The Athletic Football Show: A show about the NFL - Hop aboard the 2023 QB Carousel!

Episode Date: February 20, 2023

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, step right up to the NFL offseason's greatest attraction...that's right, it's the quarterback carousel! Where will Aaron Rodgers get off this great, big, spinning wheel? Will Derek Carr be the first QB to find a new home? And what's next for all the teams in the quarterback market? Your ringmasters Robert Mays and Nate Tice assess it all on this episode of The Athletic Football Show.Follow Robert on Twitter: @robertmaysFollow Nate on Twitter: @Nate_TiceSubscribe to The Athletic Football Show...AppleSpotifyYouTubeToday's show is brought to you by...Atlassian: For projects impossible alone, visit www.atlassian.com3:00 New York Jets9:00 Las Vegas Raiders18:20 Indianapolis Colts27:30 Washington Commanders35:19 Tampa Bay Buccaneers40:19 Carolina Panthers55:19 New Orleans Saints62:45 All the other riders on the carousel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the athletic football show. Welcome. The athletic football show. I'm Robert Mays. Joining me today. It's my good friend Nate Tyson. How you doing, buddy? Doing very well.

I'm recovered. I'm feeling great. I got half my face sought off. But other than that, I feel great. Really ramping up and start watching some college film. Oh, man. Here's sick. Oh, I'm ready to rock.

I took two days off from film watching. And then Will Levis. Let's watch some end season games of Will Levis. Let's get going into that season. That's exactly what the NFL season is. It's a year-round sport. It's a year-round podcast. It's a year-round sport.

That's exactly always have to remind myself. All right. So we are back at it here. Just a heads-up for people. We're recording this on Friday. The show will be available to you on Monday. We were going to do a quarterback carousel show like two weeks ago. Yeah.

And the day we were going to do it, Sean Payton and D'Amico Ryans got hired five minutes before we started recording. The nice part is we'd already prep the show. So a lot of the conversation we were going to have, we're just going to have today. But if something happens over the next 48 hours, which it might. Yes, it might. I don't know when Aaron Rogers is scheduled to return from the darkness.

Derek Carr is available to sign as a free agent anywhere. Just stuff to keep in mind. What we're going to do is... I had a control F. Tom Brady and delete his name for a couple of my notes. I mean, there's one team here that my answer to what they should do now is just a shrug. So that's how it's going to be. I have a question mark on one of them. So yes, that's the exact same thing.

We're going to do is, this is how I'm going to do it. We're going to run through the teams that potentially would be in need of a new quarterback. We're going to talk about how worried they should be about their quarterback situation, what you would like them to do, and what you feel is a more likely option of what you think will happen with these teams. So speaking of Aaron Rogers, let's start. start with the New York Jets. One out of 10, how worried are you about the New York Jets quarterback situation? I'm worried.

I feel like they'll find an answer, but an eight was my original answer. Wow, eight. I was a little bit, a little calmer than that. I know. And it's more just, I feel like that's just the feeling that they have. I feel like they're going to find an answer. So really it's a little lower than that. But it's more like, it's the Jets.

So they kind of like that New York minute, that New York speed to this. So it feels very, very antsy. But I think it's more just privately, it's an eight because it's just like a lot of screaming going on right now. But overall, I do think they're going to find an answer on this free agent or trade market. So really, it's like it's a three that feels like an eight. I think maybe that's my final answer for this. I'm at a six for this reason. I'm with you in that they seem really motivated to get something done.

I mean, it's an open secret that they really want a veteran option here to be able to kind of stabilize this thing. The reason that I am as concerned about it as I am, they have a good core players. There's an urgency there because I think they want to maximize that young foundation that they have. Even if we can assume that their defense may take a slight step back because defenses tend to do that. Quinn and Williams, Sauce Gardner, the defensive line rotation that they have, Garrett Wilson, they have some nice pieces there. And I can understand why, in their minds, the right. quarterback can be the rug that ties that room all together. Absolutely. So what do you want to see

the Jets do at quarterback? What I'd like them to do. I would really like them to either go with Derek Carr or Jimmy G. As opposed to trading for Aaron Rogers. You don't like fun. I know. My actual, my first original answer was let's get Aaron Rogers in New York. What's the worst that can happen? but I think deep down it is it is there's what's stay away from the trade you just don't have to you know mortgage a bit of your future and I get it I completely agree with you because my first note of all this is they have a pretty good window in 2023 and in fact like you just refer to the young talent they just the division kind of is in a transition I know the bills bills are have to have some answer some questions this off season the Patriots are getting Bill O'Brien which

will help, I think, bring some stability to that team, but they're in transition. The Dolphins, what's going on with 2-1, what they're trying to figure out as well. So it's kind of interesting in the AFCEs. So I think my, like, heart is saying one thing and my head saying one thing. So my heart's saying Aaron Rogers, but my head saying Derek Carr or Jimmy G. I think would be a good. It makes sense, too, by the way. They got, they just signed Todd Downing onto their staff who has, who has ties with Derek Carr.

Yeah, that's a good point. I didn't think about that. Yeah. They have Nathaniel Hackett, who has ties with Aaron Rogers. Of course, a lot of that Jet Staff are former 49ers guys who have ties to Jimmy G. So that any of those avenues, I think, is what I would like to see him do. I want to see them go get Rogers. I know.

It kind of seems inevitable. Let's say it's just the 13th overall pick, because the market for Rogers may not be that robust. He's 38 years old. They have the contract. Isn't that prohibitive? So if you look at it, a team trading for Rogers at the right time, it'd be a $16 million dollar cap hit essentially in 2020 23 and a $32.5 million cap hit in

24. If he was willing to play beyond that, maybe you tweak it a little bit because it's $51 million in 2025. So part of it the concern would be some of the dead money potentially remaining if he only wanted to play one year. Hopefully you talk to him some assurances

that you'd get two years if you were going to give up the first wrong pick for him. There's so many different layers to this. But I would like to see the Jets go get him. One, because I'd like to see Aaron Rogers with that young core of pieces and what that team could look like. And two, because the opportunities for entertainment are endless if he goes to New York. I mean, think about that.

It would be the best. It really would just even, it would inject. Remember when he was doing the kind of already the will I won't want I kind of thing? It was like, we just kind of brush this side. It's like, okay, we're not doing this right now. Like we'll get to this when he makes a decision. This would inject some like, this is like a nice spinoff to a great TV show that run its course. So, like, that's what I think would be so entertaining about this.

But you're right. Even on the football sense, the offensive line would get healthier. They have to get healthier. They have some cool pieces. It was $16 million only dedicated to him against the cap. They would have some resources to potentially pump some more money into that position. It's an interesting team. It would be a very, it would be a good team.

And I know. I do think the entertainment factor on and off the field would be worth, worth it as a neutral fan that just wants to watch all this stuff. It wants to watch the most entertaining product possible. They're up against it cap-wise, but they can move on from a couple guys pretty easily. Corey Davis being the most obvious one, but there's some cost-cutting moves that they could potentially make to free up some space. If Rogers doesn't go to the Jets, is there another team that would make sense to you? Because I had a hard time kind of landing on an obvious option. I think the Raiders, but even then that was kind of, wait, I didn't love it.

That's maybe just, I know I don't love it, but that was really, the tea leaves, I thought Brady made sense there. Okay? It did. Obviously, there's so many things pointing to that. But even some stuff that Dave Ziegler has said about wanting to kind of build this thing the right way. Some of the things they did last year didn't go by that. You know, the Chandler Jones contract, more so even that the Devante Adams trade, in my opinion,

because going to get Devante Adams, especially if you're going to get on a rookie quarterback deal, I think is totally fine. We've seen what those players can do. and now the Raiders are in a position to go get a guy. You can go get a quarterback. They have a seventh overall pick. They may not even have to trade anything to be in a position to get Anthony Richardson, whoever ends up being there.

I don't want to start getting a name specific as far in advance. But whoever ends up being there. And now you can drop that guy into an offense with Devante Adams, Darren Waller, Hunter Renfro, and then potentially use some of those resources to build up the offensive line. these moves that we've seen the eagles, the dolphins, where they're going to get that big name receiver after the quarterback is already there, in Vegas, it would just be flipped by a year. So that I could understand.

