In a room full of heroes – Dan Hanzus, Gregg Rosenthal, and Marc Sessler tell you what stood out to them in the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Before the combine, the heroes get caught up on the news including Mike Evans sticking with the Buccaneers, rumors around Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins, Jason Kelce’s retirement, and they pay their respects to Chris Mortensen. The heroes then dive into combine talk with The Ringer’s Danny Kelly.
00:00 START
08:47 Evans
15:11 Baker and Kirk
32:20 Kelce
37:50 Mortensen
41:16 Combine
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The around the NFL podcast already misses the luck competition from the Chris wesling podcast Studio it’s around the NFL I am Dan hanas I have Heroes here Greg Rosenthal Mark cesler and now okay now I’m starting to get the juice we were placed on a a nice little
Carved out a nice spot on the old uh NFL media bench for the combine so we were back here in La for that and I felt that um but now everyone’s back from Indie and free agency is on the horizon franchise tag deadlines coming up in a
Couple days we are now Greggy on the precipice of the true new league year and everything that comes with it like as we are are taping more you know veterans losing their job which we don’t like to see just keep happening one after another none that are going to
Change our our lives or or our rundown but yeah the combine is a nice like little jolt and now here we go it is an odd event I think from like our career perspective to be watching it um states away on television versus being there
And it was a different uh kind of event this year with like crowds and the place going literally crazy when you’re used to it being kind of like a golf match and so hushed in there and I did watch a lot of NFL Network when you’re there you
Can’t really do it and I’m Not tooting our own networks horn I often don’t go in the opposite direction but I thought they put together the most entertaining combine broadcast that they’ve ever achieved wow examples I I have a few examples that I can share
With a little later in the in the show but I thought that like DJ rich like and the atmosphere did you hit your head this weekend or something no I know it sounds like I wouldn’t say that kind of thing but like they it’s I think that
That they the goal is to not be day three of the draft where you’re just getting you know DST in data that starts to lose meaning and I thought they brought a lot of interesting context in their home paid off and but it was also
A ton of guests and coaches more than in the past not not yeah not to be a company man but that is I think it is the best thing we do when I was when I was just getting started out in this industry and when they they and they put
On the combine I thought that was it was like a fun football broadcast for like seven or eight hours it was good back when it was meok it’s good with this new guy I think he’s going to work out now you have to compliment who cares about
Jeremiah I’d love to be part of it one day um well that’s true by the way um I don’t like it shining during our absence that doesn’t make a lot of sense had had we been at the combine gregy would have been in trouble uh because and this is I
Think one of the the cute little ticks about Greg and we’ve known Greg for a long time now Mark he’s got his binoculars in the Super Bowl Sunday when we’re up there in the auxil auxiliary Booth he’s got the binoculars and he’s all excited and and it’s it’s cute it’s
Adorable actually um I mean it’s not an abnormal uh it kind of let’s be honest there’s nobody else around us using them well that’s cuz we’re just by ourselves no I’m no we’re in the auxiliary there’s no reason to be you’re not going to wait
Do you see a lot of people taking out the binocular I don’t I I think it’s a classic maybe that’s more in the regular Press Box where the real Journal like the first game I ever went to I I brought binoculars and it was incredible and in these days I could use binoculars
Yeah depends where you’re at but it makes a big difference so big Funk who’s on a heater right now because as we know bunk uh behind the glass Randy Chavez brought in uh got you your ticket ticket gate oh he did I’ll never forget that uh now Funk picks up greggy’s binoculars
Which he left behind on the set at the Super Bowl over there in Vegas and uh if you want to say anything to Randy on Mike I feel like that like you’re going to play cool cuz you don’t want to act like you’re too attach to your binoculars but those things matter to
You and and it funk is the one that kept them in your life W Randy is a great human being he always cares about us as humans he cares about our pets as pets and uh I’m not surprised of all people that he turn that up on my I need that
FK there was a glow in Greg’s eye when Funk more like hunk came in the room and brought the binoculars now that said I mean I did pick it up on the way to the super doome for Raven 49ers Super Bowl big Punk and I feel like the performance
Level was going down I thought maybe it was time when I realized I had lost going to find those binocular Nothing Left Behind I was like why does d want to do this and now I know big Funk hey Funk uh it’s been gave
You about a week and a half to think it over uh those who listened a couple weeks back know that we threw out this idea some Shock jocks uh a few years back uh took a young and impressionable big Funk and said uh we’re going to uh
Give you ,000 bucks and and in return you’re going to sell out your fandom and get a Chicago Bears logo on your thigh even though you’re a DieHard Packers Fan and we the around the NFL podcast anti-shock Jack or at least those Shak Jacks uh decided to give you an option
To a crowdsource fundraiser to get some type of work done on that tattoo to alterate it maybe remove it your thoughts but it was in last time we we left off right you big Funk had the ball in your court so we didn’t want to push anything on you like those shock Chucks
Once upon a time where where’s your head at do you want to move forward with a procedure or are we going to leave it as is go ahead um you know after lots of consideration I’ve uh I think I’ve determined that um I think I’m going to
Keep it okay I’m keep turn it up turn turn his music up he’s going to keep it it’s part of his history we all walk a path we didn’t force big fun we were we were we were Freedom giving on that front yeah that’s totally understandable
Abely I respect that what about the idea someone had with the Ghostbusters sort of Circle over it with an X with a new tattoo so that’s keeping it but making it a little I ain’t afraid of no bears I’m I’m down with that Ghostbusters Ghostbusters just totally changed that’s
A new version are you okay so are you down to adjust it or not fun Ghostbusters is my favorite movie so well well I see what you’re have it remove I think what he’s saying is he doesn’t want it removed but this idea that we’re going now anti- bears and
Putting the X through it you’d be down with that alter I you know what’s funny for the longest time i’ that the one thing I would do is write sucks underneath yeah but that sounds like like a thousand all right turn it up turn it up
Again how did I he’s changing his mind think he’s clarifying to alter that in and fairness he was not on this this tweet that we we saw from someone so I’ll show you the mockup I think we’re we’re headed all right also I I did love
Dan because you I don’t you have no tattoos right no it was so funny because because you you were thrown on removal and everyone I’ve talked to that’s ever got tattoo removal says it’s the most painful thing ever and it’s like incredibly expensive so I was like I was like I can’t do
Removal it’s a pretty big tattoo it’s it’s a it’s a yeah it’s it’s sizable to a to the credit of our and I’m not surprised our listeners like um on the Glorious subreddit and check that check that environment out it couldn’t be more pristine um it’s uh they they had
Hundreds of suggestions and ideas and concepts of what he could do or how he could solve the problem or alter it and so yeah all right get us a get us a price quote right sounds good we’ll do getting that price quote find the best deal but work with someone
Rap all right progress made are you Mark what is these looks we’re we’re doing important work here for fun what did I what did I do you tend to you keep shooting glances at Greg I like to look at Greg during the show on occasion I
Guess I missed it cuz I’m it was not and I couldn’t I couldn’t be more excited about how the show’s opened and I I noted that the listeners were very involved and it’s an a testament to them I’m excited and I have I even have a suggestion maybe of the tattoo artist
But we’ll get to that later off off mik all right we got a lot to get to so yeah with the combine in the rear view mirror we’re going to have a guest come by because you know we do our best we we do our work but we know where our
Limitations are and and when you’re looking at prospects coming into the league you want to get somebody that really is an expert in this realm and Danny Kelly who uh does Great Stuff uh with the ringer and has a big time podcast fantasy podcast but really knows
His stuff in this realm is going to come on a little bit later and talk with us uh about what he saw some takeaways we’re going to share some of our own takeaways from uh over the weekend uh but before that let’s do some news Jason
Conor from SI how are you hey good Connor how are you I’m doing well thanks how’s everything good yeah we uh have history no no we just we won a lot more games than what he uh predicted us to get last year oh yes you had us for two I have it
Hanging up I have it hanging up in my office yeah oh no oh no uh that is uh from the buccaneer social media and Connor or you may recall one of his buzziest off season uh stories he writes is he I think he he picks every game and then has final
Record picks for every team which you know can go disastrously I think he had the Patriots going to like the AFC title game well he likes to do he likes to have bit of spice in there yeah so obviously he was uh and I was with him
Maybe not two and 15 with Connor but I didn’t think the Bucks were a playoff team he went under on their over under yeah uh but Jason light remembers the general manager and you what you heard just there is a nice little combine see that’s some fun stuff at the combine you
