Free Agency Deep Dive with Bill Barnwell

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
They around the NFL podcast.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Has no Dead Champ money.

Speaker 3 (00:08):
From the Chris Westling podcast studio. It's around the NFL.
I am Dan Hansis. I have heroes here, Greg Rosenthal
and Mark Sessler. And it is the second day of
the new league year. And kudos to us or finally
cutting through all the red tape and like, don't tell

(00:30):
me the league year starting Wednesday is this big important
entre the whole weeks.

Speaker 4 (00:36):
It's the beginning of the week and now here later
in the week.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
So he took Wednesday off and now we have a
much clearer picture of everything.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
Huzza. I mean to me, there is no larger force farce,
I should say, in all of pro sports than the
NFL calendar in March. It's like, none of it. It's
it's like, don't try to tell me that anything starts
at a certain time. I won't buy it because we
were It's day two of what we've been grinding since

(01:04):
Sunday mid afternoon.

Speaker 5 (01:06):
If I Heeart's not going to give us any credit.
At least Dan did right to start off the show.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
Nailed it, nailed it. We're good at that.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
This is yes, really, in reality, the fourth day of
the league year.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
Don't listen to them, listen to us.

Speaker 3 (01:23):
And that means many many of the big players that
were going into free agency looking for homes or looking
to stay with their team, just looking to do business
have done that business.

Speaker 1 (01:34):
In fact, GREGI of your top one oh one, how
many like.

Speaker 3 (01:38):
Who's the what number is the highest ranking player left?

Speaker 5 (01:42):
Well, Tyron Smith has like a four next to his name,
But on the original, the original, yeah, he would have
been I think fourteen, And he also would have been
the only player on the original list of even the
top twenty that's unaccounted for, the only one. And then yeah,
so one O the Kendall Fuller, who I apparently valued
a lot higher than NFL teams, actually just came off

(02:03):
the board. He would have been thirteenth on the list
that when you know, kind of final on Monday, as
the as the negotiating period started, and he just went
off the board. To the Dolphins, who have actually made
it quietly a bunch of nice little moves.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
We're still working on our list, and I think there's yeah,
a lot of question. No, it's no, it's it's it's
more like you know, we've we exhibit patients, what the
list will come when we feel it's time for it
to show up. I mean, what are we doing that
houses out of the horses side of the barn.

Speaker 3 (02:30):
It's on the highwayax Mark, I did not tell you
that we did release it. Oh well, that's good, okay,
but load to hear that it's on the internet. Okay,
but it's we's why was I not brought into that process?
We've been because it was top secret. We dropped it
as an easter egg on the internet.

Speaker 5 (02:46):
It was actually if you could find the url right
put out on the company, we could read it. That
company was recently bought by European investors and they told
everyone you know that there.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
What I do love is we published it on dead
Spin and it was immediately around medic That's not our fault.

Speaker 1 (03:01):
I love the Greg underneath the layers of you know,
deciding whether or not this was a real project. Greg
is a little annoyed that we continue to pump up
a little bit our list just a little time. You
never know.

Speaker 5 (03:13):
I love it because it's showing how tough it is
to make that list.

Speaker 1 (03:16):
Where is your listen?

Speaker 3 (03:18):
It's always surprising what actually annoys Greg like talking about
the pickstandings, or that football that the charity gave me
football from, or for some reason the free agency two thirteen.

Speaker 4 (03:30):
That's just you could tell just a little bit of agitation.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
Why is that? Greg? Why is it certain thing? And
then other things.

Speaker 4 (03:35):
It's like, ah, nothing really matter.

Speaker 5 (03:36):
The only thing that's bothering me about this is that
you actually believe what you just said.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
I do.

Speaker 3 (03:41):
I believe one hundred percent like Rogers. I believe everything
I say and I believe it to be correct.

Speaker 5 (03:47):
You just don't believe anything anyone else says, at least
from like a large sort of organizational or societal stand.

Speaker 1 (03:55):
I don't now, I don't know what you're talking about.

Speaker 3 (03:58):
We are going to be getting deep into a look
back and in terms of what has happened this week,
and also of course looking ahead to what's still to come,
with the great Bill Barnwell, who is a great person
to talk to this.

Speaker 4 (04:13):
Time or year, really any time of year, but this
time of year especially.

Speaker 3 (04:16):
So that's coming up a little bit later, but first,
let's get caught up on the news since we last
spoke with you. Hey, someone's going to ask you, so
have you had the little ass boy conversation with Max.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
Yeah, sure, sure, not of son. He's a big ass boys.
What he is?

Speaker 5 (04:29):
You gota?

Speaker 3 (04:32):
I did not even connect the dots on that. Gardner
Menshew signs with the Las Vegas Raiders and do we
have that original sound from inside the NFL the for
context that Minshew in a game last year was repeatedly
belittled by Crosby on the field for his stature, to
the point where you cut to Minshew in the second

(04:52):
half and he's like, I'm not that small, maybe for
according to the football world, but.

Speaker 2 (04:59):
Boy, well that boy, dude nice Crosby is so that
I'm angry.

Speaker 1 (05:09):
Burke.

Speaker 6 (05:09):
He just like the thing is like, he's not that.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
I know, right, he just calls he keeps calling.

Speaker 1 (05:15):
Everybody low lass boy, little ass boy.

Speaker 7 (05:19):
Right.

Speaker 1 (05:19):
I'm like, I'm a little out here, but.

Speaker 2 (05:20):
Not always, you know.

Speaker 5 (05:23):
Gardner Minshew, the way he says it, he's really got
a McConaughey vibe to him. That's I gotta say, I
I think that's kind of what you want out of
your quarterback. He could be pointing out John Candy in
the in the crowd right before he goes and has
a game winning Super Bowl.

Speaker 3 (05:37):
Well, maybe that'll find out with any gardner Minshew, Joe Montana, Parafe.

Speaker 6 (05:41):
If he beats out Aiden O'Connell, maybe that'll happen.

Speaker 3 (05:43):
He's still perfect, perfect landing spot for Minshew. Let's see
if he can squeeze some more starts out of this.
All right, let's start though in Tennessee, where a surprise
on Wednesday the Calvin Ridley we had talked about in
our previous show, and in general, all the arrows seem
to be pointing to him returning to Jacksonville and circumventing

(06:05):
that the trade terms with Atlanta to avoid giving up
a second round pick, that he would just sign with
the Jags.

Speaker 1 (06:12):
Who we spent last year with.

Speaker 3 (06:14):
On the first day of the league year, No, all
that erroneous, Ridley signs a four year, ninety two million
dollar contract with the Titans that includes fifty million guaranteed.

Speaker 1 (06:26):
He's now, in terms of.

Speaker 3 (06:29):
Average value of salary at that position, a top ten,
which really jumps out to me. Mark is a little
rich for my blood with Calvin Ridley, a guy that's
twenty nine years old. He's got a suspension on the ledger.
He faded a little bit last year, was a little
hot and cold in general, and you're paying him as
a number one like that once again, the Dalton scale

(06:51):
of wide receivers. That is an off season episode that
is screaming at us. Where would Ridley fall? I think
on the other side of that, So let's talk about it,
because he's not being that.

Speaker 1 (07:01):
That these wide receiver deals for a number of years
in a row have been have been wild. I I
would say this though about the Titans in general. I
don't know if Calvin Ridley is I'm with you. I
think the money is more than the man in this situation.
But this was a team that desperately needed to read
the man well the player the player. Okay, okay, that's

(07:21):
I don't know. I don't know him personally, so that
that was out of bounds by me and I.

Speaker 3 (07:26):
Not since you took down the entire insider culture have
I thought that you really made such a personal attack
more on that.

Speaker 1 (07:32):
That was only a couple of days ago. But now
you add Ridley to DeAndre Hopkins, Traylon Burk's Nick Westprookakina,
It's like Will Levis is coming out of this as
somewhat of a winner because a they didn't Can you
say those again. Say those names again, Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins,
Traylon Burks, Nick West, Prookakina. It's not that they couldn't
go draft someone else too, It's just that I'm just

(07:53):
saying they They were bottom of the barrel, one of
the worst wide receiver groups in the league at times
last year. And it it's like, if Hopkins can still play,
I don't hate Ridley and Hopkins as a duo. They
added Tony Pollard with Cushion Berry. It's like they are
at least active. They needed to do, They needed to
take steps, and they're taking steps.

Speaker 5 (08:10):
It was one of the only contracts this offseason that
when they reported, I was like, wow, I did not
expect him to be that far above the rest of
the class of receivers that even got to free agency.
Markus Brown, for instance, hasn't even signed yet though, so
we'll see what he gets, but it's not going to
be anything close to this. When it was fifty million
dollars guaranteed. So you mentioned the average contract, I think

(08:31):
that actually does favors to the Titans. So unless the
reporting is extremely misleading, it's fifty million dollars guaranteed, which
I would assume is basically over the first two years
of his contract, so that's more like twenty five.

Speaker 1 (08:44):
It is actually backloaded.

Speaker 5 (08:46):
I don't think he gets to that third year anyways,
And that guaranteed money would be second among all wide receivers,
only behind Tyreek Hill.

Speaker 1 (08:54):
Now the cap goes up.

Speaker 5 (08:55):
Our friend Justin Graver and Titans fans are in their
feelings of people criticizing this move immediately pointed out off
a tweet I wrote of like, well that the percentage
of the cap is a lot less, and it's you know,
it's a lot if you average out what AJ Brown's
contract actually would have been now like that, that's a
bigger percentage of the cap from when it was signed.

(09:15):
It's like, and all these Titans fans who are all
comparing it, and it's like, yeah, this is gonna look
like a bargain when I signs and Higgins signs and
and all these top players, and my thing is like, yeah,
but really is not anywhere close to the category of
those players.

Speaker 6 (09:29):
That that's our point. That's like, yeah, of course AJ
Brown takes.

Speaker 5 (09:32):
Up a bigger percentage of the cap, although he got
less guaranteed money, which again is a little crazy. Ridley's
just like a good player that's getting paid as a
great player, which is how teams historically have gotten into
trouble in free agency.

Speaker 1 (09:46):
And he's not.

Speaker 5 (09:47):
He's not a young player anymore either. He's twenty nine.
He's a little inconsistent.

Speaker 3 (09:52):
He's like an older version with a little more, you know,
background than Christian Kirk. Like remember a few years ago
when everybody was getting nineteen millionaire at the time, and
that was that and it did so like you can
look at it that way is and if he listened,
if he has one hundred catches next year and thirteen
hundred yards and eight touchdowns, that's fine.

Speaker 1 (10:11):
But you need him to be that guy.

Speaker 3 (10:12):
And he hasn't really, other than very early in his career,
been on a trajectory.

Speaker 1 (10:17):
As like a star slash superstar player. But I don't
want to. I don't want to. I don't want to.
So many guess on the surface.

Speaker 3 (10:25):
So you're saying, are the Titans, at least on paper
better than they were four days ago?

Speaker 1 (10:30):
I think so? Is Will Levis the guy?

Speaker 3 (10:33):
I have some doubts about that too, But they're at
least giving him a chance and a corps around him.

Speaker 4 (10:37):
And we'll see what happened.

