The Bobby Bones Show - Lots to Say: 2x Super Bowl Champ/Chiefs Trey Smith

Episode Date: June 11, 2025

Matt Cassel explains the experience of an OTA a nd Bobby Bones asks about the CBA and players getting into shape.  After watching the comeback win of Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open, Bobby asks Matt about the biggest comeback of his career.  Bobby delivers his list of 'Greatest Lefties' of All Time' while wondering if Barry Bonds was better at baseball than Michael Jordan was at basketball.  Matt tells Bobby about goal-line plays in the NFL and what makes them so difficult. 2x Super Bowl Champion and Chiefs OG Trey Smith talks about his offseason training and how being drafted in the 6th round has placed a chip on his shoulder.  How did Trey sell himself to teams despite dealing with an injury?  Trey shares what it's like being in the huddle with QB Patrick Mahomes.  Round 2 of 'GOATS of the NFL' include the best from the Browns, Cowboys, Lions, and Packers.  Would you pick Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers?  When it comes to the Raiders, Matt tells a story about playing golf with Marcus Allen. It's LT or Junior Seau for the Chargers, but Matt explains what made Seau so special.  We wrap up with players on new teams this upcoming season, including Aaron Rodgers with the Steelers.   Lots to Say with Bobby Bones and Matt Cassel is part of the NFL Podcast Network See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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search 40s and free agents, and listen now. Lots to Say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle is a production of the NFL and IHeart Podcasts. We got lots to say, to say. Yeah, we got lots to say. Now here's Bobby and Matt. Question, because OTAs are happening now, and I just, listen, I didn't play at the level you did,

but OTAs for me in high school would have been two days back when they could really grind it. And everybody would just be eating bananas and throwing it. Yeah, it's the world of OTAs has changed so dramatically since I was in OTAs because it was a lot more physicality to it. And then when the new CBA happened, they put so many different restrictions in their phases, right? They're phase one where you can only be in the building for four hours. You're literally working out and meeting with your coaches. And then as soon as that four hours, you have.

have to be out of the building. You can't go on the field, can't do anything. And when you get to phase two, it's like on the field stuff where you get to practice for up to an hour. You have workouts and some meetings. So it's a little bit more of an extended time. But then OTA's actual starts and you're in there. And it's more of a full day of just a prep work of practice. And I think you have up to 15 OTAs is what it normally is. And so that's when it actually becomes more football-oriented where it's team sessions. They even will have like these drills, we call it nine-on-seven, and it's run-fit drills for defense and offense, but you're in no pads. You're just in helmets. And I think a lot of the guys, particularly in the interior part of the offense and

defensive line, they hate it because you don't really have any pads on your shoulder. But you still have the ability to get hit with a helmet on your shoulder. And guys are going full blast. And there's some young guys that are trying to go out there and prove a point. Like the guys trying to make the team? Trying to make the team, right? You always have those Johnny Trials. or just guys that bring a different level of intensity. So you've got to bring it each and every day. But it's really when you start to set the fundamentals for playing the game of football. The unfortunate part is you start to see those fundamentals go down now, in my belief,

because DBs aren't a lot of press in the off-season. That's one of the rules. So they actually have guidelines to how you can play the game of football and the physicality of it. So, okay, a couple things. One, is that, though, to keep people from getting hurt? hurt. A hundred percent. Okay. So as much as we don't see a team around into shape maybe until week six or seven when it used to be maybe two or three because they took preseason a little more serious. There were more games. All that though is to keep players healthier longer. That's exactly what

the whole premise of what the CBA did was to help the longevity of these guys in their career and try to take away some of those injuries that were happening in the offseason. And so it's all guidelines to help the player, and it's for the player's benefit at the same time, sometimes we'll take away from getting actually ready to play football. So when you get to camp, I mean, that's when the real football starts. What about the conditioning? Because you show up, let's say you're out of shape. Is there a lot of throwing up? Oh, every year you have guys that get back in the offseason. Look, some guys treat off season. It's my off season. And then they show up to off season to get in shape.

Then there's other guys that go through offseason, and it's just this progression of getting ready to get into the off season, but they come in ready to go in shape. But when you get there that first day and they go on that first run, and a lot of times these strength and conditioning coaches, they're trying to prove a point, and they'll hit you with gassers the first day, which is across the field and back, change the direction, and you're on a clock for your rest, and then you're running again, and you'll constantly see guys throwing up all the time. So do they force you to do an X amount of conditioning or do they test your conditioning to see where you fall?

That's a good question. So when you get there for the off season, they're not testing your conditioning. Well, I think they're always trying to understand where you're at. But when you get to the off season, they're kind of putting you through different drills. And they immediately notice who's in shape and who's not. But when you get to actual camp, they have a conditioning test. And every team's a little bit different. Like when I was in New England, we had the skill players ran 60s and it was 32nd rest we had to run 2060s with a two minute rest at 10 then all of a sudden i got to kansas city they did the 300 yard shuttle which is by far the worst of all the conditioning test because is that 100 100 100 no it's 50 back 50 back 50 back and some coaches when i was in tennessee coach waterson if you're listening still don't like you for this he'd change it to go 25 back so it was six times down and back it's brutal and you should see the suffering that takes place or some of these big guys. I mean, there's 360 pounds. Should you really have to run 300 yards? I never understood it. Because we play a

cardiovascular sport where you run, you stop, get your breath, you'd go again, right? Play after play. There, it's just a brutal conditioning test. It's all timed. And if you don't make that, then you're up at 6 a.m. the next day, you're in the building, and they're putting you through conditioning, getting you ready. And then you have to run that conditioning test again when they feel like you're fit. So if you're not conditioned and you do not pass the test, they will then condition you enough that you pass the test. Will they continue to do it until you pass the test? They won't let you practice until you pass the test. So that that's kind of the main thing that almost every organization has is if you don't pass that test, then you're in, and I forget the

club they called it in the morning, but you've got to wake up early, go in it, and they're doing conditioning and then you've got to run that test again. I was watching the highlights of what I would call the French Open and tennis, but I think now it has like a name like Roland Garros, classic, or it's one of the majors. For me, it was easy. It was the French Open. And so they played a five-hour and 40-minute match. Unbelievable.

And that Alcaraz. And again, I don't keep up with tennis nearly as close as I used to because one of my buddies used to play. And he'd play in the French, Andy Roddick, who's been on the show. it was his worst because the clay took a lot of the heat off the ball, meaning it was slow. And he was known for a very fast serve. So the French, you had to move well,

which is really why Nadal dominated. He could still hit it well, but he could move wonderfully. Right. So they retired Nadal's like footprints, and I'm going to mess some of this up, but they end up, this is going to be a two-parter here, but it was a five-hour and 40-minute match, and I was watching Roddick on his podcast,

talk about how tennis players are really some of the best athletes because they're doing it by themselves. And basketball players, they're running back and forth, but they've got other people, they get team. They're set where tennis players are just going, going, going. But it was, again, almost six hours, and he's pointing at the clock going almost six hours. And it was a crazy comeback, meaning he was down and like fifth set, it was like five, one, don't know exactly what it was, but it was one of the greatest comebacks ever in major tennis history.

And so I was thinking about that as far as I think of some of the great comebacks ever And I do think of, and you weren't on the, you weren't part of the 23 Patriots, Falcons. No, I was not. Remember I told you I never got a ring? Right. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What was your greatest comeback ever? Greatest comeback ever. High school, I would say college, but it didn't start in college. I didn't start in college.

I could be high school or NFL. Who needs a surprise? starting calls when you go to the pros. Exactly. High school to the pros. You basically were LeBron. People don't look, they don't look at you like that going high school to the pros. And I think that's unfair. You know, one of the greatest comebacks I can remember, I was in Kansas City. We were playing the Indianapolis Colts. And I believe it was second quarter. We're down like 21 to 6, something like that. And that's a pretty significant deficit, even if you have a full half to play.

And we went down, scored before half to close the game. gap a little. It might have even been 28 to 7 at that point. So we went down, scored before half, and then we just went out in the second half and absolutely changed the tides. Momentum kind of switched to us, and we started rolling a little bit. And then the next thing you know, we ended up coming all the way back. And I think we won that game by three points, but it was phenomenal because every possession matters. When you're down like that, you can't make those silly mistakes and you can't punt too many times and give the ball back to them because they can eat up clock, run out the time, do all that.

So we just kind of started hitting on all cylinders, and we started run the ball well, but I was throwing the ball, and we came back from behind, and it was phenomenal. I mean, and there's something special about the locker room when you have a come from behind victory, because everybody has to rally together and do their job and do it at a high level, but also not blink in the face of adversity, because you face those things all the time,

And some of those games just get out of hand and you just see it go totally south, right? You can't come back from that. Guys are sitting there pissed off on the sideline and they're in the wrong headspace. But guys focused in, and then you get into that locker room and especially being on the road.