The Chandler Jones contract is still like a pretty microwave win now sort of move for a team that really didn't need that. But yeah, they need some old line juice. And I think this team is so you know, I'll just talk about, share the notes with the Raiders. I think I did say like the Roger stuff would make sense as far as the, that's the Tom Brady move, but you're trading for him instead of just like, hey, Tom,

come on over. And there's a familiarity too. You don't give up any picks and it's just a built-in familiarity with the offense, with the play call, or all that stuff. But this is a team. They can choose your adventure. Like they don't have to move up.

They might get the, this QB class, the term I'm going to use. And time and time again is, you know, eye the beholder. And, but at seven,

a guy could drop there. You don't know which guy of these four names are getting brought up. that could drop to seven. There's other players at other positions that are going to fill out those spots, especially on the top two defensive guys. And if not, you got, you know, they have ties with Jacoby Bresset. McDaniels has ties with Jimmy G. Like those are also guys that, those are other guys that they can have an answer

just to get through this year if they want, they want to kick that can down the road. So the Raiders are interesting. They're really, really interesting team more than, more than I thought maybe coming into this process. So we didn't talk about this with the Jets, but just very quickly. Yes. What is the most likely thing in your mind to happen with the Jets? Not what you want to have happened.

What is the most likely thing? I do think the Rogers thing happens. Oh, interesting. I see, I don't. I think he stays in Green Bay. I think the most likely thing is that they go get one of those veteran quarterbacks that's one step down. Like Derek Carr being kind of the consolation prize for them if he doesn't go to the Saints,

which we'll get into. And then Jimmy Garapo after that. With the Raiders, I would like them to kind of maneuver for a quarterback. back in the top 10, I think that makes the most sense with where they are and with what the rest of their team looks like. And for them, I think that is now most likely to happen. I just think that they're positioned for it now that Brady's off the table. Like that to me feels like the outcome we're probably trending towards with the Raiders. Do you agree? Yeah, I really do. It's one of the, I think you mentioned this on the pot a few weeks ago. You're like, they have the seventh pick. Like,

they're not like, they're not just out of this. Like, I know you just said five minutes ago, but I'm just saying that I think it's kind of forgotten. It's like they could still draft a guy. Like this isn't, they're not a team that's just going to like, oh, we're automatically going to a vet. So I think that's honestly really that I really do think they're more into that rookie QB, the drafting a guy than people have realized and tabbing the guy and starting the clock on it and McDaniel's getting his handpicked guy to like start this process. It's, it's interesting team because they, like you said, the Chandler Jones is really more okay. It seems like almost like an Albatross contract now. But still, you have resources. You're not

like dropping this rookie deal, rookie quarterback into just the deep end. Hunter Renfro, Darren Waller, and Devante Adams for a rookie quarterback. Holy crap, that's going to really help lift you up with Josh B. Daniels's kind of going about it. I totally agree. And I just don't understand why you'd move on from Derek Carr at like with $35 million, whatever Derek Carr's cap number was to then go sign a veteran quarterback for like $25 million.

They have so much cap space to be able to get on. that rookie quarterback financial clock and use the financial flexibility they now have to build up the rest of the roster, that is a much quicker path to contention, in my opinion, like real contention, than finding some stopgap quarterback that's the 16th highest paid quarterback in the league, and then having less flexibility to build out the rest of your roster. And also wouldn't you want to kind of maybe gear up for 2024 when you just watch another team of your division win the Super Bowl? You watch the charger. Chargers are all in basically. And you have the, I know, they're all in at this point in time. And then you have the Broncos just signing Sean Peyton. It's kind of one of those where it's like, yeah, maybe we'll just move that window one year down the road because Josh McDaniels isn't going anywhere. I mean, maybe after Mark Davis talked to him in the Tennessee Titans locker room, maybe he, maybe that was a maybe I should get the cart before the horse here. But I do think that maybe that changes their window and changes their path. And it makes. sense to me. It makes sense that they draft a guy more than I thought maybe a few weeks ago.

Yeah, I'm totally with you. I just think that that's some more prudent approach here. Okay. And then how worried are you about the Raiders? I'm not that worried solely because I think they have avenues. I don't think they're painted into a corner. I think I put a four on it. That's exactly where I am. I think that they're in a pretty good spot, all things considered, with that top 10 pick and with the financial flexibility. They're an interesting team. I'm really curious what they do this offseason because it's going to signal a lot with that team thinks about where they're at. I mean, what they are as an organization. Yeah,

they're a very, very interesting team. I almost think that the rookie quarterback deal and them losing as many games as they did in kind of awful fashion, they're better than their record. The Raiders are better than their record. So you kind of better. Yeah. And you have some pieces, but you can really reshape this thing. Yes.

I mean, the only real bad contract that you're locked into is the Chandler-Jones deal. That's the only one. you're looking at it's like man that's a lot of money it's 19 money for chanelish they've max crosby under a deal on a low market deal yes cross he's on a below market deal he's making 20 million against the cap this year colton miller's making 17.7 which is more than palatable for starting left tackle in the NFL that's like i always think about it as the jake matthews contract like colt miller's just got the jake matthews contract yes where you're paying in between 17 to 20 million or that percentage of the cap and you just don't have to worry about it and those are

extremely valuable. DeAnd Dawkins, I was going to say Donovan Smith before this season. But that tier, and Colt Miller is better than Donovan Smith was last year. But that tier of left tackle is just like, great. Yeah, wait to see what Orlando Brown gets and then what Colt Miller is getting paid. And that's really it. The only other big time veteran contracts that they've handed out are to Devante, Hunter Renfro, and Darren Wall.

And I would understand why you pay those guys. They all make a ton of sense. Also, we didn't mention this on our coaching roundup, Scott Turner with the Raiders. Really, really like that. It is, in my opinion, the perfect role for him. It's perfect. Ideas guy. He can just be the ideas guy.

And I think that I think he did a very solid job with Washington. I think he got more out of that offensive personnel, especially a quarterback for stretches of his tenure there. But I think part of the frustration that some guys had was lack of problems with sequencing, problems with like kind of overall operation and execution with what the play calling looked like, but he's really creative. So kind of going in there as an ideas guy with that sort of skill position talent, I think is a really nice piece to add to your offensive staff.

Especially going with McDaniels, who I do think is a great play caller as far as like you're saying, sequencing. I always try to say these two things. Play design and play calling. Some guys are amazing at both and some guys can be all over the place. but McDaniels is a great play caller. He could be a little old school with some of his ideas. It's all sound, but sometimes it's like, all right, come on.

Like really, your gadget play is going to be that gadget play again, the double throwback, the same exact thing you've been doing for 20 years. Hey, it's not broke, don't fix it. But it's also, now you got Scott Turner, who also has some soundness because, you know, being Norse on, they've run a lot of old North Turner concepts. I think it's a great fit. I really do, but he's kind of has some more new age ideas. Yeah, I really, really like that.

former UNLV quarterback, so that makes sense as well. Where do you think the Raiders ranked an offensive DPA per play this season? 12th. Ninth. Ninth. Ninth. Yeah. Yeah.

So the sky is falling. What? Ninth. Like, they, it's the general infrastructure of what they have there, dropping a rookie quarterback into that. I like it. And it's, it's kind of juicy to me.

Didn't they have, like, a total historical, how many, like, blown leads they had to? which that's just... Their record in one score of games, I think, was the second worst in the league outside of the Bears. Or it was at a certain point. I mean, the Bears was awful, but it was right there. They were better than their record. It's just like the... It's all of the little signposts that should make you kind of enthusiastic about what they could be with a certain right moves.

I was going to say that honestly, you could just too long, didn't read this conversation between me and Robert, and it's just me and Robert buying stock on the Raiders. That's what this last 15 minutes just was. I'm horrified by. We just talked ourselves into the Raiders a little bit. All right. Talking about teams are maybe not as excited about the Indianapolis Colts. Okay. How worried are you about the Colts?

And I want to be clear about this about their quarterback situation specifically. I said a 10 because I said to find the right. They are, I mean, every smoke signal is like we're finding a guy. I think it's more that they have to find the right guy because this is their start this path. Okay. All right. So I understand. that. But I mind's a three because they're positioned to get one. I'll read my extended note.

In a weird way, I think they've lost all the pressure of thinking they're competing, but I do think there's pressure to find the true guy to build around. They're free. They've been unshackled with what their expectations are. And I think that's a good thing. It is. It's again, I'm talking about both sides of my mouth. So it's kind of like overall, they're in a great position to find a guy, but they're the 10, the pressure is finding the right guy, which is everybody with every quarterback decision ever in the history of the NFL. I said a three, just because you're in a real spot with a real path forward now. Yeah.

