The latest ep is a Hanzus-Rosenthal joint. This is like two wine masters, sommeliers, talking about wine, not necessarily you or me arguing if I like Burgundy or Bordeaux better.
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The around the NFL podcast is a technical Lighthouse from the Chris wesling podcast Studio it’s around the NFL I am Dan hes got a hero here Greg Rosenthal the technical Lighthouse is uh Mark referred to Greg Olsen Fox play byplay men that will be a a conversation point I am begging you to shut up later in today’s show um Mark simmer down um because we will have the great Andrew marshan late of the New York Post now of
The athletic breaking down the NFL media landscape so that’s going to be cool Greggy how are you I’m I’m doing great this is an exciting show a lot of guests JB long to talk Aaron Donald it it was a sneaky uh frisky weekend by the NFL the
NFL said oh you thought uh fre agency was done we’re gonna give you a little frisky news items to find out while you’re like at your son’s Nerf gun party on Saturday afternoon colan relax um yeah it it was in general this feels like 2024 was the
Year that the the week the free agency kickoff week it just changed like annoyingly and I’m sure this happens it’s a thing that happens based on the calendar the way the calendar shifts but I always used to love especially when I lived in New York the March 16th St
Patrick’s Day March 7 17th living on the upper west side and just like parking in a bar and watching the first two days of March Madness used to love that that was two of the best days of the year um and now there were no games it was just
Selection Sunday on Sunday uh and that was different and I don’t like change this year for free agency I feel like it used to be you know Sunday quiet Monday crazy Tuesday crazy Wednesday big stuff going on Thursday a little quieter Friday pretty dead but this year it just
Felt like wall to wall news maybe except for Wednesday ironically which was the start of the new league year but uh it was there was a lot to digest and and we’re going to get into all of it everything’s moved faster as of Sunday night I think there
Was only 27 players left off the one1 and that was the one1 from Monday the original one was down to like 14 15 player so te teams just moving faster and uh yeah to to the Bears credit I guess like not letting some of the stories and the Chargers with Keenan
Allen we’ll get to like linger that could be lingering for a long time and if you’re wondering why you haven’t heard much from Mark cesler yet he is not with us today and I in retrospect uh when his Instagram was on fire with 1992 photos what whenever Camp happiness
Whenever Camp happiness is at the Forefront of Mark socials in some ways he’s in 1992 and it’s hard to get back to 2024 you know what I mean right it’s a jet lag for 30 a 32-year journey back to 2024 but he’ll be back on Wednesday and Thursday for a
Big around the AFC and NFC week but for our for our knowledge in the future when Camp happiness is going off on the feed we should plan ahead okay I think that’s just a good way to get ahead of things fair I want to go to Camp happiness
Sounds nice it’s hard to leave though once you go there I did go to Camp Wilder as a kid which has a probably a Sim Vibe but that wasn’t like a stay over with you yeah in the cold town There’s No Going to camps we go to Grandma’s house and kill eight
Hours see you when I get home from work it’s tough you know just playing those whiffle ball and taking the walk up to 7-Eleven up there on North Middletown Road like just hey can you carry this brick up the stairs and then bring it back you’re like why I’m I’m just going
To return the brick back to where it was just do it Danny they gave it you know $150 in your hand you went up to you went up to that 7-Eleven and you and grabbed a Slurpee and then if you were lucky a couple pieces of that 5cent Bazooka Joe
With bubblegum I do have guilt that was summer and whiffle ball same and except ours there was like a a forest behind our house and you could cut through the forest it was about a mile plus to sounds murdery to get to the variety store it was called and um you know in
Hindsight I feel regrettable that we we would steal a decent am out from that Variety Store CU we didn’t have any money yeah you you you pay you know you maybe buy a little bit and put some more in your pocket well that’s that’s Rogue delinquent Behavior we would never think
To do that at the local 7-Eleven but that’s the difference between Western Massachusetts in in New York in Rockland County hardworking people that would never steal from a man trying to make ends meat I have regrets it’s not too late to make a phone call okay probably
Dead but you’re probably not in business anymore probably put him underground from the stress of his financial failings as a result of your malfeasance let’s get let’s focus up come home mark let’s get to it let’s do some news and shout out to all the other sports podcasts out there making a
Banger man uh around the NFL pardon my take um is always good and then the Dan levitar show I mean Dan’s always killing it so he’s been doing it for long long time couple notes there it’s the new Heights podcast of course the Kelsey Brothers winner of best overall podcast
At the iHeart podcast Awards uh shout out to David singer our gifted Talent Booker here at NFL media who uh uh put that on my radar and I little MIAA from old zeuser who you know was a little little snarly a little uh a little bitter maybe took a shot at the Kelsey
Brothers uh acceptance speech the video uh pre-recorded acceptance speech speech at at the award show we attended in person where lost in person while they won and delivered the pre-recorded speech uh now I feel bad because that was a a class class move by uh was that
From or from their podcast that was from what the acceptance speech yes I think that was recorded separately as a part of the iHeart okay Awards it’s exciting I mean uh but what we just listened to was from their most recent episode I understand he was like looking down so I
Don’t know how familiar he is with the program but I do appreciate the thought the uh the shout out and we were mentioned first ahead of pardon my take in lebatard and I I think there’s something to take out of that I think there’s absolutely something to take out
Of that we are getting to the age where there’s a chance some of these guys if they were into podcasts were listening to the podcast you know when they were coming you say getting to the age well I just mean like we’re going to talk Aaron Donal later and his retirement right
Like right we were there talking about his draft day yes so that means people coming into the league now they were like 10 years old maybe they were listening to our podcast or something oi you dating me let’s get to it Justin fields on the
Move by the way I I called this one we had Roto pad on we did our and we all threw out Justin Fields MH trade options I said the Steelers good job so bully for me Justin Justin Fields is going to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a
Conditional 202 25 sixth round pick now that can Elevate to a fourth round pick if Fields plays a bunch for Pittsburgh this year uh but that is very much up in the air because of course gregy uh a week previous the Steelers traded for Russell Wilson uh we’re going to get to
Kenny picking in a second too he exits the picture um but what we’re hearing what’s being reported is that Mike tomman has told Russell Wilson that is indeed going to be the guy they see as their week one starter that’s what he’s saying right now anyway but Fields now joins that
Totally remade quarterback room in Pittsburgh and the bears are left wondering how we handled this and whether we botched an opportunity to get much more bang for their buck with Fields who you know as recently as the end of the regular season a lot of people including myself thought they
Could fetch a high pick maybe a second rounder it ends up being as low as potentially a day three pick yeah it’s a day three pick regardless right sixth round or fourth round and it’s not even this year I don’t think they could have gotten more unless they potentially
Waited until draft day or potentially waited until the fall so when Ryan poles their general manager is kind of putting out there the Bears have put out there through sources there’s so many angles to this I want to get to the onfield stuff but while we’re talking trade
Terms that you know they could have maybe gotten a little better of a deal but they wanted wanted to do right by him I don’t need to hear all that stuff that’s so phony it it might be vaguely true but the terms would only be like
Slightly better maybe it was like a hard fifth or a hard fourth something like that doesn’t matter they weren’t getting what they wanted and the reporting is they started with a framework of the Sam darnold trade again good job by you Dan you mentioned that trade I believe uh In
This Very context and that was what they were looking for which was like maybe a couple late round picks or pick swaps this year and second round pick in the future and they found out this off seon that offer wasn’t coming and as the free agency took off and guys like Sam
Bradford got jobs and we’re seeing these other backup spots get jobs it became clear no one was giving Justin Fields an opportunity to start right now at least and so teams were just looking at him for a backup and I think his contract played a bigger role than everyone you
Know is making it out to be in this no one was going to pick up his fifth year option now I’m a little you know I think there could have been a case to be made that hey let’s pick up Justin Fields let’s pick up the fifth year option
Let’s commit to him that’s two years for like 25 million that’s pretty reasonable and he’s our guy the next no one was looking at him that way and once they got to that point and realized no one was looking at them that way no one’s
Going to give up a good pick for one year of a guy who’s a backup or competing and the one little thing I do believe the Bears on is he they probably had a bunch of like lackluster options and whether he said the Steelers were the choice that he wanted that’s what I
Would suspect him and his agent or that they just said like look this is this is probably the best chance with a good organization and a potential chance to play sooner than later of all the choices including that it’s been reported the Eagles were one of them at
Least you have a pathway here we we’ll send you to the best pathway I guess I’m still a little bit surprised how it all ended up playing out because I just thought he too oh I am too to be clear I I thought while he certainly hasn’t he’d