Start mixing up the joural with the coaches and the GMS well Connor also famously um back when it was a quieter environment was in this you know during the triy outs in the 40s down by the you know right on in the edge of where the
Seats were and made some some sort of enough noise or or or disturbance where like a a fill-in theblank like timer guy from the Steelers I believe turn around and like dude stop making noise I’m trying to like concentrate it’s like Connor’s always uh combining it up I I
Do remember that and uh I do like I I got I have to preface this Conor handled the whole interaction well you should check it out on on uh and light didn’t have a bad Vibe about it he was more like hey kind of jabbed at it was all
Fun but he did tell the social Department of the Buccaneers hey let’s come do this that wasn’t by mistake so that that was that was fun it was next level he had a little idea for some content give give the GM some credit for that or the social team had some idea
For some content and they wouldn’t executed and Connor Connor’s big boy who can hold his own as well so I I think I’m sure that interaction from that point onward went well so you know what everyone’s competitive like I don’t you know in the sports even Sports media
Everyone’s competitive but the GMS they read all that stuff even when they say say they don’t yeah they read it all or it’s brought to them or it gets to them somehow so you know bully up in his office yeah that’s great all right why don’t we start with Tampa Bay oh that’s
Good how it worked out cool Mike Evans he’s not going anywhere um he signs a 2-year $52 million contract uh which includes 35 million in guaranteed money uh to remain with the Bucks the only team that he has ever known in the NFL he’s been 10 years in the league and I
Thought about this is interesting to me 10 years in the league for Mike Evans I’ve talked about Texas with Nick wesling about this and he’s like he’s a superstar this before last year which was a great season for Evans and I said I always felt he was just a touch below
And I don’t know if he’s ever been an all pro Greg you can no I know he’s been a pro bowler five times he’s he has a historic start to his career 10 years 10 1,000 yard seasons and sometimes it feels like despite his incredibly consistent unique production he flies a
Little bit under the radar but here is an example of uh it paying off for him this consistency uh maybe he doesn’t get brought up uh in the same breath as the greatest wide receivers of his generation mark But to get this type of contract uh this far into his career it
Doesn’t happen unless you do something truly uh historic which is what he’s done it doesn’t matter who the quarterback is he’s done it with Tom Brady he’s done it with Baker Mayfield he’s done it with who’s the guy with the really long neck remember that guy Mike
Lin jamus Winston he’s done it with them all the good the bad the greatest and he’s rewarded for that consistency with this deal yeah he’s been QB proof and you know I think if you go and look at Baker Mayfield’s season and you know B major comeback campaign a lot of it has
To do with Evans and how consistent Evans once after a bit of a strange campaign with Tom Brady the year before and I I think you’re right if you look at the age and if his production were hot and cold or he was an every other
Year type of guy you wonder if he floats off somewhere else but I think the Bucks it was the it’s what needed to happen I think also the second part of this is like Evans there was reporting that Evans said he wanted to play with a
Premier quarterback he wanted to be on a team they could compete that that is the case with the Bucks as a competitive team Baker Mayfield cannot float away in this it’s almost like the Bucks and Jason light have to they can’t lose the baker Mayfield Derby here without
Another plan because Kyle tras and John Wolford are not Premier quarterbacks right and they don’t have a high draft pick and you know they haven’t been mentioned in the Kurt Cousins sweeps although they’d make a little sense I think Bakers most likely outcome will get to that $26 million this wide
Receiver Market is not coming down I I’ve heard it posited by people that I usually agree with all the time that says like all these receivers coming into the league like it always works and and you know there so many great wide receivers like this wide receiver
Market’s going to cool down it’s like no there’s actually still not enough I can think of so many teams where they don’t have enough wide receivers passing game is the most important offense is the most important it’s going to go up up and up I was wrong he he was second team
All Pro two different times including this year uh now they’ve added a slot receiver too which is nice so six guys get it and I like that was second team two times 2016 2023 incredible consistency I know like fantasy points isn’t like the best way to measure
Receivers but I think it does point point something out it if you give him half Point per per reception yards touchdowns he’s been top 15 in fantasy eight out of his out of his 10 years in the other two he was top 25 like that is just ridiculous that’s a top 15 receiver
But I give him credit lot of players say they want to stay at one place they want to do this or that I think I believe he took a uh somewhat of a HomeTown discount here to stay he told his agent just get the deal done with Tampa at
This point I think he would have gotten more guaranteed money the second year is not fully guaranteed it’s like half guaranteed like I think if he went out there he would have made even more now how much more it probably would have been like that much more but he he’s
Putting his money where his mouth is I think he said like just get the best possible deal with Tampa I don’t want to deal with it and in Credit to him that that’s smart yeah being comfortable and where he lives with his family and and
The fan base that loves him and just the the familiarity of that uh team that all makes sense it’s a very human decision all right uh speaking of Baker NFL Networks James Palmer our Bud believes the Falcons are a quote Dark Horse to sign Baker Mayfield So Baker is not
Getting the franchise tag um from the Bucks uh that deadline’s Thursday correct it’s Tuesday Tuesday tomorrow we’ll be back and update it next so don’t expect that so Baker absent a similar surprise deal like we just saw with Evans uh could hit the open market and the Falcons are connected to a bunch
Of guys uh Greg but Baker is uh one of them and he would he would represent an upgrade over what they had last year um I still think they need to swing a little bigger after the last few years how they’ve handled the quarterback position but it’s good for Baker he’s
Got to mark it I keep seeing different reporters have different Vari ations of these Baker reports which is interesting coming out of Indianapolis the agent’s doing his work every but I I don’t dis dispute it Daniel Jeremiah said the Patriots um might be in on Baker Jeremy
Fowler uh threw out there that the Falcons are going to get one of these guys basically cousins fields or Baker and it’s going to be it’s going to end up being one of these three and so now Tampa who I think is still the most likely outcome for Baker has competition
And he’s going to cost a lot and I was wrong I I believe to say a month and a half ago that I didn’t think he was going to get the Gino type contract if he’s got multiple teams bidding on him to become a starter he is getting the
Goo type contract maybe a little more we’ll see I think that’ll be about what what he gets I mean I I think that it just seems logical and clear that cousins is the first chip to fall and then and baker has to be seen by someone
Like Atlanta as like a a very solid fallback option versus having no option I do think it’s unless the bu say get it done first I think thiss it adds urgency to what Tampa’s how they got organized and I I think that that’s why the Evan things happened like Baker could be next
I do think in in New England it’s interesting that Alex man Pelt who I think was a low wattage higher as offensive coordinator like worked with Baker in Cleveland and like knows him very well and and has to be behind the scenes you know suggesting this guy can
Do it yeah spring Baker to New England next I don’t want I know they have a100 million in cash so get the guy when he’s on the one- year $3 million contract not the next year it’s just sort of obvious uh when I woke up this morning I was
Feeling pretty dangerous all right so yes uh Graziano of ESPN and also Jeremy Fowler put out an article uh this morning sharing all their kind of The Whispers And all the conversations they heard that Greg just shared uh one of those nugs about the Falcons game plan with a veteran quarterback graan also
Reported in that piece that the quote top QB solution for the Falcons is Kirk Cousins should he reach for free agency and the cousins uh free agency situation is very interesting because the Viking ings from what you’re hearing out there do want them back but they also have a
Very complex or like they have a vision of how they want to handle this offseason and number one is Justin Jefferson and and if top wide receivers beneath Jefferson are getting like 25 to 28 million you know Justin Jefferson is going to get 30 to 35 right so Kirt
Cousins has to agree to a deal that fits within the framework of their ability to to Really build a team around cousins and Jefferson without maxing everything out so they’re kind of in a tough spot but cousins ever the great businessman Mark uh doesn’t sound like he’s looking
To give any type of homeown Hometown discount to Minnesota which means it could get to the point where he’s Fielding o offers and he’s going to get paid either way again a lot of money he he has a special talent to hit the market um at a time that seems to
Benefit him in many many ways I mean and like Evans consistently produce and put himself in a good leverage I I think the people I think cousins is very well liked throughout the league you keep hearing that and I think that there more so than in years past a higher belief
That he could come in and take a Falcons team and take him to the next level the the reporting from Graziano was also that cousins has a very specific idea and quotes about what he wants and that the Vikings so far have been unwilling to match it I do think Kevin oconnell on
