaleel Mack, absolutely.
But if you have one or two of these guys not there in September,
John Gruden, the shine is going to come off real quick
when suddenly that defense is on to have Kaleel Mack.
You do wonder if he's waiting for Aaron Donald.
Yeah, is that the stared?
That's like two horses in the race here potentially.
And for the record, you're right, calling Derrick Carr a so-called star.
I'm not saying he's not, but we've seen up and down his seasons.
He is a superstar.
Well, I understand there's a double agenda here on our show,
but I just am waiting to see what he does under Groot in this season.
Erica, by the way, can you just put together like a five-second?
Do not social clip of Mark saying so-called star.
Yeah, just dragging Eric Carr.
And at some sort of tamposi elements where then you show like a picture of David Carr,
like making a face.
That will go poorly in the corner.
For you.
I can smell it.
And by the way, a holdout gets tossed around a lot, especially with the rookies.
Not a holdout when you're a rookie because you haven't signed a contract, but this is a holdout.
And it costs money for Cleo-Mack.
He's subject to a $30,000 fine each day he misses training camp.
That will add up.
I guess that, does that typically get wiped out or worked out?
They typically.
Not this time, Greg.
This will be different.
Can you imagine suffering a $35,000 fine?
I would be in deep water.
I basically had to grovel to a woman outside my house
who wanted a ticket in my car for being parked on the street
and basically show my most sensitive, vulnerable side
to say, basically, you can't do this to me.
And it was like a $50 ticket.
She didn't write the ticket.
You don't see that side from Dan often.
I don't know if I've seen it.
Yeah, it was a desperate moment for the old Zusser.
Moving on, the Minnesota Vikings are in business.
That's really funny.
The Minnesota Vikings are in business with Stefan Diggs,
their star-wide receiver.
they agree to terms on a new contract.
Tom Pelliserio and Mike Garifolo reported on Tuesday.
Team leader announced the signing.
Five-year deal worth $72 million, $81 million max, $40 million in guarantees,
but not guaranteed, Greg.
This is a nice raise for a guy that, as we remember from last year's playoffs,
can change the fortunes of a team with his abilities as a great player.
And now, Greg, he's locked in.
He's one of many young Vikings to be locked in through 2020.
And it's tough to predict what's going to happen in the NFL over three years.
I remember thinking the Seahawks window was wide open.
And it really was for a few years when they got everyone signed.
But now that's over.
But the Vikings, to me, are the closest thing to that right now in the NFL.
They have Xavier Rhodes, Everson Griffin, Harrison Smith, Adam Thielen,
all of these guys signed long term.
Kirk Cousins of course.
Do they have like quadruple the salary cap of any other team?
They've done a great job.
What's going on here?
Rick Spielman and then I don't want to mispronounce their salary cap guy's name.
A lot of them, if you look at their deals, they're all kind of under market.
So you're not going to say his name?
Richard Hisinga, I believe it is.
Including Stefan Diggs and Thielen are for maybe the best receiver group in the league,
very, very well compensated from a team perspective.
I think, yeah.
Stefan Diggs is a perfect example why spouting off.
stats will never replace watching film.
Because you could make a case looking at, say, Jordan Matthews production versus Stefan
Diggs, and they're similar receivers, there's nothing similar about them.
Diggs is such a much better player.
He ranked first last year in Pro Football Focus's contested catch rating and in our former
workmate Matt Harmon's next-gen stats tight window throws.
He is making plays one-on-one down the field like no outside receiver in the NFL.
he does get hurt quite a bit he's not the most durable guy but he is a playmaker and that's why he's
getting paid rob brazynski i mean i don't know if that's correct because there's a couple
different oh it's not hyzinga i was close with richard hyzinga and i just came up with that out of thin
air oh i believed you thought it was like a had a connection to wayne maybe and just stayed in the
industry eric kendricks is another guy that they have signed like i think anthony bar is really
the only one that you think of as kind of a core vikings player that they're gonna let go denial
Hunter was another guy.
I didn't even mention it.
They really have about nine good.
You think they'll let Bar go?
I do, just because I think they sort of made their pecking order,
and he seems like a guy who's going to make a lot of money,
and they valued Kendricks and Diggs and all these other players, I think, ahead of him.
NFL teams don't really break the bank for off-ball linebackers,
and I think that's why he's not going to be one who's going to get paid by the Vikings.
Speaking of wide receivers in the NFC,
Doug Baldwin, who is Russell Wilson's favorite target in Seattle.
He has been shut down.
Pete Carroll revealed Tuesday.
has, quote, a little bit of a sore knee.
He led the team in catches and yards last year,
but he's going to be out a couple of weeks, Carol said,
and he also had he's going to be out a while.
Sounds like something a little worrisome there, Mr. Sessler.
Well, I just look at their lineup of wide receivers,
and if for some reason it's the kind of thing that lingers on
because some of these things were these preseason injuries where we're told.
It feels like it's lingering now.
Right.
It's already lingering, and if it goes on and on, you've got Tyler Luckett, who's great.
Jerome Brown, I don't know, Brandon Marshall, I'm not even sure he makes the team.
And then from there, it's projects.
Yeah, this is one of the worst receiving cores in the league if Doug Baldwin's not healthy.
He, because of how much better he is and the history has with Russell Wilson,
he's one of the most valuable receivers in football.
Not just that he's a great player, which he is, but just the cliff that they fall off.
You're right.
David Moore, who was a seventh round pick a year ago, has been taking some first-team snaps.
Marcus Johnson, the guy they got from the Eagles.
I mean, how about this guy, Damarea Stringfellow?
I would like to see him taking some serious snaps in September, October.
Give that fellow a little bit of work.
But concerning lineup.
It's asking a lot of Russell Wilson.
I feel like they ask a lot of Russell Wilson,
and I'm not really sure if I'm buying the like puff piece,
Brian Schottenheimer and Russell Wilson.