Speaker 1 (10:38):
I do wonder if they had to pay what they paid,
because along with the Jaguars, the Patriots were talked about
is looking after Ridley as well. There's maybe some sort
of a bidding war behind the scenes where you're having
to pay this money. Now.

Speaker 5 (10:50):
I don't want to get all Aaron Rodgers here, but
I do have a conspiracy on all this go ahead
that no one's been reporting out there so or that
you heard.

Speaker 3 (10:58):
From no one's reporting yousiracy theories. No, it's just in
my head.

Speaker 5 (11:02):
Yes, at no point did we ever hear the Titans
were in the mix.

Speaker 1 (11:06):
It was a little strange.

Speaker 5 (11:07):
It was like hardcore seventeen different inside Patriots, Patriots, Patriots, Jaguars, Jaguars,
blah blah.

Speaker 1 (11:12):
He wants to see with the Jaguars.

Speaker 5 (11:14):
My conspiracy theory is he maybe had a little bit
of a wink wink not not agreement with the Jaguars
that he wasn't going to sign until after that Wednesday
to help them with the draft picks in general. But
all along the Titans had this offer there and they
were probably the favorite. And again he's just doing the
Jaguars a favor by basically waiting till Wednesday and then

(11:38):
they get the better draft pick. I don't believe that
they just suddenly came into the mix in the last
second and then blew everyone.

Speaker 6 (11:45):
Out of the water with a with a huge offer.

Speaker 5 (11:47):
And Jacksonville fans, and this is to Calvin Ridley's credit,
are mad. Even though they weren't too happy with him
during the year when he ran a lot of weird
routes and had a lot of drops, the Jaguars did
really want him and the only reason that they couldn't
keep was because they had to use the tag on
Josh Allen, which they should have signed him to a
long term deal before.

Speaker 1 (12:04):
So little but that that also, that seems very plausible.
But that also tells you that even more of a
fraudulent entity. Is this like legal tamp Oh yeah, that's
part because it's like this stuff I've been going on
long before, you know, the legal tampering window opened so wide.

Speaker 5 (12:20):
Please take you had a wild free agent spears. But
I'll put a pin in that we can talk about
that with Bill.

Speaker 1 (12:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (12:25):
I don't know if we mentioned Mason Rudolph also signed
with the team, so he will back up will Levis
and like Garden Minshew, I think that's a good spot
for Rudolph because I think there's an opportunity to play
there potential.

Speaker 6 (12:35):
It's on the side of the league before those last
couple of starts.

Speaker 3 (12:38):
Isn't it ironic that when he did close the season
well or at least better than Kenny Pickett and finally
played at a pretty solid level for the Steelers and
then they get rid of them finally, Like I.

Speaker 1 (12:49):
Am happy to see him not on the Steelers.

Speaker 3 (12:51):
I mean, I'm certainly not like vouching for him staying
in Pittsburgh, but just the way where it felt like
he was on the team for fourteen years and did
nothing right then finally did a little bit of something.

Speaker 1 (12:59):
They're like now young he appeared in four games.

Speaker 5 (13:02):
If it had qualified, he would have been third in
the NFL in QBR it will stop long be forgotten.

Speaker 1 (13:08):
Do we really need that statute make Mason Rudolph last time?

Speaker 5 (13:11):
And I had to check this on Pro Football Reference
right now just to make sure he wasn't good even
though it was only two months ago. No that Mason
Rudolph started a playoff game in the year twenty twenty
four he was in the the NFL started the playoffs,
all the team's got to choose their starting quarter Mason
Rudolph was one of those quarterbacks.

Speaker 1 (13:29):
Put it this way, one of the more low wattage playoffs.

Speaker 3 (13:32):
I can't even Rudolph throwing for nine hundred and forty
five yards, five touchdowns and two picks in his final
four games has a real hearty whiff of Desmond Rinder's
last four games in Atlanta and people being.

Speaker 1 (13:43):
Like, hey, he's pretty good. He's pretty good.

Speaker 3 (13:46):
Actually, speaking of Desmond Rinner, the former Falcons starting quarterback
is on the mood move. He was traded. How about this,
Rondell Moore upon a second round pick, I believe, once
upon a time.

Speaker 1 (14:02):
Yep, yep.

Speaker 3 (14:03):
So the Cardinals send Rondell Moore, their former second round pick,
to the Falcons for Ritter So a one for one swap.
Love these It's fun, you know, it's like old school
player for player. So the Cards get a new backup
and the Falcons at another wide receiver.

Speaker 1 (14:22):
I think the Falcons and I know they're going to
be like the sexy NFC South pick, and they should
be like, this is another team that has like recrafted
their offense from the couple of offseasons, Like you have
Drake London, Darnell Mooney, I like him as in your
wide receiver group, Rondel Moore, Cadarl Hodge, who's more helpful

(14:42):
than I think people realize. Then maybe you've got Kyle
Pitts finally emerging b John Robinson like and Kirk Cousins like.
This offense on paper looks dangerous by the way.

Speaker 3 (14:52):
I'm so fantasy drafts aren't for months, but I am
one of the many, many thousands who will be back
in on Kyle Pitts.

Speaker 1 (15:02):
But it feels like a shaky fantasy situation the Falcons general,
because who's I'm not going to a lot of people
to like.

Speaker 3 (15:09):
I was in on him in year one and year two,
I took year three off and I'm all the way
back in.

Speaker 1 (15:13):
Then we know what happens with you. Then he doesn't perform,
and then you write him off as a person as
a man.

Speaker 5 (15:17):
I'm sort of in on this, Like Kyle Pitts says,
this ide don't cost me. That is not a reality
that like if Kyle Pitts was who we thought Kyle
Pitts was, Like I think we would know more by now.
I don't think he's as explosive as as he looked
through some injuries, and he had some injuries. It's like
every but I mean everything on Arthur Smith and Ritter

(15:39):
I think is a little too simple. It's pretty rare
that you have a challenge trade these. These are both
players that were a little disappointing I think to their
their team.

Speaker 1 (15:46):
Ritter, I mean more than a little. But he was
a third round pick.

Speaker 5 (15:49):
Like if he turns into a decent backup quarterback, like
that's what you kind of expect that of a third
round pick. His coach fire more more can make people miss.
He is now the third wide receiver on the Falcons
roster that has caught a pass in the NFL in
the last three years.

Speaker 6 (16:04):
So like they they only had two.

Speaker 5 (16:07):
They only had one before Darnell Mooney and then they
had two and now they have three.

Speaker 3 (16:11):
So they needed to progress. Yes, let's take a break
and then we will continue onward. Right, the Chargers making moves,
they say goodbye, and this one. You know, as a team,
I follow a team that needs wide receiver help and
maybe a playmaker that could stretch the defense. Mike Williams
is on the market. The Chargers release Williams. That Bolts

(16:34):
pushed a lot of pain into this offseason with some
restructures last year, and now they have to pay the bill.

Speaker 4 (16:40):
And that's why Mike Williams is no longer on the team.

Speaker 3 (16:42):
And that comes after he signed a three year, sixty
million contract, sixty million dollars contract after twenty twenty one.
He was having an awesome start to last season before
he tore his ACL And of course, Mark injuries and
Mike Williams, they are no strangers. So any team that
does sign up, I'm very curious to see what his
market is. I think there'll be a lot of teams
interested in him, but how much money he gets considering

(17:04):
his injury history. But he's still pretty young guy too.
I think he's sneaky young. Yeah, but maybe his body
sneaky old will be an interesting test in free agent.

Speaker 1 (17:15):
Yeah, he is like he's a juicy free agent wide
out sitting out there. But it is like how many
games you're gonna get ot him year after year? And
I know this team's gonna look so different. But when
Mike Williams was not on the field for the Chargers,
during this, justin Herbert era, they looked a lot different,
Like I think he certainly made defenses have to pay
attention to him. Now they're down to Keenan Allen, Josh Palmer,

(17:38):
and Quentin Johnson. I think Quentin Johnson's got a lot
of pressure on him to be what they thought he
could be.

Speaker 3 (17:43):
At this point, I think like ARPA is kind of
stripping it down a little bit and he's going to
be this year. You know, we'll see what happens this year.
But this I think this whole thing is starting to
be built, you know, stripped down to build back up.

Speaker 1 (17:54):
But Gus Edwards, what do they call it? A controlled rebuild?
Is that what they call him? Something like that? I mean,
you could call it makes sense whatever you want.

Speaker 4 (18:00):
No, I'm saying I feel like that's a term that's
out there.

Speaker 5 (18:04):
I am not sure because some of the reporting around
this right when it happened was they actually would maybe
try to get him back at a lower price, and
so they also renegotiated a deal for Khalil Mack.

Speaker 1 (18:19):
To keep them. And then there's these and Joey Bosa
is that has that happened? Well, they're working on his
he's restructuring his deal too. He's a controlled But I
know that Greg was was working behind the scenes because
yesterday when we were deciding, like is there enough to
do a show or Greg kept being like, I think
there's gonna be big Chargers moves. I'm like, eight minutes later,
I'm pretty sure some big Chargers moves are coming in there.

(18:44):
At all.

Speaker 5 (18:44):
It was obvious they had like the four. Everyone was
reporting that for weeks. That's something had to have. But
it just was like, you broke that BOSA news. To me,
I gotta admit is here. Yeah, well that he restructured
it to stay, So what do you mean you have
to admit that's what I do? I operate in the
news saying I have to admit that I was a
little off the grid on the way I ate a
little lunch.

Speaker 1 (19:04):
I missed that.

Speaker 3 (19:05):
You get do you really get beat on aggregating news,
like when you're not actually a reporter, you're saying he
beats you on that.

Speaker 1 (19:11):
I'm not saying he beat I'm saying I entered the
show that I actually was productive nothing with Mark. I'm
saying the insider Mark Sessler, I.

Speaker 5 (19:19):
Entered the show without a key bit of information related
unlike something, and I don't feel good about it.

Speaker 1 (19:25):
I guess who was there for you?

Speaker 5 (19:26):
I'm surprised, Mark, I mean who was there for the
freaking listeners of the Around the NFL podcast that I'm
actually very surprised by that that Bosa's staying considering how
little he's played. But Mike Williams, would you rather have
him or Calvin Ridley?

Speaker 1 (19:43):
You know, Ridley if they're healthy, Mike Williams, if they're healthy,
Mike Williams.

Speaker 5 (19:47):
I put Mike Williams is number twelve now in the
new one on one, which is confusing because half the
people about this, it's like I'm put ranking against people
that are already signed.

Speaker 6 (19:53):
But to me, he's never an ex receiver, a true
difference maker.

Speaker 3 (19:56):
When he's out there coming off an a cl he
might have to sign a prove it deal. But let's
say he gets a Fugeesi deals. Let's say you know,
it's a three year deal or four years, but it's
really two year deal. So two for fifty for Ridley
or two for thirty five for Mike Williams.

Speaker 1 (20:10):
Give me Mike Williams.

Speaker 5 (20:11):
Yeah, right, And if I had to guess I'm gonna
go one for fourteen is like I think so too,
something like I'd be but you, Joe d I would
be all over that, especially if you're a team in
a win now window.