Like, it's not, there's no ambiguity about how you should handle this. You have the fourth overall pick. Your owner is openly talking about some of the quarterback prospects. The Alabama guy. Listen, I've said that, I'll say this on every time we talk about quarterbacks. They're all great. There's one generational prospect that you should trade everything you have for to move up to number one.

I don't know which one it is, but it's the guy you think it is. That's exactly what it is. Close your eyes. Yep, it's that guy. That's exactly who it is. It's worth giving up your top five pick, 2004 first, and just like a little pocket change you got somewhere else. If you don't need that third rounder,

Chris Ballard, Jim Mersey, you're right. The guy that you have conviction on is the guy, and you should go to number one to get him. What would you like them to do? I think that this is pretty obvious answer. I said, find a guy in fucking. commit. That's it. That's it. That's fine a guy. Draft a quarterback in the top five. Yep. What will likely happen? Draft a quarterback in the top five. Like, there's just so little ambiguity here. The only ambiguity is which guy it is. And what sort of maneuvering needs to happen for them to get that guy. Do they think they need to go up to one to prevent the Texans from potentially getting that guy? Yeah. Or somebody else. You never know.

Quarterbacks are a different ball game, right? Yes. if you have to do some of that, then that's okay. That is okay. So whatever that ends up looking like, if it costs a little bit of a premium to have to go do it, that's fine. But with the Colts, there's just, again,

there's not a lot of ambiguity to me. There's 22 guys, 22 starters you have on offensive defense. You move mountains for quarterbacks. Like you just do. Like, if you have conviction of them, I know that can kneecap a team, but quarterback is quarterback.

And if you nail a guy, it changes your whole franchise. I mean, the Colts know that better than anybody, especially with a couple number of picks they've had over the years and what's happened to them. My one prediction is it likely happened, I go, I think a different team leapfrocks them. And they're not the team that moves up. I really like, I don't know. It's surprise me at all.

I know. I think that's my, that's my prediction. I think a different team leapfrogs them. They end up staying in pot. Like, I really do. I don't know. I am so interested in how they approach this. And again, I don't want to get too far ahead of it because we have months to discuss this.

Oh, I know. I mentioned this when we were talking about something unrelated a couple weeks ago. I think we were just like sitting at the table at the super who is the one quarterback that Chris Ballard has spent like a real draft asset on in like the last three or four years. It's not Sam Ellinger. He was a sixth round pick. That's a little bit further down to me. I can't even think.

So let's. I'm wrecking my brain. Let's have the number be a top 125 pick, the arbitrary number that I'm going to throw out there. Why can't think of anyone? Because he didn't play. Yeah. Who was it? Jacob Eason.

Oh, that's right. Okay. Now, picture Jacob Eason. Yes, six five. And then picture Bryce Young. Yes. Yes. That's all I'll say.

Have you seen the tight ends that Chris Bauer drafts and receivers that Chris Bauer drafts? He has a, he has a size fetish. He might not be the guy. Hey, as a guy that is a sucker for big and fast, I mean, I'm always going to defer to that. so I'm not like, I'm not pot calling the kettle black here. But I do think it's a team. This is one of the note I have.

I don't think that this team situation is as bad as people are making it out to be where it's like this whole blow up the thing. It's not a rebuild. It's a remodel. It's already blown up. Yes. They have as much flexibility as you could really want. As anyone. They have some contracts that they've handed out.

And for the most part, their frugleness has put them at a position to kind of restructure this thing in real time if they want to. With a head coach that I think is creative and is it going to get the most, I think, out of the quarterback. I'm really optimistic. Yeah, I don't know. I like where they're kind of at right now. But that's the thing, too, is, is Boward making the pick or is the owner making the pick? And that becomes another question, right? Yes.

But also him hinting at the Alabama guy makes me think that's a big old fat smoke signal. So right now, if they move on from Matt Ryan, which I assume they will, they have $30 million in cap space. just immediately. And there are other deals that they can get out of, which I'll be curious to see what that ends up looking like. Kenny Moore has no guaranteed money left on his deal. Ryan Kelly only has a few million dollars in dead money left on his deal. So even with some of those contracts that they've handed out and Shaq Leonard and DeForest Buckner and Braden Smith all making $20 million a year, they still have some flexibility, especially if they draft a rookie quarterback. Yeah.

Which I have to assume they are going to do. come on. It's come on. They have to. I think that's one of all the lines I've had, all the notes I haven't. That's the one I feel the best about. I feel the same way about this one that we're about to do. Let's stay in the division.

Houston Texans. How worried should they be about the quarterback situation? I said, well, overall worried, like what they have. Yeah, worried. But as far as what they're going to do, I think that's like a two. I have a two. I have exactly two. Same exact thing, though.

10 to hit the guy, but two is what they can do about the guy, which makes sense. They've the number two pick. There's no ambiguity. They are going to draft a quarterback and they should. This is the correct timeline. Yes, absolutely. And also they get their guy. I think they have a head coach.

They finally committed on the head coach. So it's commit on the quarterback as well as far as what they want to do the next steps as a franchise. What would you like them to do? Draft a quarterback in the top two. What will likely happen? Draft the quarterback in the top two. Check, check, check.

Don't think there's a lot to dig into with that. I don't think so either. I don't think they'll bump up to one. I think they're in kind of like a pretty, prime position to. I actually would love if they, like, manipulated if they liked a different guy and they had someone traded up to the two and they moved back to spots or something like that. Like that would be like the prime thing and they still got their guy. But as they're getting a quarterback as there is a market for the number one overall pick, I do not care of these Texas do. That's all you care about. More more power to you guys. As long as I think they're in a good spot. I do not care about what these Texans do. Okay. And they're making some interesting hires too, by the way. Their staff too. I know I know we got yelled at for not talking about Texans hires. But it's an interesting staff that they're putting together.

I really do think, like, yeah, I'm happy for Texans fans because we haven't talked about it, I feel like in a decade. And now it's like, okay, you guys are interesting again. I love your head coach. I think, like, you guys are actually going to go on a path to somewhat of relevance that we talk about you guys again. The irony is that I used to love the Texans. Like, I used to have like a weird fascination with the Texans. The Kubiak Texans were my, I love them. Andre Johnson's one of my favorite players ever.

Like, I loved watching. I mean, it's not a surprise now because they were Kyle Shanahan or coordinated offenses. But that was before Kyle Shanahan was Kyle Shanahan. Yeah. And like 0-8-09, those Texans teams, I loved watching those Texans teams. That to me is just the ideal of like football aesthetic beauty is just those by the book, outside zone big boot Texans teams from that era where it was Steve Slayton and Arian Foster and Chris Myers was the start. Center. Owen Daniels. Owen Daniels was on those teams.

I absolutely loved those teams. So I spent a lot of time rooting for the Texans. I had a Texan Super Bowl bet in 2013. They were 30 to 1 before the season. And that was when the TJ Yates thing happened. Like that, that was 2012. That was when the T.J. Yates thing happened. I was very bummed about that.

But I am more than happy to start paying more attention to the Texans again. All right. T.J. Yates is a coach for the Falcons. He is. He's now, now he's coaching. Good for him. All right. Let's get to a team that I, a little bit of different conversation.

The Washington football team. How worried should they be? Dude, this is the one I, I don't know what, I mean, they have Sam Howell starting quarterback right now. They, that's what they committed to. This is the one I was like, I don't know. I don't know how worried they should be because I don't know what they want. All of the smoke coming out of there seems to indicate that they want to roll with Sam Howell

as their starting quarterback. how realistic that is, I don't know. Why they would want that out there? I don't know. Right. I don't know if they just think that having Sam Howe is best for the financial question, because they move on from once for nothing. So they would have like $35 million in cap space.

Sam Howell is making $16 a change. I'd have to assume. So that is a huge, $960,000. Your taco cart bill is higher than his. salary for this next. I'm telling you that. That's probably true. So you have financial flexibility if you do that.

You can build up the rest of the roster. Also, it's a team in transition. There's a chance the team gets sold. Do you want to commit to a quarterback? Because that sort of thing is happening. I can understand just rolling with Sam Howe. It just is a bold decision. Also, while you're potentially bringing in a new offensive coordinator,

if Eric B. Enemy gets that job, which it seems like the writing on the wall might be that he's going to get it. Yeah, it does. This team, like, even for me, like, I'll just jump ahead, but like what you like to do or best case. It's like, this is a team that might go after a guy like Teddy Bridgewater just to have kind of like some competency in the room as well with Sam Howell. But truly, I don't know. Like this team is such in transition that the path they go on, these next steps are going to be really interesting. They're losing guys like DeRon Payne to Free Agency, like who had a great year this last year.