There's something significant about being on the road against all odds, chaotic environment, crowds against you. And then to come and win that game and go in a locker room and the celebration in the faces and then to get on that bus, There's no better feeling in football. In honor of the Rolline Garris, what's it called, Kevin?

Rolling Garris. Was it they called it Open, the spectacular, the amazing event. Garos? No, no, no, I know it's called Rolling Garris, but I'm saying. Yeah, it is a French Open. They still call it to French Open? Some people do. Most do.

Okay, I do. Castle and I called to French Open. Yeah. You ever been to a big tennis match? I haven't, and I've always wanted to go. I heard it's a great environment. think I'd do well there because I'm uncomfortable in silence. So like, you know, like none of the crowds since then.

You ever been to a golf? You ever been to a golf tournament? I have. Okay. Same. You only have to be silent for a minute. No, I went to the Open at L.A. Country Club. The U.S. Open.

The U.S. Open. Yeah, sorry. Whatever. I mean, we're talking French Open, U.S. Open at L.A. Country Club. Go ahead. But they had like those little sweets that you could sit in. Yeah. It's a full-on party.

It's awesome. And while you have to be quiet when you're walking around. and doing all that and somebody's holding up the sign. It was chaotic. Tennis is interesting because you can't even walk in the stadium during a point. Really? They have people blocking the exits or the entrances to leave or go out because while the points go on, they don't want any distraction happening around.

Do they serve like beer and all that kind of stuff? So it's a normal sporting event. Ish. Just no talking. Yeah. I went to a few. I used to travel with Rodick a little bit to go to his events. So in honor of that, in honor Rafton,

Adolf who's probably the second greatest of all time. I think Djokovic took it over. Nadal used to be Federer in my mind. Federer. Yeah, but I think Nadal took Federer. Who cares? But I have the best lefties of all time because Nadal is a lefty. Oh, and you're a lefty.

That's true. Well, that's why it came to mind. Yes, let's talk about. My big list of the top nine sports lefties of all time. Ready? At nine, I put Nadal because I don't really give crap by tennis. No, I love it. And at eight, I put Navratiloa because I don't really give crap by tennis.

Okay, that's fair. I understand why tennis is awesome, but I personally, it's like F1. I'm sure there's something to it. I don't know enough about it. It wasn't raised around it. I also love the fact that in tennis, you could be right of your lefty

and you don't really get penalized for being lefty. In baseball, you can hit left-handed, you don't get penalized for that, but you can only play first base. It sucks. Have you ever seen a catcher? That's a left-handed catcher?

So in softball for the first time, in college softball, one of the catchers got hurt at Arkansas and the utility player, is left-handed. And so she got behind the plate and caught an inning. Really? Yeah, but I was left-handed.

I could never catch. Right, you can never catch. I could only play the outfield, first base, or pitch. That's it. That's it. Limited. I mean, it is a right-handed sport. Yeah.

And then the other thing, I think we had this discussion, but there's never been a left-handed center. I can't think of one. There probably has been. In football? In football. I've never played with a left-handed center. I didn't know that was a thing,

a right- or left-handed center. I've never played with a left-handed center. I have no idea. maybe how the ball comes up and hit. I've never played with one. So I don't know. But it was interesting to me because I was thinking about that. I was like, I've never played with a left-handed center.

And you'd think that there would be at least one lefty, big boy up there that played center before. I don't think I would even notice. Yeah. How about that? The 2026 NFL draft is here. And the NFL Daily podcast has it covered from all angles. Join me, Greg Rosenthal, and Jordan Roderig after night one on Thursday. Nick Shook joins me night two Friday and then Sunday to recap everything.

thing that went down over the three days in Pittsburgh. We'll tell you who won the draft and which players were my favorite picks. Listen to NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I'm Greg Rosenthal. And this is 40s and free agents. The games may be over, but the NFL never stopped.

This is my favorite part of the calendar. Yeah, mine too, Greg. Free agency, the Combine, the NFL draft Pro Days, trades, this is where teams reshape their future. This is where Daniel Jeremiah makes his money. On 40s and free agents, we break down every move that actually matters. From my draft evaluations, mock drafts, and team fits. To my top 101 free agents and how real rosters are built, cap space, contracts, and all the

tough decisions included. You got quarterbacks on the move. We got teams rebuilding. It's hope season. Yeah, absolutely. It's hope season. We'll tell you what's real, what's noise, and what it means for your favorite team. Smart analysis, real conversations every week. I don't know about the smart,

but definitely analysis. Listen to 40s and free agents on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What about soccer? Ever going to any soccer matches? Know enough about soccer? I have been to a soccer match and I forget who was playing. It was one of those exhibition games. Somebody from Europe came over to play the team from New England, their professional soccer game, it was awesome. Because the following from the European teams and all that stuff, it just those people are so passionate. And they bring their signs and their jerseys

and all their different chants. So it was an incredible experience. It was at Gillette Stadium. Soccer's lost on me and I understand why people love it, but I wasn't raised around it. So that's why I put Messi at 7, left footed. I mean, Messi at 7? Greatest of all time.

Greatest of all time. I don't know if, again, want me to put a cricket player in there. I don't know about cricket. Those guys are pretty skilled. I agree. Let's not throw shannon. You know, who else is skilled brain surgeons?

And if I did a left-hand of brain surgeon, you know. What are you talking about sports? I don't know them. I have Messi at 7. I got a lot of baseball guys. Babe Ruth. Lefty.

Pitcher and batter. Babe Ruth. Overrated or no? Or just black and white? And since it's black and white, we really can't tell. Yeah, I think it's a generational thing. And at his time, he was the Michael Jordan, the LeBron James,

the whoever you want, Tom Brady of his time, larger than life figure, and never look, he never looked the part. Let's say that, but the Big Bambino could crush. Randy Johnson. Oh, gosh. Was there not a seven foot tall? Cooler shot of when he hit that pigeon midair and exploded it. Ken Griffey Jr.

One of the sweetest swings you'll ever see. It was just pure joy. So this is my hot take as I put Barry Bonds in. I was going to say you've got to get Barry Bonds in there. I think Barry Bonds was better at baseball than Michael Jordan was at basketball. That is a bold statement. Yeah. I think really bold statement.

Barry Bonds is the best at a sport that we in America have ever seen a ball player be at their sport. Well, I think as a hitter because Jordan was such an all-around player. I will agree with that. But yes. And the games are so dramatically different. Barry Bonds comes up to bat four times. Every game, Michael Jordan's on the court for, you know, the duration of it and for four quarters. It's just such a different sport.

It's so hard to compare, but the greatness of Barry Bonds and his ability to see pitches and hit the ball the way that he did in his hand-eye coordination. I mean, it is just remarkable. And the way that I would compare them, much like generationally, I think you can only compare, and I think you said this earlier, athletes to other athletes in their generation because I think it's unfair to put King Griffey Jr. against Babe Ruth. They didn't play. Right. They didn't play. The technology wasn't the same. Pitching, batting, everything else. And I think you can only compare the greats versus the other greats at that time. So Michael Jordan, who else was great during Jordan's era? Kimelajuan, Carmelone.

I think Jordan was far better than those guys. But I think Bonds was so much better than the next guy up at two. It was unbelievable because when you had bonds, you had the Sammy Sos, so you had the Mark McGuire, you had all these incredible power hitters. But he wasn't just only a power hitter. I mean, he could hit for average as well. They wouldn't throw the ball to him to hit at all. And he had such a good eye.

Like, he made them throw pitches. I think he was one of those guys that would lead the league in walks every year, too. He wore all that equipment. You know, he would go up and look like a robot covered in armor. and the reason he wore so much on his right arm was because the only spot they could find a weakness was under his arm is about half the size of a baseball. And you know, a lot of players, they can find like a whole area.

Imagine a nine squared square and there's like one, two, three, which are the cold areas, hot areas, and they could chase those areas. With bonds, they said it was half the size of a single baseball and it was only under his arm. So he wore all that because people kept throwing under his arm whenever they would actually try to throw to him. So it kept getting hit in the freaking elbow. So I put Bonds as one of my greatest lefties ever.

I put James Harden in there in there for basketball players. Oh, yeah. Steve Young. Steve Young, you've got to go with Stevie. Michael Vic. Left-handed. You put him at what part on the list? Well, then I just got lost on my numbers.

I was going, and I did have a number. And then I just started going, you know, I'm going to do it by sport. And then at Michael Vick. And then at golf, I had Phil Mickelson. Phil Mickelson. Okay, I can dig that. And I had Rhonda Rousey. and UFC.