Speaker 1 (20:23):
You take a check. We have prediction it's coming up later,
I believe in the show with Bill Barnwell and I
have a prediction of tied to Mike Williams. Great, okay,
so we'll just move on. So if you're listening, just
fast forward to this.

Speaker 3 (20:34):
Yes, all right, Joe Flacco got a job. We were
just talking about Joe Flacco last show. I was trying
to wrap my head around why you would ever sign
Jameis Winston in general, but to sign him to replace
Joe Flacco, who is one of the great stories of
the NFL season as Deshaun Watson's backup took the Browns
to the playoffs.

Speaker 1 (20:52):
The brown say bye bye.

Speaker 3 (20:53):
So Flacco needs a job and he lands with the
Cults a one year, eight point seven million dollar contract.
How much of that all right in four point five
is guaranteed? According to Schefty and a good listen A
nice landing spot for Flacco. He is backing up a
second year quarterback who is a top five draft pick.

(21:14):
So unless Anthony Richardson gets injured again, Joe's not going
to see the field. I kind of want to see
Joe take the field again, but I also want to
see Anthony Richardson stay on the field this year. So
if anybody was like invested in the arc of this
Joe Flacco end of his career renaissance, this could end
up be something that puts them in mothballs.

Speaker 4 (21:31):
But good for him. He's in the league and he's
still making millions of dollars.

Speaker 5 (21:35):
I just like that Anthony Richardson is a Shane Stiken quarterback,
and Joe Flacco is a Shane Stiken quarterback, and Gardner
Minshew is a Shine Steaken quarterback.

Speaker 6 (21:44):
Like, get you a coach that could do both.

Speaker 5 (21:46):
It's like, okay, let's just get the guy that's exactly
the same as the backup. No, like we've seen Shane
Stike and work it with Nick Foles to the tune
of one of the greatest Super Bowl performances of all time.
He was on the staff somewhere, wasn't he.

Speaker 1 (21:58):
I don't know. Flaco will be the starter though.

Speaker 5 (22:01):
During some of the off season, while Richardson recovers from
a torn aco and yeah, you would think he probably
will end up taking some snaps this year just because Richardson,
you know, had multiple injuries in those.

Speaker 1 (22:12):
Well and Richardson had concussion issues. And it's like the
way that he plays, you just have to wonder, like
it's kind of a wild man in the in that
month that he played, it really was. It's so important
to have backup. Yeah, I think we could see Flacco,
I'd say from the Browns perspective, And I mentioned the
other day, like they're operating in fear like this, it
would it was. It was too much of a distraction
to have, like a fan favored to merge behind the
quarterback who's the worst free agent.

Speaker 5 (22:34):
It wasn't about his base salary is basically the same
as Winston got a little.

Speaker 1 (22:39):
He was too popular and like, I don't I think
that's just another chapter in a team stuck in a
very dark situation at under center.

Speaker 3 (22:46):
They might say, they might say that Flacco is potentially
a fluco If you ask them why they did it,
they'd say, yeah.

Speaker 1 (22:58):
Winston, it's not it's not like you you have an
absolute I know Greg is hired than jameis Winston than some,
but it's like, right, Jameis Winston is about as hot
and cold as it gets.

Speaker 3 (23:06):
Right, but his play was at such a high level
right that they say maybe more of a fluco.

Speaker 1 (23:11):
I know, but it's it's like, I know where you're going.

Speaker 6 (23:14):
I think, I think what you're bit of a story is.

Speaker 5 (23:17):
Dans seven, forty fifth ranked bit Flaco Fluco over the
last ten years is having quite a renaisson.

Speaker 1 (23:26):
It is.

Speaker 3 (23:27):
I'm going to try to do the bit and Mark
keeps on debating me.

Speaker 1 (23:31):
I know, but it's like whenever, whenever, whenever we go
down Jets Avenue and you go, you go, you spin
the yarn about how everyone's against the Jets, and it's
always constant jokes and get like, this is my this
is my so called right and this is what I
liked about my team last week and they got rid
of it.

Speaker 5 (23:45):
But what he's saying, though, is like he got that
comeback player of the year a war ahead.

Speaker 1 (23:49):
He deserved it. But he could be a fluco. It
could be a bit of a pluco. I mean, I
get it. Am I supposed to find it as funny
as the two of you at the moment, I mean,
it's the apex of comedy.

Speaker 3 (23:59):
Bobby Wagner his homecoming with the Seahawks was brief after
one season. And we have a middle school watching us
right now, so played at a high level. I just
don't look outside the fish pay.

Speaker 1 (24:08):
I can't help it. And they're all taking photos and stuff.
They're outside the windows. He goes to that place.

Speaker 3 (24:13):
Washington Man, the commander's been active, created terms with Bobby Wagner,
formerly the Seahawks and before that the Rams, and before
that the Seahawks on a one year deal, six million
guaranteed money worth up to eight and a half. So
they go a veteran hammer in the middle of that defense.
And Greg dare I say, at the risk of offending you,
future Hall of Famer, I.

Speaker 5 (24:34):
Think that's a safe one. You're not gonna defend me
on that one.

Speaker 3 (24:37):
Phew, all right, other news anything on that nice solid signing.

Speaker 1 (24:42):
Dan Quinn has added a lot. They've added a lot
of players to a defense that's gonna look.

Speaker 5 (24:46):
For Their price is different, and I mean they weren't.
They aren't making long term commitments with most of their players.
They've been as active as any team. I kind of
like that. It forty nine Ers fans have pointed out
it's a little similar to what the forty nine ers
did when Shana Hammett showed up there. Just like he's
the base level with a bunch of professionals for a
year or two while you start figuring out who are
the core guys.

Speaker 3 (25:05):
The Lines announced four year contract extensions for Jim Brad
Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell.

Speaker 1 (25:11):
That's a no brainer.

Speaker 3 (25:12):
And finally before we take a break, and then we're
gonna welcome in Bill Barnwell.

Speaker 1 (25:17):
I've got controlled fury. Thank you.

Speaker 3 (25:19):
Dan kirk Cousins was officially introduced as the quarterback of
the Atlanta Falcons, and he looking sharp in his suit
in the Falcons call.

Speaker 1 (25:32):
I feel like we all slept on a couple of things.
You know, you had.

Speaker 3 (25:34):
Florio getting into it with people in the media because
he had a source that said that Kirk was doing
some real estate shopping in Atlanta. But he also what
I read after the signing, I didn't know this. I
guess this is probably out there too, that his wife's
from there. Yeah, we got married. There was born there podcast.
I maybe missed that show, or maybe I wasn't listening

(25:57):
to There are a lot of a lot of tea
leaves there, and he went there. And here's Kirk Cousins
talking about why he decided to move on from Minnesota.

Speaker 7 (26:08):
In Minnesota, it was trending over the last couple off
seasons to be in somewhat year to year, and as
we talked with Atlanta, it felt like this was a
place where, you know, if I play at the level
I expect to play, that I can retire a Falcon
And that was something that really excited me. And that's
certainly the goal.

Speaker 3 (26:24):
Kirk has also been number eight, I believe his whole career.
That's Kyle Pitts's number. Here's a fun little waka waka
conversation about that.

Speaker 7 (26:33):
He was funny about it. I said, I'll write a
check whatever, you know, foundation what. I'm not going to
let you just give me the number. I want to
make it worth your while. But then I make a
donation whatever needs to be. And he said, I just want,
you know, targets every game. You know, he said he
was joking. You know, he kind of winked, so I
joke at them. I said, good answer, good answers.

Speaker 3 (26:52):
He winked, he winked, I'm telling you, Kyle Pitts, there
was no joke about that. He's like, you can throw
it straight right, you could hit in the chest with passes.

Speaker 1 (27:01):
I love you.

Speaker 3 (27:03):
I will give you anything, including the shirt off my back.
They're gonna say, Kirk Cousins looking sharp in that, and that's.

Speaker 1 (27:09):
Does look good.

Speaker 5 (27:10):
I think you gotta The Falcons have really leaned into
the whole chains thing, and it's like, I think you
gotta leave that in Minnesota and come up with your
own new new stuff. If I'm if I'm the Vikings scene,
he's bringing the Kirk co Chains things here. It's like
that was our thing. Come up with something new. He
did drop a little bit of news though, though, too,
which has been supported by reporting that the Vikings really
weren't committing to him long term, in the same way

(27:33):
that the.

Speaker 4 (27:33):
Fact that there was a even within these negotiations.

Speaker 5 (27:36):
Yeah, I think they were offering him good money, but
after the first year it maybe was gonna be a
little year to year and the Falcons were gonna make
it two plus. You know, they're really committing two and
a half, really three years probably to Kirk.

Speaker 1 (27:47):
It does me wondering, like Kevin O'Connell, who on multiple
occasions came out very strongly saying we believe Kirk Cousins
should be our quarterback. I came here because of him.
We're working hard to get him back here. And then
in the end, like all all that's true is the money.
They weren't Well they yeah not.

Speaker 5 (28:03):
I mean, like like Kevin O'Connell that I think that
is being pointed out that it's QUESSI.

Speaker 1 (28:09):
Well, yeah, that's that's I don't know, like if you're
Kevin O'Connell, and I know we're big on Sam Donald,
but it's like you're you have a challenge a quarterback? Now?
Is that a royal? Are you? Guys? In? Though I
don't hate the landing spot for Sam Donald, but I
think you're talking about someone who's a you know, little
team of aten vibes do No.

Speaker 5 (28:26):
They save it for Bill, who's been listening to this
entire segment and tells me over text that he's actually
talking over our points making.

Speaker 3 (28:33):
All right, so let's take a break because that sounds saucy.
He might come he might come on mad. We might
have said something out offended Bill, And now we're gonna
find that podcasting I hope. So all right, we'll be uh,
we'll take a break. We'll be right back.

Speaker 1 (29:00):
Our next guest.

Speaker 3 (29:01):
Really at this point, he's no introduction, but I'm gonna
give it to you anyway. ESPN star, podcaster, expert, analyst,
future general manager. I see it as possibility if he
wants that path, Bill Barnwell, Bill, what you could do it?

Speaker 2 (29:20):
Future? I'm very skeptical. Uh, there are a lot of
people I would put ahead of me on the future
general manager list, including several of the people who was
the show.

Speaker 3 (29:30):
Wow, several several, not all. I want to i's a
gm GM on your team.

Speaker 2 (29:38):
I want you to look in the New York night
and say, was it me?

Speaker 1 (29:41):
Oh? I'll be thinking about this for probably months, but
no idea what you did? Mark psych just now.

Speaker 5 (29:46):
He is uh, he is a TV star. He's actually
between Sports Center hits right now. Hell ya insider information
and you see him on around the Horn more now
they're they're using him there since I was out on
the town like in the afternoon a couple of weeks ago,
and as Mark Sessler oft names well, no, just like
I up up on the television, you know, for all
the place to see was Bill Barnwell like chopping it up,

(30:08):
but of course no sound and then they don't put
the closed captions, so that's a that's a problem.

Speaker 1 (30:13):
I spoke to management about that.

Speaker 2 (30:15):
I I I try to be so eloquent and so
overly verbose or so underleaverbos. Maybe that you can read
my lips even if you're.