Still be a member of the Bears if he truly fulfilled his potential there or what they believed he could be but I thought he’s shown enough that there would be a team that would really yeah like that darnal trade the Panthers traded for darn thinking he was a
Depreciated asset that could be a big-time player potentially and nobody saw him that way apparently based on this and that ESPN reporting from Courtney Cronin was an additional the Bears had an additional offer with stronger draft capital from a team with an established starter uh but the team
Uh decided they wanted to put fields in quote a position to continue his development what and what rubs me the wrong way about that type of not the reporting the reporting is fine but the way the spin is like if you really cared about Justin Field’s development you
Could have you know had a much more uh cohesive plan when he was in your building and you saw him as the future and now you’re going to on the way out the door be like oh you know we’re going to make sure we take care of you screwed
Up his development with the way you handled the first three years of his career or four years of his career so I don’t that whole thing that that rubbed me the wrong way but in general I think fields in terms of his future I think
It’s it is a pretty decent spot and I’ll give the Steelers credit I have to say like do I love Russell Wilson or Justin Fields no but if they’re going this route uh in terms of trying to figure out the position they could have done a
Lot worse when you look at what they gave up to get both Wilson or what they paid for Wilson which is nothing what they gave up for fields which is close to nothing and now they’re kind of two lottery tickets and and you see what
Happens I think they did a great job I think Omar in terms of where they were and what they could do they did the best that they could do now they probably don’t have a long-term CH uh quarterback but I think Fields has a better chance than probably anyone else was going to
Be and I think it’s important to remember with Chicago Ryan poles their GM did not draft Justin fields and that’s it’s been mentioned a lot and that’s just how it goes like when you when they messed up his development but it was like Matt naggie to St and a
Different GM to St and ownership all that stuff the Steelers basically gave up nothing to get an upgrade from Kenny picket and Mason Rudolph it’s kind of amazing how little that they had to give up now if Justin Fields balls out and ends up improving that draft pick from the sixth
To the fourth round because he does play more than 51% of his steps by the way I would I would guess he would because I like a coin flip to me I think Justin fields right now is a is a better player than Russell Wilson and I understand why
You told Russell Wilson he’s the starter and Russell Wilson’s already sending out tweets like welcome aboard Justin fields and hopefully that that’s all you know a good relationship you’re going to let those two guys compete they’re so similar though Justin Fields holds the ball a long time isn’t known for reading
The middle of the field that great uh is incredible making plays on his own is one of the better quarterbacks in the leue in terms of his deep accuracy and can spin the ball great like who does that sound like a young Russell Wilson and Russell Wilson’s an old Russell
Wilson I’m not saying Justin Fields is going to reach the level that Russell Wilson at was early in his career he’s obviously behind compared to where Russell Wilson was in his third year but the athleticism is there and I just I don’t know I can’t imagine in a Fair competition
Actually that Justin Fields doesn’t get a chance eventually plus they’re going to want to get a look at him right because they he’s under cont for one more year so um yeah I would think Wilson has to play extremely well well to keep Fields off the field and uh
We’ll see if he can do it I I do have my doubts but in general I give them high grades now we mentioned pickets so why don’t we just talk about them here so the Eagles go and they do business with the Steelers they acquire the former
First round pick in exchange for let’s see the Eagles send the number 98 pick in this year’s draft and a seventh round pick next year and it’s picket and the 120th overall pick uh of this draft 120th overall pick what is that four fifth fourth fourth so it’s only a move
Up of 22 spots and they had to give up a seventh so they didn’t even pick up an extra pick the Ste the Steelers to get rid of pick it so and from there are reports out there and and picket spoke on it today in his introductory press
Conference which is interesting he he spoke for the you know on behalf of his new team or with his new team that he did not take the Russell Wilson move well and kind of shut down some workouts that were playing and basically said get me out of here and maybe Pittsburgh was
Like yeah you got it buddy but in the end I feel like he is a cautionary tale about when we talk about the draft coming up like that draft famously was not loaded with quarterback Talent as I recall yeah it was Desmond Ritter and mik Willis and there really wasn’t a
Winner these three quarterbacks for in the right all those guys and but teams cannot help themselves it seems uh there’s always going to be even in a quote unquote bad quarterback here the teams are like well we’ll be the first one to take a guy it’s later in the
First round but you still end up you still end up turning over like two years of your for franchise to the guy and and the Steelers ultimately set themselves back with a a really middling Prospect in the in the big picture and that’s how he played right I I was never excited
About Kenny Pi a lot of people weren’t people had third fourth run greins out them some but he knew the facility remember that he knew where the bathroom which is why this reporting and and people got upset with the reporting that now it’s been convenient that it comes
Out from like local reporters that he didn’t want to dress as an emergency quarterback last year in week 18 that he felt like it was sort of insulting and there’s a question of whether he was truly healthy or not the Steelers did it did him wrong no matter what because
Matt Canada was his offensive coordinator it’s it’s a really crazy tenure in Pittsburgh if you think about it because Matt Canada was his coordinator then they fire him then if you remember Kenny Piet had the very best game of his career in the game after they fired M Canada and everyone
Was like wow they got rid of Canada P’s great and then pck got hurt the very next game never played for the Pittsburgh Steelers ever again Mason Rudolph comes in looks pretty good they decide not to give pick at the job back uh in week 18 and for the playoffs and
Yet they get rid of Mason Rudolph to anyways at that point it was clear Mike Tomlin and them were were probably just out on Kenny picket and so they did a bad job but I kind of can’t kill them because I’m the guy and I’ve talked
About this with Dave damashek uh on his minus three podcast he’s been killing this my thing is flood the Zone with quarterbacks until you get one just keep taking them keep taking them now the better process would have been take picket in the second or third round he
Was not worth a first round pick but if you don’t have one keep taking him and I think they’re doing a that’s kind of what I meant like don’t just because it’s a back end of the first round and nobody’s been picked yet at that position like I feel like that sometimes
Clouds the thoughts themselves into it it reminds me of JP losman it reminds me of EJ Manuel these like late first round picks at quarterback you know other than I guess Aaron Rogers that was pretty good uh and Lamar Jackson I’m really you know proving myself wrong those were like
Really light picks um but there were other quarterbacks in those draft classes no no I yeah what what I’m trying to say on the Steelers though is they’re kind of doing that flood the Zone thing right now in a great way so uh the Eagles get a backup quarterback
They used to say they wanted to be a quarterback Factory they basically gave up nothing to get a decent uh backup quarterback and Kenny picket so it’s good process for them but I would not if I was the Steelers rule out taking a second or third round quarterback this
Year too I don’t think it’s that crazy this is a good quarterback class next year is supposed to be bad there’s seven eight guys I’m not you’re probably not going to use your first round pick in it but uh there’s some guys that people are pretty intrigued about that could end up
Going in the third round and it reminds me a little bit of when Russell Wilson was drafted that was a three tiered battle I believe it was Whitehurst who was a trade uh acquisition Matt Flynn who was a previous free agent pickup that wasn’t really working out no that
Was Flynn’s first season that was his first season and Russell Wilson and it ended up being the third round pick that worked out and they didn’t think M Russell Wilson was gonna be who he turned out to be or else they would have taken him earlier so I just keep trying
Him you never know you might hit one I’ve said I’ve talked about it on the show before but remember having a conversation on the rooftop of a downtown LA like uh Elementary School and being taken aback by how much Carol was talking up Russell Wilson even
Though we had done all this writing and Reporting about Matt Flynn’s signing with the team uh earlier in the off season it was like go okay um also the Eagles by the way did some business on the defensive side of the ball they signed former Buccaneers linebacker
Devin white to a one-year contract so uh that is a former first round pick white as I recall former second team allpro and worth a flyer there I think people were talk you know talking about him like could he be Super Bowl MVP he had a monster playoff worth a flyer but really
Shows um he’s the type of guy that color announcers were always used to be like oh he’s one of the best linebackers linking he gets the free and nobody wanted they also signed your boy Jake Elliot to a nice big contract kickers making some monies these days
Finally well what is it relative to the cap percentage well you’re right it’s not much there it’s time for kickers to really take a bite into the salary cap that’s what I want not just more money cuz there’s more money being spent what you’re doing $24 million contract extend
Pretty good though that’s that’s the highest now we would actually have to stay on the team that whole time to get the end I’m sure it’s backloaded but the way he’s kicked he’s been as consistent as anyone in the league since he started other than like Justin Tucker he could
Actually get all that money he’s a badass he certainly is also Keenan Allen badass did you know Allen last year he was the one consistent threat on that offense after Austin Eckler went into a a quick Decline and Mike Williams blew out his ACL Keenan Allen with Justin Herbert