Oh, she was trailblazer, man. She brought all the attention to women in the UFC and was a headliner. The first headliner, right? First female main event. And she consistently sold out crowds until she didn't. But at the same time, nobody could beat that girl. I mean, you'd never see anything.

Everybody would tune in. I would tune in. She got so big as UFC fighter. She went to WWE as a female. Because only Brock Lesner really. really had done that successfully. Some of the other guys that tried to, like, wrestle and go,

do you have, but she was the one to really go superstar to superstar as a woman. And then the other part is you're like, Rhonda, can you please take it down? You're seriously hurting me. Like, the WWD wrestlers like, please. Oh my God. If she opened up a real can of us on them,

can you imagine? It's like lessener, with the dudes. Oh, Brock. We went to the one in Nashville. Was it SummerSlam or whatever it was? And it was, he and Roman Reigns were going head to head. and when you actually watch Brock Rlesner get in it, I mean, the guy is an absolute monster.

And he started... They're like cartoon characters. Oh, he starts picking them up. But some of those moves that you see when they kind of help and they jump up, Brock Lester would pick any man up and just ruin them. Your stats for your comeback? Four touchdowns, 250 yards. I'll take it.

Let's go. Good day. Dwayne Bow made an incredible catch, too. I underthrew the hell out of a fade route. and he went up, tip the ball up, tip the ball up, got it. I was like, yes, thank you, Dwayne. That's legit. That's legit.

He seemed like a big-bodied dude. Oh, dude, he was a beast. And I had to get used to that because when we were in New England, Randy was a big-body dude, but Randy would beat you a speed down the field, right? And Dwayne was a big-body dude, but at the same time, Beau would run, and if he got even, he was ready for that backshore because he'd love to go up and use his body and protect the ball and go up and get it. we got really good at throwing that back shoulder.

So as soon as I found out that a DB wasn't going to look back and track the ball, I was going to get that ball out of my hands as quick as I could, and he would attack it because he was just a big target. You know the play that never seems to work is that fade from the two-yard line? It's such a tough play, especially if you're in shotgun, because it's such a quick reaction play. You usually don't get the laces. And a lot of these guys at the wide receiver position,

sometimes they're not patient enough. So the biggest part of running that from a detail-oriented standpoint is you have to close cushion because a lot of those DBs will sit at like that one, two yards in the end zone. So they're reacting to you. But you've got to go down and give them like two or three stutter steps because now you can go in and cross their face, but then you also give the quarterback the ability to grab that ball,

especially in shotgun, and then put it back there. Because a lot of times it's just so rushed. and the DB can close cushion on you. But if you go down, get to them to where you give them that two-way go and then be patient with it, then it gives you the ability to throw that ball up over the top. They find closed cushion. So when I say closed cushion, there's that little cushion that they have.

When I said that they were, say, we're at the two-yard line, they're going to sit about that one yards deep into the end zone. You need to get on their toes and threaten them right now because they don't know whether you're going to run in or run by them. But if you just, you kind of close cushion, or you take your step too far away, that guy just drives you to the sideline because he's reacting to that.

But if you close cushion and make him stop his feet, get to him, stop his feet, now when you accelerate to go to the back end line, now I can throw it up over the top and you've got a step. But if you do it too quick or you give it away, now those DBs are so reactionary that they can close and play hands and get the ball. Did you like if it was fourth or fourth and one,

fourth and two, in the corner? You know, there was fourth and two. I would rather have a concept to where you've got an over under. Now it's based on the team because a lot of times when you're down in the red zone, it's either max pressure, max coverage. And so we'd call two plays in the huddle. So we'd have our combination route where it's a tight end on a shallow cross and then you've got the back in line because you're either throwing low in the front or high in the back. So you're trying to get that DB and see what he's going to do that safety usually if they're too high and they're in coverage to come up on your shallow cross

because he's got coverage on him. As soon as he does that, you're throwing high over his head in the back end line. And then you've got another concept back. So it's kind of like a progression read. But as soon as you see pressure, I had the ability to go alert, alert,

I checked to him X protection. Seven man protection, you're giving a two-man route here and usually a fade or something on the backside. And so you pick your matchup. If you're calling two plays in the huddle, are you calling one play and saying if we change, we're changing to the second play?

Or, like, how does that work? So for example, I'd call Trips, Right, 64, sticks, XN, ZD, return, alert. I'd say alert 80, and we'd usually like go rock, X-Fade, or something like that. And that would tell, so if I say alert in the huddle, and they already know, if I say alert, we're not changing formations. We're just changing protection. And then that's what we're going to. The two-man route is going to be rock, and that's just a return in a corner.

and then the one-man route, I'll just tag X-Fade. So as soon as I get to the line of scrimmage, I'm going to double cadence it. So I'm going to give you a dummy cadence. Blue lady, blue, he said, hot, hot, hot. Hopefully they show me a little indication of what they're going to do. And if I think that they're pressuring,

I just go, alert, alert, alert, Omaha, Blue Go. And everybody should be on the same page because that is a rehearsed action that we do time and time again in practice. How annoying would it be if there was no play yet someone still jumped.

Oh, it happens all the time. Oh, you're saying, like, if you had no play. You are going to go up and, he said, use a dummy call. Yes. So you're not calling anything at first. There's no reason to jump because you haven't actually called the play. Well, no, the play is 64 sticks, XN, ZD per turn. But if you go, how to it.

Right. Well, that's what gets guys, because they sometimes they're in their own worlds. And so when you're going up, even if I say a double cadence here, or we used to have a word called molasses and I try to come up and say mo mo mo mo reminding these guys but every now and then there's movement on the defensive line and they see something coming and they jump out of a stance and you're like oh my god and then that's the worst possible right you're on the two yard line you do a double cadence to try to get them to show you something and then you're five yards further back and you're like uh was there ever grace given to a hold because you knew everybody held all the time

or at least they could call a hold all the time, or are you just irritated every time? I mean, the worst part about the hold is a 10-yard penalty, and it's a drive killer every single time. And some of these are questionable calls, and the thing that hurts the most is when you're driving, say you're about midfield or something like that, and you have a big play, especially a pass,

because I'm selfish and I want the passing yards and everything to look good for me. No, I'm just kidding, but you get a holding call, and now you're 10 yards back and that whole play is taken away and now you're second and 20. There's not a lot of good calls. I'm telling you, second and 20,

you're trying to get back on track to get you to a manageable third down. But when you're third and 20, you can't hold the ball long enough because all those guys have their ears pinned back ready to come crush you. But are you irritated at the linemen for holding or are you like, well,

any lineman could almost be called for a hold at any time? You know, it's part of the game. Now, if it's something that shows up consistently, then I really don't have to say anything. Now, there's maybe an occasional time, particularly in a four-minute drill. When you're in a four-minute drill, what you're trying to do

is run the ball consistently and take off time. And I will tell them when I come in the huddle, I'll say, hey, look, no holding, no off-sides, let's just get the ball moving forward. Even if we get stopped for a negative gain, that's fine with us as long as that clock's running. But when you have an off-sides penalty

or you have a holding in particular, and you're 10 yards back. It's not so much about the yardage because even if we punt, that's okay, it stops the clock. And that's really, those kind of details of the game, especially when you're trying to close out a game,

are crucial. The 2026 NFL draft is here, and the NFL Daily podcast has it covered from all angles. Join me, Greg Rosenthal, and Jordan Roderig after night one on Thursday. Nick Shook joins me night two Friday and then Sunday to recap everything

that went down over the three days. in Pittsburgh. We'll tell you who won the draft and which players were my favorite picks. Listen to NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Daniel Jeremiah.

And I'm Greg Rosenthal. And this is 40s and free agents. The games may be over, but the NFL never stopped. This is my favorite part of the calendar. Yeah, mine too, Greg. Free agency, the combine. The NFL draft, ProDays, trades. This is where teams reshapes,

their future. This is where Daniel Jeremiah makes his money. On 40s and free agents, we break down every move that actually matters. From my draft evaluations, mock drafts, and team fits to my top 101 free agents and how real rosters are built, cap space, contracts, and all the tough decisions included. You got quarterbacks on the move. We got teams rebuilding. It's hope season. Absolutely, it's hope season. We'll tell you what's real, what's noise, and what it means for your favorite team. Smart analysis. Real conversations every week. I don't know about the smart, but definitely analysis.