NFL Network came out very strongly suggesting like I think we’re going to get I think we can get this done like I think that Kevin oconnell came to Minnesota largely because of Kirk Cousins and is a huge proponent and if you’re the Vikings I know it’s been a
Bit of a rebuild in terms of like terms of their cap and stuff it’s like you lose her cousins you’re the team suddenly wondering what is happening at the most important position it’s hard to know which one you know which of these reports to like put a lot of stock in
But I thought this one was worth it because hearing that about the Falcons it actually does make sense I I just there’s something about this whole thing with the Vikings that to me I feel like they’re going to be okay letting Kirk walk if some team actually blows the
Doors off in a huge contract and I think that could be the Falcons they are the team that makes sense and you’re hearing all this stuff that that the Dustin Fields Market isn’t that great like he’s kind of going to be the backup plan maybe for a lot of these teams and and
The Falcons and maybe the Broncos although they haven’t been mentioned to me do feel like the one team that could just put the money on the table and that Minnesota’s like all right just we’ll see you we’ll find out in a week it’ll probably be about one week at from this
Time on Monday that we know I’d be curious if maybe the to check out ahead of next show but how many teams currently um have the setup and are successful teams with a quarterback on a top tier salary and a wide receiver on a top tier salary uh that’s so much of
Your cap tied up to two guys and it makes it very difficult to build a balanced roster one little note that not too long ago today on the Pat McAfee show shefer also mentioned that maybe the commanders could jump in on the Kurt Cousins thing they’re kind of open where
They sit they’re kind of open taking a couple of different directions that’s the ultimate like we’re no longer Dan SN move and we’re just we’re just a new franchise uh the Cowboys they’re another one of those teams see they’re trying to figure it out they got Dak making all
This money they got CD Lamb’s contract coming up and then they all right we got to have a a functional defense and M got Parsons and then we got to get the offensive tackles taken care of one of them Tyron Smith uh according to rap sheet is quote unlikely to return to the
Cowboys next season and I think that’s less about um his ability even though he’s 3 three he’s still very competent tackle but it’s all about gregy that big picture with them and all the money that they’re they have to Dole out are you going to really give a top-of-the market
Left tackle salary uh to Tyron Smith when you got the QB and the linebacker and the wide receiver all hanging out there right I think that’s rap sheet hearing through the grape vine what Tyron Smith Market was going to be at the combine and the Cowboys realized
Like oh we actually got him to take a pay cut last last year cuz he kept getting hurt and now he’s going to make $20 million a year whatever it is and and we’re just out and he he’s hitting free agency at a perfect time I mean any
Tackle would be but there’s literally no one else like Michael wenu who’s bounced around guard and Tackle is a nice young player but like there aren’t any good like high level starting left tackles so he is he he must know already he has a contract offers from certain teams and
The Cowboys just aren’t going to it’s got to be a bit of a tough pill to swallow because the vibe I get from everything Dallas is saying that’s just Jerry Jones basically is like it is just it’s kind of a Super Bowl bust all over again and like you these players are not
Easy to replace although it is an pretty interesting draft class at tackle guard and other line position it’s very deep we’ll get to that but yeah it’s the tackles and the receivers which they say are the deepest here uh buy into us in other news you know how always will Mike
Uh Darren Waller weird career for Darren Waller who uh is currently with the Giants after his first season went uh in a disappoint pointing injury riddled man or you could say about the last few seasons for Waller after he was briefly one of the most productive tight ends in
Football there is a report out there there was previously a report out there that Darren Waller despite being I think he’s around 30 or 31 30 he’s turning 32 uh oh he’s 31 now I believe and uh there was a report that he was indeed coming back to the Giants for another season
But now an update to that report in the New York Post is that Waller is still undecided on whether he will continue playing or opt to retire um Giants gave up a third round pick Mark for uh Waller and I’m guessing they wish they didn’t do that well yeah I mean last offseason
For the Giants was riddled with curious decisions um uh coming off a Coach of the Year campaign it’s just like you they they hurt themselves in multiple ways I think we kept saying that the X Factor for New York was like which version of Waller you get um he had his
Lowest yards per reception of his entire career and I think that offense also you know went through quarterback hell and I don’t I think him not being around next season uh would not change their Fortune I mean 2020 is hindsight too right like it it made sense when they made the
Trade I I I used to talk about all last summer I never got a great Vi about Darren Waller and the Giants for some reason right and sure enough it it didn’t go well but I feel like you didn’t get a great vibe from him when he
Came in to do the no broadcasting boot camp he seems a Wandering Spirit a bit but I think that almost is I I don’t think that performance is informative of what’s going on here but if I’m media Summit yeah but if I’m hearing that he’s not that into playing next year and it
Might be a physical thing too I’m surprised that the the Giants have been publicly saying like oh no we want them we’re keeping them we’re not cutting them because they would actually save with a post June 1 cut $ 11.6 million in cap savings but it goes back to a cliche
I say at this time of year which is like it’s a lot easier to find cap space than is good players and I guess they just feel like they really need some some good players but if he’s not that into it I don’t know maybe let him go once
You know this this happens in every sport like he got he got the big contract and he’s never been close to the same guy he’s been hurt a lot too and there’s been questions about his desire and you know it’s it’s not somebody you typically want to go to war
With I would like to know that like that actual Health situation though because that could be driving most of this if you just don’t feel like you can be what you were it’s a lot of soft tissue injuries I feel like that he’s dealt with yeah to pass on 11 12
Million just cuz you you’re done that uh that says a lot well you seem to pass on maran’s wisdom in that conference room we also had to you know course correct our own presentation between not quite worth1 million although maybe you’re the type of guy that that tweeted out was
Like would you rather have $1 million or one hour to pick Jay-Z Jay-Z’s brain I’m taking the hour it’s like no take the money it was around the second um seminar presentation where where I did consider jumping out the window that’s what I recall we were put through a test
And you know Greg escaped Scott free I don’t know where were you on skipping through Japan holiday somewhere skipping through Tokyo hand inand with his beautiful wife in other news maybe I don’t know I don’t know what’s going on in Tokyo with Greg now
That I think the time may I think it was Hawaii I think it was Hawaii but yeah I could be wrong um Aaron Jones uh is a Packers running back he’s 29 years old yeah good and bad 2023 but overall you know very productive player in his time
With the team uh if he is going to stay with the Packers it’s very likely he’s going to need need to take a pay cut uh for what it’s worth uh match ninan reported that Brian Gans the general manager said the team quote absolutely expects Rogers to be there and and that
Makes sense to me because look at Jones to be there expects Aaron Jones to be there um uh because look at this look at the running back market look at all these big names uh in free agency that and you kind of get the feeling outside of maybe Barkley they’re all going to
Struggle to get the money they want so Jones is not going to want re-enter that phras want to play out his contract was a four-year $48 million deal he signed in 2021 he’s entering the final year so even with a haircut probably going to do
A lot better than he would do on the open market that’s something that’s changed in just the last few years where if you saw the report that they will cut him if he doesn’t take a pay cut that guy almost always used to get cut and
Now like Joe Mixon is a good example last year now when those reports come out especially at running back you’re probably right if he can make more with them they the Milwaukee Journal senel also reported that they’re not looking to bring back AJ Dylan so if Jones Goes
AJ Dylan goes it’s not the greatest draft for running backs by any stretch like and that’s going to look very different I think Jones when he was on the field they were a much better offense he finished very strong all right let’s take a break and we’ll continue through the
News all right we’re back in other news uh the 40 9ers have found their new defensive coordinator uh it is an in-house move and it is Nick soron Nick Sorenson who will be uh promoted uh he was the team’s defensive pass game specialist and nickel quarterback’s coach uh he takes
Over for Steve wils who was uh dismissed last month they also uh are hiring former Chargers coach Brandon Staley as an assistant head coach so going to two-head monster this thing I guess uh uh Mark with Staley behind senson well it so it’s Staley is replacing essentially the same position by another
Ex Chargers coach Anthony Lynn who left to go to uh the commanders um I think this just is what H this is one of the least surprising hires in terms of Kyle Shanahan deciding I’m absolutely picking from my in-house crew because you know wils it didn’t work and I think a lot of
It seemed like the energy around it um the just not seeing eye to eye and maybe the way the ners want to do things like senson who is a longtime Peak Carroll uh Protege underneath you know for years ago has been with San Francisco for a while he’s done a lot of different