Last season just kept chugging along he had 108 catches then gets injured he missed the last almost quarter of the season and he finished with 108 catches for 1,200 yards uh seven or eight touchdowns uh so obviously a premier producer and now he’s on the move because the Chargers is still dealing
With uh cap hell uh send Allen to the Bears uh so he is entering the final year of a four-year extension he signed with the Chargers uh before the start of the 2020 season now the 32-year-old joins a Bears wide receiver group that uh Greggy uh is starting to
Look pretty frisky especially with uh Caleb Williams obviously on his way in it seems and the number nine overall draft pick which is their own draft pick and I don’t think they’re necessarily done this is such a good classic receiver some people have mentioned them because they’ve they still got extra
Picks they just picked up another one I guess it’s in the future for Fields but could they move up for one of these three wide receivers at nine and really complete that group cuz Allen he raises the floor but he’s 32 years old on the last year of his contract whether he’s
There longterm or not we’ll see he said you in the opening press conference look I’m I’m very open to signing longterm here I wouldn’t have come here otherwise I loved what he said about not taking a pay cut I I do want to Circle back to what the Chargers are doing after we
Talk Al with with because they got Bosa and Mack to take a pay cut and he was just like that was the best year of my career I was the best player on the team I’m not taking a pay cut and he is due $23 million this year and the Bears are
Going to pay it to him so it’s like a it’s almost like he’s he’s getting a franchise tag plus from the Bears and he he deserves it right now but I get why the Chargers in such cap Straits were asking him to take a pay cut and I get
Why the Bears are doing this it’s a fun it’s a fun group to me him and DJ Moore are a great tandem because they have similar traits where it’s just going to be very tough for defenses guys that that get open I do think you kind of want one bigger physical maybe vertical
Guy to fill out the group but but it’s a great Tandem and that could happen with that draft pick Let’s see in the Chargers by the way so more more details came out on what they did with back at with Mack and Bosa I just found it interesting those guys took significant
Pay cuts but they really set up the new contracts that they were like are one-year contracts it was really a win-win I give them a lot of credit the player and the team where they really reduce their cap hits they’re going to have some catain next year getting rid
Of them but they’re almost certainly gone after this year but not nearly as much as it would have been this year so they get one more year out of them they convince them to take pretty good pay cuts and so it wasn’t hey we’re going to blow everything up right now let’s let’s
Try to keep you know playing at a high level Allen didn’t want to do it but they convinced those two guys to do it and those two guys are almost certainly going to move on after this year but they get one more year of them yeah I
Like I like the way they handled it so we’ll see uh what happens but if Mike Williams doesn’t come back and he’s visiting with the p Panthers the Jets I believe the Eagles so that move could be Steelers Steelers which is that would be
A frisky one if he went to the Jets or the Steelers makes a lot of sense um if but there’s also been talk that he might the Chargers now they’ve moved Allen might be open to bring him back on a a a more cap friendly deal uh they do have
If that doesn’t happen they got a lot of work to do in terms of building a a an acceptable stable around Justin Herbert but yeah it does feel like a two-year plan here for harau all right let’s uh talk about the Jets who um make a big
Signing uh this weekend they they sign left tackle Tyrant Smith formerly of the Cowboys to a one-year contract it’s a deal that’s worth with incentives up to 20 million which is obviously big time money for a left tackle but he’s got to hit a bunch of incentives he’s got to
Get he’s got to stay healthy which has been part of his story at 33 years old um however Greggy uh for a guy that has consistently graded out uh Pro Football Focus and elsewhere as one of the top Blind Side protectors in the league I
Feel like this was a home run for the Jets to get them on a one-year deal and you just hope and this has not been uh something they’ve been connected to uh with health on their offensive line but if he stays healthy this is a big
Signing for the Jets who have now remade their offensive line ahead of the draft which means that opens up their options in in that uh Avenue yeah it’s huge for them and I think the base salary is only like 6 and a half million which I was
Like Wow Tyron Smith’s only getting he must have been super annoyed about his market for to sign this but M and the reporting is that the Jets were a little surprised that he took the deal in the end because they just thought well we’re going to be out on him and whether he
Was annoyed at the Cowboys and just wanted to move on from them or the Jets were just a better opportunity the Patriots were reportedly may maybe in on this and you Patriots don’t really have a path a great path to being great this year and maybe the Jets structured it in
A way where like they were the only team that was like well you can make 20 million if you actually play and you ball out I think it’s a game-changing move for them it’s a boomer boss move but this is the ultimate Boomer bus season for them so I think it’s great
Nextg stats had him as the number one tackle in the League last year when he was just in one-on-one matchup so it’s just single I’m blocking you he had the third most snaps of any tackle in the league so he’s not getting help it’s like I’m just blocking you no one’s
Helping me and according to them he gave up the fewest amount of pressures per snap of any freaking tackle in the league so he was playing at an elite level I kind of think he is a Hall of Famer he’s not that old but he has had pretty serious back injuries look their
Process hasn’t been great because Joe Douglas said he’s the o line guy and they went into this offseason needing to fill three offensive line starters and like history tells you between Tyron Smith John Simpson and Morgan Moses like one or two of those probably won’t work out that’s what history would tell but
On paper they did about as well as they possibly could have going into this offseason yeah they and here’s the thing I was texting with my Jet fan buddies and and I’ve been saying I’ve I’m pessimistic about this year it just seems there’s too many red flags flapping around this team with Aaron
Rogers even though according to a report now will not be chosen as the VP candidate um of RFK but which is funny because supposedly it was rfk’s donors believing that like he wasn’t a good choice and it’s also like so they chose a billionaire woman instead who can pay
Yeah not to get sidetracked but also all the all the we got to we need to start to realize with this Roger stuff like he loves it like the fact that it was never a real thing it was never going to happen yeah but as long as we’re all
Like our mouths a gape and we’re talking about it that’s what he likes he likes people being either offended or annoyed with him or just talking about him and that is part of the Rogers deal and it’s frustrating but like got what he wanted out of that like about Aon Rogers on TV
Is a lie uh he just might want to be the vice president of the United States I wouldn’t doubt that but I mean in this moment in time I I honestly think it was more about look at me how I’m connected to this powerful figure you know ostensibly powerful figure I think one
Thing that Rogers did not uh and maybe this is something with Andrew in a bit one thing that Aaron Rogers did not uh take into uh account is when you are saying weird stuff allegedly or crazy conspiracy the theory stuff as a football player it might not get picked
Up but once you are all of a sudden connected to a presidential candidate people might care about uh alleged comments about Sandy Hook and maybe he learn something but I don’t know if he learns anything honestly but the Jets offensive line back to that um I think
It’ll be good I was texting with my Jet fan buddies it only has to like once just like one year like these guys got to stay healthy and everything has to work like every other team it happens like once like like once like look at look at
Their team with Rogers and the left tackle now there and and Brie Hall and G Wilson and that defense like we just need one year where things kind of go right I have I can’t remember just once a team on like a now or else year more
Than the 2024 Jets and those usually don’t go well let that be said I’m not in I’m I don’t believe but I’m just thinking to myself oh just Once just once it has to work you’re the most optimistic dead fan I know and I love you for that all right let’s take a break and then we’ll continue the news all right welcome back we welcome back we have more news to hit so let’s spin through it before we
Welcome Andrew marshan to I hosted the show when when when you missed one and we came back with bide I didn’t do it and some of our listeners got on me that they were saying that showed a lack of confidence to not even give it a shot I
Thought it was your IP but now that I’ve heard that note I was like okay I’ll give it a shot next time um I’ll give it no I think your first instinct was right that it’ be cool to check with me um but I’m totally on board with it being more
A uh it’s of the podcast as a whole like no IP I also would like to hear you try it actually try it here hit it and let’s hear greggy’s version of the hor all right welcome back no we’re working show that it’s good it’s good all right last one and I’ll do
It just so you can get it in your head for the next shot we’ll do it one more at the end of the show all right welcome back it’s like a there’s like a descending it’s like a staircase of anticipation let’s get back to the news
Um mares Hollywood Brown got a job and and it’s the be I think it’s the best possible job in sports or at least in the NFL right now wide receiver of the Kansas City Chiefs a one-year contract worth up to 11 million and uh this is
Overdue I thought for C it’s very you know again we talk about all the time teams make a lot of mistakes and free agency handing out too much money to try to upgrade maybe just a little bit but still with the Chiefs at watching them for 4 months even during their Super