Listen to 40s and free agents on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Now let's get over and talk with two-time Super Bowl champion and Kansas City Chief Trey Smith. Trey went from a sixth round draft pick to starting every game as a rookie in 2021 with the Chiefs. He's one of the best guards in the league easily. He's a pro bowler. By the way, two-time first team all-SEC at Tennessee. made a cameo in a homework movie last year. He also hosts a youth football camp in Tennessee every year.

We'll talk about that as well. So big thanks to Trey for coming on. Here he is. Kansas City Chief's great. Trey Smith. Hey, Trey, appreciate the time. Hey, first off, I should say, Jackson, Tennessee's own. Trey Smith.

Come on, there you. That's right. That's right. A little clap, sir. Come on. Trey, I'm a big fan of years. You've got an incredible story. My first question is, what was more nerve-wracking for you?

starting your freshman year at UT, starting as a rookie for the chiefs, or, you know, making that cameo appearance in the Hallmark movie. I'll say the Hallmark movie was scary, man. I went into it. They didn't tell me out of these speaking lines. I'm over here thinking, like, you know, I'll just be over here getting some water by the water cooler's in my uniform, just in the background of the movie. But, you know, I showed up there.

They're like, no, you have these lines. You have to remember. I'm like, okay, no one told me about this. But I would say I was nerve-wracking. but ultimately I would say playing for the Chiefs, you know, seven to a winning culture, blocking for a guy like Patrick Mahomes, you know, you're seven to a winning atmosphere and a standard that had already been set. So I think living up to that as a rookie, you know, starting NFL,

playing against grown men with families and children that depend on them, that was definitely a little more nerve-wracking to me. I want to talk about the off-season for a second. We were just talking with Castle about how some guys just take off, and some guys slowly get back into it, and some guys go hard the entire off-season. At what point after the year is finished, do you start to get yourself back into shape to get back into shape?

Yeah, I think Mitchell Schwartz at O-Line Masterminds, it's an event in the summit that we hold every year in Dallas. Office of Lyman from every level collegiate, pros, Hall of Fame, you name it. You know, they come and give us little words of wisdoms and tidbits add to your game. And I really love what Mitchell Swartz said in terms of stay ready so you don't have to get ready. So pretty much year-round, You never want to get too far out of shape. I would say after my rookie year, you know,

went to AAC championship game and, you know, it's a long time of football. You talk about draft prep all the way through the season, the longest season I ever had. You know, I felt like I wanted to take some time off and I felt like I took too much time off. So for me, I try to take about two to three weeks of just, you know, eating bad, enjoying life, seeing family,

but then trying to get back into it, doing cardio and different things just to keep the body moving and staying in decent shape. So I would say every year you refine it and you tune it up for me personally. I like it to where I don't get too far out there. But every guy's different, but that's where it's been my formula. You know, you talked about the draft process, and I thought it was pretty interesting because there's a four-year starter at UT

and then getting drafted in the sixth round. Was that something when you got drafted in the sixth round coming out? You felt like you had something to prove or a little chip on your shoulder because of the success that you had in college? Yeah, I definitely did, man. I didn't expect to go that low in the draft, but at the end of the day, you know,

God bless me the opportunity. That's all I needed. So when I got that one shot, I want to make sure it stuck. I wanted to make sure that teams that passed up on me, teams that didn't think the juice was worth to squeeze that I wasn't good enough to play for them. I wanted them to feel that.

Every single time I step on the field. And I think just as a competitor, just having that nature and that edge as an athlete, you always want to prove people wrong. And for my life, a lot of people have told me things that I couldn't do, goals that I could never accomplish. I'd never be good enough to attain those

or succeed. And I just had something to prove every single time I suffered in that field. I wanted them to feel that. When you went to Tennessee, you started immediately. Did you know you were going to start immediately or did some things fall and all of a sudden you're a freshman who's got to go? No, I didn't really think I was going to start immediately. I knew I was going to have to fight and compete for a job. I knew I was highly ranked, highly recruited.

A lot of guys and teams wanted me. But I knew it was going to be a hard battle to get there. when I got to Tennessee and I sort of saw where I was stacking up in the spring practice, how I was competing, and seeing that, you know, there's a legitimate shot and a chance for me to play and then, you know, ultimately it worked out in my favor. Now, I know your sophomore year you started eight games, but then you had to end the season early because of blood clots. Can you talk to us a little bit about what you're going through during those challenging times

and how it shaped your mindset moving forward and as both on and off the field? Yeah, it's a long, large of a story, man. you know what happened after my freshman year you know had a lot of success started every game all cc whatever and then our coaching staff coach jones and his entire staff gets fired so in comes in jeremy pruett completely different coaching staff and as y'all know in the sporting world they're trying to break you every single time to figure out who's going to be the nucleus of this team who are we going to build who are our team leaders going to be so we did mad drills every day and these workouts trying to break you and i remember like the first couple weeks having no problem

with it and then all of a sudden like during conditioning i passed out and just not really understanding what's wrong with me and telling my doctor I've lost 13 pounds of the day I feel awful I can barely walk to the library it's like 400 yards while having to stop and catch my breath

and ultimately they figured out that I have blood clots in both sides of my lungs like a really severe case of it for me I think that was devastating just trying to figure out what's the next move next direction at the time the doctor told me

we don't know if you'll be able to play if you get blood clots again not only can they be fatal but you'll never play football again so for pretty much five to six months I had to do every single study hall, every practice, every workout, every meeting, without really knowing that I was going to play that season. And ultimately, you know, they cleared me to play, got through about halfway point

of the season. They said, you have blood clots again. And for me, it was just like one of the darkest moments, you know, football is taken away from me, like, what's my next direction? And, you know, I just leaned on my faith just to bring me through it. There are a lot of dark days, a lot of dark times. And it was a tough process. And ultimately, you know, we got the doctor that created a medical plan had never been done in a contact sport before where I was taking blood thinner every single day of the week and then coming off of it at Friday morning and playing on Saturday. So I had no contact practices. I wasn't able to practice.

All I could do was walk through, workout and watch film. So it was a whole different process to adapt and try to prepare for that. But for me, I just wanted to play the game. You know, I knew I wanted to be a football player since kindergarten. So for me, it was all about reaching that dream to aspire to be an NFL player, to keep playing the game. And once again, just proving people wrong. this will probably be an uneducated question,

but did that at all affect your draft stock two years later? Absolutely. Yeah, that's probably one of the most negative things about. I mean, it was hard to explain to a coach or an organization. Like, imagine trying to tell Bill Belichick at the time, hey, coach, I can't practice. I can go play for you, but there's no while practice. So for them, it was like, okay, this kid can't practice.

How is he going to get better? How is he going to develop? We can't even develop this kid if you can't play. So it was a long journey. trying to tell teams your story. And there's so much background that goes into the story that a lot of teams didn't feel comfortable, which I don't blame them. You know, we used to have this saying, or this big sign up in the locker room that said durability is more important than ability. And you've played in 67 games, started every single game. Can you talk to us about

the inner workings of how you keep yourself healthy throughout the course of week, what you do for your body to keep yourself maintained and on the field? Yeah, yeah. There's so much that goes into it, man. I think that's just part of growth as a football player from every level you keep going, right? And for me, it was just like stretching, rehab, sports massage, therapy, ice bass, like, just adding little

things into my game, having mentors and OGs in the locker room. They're telling hey, Rook, come on, come on me, we're going to do this schedule. Or, you know, a day after a game, you know, you feel terrible, but come in here, get a lift, we'll do a body flush, just something to keep the bones and body moving. So, for me, I think that's a bit of it. For me, I always

I want to push true and play. almost no matter what. I don't know if it's an O-line thing, but it's almost like a pride thing. If I'm able to get off the couch, I want to go out there and play. So I think there's a little mental toughness aspect. And then I have great teammates around me,

talking about the Interior Office of Lyman as well, guys like Joe Tunney, Creed Humphrey, you know, they don't miss games either. So I don't ever want to be one of the guys that lets my teammates down when they need me. If I can go compete and get my best on the field, I'm not going to hold out on my guys.

I have some buddies. And it's four other guys. We play in a Madden League. every time Madden comes out for like four months. And the past two years, I've traded for you every season. I just want to tell you that. I've traded for you.

Like, you're so legit on Madden. Do you ever play with you? Bro, I haven't played Madden in a while, but I love to hear that. Yeah, yeah, every year. I trade for you every year. It's funny to see your head in real life because your head's up there on my team all the time.

Anyway, that's all that I got. That's what you got. That's awesome. So when you came into the league, who were some of those guys that took you under their wing and kind of showed you how to be a professional, how the league operated and somebody who you probably still rely on today.