Speaker 1 (30:25):
Not as service to the to the viewer.

Speaker 3 (30:27):
You did you anything in our news segment that you
jumped on and you're getting set up that offended you.

Speaker 4 (30:33):
We seem to be getting yeah, yeah, yes.

Speaker 2 (30:36):
Absolutely, multiple things.

Speaker 1 (30:39):
Wait or what else? No, I would I.

Speaker 2 (30:43):
Would have just watched the show. That would have been
frankly my dream of you just be to watch the
show from from behind the door, not have to come
up with original thoughts and just be like, yeah, I contributed.
I was a part of that show. I just never
got I was like, you know, the guy at the
All Star Game, we never got to play still an
All Star just because I've been got on the field
does not matter any things I want.

Speaker 1 (31:03):
To ask you, Yeah, go ahead, let's get going.

Speaker 2 (31:06):
Number one, the idea that Kirk Cousins needs to leave
the Kirko chains in Minneapolis, not saying you're wrong necessarily.
But it's not like Kirk left you like that in Washington,
like he brought that to Minnesota. And I think as
someone who does not have a lot of bits, like
Kirk has like two or three things. And that's it.
The things you know about Kirk Cousins the chains, we

(31:28):
know you like that, and that he does not know
how to grow food. Those three things he has to
bring from stop to stop because he doesn't have anything else.

Speaker 1 (31:36):
That's true.

Speaker 3 (31:37):
That's like the you don't abandon the bits, yeah, like
the like the Dad certain dad bits like if you
leave your keys behind and then Dad's like, hey, you're
not going to get too far without these, like he
needs to have, you know, some of his greatest.

Speaker 5 (31:49):
Maybe it's the fact that social media giving me a
shirt list Kirko chains this morning with the caption woke
up Drippin'. It's just like, okay, well, these social media
handles need to so I was last year, and to
Kirk's credit, he pointed out, the chains aren't going to
be so cute if we're not winning winning games. So
if he actually looks like a thirty six year old

(32:09):
coming off with torn achilles, then then the bits are
gonna die, all right.

Speaker 3 (32:12):
So what we're gonna do is we're gonna and unless
there was another thing, yeah, oh wow, keep going, let's go,
let's chop it up, let's figure things out.

Speaker 2 (32:20):
The universal Sam Donald love. I wanted to make it
clear that even though I am a guest and respect
the opinions of the around the NFL broadcasters in the
round the NFL Show.

Speaker 3 (32:30):
I do not want to be included as one of
you want to be excluded from that narrative, Taylors very much.

Speaker 2 (32:37):
I am on the other side of this line. History
will proof be right?

Speaker 1 (32:41):
You know what's good about that?

Speaker 3 (32:42):
Because I am I don't know if you know, Bill
very much on the other side with you know, your
colleague and friend Mina chimes, amongst others, that I think
it's good because I don't need what The one thing
that Sam Donald Hive doesn't need is it to become
a tidal wave of everyone expecting.

Speaker 1 (32:57):
Him to be good.

Speaker 3 (32:58):
We still need dominate voices like Barnwell, like Rosenthal, like
the cestags. You're wondering if I was gonna leave you
out saying no, he sucks, because that will make it
all the sweeter.

Speaker 4 (33:11):
So that is great news. No issue here, No issue here.

Speaker 2 (33:14):
I agree. There's a lot of times where like people
will like the Lions. For example, there were no Lions
haters the last couple of years. Everyone thought the Lions
were going to get better. Everyone was excited about what
they were doing. Like I think that there's like this
like false hater thing that comes up and people like,
no one believed in us. Like no, everyone believed in
you to get better. Maybe you exceeded expectations, which good
for you, but everyone thought you were going to be better.

(33:36):
Everyone thought you did a lot to improve. Nobody was like,
this team's going to be terrible. So I feel like
you want to have some actual haters to just just
make your point, make it feel a little a little
more valid.

Speaker 3 (33:49):
Will you are in fine form, I could tell, like
us even doing a lot of podcasts this week on appearances,
you should check out the Bill Barnwell podcast in addition
to this show, and you'll be all caught up. So
let's get into some categories. I know you did some
superlatives on your show. This will be slightly different but
kind of the same. Oh maybe we'll make it different.
That's different. Humans talking about football. Yeah, and I'll start

(34:10):
with the move that made the biggest impact. And the
reason I want to start with that one is because
I'll take the easy one, because I think Kirk Cousins
is that pick for me because of obviously the position
he plays, but also the recent history of the Falcons.
And I don't even really need to dig in too
far because you know how important just having a stabilizing

(34:31):
force that that position can be for a Falcons team
that might be ready to make the leap your thoughts
Bill on the Cousins Falcons fit, and then maybe if
you want to throw in one of your own biggest impact.

Speaker 2 (34:41):
Guys, I do like the fit. I think the price
matters when we talk about free agency. I think, you know,
especially when you get the actual money here. And I
think great point with this out. I believe on on
social media it's not that big of a deal. It
feels big, and it's two garanteed years. But this is

(35:01):
basically the Daniel Jones deal, but with inflation making up
most of the difference. Daniel Jones got eighty two million
dollars guaranteed. With inflation from the cap, that's up to
ninety three million over two years, Kirk got a hundred.
I don't think that is an exorbitant amount for a
player who was I mean, what top ten would you
guys say last year before I got hurt in terms
of quarterbacks around the league, lower half of the top

(35:23):
ten for sure, like nine to ten. Yeah, sure, that's
that's a good deal to me that. I think that's
a really solid price for a quarterback who, even if
he's coming off the Achilles, he's not a moble quarterback anyway.
I don't think you're gonna be asking him to run
around a lot. A player who had a great injury
history before suffering the Achilles, had not even been on

(35:44):
the injury report for many years before suffering that injury
last year. I like the fit in Zach Robinson's offense.
I think the personnel they've added not only they had
in place, but also the guys they've added over the
past two days. Donald Mooney they trade for Ron dall
Moore today, I think those are exciting pieces to work with.
They play indoors again. I you know, maybe he doesn't

(36:06):
give you the ceiling you're looking for. Maybe you don't
get the you know, the the rookie quarterback ceiling. But
I think if their goal is to win the NFC South,
this was a logical move.

Speaker 1 (36:16):
Yeah. I think so too.

Speaker 5 (36:17):
I just think people have this idea that they're just
like this ready made team and it's a totally different
coaching staff. People often like project forward of like how
is this offensive line going to be? For instance, it
actually was pretty disappointing last year. It's one of the
reasons I think they fell shure, how is their defense
going to be? Some of the numbers look pretty good
for the Falcons, but Dvoa they were twenty fourth because

(36:37):
they played such an easy schedule that was artificially inflating.
You look at their defense, the front sevens, you know,
especially the edge rushing positions, pretty lackluster. So it helps
their they look like the best team in that division.
But that's doing a lot of the work here. If
you're just lining up like who's got the best roster
in the NFC, they're right in the middle, and they

(36:58):
might be behind the Minnesota Ike. So it's like, I
don't think there's some great ready made team there, just
in a bad division.

Speaker 2 (37:06):
Yeah, but we'll take that, like play play the car,
play play it as it lays you are not going
to be stuck in the you know, in the NFC
West anytime soon. And you're an owner who's in his eighties.
You have a roster that's not one of the younger
rosters in football, especially after all the free agent signings
they made last year on defense. Like you, if you
want to go win ten eleven games, I think Kirk

(37:26):
can do that for.

Speaker 3 (37:27):
Your biggest impact for you other or maybe it is
Cousins or is it someone else?

Speaker 2 (37:32):
I would say cousins, but I'm trying to think of
a second person. And if you could hear me trying
to stall, we could give it too.

Speaker 1 (37:39):
You don't have to force another impact.

Speaker 2 (37:41):
No, No, because I think I think there's a conversation
to be had here. What about Sequon Barkley?

Speaker 1 (37:47):
Okay?

Speaker 2 (37:48):
Should Should we have the Saquon Barkley conversation? Because I
think it implies a couple of things. Number one, there's
the economic impact of Okay, we have found the point
where even teams like the Eagles were not typically investing
in running backs, are willing to go out and pay
for a premium running back. We saw that price tag
make sense. He's getting less than Gabe Davis which at

(38:09):
the end of the day, like I have to believe,
if you polled thirty two NFL diferens of coordinators and said,
are you more worried about Gabe Davis or Saquon Barkley,
you know if you're playing the next week, I have
to imagine most of them would say Saquon Barkley. And
I think it raises this really fascinating question about what
this Eagles offense is going to look like. Host Jason

(38:32):
Kelsey retiring and after they've now hired Kellen Moore to
be the offensive coordinator, are they going to be a
team that throws to the running back more the way
Morris offenses did with Tony Pollard and Austin because they
didn't do that much over the past couple years. Jaalen
Hurts Is Jalen Hurt's going to run less? Is he
going to be less a part of the designated running
back or quarterback running game? Is he going to be
the guy who was the tushbush. Are they gonna put

(38:53):
Saquon in the tush push spot? I think is a
viable possibility. I think there's all these different questions about
what Squon is going to do in that offense, and
it may work out that he's just a typical running back.
He gets thirty catches a year, and that's a pretty
boring answer, but I think there's a lot of exciting
possibilities for how the Eagles offense could evolve with Kellen
Moore and now with a different focal point in Saquon Barkley.

Speaker 1 (39:15):
I love the fit. I'm with you. I think that
you know, if you look at Saquon Barkley, a durability
was an issue in New York, but also the cast
around him and the quarterbacks durability, and the wide out
s durability, and the tight ends durability in the offensive
line being a shambles. Like He's in a much better spot,
and I think the Eagles have found a way, even
though their season ended in total chaos, to kind of

(39:37):
flip the switch a little bit where some of that
goes away. And I think Saquon Barkley is like a
new face who, like You're right, It changes the versatility
of what the offense can do. And I feel a
little bit different about the Eagles and him going to
another place I wouldn't have been big on. I like
it in Philadelphia for the NFC East rivalry side of
it too.

Speaker 5 (39:53):
I absolutely do too, because I think my answer for
biggest impact a lot of the options would be on
the Eagles. I think Bryce Huff for them is going
to be perfect. I think Chauncey Gardner Johnson is in
that secondary. It just absolutely needed something. I think that
is a sort of an undervalued position, having that versatility
where you can play slot, you can play safety, and

(40:15):
they absolutely needed someone back there and they know what
they're getting in Chauncey Gardner Johnson. Like I look at
a lot of the moves this week, and a lot
of my favorite moves are the Philadelphia Eagles getting I'm
back in. Everybody's back in on the Eagles. How about
this pivot? Here's my yes, go ahead, here's my question
about the Eagles. This is the only part that worries
me about the Eagles in Chauncey Gardner Johnson. So they

(40:37):
could have signed him to a multi year deal last year,
did not do it. He misses the entire season basically
because of injury, and now they want to bring him
back on a multi year deal. Does that seem a
little worrisome to you? Maybe they're just trying to erase
what happened last year and just bring back, you know,
try to like just bring back the twenty twenty two
team at all costs. I think he just had a
certain number that he wanted to reach last year and

(41:00):
no one gave it to him. And the reporting was
just that they were going to spend that money somewhere.
But it's the first few hours of free agency. He
wasn't taking it, and they pivoted to Bradbury and that
turned to be a disastrous contract. They were not expecting
to keep Bradbury or pay him that much money, and
then Chohnzi Garner Johnson got left out in the cold.