Bowl run and you’re like God stop wasting Patrick Mahomes brilliant with all these Hammond eggar do I come out of the first week of free agency feeling like incredibly bullish because uh Hollywood Brown is that guy no not personally but again maybe he clicks with Mahomes and becomes a true star
Which he has there have been moments where he has displayed that but the Ravens thought enough to get rid of him right and and so did uh the second team was with the Cardinals so you know it’s just kind of a bit of a meh for me too
Many drops out of Maris Brown does have a unique skill set in that he gets open deep down the field and there’s only so many of those guys that do it I mean he’s an absolute upgrade from Marquez Valdes ging for for less money so I think they did smart business based on
The cap space that they have the the base salary is only 7 million I haven’t seen what the incentives were but I saw them referred to as relativ easy to to reach like a $4 million incentive so if he if he goes and has a nice season but
Even then 1 million one year 11 million is is nothing for receivers in this market so comparing him to Calvin Ridley yes I’d rather have Calvin Ridley of course but for the money that they were at I don’t think there’s that big of a gap between those two guys I think
They’re they’re nice players and Kansas City still has to get someone in the draft and uh I think they will I’ll throw this out there just and it also buttons up the last topics we um we didn’t touch on it but everyone was pegging the Jets at 10 to take a tackle
And now that they went and got Tyron Smith they can potentially go another Direction they could also trade down what you’re hearing reports that Joe Douglas is looking to trade down like I would love again as a football fan Chiefs come up and get a monster wide
Receiver Prospect and let’s see if you could build another Tyreek Hill type connection with Patrick Mahomes I I’m hoping I guess what I’m saying is that they have a big move ahead of them still that hasn’t occurred yet because then you got Rashid rice Hollywood Brown
Kelsey in the latter stage of his career they see to me there’s still that one piece missing to get that offense back where it needs or should be and we’ll see if they get it done Brown is a good two3 rice is going to be I think a good
Two in the long run but yeah they need one to kind of push those two guys down this this class and you never know but man these classes have been so good at receiver lately is so deep that you know the the draft Knicks the Jeremiah would
Say they might not even need to move up really to take a pretty exciting prospect there late in the first week you know my feeling on Jeremiah and his takes who cares about Jeremiah all right the bills agreed to terms with wide receiver Curtis Samuel your guy you like you like yourself some
Curtis Samuel formerly of the commanders on a three-year $24 million contract again a lot of funny money here it’s worth up to 30 Mill million but anyway I like this one Greg I’m kind of with you I think Curtis Samuel in the right setup uh can really be a dangerous player man
The right setup was with Josh Allen and buffalo I like this one no doubt he’s only 27 years old somehow feels like he’s been in the league forever I don’t know how that really computes I guess he turns 28 he must have been in the league
When he was 19 that’s insane uh they will know how to use him Joe Brady though actually gets a little too cute sometimes but I can imagine a lot of getting too cute with Dalton concade and James Cook and we’ll see there hasn’t been any Buzz whatsoever about getting
Rid of Stefan digs I think that would be more on draft weekend if that ever would happen but the fact that it’s been so quiet and now you have Diggs Shakir Samuel that’s a versatile group it’s not it’s not incredible but it’s it’s good enough to go win all right in other news
The Los Angeles Rams doing more business they add a backup quarterback to their room Jimmy garoo uh you may have heard of Jimmy G you may know that guy uh he now lands as an first time well I’m trying to think actually shouldn’t say that because obviously he was famously
Entrenched as a backup early on but is this the first contract he has signed now oh yeah where he is the backup I mean for a minute he was the highest paid quarterback in the league with San Francisco ridiculous um yeah they they bet on him big and he had that early
Stretch and then the Raiders and yeah what a de decline in terms of his like the types of contracts he was getting from this year to last year so he he lands now behind Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles a nice it feels like Jimmy G just hanging out in La like in Malibu
That feels like it makes sense it makes sense but it’s a uh a deal a one-year contract which is a you know very different from the three-year $73 million deal he signed last off season and then played only seven games and then the Raiders got the hell out of
That deal uh so he lands there as they’re backup they also make a sign a signing we’re going to get to the Rams defense which is now going to be very different because of one uh Missing defensive lineman but they assigned safety Cameron curl formerly of Washington to a two-year contract uh
Former seventh round pick uh who did some uh good things with Washington right rare quite highly ranked in in my top 101 and uh other top one you know hundreds in terms of free agents top 50 type player one of the better safties that was available kind of calms down a
Trouble spot I believe for them it’s interesting seen that they’ve now become the Rams like the home for Wayward quarterbacks you get you get Baker in 2022 Carson Wentz uh quietly started a game or did he just come in but he played most of that week 18 game that no
One no one watched he was actually okay in that game he hasn’t gotten a job yet and now you get Jimmy G it’s uh there’s something about sta Stafford and Jimmy G there’s a lot it’s the it’s again pretty pick privilege right that these these wonderin they they believe they could
Fix what was wrong with these this case it’s almost like pretty McVey privilege that everyone wants to go play for him at a discount when their career kind of at a a talented player is at a Crossroads because McVey can make you go uh look good so it’s a smart move by
Jimmy G for some reason Jimmy G feels like a guy I’m not taking a shot here but like you know you hear sometimes like well he maybe wouldn’t mind being a backup for a little while he’s had like a lot going on a lot of injuries yeah
But you say that if he wasn’t so like smoking hot right but like if he was a busted up dude that’s probably not your take here he was at the center of a power struggle Colleen that helped divide the greatest Dynasty in the history of the
Sport after that he was like the highest paid player did you say his role in that was he was at the center of a had nothing to do with it he just got drafted by that team but he was there and Robert Craft had it had one opinion
Bill bich I think would have moved forward with Jimmy G sooner and then it became this whole thing I want know how you’re going to tie this to your take go ahead I just mean that he’s been through a lot then he goes to San Francisco massive injuries huge UPS hu huge Downs
Let Downs in the playoffs gets bench for a seventh rounder in the end it makes a huge kind the Raiders things are F it’s like hey let’s just go as you said hang out in Mal maybe let’s chill a little bit for a nice organization let’s take a
Little reset I guess maybe we’re kind of in this we’re Landing in the repl but I don’t get the vibe that like he doesn’t really want it I feel like you’re insinuating that like he he’s just that it’s a good time he also had surgery on
His foot it’s a lot a lot of injury just been through a lot and um has famously gone on some big time dates in La Mr Chow that’s a crazy one that’s one of the craziest stories in the last 10 years no longer with us M the restaurant
In was date I was like no I think she’s they die young sometimes like wrestlers very similar uh the Vikings make a big move in the draft they uh agree with the Texans on a trade that Nets Minnesota an additional first round pick in the 2024
Draft rap sheet and peliso had this on Friday in the deal the Vikings acquir the number 23 overall pick in the first round and number 232 in the seventh the Texans get uh the number 42 pick in the second round number 88 18 188 pick in the sixth round and an additional second
Round pick in 20 25 so the Texans and everybody loves team Builders love second round picks never forget that they love it they love the financial flexibility they bring they trust their internal process to find a guy that’s really a first rounder in their mind in the second round so the
Texans like we’ll move a little bit back we’ll get some extra assets after day one and the now the Minnesota Vikings and I don’t love this Greg you know I love my my uh storyline here about darnold getting a chance a true chance to be a starter this year but now that
They are armed with two first round picks they have the ammunition to move up to the top of the first round let’s see if Minnesota does it yeah I think it was quesy who or or maybe it was Kevin okano who even admitted look we made
This deal with kind of an idea of what our ideal path here is we’ll see if we can execute it or whether it’ll happen or not but either way we’re happy to have this pick it’s very clear the entire NFL knows they’re making this pick to have a chance to go take a
Quarterback to to go package that 11th and maybe 23rd pick or or just be in a position where they can take that quarterback you’re going to have to move up the there’s going to be a lot of speculation whether the Patriots move out of three or not a lot of people
Believe they’re going to stay put and take a quarterback there and then it would be on Minnesota to trade up and draft the fourth quarterback who everyone presumes is JJ McCarthy MH Intrigue but it’s a lot of presumption I don’t know a lot of times these like
Logic uh I I went back and and listen to one of our like a lot of times the no one knows what’s gonna like no one knew they were trading up for trabis no one knew they were take you know taking Blake bordos like literally no one said
Any of that stuff so who knows maybe maybe Minnesota has a different idea maybe New England has a different idea but it it’s spicy cuz the according to the little pick chart the Texans won this trade pretty significantly I mean it is a good deal business for them in
What’s believed to be the deepest draft in a long time to just move down 18 spots and you get a whole second round pick for next year that’s a nice job by by the Texans I mean the Tex I mean I’m pushing hard and I know there’s millions
Of listeners that want this as well the Vikings to run it back as team of around the NFL but man the Texans Futures seemingly suddenly so bright both in the and you would point out maybe last year was their chance you know for the Texans