They're having like a mind-mell.
They're just, as Russell Wilson said on an air,
hey, we're just two guys that love ball.
That was a quote.
I'm in Russ's entourage now.
You guys love ball.
Russell Wilson's entourage.
Is that still a thing?
Remember he had his bros and they sit in the box at Mariners games and they all go out?
I think he's like a married man now.
Like Sierra might have just said.
Has there ever been a feature story ostensibly that would make a player look better,
been more damaging than that entourage Russell Wilson piece?
That's how I think of it.
Damaging to like people like us that are snarky.
But like, you know, it wasn't.
he kind of came off maybe not how it was intended for him to come off.
I agree with you on that.
I think there's a lot of people out there that have that vibe from Russell Wilson that's just like, yeah.
Also, on the other side of the ball, another injury to keep an eye on Dion Jordan,
who got his career back on track with the Seahawks.
He's shut down right now.
He had a stress reaction in his shin.
Also will be sidelined a while per Tom Pelliserro, so keep an eye on that.
They need a pass record.
Who's getting to the quarterback?
The quick thing before we move on is Jeff, Jeff Schwartz,
who's a good follow on Twitter,
pointed out with Doug Baldwin,
whenever you have a sore knee to start training camp,
like time off is not going to solve that.
It's just something that you're going to have to manage during the year.
Unless you get surgery,
it's just going to, at some point, keep getting worse and worse.
It depends what kind of knee injury it is.
I think.
And you get the story at the, you know, in February and March,
I wasn't healthy the whole year.
Next year will be different.
It's not going to totally recover.
Obviously, it's good to take some time off.
That's a problem.
Bad news for the Packers who lose a key member of their defense starting linebacker,
Jake Ryan diagnosed with a season-ending torn ACL rap sheet reported.
Ryan suffered the injury during Monday's practice, carted off the field.
When that happens to one of your guys this time of year, you just hope good news comes back.
It did not work out that way.
How much has this hurt the Packers was?
Not nearly as bad as if it was the other inside linebacker, Blake Martinez,
who had a breakout year last year and stays on the field on passing downs.
Jake Ryan is more of a run defender who gets lost sometimes in past coverage.
So I think they can plug another guy in there and be fine here.
I think they're a very talented defense that's under the radar,
and I'm looking forward to seeing what Mike Patton does with him.
I wish I had done a making the leap on them.
And I think Jake Ryan, to your point,
I think they have enough talent that they can overcome.
I still remember watching him trying to guard David Johnson in the playoffs
and just getting smoked.
But he did get better last year.
So, I mean, it's a bit of a loss, but it's not really like losing one of your best defensive players.
Meanwhile, on the throne of slees, Jordan Matthews signed with the team.
The Patriots hoping to find a role in their wide receiver room,
especially with Julian Edelman, sidelined four weeks with suspension.
Well, that's not going to happen.
He's injured, and dealing with that injury has led to his release from the team.
A significant hamstring injury is what did him in.
Rapsheet reported that the Patriots are moving on.
and this is the same Matthews has had Mark a bit of a I mean I want to call it a wild fall from grace
because he maybe never really became the guy anybody wanted to be but he went from being a contributor
with the Eagles lost year in Buffalo now he's not even on a roster in August so it's been a
tough couple of years for it was a couple weeks ago that we were penciling him in for major snaps
because of Julian Edelman being out and they would need him and that could have led to more in New
England, because if you do, if you produce, Belichick might keep you around and unleash you
at various weeks. I mean, Eric Decker was in there yesterday. We were saying before the show,
they have a weird wide receiver room right now. It's an unusual group of people that you
would imagine would be on New England's roster. I mean, it's only the first week of August,
but right now, Philip Dorset and Corderell Patterson would probably be their number two and three
receivers. Malcolm Mitchell has been hurt. Kenny Britt's been hurt. Julian Edelman's not going
be back. Why are we dragging this out?
Eric Decker just signed with the team, fulfill
your destiny, and go 60.
Remember Josh McDaniels drafted
Eric Decker in Denver, so.
He would replace Danny Mandola
as kind of like the hot guy, hot receiver.
Hot white guy. What do you think about that,
Erica? Decker's
not a bad looking bro. Yeah, but I'm
still sore. You know, it still
hurts that Danny's gone.
So I can't.
Rarely does an obsessed fan, though, have a chance to
like openly FaceTime with their hero, as you did with him.
You're right.
Famously, Danny Mandola answered FaceTime with his shirt off.
Are you okay?
Erica?
I'm not okay.
We just want to have a professional, professional workplace environment.
Okay.
In other news, Colts offensive lineman Jack Miord announces retirement.
How do you pronounce it?
Mior.
No.
Mior.
Mior.
What?
Mewort.
I think it's Mewort.
No, no, no.
That's incorrect.
Mior.
No, no.
Miort.
The W is basically silent.
Okay.
I have that on authority.
Two sources, but Jack Miort announces retirements today at the age of 26, just four seasons in the league.
He has been a second round pick in 2014, but injuries have really took their toll, limited to just 15 games in the last two seasons.
So still, this came as a surprise, Greg Rosenthal.
It does.
It's just a shame.
I mean, he was ranked by PFF as a top 15 guard in his second year in the league.
He was kind of known in the Colts facility as, you know, one of the hardest workers,
one of the most like guys was Frank Gore's best friend on the team.
And then suddenly your career is over at 26.
It's a tough, tough business, tough bracket.
Is he his best friend left?
Did that impact this?
I wouldn't think so.
He mentioned, you know, the devastating.
Very serious answer to a ridiculous question.
You lose your favorite person.
I mean, I think it was, you know, the life-changing knee injuries he keeps suffering.
Possibly.
This feels like he came to camp, and after overcoming knee injuries, and maybe there's still a problem,
he probably looked at the right end of the wall and said, I'm not going to win the starting job.