So it's not, you know, Chase Young is going to be healthy again. So they still have some strength on that defense. but this team is, yeah, it's such a grab bag of what they could possibly do in this offseason the next season. Because truly, it feels like it's a franchise in flux, which makes sense for their quarterback position being in flux as well. What I would like them to do, I think selfishly, is to go get a competent veteran quarterback. Yeah. Because I think the weapons are really good. Amazing.

So I would just want to see what they look like with the 14th best quarterback. quarterback in the league. Like if the Washington football team was quarterbacked by Derek Carl Ryan Tannahill, what would they look like? I can also understand. That's a name I'd even kind of come back to. Yeah. That's the one I kept coming back to as part of this. And he's a pro. You know, that that's a actually, I really like that fit with Tana Hill. I actually, that's a name I'd even bring up. Yeah, I went with Teddy Bridgewater, but yeah, I would really like Tanna Hill with this team. If you traded for Ryan Tannahill, if you were a team that did it, we gave up a whatever pick it would take to get Ryan Tano. It's a $27 million base salary this year. You want to sign him

an extension, get that number down and just have it be, you know, not a big extension, obviously. Yeah, but like a year by year deal basically. On accounting mechanism to get that base salary down, maybe toss him a little bit more guaranteed money, but you can move on after a year if you wanted to. Okay. That's more than enough for what Ryan Tanaill is. He is a good NFL quarterback. He's a capable NFL quarterback. Very capable. I just, it seems like they might not want to go that route with committing those sort of resources to a veteran. And I guess I understand that.

But because they need to rebuild some of the offensive line, I think both their starting guards are hitting free agency. Yes, they are. Rue has been hurt consistently. So maybe they feel like, all right, we want to use some of the resources there. I don't know what they're thinking is, but it's tempting to me to just plug one of those guys in there and just say, they have the weapons. Like they just haven't had even average quarterback play for the last like four years. So I want to see it.

It's like they can never just get everything. The stars never aligned. No, never. They never would. Like, okay. Because their line was good two years ago.

Yes. I was going to say their lines healthy. Yes. I know. And then it's like, oh, the receivers finally got healthy. We got to see Terry and Dotson,

Samuel all playing together. And then the old line falls apart and wence is wence. Like, you know, they could just never kind of get everything aligned perfectly. So I know, this team needs it so bad. What do you think will likely happen? And this is my note.

This was my question mark note. Shrug, I said, you tell me it's, it's, I think they really do. I think there is some truth to the same Halel stuff. Howl did enough. Like how, okay, fine. Like he can throw a hell of a deep ball and he can create a little bit with his legs. That's not bad if you're on a team that needs something.

But I really do think they find some vet in some way, shape, or form because they're not in a position to draft one. So I do think they find some vet. I said a QB from the deep end of the free agent pool gets paired with Sam Howl. Yep. It was my best guess. And the one I thought about that I just thought would be fun as hell with the players they have is James. Oh.

I love that. Man, you got creative with this team. And I like that. Yeah, James is a good one. If anyone just heard that laugh, that was a real laugh for me that I said I wasn't a time. Just about just think about it. Just think about James with Johan Dotson and Terry McCorn and. Samuel like, bombs away.

There's some real entertainment value there. Maybe they don't want to go that route. But with the defense, I can kind of like really keep them in games too. I don't know. I don't hate that. I don't hate that whatsoever. I like that. Yeah, a deep end.

I want to say bottom of the barrel, but a deeper, deep bench quarterback from the two years, $11 million. Done. Don't even think twice about it. James gets the, the Tyrod Taylor contract from last year or the Tadaybridge water contract from last year, where it's the high, high end backup that can potentially be a bridge guy if you need him. Yep.

All right. Next one here. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Wow. How worried should they be? Nine? I had exactly a nine. This is ridiculous.

They're losing Brady. Their talent is kind of middle-aged. It's a weird team now that they lose Tom Brady, which is so funny how these things change. It's a year-to-year league. Year-to-week league, a week-to-week league. And, yeah, I'm at a nine with them because. I know they have Kyle Trass, they draft them, but they like refuse to give them reps over the last couple of years.

So I can't really see much of that. And it seems like they're trying to find that to turn over every stone to find an answer they're a quarterback. And they're not really in a position to draft one either. So right now, as things currently stand, the Tampa Bay bucks are $55 million over the 20, 23 salary cap. Not ideal. That will change.

So the worst case scenario for them is if Brady had just walked to another team. because they have a 35, Brady has a $35 million dead cap hit this year. That can be massaged now. Yeah. Because they can sign him to an extension. It's essentially what the Saints did with Drew Breeze when Drew Breeze decided to retire. So I think that they can get that number down to like 11 million.

They say team friendly deals. It's a team friendly retirement. That's kind of what it breaks down to. It's the NFC South's way of doing it. So they can bring that down to 11 million, okay? There's still $30 million over the cap. with that 11 million. So there we've seen

I just want to say real quick. I understand why they did that though. I totally understand why they did that. So I'm not, I don't want to like knock their team building process. They were in a unique situation with their roster and with their quarterback. So I understand why they did it.

I, I personally think that they should consider giving up like a top 60-ish pick to trade Mike Evans as a post-June first trade. I think they should trade him to a. team that needs a big ball winning player on the outside and has a quarterback that likes to hunt down the field. That's personally what I think. Man, there's one in particular I can think of. If they did that, they save like 14 more million dollars against the cap. I mean, we're slowly chipping away at this thing. But the long and the short of it is, they do not have a lot of flexibility.

This is a team that's not in a position to draft a quarterback, and it's a team that doesn't have a lot a financial wiggle room. So I don't really know what they're going to do. It's hard for me to come up to come up with a solution that really makes a lot of sense. The one I came back to here, just the name we already mentioned, what if they traded for Ryan Tannanhill? And you sign him to an extension that gets that number down to 10 million or whatever it is in year one. And you have an answer that still kind of squeezes as much as you can out of a pretty good core of talent that you've built there. They still have Worf's. They're still of Winfield, the Sevea, Godwin's Under a deal.

Like, it's not like this team is like, oh, fully nuke them. But like the Evans thing makes sense. That's what it is. You got to start kind of shopping some of those types of deals around. But you still have some interesting dudes on this team, Rashad White. But I like the Tana, I like the Tana Hill thing. That makes sense. said, I said start hunting in the middle market aisles. That's, that's what it is. That's where,

that's where they're going to be shot out. I just mix up my idioms there, but start shopping in the middle market aisles. I think that's kind of what they have to go about and see what they have in Trask. I have no idea what they feel about them. I really don't. So I will see what kind of, what they have to do. They just, I think they just have to build that room by patchwork it together in some way, shape, or form. Yeah, I think that they want to continue to try to compete. I think that where they are right now, that makes a lot of sense. Is this a Garapolo team, you know, for the right price? If you sign him to a multi-year deal, can you really pump that number down in year one

when you're having to take your medicine? And they're sitting with a lot of financial flexibility in 2024. So just can you get creative where you're being competitive right now, but you're not necessarily really overspending for a Rogers or a Derrick Carr or something like that? they they they they you're reconfiguring this year to kind of okay so we can just look in in 2024 and then we're okay now we're back into where we want to be they like we we got to emphasize they have some cool young players so it's not like this team is just like oh man I don't know what the hell they do so I agree it's kind of like I don't say you punt on the year but you

find a way to just get through this year and like you say take your medicine eat your vegetables and get through it all right let's stay in the division here Carolina panthers how how worried should they be okay this is my first note because I think I was pretty excited to talk about them. I said to find someone to start for them in 2023, like a seven or eight, to find a long-term solution like a three. That that's kind of how I would about it. Eight and three, I keep coming back to those numbers because I'm a coward. But they really have nobody to start for them in 2023, depending on I feel on Matt Corral, which. Matt Corral is the quarterback that they have under contract. Yeah, which I personally don't feel high

about. But it's, yeah, so I really, really kind of like an eight. But I do think. think they do have some interesting options. So I guess that number kind of goes down a little bit. I'm not that worried about it. I put it out of five. It kind of reminds me of how I feel about the Jets to an extent where they don't have an option right now and you have a roster that's worth trying to get something out of it. But the difference with them and the Jets is they are positioned to potentially go get somebody. They don't have a lot of financial wiggle room. But in the draft, they can pretty easily make this happen. They have the ninth overall pick and look at all the extra picks that they have from

McCaffrey trade. They have the 40th pick. They have the 602nd pick. They have the 133rd pick, which is an extra fourth rounder. They don't own their third rounder because they traded it to the Patriots to go get Matt Corral, which is. And they decided not to give him reps during three season last year. And then when they did, he got hurt.