Yeah, man. When I walked to the Chiefs as a rookie, man, we were veteran heavy, especially in the offensive line room. And there's so many names, guys like Mike Remmers, a Larry Tardiff, Duvernet, a Kyle Long. You know, Kyle, I leaned on Kyle a lot during the season just to teach me different things. But then also having, you know, in my opinion,

in my opinion, a Hall of Fame, future Hall of Fame, Offensive Guard, and Joe Tunney, a guy that I can bounce ideas off, questions, a guy that I can watch and try to emulate my game a little bit off of him. So, you know, I had a great offensive line coach in Andy Heck, assistant officer line coach, Cory Matey. And obviously, you know, the headman himself, Coach Ree, who understands interworking of offensive line play. So really fell into a great, perfect situation. Talk about my center once again, Creed Humphrey. I've known him since sophomore year of high school.

So having that rapport in that relationship already step into the game, like, it was easy because I have a guy next to me that I know. I can trust, you know, talking about a guy like Andrew Wiley, Lucas and Yang as well. So we had a really good, strong core offensive line room. And, you know, the transition was very difficult. All days weren't good days. Didn't have great games all the time. But, you know, leaning and depending on those guys made it a lot easier. The first time I thought about this was a LeBron comparison.

But LeBron being 40 and all the seasons that he's played really isn't the whole picture because all the playoff games that he's played as well as the seasons is like multiple other seasons. Now when I look at a guy like you, all the playoff games that you're playing every single year that you've been in the league, right? Because yeah, you've been what, you've been in four years at this point, four or five years? Yep. Like, going on my fifth year. Yeah. So that's a lot of, you've basically played an extra season compared to players that haven't made the playoffs or haven't gone far in the playoffs.

Like your body's got to feel like it's two seasons deeper than that. right? Yeah, it's not sweet. A winning Super Bowls and stuff is awesome, but, you know, there's a lot of wear and tear in the body when you go that far. You know, I'm spoiled in a way, you know, God's bless me once again, where it's like, I don't know anything less than the AFC championship game in my entire career. But like you said, like it accumulates and adds on every season when you start stacking those extra games. So I think that's why like body and recovery became critical for me in determining, like, I want longevity in my career, but I also want to be available,

availability is the best trait, right? So for that, it's been really difficult just trying to stay on the field, but you just have to adapt your game and evolve as time goes. So what type of motivation do you guys have going into this year? Because obviously, with the success that you've had earlier in your career with the two Super Bowls, and you're coming off a season where you guys didn't get it done this year. What's your mentality going into this year with that? Yeah, I think, you know, the mission remains the same. Every year we have meetings and we talk about it and, you know, ultimately we're all there to win a Super Bowl. So obviously, we came up short and that's a feeling that we won't forget. And it's a feeling that no one in

that locker room liked. But at the end of the day, we have to just focus on the current mission, which is how do we attack every day, day in a day out, just one step at a time, one rep at a time. So for me, I feel like I personally, I can only speak on my own experience, but I never look too far ahead. I just look at my opponent each and every week and just go from there and just keep building because if I can be the best version of myself from my team, that I know I'm doing my job. And I know all of my guys are doing that. We're going to be just fine.

Hey, so tell me about this camp because it's the second year you're doing it, right? This is our second year camp, man. It's going to be in Jackson, Tennessee, June 21st. Second year running it, having a great turnout again, and just putting on something for the community of Jackson. You know, I owe so much to that place to help me become a man and the person who I am today. So I want to get back to the community anyway I can.

And so the ages of the kids, though, so it's anywhere from second grade to 12th grade. Is that right? Yes, sir. Yep. And what do you teach them differently? I mean, if you are second grade, they're a whole different set of skills than 11th grade, I'm assuming, right?

Yeah, yeah. A little bit of trial and error from last year, just understanding the second graders and the little guys, they want to just go out there and have fun, but just sort of get them a basic understanding of the fundamentals of football, what goes into it. But the main emphasis is making sure

the little guys have fun out there. When we talk about the middle school and high school camp, just turn it up a little bit. Obviously, we're preparing them if they want to possibly have a future of the next level or if they want to just imbetter themselves for the upcoming season, just really pushing them,

getting them ready and refining their skills, become better athletes and better football players. The 2025 Trey Smith Football Camp Saturday, June 21st at the University School of Jackson, in Jackson, Tennessee. And again, all the proceeds benefit the United Way of West Tennessee. And there's swag and food and expert coaching from Trey and other NFL players and surprises.

So it really is a great deal, especially if you're anywhere near the area, like be sure to go check it out. At least learn about it and then make your decision. My final question, though, can you give us a Patrick Mahomes in the huddle story? Probably to the Super Bowl. Closing out that game,

obviously a high-pressure situation last year against the 49ers. You know, they got the ball, got possession, kick a field goal. They're up in overtime. And pretty much all eyes are on us at the end of the day. And I remember not necessarily being nervous because we're all ready for the moment. And I remember Pat just hops in the huddle was just like,

hey, guys, let's get it. Like, you know what to do? let's go do this thing. And just like the calmness that he had in his voice, the assurance, the confidence and swag, basically was just like, hey, we know we got 15 back there. We know what we're about to go do. And like I said earlier, everyone just do your damn job, man. Do your job one rep at a time will be just fine.

And the way that we systematically marched down that field, play after play after play, you know, I think that's really one of his greatest drives he's had in his career, man. When you look at the excellence and the greatness of Patrick Holmes, I think that moment for me is one that's going to always stick out. How about any time where he got after you? And you're like, oh, man, that's not good. Yeah, you know, Pat does an awesome job where he doesn't really lay into us too much. I think that we all know the level of effort he's going to bring every single time we step on that field.

For us, it's just like, man, we never want to see our quarterback one on the ground, but in a position where, like, you know, he's pissed off at us. Like, you don't want to, you don't want those problems, right? but I remember one game, the Texans, it might have been my second year. We weren't really playing in the greatest half

early on into that game. And I remember I'm just telling us to sort of pick it up. And, you know, the way we had to respond to that, you know, when 15, your quarterback,

the field general is asking for something, man, it's not a question you get your dang job done. You know what I mean? So I remember that. And that's probably the only time

I can remember him really getting fired up. But like I said, Pat's always pretty calm on the field. But once again, like, effort's never going to be

questioned when he steps on the field. we know what he's bringing. We know he's going to lead that huddle in that team. Trey, we appreciate you. Listen, I'm a Madden team. I always paid you full max.

I paid you max. So I hope in real life that's what you get because you deserve it, my friend. 100%. I appreciate the time and hope everybody checks out the second year of the Tray Smith camp for the kids. Again, second all the way through 12th grade. Trey, here's to a healthy season. Appreciate what you do for the community.

And hopefully we'll talk to you again soon. Thanks, brother. Hope I to let you down on Madden too, bro. Yeah, you never have, buddy. You never have. See you, man. I love it. See you, brother. Thank you. You got it.

The 2026 NFL draft is here, and the NFL Daily podcast has it covered from all angles. Join me, Greg Rosenthal, and Jordan Roderig after night one on Thursday. Nick Shook joins me night two Friday and then Sunday to recap everything that went down over the three days in Pittsburgh. We'll tell you who won the draft and which players were my favorite picks. Listen to NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast. or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I'm Greg Rosenthal.

And this is 40s and free agents. The games may be over, but the NFL never stopped. This is my favorite part of the calendar. Yeah, mine too, Greg, free agency, the combine, the NFL draft, pro days, trades. This is where teams reshape their future. This is where Daniel Jeremiah makes his money. On 40s and free agents, we break down every move that actually matters. From my draft evaluations, mock drafts,

team fits to my top 101 free agents and how real rosters are built, cap space, contracts, and all the tough decisions included. You got quarterbacks on the move. We got teams rebuilding. It's hope season. Yeah, absolutely. It's hope season. We'll tell you what's real, what's noise, and what it means for your favorite team.

Smart analysis, real conversations every week. I don't know about the smart, but definitely analysis. Listen to 40s and free agents on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever. get your podcast. Let's continue our search for every team's goat. Oh, gosh, I should have thought about this. Me too. I didn't know. Oh, gosh. I love when we're sitting there just like filtering through going, okay, the Browns.

And we've alphabet. Jim Brown. Okay. Or Tim Couch. Nope. Jim Brown. You feel a little bad for some of the Browns quarterback. And you've probably seen the jersey of every Browns quarterback. all those quarterbacks don't suck. Those are people with unfortunate circumstances

that got drafted to an unfortunate place, which has been the hole that it's called the Cleveland Browns. 100%. Yeah, it's a difficult situation. We've talked about it before on this podcast, you know, organizational fit, culture, everything else. And those guys all were drafted to that team at a really, what, top 10 picks?