Things as a player and a coach and it’s like cool makes sense did you see the juicy side of this in that same Graziano Fowler right up uh sources say the 49ers explored the possibility of hiring Steve spagnolo away from the Chiefs for their DC position shortly after their lost to
Kansas City in the Super Bowl uh but then the Chiefs very quietly gave spags a new deal that is reportedly worth 5 million which is Big guap for a a coordinator but interesting that the old if you can’t beat him join a move was on the radar for Lynch and Shanahan well
They helped get him paid nothing wrong with that he’s got got to be the highest paid coordinator in NFL history which make which would like Quinn I thought was getting what three or four last year and that was said to be it would make sense if someone was going to be it
Would be the guy coming off two straight uh Super Bowl titles and he’s not going to get a job like a head coaching job yeah you better pay him like that uh and other news Let’s uh spin through this all right Greg set it up the competition
Committee oh my gosh they are proposing some dramatic changes to the kickoff we’ve talked about the kickoff and and how it’s kind of a wasted play right now Greg you talked about getting rid of it entirely I said I don’t think so Greg I think it’s football it’s got to be
Involved somehow what is what is this pitch what is this idea to uh fix the play we’ll like dive into this more in late March but the fact that the competition committee is who’s putting it up there there’s two different ways rules can get suggested one a team can
Just suggest it and it’s like okay that’s an idea we’ll see everyone’s going to vote for it they’re they have this idea of only doing onside kicks if you’re trailing in the fourth quarter like we’ll see if that happens that’s a team sucess when it’s from the competition Community they’re already
Into it they’re trying to make it happen and the XFL model who was which was created by former tnf uh recap guest Sam schwartzstein who’s on Amazon Prime as the next J STS guy and right I had no idea he cre he created the rule book for
The XFL back in the day which is kind of crazy for wait he had the rule where the ball’s at the 50 yard line and people Sprint from opposite ends so that’s that is essentially the rule the the ACL Destroyer no not not that the kicker
Lines up at his own 30 yard line in 10 members of the kickoff team lineup at the opponent’s 35 five yards away from the returning team’s block only the kicker and one returner are allowed to move before the ball is touch you kind of just got to watch it to see it’s
Different but it would result in a lot more kickoffs in fact I think the majority of kickoffs would be returned because otherwise it goes to the 35 which is CRA I don’t I don’t I need to study this one maybe they it seems to be messing with you a little bit but maybe
They maybe this was prompted to some degree by your CS for it just to disappear entirely during our Super Bowl that’s what did good way to look at it you know bill belich was with me that one he was like either do it or kill it
That was that was his idea do it or kill it uh Quick Cuts and then we gotta get going here uh the Vikings uh cut ties with Alexander Madison uh their running back so year after dvin cook goes now Madison is out the door as well the
Patriots say goodbye again to JC Jackson whose career has turned into a bit of an odyssey Washington Cuts ties with Logan Thomas Charles Leno uh the Eagles say goodbye to Bard Kevin Bard and the Saints cut safety Marcus May and uh and one other transaction Jason ke Kelce yes
Indeed is retiring the Eagles uh Veteran Center uh Mainstay a stalwart and now a media star uh will be able to focus on other endeavors also our competition we got the old uh iHeart Radio uh podcast Awards coming up next week in Austin Texas we’ll be there and uh they are in
The same category as us which is troubling with all the Swift trou especially right now he’s coming off maybe a little bit nuclear hot right now you said it Mark was maybe the best retirement speech you’ve ever seen it was the longest and I so I saw many
Portions of it walking around the building here um I thought he did a great job all right let’s listen it I’ve been asked many times why did I choose football What drew me to the game and I never have an answer that gets it right
The best way I can explain it is what draws you to your favorite song your favorite book it’s what it makes you feel the seriousness of it the intensity of it stepping on the field was the most alive and free I had ever felt there was a visceral feeling with
Football unlike any other sport the hairs on my arms would stand up I could hit somebody run around like a crazy lunatic and then get told good job I love football nice I feel like West would loved that um also I like that he showed up in a sleeveless t-shirt you know some
Guys wear the the the suit but he’s that’s on brand uh that’s a that’s a big uh some big shoes to fill little game nugget like the tush push is not not going to be the same without Jason Kel maybe that retires with him yeah that’s
Big I mean he he kind of changed the game in terms of like I think teams look for more Jason Kelce types at Center the the quickness the athleticism he’s going to wind up being a Hall Famer he talked about how when essentially the Chip Kelly years he almost thought he was
Going to get out he was of Philadelphia his his coach believed in him we do I think Eric also have him talking um about the most famous play in Eagles history I won’t forget Nick f having the game of his life on the biggest stage possible and the biggest D on the team
Going up to Doug Peterson whoa and asking for the Philly special and Doug Peterson having the biggest balls in the stadium do it say it to say yeah let’s do it well that’s nice one of one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history the most like second most to the most
Top 10 number one it is kind of crazy how you lost out on those sandwiches all those years ago only if you would have said top 10 it’s not crazy it’s absurd no one no if only it wasn’t horseshoes you know then you would have had it the
Most influential Super Bowl play of all time oh well that’s that’s just silly that’s incorrect it’s not silly but it meant something to that man it look how much it meant I do like that a man sobbing there talking about balls and big that’s a great like a lot of like B
Breaks with tears in your eyes talking about big dicks and balls that’s that is very unbrand for that man something for everyone no one’s hit hit their retirement like on this sort of momentum I feel like uh since maybe Michael straand did it well like if you had told
Me Michael St was going to become like a monster media star for most of his I wouldn’t have EXA Tony Romo Romo Tony Romo had an incredible but his but to go out on top like went tile his playing career was kind of very depressing he
Broke his back you know Kelsey well I was going to Sayan went out on a title and I said Kelsey did too but no like he became he kind of became a member of the Chiefs in the last like three weeks of the season so like it like I’ll never
Forget I think we’re we’re we’re together all three of us I think we’re together um when Super Bowl Sunday morning when he came we were at the hotel he came out of the elevator and he was wearing a onesie it was like overalls on Chief’s logos all over it and we saw him
Exit out the doors and it really was like a massive celebrity with uh everybody with their phones out and handlers like taking him to the car uh yes he is he’s going to do okay probably probably defeat Us in the uh iHeart Awards but you never know i’ I’d would
Surprised if he replaces Kirk cstreet on Amazon I I think that was been suggested I pull one more clip from the Kelsey presser just because this guy was a pretty big talking point on on the podcast for a bit and he did get mentioned in big in a Hall of Famer
Retirement spee give me all the big dime he got I’d like to thank big di to Sandro truly the life force of this organization no one gives more time and energy to this team at the drop of a hat Dom is by your side my family and I give
Our sincerest thank yous for always treating us with dignity and assistance can I just say can I can I offer it a little uh to that point a little unsolicited advice just hire big Dom as the coach if everyone loves this guy so much yeah hire him as the coach build up
A good assistant staff around him to help him with the X’s and O’s and be done with it get serani out of the building can’t even control himself without big Dom there serion is losing the pr contest day by day and this Christ all right uh and finally in the
News this is a sad item to end it on but definitely something we should talk about um award winning ESPN NFL reporter Chris mortensson passed away on Sunday at the age of 72 really sad this is someone who uh battled stage four throat cancer uh in 2016 which you know cancer
Obviously is something that’s very close to everyone us as well um Wes battled esophageal cancer um a battle ultimately um he’s no longer with us and and Mortenson or Mort as everyone knew him in the famous Mort report uh that I remember watching so many so many Mor
Mort reports when he was the kind of Insider in the 90s and into the 2000s and then hung around um uh he died suddenly on Sunday morning and um you could the way all the tributes uh Mark poured out toward Morton and he was a he was a different dude because this this
Uh this business especially The Insider business is kind of a nasty one at times and it’s competitive and as Cutthroat as any anything in this industry and mortensson was the guy who was known to help people along the way and how do you do this job as a national reporter how
To get your foot in the door How to Succeed so even while the young ones were coming up uh he never stopped being a class act so he’s a widely respected journalist uh he actually grew up right in the backyard here uh in uh Torrance I
Believe uh but also someone who did it the right way in terms of helping uh younger reporters coming up and it’s it’s really sad uh to see him go so soon yeah I mean it’s when you hear someone described uniformly by people that knew him very well people that worked with
Him people that just came into contact with him it’s like he was the gentle Insider I think that game now is seems a little it’s Cutthroat um it swallows up your personal life your time and Mortenson always had a different kind of vibe to him and like I think also he