When they were really like a fresh new B Young option oo new bile young option yeah well that ship sailed un it would be fun though I’m I’m in on it it would be still be fun um 8 o’ Delight curse of ATN Leon vanderash retires after getting cut by the Cowboys
Michael Gallop both gallop gregy and vanderesh guests on around the NFL live from Cowboys camp last summer yeah vanderash neck injuries we always remember what a player he was early in his career one of Chris Wesley’s favorites uh all the best to him because he would have had a much different
Career if not for these neck injuries uh unfortunate he has to and how about gallup’s knee injury he was really on a great path and and now he has to start over somewhere else Patriots signed wide receiver KJ Osborne the Browns hire Mike Vel as a consultant and sign another
Quarterback Tyler Huntley DeAndre Campbell signs with the ners Jordan Fuller DJ wanam and Dane Jackson end up with Carolina what a weird quarterback room for the Browns they got a lot of quarterbacks just makes you wonder they do the four horsemen AJ Dylan returns to the Packers interesting Joe Mixon gets a
Big new contract with the Texans Titans cut free agent bust Andre Dillard Steelers signed van Jefferson I love that they are moving on quickly uh when the Titans make a mistake in Andre Dillard and I love that combo AJ Dylan and Josh Jake was a frisky big old combo in the backfield
Cardinal signed Jonah Williams to 30 million 2-year deal Jake Elliot we mentioned gets a new deal Seahawks signed linebacker Jerome Baker and Nathan Peterman lands with the Saints what are the Saints doing let’s take a break and then welcome in our first guest realistically need at least 25
Yards love pressure up the middle runs away throws across his body and that is picked for out’s haveit green law still up he needs to get down Green law still on his feet he’s got to go down just go down and the game over San Francisco takes
Over well it’s kind of fitting Jordan love told us this week he goes listen there’s some throws I’ve made that I know break kind of the Cardinal rules of quarterback and the one at the top of the list is you never throw the ball late back across the field M there’s the
Call from Kevin burkart and Greg Olsson who you know really quick rise in the industry in terms of being seen as maybe the best or if not in the conversation in terms of broadcast teams and yet their time as the top of the food chain with Fox could be over with the arrival
Of Tom Brady and that’s why it’s time to talk to this is our dude this is the guy that uh you want to go to on All matters Sports media perhaps Beyond we haven’t had personal conversations about life and and things of that nature yet but
Maybe down the road that occurs as well Andrew Maran formerly of the New York Post now with the Athletics senior writer covering Sports media welcome back to around the NFL Andrew yeah thanks guys um thanks for having me um yeah so we just played that uh clip I
Think this is where we got to start gregy because I think everyone wants to know what’s going to happen Andrew with the with Tom Brady signs this massive deal with Fox it’s been a we’ve talked about it on the show there’s been some doubts is he ever actually going to do
It I’m I’m going to lose a sandwich on this yeah we have a sandwich prop on this I said he’s going to do it look at the money and he’s taking the year off to prepare and all that and now here we are heading into that season what
Happens with Greg Olen who’s obviously emerged as a superstar in this field who’s under contract if I’m not mistaken yeah Greg Olsen will move to the number two Booth with Joe Davis the ways contract was structured when he’s number one he’s making around 10 million at number two he’ll make around 3 million
Brady comes in his salary also reported $ 37 a half million season crazy yeah it’s it’s livable uh and so he he’s been working hard talking to a lot of people everyone I speak to every time I SP speak to you know a Joe Buck or Mike too whoever is like oh yeah
Brady talk so he’s talking to everybody called Payton up um and so he’s trying to uh to figure out how to do this and we all know Tom Brady so uh the expectation he’s he is working hard which I’ve already heard um and he’s going to work hard and try to be really
Good at this I’m I’m I guess I don’t know why I’m surprised by this I I shouldn’t be he’s he’s got the time he must love that there’s some doubt about like whether he’s going to be good but I just figured a year away from the game
Is it normal for a guy to be preparing this much I guess no one’s ever had an opportunity like this but no one’s ever been paid like this either I mean he is he has a bigger cap hit than almost any player in the NFL I mean he is making
More money to broadcast than every player in the NFL minus like nine quarterbacks and that’s about it like he it is crazy to me was there any doubt like through this process from the fox side of things that he would follow through with this and like what what is
Do it entail that he’s working on it is this just kind of like smoke to make people quiet down if fox has had no doubt that he’s going to do it it’s uh other voices that have thought that you know what this is a hedge and let me
Just say one thing and I think he’s gonna do it I want to be clear um on the podcast I used to do with John Oran we had the Brady meter where I give percentages of him doing it and uh it was always above 50% except for one
Episode where I went to 49 I think when the Raider ownership came about um that caused a lot of waves and Brady even ended up responding I read a whatever anyways we responded to to you directly well what happened is I don’t like to go on these podcasts and blame
And blame aggregators but the aggregators got it it was just an opinion it was fun it wasn’t really a serious thing and then um the aggregators got it and it was like I was reporting it which I wasn’t uh and then Brady responded to an SI tweet um and so
Any long story short then I had to write a column it was just a pain the whole thing I wish I’d never said it yeah I love that you know so so the answer question though the thing I would say is that if he doesn’t do it he’s not gonna
He’s he’ll say no at the end right like he’s gonna go through the process and let’s just say behind the scenes when he’s practicing he doesn’t think he’s good he’s going to embarrass himself I don’t think that’s going to happen I think he’s going to do it let it say
That’s the case or something else comes up I I I don’t think like I wouldn’t I wouldn’t start saying saving up for that sandwich you owe whoever you owe um just yet um I would wait because I think um you know if he if he does bow out it’s
Gonna be he’s gonna he’s gonna show his intentions that he’s that he wants to do it until he does it so I still I’m more like the Brady meter now is in the high 90s um but still not at 100 hasn’t hit 100 be hit 100 that day that he does it
Inter but I think it’ll be pretty good um not to conflate two sectors and two things you’ve recently reported on but you also did that deep dive and again now at the athletic oh yeah Andrew you know he gets to really spread out and write little deeper pieces I feel like
We reading the nepotism piece uh and it made me think I was reading about you know Jack Collinsworth and and how they installed him on the Notre Dame games and after a couple years they’re like woo woof I don’t know about this so they had to Pivot of course son of uh Chris
Collinsworth what with this situation like in terms of risk uh for Fox because let’s say Tom does it let’s say Tom stinks cuz it happens we know what happens there’s the there’s a long history of Superstar legendary players uh it’s like we’re talking about pretty pick privilege it’s like pretty Legend
Privilege here like you go right to this number one spot what if he stinks do they end up in a spot potentially where Brady’s not doing well either removes himself from the equation or they have to make a move and then olsson’s out the door because the way they handle it like
How big a risk are we talking here for Vox could they lose everything well number one TV contracts are not like NFL contracts so it would have to be Brady’s decision they you know Fox is not going to go eat um you know 37 and a
Half million dollar a year for 10 years years work with him yeah it’s 10 years oh my god um so Brady would have to feel like you know what I don’t want to do this um I think for for them for him not to be it it’s like it’s all in like and
That’s why when he signed the contract that’s why why there are so many people saying it’s a hedge because you know he did it because they kept offering more and more money and then it got to a point where he said you know what let me
Try this um and I’m not saying he’s not into it now but this isn’t some love of being a game analyst that he has I mean that’s hard to believe he did a story a couple years ago with the Wall Street journals Jason gay where he was asked
About the broadcast booth and basically said he had no interest and so the money got so high so it’s not going to be Fox pulling the plug it would have to be Brady saying I don’t want to do it um and so look I think he’ll be good but
If your doomsday scenario yeah I mean I listen I always read for the best stories that would be interesting let’s just put that that’ be fascinating if you were not good but still wanted to do it um that would be an interesting story to see how that played out yeah I look
At it like through the podcast lens too he’s done a podcast with Jim Gray the let’s go podcast but it’s like he’s just sort of kind of doing it you know he’s on vacation he’s not putting is all into it it’s like Jim Gray just asking him
Questions like they were on the radio or so so it’s like he’s not trying to make the best podcast possible he’s just like dipping his toe into it and every once in a while he says something interesting and that gets picked up or whatever but it’s not like an overly successful podcast largely
Because he doesn’t put that much into it and so people will catch on if that happens at the NFL you know at the fox level but the thing that’s crazy to me is the Greg Olsen part of it is that Tom Brady is now drew bledo our friend
Tom Curran used to call Drew bledo in his contract the hood ornament because they signed him to this huge hundred million contract and said look we’re a good organization we we have the highest paid quarterback in the league and Drew bledo immediately started declining they call him the hood ornament and every
Belich knew he kind of couldn’t play and Tom Brady is now the hood ornament and if if he doesn’t deliver on a level that’s even somewhat close to Greg Olsen at Le I don’t know if he cares about people like but it’s going to be in you