Speaker 6 (41:19):
I mean, he kind of did this year too.

Speaker 5 (41:20):
None of these safeties got paid like monster money, but
he did better.

Speaker 1 (41:23):
I like it better than the relationship between Chauncey Gardner
and Dennis Allen, which was one of the funnier subplots
in the NFC a couple of years ago.

Speaker 3 (41:30):
Somebody I'm looking for it on Twitter. Somebody sent it
to me. We've been talking. It's come up a couple
of times on the show's shows this week that the
idea of being careful with your friend that breaks up
with the girl and then you say something bad about
the girl and then the friend gets back with the girl.

Speaker 4 (41:46):
Yeah, troubled.

Speaker 3 (41:48):
Apparently on the way out the door, Gardner Johnson buried
the city of Philadelphia and their fans.

Speaker 4 (41:54):
That's a tricky one.

Speaker 5 (41:55):
I think he's I think he sent some tweets out
to make up like the worst.

Speaker 3 (41:59):
Part of playing there were the fans, Well, welcome back.
If I could find that quote out, I'll do it.
Pivot Greggy, what is the move where you were scratching
your head like, come in?

Speaker 1 (42:10):
What? All right? Titans fans aren't gonna love this.

Speaker 5 (42:16):
But they made a couple just swaps that to me,
didn't make a lot of sense. One of them was
as he's alsha, here goes to Houston and they bring
in Kenneth Murray from the Chargers, which feels like a downgrade,
and they paid it, paid more money for it. Another
one was Derek Henry leaves the building and you bring
in Tony Pollard, which is fine. I like Tony Potter,

(42:37):
so I'm not really killing this one, but it's just
like a swap. Is this an upgrade again for the
same amount of money. There's just a lot going on there,
And if you look at each move. I don't think
one by one that they were terrible moves by the Titans.
Like Lloyd Cushionberry gets a lot of money out center,

(42:57):
but they all screamed to me of a team a
little bit like the Patriots, although they spent on their
own guys. It's like at some point you have too
much gap space and you just feel like you have
to spend it, and you make marginal upgrades, like they
went from Aaron Brewer to cushion Berry at Center and
just spent twice as much money. It's like, historically that's
bad process and that sort of process doesn't work out.
So it's more of the Titans process in general. But

(43:19):
especially that Murray contract seemed bizarre to me because he
was kind of a fiasco and with the Chargers.

Speaker 2 (43:25):
Yeah, I had no idea what he was, what that
market was like. That was going to be my pick
as well.

Speaker 1 (43:31):
Whoa, I've got a situation that irks me. Okay, go ahead,
And it's more about just inactivity and I and I
you know the way this works. Probably by the time
people are listening to this, this could change. But the
Chiefs needed a wide receiver. They needed to look for something,
and they've added IRV Smith, a you know, largely forgettable
tight end and nothing else. I know they're restructured the

(43:53):
Mahome Steel and I think there's that to me suggests
or hintsat a bigger move to come, and I hope
it does. But it's like they're the draft is helpful too,
but their drop position isn't great, Like you need to
look around for something because you can't get I think
they will, but it's like they have done nothing yet.
And yet I speak against myself because I trust no
team more to kind of figure it figure out their

(44:13):
own issues. So still players that we just talked about,
Mike Williams in the news. You know, Odell's out there
and there's the draft ahead. It could be trades. I'd
like Mike Williams would be interesting.

Speaker 5 (44:24):
The Bengals ever trade t Higgins to them. I forgot
the Chiefs, by the way for the Titans. There was
a contract I liked even less on the Titans, which
was which we never talked about in the pot, which
is Chudobi a woozy which I just didn't get because
he was coming off of torn acl last year and
struggled pretty badly for the Bengals got benched more or
less during that stretch run, and they like want to

(44:45):
establish a veteran culture and they give all this money
to him, So that's curious.

Speaker 3 (44:49):
During a live stream on Twitch last July, CJ. Gardner
Johnson was asked about his favorite and least favorite part
of his time in Philadelphia. Here's a quote, Philadelphia, Colleen
will this is not me.

Speaker 1 (45:00):
This is the quote.

Speaker 3 (45:01):
My least favorite thing is the people. They're obnoxious. I
can't stand the mother.

Speaker 1 (45:09):
All the people, not even just the fans.

Speaker 2 (45:11):
I mean, you know, is that the right context? Like
they could that could be like a out of context,
that could be differently.

Speaker 3 (45:19):
Randy Chavez behind the glass, big funk, can you check
in on the context?

Speaker 1 (45:23):
That's important. Bill, Bill's a journal at his.

Speaker 5 (45:26):
Heart, ironic may It's like like if the Eagles fans
read that, wouldn't they recognize one of their own? And
all like that is someone absolutely, I don't doubt. So
that is hilarious because yeah, he he tweeted out flying
home and put an Eagle thing up.

Speaker 1 (45:42):
He I don't think he's addressed these comments, all right?
How about that? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (45:46):
Go ahead, I just have a question. We also find
out what his favorite thing was. Lea's favorite thing was
with people. That's a really vague one that.

Speaker 1 (45:54):
There's a lot of them too.

Speaker 5 (45:55):
He does say, I do it with the fans of
Philly and apology regardless. This is an amazing place and
we had some memories together. Let's go get us on.

Speaker 3 (46:02):
So we had let bygones be bygones, as they say,
I don't know what that means.

Speaker 1 (46:07):
Really.

Speaker 3 (46:07):
How about this one the Vince Lombardi memorial what the
Hell's going on around here?

Speaker 1 (46:14):
Bill? For you?

Speaker 3 (46:15):
The signing that really left your trade or whatever that
left you scratch in your head?

Speaker 2 (46:23):
I would say the vikings with Sam. I don't want
to have to rehash that though, because I really don't
understand what's going on there. Maybe can we talk about
the Raiders and Christian Wilkins, because on one hand it
makes total sense, and on the other I don't think
it makes sense. Like from the perspective of we need

(46:44):
to upgrade this roster, they needed an interior pass rusher,
and I think that makes total sense. But in the
big picture, I think they're They think they're a lot
closer to contention than they actually are. I really think
they need to take a step backwards on a step forward,
and kind of feels like they're just making the same
mistake that twenty years of Raiders teams have done in
years past. But I don't know, do you guys feel

(47:06):
like there's a an obvious one that that I'm missing,
because I feel like that's kind of cheating too.

Speaker 1 (47:10):
Does it strike He was like the Dominican Sue of
the Dolphins back when that happened and everyone thought that
Miami was winning the offseason.

Speaker 5 (47:17):
That is a great great Wilkins is a great player,
and I was surprised he got to free agency in
the first place.

Speaker 1 (47:24):
It was one of the most surprising things.

Speaker 5 (47:25):
And I do like what they're building winning with defense
first though. And you get fifty seven million dollars guaranteed
to a defensive tackle in the same year that you
signed Gardner Minshew as your presumptive starting quarterback. It's just
it's weird process. But you know, he was one of
the best players of AILA.

Speaker 3 (47:42):
I offer my theory on this, I think and this
is a power of his personality. Culled the personality Antonio
Pierce has an organization whipped up into an uproar they
got him puffing out their chess. You heard the comments
about the Chiefs and can't wait to give him the
Jordan rules. They go and they they're in. You know,
Antonio Pierce, a former linebackers like, yeah, give me that
Max Crosby chess piece to pair with.

Speaker 4 (48:04):
Him, and we're gonna kick some more ass.

Speaker 3 (48:06):
And it's like, bring us in this guy and that guy,
where even though it makes all the sense in the
world to trade Devonte Adams and reset for the future,
we're keeping him because we're the We're gonna, We're gonna
continue to I think, And I don't think it's necessarily
a bad thing.

Speaker 1 (48:17):
I think there's something to be said for just positive.

Speaker 3 (48:20):
Vibes and why not they could win nine games next
year and not and make the playoffs. But at the
same time, maybe the Pierce and the energy around the
end of that season and him getting hired is affecting
more than just where they went ahead.

Speaker 2 (48:32):
Coach, No question, I think that is absolutely what's happening there.
I'll throw up two more. I'll let you guys decide.
It's more interesting. I will say the Packers swapping out
Aaron Jones for Josh Jacobs when I don't know what
you guys feel. I think Aaron Jones is the better
running back of the two. And the Patriots where they

(48:53):
came out this offseason and they said we got money
to burn. Jered Mayo was excited to spend money, and
they have kind of just run it back with the
old Patriots. They have only made too many additions outside
of what they had previously, so a little intrigued as
to what their short term plan is.

Speaker 1 (49:11):
I like those guys, I think for me because the Vikings,
you know, they you know, you move on with Daniel
Hunter and you replace them with someone else. But it's
like the Aaron Jones to the Vikings was one of
my favorite moves, and I couldn't be more with you.
I'm just not as high on Josh Jacobs as some others.
Have been really hot and cold season to season, and
I absolutely think that was a steal from Minnesota and

(49:32):
Green Bay got worse at running back. I've actually liked
what the Patriots have done.

Speaker 5 (49:36):
I'm glad you brought that up because I think it's
almost been a little under the raidar. What a sea
change it is that Elliott Wolf is running their team
now and the philosophy that he brings from Green Bay
is totally different. Even said they're changing their entire scouting
language that they've had, so everything's going to be different.
And that's just not a team that goes out there
and spends crazy. So yes, Jerrod Mayo said that they

(49:59):
had all this space to spend. I think they wanted to.
Now look when we got a very competitive, good market,
those are the types of deals. Actually, I would not
have expected Bill Belichick to get done. So it did
feel a little different that these players were coming back
and then the Uce move just because we haven't hit
it on this podcast is one of the craziest reported
stories we've seen. That he literally had eleven million dollars

(50:22):
guaranteed in a two year contract that he passed on
for a one year, three million dollar contract with that
can go up to eight incentives, which is wild. And
you're seeing some buy in from the defensive players, especially
on this team, of like maybe what Mayo's gonna do.
But I thought, I think it's an ultimate bet on
yourself moment that he's literally taking less money because he
thinks he's gonna hit those incentives and more importantly, that

(50:44):
he'll get to free agency next year, people say, like,
bet on yourself passing on eight million dollars guaranteed, bet
on yourself. I literally can't remember that happening, especially for
a second round pick who's probably made what two three
million dollars total in his entire career. It's almost unprecedented.
Said now, I'm rooting a little extra for josh Ucci.
I think it was a good movie. Had twelve and

(51:04):
a half sacks two years ago.

Speaker 4 (51:06):
Good luck to him.

Speaker 1 (51:07):
Good luck.

Speaker 6 (51:08):
Yeah, if I was his age, I'm serious. Agent wasn't thrilled.

Speaker 1 (51:11):
Does he have an agent? Yescause you could.