Couch was number one overall. Overall, yeah. Number one overall. Brady Quinn was up there in the top 10. I mean, you could go down the list and unfortunately, you know, circumstances matter. And I feel bad for those guys because all of a sudden it starts going downhill and you're not having success as organization and you get labeled as a bust or something. Now, Johnny Mansell was probably the only guy that I'd say probably deservedly so after watching some of the comments he made and how he approached the game. But like Baker was able to bounce back.

See, that's the thing about Baker. Baker went in there as a rookie, played really well, and then took the team to the playoff, got a playoff win, and then was hurt, and they traded for Deshawn Watson instead of paying him. But I thought Baker was one of those guys that was the first in a long period of time

that was able to go on, stabilize that position, give that organization hope. And I'm not comparing the two straight up, but Joe Burrow did a bit of the same thing with Cincinnati who had a little more stability because they did have Carson Palmer. Right. But it was few and far between

because that's another program or that's another organization that you really didn't feel the best about the overall health from the top down. Right. And it starts with ownership a lot of times as well. I mean, are they dedicated and also how do they run their program and everything from facilities to food

to everything that you take? into consideration to make it holistically look the way it should look to be successful and show the players that you care in the organization itself. So it kind of has similar over overtones to that of Cleveland. But they probably had a lot more success. Oh yeah, definitely. Two Super Bowler's, right? Boomer lost both.

Boomer lost. And then Joe, Joe lost one. To the Rams. Right? Yeah. Joe, who? Aaron Donald. Sacked him on the last one.

No, no, no. Oh, that's right. Oh my God, that's right, because he beat Mahomes. He's the guy to beat Mahomes. Yeah, they came back in that one. That's right. That was no Castle comeback, though. I've seen comebacks.

The Castle, 254 touchdowns. That's a comeback. How do you like that? How do you like that? Cowboys. Cowboys. Oh, man, that's a good, that's a great one. Yeah, because we could kind of walk through who.

You could go generationally. Stobach. Exactly. You could do Stobach or Emmett Smith. Emmett Smith, Troy Aikman, three times two. I mean, Michael Irving. I mean, you could even do...

Oh, gosh. I mean... You can even do an offensive lineman, although it's tough to do an offensive lineman. You know, they've really... Even Zach Martin was... Yeah, Zach Martin is all-time. Yeah.

First ballot hall of fame. Probably got to be Emmett Smith, though, right? I mean, he set the record... Yeah. Probably have to be Emmett Smith. Probably has to be Emmett Smith. Yeah. Broncos. Moose?

Jay Novichek, maybe? Yeah. Broncos... Broncos John L.A. L.A. Got to be L. This next one. even though Terrell Davis

who you met at the Super Bowl That's your buddy That his gold jacket Yeah that gold jacket looks pimped I mean there is That factor when you see a guy In a gold jacket Especially if you played the game

You're like God that's awesome Yeah even if you didn't you're like Yeah even if you didn't This one's easy But there is a pretty close Second Lions Oh

Bear Sanders But I think at least he deserves to be mentioned is Megatron. That's a good, good point. He's not one. I'm not arguing that he is one, but I think for a lot of teams, he would be their best player ever.

Oh, he was a freak of nature. Freak. Just absolute size, speed, everything that you could ever like draw up on a board of what you'd want, that was Megatron. Talk about the ultimate mismatch.

Because I think he was probably 15 pounds heavier than Randy, but similar skill set, just an absolute freak of nature. I'm taller too, right? I think he might have been. Was he 6.5? 6.9, they said. No, I'm just kidding.

Wow, okay. 6-9. 270. What was Megatron listed when he retired? I would guess 6-5? Yep. 2.40? 2.37.

Yep. We'll both take the victory there. Packers. Now, if you go old, which we weren't alive for, to see Bart Star. We weren't. So it's kind of hard for us to yell Bart Starr because we saw some black and white clips. Yes, we did. But it's, it's really between two people. Brett Fav and Aaron Rogers. And Aaron Rogers. Brett Fav probably takes it because he has my childhood hero. Yeah, I think I have to go Aaron Rogers. But I think Aaron Rogers was the best quarterback of my formidable years. He really was.

I mean, I can sit there and honestly tell you from skill set, from also the mental side of the game, never through interceptions, could take off the athleticism, run, do all of it. And then all the stuff that he would do at the line of scrimmage, he was unbelievable. But there was pure joy watching Brett Farv play the game. Because he played like we think we would have played.

Right. It was like a kid in the backyard and watching the enthusiasm, He had the celebrations and running around with, I will never forget it in the Super Bowl when he's running around with his helmet off, just like a little ass kid. I mean, there's something to be said about that that I think that that's what brought so many people

to love this man, Brett Farve when he played, was because not only his toughness, but it was how he played the game. With Aaron Rogers, he was never the single best at any of the specific skills, but he was always two or three. if I were to speak more, I would say Peyton Manning probably was able to see think move with his mind a little better than Aaron Rogers was.

I think Peyton was his most cerebral quarterback. But Aaron Rogers, probably two or three. I believe Peyton was probably one of the most demonstrative, right? And you could tell like he was on. So you just think because he was moving his hands a lot more, he was better? Do you think he was actually processing it faster? I mean, he did process at probably the highest level we've seen. I also played with Tom Brady that I'd sit there and I'd be in awe about how he would be able to dissect a defense and understand what was going on based on a movement pattern of this guy's inside and the nickel blitz might be coming, check a play, get out of it, and get to what he wanted to get to.

And so Aaron Rogers had those same type of skill sets. And when you say he wasn't the single best, I'd say when he was in his prime, you never saw anybody throw the ball like him. Okay, so I would say he didn't process as fast as maybe a Manning or Brady, but he was always two or three. 100%. He wasn't a Mike Vic, he wasn't a Lamar Jackson, but he absolutely could run. Yes. He didn't have the strongest arm, a Matthew Stafford would have a stronger arm, but he was always two or three and having a freaking... So my point is that every single thing he was in the top three.

100%. And I think that's why he's probably like the all-around most... talented quarterback of my formidable years where I got to watch television. Now, there were things where Brady was so good at, but Brady couldn't run, but he didn't need to run. He didn't need to run. Yeah. So I would go Rogers.

Also the thing about Rogers was he played with swag. Right? He had that moxie to him, and all the great quarterbacks do, but I mean, Rogers always seemed unfazed. And I also love the fact, the guy never wore rib pads. Like, never wore rib pads. I didn't know that. Yeah, and I never understood it.

I was like, he always would just wear his up. So it was common for every quarterback to wear rib pads or most? Oh, I mean, you would think so, yes. I mean, just based on the fact that you're exposed all the time and he just never wore rib pads. I was like, God, what a gangster. Texans. Texans.

Now, we can't go Oilers. JJ Watt? J.J. Watts, who I have. Yeah, J.J. Watts, probably that guy. I mean, there were. It's a toddler of an organization still. Still, for sure. I won't say infant, but we're toddler stages.

But you're talking about the face of a franchise that's a recognizable figure that went out and dominated for year and year out for a long period of time, perennial pro bowler, all the things that you look for, leader. And also, I'll tell you, when he lined up on the opposite side and I was on the field and I'm looking at him, I'm going to, oh, God. See, he'd block out the sun. And he was, he's also versatile. Like he'd play defensive end.

He'd move inside. They'd move them all around. Would you try to find him? The hard part about them, when we were playing the Houston, Texas, they had JJ Watt, who was a force to be reckoned with. They had Clowny. They had merciless. They had dudes that could come off the ball, and they would always try to create single matchups because they'd go a five-down defense. And so that gave them the ability to move JJ around and move these guys. So sometimes you see Clowny standing over your center with JJ outside on your

defensive end, and it was really hard to turn your protection to one and not be screwed with the other guy. So you kind of had to play it straight. Colts. Well, that's tough. Marvin Harris. Definitely going to be Peyton Manning, baby. Jaguars. Jaguars. Hmm. Another infant.

I can give you mine if you're struggling. The lefty. Because I think you might go Brunel. I thought you might go Brunel. But you could do... And Burnell's... Buccelli. Okay, to go to the linemen.

Oh, I mean, USC product, let's be honest. But he only played like seven or eight years. but he was incredible. I would go Fred Taylor. Oh, Freddy. Yeah, that's, he could be that dude, for sure. I could see that. Fred was an absolute.

I accept Brunel, and I'm not saying that's who you're married to, but I accept Brunel because he did take a brand new organization to the Super Bowl. Yeah. Like he was stability to. And a lefty. I know. He barely missed my list. Your list was all over the place.

Yeah, my list got all over the place because I started counting. When you said Messi was like seven, I was like, what? Yeah. AFC Championship. Oh, he didn't go to the Super Bowl? Who did they get beat by? Carolina? No, they just came in at the same time.