Know the athletic and other places like that that like he is inferior to the guy who’s number two and is making what uh one 12th of his money and that’s going to get back to him like he’s got to be a little concerned that like this guy
Who’s already proven he’s great at it is in his same building what do you think that the dynamic’s going to be when they show up to like the fox you know let’s take pictures and all pretend like we’re laughing and throw a football between each other sessions
Well I think a couple of things number one you know the way these guys are judged is subjective you know when you’re a quarterback either your team wins or loses you throw for 300 yards you don’t throw for 300 yards and so it’s a little bit more cut and dry um I
Think the what you’re pointing out is if Brady’s like really bad like if he’s there’s GNA be people who don’t like Tom Brady just because they don’t like Tom Brady no matter what he does they won’t like him but I do think you can win over
The audience and the one thing about it calling a football game maybe it’s one of the hardest things to do in sports casting um you know doing a podcast um you know is not the same thing um you know it’s it’s controlled environment you’re just talking to another person
Like you said and in the setup that Tom has you know Jim Gray is really the one orchestrating everything and doing kind of the hard work uh to to Pilot everything and you know Kevin Burkhart will do that in the fox Booth but just knowing how to get in and out how to
Translate obviously he high level thoughts about football but can you say that so you know I can understand so the average fan can understand and simplify it you know that’s a question that until you do it you don’t know um and it has to be natural like Romo’s success at the
Beginning um was because he did come off as very natural very relaxed and like he he was just talking to you in your living room as opposed to being like you know trying to be a broadcaster trying to be somebody else I I I agree with you
And yet I remember when Olsson did it at as an active player and he was good like the first game and a lot of times like when we hear like a Jason Whitten or someone that’s not good the first game the first you know you can kind of tell
Right away sometimes and it never change like olssen was good I I know he’s gotten better but he was good the first game I want to know what your olssen meter is though like what’s the chances he’s not at Fox to start the year and I guess what would be the other options
Cuz I can’t I can’t imagine he’s too excited to be taking that big of a I know he’s made a of money in his life and everything but like he he’s he’s competitive as hell but imagine imagine the place where he must be because you’re you having this great success
Everyone loves you now it’s like $7 million haircut and uh now you’re no longer the a guy it has to be really tricky Mor morale wise for him right now it is I think he’ll be at Fox he’ll do the number two games uh and then I think he’ll re-evaluate everything and see
What’s up there I would say though I don’t really feel that bad for Greg Olsen um I you know look at him as he’s in a great spot he’s 36 37 years old and these jobs are now paying 37 half million or $18 million right here Rose
The door the the ceiling here for guys exactly and there’s only a small group of people who are going to be offered these jobs and they’re mostly Hall of Fame quarterbacks or legendary quarterbacks I mean they try to get paon for you know the salary structure you
Know partly you know the biggest reason was ESPN couldn’t get money in football correct um but that was in part because Payton kept saying no he said no no no no um and so and then Romo had the you know free agency where he had ESPN and
CVS both wanting him and the NFL contracts with the networks were up um and so that’s why they got to that level but there’s just a small group that’s in there for these jobs and they don’t open that often because they’re they’re great jobs and they pay so well but Greg Olsen
Will get the opportunity to be a number one I I I think I don’t know where exactly I have some ideas I’m not going to say it on your podcast no offense um I’m going save those but um I I think there’s only so many what do you think
About you think Amazon is bringing back the same group this year they are what’s that meter they are okay he’s saving his March bombs for no I get it but that’s a separate issue so I was just curious if they respect March bombs if they would
Think about shaking it up whether it was herb Street or Al I don’t know um let’s finish here CU you mentioned Romo always a subject of Fascination I loved Andrew going out the door at the post after a huge run there with Tony Romo I know you didn’t
Write the headline but Tony Romo and Jim Nance are a mess with Super Bowl 2024 barreling toward them what a headline um what did you think about the Super Bowl performance by the pair and what what is their future in your mind where do you kind of see their you know is
That a pair that’s going to stay together will they be broken up do you think your feelings which are strong and and on their struggles in recent years you think that’s shared inside the building a year after you know some of the criticism really started to build
And the the reported come to Jesus conversation that was held after the previous year so yeah my post uh Super Bowl column for the athletic I think their headline was a little uh maybe little softer but it was pretty strong column uh you know they kind of messed up that
Final call especially you know Nance call the touchdown and then for whatever reason you know didn’t wasn’t able to finish the call because Tony was going in about the Andy Reed play and he always like loves to say this is the play of the game this is that’s the play
Of the game your this is your chance to actually say that that won the Super Bowl that’s what it should be and better he probably should have let silence happen let the crowd take it over and then give your analysis a little bit after so they struggled in that Super
Bowl I think there is an issue in terms of that chemistry between the two of them I think that showed up in terms of you know the fundamentals that you have in a broadcast especially they’ve been together I think six years now um five five or six years um they should be they
Should know they should have it down when you’re a team you guys know you guys have done a podcast together you know when you’re going in and out and you know the Super Bowl is not where you want to mess up especially that final
Call um and so yeah I do think they have an issue um do they know it um I think at some level that they know that there’s there’s problems there um will they do anything about it maybe um you know at some point but you know not at
The moment all right Andrew Maran check him out on the athletic now his latest by the way is a banger uh about LeBron James and JJ reck teaming up for uh a podcast that’s sco all about ball all about ball and it has one of the best
Quotes this is what we need Greg yeah we need someone one that vouches for us the way Maverick Carter listen to this quote that Andrew we need inside sources with our next negoti this is what he says about reic and LeBron this is like two wine Masters Somali talking about wine
Not necessarily you or me arguing if I like burgundy or Bordeaux better whoa that is amazing to be called a Somalia uh and you got that quote and that’s what we need we need support like that that’s what we need I can do I got I got to do a call about it
What would be like the like the analogy that somebody might use for you guys oh man I don’t know you know that that we’re setting each other up like Shaq and Kobe or something something like that great Shaq and Kobe feels strong it’s like Briant Big Country Reeves and
Uh whoever else was on the Vancouver Griz in 1995 um all right thank you very much Andrew uh you’re the best say hi to your brother for us uh listen of the show and uh I actually didn’t even tell him that going to be on just great excellent all right Andrew marshan
Thank you for everything thanks Andrew thank you there he goes yeah I mean jeez we need a Maverick Carter that’s that’s kind of my the big takeaway well uh but in terms of uh of what we just heard from Andrew I hadn’t heard that I don’t know if that was out there I’m
Sure it was but that ol in addition to taking that step down to the number two team is losing 7 million a year but the good job also by Andrew adding the necessary uh take a step back that he’s Olsson has set up so well in the long
Term that even if this is a little bit of a slice of Humble Pie first of all everyone knows it’s not his fault it’s just the circumstances of the situation and whether it’s fox or someone else he is now putting enough on tape where he
Is going to be taken care of down the line there I mean there’s only so many someone else’s so it’s you know CBS or Amazon and you know Andrew isn’t going to want to do a Marsh Marsh bomb on our show and maybe we can get to that point
He say yeah there’s no chance um or he just said you know Amazon’s bringing back the same too which I have no reason to doubt I believe though it was reported that that was initially a three-year contract for those two guys so this might be their final year feels
Like they would want to shake that man he could do for even just keep Allen you do better than I have an idea as we go to break better than herb Street Eric Roberts for the um you know how every episode you guys write like a little
Recap underneath the headline yeah of or the title of the podcast just do this you know it’s it’s Dan and Greg on today’s show and then write this is like two wine Masters Somali talking about wine not necessarily you or me arguing if I like burgundy or Bordeaux better
That’s all that’s all it is that’s it that’s it okay and just see where the metrics go on it I think it’ll have a massive impact all right let’s take a break and then uh welcome in another guest a nice guest heavy show today less than a yard to gain on fourth
Down with 43 seconds remaining Rams creepy they Rush forward burrow to throw for it he’s hit he’s sacked he throws it away he flings it away on fourth down Aaron Donald got there Donald takes his helmet off in celebration he flips burrow to the turf and forces the incompletion on fourth
And one he signals to his ring finger on his left hand and you can build that man’s statue out Sofi Stadium right now the greatest of all time on defense does it in the biggest moment of Super Bowl 56 a brilliant call from JB long the
Voice of the Los Angeles Rams uh the Super Bowl winning take down a burrow uh that led to Los Angeles’s close narrow wi over the Bengals a couple years back and now Aaron Donald is done with football he announced his retirement Friday after 10 absolutely dominant