Because they are a lot deeper.
Yeah, that's true.
They've got Braden Smith, their second rounder, Quentin Nelson, the first rounder.
They signed Matt Slosson, who has started for the Bears and Chargers over the last couple of years.
This is a much, much deeper offensive line than it's been.
West has got the Colts fever this year.
I'm feeling it.
It doesn't take much for me to get Colts fever.
The glass half.
It did last year.
No, they were terrible last year, but they also didn't have Andrew Luck.
The glass half empty view on that pronunciation gaff is that, hey, you should know that.
You should have known it.
He should have said it right.
You could be right.
The glass half full?
Don't need to know it anymore.
Moving on.
Happy trails, Jack.
Johnny Monzee.
Here we go.
You don't need to know this either.
Johnny Mansell, his comeback tour,
which has been off to a sputtering start up north.
He was traded, as we know,
from the Hamilton Tiger Cats, I believe.
Correct.
To the Montreal Alouettes.
Alouette.
And he will start on Friday against his former team,
the Hamilton Tiger Cats,
which, by the way, is hyphenated.
Is that a revenge game?
Oh, yeah.
That's a revenge game.
Big time.
If we ever play the one-word game again, Mark,
which you probably won't,
you could use Tiger Cats if it's in connection to the CFL team.
Might have to.
Just the heads up.
Or Alouette.
Or that word.
So Manzell.
Alouettes are one of the worst teams in that league.
So he's going to get a chance to play.
We'll see what happens.
And he needs to turn some heads to find his way back to the NFL, still far away off there.
It's such a fun subplot.
Last week when he was the backup, the starter for the alouettes was like,
clearly annoyed about Mansell's presence
and would refuse to answer any questions
about Johnny Manzell after the game
and was just like really angry about it
now he's bent.
It's like every team he's been on basically.
Yeah, it's good stuff.
La Raville.
I would say this.
Tomorrow night is the Hall of Fame game.
Friday night is this game.
This game has more going on right now
than the Hall of Fame game.
Come on.
But the overall...
I'm going to watch this.
The overall picture is football is back.
There is.
Get excited.
We're going to talk a little bit
more about the Hall of Fame game in a bit.
That's what's happening in the news.
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A lot of us fellas back in the, you know, I'm not longer in that demographic.
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yeah just just shot down
Mark's ad lib there.
Jeez.
Let's move on.
All right.
Here we go.
It is time.
Listen, sometimes we get in rhythms on the show and we will find there will be certain
teams, a handful teams, a big handful teams, but not the entire league.
We'll get interested in certain teams and we'll find ourselves going back to those
teams over and over again.
So what we want to do here, the second.
segment today is really dig into some teams we haven't been talking about as much on the
podcast lately. And that led us to today's segment entitled, what you people don't know about
teams, no one is talking about, or maybe it's just us. There you go. So that's today's
Seg. What do you think about that, Mark? I like it. I think, you know, when we were producing
this segment, it clearly was the result of two distinct ideas, kind of being smushed into
one idea and why not have two
ideas instead of one when you do
a segment? The main idea, teams
knowing that we haven't been talking
about. So let's give them some love.
It's a Frankenstein monster of sorts. To some degree.
It's also a way to get like
training camp whispers out
there to the people. Which is a third segment.
So now we have essentially three
segments. Baked into it, an unspoken way, but
certainly baked in. All right. So
here's the rule of this particular
seg. The
teams that we have been talking about, we got together,
and we figure out what teams have we been hitting on quite a bit during this offseason and throughout the summer.
So what we have is a blacklist.
And let me start by reading off the teams that are on the blacklist.
And if you're on the blacklist, you cannot come up from this point onward in the show in any way, shape, or form.
Here is the blacklist in alphabetical order, so don't get...
Wait, so are some teams that are on the blacklist, are there hats in front of them?
We've got to lose the hats.
seen on the video show.
We got to lose the hats if they're on here as well.
So we'll take it off the list.
Can we have someone, yeah, come in and take the hat?
Oh, yeah.
While we're listening.
Yeah, we have an intern.
Okay.
Get in there.
Get the intern in here.
Cam, you got to stay out of the shot, though.
So just if you can get low, and if you see the hats as we tick them off the name of
the black list, just toss them.
Come on it.
Hurry up, Cam.
Certain to make our sponsor happy.
And do you guys need a coffee after or anything?
No.
Eric can really take an advantage.
there's cam hey what's up buddy um all right here we go here's the team the blacklist and again this is
the blacklist this is mark alphabetical so don't get upset that a certain team from cleveland comes up
first don't read into it don't get into your feelings i will keep a handle on it browns you're done
damn you go on chargers gone we're the only place in america that talks about the chargers too
much.
Cowboys.
Eagles.
Giants.
Jets.
Patriots.
Let me handle that one.
Whoa.
Camel was left.
Raiders.
Rams.
Ravens.
Seahawks.
Steelers.
So there you go.
That's the cam.
Thank you, bro.
They go.
You're the man.
We will not bring up any of those teams.
Not even a reference.
Not an offhand.
reference not allowed in fact there will be a penalty issued uh to anyone and that's where
blacklist dimension blacklist dimension uh what i'm holding in my hand and you again can
watch us on the video show is our segment sin jar i'm going to put it right here it's sitting
right between west and i right in the center of the table anybody that brings up any of those
forbidden teams you got to drop some money it's one of those luxurious NFL media vases
that we pulled from somewhere in the building.
So if you make, and Eric, I'm going to have to ask you to help with this,
the tracking, if one of the forbidden blacklist teams come up, hit the siren,
and then I hope everybody brought money because this is not a Venmo scenario.
You put a credit card in there if you have to.
So let's get into it now.
So with those teams eliminated, we each pick two of the remaining teams.
I believe we had about 20 or so teams to choose from.
And let's start with Mark Sessler.