Experienced The Insider job at a time when pregame shows actually mattered when like he’d come on Sunday morning and give you news that no one else had now it’s like a lot of rehashing of stuff that we heard on Wednesday Thursday Friday it’s like he was a
Pre-twitter um but in Twitter too but like he operated as this person who brought incredible context information to the football experience yeah he was he was doing it back when when it was like John Clayton and Len path gelli at ESPN and then I I remember when they
Brought in Sher and in theory Sher would be like going on his Turf and instead they made this great Tandem and always just a kind man he was really nice he reached out to me a handful of times when I when I started at pro football talk we would have
Conversations and like people said like very um generous and warm and and helpful just like seeing someone uh coming up in the business un unprompted and and he I know he reached out to West too uh when Wes was going through uh his battle and and they had that to share
And so I think just on a on a human level I I also remember he reached out to to Kesha after after Wes died so so rest in peace he he was a classy guy he he got Daniel Jeremiah you know started in this business too and it was it was
Tough seeing DJ deal with that on live TV and everything um and they were uh extremely close so great great man rest in peace uh Chris all right let’s uh take a break and when we return Danny Kelly let’s talk combine in the draft Ahead welcome back our next guest is a senior staff writer for the ringer co-host of the ringer fantasy football show and the ringer NFL draft show and it is that last credit that we’re going to dive into here with Danny Kelly welcome back to around the NFL
Danny thank you so much how are you guys doing good you know I uh fellow Dan Daniel y I was Danny from 80 birth until 92 and then ahead of seventh grade I had a a heart to heart with my mom and I I I think I asked her
For permission um to to go to a a more stylized quote unquote cool Dan and she rubber stamped it uh but still to this day my family calls me Dany uh do you have other people are you Dan to anyone are you a Daniel on or is it D all Danny
All the time let’s get into it yeah I kind of went the opposite direction from you from 82 to high school I was Daniel so like my parents still call me Daniel in high school decided I want to be Dan so a lot of my high school friends that from that
Era still call me Dan and then kind of as a bit I decided to have everyone start calling me Danny and it just kind of stuck what do you mean as a bit because yeah this is your this is your professional name it’s the only name I I
Know you you’ve been around on the the interwebs but you’ve been Danny Kelly the whole time but Greg I mean there’s there’s been a lot of ink spilled and and audio spilled out from microphones about Triple G and Greg and all the Greg culture like you have to let him be on
His Danny path like and understand that it’s its own thing absolutely I don’t get the bit part that’s all I will say that in the year 2000 and this whole segment is about this name so everybody just dig in yeah in 2000 I worked at tji
Fridays uh before I went away to college and there were three Dans and I went to Danny just for that summer and I’m telling you it was it was special it made me consider staying with it but ultimately I cowered out and and you are the Danny of the NFL media industry so
Thank you for joining us buddy let’s talk a little the combine is over uh we are spinning forward what is um you know a big picture thought coming out of this weekend uh for you Danny Kelly I think uh first of all a lot of guys are very
Fast I mean obviously this is what we talk about in the combine but it was especially fast combine for receivers running backs uh offensive linemen there’s a lot of really really good athletes I think uh in general players are maybe just starting to get much better at these uh combined tests just
Like the training is a lot better these days maybe the athletes are just better too because because of all the training involved in you know Athletics and sports so uh very fast players at the combine I know this I’m breaking news here this is exciting well you you
Mentioned that the wide receiver day stands out maybe the most because you know for our our purposes maybe the most interesting like you receivers fast okay at the combat like you know the two deepest positions in this draft and you know we haven’t talked a lot of drafts
So I I feel like we’re we’re starting out on this show but but for our listeners the two of the deepest positions are tackle and wide receiver there’s sort of a discussion which position gets more in the first round it could be upwards of eight to 10 for
Either position which is which is crazy but one one thing I noticed Danny I I heard Josh Norris our friend talk about this too is like all these receivers are are big like it was supposed to be this trend that like oh you don’t have to be like a huge receiver anymore and
Starting with with romad dun your guy from uh the Pacific Northwest who’s like a real deal ex receiver who could you know DJ our guy at NFL network has him as high as as third or fourth overall um will go somewhere in like the top eight it could be all receivers and
Quarterbacks to start off you know he shows up he has a great workout he’s like a real deal X receiver but he wasn’t the only one it it just felt like there’s they’re deep as hell and they’re big as hell so it’s I don’t know if
That’s a trend or if it’s just like random that we got some nice big big men entering the league calm down um I think it honestly the last year there was a bunch of small receivers and that was kind of a thing that kind of felt more
Like a blip I I still think we’re GNA still see a lot of big receivers um you got Romo dun Brian Thomas from LSU who’s like 6 fo three ad Mitchell from Texas who one of my favorites in this class he like was one of the most surprising and best athletes
At the combine overall like you said Roma dun there’s a handful of other guys that are that have good size so yeah it’s it’s definitely nice to um you know have have some variation there some some variety because last year you know it was just a bunch of guys who like 178
Pounds and uh you know obviously the NFL is changing but it is good to have these guys with siid too I mean you could argue that some of the speed tests uh and there were more wide receivers under their 4440 than any other draft in history so you’re right I think they’re
Able to train for these better and prepare better um but like someone like Xavier worthy uh who he a very small guy and all that stuff and there’s he’s not you know I it depends where he goes he made himself a lot of money by just running fast versus uh other players
Where you kind of expected it I would ask from a flip side for from the quarterback angle cuz a bunch of quarterbacks did nothing and you kind of left wondering what the rest of this Market looks like is there a quarterback that changed your perception your mind uh can that happen at the
Combine yeah I think uh at the quarterback position the one guy that stood out just from literally weighing in was JJ McCarthy because he came in at 219 pounds and I think everyone was expecting him to be about 205 or something like that and you know obviously you can put on there’s
Different ways to kind of bulk up right before the combine but um he looked pretty you know like cut he was obviously they run around and really tight stuff it wasn’t like he just did a bunch of donuts and and gain a bunch of weight before the combine to kind of get
Up to that weight it looked like pretty realistic weight so uh JJ McCarthy coming in at 219 pounds was I think actually a pretty big news just because you know they the rigors of the NFL you get hit a lot you have to have a little bit of
Bulk and um I think especially relative to the fact that Jen Daniels did not weigh in and to my eye just at the podium looked extremely skinny I think just that that comparison that contrast could be pretty important come draft uh come draft time especially because at the combine just the buzz around
McCarthy was palpable and and you didn’t really feel that with J well there’s some talk that like it could go quarterback one two three four and so that fourth would be JJ McCarthy in theory although I don’t like this whole thing where like they clearly add weight
Going into the combine and then they don’t run Bryce young did this last year and then they and they do the D you know he was throwing the ball and then they lose the weight for their pro day they don’t wait but then they do do the speed stuff
There so it’s all kind of like what are we doing here Sak for for what it’s worth for what it’s worth McCarthy I believe did run the three cone and it was an elite time so at least there’s that he it was like 685 or something
Like that no one’s worried about how he moves he moves fantastic anyways and so it is he he might get a little bit of a Harbaugh bump that Harbaugh likes him so much that he could go top that that high I was going to as a followup to that
Like what is for to you the McCarthy NFL comp on the on the higher end and maybe on the more conservative end uh so I comped him to a more spritely Kirk Cousins um I I think he’s kind of a guy that’s not gonna he’s not gonna be super
Impressive physically you know he’s kind of just right down the middle average in in terms of his arm strength his size his frame his speed everything uh but he’s very good attacking the middle of field he is very good on third downs and in the in the Red Zone um has a little
Bit of swagger to him has plays with a very confident demeanor obviously you know and this is important to people in the NFL he’s a winner he’s I think he lost like one game in college or something like that so he he’s you know got all those intangibles he’s got you
Know uh again an average frame in basically every way and that’s kind of like the Kirk Cousins line for me are we going to get more first round offensive linemen than in any other his draft in history uh we definitely might this is this is a class I have a very hard time
Stacking these these offensive line because there’s so many good ones Danny does the draft guide by the way for the ringer which is extensive and is out there and a great read with some very uh you know snarky hilarious lines in there from time to time thank you um yeah it’s