Seasons so why don’t we welcome in the great voice of the Rams JB long friend of the show uh who called every game of rams uh of Donald’s LA Rams career and now Los Angeles moves into an uncertain place without their stud uh JB welcome back to her on the
NFL Dan and Greg it’s great to see you both thank you for the invitation you know how much I love to talk about Aaron Donald and he’s done so much for me including getting a couple appearances on around the NFL so I’m thankful for ring and I’m thankful for that honor
What was it like um you know you this is a guy and just to put it into context there’s been maybe no other player in the history of the sport that was as consistently dominating as Donald you know maybe Barry Sanders and it’s fitting because they both kind of
Retired after 10 years years at the top of their league from the time they entered to the time they exit three time defensive player of the year eight time first team all proo 10 time Pro Bowl selection every year of his career former Defensive Rookie of the Year when
He started in St Louis what was it like watching this guy and essentially covering them on a day-by-day weekly basis uh did how quickly did you realize you’re watching an all-timer immediately I mean it was a privilege it was an honor I remember my first training camp many of others have
Shared this anecdote but it’s tough to practice when a Aaron’s on the field uh often times when sha McVey was calling plays even against his own defense he would wait to take a shot until Aaron subbed out for just that one rep because otherwise the play wouldn’t get off
Whether they were in pads or not um but yeah it was watching a living legend um the play that you just talked about to me was like the culmination was his Mountaintop the fact that he got hands on Jimmy Garoppolo and the NFC championship game as well to essentially
Have walk-off hits in backto back games at SOI Stadium the biggest in Rams history you know I know you guys around the NFL are very careful and draw strict boundaries When comparing sports but like what is the equivalent what is the equivalent of that like sure but like to me it’s almost
More like especially for a defensive player can you imagine robbing a home run in game seven of the NLCS and then coming back and doing it again in the world series for a s last out like so much of that 21 year orbited around Aaron so much of what the Rams have done
During my tenure have been driven by maximizing the prime of the greatest defensive player that I’ve ever seen walk the planet whether it’s trading those picks like what has flip those picks you know to use a euphemism really mean in the context of the Rams it’s about using every resource that you have
To get the most out of Aaron Donald’s Prime because whether they were a four or a five win team which they have been during my tenure were a championship winning team every game that Aaron played you felt like you had a chance to win he was that influential a defensive
Force he he’s the greatest defensive player I believe I’ve ever seen I think the only other person that would be in the mix would be JJ Watt who at his very Peak which was also during the show and he he he’s the guy along with Aaron Donald and
Lawrence Taylor who have the only ones that have won three defensive player this uh depend the player of the years at his very Peak JJ Watt was at such a high level I have a hard time putting any in front of them but you could you could make your argument for darnold
That’re they’re certainly right there in the same area at their their very Peak it’s just different positions but did you say darnold I agree I did Donald my bad but JJ what like that’s why Donald when you’re trying to compare him to other people the only other person that
Comes up to me is actually Jim Brown because he played nine seasons and that’s the only other person I can think of that from the minute he entered the league to the minute he left essentially he was at the very very top of what he did which is that’s what Aaron Donald
Did too eight as you mentioned eight First Team all Pros he he could have been first team but he he ended that 20 uh 22 season a little early he he could have maybe gotten at his rookie year too it’s just like people didn’t know Aaron
Donald and he did come back that second year next level but unlike those guys you’re right like who combines all of that with having that moment it’s so rare in sports to have the greatest player in the sport at what he does have like what what is a walk it’s
Literally unprecedented in football history there is no one that’s actually checked off all those sort of boxes exactly in the same way that Aaron Donald did and he’s such a humble guy and quiet guy that I I think he probably got less attention because of that and
The position that that he plays he got a little less attention uh because of that cuz it it takes ball knowers like you JB to to recognize it you wrote about him on on the Rams website this uh week and I thought it was you really talked about
How glad you were he came back for these last two years so I did want to ask you about that what these last two years were like after he openly considered retiring and he’s passing up what $30 million this year to retire and then also you didn’t seem as surprised I
Don’t think about this decision as uh most people on the outside so I guess just I I’m curious about how this retirement came into you know view this off season too well I’m sure you both remember the conversation that was being had in and around the Super Bowl and
Certainly after the Rams W leading up to the parade about you know whether or not he would be back whether he would just go out on top of the world quite literally uh in professional football and I had the distinct honor of Hosting that Championship parade um outside the
LA Memorial Coliseum and I was there with with the kids we got the pictures we were there great Rams Fans that you are maybe you can Echo back to me your sensation when you heard that he was willing to run it back and just to kind
Of go behind the curve curtain a little bit as a team employee I was instructed not to go down the pathway of Aaron’s future when he took his turn at the mic understandably so because that was an unresolved issue but as I’m standing between him and Shawn McVey Sean’s kind
Of jabbing me in the ribs daring me to go ahead and ask if he’s willing to run it back and so talk about being between a rock and a hard place I had to split-second decision and I really appreciate the grace with which Aaron handled that but it started a two-year
Clock I didn’t know that I was going to run for two years but it started the preparation process of this is not going to last forever and run it back did not go well as you know the Rams fell to the depths of 5 and 12 and Aaron missed
Games in that 2022 season because of injury for the first time in his career and that prepared me mentally emotionally for what life was going to be like after Aaron Donald and we always knew it was going to be a challenge because he spoiled us but whether it was
Like Baker Mayfield beating the Raiders on Thursday night football at Sofi Stadium or some of the other uplifting moments it was a good preview that the future is possible and then I’m especially glad for this past season when he welcomed a group of 14 drafted rookies including Kobe
Turner and pass the Baton in a way I I think this past season goes down as one of the most enjoyable for Rams Fans outside of their Championship Seasons because they overachieved and because you can see now the path into the future and that includes for their head coach
Sha McVey who spoken openly about how the greatest defensive a player of all time has helped him course correct and and start this second book of his I assume Hall of Fame career eventually just like Aaron do you think internally uh you know like you said a really fun
Season for the Rams they they nearly knock off the Lions and the playoffs and that great uh wild card game do you think the Rams have been preparing for this really since that game ended or was there any internal hope or belief that he would be back how much of a surprise
Was it in the building I don’t think it was a surprise and even going back to like three and six at the buy I think some of the moves they made even as subtle as signing Carson Wentz um to make sure that there was a backup to Matthew Stafford down the stretch run
Even hinted at the fact that we don’t know if we’re going to get another crack at this with Aaron Donald in his prime or ever and so while the NFC is wide open while we do think there is a path to a playoff spot slim though the odds
May be let’s make sure we’re doing everything we can to get him in the dance one more time because at the end of the last regular season I think on the show you guys said as much they were the team that no one wanted to play now
Detroit got to play them and Jared had his moment and they handled that and good on them for knocking the Rams out of the postseason but who among us would have been surprised if led by Aaron and Matthew and huk Anda they had made another run to an NFC Championship or
Maybe Beyond I think all of those thoughts have been in the back of rams executive Minds for many many years because the window is always closing in the National Football League especially when you have someone Beyond 30 years old yeah I I’ve been reading a little bit and it’s fascinating they’ve had to
Prepare uh reading I just mean on the Donald contract and we don’t need to get too deep into that but it is interesting that they structured this restructure in a way that kind of showed maybe they knew this retirement could have been coming but also you know leaves the door open just
A little bit if he changes his mind at some point in the future cuz look he he already changed his mind once you just never know and they would want to leave room for that to happen they they’ve got a lot to do uh to replace him they
Certainly got off to a great start with that last year with Kobe Turner and what they were going to do uh like what do you think they’re they’re going to do next do you think they’re going to take some big swings maybe this offseason having with this having uh happen
They’ve been a little quieter but I think making smart moves and and certainly spending money at the guard position and everything than I expected this offseason well Greg let me start by stating the obvious which you both know as well as anyone there is no such thing
As replacing AR Donald offseason or ever so that’s your starting point um but bracing for that impact can you do certain things to try and absorb the loss just this gaping cavity that you have in the middle of your defensive line yeah sure I mean I think Kobe