Speaker 5 (51:14):
Tell the way Tom p the Pell Raiser, tweeted it out,
you could tell this is a rare case where a
player went on their own and made the decision, like
essentially he went against his agent's advice and did what
he wanted to. I'm fine with the Patriot like they
were in on really but they had a number. They
weren't going to go too high, like what are they
gonna do?

Speaker 1 (51:32):
Seven and ten?

Speaker 2 (51:33):
We we just we just came off a season where
we were like, Okay, the Patriots need speed, they need
they desperately need pieces. Where were their new quarterback's gonna
be Yeah. The guy they've added is Antonio Gibson. Hmmm,
I don't know, all right, I don't know.

Speaker 3 (51:47):
A couple more minutes with Billy, I'm gonna I'm gonna
combine two categories here. So best remaining player in your opinion,
and let's tie that together with predictions for what's next,
Bill Barnwell, who's a player that you you you're quite
fond of that's on the market, uh, and a team
that should be very interested in going after said player.

Speaker 2 (52:08):
Okay, so let's let's go.

Speaker 3 (52:10):
Maybe not even a prediction, Bill, more just like in
your mind, like what just makes so much sense?

Speaker 2 (52:15):
You know, for you, I'll throw a prediction out there.
I'll go ahead, not scared, go for it. I'd put
a team out there. I think a Greek Armstead makes
a lot of sense, a player who is really talented
as a free technique San Francisco. It wasn't like he
wasn't playing well, had some injury issues, but still is
playing at a high level. I think they had some
some cap concerns. Maybe they could be a little a

(52:35):
little less expensive after adding Hargrave on the defensive line,
Nick Bosa's deal is hitting and that's a significant contracts
and maybe they're cutting back a bit.

Speaker 5 (52:44):
I put a pin in this for one second, Bill,
I hate to interrupt you. We actually have developing news
on the Armstead situation. You are not allowed to look
at your computer because it sounds like we know where
he's gonna go.

Speaker 1 (52:58):
If you can.

Speaker 5 (52:58):
Guess what an opportun where he ends up landing. You
actually win around the NFL podcast twenty twenty four.

Speaker 1 (53:05):
You're the like like those shows you're on ESPN. Here
we go.

Speaker 2 (53:10):
I don't win very often. I the team I was
going to put out there was the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Speaker 1 (53:16):
Whoa are you serious? Stops? Did he get it? He
gotta road? Who I told you on the podcast? What
I told you this? This guy should be a GM
But that's it. Time he sees things.

Speaker 2 (53:30):
I'm not kidding. I'm not kidding. I did not look
they were my pick. I kind of figured if they
got count seated, go for that kind of move it.

Speaker 1 (53:37):
Actually, he's a Northeastern graduate. He's got integrity for you.
They don't have like a television directly in front of
you that's off to the side. That okay, I and
I believe you. I believe you because you're You're that's
the ilk of type of the journalists that you are.
You would have you've nailed that wonderful job.

Speaker 2 (53:51):
No, I would either have made a funny pick that
was wrong as opposed to a card. So why is
that such a great move? Now for the Jacks, they
made a couple of cots. Put it Hazio. They needed
some pieces up front. They needed to make an addition
to the defensive side of the ball. They are, you know,
they're set on the edge with Walker and Josh Allen.
They cut Darius Williams. I think they're gonna maybe address

(54:13):
corner in the draft. But it kind of felt like
once they lost Calvin Ridley, they had money to burn.
I think they were budgeting to bring him back, and
once they lost in Tennessee, they kind of had this
big chunk of money, didn't really have a lot to
do with it. It wasn't really any you know, a replacement
for Ridley on the offensive side of the ball that
made sense. They already signed Gabe Davis. I think they'll
probably draft a wide receiver, but Armstead was the best

(54:36):
player left and address the position of need for them.
I think they were weak up front. I think they
needed another piece on the interior arms s it's a
great player. Thought it made a lot of sense.

Speaker 1 (54:44):
I love me. He's like six foot eight, could barely
walk the fit through a door. Still playing well.

Speaker 5 (54:48):
He was actually the first large fifth highest graded interior
pass rusher last year according to PFF. Just miss snaps
for the first time and missed thirteen games over the
last two years. It does remind me a little bit
of though, the Rams signing Alan Robinson just because they
had so much money when they couldn't get Von Miller
that they just like, well, we got to spend that
money the next day, and so that's the Jaguars do
this with the Calvin Ridley money. But Armstead's a good player.

Speaker 2 (55:11):
But did they was Trent balky the guy who drafted
Eric Armston?

Speaker 1 (55:15):
Ooh was he was?

Speaker 2 (55:17):
He still there?

Speaker 1 (55:19):
I believe he was. That was back in twenty fifteen,
seventeenth over.

Speaker 5 (55:25):
I think Trent Balki lasted it until fifteen or sixteen.
So you've really sleuthed it once again. You win, Yeah,
twenty sixteen he was there until So he did draft
Eric ham said, you can often connect these little dots
the well he can.

Speaker 1 (55:40):
Yeah, I can't.

Speaker 3 (55:41):
Bill, before we let you go a little heat check
on you, because you've already won this podcast. But did
you also win well, you can't win it out right
because f and Rosenthal went four and Oh what a
year Rosenthal had in his predictions. Bill, I don't know
if you were plugged it on that. It was I
heard infurious.

Speaker 2 (55:58):
A source texted me about very time.

Speaker 1 (56:00):
It was a constant thorn in the side of the
other two people on this show.

Speaker 3 (56:03):
He had a great year at his predictions, including his
over unders where he went four and Oh.

Speaker 4 (56:07):
Now we're going to check back back in August. You
were on the show.

Speaker 3 (56:09):
Bill, let's go over your over unders.

Speaker 1 (56:13):
Here we go.

Speaker 4 (56:14):
You had the Rams over six and a half.

Speaker 1 (56:17):
That was a home run.

Speaker 3 (56:18):
Give him a ding to a good start, give him
a big old Did you had that by about week
you know, fourteen and then seven? You had the Lions
under nine and a half they had twelve.

Speaker 6 (56:31):
You were that you were you were that team that
didn't believe in him.

Speaker 1 (56:34):
You were the haters. You were the hater You had
the Broncos over eight and a half. Oh, this is
no way to send him out of the episode.

Speaker 3 (56:47):
Hey, this is just this is accountability. The Broncos went
eight and nine. Wow, I didn't realize they got to eight.
You almost had it up a half game short. Yeah,
and the Eagles under eleven and a half and that
was looking like was a a lot of trouble. And
then they went in the tank and finished at eleven
and six after they were eleven.

Speaker 1 (57:03):
And one, I believe.

Speaker 2 (57:06):
Yeah, at the end of the year.

Speaker 4 (57:08):
We won't say what Mark did in that competation.

Speaker 1 (57:10):
Oh, it's a disaster.

Speaker 2 (57:12):
My source also texting, but Mark did as well.

Speaker 1 (57:14):
Oh I'm not surprised.

Speaker 3 (57:15):
Now you gave him another thing to think about it.
He lays in bed with his eyes wide open, staring
at the ceiling. Bill, come on, mental health.

Speaker 1 (57:23):
That's a nice ceiling.

Speaker 3 (57:24):
Bill Barnwell, you've said it all. Please, what do you
got out there? Give people avenues to get to more Barnwell.

Speaker 2 (57:33):
Bill Barnwell Ridding content at ESPN dot com, ESPN's Bill
Barnwell Show podcast. I'll think I'll be on NFL Live
sometime next week, which a watch NFL Live every day.
Maybe maybe I'll hop on there some sports centers here
and there around the horn here and there, sports centers.

Speaker 3 (57:53):
Here I'm doing I'm trying a new thing as hosts.
I'm doing the hot ones thing, the host of hot ones.
Or He's like, look in this were that camera, in
that camera and tell us what you got going on,
And I think you did a great job with it.

Speaker 2 (58:04):
Just there. I've only I've only got one camera. Unfortunately,
I'm just gonna stare at that camera until until proven.

Speaker 4 (58:09):
Otherwise, Ladies and gentlemen, Bill Barnwell, thanks beg, thank you.

Speaker 1 (58:15):
Now. Russ Moore, well, I mean that was a stunt.
That was a nice look into the skills of Bill Barnol.
Just thirty two te got.

Speaker 5 (58:24):
It and Ian called them a dark horse. So he
he managed to pick a dark horse.

Speaker 4 (58:29):
Pretty good. Let's take a break and uh, let's finish
up the news.

Speaker 1 (58:35):
NFL media insiders. Do they even like each other?

Speaker 3 (58:40):
Great reaction to some something that just happened here, sorry
Tom reaction.

Speaker 2 (58:47):
So as Tom and I are reporting, we have a trade.

Speaker 5 (58:50):
It's always confusing to me which tweets you put both names,
and then some tweets it's only one name. I don't
know how that all works.

Speaker 1 (58:59):
He was second was.

Speaker 4 (59:04):
Greg Greg Rolls a doll on the air. NFL Network
saying what.

Speaker 1 (59:10):
Needs to be shd that there's heat. I don't even
need to say it.

Speaker 5 (59:15):
That clip if you re listen to it on the
podcast or you or you watch it on YouTube. Tom
starts to break the news. He has like a half second.
He starts speaking and Ian literally cuts him off.

Speaker 1 (59:29):
That's the game. But when we went down this avenue,
that's the game back in Austin. Like I said that,
there is a bit of a flashpoint focus elements and
it's just mounting and growing and bubbling.

Speaker 3 (59:41):
Just we're just heading into draft season. This is all
coming to a head. That's what flashpoint focus is all about. Yep,
do we have another clip or is it we do it?

Speaker 1 (59:50):
We do listen to that.

Speaker 4 (59:55):
That's soul right there. All right, let's listen to.

Speaker 1 (01:00:03):
Greg really quick before we let you go.

Speaker 2 (01:00:06):
I don't want to be too harsh.

Speaker 3 (01:00:07):
You know on your backdroper, do you wear it kind
of looks like you've got antlers just with there's like
a back.

Speaker 1 (01:00:13):
There like move. Yeah.

Speaker 7 (01:00:15):
A producer also want to see what the sign says
behind you since we'relling in every third letter, So as
long as.

Speaker 5 (01:00:20):
It's nicer, if you're if you're a New Orleans fan,
you'll kind of recognize that artist Simon who does a
lot of stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:00:28):
That was a wedding gift.

Speaker 5 (01:00:29):
And you can also see my my lock trophy here
as the back to back champion of the around the
NFL Lock competition.

Speaker 1 (01:00:36):
It's a dynasty. People are saying there is no greater
there is no greater self promoter in the entire building though.

Speaker 3 (01:00:42):
Greg, No, he's he's there. If he's got a platform,
he will be pumping.

Speaker 5 (01:00:49):
You know. It's like like a politicians thing, like, don't
answer the question that they ask Uh, answer the question
you wish that they asked. I pivoted right off that antler.
You might right into what was important. You should run
for vice.

Speaker 3 (01:01:03):
We would be comfortable if you want to join the RFK,
take a just a sabbatical here, we'd be.

Speaker 1 (01:01:13):
It's like antlers.

Speaker 5 (01:01:14):
By the way, while I was saying that, I was like, oh,
I'm clipping this for the show.