Didn't we have this talk last year? Yeah, yeah. They came in at the same time. I like mixing it up. I like mixing it up. Let me guess who they were beat by. It's the AFC. They've been there. Well, okay, sorry, with him twice.

Never to the Super Bowl? I think he went to the Super Bowl. I bet my reputation on it. You don't lose much if you lose that one. Nope. They've never been the Super Bowl? Mm-mm. Uh-uh.

Dang. Blake Bortles went to the AFC Championship too, right? Yeah, he did. That one. I lost some reputation. I don't know how many get it back. We're going to work on that. The 2026 NFL draft is here,

and the NFL Daily podcast has it covered from all angles. Join me, Greg Rosenthal, and Jordan Rodriguez after night one on Thursday. Nick Shook joins me night two Friday and then Sunday to recap everything that went down over the three days in Pittsburgh. We'll tell you who won the draft and which players were my favorite picks. Listen to NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I'm Greg Rosenthal.

And this is 40s and free agents. The games may be over, but the NFL never stopped. This is my favorite part of the calendar. Yeah, mine too, Greg, free agency, the combine, the NFL draft, pro days, trades. This is where teams reshape their future. This is where Daniel Jeremiah makes his money. On 40s and free agents, we break down every move that actually matters. From my draft evaluations, mock drafts, and team fits to my top 101 free agents

and how real rosters are built, cap space, contracts, and all the tough decisions included. You got quarterbacks on the move? We got teams, re-eastern, building. It's hope season. Yeah, absolutely. It's hope season. We'll tell you what's real, what's noise, and what it means for your favorite team. Smart analysis, real conversations every week. I don't know about the smart, but definitely analysis. Listen to 40s and free agents on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, let's do two more. Ah, this one's easy. It's too easy.

Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes? That guy? He's pretty good. Let's do two others then. Okay, give me two others. The Raiders. The Raiders. Hmm. Howie Long? Oh, that's a good one. I didn't put Howie Long on my top three, but unfairly because he... Stabler?

Is it too old? There's a picture of Stabler at 35. Have you guys seen the meme? It's Stabler at like 33 or 34 years old, maybe 35. And he looks like he's 70. He looks like a 70-year-old plumber. He lived hard, dude. Yes.

And then there's Brady at like 44. And it's like, here's Stabler at 33, looking like Grandpa. Everything's better with modern medicine, brother. Yes. Wow. What's up? That's bad. Yeah.

The look. He looks old. The Raiders. I'm going to go with Marcus Allen. Okay. I can see that. And mostly it's recency bias because we played in a celebrity golf tournament together about three weeks ago. I didn't spend enough time with him to know that, but he was nice to me in like the three seconds.

We said hello. Like he was smiley. Yeah. That counts for something, right? Yeah. Well, he's a USC product number one. Yeah, we got to stop with all the USC products. Well, I mean.

you're just naming all the greats and I mean we have a lot of great players that have come out of USC but I remember being at a I think it was Marcus we were at the Tahoe tournament did I tell you this story and his I believe it was his girlfriend was on the side and hit the ball hit her on the top of the dome split her head open you you hit her no Marcus hit he had his own girlfriend yeah accidentally she was following the group and like split her dome open had to go get like full staples wearing a white outfit too. I felt so bad. What are the odds?

You hit your own girl, even if she's following you. Like, what are the odds you hit anybody because there's a lot of green? Yes. Where are the odds you hit your own girl? I don't know.

That's pretty slim. Last one's a Chargers. Ooh, Fouts. Danny Fouts? Winslow? No. Okay. Junior Seale.

Ooh. Great one. Not who I gave it to, but I would accept it. I'd say Junior Sayal. I would say Lidania Tomlinson. I like both of them, but I'm going junior. Yeah.

I mean, if you think about the position of linebacker... Did you play with him at all? At New England. Yes. Incredible human. What was he like? I was going to say, what he's a dude. Because what I remember of him is being relentless, nonstop, with the chargers.

And then obviously his CTE set in and his life ended very tragically. So those are like the two things that I remember from him. Really sad deal. I mean, it was, he was, I think, 39, 40 when he came to the Patriots. And this guy loved ball, man. And when you got to the stadium in the morning, it would be, say we got there at 615, right? He had been there since 4.30 in the morning, already worked out, was in the room, watching film, practice. You'd never know that he was 40.

He was out there like he was trying to make the team every day, making calls, coming through and run fits, never took a period off. And then the game, he was the guy that would speak to the team beforehand. And it was this, it was like a religious moment when you get to hear Junior say how I'll address the team because he had such a great command and presence and just would fire you up and you'd be ready to run through a wall for this guy. And then you get off the field. And he's the most humble.

individual you'll ever meet, never met somebody that seemed like a stranger. Nice as can be when we'd go out. He's always picking up the tab, doing those kind of things. Incredible teammate and just a fun guy to play with. As we go into this season, I made a list of players that had to look up where they're playing this year. Okay. Because a lot of turnover. Yes.

Like, for example, Joey Bosa. Bills. Nice. Yeah. Already hurt, though. Huh? He's already hurt. No way.

Yeah. He's had an injury. He's got an injury history. You want to see how many you can name the new team? I wasn't going to put you under the spot there, but if you know Bosa like that. Well, I knew, I knew Bosa. One I did not know and I had to think about was Naji Harris. Naji Harris, didn't he go to the Chargers?

Oh, yeah, you're ready. You're ready. He's ready. I wasn't going to put the old spotlight on him, but let's go, baby. Didn't the Chargers draft the running back in the first round, too? Who was that? North Carolina kid. Yeah, I like him, Omarian. Hampton. Hampton. He's a stud.

All right. Let's do it. Mack Jones. Mac Jones is with the 49ers. Yeah. How about that, bro? All right. We got Ken Jennings over here, acting like this is Jeopardy.

I mean, Mac Jones, talk about a crazy career up to this point. He comes in as a rookie, starts for the Patriots, takes them to the playoffs. Now, they got boat raced by the bills and playoffs, but incredible rookie year. And he was the next great one. He was the next great one. Because he performed so well early on. Right. And unfortunately, I feel bad for him because situationally, Josh McDaniels leaves and then new coordinator next year, Matt Patricia.

And I love Matt Patricia. But he always was on the defense side of the ball. And Bill Belichick put him in that position. But at the same time, kind of got derailed and got an injury. And then the next thing you know, he's out the door and he's with Jacksonville last year. Next thing you know, Western Kentucky's own, Bailey Zappy. Yeah. Bailey Zappy.

That's one person I don't know where he was. Yeah, I don't know where he is either. Nobody does? Yeah, I don't know. Is he even the league? He wasn't part of my list. Oh, I thought he was part of my list. I was like, man, you're really saying.

I was like, we're going down the list. It ended up being Mac Jones and Zach. Like, they were bouncing back and forth. Chiefs. He's the Chiefs now. Great fit. All right, Gardner Minschew. Gardner Minchew.

Oh. So he was with the Colts last year. We know that right? No, he's with the Raiders. Is he really? What didn't go Colts Raiders? He had a great year with the Colts. He had a great year with the Colts,

then went to the Raiders. I have no idea where he went. You just got suckered. He's the chief. Bailey's Abby's probably a third string. Seriously? Yeah, you guys slowly screwed me. We didn't screw you on purpose.

Stayed within the division, though. It's not like Kevin and I worked this out. We're like, hey, I'm really going to bring this up. This wasn't even in the plot for the day. I just nailed the first three and you're like, hey, Cooper Rush. Oh, he went to, hold on, I know this.

He didn't go to Denver. It feels weird that he's not. going to be a cowboy and he's not going to come in and play four games and win three of them. Because that's basically Cooper Rush every year with the Cowboys. It's weird. He's going to be in weird colors. Jacksonville? The Ravens.

Oh, wow. Wow, what an interesting fit. I know. As a coordinator, you're going, please, God, don't let Lamar Jackson get hurt because we're going to have to change the entire offense. I think Cooper Rush moves a little better than we give him credit for. Don't let his skin color make you feel a way about us. No, it had nothing to do with that. I've seen him play.

He does like, slow and why. He's not going to be running the zone read and running power at the quarterback position. There's also not a slower name than Cooper Rush. But that rushing is like down the middle. Yeah. You know. Someone call him the modern day Matt Castle, I think.

No. I still wouldn't want to run it's just saying. You know, he doesn't look the part, but he can get moving. I feel like Cooper Rush moves pretty good. That's what I'm saying. So did Castle, yeah. Are you being serious? Yeah, I swear.