What team did you choose?
I went with the lions.
Okay, so now...
I feel like we almost never talk about the lions
other than to casually dismiss them.
Right.
Or to laugh about the Amir Abdullah projections.
Isn't that their function in life to be casually dismissed?
It has been.
Week 14 will call up Patron and be like,
so how's it feel for another season that?
It has been, and I think my big issue with them
is that they've been, in a word, boring for so long.
But after years,
of Detroit, being dangerously ultra-dull, what you hobby horse people don't know is this will
be one of the most improved teams in the league in the category of going from a snooze fest
to a watchable week-to-week offering. For me, it starts with Matt Patricia. I think Matthew
Stafford, we've seen him on NFL Network a couple times. He's trimmed down. He looks fantastic.
He's coming off a good season. I think he's going to produce his best season. They've got three
good receivers, Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, Kenny Gallow.
Salidae. Zygianza is my one, I like him, but my concern in general is the defense and the
pass rush. I see that. They have to score a lot of points. But they finally have a deep backfield
forever. They annoyed me for so long because they put so much pressure on Matthew Stafford in the
passing game to come back because even if they'd build a lead, they'd lose it, and they'd have to
rely on the passing game to get back there. Now you've got LaGeri Blunt, our boy. You've got
Abdullah. We'll see what he can do and carry on Johnson. And the offensive line, they've finally
got a good offensive line.
I like this team.
My one point I'm,
where am I supposed to see
that the backfield is going to be
so much improved?
I think you've got different types.
Outside New England,
Amir Abdullah.
Carry on.
I think Carrie on Johnson.
Maybe he's the guy.
Oh.
Oh, so, Dan.
See, I baited Dan into that.
I brought money.
Put a couple 20s in there.
Empty your pockets.
Empty your pockets.
Empty your pockets.
apologies. All right, I apologize. So, yeah, I, maybe it's better. Maybe it's better. Maybe it's better.
I think that Matthew Stafford has become one of the most fun quarterbacks to watch. And his
movement inside and outside the pocket to get away from pressure is at as high a level as any
quarterback in the game. I think what people out there don't know that you hit on was how good
the offensive line could be. Finally. I think that could be kind of what they become known for. And if you
have a great offensive line with Ragnow at left guard and if they're healthier and Taylor Decker
and T.J. Lang, Ricky Wagon. Like, that's a great strong group and they're protecting for Stafford in
the middle of his prime with three great receivers. I don't really care about the running game that
much. I think they'll figure it out. I think it'll end up being close enough to average. If you can
protect and you have a passing game that good, like the Patriots, the running game can take care of.
Oh, Greg. And I'm again. Wow, not a good job.
Blacklist Dimension
Belichick's squad and everybody
Empty your pockets
Isn't that a mention itself?
No, it's not.
Empty your pockets.
There you go.
So, Matt Stappert,
interesting when you think
spin forward into making predictions
for seasonal awards,
he's been great post-Gim Bob Cooter.
If he's truly at his apex as a quarterback
and we like everything around him,
the lines better than ever,
I wonder, a sneaky MVP candidate.
All right, you're up.
What you clowns don't know about the San Francisco 49ers is there is reason to be excited
beyond Jimmy Garoppolo and Kyle Shanahan when it comes to this offense.
Down to stretch last year when they were playing so well, and specifically in the route of the
Jacksonville Jaguars, I came away thinking Matt Brayda is better than Carlos Hyde.
He's more of a playmaker than Carlos Hyde.
and for all the money they paid to Jerich McKinnon,
do not be surprised if Matt Brayda
by the end of the season outproduces Jerich McKinnon.
This guy is a good player.
He's a playmaker.
Austin Pettis, their second round rookie,
looks like one of those guys
who is going to make a big impact right off the bat
because he's a dynamic return guy,
and he's getting snaps in the slot this year.
Their offensive line is much improved.
Pierre Garsohn is healthy.
I don't think the 49ers are like some fluke
that just got hot in December.
I think this offense has a lot of potential.
You have concerns about the defensive side of the ball.
Yes.
There are, to me, what I, and I wrote about this in my mailbag today,
Garapolo is going to have to be as good as we all think he can be.
I think, because the NFC is so loaded.
It's going to be, they're going to have to really have something super special in Garpaolo,
and maybe they do, because the defense, they don't really get to the quarterback.
They have the issues with Rubin Foster.
Richard Sherman's like the centerpiece of that.
secondary now, and is he the same player?
There's a lot of question marks on that side of them.
They have some pieces on defense, though.
It's not some of these teams that we don't talk about.
Not totally barren, but they statistically were not a good defense last year.
We also, I don't think we know yet who Robert Sala is as a defensive coordinator.
He's not Vic Fangio, but what is?
Fongio.
Is he an asset?
Is he a liability?
I saw Steve Weiss downstairs last week, and he pointed out that their defensive coordinator
is a secret, huge asset in San Francisco.
It didn't show up.
last year on the field.
I mean, I think he's trying to bring
a lot of the same principles
that the Seahawks have done on defense.
And they are really high
on Akello Weatherspoon
and Kwan Williams,
these two young cornerbacks
that are with Richard Sherman.
I have to just trust them on that,
I guess, or just wait.
Sherman loves Weatherspe.
Because those two guys,
and really that secondary
with Sherman, as Dan mentioned,
is an X factor,
because on paper it doesn't look too good.
And they got beat down last year
pretty often.
I'll just throw it out
there over under 49ers victories nine and a half where does everybody come down i take the under i think
nine and seven is a successful season i still feel like they're building they're not yet like contending
if you look that would be a success i'm going to say under and i'm going to say i don't see any team
more overrated in the entire NFL when you look at the odds like in the desert looking into the
season like the odds to win the division or the super bowl or anything the 49ers to me are the
most over like it's what you've done for me lately they're right they're already in the playoffs
They're like one of the playoff team.