Speaker 3 (01:01:17):
Really good hell, good work. I like it all. Pell
Raiser coming after you. He was trying to make a
fool of you on live television.

Speaker 6 (01:01:24):
I could work on that backdrop. There's a lot going
on it.

Speaker 5 (01:01:27):
It's not a it's not as smooth as some some
out there.

Speaker 6 (01:01:32):
Dan's looks great, you know, Mark's is good.

Speaker 1 (01:01:34):
Mine mine is about as stark as it gets. I'm
still working on that space.

Speaker 3 (01:01:38):
The key to a good background, I find is to
have more depth. But it's hard to have depth of
space here in uh Los Angeles, right.

Speaker 5 (01:01:48):
I tried to talk Amica into I would set it
up on the like that the camera would be showing
the whole rest of the garage, and she thought that
looked insane to show like the back of a garage.

Speaker 3 (01:01:59):
Then there would be depth, Like, Greg, we get it,
you're a feminist, like Liz pharised sitting on the shelf.

Speaker 1 (01:02:04):
We get it, dude. Well that's side champion.

Speaker 6 (01:02:06):
Birthday present from Liz says Happy birthday, Greg.

Speaker 1 (01:02:09):
It used to be in your bedroom. You could have
switched that up.

Speaker 5 (01:02:12):
Big Wait, that's as signed Liz phari cit not only
you know, individually signed uh. When she was a guest
of the Tonight Show and I was a page there, right, I.

Speaker 1 (01:02:23):
Thought maybe she went to your wedding too.

Speaker 3 (01:02:25):
I'm gonna give you a little bit of a past there,
because there's more to it than just look at me.

Speaker 4 (01:02:29):
I mean'd give you I'm a champion.

Speaker 6 (01:02:34):
So Gabe Kapler is in the mix there back there,
that's signed.

Speaker 3 (01:02:36):
Us that he is a a Jewish star of a
Boston sports team.

Speaker 5 (01:02:42):
Who enter that who was batting? I believe eighth for
some team in Japan? Uh and what I guess you
could call it would be the first time I really
ever met my wife Emica.

Speaker 1 (01:02:52):
How about that Greg is relling autographs? Apparently I didn't
realize that about him autograph hunting.

Speaker 3 (01:02:57):
I've seen him at the President elbowing sharp elbows to children.

Speaker 1 (01:03:00):
Also get a lot of presents. It seems like a
lot of people were giving you gifts left.

Speaker 5 (01:03:04):
Well, that was from the best man at our wedding.
He brought us to that game. It was when we
first met at it was your.

Speaker 1 (01:03:09):
Cousin who was stung by one hundred and twenty b's
at the wedding? Did he give you?

Speaker 6 (01:03:13):
That was not at the wedding. That was when we
were ten years old.

Speaker 5 (01:03:15):
In the breaking news Forrests of Wilbraham breaking.

Speaker 1 (01:03:22):
News, what was it again? I forgot?

Speaker 5 (01:03:26):
The Seahawks are acquiring Sam Howell Washington Commanders. They also
get a fourth round and a sixth round pick in
the deal the Commanders actually move up. I mean, man,
if i'm Sam Howe, I'm like, wait, it's only a
move up. The Commanders move up to the third and

(01:03:48):
the fifth round of the draft. So essentially two pick
swaps where the Commanders move up one round and the
Seahawks get Sam Howell for I'll say it virtually nothing.

Speaker 1 (01:04:00):
Yeah, I kind of love it for Seattle.

Speaker 3 (01:04:03):
Oh well, it depends on your opinion of Sam Howell.

Speaker 1 (01:04:06):
I actually think like that. I think it's good in business.
I know that Gino Smith is just like likely your
start at this point, but like McDonald, not good news
for Gino Smith.

Speaker 5 (01:04:16):
It is good news Gino could have had a tougher competitor.
I still think actually a rookie will be there too,
and it might be one of those three headed battles
where it was Remember it was like Whitehurst Russell Wilson,
and was Matt Flynn there.

Speaker 1 (01:04:30):
Matt Flynn and Matt Flynn had been the big free
agent signing then lost his job.

Speaker 5 (01:04:33):
But if this is their veteran competition for Gino, you
know he's he's gonna be over Sam Howise, certainly. And look,
if you can just get a third year quarterback who's
shown that he's decent, and all you have to do
is move down twenty four spots from the third to
the fourth round. I mean, sure, any cheap way to
get a quarterback, I'll take it.

Speaker 1 (01:04:52):
Solid trade.

Speaker 3 (01:04:53):
Yeah, And it's easy to forget now because he had
such a disastrous second half. There were a real conversation
about how being the answer there and watching now a
regime change occurs, so all of a sudden, he's no
longer a favorite son. But he absolutely torpedoed his future
there with some reckless bad play. So he's looking to
kind of become a more consistent player. Maybe he can

(01:05:16):
get he's kind of got a little bit of Ryan
Fitzpatrick DNA, and then maybe he can have opportunities along
the way life.

Speaker 1 (01:05:22):
And thanks to his late season swoon, they won four
games and are in position to get a new quarterback.
True obviously the Greggy and the Pats there.

Speaker 5 (01:05:30):
It was a good I had to It was a
lesson on stats don't lie, but they need context. I
believe he was benched at the time that he was
leading the NFL in passing yards. That's we're close to it.
My son walked or maybe it was fantasy points or
something among quarter because Walker was was blown away. He

(01:05:50):
was like, how could they bench the guy that is
leading the NFL in passing?

Speaker 4 (01:05:53):
He was throwing for an ass ton of passing yards?

Speaker 3 (01:05:55):
I remember that. All right, let's finish out the news.
How many passing yards?

Speaker 4 (01:06:00):
Nast he was on pace for like a five thousand yards.

Speaker 1 (01:06:03):
I love you know dirty words or phrases that are
spun that way where it's like, that's not you just
created a term.

Speaker 5 (01:06:09):
For the most part, thank you Randy for letting me
know that Kapler was playing for the Yomi or he Giants.

Speaker 6 (01:06:13):
By the way, struggled badly.

Speaker 1 (01:06:15):
Was kind of what's that mark to say that? I
didn't say that. Heavens to Betsy, my grandmother used to
say that. So that's rapid, yes.

Speaker 3 (01:06:23):
Like everyone that was born in eighteen ninety eight used
to say that. All right, here we go, let's spin
through the rest of the news. Here the Cowboys finally
get in the mix. They signed Eric Kendricks to a deal.
Kendricks had backed out of an agreement or it was
heading toward.

Speaker 1 (01:06:41):
Where was it? Yeah, he had agreed with the forty nine.

Speaker 3 (01:06:43):
Ers Niners, and he changes his mind and goes to
the Cowboys. The Raiders finally feels like it's been something
that's been percolating for a couple of years.

Speaker 1 (01:06:52):
Now.

Speaker 3 (01:06:52):
They say goodbye to Hunter renfro So they cut ties
with the slot receiver and Ronnie Stanley stays with Baltimore
the guard. He gets a haircut, which means a pay cut,
and they trade Morgan Moses to the Jets for a
late pick swap. Actually, I like that trade for the
Jets as well. That was a he was on the

(01:07:13):
Jets then signed with the Ravens, now the Jets getting
back for some late round picks.

Speaker 1 (01:07:18):
Anything on those moves. I like Stanley staying in Baltimore
because they've lost offensive lineman, they've lost Patrick Queen, they've
lost Geno Stone, they lost Ronald Darby. You know, it's
Odell Beckham's out the door. And you mentioned the Cowboys
rimerently talked about it. I feel like everyone is so
it's kind of like we get it. But for the
Jerry Jones telling us that this is going to be
like the all in team that gets super active. They've

(01:07:39):
lost almost forty five hundred snaps in terms of personnel
off the roster, and in some of those and key positions, they're.

Speaker 3 (01:07:46):
In a tricky financial place, and I think that's playing
into They got this dack thing hanging over the team.
You got the CD Lamb contract hanging over the team.
You got you know, Michah Parsons down the road. I
think get they run any kind of in a tough
spot a little bit.

Speaker 5 (01:08:02):
Yeah, they also had I don't know if it was
ever confirmed that it was actually Tyrone Smith's a Twitter
account that was like saying, call me up, Cowboys, I
don't really want to leave. I also think though the
Cowboys do have a heart. There is a draft analyst
out there by the name of like Connor Connor NFL
draft analyst, and he said he's a big Cowboys fan,

(01:08:24):
apparently that he would start doing meth if the if
the Cowboys don't freaking sign a free agent in the
next hour, And within that hour they signed Eric Kendrick.
So I think they saw that out there and they wanted.

Speaker 1 (01:08:37):
To save somebody. Yeah, that's that's that is That's a
caring move.

Speaker 3 (01:08:40):
Tyrone Smith, by the way, veteran left tackle thirty three
years old, coming off a big season with them. He
was He's always been a really talented, uh you know,
borderline Hall of Fame level talent for the Cowboys. I'm
surprised he doesn't have a hotter market. He's hanging out
there still. Maybe does that have a hot market. He's

(01:09:01):
just taking his time to make the decisions. But like
nudging the Cowboys and be like, hey, guys, you want
to think this over two weeks after it was widely
reported that they.

Speaker 1 (01:09:08):
Were moving on.

Speaker 3 (01:09:09):
I kind of love if there's some type of red flags,
you know some I think medical history.

Speaker 5 (01:09:13):
He's not getting the contract that he was hoping for,
some big guaranteed money, and teams must be worried about
the injuries.

Speaker 1 (01:09:19):
I mean, can you understand, like I do, get the
I kind of want to just stay with the Cowboys
in Dallas because it's annoying to move.

Speaker 3 (01:09:25):
First of all, I'm sure he could get a move.
At least it seems fun to play for the Cowboys.
I know, Cowboys. I hate the Cowboys. Don't want to
hear that. But you're on Prime time all the time,
You're treated well by ownership, You're in a beautiful stadium,
everybody's always watching.

Speaker 1 (01:09:39):
You probably live.

Speaker 5 (01:09:40):
On a ranch, although Schultz pointed out how state income
tax Dalton Schultz pointed out how sometimes when you're working out,
they are like taking tours past you and they can
see through the glass to you working out, and he
was just like, what's you know, kind of reminded me
of your situation mark where the doors are going by
your Now imagine that, except you're doing like squats and whatnot.

(01:10:03):
I mean, the last thing I think you would want is.

Speaker 1 (01:10:06):
Yeah, but there's a little difference between me doing squats
and Dalton Schultz here. It was impressive.

Speaker 3 (01:10:11):
You're saying like you're concerned you might you know, be
for something when you're doing squats and someone.

Speaker 5 (01:10:16):
I just mean, like, you don't want people staring at
you while you're lifting, you know, doing weights and stuff.

Speaker 3 (01:10:23):
And you got you know, that's certainly a consequence as well. Potentially, Yeah, you're.

Speaker 1 (01:10:26):
Right, that's one of the that's that's that's that could
happen to you. That would be problematic.

Speaker 4 (01:10:30):
Go to Terry Blacks right before middle school class.

Speaker 1 (01:10:34):
They keep they must have nowhere else to go because
they've gone back and forth.