It was not ideal. It was not an ideal path from last. last summer. They've got some chips that they found in their pocket, though. And that paired with the Madovo. I'll pick. Yes. They seem like the team to me that if you're the bears.

I mean, I know that's a long way to go down. But that from a little bit further down the draft, further down from where the Colts are, that might make a run to just go up to number one and get the guy that they want. Yeah. And make the King's ransom trade. Yeah. I, nope, I agree with that.

And they have an aggressive owner. You always have to remember ownership in these deals. I know we talked about already, but you have to keep that into account. It's a great, great point. And the other side of it is, I think Frank Reich wants off the merry-go-round, man. I think so, too. They both said it. They said it during their press conferences.

Him and Fitterer were just like, yeah, you know, it would be nice to kind of have an answer that we could have and develop. I think there's just so many different motivating factors that would push them toward making that sort of move. They have the chips. They have the sense of urgency to do it. it. They have the scar tissue from going the opposite route over the last three or four years. I just keep coming back to it for them. And if you can drop a rookie quarterback contract into this situation right now, that's my notes on it. It also makes it easier to kind of stomach some of the deals you've handed out. DJ Moore or you're about to hand out, Brian Burns. Those sorts of

moves. So I don't know. I just think this is the team that is incentivized to really go do that. I agree. I'm really interested with the Panthers because one, I like their roster. Two, we already did our coaching roundup show from last week and love the staff they're putting together. So this Panthers team love the O-Line. The O-Line is basically all under contract through 2024, except for the center. And he missed most of the year anyways. They have DJ Moore. And Elfline is still under contract. If they want to just drop him in there, they could do that. So Bozman's hitting free agency, but they even have somebody who's gotten those snaps already. This is a team.

And I, all the quarterbacks in the draft class makes sense to me. If you want to go for the home run swing in Anthony Richardson and sign a Jacoby Brissette who Reich has history with. That's the guy I keep coming back with us. That's, that is kind of that one two, a percent and Anthony Richardson is kind of what I would go with if I were the Panthers. That's just me personally. But I, this could be a great setup.

What would you like them to do? Sign a stopgat veteran, Jacoby percent, draft a quarterback in the top 10. That's, that's what I said. That's what I said. Yeah, I think Jacoby Percipt makes so much sense for this team. Where they're at, what he can do, they're in a position where he gets the most out of the town around him, and he makes sure the bomb doesn't fall out. That's what Jacoby Percipt brings for this team. And then my answer to what will likely happen, I think it's this.

I think this is what will most likely happen. Reich talking about needing quarterback stability, fitter talking about how draft and develop is the best model, extra third, extra second, extra fourth. And they don't have a ton of cap space. They have 27 million in dead money for CMC and Robbie Anderson, the Robbie Anderson contract. Oh, my God. They get a holy shit. Yeah. I mean, that's an all-timer.

Hey, that temple connection, Matt Ruhl had, you know, you got to reward your guys. So I think that that makes a lot of sense. I would love to see them go take a swing because if they could drop the right guy in, that's why you keep DJ more. Yeah. And their offensive line is so much better than some of these other teams we can see drafting in the top 10. usually they kept the old line coach like again another team where it's not hard to sort of build

some enthusiasm about where they're at i agree that's why i said likely happens i said temper make sure the panthers leave a draft with a guy that that's that's kind of where what i think it will happen all right so let's stay in the nfc south all four teams in the nfc south we have no idea who their quarterback is going to be it's insane it's truly insane that an entire division is part of this conversation charles mcdala had a quote where he said the the falcons might have the best quarterback and I have to see south right now just by default. Desmond Ritter. Desmond Ritter. Just by just by default, the two sweetest words in the English language. That's exactly what it is. All right. How worried should the Falcons be about the quarterback situation?

I haven't met a four. I had a three with a question mark. And I had a four with a question mark. See, we're near each other. Yeah. I mean, of course, I'm a Ritter fan. So I have, I have, I'm trying to parse my fandom of Ritter with what their situation should be. So I'm going to do my best in this segment. I had three with the question mark. You got to find a guy at some point. Yeah. But I don't necessarily know if they think this is the year where we got to move mountains to go get our guy.

Or if you can roll with Ritter for one more year. My only concern, so they can move on from Marriota. It's, they say $12 million. They move on from him. They have $69 million in cap space if they move on from Marcus Mario, which it seems like they're going to. My only concern with continuing to kick the can down the road here, we're in year three of Kyle Pitts's rookie contract now.

Some of these guys that you've drafted as the baseline to this very young, very inexpensive team, the cheap years are going to start to run out. Maybe that's not enough to push them toward a decision. Maybe they continue to let it come to them. You let Ritter play for another year. And then you kind of make your swing in 2024 when they're not. there are good quarterbacks available in the draft, which we've heard that they're going to be. I also think they have a top 10 pick, a endless amount of cap space.

If they think that the answer is there right now, there are avenues for them to go get it. And the one I kept coming back to, I spoiled a little bit on the Lindsay Jones show yesterday, what would I like them to do? I want them to trade for Lamar Jackson. Dude, that's exactly as a best, best case is they become. part of the Lamar sweepstakes. That's my exact line. Think about that run game with Lamar Jackson.

Hell yeah. Yes. I have no idea if Arthur Smith likes Lamar Jackson. Right. If Terry Fonno likes Lamar Jackson, if he's their flavor of quarterback. That being said, they sought out Marcus Marietta and the offense that they built is one of the few offenses in the NFL where you can literally just drop Lamar Jackson into it and get exponentially better at quarterback but not have to change anything about who you are.

Every throw that this offense lives with, the digs and all the play action, in breakers, deep stuff. It's Lamar, like circled, start. It's the, it's what I, my picture perfect offense for Lamar. That's really what it is. As far as passing game tied with the running game and that the running game would get only more. creative. It already was with Marriota in there too. But then you get a guy that's exponentially better than Marriota. You got the best running quarterback in the week. It's yeah, it's, it's something I would be really, really excited about. I made the reference to this that sometimes it's like, you know, you, it's the Marvel, what Marvel movies do, what Marvel Studios do. And they signed

the, the low budget directors, see what they do with it. And then they give them the big budget with that. That's what Arthur Smith has done. He's Tekeeta Wakiti. He, he went, what we, What did you just say? Takeda Wakiti? I think that's right. I think that was close. It's definitely not. It's Taika Waititi.

What is it? Taika Waititi. Oh, there's a T and say, okay, that's right. I went to memory off that. But the first two seasons is, and I love his movie. I love his stuff. Tequita? Tequita.

It's Tita. There's no K in the last name. There's no K. Okay. My brain canon is just a magical place. That's unbelievable. I love what we do in the shadows. So I've long been a title of ITI fan.

I was going to say the last two seasons is what we do in shadows. That was remarkable. And then Lamar Jackson. For like three years, that is the greatest performance you've ever had in name pronunciation. Dude, I'd even look up his name because I'm like, oh, I'm going to nail this one.

I got his name and I'm going to impress him too. Oh, God. That was amazing. But Lamar Jackson would be Thor Ragnarock. It would. That's, That's what it'll be big budget. Let's go for it.

I knew I was, I was proud of that one, too. I was like, I'm going to nail this name because I actually, I love his stuff. That was phenomenal. So my brain can't. It's Takeda Wakiti,

and I'm going to stick with that. God, dang it. The Baltimore Ravens ran 332 plays out of pistol last year. Okay. Okay. That was second in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons ran 384.

Oh, yeah. If you look at, so that, they're in their own Zest. zip code. There was only other one other team. There was one other team that ran 100 last season. Okay. So that's what that's one area. Plays in 11 personnel last year.