Well, they went into the off season as the buzziest thing in the entire NFC
that did not make the playoffs.
And everyone wants to assume because Jimmy Gropolo was nearly flawless
that you're going to unfurl some sort of 14 and 2 season.
They're going to encounter problems.
And they're in a conference that in the AFC would probably have three extra teams make the playoffs.
Yeah, they're in a loaded, top-heavy NFC.
All right.
What you bozos fail to realize.
is that the Denver Broncos may be closer to picking in the top five next April
than getting back to the play.
Whoa!
You guys don't see it.
It's a hot take.
Tell us how you see it.
Listen, I know, John L.A is a great guy.
He's an amazing guy.
He's a little bit of your radar for roughly three years.
I just thought there was a bit of a rush to crown him once more
as a guy that has everything figured out in the draft.
And perhaps that draft with Chubb at the top.
and some of the defensive pieces they added will allow that team to kind of regain its dominant edge on the defensive side of the ball.
And from where I stand, it's like if that doesn't happen, if he suddenly, because this guy hasn't been a good talent scout or a drafter of talent for several years now, post-Super Bowl win, if that, if that doesn't change and he doesn't hit some home runs, why do we think the Broncos are going to score points?
Why do we think they're suddenly going to turn back into this defensive juggernaut that wins games?
Case Keenham, the more I think about that signing, the more I just, I don't like it.
I mean, maybe last year with what he did in Minnesota, transfer is over, but I'd be much more surprised or I'd be less surprised if he turns into the old Case Keenum because now he's surrounded by the type of talent maybe that he was and all the other stops.
What if you get Rams Case Keenum is what I'm saying
Well, maybe there's a couple X-Fediture
What you're hoping
Let me just say a couple other things here
Because
Blacklist Demention
Rams
All right
Technicality
What if you said what if you get Rams
Case Keenum?
I'm referring to the player
It's fine
That's how this game works
I got banged a little bit there
Let's be honest
You banged yourself
I'm sorry
Anyway
Mark's loving this
What if we get
What if we get
the old case, and who's on the bench?
Paxton Lynch and Chad Kelly?
Those are the options, the fallback options.
The offensive line was bad last year.
He had an awesome offensive line, Keenham, last season.
What if that line's no good?
What if Royce Freeman isn't an upgrade on C.J. Anderson?
I just think there's a path that you can go down in Denver that is very dark.
The darkest timeline, 4 and 12, Vance Joseph, who impressed no one, it sounds like, last year.
he gets cleaned out and suddenly
Elway is GMing
for his life this time next
spring. I think it's a couple of factors because we just
talked earlier in the show about
the Vikings being this NSC
team that are so stocked on offense
that you can see that it obviously helped Case Keenham.
I think he grew as a quarterback too, but
you need Cortland Sutherland to
produce as a rookie. You have
the same two wide receivers there that
you've had forever in Sanders and Thomas.
It's one of these backfields where
it's totally wide open because there's no clear
number one back, and the offensive line has issues on the right side.
52 sacks allowed last year, and there were not major upgrades brought in.
I don't worry about the defense at all, but you're right about the offense.
How many offenses around the league do you not know who's going to be the starting running
back, the starting slot receiver, the starting tight end?
Jake Butt, baby.
We don't know if he's going to start.
You don't know how your quarterback's going to be coming over from a different team.
You don't know how your right tackle is going to be after he was benched for a different
team last year. The flip side is they had one of the worst record in one score games last year. They
really weren't that bad of a team a year ago. They do have weapons for, you know, they have a very
good wide receiver group, I think, for Case Keenum, at least as the starters. I think what you guys
both hit upon, though, is absolutely right, which is John Elway needs this draft class to produce,
almost more pressure on this draft class to produce. And I would throw in Deshawn Hamilton,
along with Cortland Sutton at a wide receiver
who a lot of people really like.
And Royce Freeman and really throughout the draft,
people are talking up how they've looked early in camp,
but there's more pressure on them to get production from rookies
than just about any team.
And you don't want that.
And you especially don't want that if your GM
has been one of the very worst GMs at picking rookies
for the last five years.
So it's a tough spot for Johnny.
I don't think they have an exceedingly high ceiling.
I think the ceiling, honestly, to me, is nine or ten wins
in the floor.
I think it could be like four wins
There's always a team around this time of year
that you maybe go against the grain and call out
and...
Usually it doesn't work out.
No, I would say actually your track record
is on point with that.
Why do you think he's allowed in the lap?
I'm down here.
They're not a team people think are going to the playoffs.
People are going to pick the chiefs and the charges in this.
But you do hear like, oh, listen,
you never know what the Denver.
They could be right back there.
Hey, hey.
Blacklist team, man.
Oh, yeah.
I forgot the whole game.
What's going on with
the side of the table over here.
I just got money to burn.
We're the only team in the league that speaks about that L.A. team too much.
Fept to your pockets.
All right.
All right. You're up.
All right.
I'm going to talk about the Tennessee Titans and what you bozos don't know.
I said that.
We'll go back to bozos.
We've heard that before.
Is that they have an identity.
That's $5.
That they have an exciting identity.
And they're a team that we've ignored for so long.
And for whatever reason, the whole Matt Lafleur experience going over to Tennessee has not been a topic.
This is going to be an offense that looks totally different.
Tewan Taylor, who might be Evan Silva, the Goats, you know, favorite young player in the league right now.
Tewan Taylor playing a lot on the outside.
Corey Davis has been lighting up training camp.
That is an exciting young wide receiver group that they,
are looking forward to seeing.
Richard Matthews hasn't been healthy.
But those two guys, and then you have Derek Henry,
who's now up to 250-something pounds,
looking like he's all muscle,
looking like the cover of twins when he's sitting next to Dionne Lewis.
I'm excited to see what a team does with two cool young receivers,
two twins rough.