Turn on the tape, bro. I watched your tape. that you load on Instagram. It was awesome, by the way. Like, I'll watch that. Somebody sent me that and I was like, kids, come watch us. Come watch us now. It was awesome. I told my wife and said, I work with him. Look. I know him. That was awesome. Yeah, that was awesome. I don't know who put it together, but I was like, man, I appreciate it. You look good. Deontra Hopkins.

Dee Hop. Man, he's signed with somebody? So, Chiefs last year, obviously, went in after that trade. What, what, uh, conference? Give me, give me a little. He's in the AFC. He's in the AFC. Same division? No, because he's not in the West. No idea.

The Ravens again. Wow, really? Good for him. Hunter Remphro, back. No idea. There's a version of him on this team as well. And by version, I mean, white possession receiver. Still no idea.

Consistent as crap. White possession receiver. Receiver. Consistent is crap. Do you know what I'm talking about when I say white possession receiver? Very consistent. The receiver I'm referring to is Adam Thielen. Oh.

So he's going to be a Panther. Carolina was going to say, right, Thielen Stiller. I thought of Braxton Berrios maybe, but then you said consistent as like he's more of a team team. By the way, not on the list, but Braxton Berrios is a Texan now, I believe. Is he? Ooh, okay. I believe you may, fag check me on that, but I believe he has gone from the Dolphins of the Texans, which is kind of weird.

That's kind of cool, though. I mean, your boy, Parker McCollum, would be fired up about that. You know, he's got the full off-season breakdown for sure. He was on it, by the way. Oh, yeah, when he was on the show. Yeah, he's massive Texan. Wow. Like granular.

Right, like really in the weeds. Yeah. So he is a Texan, right? Yep. Okay. A.J. Dillon. He'll be a backup. Maybe the best running back in the league, top three, at least.

I really like AJ Dillon. He's a stud. Yeah. No idea, though. Eagles. You went to the Eagles? Wow. Sequin and AJ Dillon.

This one you'll know for sure. Joe Tuny. Joe Tunney, Chicago. Yeah. Chicago did a great job with like revamping that offensive line and free agency. Unbelievable. Zach Wilson. Zach Wilson.

Oh. Wasn't he with Denver last year? We're not. Yeah, I'm just checking. I'm just fact-checking myself. Philibustering. Philibustering, no idea. Dolphins.

Did he really? So he'll probably get some play. He'll probably play. Much like Dak, remember that backup is. Yeah, you better get, you better get ready. Usually get some run.

I'll give you two more. Rahim Mostert. No idea. Raiders. Oh, nice pickup. Darius Slay. Oh, previously with the Eagles. Also previous teammate.

Great guy. I'm still... Do you played with Slay? Yeah. At, um, Detroit. Guy was a stud. Uh, no idea. He's a Steeler.

Steeler? A great pickup by the Steelers. Speaking of the Steelers, Roger's thoughts. How about that? I mean, I kind of anticipated like every single human just waiting for him to actually check into camp. So to me, it wasn't a big surprise or just the ah moment. At the same time, I'm sure the Steelers are fired up because, look, Aaron's got something to, something to prove just because he wouldn't be still be playing. He has nothing to prove, but he wouldn't still be playing unless he wanted to. And I believe that he will immediately upgrade the Steelers, because since

Ben Rothensberger, I'd say he's the highest profile quarterback that has walked in that building. And in addition to that, I still think he can play. I just wonder what the Steelers motivations are in general. Is it just keeping your head above water? Because if so, I get it. If not, like, okay, Mason Rudolph, not the guy, but I don't think you want the guy if you're not going to keep your head above water. Like, eventually, why not try to get a top draft pick?

because I believe as a coaching staff as an organization, front office, everybody like that, there are no throwaway seasons. I'm not saying there's a throwaway, but don't you think if there's stability in a coaching staff and an organization, you also understand the need for franchise players? I could understand if you're a coordinator

and a coach who's had a couple bad, like the Giants, for example. Right. Let's say that situation's happening. They got Jackson and Dart in the draft, but let's say that situation's happening where they're worried about their jobs. I would definitely want the best season possible.

But if you're Tom, And you know you're not going anywhere and they understand why you're not throwing it away because there were no throwaways in the NFL especially. That possibly you're going to only remain one game over, two games over. They obviously don't lose because that's what Tomlin does, stays around 500 or better. But I mean, eventually you need a top pick to make that team have a better team. I know. I know that's a mindset of every fan and every person that are sitting there and looking at the longevity and saying, when are we going to be able to lose so we can move up and maybe get another franchise quarterback

and catch lightning in the bottle. But like you said, and like we know, there's no guarantees, even if you're a top 10 pick in the draft as a quarterback. And to be fair to everybody in that, on that team and that organization, that coaching staff, to say there's somebody out there that gives us the best opportunity to win right now, then I think they have to go do that. And it's for every guy in that locker room, for every offense, the line, and defense, defensive lineman, anybody else that's involved, I would say that it would be unfair to everybody in that organization to say, hey, we have the option to go out and get a better player right now, but we're not going to do it because we're hopeful that next year we'll get a better draft pick.

But if your ceiling is 10 wins, that's ceiling. If your ceiling is 10 wins and Rogers isn't going to be there more than a year to max, don't you think you owe it to the fans, to the organization, to give it a run, to get get a, I won't say generational because that word's thrown around too much. But the next two quarterback classes seem to be really good. Like, don't you think that eventually you got to make that call? No.

Not from a player's perspective. I mean, the other part about this is you can always go into a draft and trade away, not only your first round pick if you want to trade up, but trade away your next year's draft. If you have that player in mind, you're going to have to make heavy moves and have to make heavy sacrifices. But again, for the here and the now, I can't tell you with a straight face as a player

I'm sitting there going, let's go suck this year. As a player, I agree. I agree. As a player, I agree. I'm sorry. I'm more owner mentality, though. You know, I'm up here. Oh, yeah. And the owner's like, hey.

I want long term. We're good. We're good. I want a long term. Let's crash and burn. This is a prideful organization now. Yeah, but you can crash and burn with dignity. like starting Mason Rudolph.

That wouldn't be indignified if you went out there and got your head beat in. What are you talking about? Okay, fair enough. Before we go, Kevin, did you ever get a DM from the person in the comments that said Matt Castle was their daddy? I sure did. Okay, boom. Allah. So just...

From his wife. I thought it was a woman who said it. No, that's what I thought too. But I guess it was a guy, but he doesn't have social media. So he had to use his wife's Instagram to reach out to me. and we talked back and forth a little bit, send me his address. We are good to go. Okay, so we'll get Castle to sign the jersey.

Sweet. We'll get it out next week. And then we have one other one to do, man. Yeah, what did you say last week? But you were going to say something different. No, I went with what you said. Matt Castle is gorgeous. Matt Castle is a gorgeous man.

Yes. So I do have a lot of, and I got to say, people came through. There were a lot of them. Pick a number one through 13. Let's go with Lucky Number 7. All right. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Matt Castle's a gorgeous human.

Who is the go-to podcasts with Bobby's phenomenal empire? I'll take it. Zach Love. We see you. I see you. If you message Kevin, we will also get you a Matt Castle signed. I don't even know what team is going to be. I got like a couple up at the house that are like the...

We got a few to choose from. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we'll get them to sign them and we'll ship them both out. Okay, do we know what we're giving the... His name is Lucas, by the way, in Germany. First guy? Yeah. We know what we're giving him?

Yeah, as far as the jersey was. Yeah, I got two castle ones that's there. But we don't know which team I'm saying. No. No, we're going to have to find that out. Yeah, they're up in a closet. I wear them to bed every night. So I'll just take one of those that I wear.

So you got Bobby's sweat and math. Bobby's perfume. Yes. Thank you guys for being a part of the show today. We really appreciate you. Please share the podcast with your friends. And please leave full comment. We may give away more jerseys.

Who knows? Thank you very much. He's Matt Castle. Kick off Kevin producing. Brandon Ray doing all the video. I'm Bobby Bones. We've had lots to say. Thank you guys.

See you next week. Lots to say with Bobby Bones and Matt Castle is a production of the NFL and IHeart Podcast. For more podcasts from IHartRadio, visit the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The 26 NFL draft is here, and the NFL Daily podcast has it covered from all angles.

Join me, Greg Rosenthal, and Jordan Roderig, after night one on Thursday. Nick Shook joins me night two Friday and then Sunday to recap everything that went down over the three days in Pittsburgh. We'll tell you who won the draft and which players were my favorite picks. Listen to NFL Daily with Greg Rosenthal on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Daniel Jeremiah. And I am Greg Rosenthal. I know that, Greg. We're teaming up on 40s and free agents, the podcasts that,

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