A great class when when I was putting my board together it struck me like you said ear like you alluded to earlier it’s just all tackles and receivers and the first like you could I could see like 10 offensive players going off the board to start this draft and and
Wouldn’t be that surprised um so yeah it’s it’s a lot a lot of offensive lineman it’s a great year to want to tackle there’s even a couple good uh like guard tackle combo type guys there’s a couple Center guard combo type players so great offensive line dra uh
Draft and and overall there’s going to be a lot of them taken in the first round I think well especially yeah because there’s none in free agency there doesn’t seem like there’s just enough in the NFL and then a guy like Joe Al goes out there and he’s doing the
The the I don’t know what they call the mobility Jo was like the three cone and everything and he’s putting up Lane Johnson type numbers so it’s like okay that guy that guy is going to go very high did you have some favorites at at receiver you mentioned ad Mitchell which
Yeah so his teammates with Xavier worthy who runs the 421 and that’s a great Moment The Crowd Goes Crazy I I was kind of actually thinking just a little sidebar like NFL network has been building to that moment for like 20 years cuz he came out and was like I’ve
Been watching the combine since I was a little kid and it been my dream to do this and I was like that literally they sort of created this event as it as an event and then he does it and the Crowd Goes Crazy the crowd actually cared
Enough to go crazy I was like and he’s probably going to go in the first round now because of it like that was a big a wig win for NFL Network it didn’t exist before but like between those two guys like are they first round receivers ad8
Mitchell Xavier worthy like they it just seems like there’s so many Xavier worthy it seems like there’s so many guys who could or could not be first round receivers which makes me wonder if teams just like wait a little bit on it but but answer that if you had any other
Receivers you want throughout there as a big winner yeah I think so right now there’s like the big three Marvin Harrison Jr Malik neighbors Roman dun and then after that there’s probably six to eight different receivers that I think could go in the first round you
Have the two you mentioned from the two Texas receivers ad Mitchell Xavier worthy you got Brian Thomas Junior from LSU I’m a big lad makoni guy I don’t know if he has necessarily the size to go in the first round but he ran a 439 he’s like an allaround receiver I’ve
Comped him to Doug Baldwin he just he’s just a really good rounder on extraordinary acceleration uh you have Keon col who is a confusing evaluation because he was actually one of the slowest receivers uh at the combine in terms of the 40 but then when he was running the
Gauntlet they they tracked like their miles per hour their speed he was like the fastest so you know you get into the argument of of field speed and game speed um and then there’s a handful of other guys Troy Franklin from Oregon is another player that I think a lot of
People have put in the first round I really like Jaylen pulk from Washington their second receiver and you know there’s there’s a couple other guys that could like rise in the process Roman Wilson Ricky peera from Florida had an incredible combine it’s a big time for like athletic white outside receivers
Like for real it’s like and and you have Cooper dein who’s like this incredibly athletic cornerback it is a little bit of a paradigm shift because makoni and peol are both testing you know peol especially out of the roof but makoni might be like a first round white I mean
It’s it’s not ABN like this m like this is in the minds of alert to the New England Patriots but it’s in the minds of like decision makers and stuff to sort of like okay that’s that’s something that’s happening like that let’s let’s adjust for that and then we
Got to move to cornerback next bit of a drought there since seahorn hey um uh on Brian Thomas interesting right because everybody talked about worthy he ran close to Worthy’s speed uh but I saw this reported somewhere 4 Ines taller 44 lbs heavier and then I was like who who
Is a like a beast like that but also fast as hell and I was like DK meaf that was like is he I know mchf was a little bigger he was 228 uh and and Tom Thomas weighed in at 209 but does he strike you
And he also LED FBS by the way 17 touchdowns like instant star like do you see like is there anyone in the draft and I’m using him as somebody that intrigues me as a potential hit the ground running like number one potential guy is Thomas or someone else that you
Saw this weekend that guy yeah Thomas uh so ad Mitchell and Brian Thomas Junior are kind of in that same vein and that same mold of receiver um like a sort of raw but really explosive uh and and they have this Frame where like the 63 64
200ish pound guys that’s not really been like a frame that has been super successful in the NFL prior to the last few years now you see guys like George Pickins cidd lamb sort of is in that sort sort of vein where they’re these taller skinny guys um and I comped uh I
Comped briyan thomps Jr to uh Christian Watson I guess with hamstrings that work because um he he to me is just you know again there’s a little bit of I think concern over his overall Nuance as a route Runner and all those things he didn’t run a ton of different routes for
For LSU he’s running a lot of slot Fades a lot of vertical routes but he scores a ton of touchdowns if you get him with a good quarterback who can lead him down the field he has that field tilting ability and so yeah I actually saw you
Know speaking of these two guys Edie Mitchell and uh and Brian Thomas Jr I saw a tweet from Warren sharp there’s two receivers since 2015 at the combine that have run 435 or better and 62 and 205 or more it’s DK meaf and AD Mitchell
So ad Mitchell to me I think was one of the biggest winners because I think there were questions coming into the week whether he has that quotequote long speed that that you know vertical take the take the top off a defense type speed and I found it interesting at the
At the podiums he actually said something like I don’t ever run my routes full speed which is simultaneously interesting and and a red flag I didn’t really know what to make that cu the question the question was as basically about him varying his route speed and Ling Defenders to sleep and in
Basically you know changing his speed so it’s not always just like he’s running full speed at all times um but I think it just kind of came out came out a little bit wrong and and a little misleading um but he to me was one of the biggest winners just because I don’t
I I even wrote in my report I’m like does he have the long speed I don’t I don’t know if he has that that Elite vertical speed but it sure seems like he does after the way he tested it’s pretty telling that we’ve gotten like we go
This far into the Q&A and we haven’t even talked about a defensive player but I do think like Dallas Turner watching him run his 40 and just like the way he’s built like uh his wings span his arms like he to me he’s probably the first defensive guy off the board uh in
A pretty thin class for defensive dudes yeah 83 inch wingspan which is I saw someone put it’s almost exactly the same as LeBron James and he’s only six foot uh two I think six foot two so obviously his his frame is is almost perfectly built to play like the edge he’s really
Long arms but he’s still he’s not lanky he’s not tall and like sort of skinny and lanky he’s just sort of perfectly uh constructed to rush the passer R A 447 the 40 40 and a half inch vert basically everything all his numbers are 90th percentile and more from Edge rushers of
The combine so he you know I think definitely made money I I kind of had him somewhere in the middle of the first round before this week and I’m guessing based just on the way he tested teams are going to be going back and looking
At the tape and being like this is a guy that we can mold is a guy that we can uh you know work with because of those athletic traits right there were I mean there were different defensive players had nice week Kenyan Mitchell who’s a cornerback maybe the top corner you know
Maybe Byron Murphy was defensive tackle but it is something interesting about this class that there might not be any defensive players in the top 10 that’s why there there seems to be extreme classes based on positions like the defense you know people are going to push cornerbacks up the board but
Running back in in tight end is also like there might not be anyone other than Brock Bowers at tight end that gets taken in the first couple rounds there might there probably isn’t any running backs is getting taken in the first couple rounds you famously um came at
The king last year and missed by telling me that Luke Musgrave was going to be better than Sam leaport and all Sam all Sam laporta did was have like the greatest call yourself the King right but we went back and forth on this and I I stuck my flag on Sam laporta’s back
And you went with musra why would you do that and uh all all Thea did was carry a bunch of fantasy teams to titles in the LI to the NFC Championship put the flag in the hill behind Sam laort not in the center of his back I think Greg
Literally had you on the show just to get to that self brag no but for some reason we’ve been texting about this just one small um take Mr Kelly your response to that assassination attempt so the way I remember it this is all erroneous first of all uh I I very
Lightly suggested that I like Luke Musgrave slightly more than sort I wasn’t like you know planting a flag with with mus Grave by the way you forget to mention my big sleeper on this show last year the guy that I was like willing to like stake my career on was
Devon Anan that’s a good job was a good job right in your Greg right right up your that was good he you know he he was great in the six games he played he was oh stop it that was good that was a good one Greg this is our guest literally the
Guest of the show that was a good one he nailed that daners uh anything else we want to talk about do you have any tight ends or running backs just just to hit those positions that that you do like because they’re not going to go high in the draft necessarily obviously Bowers will