Fun running backs and two tight ends in Delaney Walker and John Huss Smith.
And I also think this defense,
which gets Dean Peas out of his one-day retirement in Baltimore,
is going to have more of an identity, too, with Mike Rabel.
And it starts in the secondary,
and everyone that's been down in Tennessee has said
that Malcolm Butler has been kind of the leader on that defense,
and the secondary has been awesome.
What are you looking at?
What are you said it?
You mentioned that team that we visit the Nest so often.
Oh, yeah.
During our production meeting, by the way,
I was too confident.
And I haven't thought about it since.
During our production meeting, Greg referenced a past game
where we had this same dynamic.
and sat there in his swivel chair
telling us how he dominated that game
by never referencing.
It's like you're getting crushed here.
And then this time I haven't thought once about the game
except for when that...
By the way, Greg just got change out of the sin jar.
Just so everybody knows.
That doesn't work.
Devil's advocate on this identity thing.
Yeah.
The anointing oils are out awfully soon for a team
whose number one problem last year
was they had no identity.
They want to have an identity
as a running game with a great offensive line,
but you're giving them a lot of credit
by saying they do have that identity.
I think these young playmakers are an identity,
and hopefully that the Fleur is the guy who can bring it out.
And I do think the secondary is an identity.
Like, I do think...
It is?
I think it will be.
Adory Jackson.
Was for Seattle.
And Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan.
Those are like three guys that you can go to Warwick.
And Kevin Byard, there aren't many secondaries
that are better than that.
Kind of nasty, got to play well, play after play.
I think it gives them.
I think that there might be just a little bit in the wait-and-see category of people,
that it was two seasons ago that exotic smash-mouth was this heavily sold identity,
and it worked to some degree.
And then last year, they switched away from that identity to essentially no identity.
Ariado's been in this whizzen hunt slash malarkey offense,
which didn't really change when they changed coaches.
It was always kind of malarkey for his whole career.
Oh, it was malarkey already.
So I'm excited to see a non-malarkey attack.
And if the offense of scheme, if he struggles in the scheme, you can't blame it on the scheme,
he might enter the Ryan Tannahill like Twilight Zone area.
That'd be disappointing after.
Because he's been around a while now.
There's just times when he looks so good.
All right.
One more time around the horn, Mark.
You're up.
Is this such a good time to check the sink on these podcast bozos?
See, we've even called this before.
All right.
A couple seasons ago, the Redskins fielded a Kirk Cousins led offense that
became one of my favorite to watch on game pass.
Not all season long, but it would pop up in spurts.
And I remember that.
You'd see the potential.
You loved them.
I loved it.
Kissing Cousins.
That's where it was born.
That's where it was born.
That's right.
What you lower mezzanine...
Tung down Kirk Cousins.
What you lower mezzanine level people don't know.
Well, that's good to be in the lower mezzanine.
That's true.
You're closer to the field.
But mezzanine isn't always for a stadium.
Yeah, you're still in the mezzanine.
It's one of these vast stadiums where you've got giant poles in front of you.
You're saying like a good but not great.
I did not nail the insult.
A lot of the new stadiums also don't have the support poles that used to cause sightline.
What you nosebleeders don't know is that this year's offense will be a top 10 berserker.
Number one, I don't think you can say that you get incredibly worse with Alex Smith
because Alex Smith, I think, can maintain what happened at quarterback and maybe even improve on it.
We don't know.
180 on Alex Smith, you're taking right now.
It's not because of Alex Smith alone.
Alex Smith never goes anywhere and makes a team worse.
If anything, they become, if they were a playoff team, they stay a playoff team.
But I do like their wide receiver group.
I think James and Crowder, Josh Dodson, Paul Richardson added, Darius Geis, Chris Thompson
in the backfield.
I think there's potential and there's parts in place here to take it to teams a couple
times. I'm not saying a Super Bowl team, but fun to watch, maybe a team that has issues on
defense too a little bit, but they're going to have a couple big streaks on offense. Yeah.
That sounds like a sandwich prop maybe a few weeks from now. I'm with you. Health is the...
I got Greg on my side. Health is the big caveat. Health is. Because they were ruined,
decimated by injuries last year. And the guy like Josh Doxon, I'm starting to wonder if he's ever
going to stay there. Well, he, in fact, he was hurt today, although it doesn't sound that serious.
The offensive line killed them last year. I know the running backs weren't.
Jordan Reed's the best player on their offense.
Right.
And he was out.
I almost struggle to mention him, though, because we all know he's there.
But secondly, he's almost like.
Trent Williams, I would say.
Trent Williams is the best.
He was gone.
So they had a lot of players hurt.
And I think like of the Gruden thing, the this, I think he's, you could say maybe he's
around.
Why is he still there?
I think he's actually done a good job on the whole as a coach.
He's the longest tenured coach in the Dan Snyder era, which is insane.
That's crazy.
Says a lot about Dan Snyder.
If the Redskins finish in the top ten in offense,
they will have made a tremendous personnel decision
to let Kirk Cousins walk.
Yeah?
So you go...
I don't think it's because Kirk Couss and a lot of it.
They were not healthy last year.
They could have easily been top 10 last year.
You're saying not to pay that money.
Well, my point is you're not paying superstar money for Kirk Cousins
if you can get the same thing at lesser money for Alex Smith.
All right, that's fair.
Put those resources elsewhere.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Wes.
All right, that was pretty good hot take, Mark.
I like that one.
Thank you.
All right, Wes, you up.
What, you chuckleheads.
Oh, that's.
I don't know is that this year's Cincinnati Bengals are closer to the 2015 squad
that John Harbaugh and Hall of Famer Bill Pooleyan raved about as the strongest roster in the NFL.
Whoa.
Then last year's squad that entered a season knowing that their offensive line couldn't block anyone.
And one of the big reasons is that this team drafted really poorly, 2014, 15, 16.