Oh yeah. The Baltimore Ravens were dead last. It was 12.2%. Yeah. The Falcons were 30 first at 33%. No other team was below 40%. I'm telling you. Like it's it is so easy to imagine. It is. It is.

and think of the, for years what people said, get Lamar this type of receiver. You know what that type of receiver is? Drake London and Kyle Pitts. I'm telling you, man, I just, I can't get it out of my mind. I see him in the uniform. They have the eighth overall pick.

Let's say it starts with that. And even if you got to go another first round pick and more to go get him, they have an unbelievable amount of money. If they wanted to sign him to an extension, that there are just so many things that line up to where if they like him, I just want to see them make a run. And that is what I want to see. Absolutely.

And no, I totally agree with you. And this is, I'm a fan of Desmond Ritter, but Lamar is Lamar's, like, that's, Lamar,

he's already one freaking MVP. He's young. He's a true, true difference maker at the position for a team that has shown, has maximized their talent, especially on offense. They have maximized that talent. And now you're getting with a,

I mean, how many times are we talking about? about with the Greg Roman offense is like, yeah, the run game's great, but man, that passing game leaves a lot, a lot to be desired. And now you're getting a guy that there's no qualms with that as far as what Arthur Smith does with that offense and has personnel that matches Lamar's skill set. They got the backs, too. Tauer Algeria came on the second half of the year. Man, it would be a really interesting fit that I just think is so perfect. What do you think will happen? They sign a stopgap and kick cans on other options. I don't think they, if they, if they

want to draft a guy, they don't draft until 2024 to decide to do so. I do think that's what will potentially happen, even if I want the Lamar thing to happen. I really don't know. Yeah. I really don't know. And they put something close to the vest, too, so you're, no one's going to know. There's going to be no rumors. I really don't know.

This is one. I keep saying his name, but I just think he's a really capable quarterback, and there aren't that many of those. Tannahill and Arthur Smith, obviously, I mean, that's, but do, do, does. Does that move the needle enough? Where does that bring you? It makes you competitive in 20203, but this isn't a team like the Jets where I think that there's a lot of value in having Derek Carr.

The Falcons are just in a different spot right now. They're so far away from real competition in other areas of the roster that going out and getting a quarterback that you're paying $25 million against the cap, it makes you nine and seven. You potentially compete in the NFC South. Is that worth the resources? Maybe. Maybe you say, like, we can be competitive right now. We were competitive this year with really some of the worst quarterback play in the league this season with Mariotta.

If we go get a Ryan Tanna Hill, what can we be in the short term? I understand that thinking, but I don't know if it moves the needle enough for them to go seek that out. They have a top 10 pick. Do they like one of these guys? Do they love one of these guys? So talk about the Panthers going up or the Raiders going up? Do they go up? I don't know.

I truly have no idea what the most likely outcome is. for them because it seems that they can go a bunch of different directions. And they might love Ritter. And we don't know that either. Like they might just go, they might just go screw that. We like Ritter. Let's just get a vet to kind of shore up the room and that's it.

You know, just a stopgap kind of guy to back him up. Like, again, I'll bring up the name. Teddy, even though you can't run. But another guy like that, like that just kind of holds the forward as well and brings a veteran presence.

You just don't know with this team. But I think that's, if you're a Falcons fan, again, I've hinted that this a couple times. I went on a ran about one time. I feel like you should, you should be pretty happy what's going on there in Atlanta.

That's why I'm not super worried, even if they don't really have a clear path to like a difference making guy right now. I think it's cool. I was supposed to how we talked about the Jets and some other teams where it's like they have to get a guy. They need to. Falcons could do what they want. I think they put themselves in an amazing position to do that. And I think as a fan of that team, you should be, I'm not a fan, but if you are a fan of that team, should be pretty happy where you're sitting. All right.

New Orleans Saints. Stick in the NFC sophomore. What's out here? How where it should the Saints be? Oh, man. Hold on one. I organized this terribly. They're not even alphabetical order.

We are going in the same order. So I'm just like throwing these at you random way. I don't even know how I organize this. Like the Saints for what reason are falling under the commanders. And after the Saints, I have the Colts. I don't know how my brain worked on this. But as you see,

as I pronounce director names from New Zealand, that's kind of how my brain works. It's an all-time moment. I was so happy about it. Dude, and I think what's best about that is I thought, I nailed it. And most guys, I say their names because I just mumbled my way through it. I thought I nailed it because I'm a fan of him, but I just kind of was like, yeah, that's what his name is,

Tequito-Wakiti. That's right, nailed it. Do I think, that's what Arthur Smith is now. He's tekeedal wakiti. He's not even the real name. It's just the fake name. But I think, do they think they're competing? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Yes. So if they think they're competing, six or seven, that's kind of where I'm at with it. Like, if they think that's where they're at, yes, then they got to nail this quarterback spot. I'm at seven. Okay. I mean, I don't know.

I just don't know. I just don't know about them. So they have the first round pick now with the Sean Payton trade. So they have a, back end of the first round pick, which, okay. I don't know if that's going to, if they're in a position to trade for anyone or pay for anyone that's worth a first round pick. Like if, let's say, so Derek Carr is visiting the Jets. weekend.

Okay? Yep. Let's say the Jets don't want to wait out Rogers. They signed Derek Carr immediately. Derek Carr is off the table for the Saints. The Packer or the Saints now have that first round pick. Do the Saints try to trade for Aaron Rogers? That would be insane.

It'd be amazing. They tried to train for Sean Watson last year. Yeah. I know. That's kind of like not because I think they think they're competing. So if that's the case, then what sort of moves and what sort of who are they willing to jump through to try to make this thing happen? I mean, they're willing to get rid of first rounders.

We know that. Man, for a penny and for a pound, man. I think that's where we are. For a team, I know, and with their vets they have, that actually makes a lot of sense now. I mean, I wouldn't sign off on it, but it makes sense for. It's hilarious that they're $55 million over the cap, and we're talking about them trading for Aaron Rogers.

and we talked about his contract and everything with that. I know. I think there was so much smoke with the Derek Carr thing and then the trade and now the trades off the table. And Dennis Allen was his rookie your head coach and with the Raiders. So you always got to remember those connections. Cam Jordan's doing a full court press and social media with Derek Carr. He's doing jersey swaps and all that. So obviously they're in the market for somebody. But yeah, the Aaron Rogers thing is interesting. It's a different musical chairs where it's the fake out of musical chairs where Carr and Aaron Rogers go where we just swap them at the last second. I don't have a feel for what that would look like. If it's not Carr and it's not Rogers,

they're a Jimmy G team? Because, again, it kind of keeps you competitive because he's a veteran stopgap. Is that kind of a consolation prize for them? I feel like they will try to go bigger than they went last year when it was the Jamis Andy Dalton combination just because there's episode of 30 Rock where Jack is trying to, like, get Pete's manhood back.

And he's like, I shouldn't have taken you all the way to the tiger. Like, I just, I shouldn't have thought we could get there. I shouldn't have gotten you the tiger. I should have pushed you toward nothing left to lose. And that's where the saints are. Like, you can't push them all the way to the tiger of like sound decision making. Like, they're too far in the other direction. They are.

So we might as well just rev this thing into the red. Lean into it. Lean into the punch, baby. You got it. So what does that look like? I don't know. I just, it just seems like that tier of Jimmy G.

Car. Keep coming back to Ryan Tanna Hill, but just like a quarterback of that ilk, is that who they try to go get? And if the car thing doesn't happen, is the Rogers thing on the table for them. Which is, I think is awesome.

I said what likely happened to Derek Carr, but the Rogers thing is funny. I think if they swap. I still think Carr is the most likely outcome. I mean, he left without a contract. So, I mean,

if he's visiting the job, Yeah, that's, throw that wrench into things. Who knows what's going to happen, but I would like to see them go trade for Rogers. I think that's hilarious. That would be amazing, too. But I think what will likely happen is they'll land somewhere in that second tier of better. Rogers probably already has a voodoo doll in his closet, so we're okay. He'll fit right into New Orleans anyways.

All right. So this next year of teams is teams that probably have their guy, but are still worth mentioning here. So the Ravens, how worried are you about the Ravens? Like overall, like a three, but it's more like, hey, the 10 is getting the Lamar deal done. Like that's, that's, if you just gun to your head, you had to bet on what's going to happen. He stays there. Yeah, he stays there. I think so too.