Speaker 3 (01:10:37):
I should at times journalistically, a downside of playing for
the Cowboys is that you physically cannot advance past the
divisional round of the playoffs.

Speaker 1 (01:10:44):
But there's a little bit of a yeah, but your
off season starts sooner.

Speaker 4 (01:10:47):
Glass ceiling as well.

Speaker 1 (01:10:48):
It's true.

Speaker 5 (01:10:48):
You don't really get paid extra for the playoffs. It's sneaky,
it's true, I mean a little bit.

Speaker 2 (01:10:52):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (01:10:53):
In other news, Willie Gay goes to the Saints. The
Bucks bring Jordan I'd had the safety back home after
a couple of years with the Jets. The Bengals get
Sheldon Rankins, who I've always liked Von Bell.

Speaker 1 (01:11:08):
They cut ties with Nick Scott.

Speaker 5 (01:11:10):
Also, while we were taping, the Lions picked up DJ Reader,
who is coming off a torn quad, but it was
a very good player when he is healthy, to a
pretty sizey contract. Some of these contracts for defensive lineman
Rangkins is a good example, went way up. Like he's
a guy that Williams injuries. They had been signing like
one year. Yeah, I know, torn quads. I'm surprised that

(01:11:32):
I want to look at the particulars if they have
some protection injury wise, because you're often not the same
player off a torn quad. But Rankings got two for
twenty six Like that just shows how much cap spaces
out there because he's the same player. He's a very
good player, the same player as he's been the last
couple of years, but now is getting almost like double
the money that he was getting from Houston or from
the Jets.

Speaker 3 (01:11:50):
Should be clear that Adams had a torn quad tendon,
which is different than the muscle.

Speaker 4 (01:11:55):
So I think it's the tendon.

Speaker 3 (01:11:57):
Is the one where it's like, uh oh, maybe in
the muscle terrors not quite as we're boding. All right,
that's what's happening in the news.

Speaker 1 (01:12:07):
You get everything. Well, I think we had a couple
of predictions ye out there.

Speaker 4 (01:12:11):
Oh yeah, yeah, let's go, let's cycle back to that.

Speaker 3 (01:12:12):
So I asked the Bill to offer a prediction, and
not only in real time did he offer a sound one.
It was confirmed via the news seconds later that he
was correct in uh uh getting.

Speaker 1 (01:12:28):
Who was it?

Speaker 3 (01:12:28):
It was to the Jaguars, Eric, Eric Armstead, So Eric Armstead,
So Brian.

Speaker 1 (01:12:36):
He just had a stroke. Mark.

Speaker 3 (01:12:38):
I don't know who Brian is. Mark, who could be Brian?
If you give us a prediction.

Speaker 1 (01:12:42):
So, Mike Williams, I've been looking around at a couple
of these wide out rooms, and I think Mike Williams.
I think the former owner of this team would have
liked the Mike Williams concept a lot. But the Las
Vegas Raiders right now have DeVante Adams who are there
obviously this, you know, I don't think the idea of
the trading him is gone because they got behind him. Yeah,

(01:13:04):
Jacoby Myers. And then you've got guys like Trey Tucker,
DJ Turner and Christian Wilkerson. They have nothing at wide receivers.
So I feel like Mike Williams to Las Vegas, you know,
in your in the same division. It kind of takes
away from the Chargers, Adds to the Raiders they need
a wide receiver and right Church, wrong Pew.

Speaker 3 (01:13:23):
Why so it's so on brand for where this team
is right now, and this player, Odell wants to play
in Vegas. Odell Beckham to the Raiders, I guess better
a little more money than you think.

Speaker 1 (01:13:34):
You're Odell though, and you literally shredded your relationship in
Cleveland because of what you can deemed to be and
your father deemed to be shaky quarterback play. Do you
sign up with a team that right now is Gardner
Minshew and Aidan O'Connell.

Speaker 4 (01:13:46):
He'll go who offers him money.

Speaker 3 (01:13:47):
At this point, I could just see the Raiders being
wanting to get in the Odell business.

Speaker 1 (01:13:52):
Put it that way. I mean, we went angle the Super.

Speaker 3 (01:13:55):
Bowl at uh in Vegas this year. You know, did
the walk around the concourse. I always like to do
that and see what these stadiums look at. Beautiful facility,
Allegiance Stadium. But the Raiders are insane with who they retire,
the numbers they retire. They retired Randy Moss's number.

Speaker 1 (01:14:11):
They didn't retire his number.

Speaker 5 (01:14:12):
They had He's in the ring of whatever they had
they had.

Speaker 6 (01:14:16):
I guess what it was that didn't even go.

Speaker 5 (01:14:17):
Well, it was like any raider that has ever made
the Hall of Fame gets their picture even though they
count they counted Jerry Rice as a Raider to.

Speaker 3 (01:14:24):
Come on, Well, that's actually tricky because Beckham he should
be he should be going to the Hall of Fame,
but he just kind of his career he didn't. Injuries
played a role, but he never reached the full potential
of what he was, which was a beautiful, perfect wide
receiver early in his career. So but I still like
they love big name brands. They always have al loved it.
His son Mark loves it. So that's my prediction.

Speaker 5 (01:14:47):
I'm going to go with the trade. I'm going to
go with Marshawn Lattimore go into the New England Patriots
in a deal. I think Ron Wolf I feel better.
It feels like there's an adult in the room now
with the Patriots in terms of how to run a team.
And I think their defense looks quite good on paper,
and they're going to look for any value and they

(01:15:08):
can afford it.

Speaker 1 (01:15:09):
Like they didn't.

Speaker 5 (01:15:09):
They didn't find the right players to spend a lot
of money. But Marshawn Lattimore, let's say you give up like.

Speaker 1 (01:15:16):
A when there's some there's something about Latimore hit hitting the.

Speaker 5 (01:15:19):
I think Latimore is going to get traded at some point.
Uh maybe maybe what happened the next week, Maybe it
would happened closer to the draft, but you might be
able to get away with giving up like a third
round pick for Lattimore or maybe I don't know.

Speaker 1 (01:15:34):
You know what's going you know Greg's gonna nail this
and then ours are gonna go by the wayside.

Speaker 3 (01:15:38):
That's all. That's that's all. The earth is a new year,
New Year. It's a new chance for us. How about
I believe it was a draft class mate. Was Alva,
Kamara and Latimore in the same class.

Speaker 1 (01:15:52):
I think that's right.

Speaker 3 (01:15:53):
Both that Mega twenty seventeen class that revitalized Sean Payton's
career in New Orleans. How about another Saints Oneamara up
to Denver read team with Sean Payton, Peyton trying to
trying to kind of get some elements that are familiar
to him as he looks to reboot the machine posts
Russ truly in his vision, and it's not gonna cost

(01:16:14):
you much because I think Kamorrow at this stage won't
command something big, so like Kamara for a fifth round or.

Speaker 1 (01:16:19):
Something like that, wow, fourth rounder. Maybe how about this one?
The g men and Justin Fields after a bunch of
no one really wants them, we get it. Like at
this point, I'm wondering if the Bears just hold on
to him, it's like he's not a child. If they
draft a rookie, they can coexist. And then when a
team has like their star quarterback have his knee destroyed,

(01:16:41):
like in Week three, Justin Field's value goes up because
right now his value is very low. But the g
men feel or even the Patriots feel like a potential fit.
I'm with you.

Speaker 5 (01:16:49):
If I was the Bears and I don't get offered
anything better than like a fourth and I feel shaky
during the draft, then I would rather just keep Justin
Fields and make everyone be a grown up and maybe
he'll get traded later on.

Speaker 3 (01:17:04):
I think that's a good one. I don't know about
to the Giants because there just there aren't that many
teams that make sense for Justin Fields. The Giants are
done with Daniel Jones after this season. They get Drew Locke,
but true Locke is it? But if you hold on
to them, yeah, that makes sense. I think we'll be
telling if you see the Bears add another backup to
the room in the coming days and weeks, that they

(01:17:26):
might be thinking about keeping Fields and then having someone
in the building when they move fields.

Speaker 1 (01:17:31):
Maybe in October you just can't have I think Justin
Fields is a tricky QB two because any I think
what fans love them. I know these teams don't seem
to love them or something about them, but like teammates do.
Teammates do? But like if Justin Fields is sitting behind
any quarterback, that's struggling on any level. It's like there's
gonna be a problem for the coaching staff.

Speaker 6 (01:17:53):
We still got stuff out there, but not as much.
It was fast. The insiders were talking, you know, as
part of their.

Speaker 3 (01:18:00):
Seemed today you were on the program today, did did
did they seem to let you in?

Speaker 4 (01:18:04):
Or was there was there any coldness to it?

Speaker 1 (01:18:07):
Like? How was it?

Speaker 5 (01:18:09):
I mean it was they let me in. Certainly they
were friendly. I mean it was pretty much whatever interactions
we had was on the air, because you know, it
wasn't too much before that. But yes, they were great,
and they were talking about how this really was the
fastest moving I don't know how they could prove this,
but the fastest moving free agency that had ever happened

(01:18:30):
in terms of the most players and the most signings
coming off the board.

Speaker 1 (01:18:33):
The faster fast. Yeah, because people have been tampering for
like forty five days. I don't want to hear about
this idea that that's you know, cone of silence until
this false deadline is ushered in.

Speaker 5 (01:18:45):
I've got eleven players left off of my top one
O one and that was the top one on one
for Monday. If you had gone back to the original
less to be way, way way.

Speaker 1 (01:18:54):
People are tracking it at this at this pace, Greg,
I know they're looking at every transaction on the NFL
dot com website.

Speaker 3 (01:19:00):
Didn't get him a chip, should have gotten into a
super Bowl, but they got robbed by the officials. But
that twenty seventeen Saints draft class Marshawn Lattimore first round,
Ryan Ramcheck first round, Marcus Williams second round, Alvin Kamara
third round, Ray Hendrickson, third round, Alex Anzeloni and the
sixth pick.

Speaker 1 (01:19:19):
The Saints have also had a couple of disastrous first
round selections in.

Speaker 6 (01:19:25):
That is that it really is an all time draft, ultimate.

Speaker 1 (01:19:29):
Reset that whole organization with Drew Brees.

Speaker 5 (01:19:31):
Finally, I mean Hendrickson's the third round pick, Muhammed, Actually
you meant just mentioned as this. Even the sixth round
pick had a nice career who ended up being in Indianapolis.

Speaker 1 (01:19:40):
But like that's it's a crazy draft. It's like Mickey
Loomis actually is focused on the team at Verse Junk
it was back then.

Speaker 5 (01:19:48):
You know who's playing well right now? The Pelicans. I
guess that's our time to.

Speaker 4 (01:19:51):
Uh yeah, whenever the Pelicans come up.

Speaker 3 (01:19:53):
All right, thank you everybody, We'll be back on Friday
if something warrants it.

Speaker 1 (01:19:57):
But don't hold your breath.

Speaker 4 (01:20:00):
It's gotta be big, gotta be. We had for president.

Speaker 6 (01:20:04):
We had a Deshaun Watson one a couple.

Speaker 1 (01:20:06):
Of years ago. He's not stealing my Friday. He's a
call

Speaker 7 (01:20:12):
H

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