Last year's draft, they're going to see John Ross and Joe Mixen play really.
well this year. What is the first thing
you guys think of when you hear the word
John Ross? Bust.
Injury? Yeah,
like last season's hype bunny.
The fastest ever time at the combine?
Oh yeah. Before last season
yeah, I would have said fast as hell.
I think that might actually hurt him
to be known for that because this guy was a
there was a reason why he was a top 10 draft pick.
Not like 32nd overall.
A top 10 draft pick because he's a
complete wide receiver. He's a really
good football player, not just a speed
demon and he has been the talk of bengal's camp nobody can cover him his double move is lethal and
you're going to see that a talent like that opens up the entire offense just like saquan barkley and
odel beckham open up the giant's dimension oh blacklist dimension get out your wallet
big blue we're not allowed to talk about the giants they're not on the list oh yes they are
oh yeah we over talk about as much as that the giants well
Come on.
They're quarterback alone.
He just keeps saying it.
That's double.
Plug into the black list.
This has been.
Get out of here.
I don't even think they're on that.
At various points, this has kind of been the debate, Eli Manning's legacy podcast.
Anyway, Tyler Eifford, by the way, has a mullet right now.
He's also.
That may alone negate Wes this entire argument.
Healthy Tyler Eifert, huge question mark.
Healthy John Ross.
A.J. Green.
Maybe you get 2050.
I get it.
They have
2015 had exclamation points.
This roster has question marks.
Terrell Austin as their coordinator
was a nice move
after losing Paul Gunther.
I'm with Wesson.
I think the Cordy Glenn trade
salvaged what would be
another disaster up front
because their offensive line
outside of the right side of some issues.
I'm not totally sold on Fisher.
They have a first round center
who, you know, was I believe
the best center in college football
most people said last year.
They've got a really good guard.
They do have some issues on the right side of the line.
Who did they lose Paul Gunther, too?
The Raiders.
Oh, I got you, Wes.
I was just fishing.
I knew where you got you.
That's okay.
You already threw your five.
I'm playing with house money here.
Give me a break.
Wes has to.
A lot of pressure here on Mark to get in clean.
I feel literally no pressure.
All right.
It's the opposite of pressure.
Let's move on.
And I will say what, you snowflake.
don't realize
is that the Texans
need a lot to go right, probably too much
to be taken seriously
as a legit would-be Patriots' Slayer.
Oh, that's another one.
Oh, wow, I mean, that's coming off your script.
Bad job by me, what can I say?
Here's why.
I couldn't have been more wrong about the sin jar.
I thought it wasn't going to have much action.
Um, there is, it seems like the surface take here is that as long as the Sean Watson is back and healthy and as way, as long as J.J. Watt is back and healthy, everything will be fine. And maybe that's true. Maybe as as long as those two guys are back and healthy, uh, that will maybe make the difference. But I think one thing with the Texans with Watson, uh, is the sample size last year was so small.
that to really lock him in to be that guy for 16 games and not expect him to have any more
growing pains, expect him now to just go up from there. I don't think that is necessarily
something to be accepted as a given. He was, if you look at his numbers last year,
he was tremendous on short range passes. He was transcendent as a deep passer,
which probably is going to always be a great skill for his. But he was one of the
of the worst like mid-range passers in the league that's a big part of any quarterback's game so he was
not a fully polished guy he also took a ton of sacks uh and turned the ball over a lot so he had
a lot of splash plays and gave every everybody in houston and football fans a lot of reasons to get
excited that we have another young superstar quarterback and he probably will be that but i just think
that growing pains and perhaps not an assent to MVP candidate status is to be a given uh heading into
this season, and I think that offensive line is not going to help matters.
And so I don't think, I say I made the Snowflay comment.
I know this is kind of something we've talked about in this studio, but I think in general,
maybe not as enough as being made of Watson's development, and it's still very early in the
process, and an offensive line that could get him killed.
Coming off an ACL tear also.
I think it's telling how different their offense was earlier in the year when the first game,
when he wasn't there, and then after the injury, they were maybe the worst offense in the
NFL when he wasn't there. And then when he was on the field, they were great. But you're
right. It's a small sample size. He got lucky when it came to passes that could have been
intercepted but weren't abnormally lucky on those kinds of throws. But the talent is real. To me,
the offensive line is an issue. The fact that they have changed their entire offense this year
because he and Bill O'Brien showed a mind-milled last year that was impressive to behold that
Bill O'Brien's play calling combined with his skill set was incredible.
You need a running game to step up.
It's still Lamar Miller.
You hope Will Fuller stays healthy because I think Will Fuller has a chance to be a real number two receiver.
And then suddenly you're not so thin.
I mean, this is a lot better, by the way.
They are.
They are.
I want them to be.
I think they are a team that if things do click, they could take out that big brother that plays up in New England.
But I think that...
They got to worry about some other teams.
Yeah, I think...
Now I'm not even sure what they're in that club.
He just used half their name.
I think that's a...
I think they're actually not on the list anyway, so...
I mean, the other thing is that until the games start,
like, the concept that this quarterback must regress is just as, like, a variable as he'll stay the same.
Right.
It's just, we don't know.
I mean, we don't know.
There's a lot of teams that when Aaron Rogers went down, that team looked to,
like absolute garbage last season.
Just made it tiptoed through the mind.
So I just, for me, it's about his health.
But if he is the player he was last year,
the other side is, oh, everyone's going to get film on him,
is he's going to continue to grow and develop.
So I just, he was one of the most exciting players
in the entire NFL last year.
The season changed when he went down.
And if he's the guy he was,
and the way he, him and Bill O'Brien,
I mean, he finally got his quarterback,
they were destroying teams.
And you have a full off season to prepare
the offense for him.
That it's basically the Deshawn Watson offense.
And O'Brien, who you can knock for some things.