Yeah. I think that's the thing too. You always have to remember, Lamar represents himself. So there's no, none of that agent narrative from his side of the ball. So it's all Ravens stuff. getting pumped out there and just I think it gets done. I think they're a smart team. Especially

if they're Todd Munkinhire, I freaking want them to stay there. Because I think that would be magic. But yeah, I think likely if I'm betting Gundahad, he stays there. So the last time we, when I created this document it was

two and a half weeks ago, three weeks ago. It was before Greg Roman had they had part of the ways. It was about three weeks ago. So what would you like them to do? Sign Lamar to a long-term extension and bring in a new O.C. Todd Munkin. Okay.

So we're checking. We're checking boxes here. I still want to see what he looks like with a different offensive coordinator in a system like this. I want to see him in Atlanta more because every single thing we talked about. But I am curious what he would look like with Mokkin in a more, let's say, quote unquote, traditional offense. Yeah, I agree. And we talked about this on the QB roundup or the coaching roundup is that Monkin can do the QB run stuff.

He's shown it at Georgia and he can do a little bit of everything. He's got pro style in his bag. He was the Oklahoma State Offense Coordinator when they were heavy on RPO kind of stuff, like early on. They were one of the teams that were kind of really leaning in that in college. So he can kind of, he's going to be able to configure something around Lamar. So that's why I want to see this. But his passing attack is going to be 20 years.

updated from what Greg Roman was trotting out there every single week. So which is I think is going to be which could be really exciting. I think with Lamar dropped in there. Giants. How worried should the Giants be? I said a four, but it's depending on how they feel about Daniel Jones. And so they have an opportunity to like,

you know, tag them. So kind of. It sounds like they're trying to sign Daniel Jones to an extension. And the number that keeps getting thrown around is 35 million a year. 35. Right. Okay. That sounds like a huge number.

I understand this. Cap's going up. Cap's going up. We'll see what Burrow gets. We'll see what Justin Herbert gets. There's a chance that $35 million a year as an AAV is the 14th highest quarterback salary in the league. Also, I want to see what the actual deal looks like. You can give Daniel Jones a three-year $100 million deal that pays him three years 110.

Okay, that's the Daniel Jones extension that's been given out. How much guarantees are in there? Okay. How much are you really allotting to him? Is it one year where you have flexibility? Derek Carr's last contract paid him $40 million a year. Yes. So you can make it say whatever you want it to say.

Right. What the agent spout out. Hey, look at this deal. I signed for my guy, but the money way they could be able to. different. They have, so Daniel Jones has same agent as Ryan Tannanhill and Josh Allen, okay? Interesting. So you look at the, those two deals that were signed. The Josh Allen deal is long term deal designed to give flexibility to a team. Ryan Tannhill's extension when he signed it, I believe was three years, $100 million, heavy three year cash flow. So Ryan Tannenhill's deal, almost all of it was guaranteed to be guaranteed. So that is potentially

the sort of deal that they would be looking for if they wanted to sign that three-year deal where really the first two years are almost fully guaranteed and then you have some guarantees into the third year. If I were the Giants and he wants to say he's making $35 million a year, that's fine. I would want to try to maintain flexibility after year one if I could. If you have to go into 2024, that's fine.

We've talked about this. I think that you have a ceiling with Daniel Jones as your quarterback. I just do. And I just wouldn't want to paint myself into that. to that ceiling if I were the Giants. They did a great job of honing in what he's really good at, but it's still, there's a lot to be desired. And that's the nicest way I'll say.

But they honed in what he's really good at. He did a good job of point in shooting and running. But yeah, there's still, there's still a room like what they, you would idealistically see when you're paying a quarterback. The Giants are still pretty far away with their personnel infrastructure on offense. No, Isaiah Hodgins was a nice piece. That was awesome. You know, they have young offensive tackles.

But I think there's, they need a lot. They need a lot. I think there's still a couple years away from like truly competing and truly being like one of those teams. Okay. So let's say you signed Daniel Jones to a three-year contract that really ties you into him through 2024. You play Daniel Jones this year. You have a similar team than one you did last year. You probably win fewer games if we're being totally honest.

You take a small step back, which happens all the time and it's totally fine. All right. The bills did that with Josh Allen and his rookie year. It's a little bit different. But let's say that happens. Then you go into 2024. That's the last year you're financially tied to Daniel Jones. And you have a higher pick than you have in this year's draft.

And then you go potentially hunt your high upside quarterback in the 2024 draft with Daniel Jones on the roster. You follow what is more like a chief's model than some of the other models that we've seen in years past. I think that outcome, I can live with that. I think if I were a Giants fan, that would be okay with me. I would too. I think it also, they did this with no weapons and kind of a funky kind of offense that maximize what they had, you know, with a lot of the Wildcat stuff, the QB run game and all that. But it would be nice to see him be with some better weapons.

And then they can assess them and go, all right, this is good. Let's keep this going. Now you're tied under in case he does keep, you know, the upward swing of like his growth as a player. And then it's like, okay, we still have him under deal. okay, cool. Wait, we get the best of both worlds. And then you just assess what you got in 2024. I mean, as far as the draft.

I think, I think that's what the most likely thing to happen. And it makes sense for where they're at as a team. I think you should reward him for what he did. I think it sends the right message to the locker room. Yep. You're trying to build something. He's well liked. I understand all of that.

I would just want to make sure that it was a relatively short-term thing. And if Daniel Jones gets $65 million dollars guaranteed out of this entire thing, I think that he probably leaves that conversation feeling pretty okay about how this all went. And at the very least, if you can't figure out a deal that makes sense on that end, you tag them. Yeah, exactly. No, they can't tag them. You give him the non-exclusive rights tag. It's $32 million.

I don't think a team is going to give up two first round picks for Daniel Jones. You got $32 million for him in 2023. You figure out your situation in 2024. But I would have a line in the sand that I would not go over. And that line would probably be me giving him extensive guarantee. and tease into the third year of any deal. That's what it is. Essentially a two-year deal.

That's what you kind of want to give them. And I know 35 million, it's like, oh, my God, that's a lot for a quarterback. It's like 40 is the new 30. That's, so you always have to remember with the cap. It would be like the 14th highest average annual Valerie favorite quarterback in the league after Burrow and Herrick at their extensions. And how many guys are in work of deals? That's totally fine. We don't usually have those deals.

Those middle ground quarterback deals. And that is kind of to me what is going to be one of the more fascinating parts of this entire carousel. Or that lands. What does car get? What does Jimmy G get? What does Daniel Jones get on an extension? Do we kind of create a quarterback middle class again for some of these starters that

makes some of these deals palatable for teams that need that sort of solution? I'm going to be really interested in how that's going to go. Because the last time all these extensions got handed out, Goff, Wentz, Ryan Tannahill, they're top of the market extensions. All of them, Kirk Cousins. And the Cousins deal, I think, is quietly. a good example of this when the Vikings signed Kirk to this short term kind of mini extension that it's almost like a de facto franchise tag it's $35 million. So it's already kind of starting

to form. Do we see it really solidify with some of these deals that we see get handed out? I'm, I know we're talking about the middle class, but I'm very excited to see what Burrow and Herbert get paid. Good good for those guys, man. Oh my God. That's like when the NBA cap went up. and then all of some, all those contracts are coming out for the NBA stars. That's like $200 million. But yeah, I think we have to start getting comfortable with those numbers getting thrown around because that's what it's going to be. All right. A couple more here.

Titans, I have no idea. No idea. I truly have no idea. Just fire the GM. Do they roll with Tanna Hill again for another year? Yeah. I could see that. But also, he has $27 million in base salary.

If you can unload that and get cheaper at the position in this. what is kind of a transition year for them, is that the best thing to do this season? Do they not want to take that step back? Because they're one of those kind of always compete teams, which there is some value in that. Truly no idea what the best thing is for them or what the most likely thing is for them. Yeah. I go, I think this team is completely revamping, but I don't know how they feel about it. You know, Frable's a competitive guy.

He might not want to do all that stuff. So you always have to take that consideration. But yeah, I really don't know what they're going to do or what they think they're going to do because this is another team that's kind of just, it feels like they're in just transition as a franchise. The Tennessee Titans have the 11th pick in this draft. Why can't the Titans make a move to come up for a quarterback? They're absolutely in striking range if they want to do that and kind of reset the timeline here. I like that.

Where were, is that where the Eagles were and they moved up for once? So that's a complicated answer. because the Eagles moved up twice. Of course it is. So the Eagles were, I think they were at like 15 or so. Let's do this. Yeah, actually, it's like that. So the Rams were at 15.