But is there anyone that you like so my I think favorite running back this year is Trey Benson from Florida State reminds me a lot of Kenneth Walker just stylistically uh very quick feet very explosive he ran a 439 which is exactly what Kenneth Walker ran last or two
Years ago um he is a big game hunter so he’s he’s I think a little bit unsure sometimes behind the line of scrimmage he’ll try and bounce runs a little too often and try and reverse the field kind of the way that Kendall Walker does it’s
Um same sort of style but I I love this guy I think he’s gonna end up probably being a third rounder uh but he to me is the most exciting running back in this class I want to ask you you were you know were you were feet on the ground
And there’s this thing that keeps happening at these combines um and it’s a it’s a civilian versus a player and I don’t think it’s fair if we can bring up the video here all right what are we looking at it is a player who is you know running a drill
And then there’s this man in a red shirt and here this guy’s in a white sweatshirt holding like the big giant bag they come smashing you they you know and you know it’s not going to go well but then they replayed this in slow motion of it’s like getting hit by
Punched by Rocky basically so they’re doing like uh swim drills and there’s a a young man getting absolutely I mean and this era in this era of you know protecting the brain and the NFL’s initiatives put that guy a helmet at the very least Dan your thoughts is this a
Guy that lost like his fantasy league last place fantasy league like punishment or whatever go out there and hold the bags during these drills old last place it’s a little bit of a thankless thankless uh job you were you were there for all these questions by
The way bad job by the guy who asked uh Caleb Williams as his first question uh yeah how come you don’t want to compete or something like that you scared to compete that’s so bad um you got to leave the building when you open like
That I know you I know you wanted to talk about Marius Mims uh Danny and and his comparison between um you know himself and and the other prospects and definitely the reporters in the building yeah there was a picture circulating from Ryan Fowler on Twitter that showed
Amarus smims like taking pictures of the sort of scene and he I don’t know if God he looks like a he is twice as big as anybody else on that floor there a little bit of like Hobbit perspective filming technique going on there CU they’re about five or six feet Beyond
But but no doubt he Towers over any other human in the shot well and it is a and and then people were someone commented they they realized going to the combine for the first time they they didn’t realize how many um short reporters there are out there and it is
A short crew I got to admit there’s a lot of short guys like if you’re just average height that kind of look like the munchkins honest then you’re you’re looking tall in that crew Oompa loomas this picture is for for anyone who thinks they could go play NFL football
Right now like go try and go try and you know Rush against that guy he had by the way absolutely ridiculous uh freakish workout which might and he’s barely played at at the pro level just because of uh injuries and then didn’t have a starting job but he he might get taken
Extremely extremely high all right Washington’s own Danny Kelly check him out uh at the ringer of course check out his NFL draft show as gra his draft guide and of course fantasy football is always on the mind he’s on that too one other thought about Danny’s cuz I said
In tji Fridays summer of 2000 at the Palisade Center Mall in West nyak New York um I found it to be I weaponized it a little bit uh because it when you’re Danny with with the opposite sex or you know whomever uh you’re attempting uh to
Mingle with okay uh I I found that being a Dany made you seem a little safer a little sweeter a little oh like that guy where yeah more funloving and more kind of wholesome almost uh did that play a role at all and how others perceive you
Uh in in a sweet Wholesome Way a manner that would allow you to succeed in various IND romantically especially yes yes absolutely I think subtly my personality changed when I you know because your name is such a big part of your identity right like Greg you
Probably had a lot of issues with like two G’s in your name like how was that growing up for you yeah people like they still comment on it a lot but you you are you are like you’re you’re a married man you know you have a child I believe
Um you know he’s a twet Danny but also Greg Greg was a major swordsman in Western Massachusetts and in high school so I think being a Triple G helped but anyway I just I that was a memory I had of uh the tji Fridays run in 20 special
Run for you absolutely I agree I agree fully with that yet all right Daniel’s a little bit like oh keep your eye on that guy can you keep him at arms length Dan’s like Dan’s kind of a I don’t know bad news situation Danny safe Danny
Thank you buddy see you Danny there he goes good one I wanted to bring up something closer to our show uh because I and I opened the show I’m a balent I want to be balanced in my cover you got to be you got talking about another Daniel yes
Another Daniel this is a Daniel again I like I said you keep Daniel’s at an arms length whenever you kept yeah I think especially uh well so you know I said they had a did a great job they brought a bunch of guests on Joey Molinaro who is like this incredible impressionist I
Think he’s one of the best out there um a huge football fan and like he he talked about growing up and coming to the combine where you’d stand on that roped off area where you would just wait to see reporters and stuff coming by like was a big deal he was like a
Football nerd there’s always there’s always great fans there there’s always also the sketchy autograph collectible guys I hate those guys but that’s not Joey that’s was quick sidebar right because we’ve been to the combine many times can we calm down with the grown men with the helmets and and the
Glossies could I think we could like waiting for the teenagers to walk by there’s got to be something else to do no yeah there’s got to be something better this this is someone who went Joey and so we already know we can trust him on some level H but so Joey sat with
Rich eyes and those guys Mar are standing next to like like teenage boys sometimes that are fans it’s their sons sometimes oh yeah I was I was at uh but I’m with you it’s I was at a women’s tennis tournament just yesterday in San Diego Walker goes up there you buy like
This big the big old ball the big ball and there’s you know he’s getting swallowed up by I let him just go up there and he’s getting swallowed up by these adults kind of Ang how old’s Walker seven he’s eight going give 8-year-old 9-year-old Walker Rosenthal sharp elbows no it’s aut seems improper
The size of a seven-year-old inher sidebar ended I will attempt to like I just want I thought you would enjoy this uh where Molano basically caught DJ not doing what he needed to be doing ah very good let’s check to be here today dream come true he super excited to be here
Jim Collinsworth is in the building I like that that was oh no Romo wow Romo Romo Flags God up screw D let me be the straight man okay you you do the analysis I’ll be the stra man a guy that’s got his head so buried in tape you can’t tell the difference between
Tony Romo and Chris Collinsworth you know I say Daniel Jeremiah I think you got a career as a general manager I don’t know about a broadcaster too much oh who’s that Molinari yeah I like that pison I’m G to go check out his next standup show he’s great Steelers fan I
Believe he listens to the show a little bit Joey Molinari molaro molaro Molinaro yeah I like him I bet there’s aari out there but yeah that’s great good nug Mark you were all over the coverage this weekend I love it I got here at you any
Do you have any you want to get out of the comment it is the it is fun start the uh start the the draft process and get download that notebook Mark go I would say next year if we are not invited there will be a strongly worded
Letter sent to the everyone on the third floor we will be there I missed hanging out I missed the fun I missed the sights and the sounds and yet we have soldiered on and done the best we possibly can that’s in the that’s the notes no it was
Just my did you have any other that was my side note okay that’s good and I weedly player side we covered I am very interested to see more from the quarterback tape like Michael penx Jr and the rest of these dudes sure yeah there was this guy uh Isaac gono from uh
Louisville this sort of what the the combine made for he is the fastest 220 pound back in uh combine history uh our friend Bill Barnwell created someone called something called the speed score back in the day which kind of adjusted weight for for Speed before there was the reception perception yes with Matt
Harmon there was the speed score the speed score and uh he’s I think the highest in in speed score history or or close to the nextg stats had a had him fifth all time in terms of athleticism there was this other you know total workout score that had him fifth out of
1765 running back so a big man that can move and kind of bounced around at first uh but that’s he has the type of day where it’s like okay now he went from being like some seventh round pick to like some team’s going to give him a
Chance in the third round I was to say type of guy he was he was just as fast as Devon hn and and Keaton Mitchell except he’s like weighs 50 more more pounds in them uh what was up with you getting aggro with Kelly about a couple different things there is that just
Mixing it up isn’t that just part and parcel with you know Greg the interviewer Connor that’s how how do you not know this this is how we show love in Western Massachusetts we’re all just a bunch of jerks apparently but Danny already has texted me and wanted an apology a correction
Yes Devin aan eraser he had almost uh 11 a th000 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns I demand a correction so here it is you got your correction we have an audience that’s vast and there’s a responsibility that comes with that you try to totally what did you say he
Played six games I think he did have like a he played 11 but yeah it felt like um it is weird not only do we have all these like star running backs hitting free agency and nobody seems to be willing to pay them you’re going to have