I mean, he's won a lot of games with Case Keenham
and Brian Hoyer and who else has been there in Houston
that I'm forgetting about.
Brandon Whedon.
Right.
Ryan Mallet.
I kind of forgot Case Keenham had a nice.
It's a laundry list.
Yeah, laundry list of nobody's.
Well, he was also playing against the AFC South all those years.
Yeah, it's a better division now.
Close it out, Greg.
All right.
My team is the Arizona Cardinals.
And what you football neophytes don't know is there's a lot of young exciting talent on this roster that hasn't gotten a lot of pub.
On defense last year, what another thing people don't know is defense was Bruce Ariens' secret weapon throughout his time.
They ranked in the top seven in Football Outsiders' defensive DVOA throughout the entire Bruce Ariens run.
So it was more consistent than the offense, including last year.
they were very good.
A couple of young guys there.
Pierre Olson was really good as a part-time pass rusher.
Buda Baker really looks like a great Honey Badger replacement.
Corey Peters has been kind of underrated over the last few years.
Marcus Golden.
And then when you're on the offensive side, Ricky Seals-Jones,
I'm excited to watch him play at tight end.
I think he could actually make a pretty big impact.
And everyone looks better when you have David Johnson around.
So even though this isn't a sizzle team,
I'm very curious just to watch them
because they're about as different
schematically on offense and defense.
Huge changes.
I mean, couldn't have changed more
in terms of their scheme
on both sides of the ball.
They're going to go from kind of balls out
to very safe on offense
and maybe the reverse on defense.
And we'll have to see.
We'll have to see if Wilkes is a good head coach or not,
but they're just totally different
and has a lot of good young player.
Did you even mention Dan's boy Kim Dice?
I did not because he...
There's a reason for this.
He hasn't done anything yet.
Well, they're hopeful that maybe he can do something, but he's there.
I'll give my next Kim Dice performance when he actually shows up in the news on any tangible level.
Well, you people don't know is the number two receiver for the Arizona Cardinals.
Chad Williams right now.
Bryce Butler.
Bryce Butler.
Oof.
Chad Williams is in the mix.
They, you know, they have.
They don't have a lot of.
You better hope that.
Greg Littles in their camp.
What if Larry Fitz gets old?
Greg Little was getting some pop the other.
the day too.
Christian Kirk,
they drafted to play some snaps.
My answer to that pop that he's getting is that the Broncos head beat
writers said that Paxton Lynch was the star of practice today.
Who cares?
It's training camp.
That tells me all I need to know.
You know,
who's getting a ton of buzz down over in Maryland is John Brown.
Yes, sir.
Yep.
I think the Cardinals to me are going to be that team where I think the most overrated
maxim in sports is nothing harder than winning a game in the NFL.
You know, it's like, no, it's equally...
I thought it was hitting a baseball.
Right.
No, it's equally hard as every other sport.
One team wins, one team wins every single week.
And it's not that hard to win six games is going to be my larger point.
And the Cardinals feel to me like no one's paying any attention,
and I think they'll find a way to get to six or seven wins.
I agree.
I feel like the most overrated maxim was the September 98 issue with Alyssa Milano.
Oh, hey now.
Way to go, Lad.
Ladd-Mag talk.
All right, good said, guys.
Mark, I stopped talking.
He just wants his syngar money.
I talked nonstop during that segment.
I won it.
Yes, you do.
Good job, Mark.
You're the winner.
You get the money in the sin jar.
Including the money that Greg took and put back in his pocket.
You've already won more games than what was that team you were for last year?
Nice try, Greg.
What if you use that sin jar money to buy us the sandwiches you owe?
Bought you two sandwiches.
I do owe Greg one.
and I probably own another two or three rounds, so maybe I will.
Before we go, Training Camp Spotlight, presented by New Era.
We're going to do 60 seconds on the Hall of Fame game, Baltimore versus Chicago.
Start the clock, Erica.
Go, Eric.
Best Hall of Fame game ever, because it will have like two quarters of Lamar Jackson.
That's it.
What could be better?
Got like 54 seconds left.
Mitcher Tribusky in Nagy's new office.
Offense.
For like one drive or some nonsense.
Yeah, I don't know how much we'll see of any of this stuff,
but I think Lamar Jackson, we may not see Flacko at all either,
but I'd like to see a little bit of Baltimore's new wide receivers
if they want to put them out a bit.
But Lamar Jackson's been the most talked-about guy
of the entire preseason.
Are they going to put Alan Chris on this game?
Yeah.
That's cool.
Pre-season four rookie quarterbacks.
I mean, that's to me the most funnating to watch,
and I think you'll get a lot more entertainment
because Lamar Jackson is going to be heavily involved.
Best Hall of Fame game?
Was it the one where the great?
grass, the paint on the grass congealed and they canceled it?
Yeah, that was awesome.
I thought that was probably the most memorable moment in Hall of Fame game history,
the game that didn't even take place.
Wes would agree.
Good chance to watch Gus Edwards run 20 times for 47 yards.
Again, the Around the NFL, oh, that was Training Camp Spotlight presented by New Era.
The Around the NFL video show presented by New Era streams Thursday at noon Eastern NFL.com
ATN Live and yes, have you nominated
the Around the NFL podcast for the listener
podcast awards yet? Oh, my goodness.
Stop the box. Hopefully because yesterday was the
last day to do it. Oh,
get rid of the Cod!
All right. Yes, we'll be back
on Friday. It will be our remote
show from Los Angeles Rams Camp. Very
exciting. So please tune in for that.
Is that another dollar? I guess not.
We're out of the Sague. Mark's not
getting any more money from me.
So yes, make sure you tune in for that. We are
off to camp. This is Dan Han,
is signing up for quiet storm the mailman the old boss the loose cannon behind the glass
help you feel better there it's on till Friday
everybody gets a free hat this is an iHeart podcast