Okay. The Rams were originally at 15. The Eagles original pick in that draft was at 13. Okay. The Eagles moved up to eight. Okay. Sorry. Sorry.

The Eagles original pick in that draft was at 13. Okay. The Eagles moved up to eight. The way that the Eagles moved up to eight is they traded the 13th overall pick and Kiko Alonzo and Byron Maxwell. That's right. To the Dolphins for the eighth overall pick. That was a cleanse us of chip trade. One of the most vindictive moves in the history of NFL dealmaking is trading those two guys to move up to go get your quarterback with Howie Roseman doing that.

It's one of the juiciest trades of all time. Yeah. They get up to eight. And they moved up to two to go get Carson Wetz. So they had to do it twice. But the Rams were picking at 15 that year. I mean, what the Rams gave up for Jared Gough was astronomical. First round pick, two second round picks and a third round pick in the 2016 draft,

as well as first and third round picks in the 2017 draft. That's a lot. That's a lot. But, I mean, they're moving up for 15 to 1. I mean, but like that's the – And maybe you don't have to go to 1. Maybe you don't have to go to 1. No, you can go to 4.

try to go to four, one of those teams. Or maybe you go to three, where Arizona is right now. That's a catbird seat that the Cardinals are potentially in because they don't need a quarterback. So speaking of other teams in the top five, how worried are you about the Detroit Lions in their quarterback situation? We need to throw them in to a quarterback conversation. But they're even in a different spot that some of these other teams are. Like worried like one or two. I actually think they're like a negative five.

Yeah, like a fantastic position. I think they are. I totally agree. Wines fans are another fan base that should be very happy where they're sitting right now. What would you like to see them do? I like them to take a swing on Anthony Richardson. I want them to draft quarterback in this year. I do too.

I think for a team, for also how well their coach, they might lose their O.C. next year because Johnson's name is getting floated a lot. But they're in such a great position as far as if they like a guy, they don't have to even play them right away. and they're going to be in a great, great situation as far as offensive line. The weapons are great. The defense is really in the second half of the year was playing so well. Like, this is a good situation to drop a rookie quarterback in.

And I think they have the double bonus so that he could sit behind golf. And I just think that is just perfect. I want to rephrase what I said. Yeah. I want them to draft a quarterback if they like a quarterback. Yes. If they like one of the quarterbacks at six, if they were like, this is a guy we feel like can put us over the top.

You're in such a unique position. They are. You had one of the best offenses in the league last year. You have your, I mean, we'll see how long the play caller is there. But the infrastructure of what your offense was comes back intact in 2023. You have a lot of the line under contract for several more years. Amon Ra's cheap for two more years. You have Jameson Williams that you're dropping into this thing.

You have some financial flexibility. You're going to be good next year. I truly believe that. I think you're going to be pretty good. the sixth pick that you have, you were in a unique position if you like one of these guys to draft one right now.

He doesn't have to step on the field this year. This is the team that could really follow the Chiefs model if they wanted to. Because I thought that the way that Jared played last year and what he gave them, he was good. He was good. But I think you also have to understand that having one of those

mold-breaking, just difference-making guys, One of those gets you a bucket type players. If you think one of these guys is that guy, this is your opportunity to go get one without having to do anything. You don't have to leverage yourself in any way. That's how well Brad Holmes has positioned them. So my number 10 GM in the last year's rankings. That was a impression choice by you.

So I just think that they're in such a good spot if they want to do that. What if they, and what if they were like, no, we don't like any of these guys? They can trade back. Like what if there's another team that once we just talked about a team at 11 moving up to six. What if they move up to six and they get, okay, we're going to move back to 11. We get more picks in next year's draft in 2024. And then they can, they're just in such a good spot. They really are as a team.

Picks. And if you want to roll with Jared again? Yeah. It's great. No one's going to be bad at you. Sounds great. We saw what he did last year. I mean, yeah.

It's no, I think they're in a fantastic position. One of the best positions for a team that's kind of like, oh, questions that quarterback. but even they have a guy already. It's just I think that everything's bonus. This is all, it's a cherry on top kind of offseason for them that could really, really kind of have ramifications for the rest of the rest of this kind of like tenure for the GM and the head coach. I mean that in a good way.

All right. Last one here that we kind of have to mention. But again, I think they're in a really good spot. Seahawks. Yep. Same answer like a one or two. I think the Gino stuff is, I mean, they're Schneider's like we're trying to get a dot. Like he's just openly saying it.

We're going to do the right thing. I think was this exact quote. or we're going to do right by everybody. And yeah, I think the Gino stuff and they also are in position to kind of do the same thing if they like a guy. I feel like they're just going to give Gino a contract and Gino's going to be the quarterback. Which I think is okay.

I think so too. This is what happens when you nail a draft like they did last year. Now it's, they got a lot of cheap talent, cheap, good talent, tackles, corners. Like they got some cool pieces.

And I think resigning Gino makes a ton of sense. And if they really love a guy, they kind of in the same spot like the Lions. where they can maybe configure something, or again, they can trade back, trade up, get defensive talent in the front seven. They're kind of in a great spot there where maybe one of the guys falls to them at five. It really does feel like at four and five, you'll be able to get those two defensive players.

Like if you're just trying to read the tea leaves, Arizona's willing to move down potentially if they get a haul for that pick. It just seems like we're going to have, this is the type of draft where we're going to have three quarterbacks go in the top five in the same way that we did in the 2021 draft. Yeah, that's how I feel. Like three in the top five, four in the top ten. That's kind of really where I feel like this goes.

They're top 12ish, maybe around there. Exactly what happened in the 2021 draft. There's no real Mac Jones in this year's draft potentially. No. And again, more than that draft, because Trevor Lawrence was everyone's one, even though some people try to be cute with it, it was the other guys, those other guys that got named, it was eye of the holder. Zach Wilson was my four and he went number two overall.

You know, like everybody's going to be different, but that's, if you're a team that's looking to trade down, it's pretty fun because you might have some people kind of one up at each other as far as potential traits. I'm trying to get you excited as a Bears fan. But is that, hey, hey, let's get this guy. Let's look at this guy. Oh, this guy's really good, isn't it?

You like him. You like his traits. Yeah. So I think that's exactly what's going to go. I've just rewatched a lot of these guys. I watched them during the season, watched them all the last season. These guys being the quarterback class and is good class.

But it's a class where none of these guys are perfect, which I think it makes it more interesting and more fun. All right. Chill little 80 minute podcast. Oh my God. I thought this was going to be like a 40 minute one too. Like never. It never is.

We had a lot of stuff to talk about it. I thought that was a good conversation. All right. That was fun. That is all we got. And just an all time performance from you with it with a pronunciation. I'm just, I'll remember that.

How do you say his name? I feel bad now. And I put you know, like, man, I feel bad. I saw what we do in shadows like, within six months of that coming out because somebody mentioned it. My aunt and uncle mentioned it to me who are big into movies.

I feel bad. Thor Ragnarck's my favorite Marvel movie. Now I'm going to feel so terrible about me if I'm pronouncing it wrong, but you're throwing extra K's and shit in there that just aren't in there. You never know. You never know. I just, I think what makes it better was I was actually confident in that pronunciation.

Like I really was. I didn't even look it up because I was like, I know this guy's name. I learned it because I like his movies so much. I'm probably wrong. I'm obviously wrong. 99.9% wrong. So what's the,

no, I'm not even going to do this. No, well, there's plenty of names I butcher. Just wait for this draft process when I start trying to name some of these guys. That's why Dane Brugor's draft guy, the beast is so great because he has the names. There's a pronunciation for everybody's names.

It's great. I need it every single year. All right. I'm so proud of you. Okay. Thank you. That's all we got. We will be back later this week.

Remember to check out the second episode of Between The Lions. DeShan Reed's new narrative podcast series about the Black experience in the NFL. Episode 1 ran last week. We're going to have the show on Tuesdays on the athletic football show feed here for the next month or so. DeShan has been spending the better part of a year working on this over a year. It's fantastic work.

So please make sure that you're checking that out and listening to the new episode that's coming out tomorrow. We will be back later in the week. Prospects to Prospects to Proves will be coming to you on Wednesday. I believe the football GM will be back on Thursday every weekday during the season. You will have the athletic football show in your ears if you want it. So please come back and check us out and we will be chatting with you very, very soon. Talk to you soon. This was the athletic football show.