A draft now where it’s possible it takes until round four day two of the draft or day three of the draft for a running back to come off the board now somebody will probably jump up into the third or multiple guys but nobody there’s no beon
This year it’s a it’s a weird draft in terms of certain positions being slightly ghost like Mar Gibbs is no beon all right know the the the world where DK moff and AJ Brown remember where they got drafted late second like that that world doesn’t exist anymore people are
Taking their receivers all right let’s take a break and we’ll finish up Welcome back what you’re listening to right here is the official pre-match theme song of none other then my favorite football squad and I’m talking the other football West brahic Al on football club is that I’ve read it I haven’t actually said it out loud yet I’m leaning on you to
Understand the the pronunciation here uh yes this is the Liquidator you’re hearing and and there’s a awesome chant that the the fans do uh uh for the baggies as they’re known and it turns out that in my we talked about with Danny Kelly the fantasy league uh move
Where the guy who finish in last place has to do some type of shameful act um one of the people in my fantasy league is someone I’ve known for 20 years my league of record shelin Patel who uh along with his family purchased West Bram just like they have the team now
And uh it’s been a a major I mean it’s been a a blowing my mind and learning more about the culture of of the baggies and everything immediately my favorite team and we’ve been texting with John Gonzalez Gonzo k husband who’s a major uh soccer fan and
He’s been shading in some context about the move and I’ve been texting of course with shalin about it and there’s a lot of excitement very strange this convergence it is uh an amazing thing you definitely have a friend that is wealthier than any friend I have I learn
That I definitely don’t have one that that high or even close that ISC incredible and it’s incredible now we can root for them because they’re in the championship I I don’t I’m going to say something wrong but they’re in the level the league below the Premier League but
They got a chance here they got a chance got a chance to get elevated they’re in the race so we got something to root for the next also to get to get bumped up make him some money a great guy seen him through the years uh my buddy Greg 50% G
From the Super Bowl was uh roommates with him at at at bson and I’ve known him for years he’s a great guy um and uh I was I sent out a tweet a couple days ago like congratulating him and saying that this is my new team dare I say this
Could be the team of around the NFL the football team of around the NFL because shelin is a major ATN fan listener makes sense anyway so that little back and forth with me and Chalin gets picked up by uh a website out in England a headline West Brom takeover colon uh
Actually this is this is developing news I think I think it’s fair to Say West Bram takeover colon shalin Patel invites NF media crew that’s us to the Hawthorns as new baggies fans ready for the lead shelin Patel has invited around the NFL host Dan hanas and his crew to the Hawthorns after his West Brom takeover was confirmed now I’m
Going to read the second graph uh as an Englishman the American replied via Twitter on one March after his compatriot announced he would now be a baggies fan from now on after the announcement of 28th February that Guan l time as majority shareholder was over and then there’s a pull quote West
Bram profile grows in the US already after sh shalin Patel take over we’re wagging the dog over here right now uh ATN and our our strength as a top uh International podcast West Bram this is the crossover that no one knew existed and here we are all I need uh was to
Have been included in the invitation and and I are well that’s what I’m saying and so you didn’t reply to it he did a a wonderful job to that so Sho in a reply you know let him know that you’re into it uh what platform is it happening on
It’s on a a platform you’ve retired from apparently I’ll write him I’ll write him personally I forgot I’ll let him know there’s a reason you haven’t replied I’ll write him personally you stepped you’ve stepped down from your Twitter duties I have I will find uh a pathway
To reach him and thank him it’ll it’ll be your ghost account you have any Jason Kelsey like like press conference to give a tearful eulogy of your social media I’m crafting it I’m now you’re going to are you actually going to delete your account I have a friend that
That did that they deleted it with big following and just I think let it sit there just let it sit there space it it is very exciting I heard from uh a listener who hosts a great tennis podcast a tennis podcast David lot he said he said this takeover meant a lot
To him he’s he’s been a fan since just a little boy and and now um you know they were worried about the future of this team and and your friend is saving it now I’m a little torn can root for multiple teams you know famously I once
Wore a West Ham Jersey second time you’ve said famously about yourself but it’s supposed to be ironic the point is it’s not famous got it got it got it um worried to yeah we at West Ham Jersey and got booed off the stage in London so
I have I have been a supporter of the Hammers but I feel like I can support both they’re in different leagues we’re cool in the NFL we’re very casual yes it’s true it is is your NFL move as well yeah you have to know what part of the
Country you’re in where to where the the the kits and all that um uh but I I proudly uh fly the flag uh boing boing style so congratulations we got to get there we got to get London and get to that Stadium who by the way is a great
Guy like I wouldn’t even know that he was this business Monster uh and I would imag and he’s very smart and and great as fantasy football for whatever that means so yeah like where did he finish this year in Fantasy is I would want to know oh man I should know roughly
Ballpark he had you know what I can tell you I could tell you that he had the greatest regular season of all time uh and I don’t know if it off in the playoffs but his management of the team was pristine so just let that know B bag
Know that this man knows what he’s doing in terms of transactions uh anything else before we say goodbye this is a great song by the way too we’re back on Wednesday we got Connie Connie Fox will be with us on Wednesday and we’re going to do some uh pre- free agency
Conversation I feel like this should be the new theme when we have a guest coming on all right I really like it I like the seg we have coming up on Wednesday too oh nice tease still how it works a Jason Kelsey Twitter retirement speech where you mention and
Balls repeatedly Aid how about on Wednesday oh I’m going to craft it even better got a whole show built out now okay thank you everybody oh and thank you speaking of retirements and Philadelphia uh Legends Sean Kelly behind the glass who we’ve talked about
A lot on the show and is a great dude um is uh leaving for greener pastures and full-time employment back in Philadelphia so we want to say thank you to Sean Kelly Bud oh thank you so much guys I you to bring me on I appreciate
It you guys are so nice thank you you guys are the best and anyone should check out you know Sean if you’re looking for standup yes in the Philadelphia area he is he’s out there and he’s been cutting his teeth on the LA comedy scene which is as you know
Hardcore as it gets he’s just going to rip Philadelphia wide open with his act in addition to his new job which is separate from that yes it’s going to be big I’m excited to do a both new great production job job in Philly and then also take on that standup scene by storm
Oh yeah going to be running Philadelphia guys it’s going to be great all right slow down well I’m coming in hot coming in hot wish you yeah we don’t we have a pretty intimate crew of people behind the glass and to lose someone SE Kelly is uh not easy but onto greener it
Always stinks but I remember you’re a young man Sean how old are you yes uh 25 25 it’s amazing to to have this experience I didn’t I was floating I was working at a PR firm when I was 25 I was like what what’s happening uh you are uh
On a great path buddy and thank you for everything you did for the show thank you guys so much it’s been a pleasure these last four seasons have been the most amazing couple of years I’ve met so many amazing people uh you guys included it’s been a pleasure especially
Especially that yeah real phrase top we might get another article written uh in the on this website uh so if this becomes a little news tag on we want to get the quote right about how great we are oh yeah no you guys yeah the three
Greatest people I have I’ve ever met at the NFL what order would the three of us be oh give it to just give it to them really put you I’m going to leave that one to uh to mystery um but uh you all are highly reged the first show I ever
Worked on was around the NFL and when I first got here my first day working remote in New Jersey during the pandemic and uh it was the first logo I ever saw and uh it’s been an amazing couple of Seasons with you guys bunch of Seasons
Love you bud love you too all right that’s it until until Wednesday you know what you got to Do I think this is going to work here welcome back yeah this is perfect till next time he the Call
16 Comments
First
Anyone know the name of that 'Big Funk' music?
To save or not to save til I'm working tomorrow.. tis the question.
Evans is 13th all-time in regular season TD receptions. He's a Superbowl winner, the first man to have 10 one thousand receiving yards seasons in a row and a future Hall of Famer. Pay him whatever he wants.
First!
Episode 9 of calling Marc a treasure until he acknowledges me or gets his DiGiorno
I need the Rain Maker sweatshirt
Gregg is giving big Jordan Schlanskey energy
Nothing about Russell Wilson? When did they record this, 8 am?
Gregg was a swordsman! 😂😂😂
Levi's first offseason appearance…
Always love the offszn pods! They have much more relaxed and less rushed vibe. Love the weekly recaps too but the offszn is just ATN at its purest. Keep up the great work fellas
Someone break it to Gregg that WBA ain't in London
Hanzus will fit right in at the Hawthorns
The Liquidator is Chelsea's song.
Big Dom needs an assistant to teh executive position immdediately