Turner having a border line Defensive Rookie of the Year season helps but for so many years we’ve seen so many defensive players benefit from the Aaron Donald bump right whether it’s you know Von Miller at the end of that season Leonard Floyd Dante Fowler like even players in the secondary have really
Benefited from he helped get people paid he gets people paid that’s right he pushed the market for defensive tackles into the 20 million per dollar range and then the $30 million per range like you know I I’ve said that he’s both a driving force behind the way that
Current NFL offensive football is played and then the perfect antidote to that right when you talk about quick game and efficiency and getting the ball out of your hands interior pressure that he created the way that he punctured Pockets faster than anyone else um it’s Irreplaceable but that doesn’t mean that
You can’t win games and if you’ve seen the Rams you know subtly invest in their offensive line for a couple of years now to try and Build That Wall especially guard to guard in front of Matthew Stafford so that he can step up in the pocket take that extra hitch and and go
Through his full field reads um or making sure that Demarcus Robinson is back you know all these things that whether or not you have to improve on offense and or special teams to compensate for what you’re losing inevitably on defense um I think those things all go hand inand but I don’t
Think anyone was caught flat-footed within the Rams organization that this offseason Aaron could do something like this I uh want to Pat myself on the back right now I mean that’s what I love to portion of the show already it is and I only know this um because one of our
Listeners said sent me this tweet earlier this offseason not not related to Aaron Donald’s retirement they had been going through uh the old uh archives of all the shows we did we did the Aaron Donald draft uh of course we were already doing our show then Dan and
Mark were in New York uh for the Johnny Manzel draft Chris and I were back here with Kevin C Patrick coming at you in the studio with us um and here uh was was my reaction when we did a little segment on uh favorite I’m going to give uh my favorite pick uh
Of the rounds to uh the St Louis Rams even though I wanted them to take a quarterback cuz I just think they’re sticking with Sam Bradford too long ultimately you have to like the team they’re putting together uh with Aaron Donald on that defensive line Donald Michael Brockers Robert Quinn and uh
Chris long is the most insane pass rushed defensive line in the league right now there we go I’m sorry you had to be here for that baby but that’s just part of the show and some of the mechanics of how the sausage I I enjoyed listening to this so much because there
Was a then there was a huge debate we were really fired up back and forth kind of killing the ram a lot of us uh were killing the Rams for not taking Johnny Manzel but I did like Mark had a a fun statement too about the drafting of air
There have been 22 men in NFL draft history that have been drafted with a combination of two first names in their name Aaron Donald being one of them none of them have lasted more than than three years making things up just making things up well noan Ryan had a pretty
Good career in in Major League Baseball well that’s sport that does not move the needle on this podcast Markus officially put me to sleep I just put a hex on the Rams they are doomed to go seven and nine every single year for the rest of
Eternity oh man well Wes often was right and not in that case and I could tell you they had some more 799 I think they know though at that point JB I remember being in that hotel room with Mark in New York City with I think it was a 12
Of amstell light just doing that podcast Greg the boss across the country you know unaware that we were em bibing at the time well I know Dan that you and Mark have really cornered the market when it comes to free agency that you’ve become the foremost authorities and Greg
Has tried to dip his toe into those Waters but he’s really for his Niche and so it’s a good call back that he’s always been kind of the draft Nick on the show and that’s where he should give his W’s he give him his W’s where he can
Get him what a what a player though I mean uh just insane just insane to see him change games the way that he did from really a second year he was great his first year but I I even found some tweets back from his first game of
Second year where I I tweeted but a lot of people it’s like holy cow Aaron Donald is suddenly like the best player in the league right now and then just to stay that way from from there through all these playoff runs uh a legend legend we got to see here in
L did you ever hear anyone say a bad thing about him I didn’t no I I am kind of curious but it seems like there’s never any like stories about what he’s like behind the scenes other than like he’s just like a a nice guy I feel like
All I ever heard was like he he has that dog in him he’s an intense guy like what what was it like kind of dealing with him in a one one onone capacity uh professional respects um you could feel the presence of greatness when you walk past him in the hallway
And if you saw him smile I mean the guy lights up a room and there’s so much for him Beyond football that I can understand why he kept it to a decade um but also given what you said would I be shocked if if we see him again in horns
Maybe it’s just naive on my part or or hopeful ignorance but I would love to see that happen um but yeah he he was one of a kind you know ad99 forever he’s one of one and um I’m just so thankful for how easy he made my job because it
It always gave you the opportunity to ask his peers what’s it like to work with this guy right like as someone who asked questions and interviews players and coaches for a living like how many coach McVey shows did I do following a loss where there was like you know a
Shrinky number of things where we could actually talk about to get through our 20 minutes but there was always well Aaron played well right and then he could wax Poe about what a unique talent Aaron was and uh you know the only criticism I ever heard from him is that
He would occasionally freelance and like violate an assignment or a gap right and even those who would say such a thing had to acknowledge that while that may be a risk on film it really wasn’t when you had put in the study and you had the competitive greatness that Aaron did
Because he wasn’t playing the same game that the other 10 players were on defense so that anyone who’s ever played the defensive tackle position ever has he perfected it in a very unique way and uh even going back to the draft for someone who had question marks about
Length size the fact that he turned those question marks into the exclam points that made him a first ballot Hall of Famer someday is what I’ll always appreciate about covering his career well he’s a connection from St Louis he’s the connection between St Louis and these LA Rams teams I mean he was
14th pick overall in a draft that they had the second overall pick so like lesne is the one that took him Le it’s funny because you you you had a whole bit on that show about uh Les sneed’s high cheekbones and beautiful flowing hair and they were like you better have
A good draft here if they’re going to pass on Manzel there better be a good draft still there uh one for two is plenty good enough uh when the one is uh the the greatest of all time or or you know lt’s in that mix but you know we
Use that term to really say the top at least in the in the analytics era uh and the there’s nobody that grades out like this man and so football in the last 15 years May and we mentioned watt but watt part of Donald’s greatness and his magnificence is that he he kept his
Prime throughout his entire career just like JB long who’s who who will continue to thrive as the the play-by-play men whenever the next great Ram arrives he’ll be there as well I sure hope so and uh for all of your friendship and integrity on the around the NFL podcast I commend you
Both integ wow let talk my next invitation you’re the man producer Eric whispered something to me along the way in preparation for this interview I wish you all well thank you JB J the great JB long with the Insight that we needed and he delivered part of the family I mean
Kesha the ram well I was I meant more of the around the NFL family I mean Kesha when she comes to town right yeah she’s got a lot of people she wants to see needs to see she she goes and sees her old uh her old neighbor unless we forget
Ricky Hollywood who I meant to tell JB long to keep an eye on Hollywood just to keep her in keep her in line in general Erica needs that and I think JB is a guiding force for let’s take a break and we’ll uh close things Out oh right everybody what do you guys think behind the glasses is that better or wor like a cough got a little staccato in yours I don’t know it’s not not um not for me there you go by the way and I know what you’re were saying because you’re
Talking about Donald had the the walk-off back-to-back walk-off in the Super Bowl one but it really is crazy to look at Barry Sanders’s career and look at Aaron Donald both played 10 years both were constantly in the mix uh Barry was a first or second Team all pro all
10 years 10 Time pro bowler uh won the big accolades two-time NFL offensive player of the year he won the MVP once which Donald I don’t think ever got but that’s they don’t give it to defensive players but um that’s the level of player and I think Barry if you were old
Enough to see Sanders mhm you kind of you wish he got what Donald got which was that chance on the biggest stage and Sanders never did the Lions never could get out of the second round I think they made to One NFC title game that didn’t
Go there away uh but otherwise you know we’re held out of the Super Bowl as they’ve been for the entirety of their history but uh Donald getting that opportunity and us being there for it we’ve now been sneaky at a lot of huge moments in NFL history it has not lost
On me I’m sure it’s not lost on you gregy we’re very lucky to have seen Aaron Donald in person make that play Joe burrow Midfield and that’s a special Joe burrow year that was a special Cincinnati year they had the pixie dust all over them and they’re down a field
Goal at Midfield with fourth down in the final minute of the Super Bowl and it’s Donald who blows up the play because don’t you get the feeling if burto gets protected he’s probably finding somebody and they’re continuing that march with AAL Chase he was open on that play if he
Had some time but he didn’t have time and they had Evan mcferson who’s like having an all-time season as a a young kicker uh the playoffs he was really the star of the playoffs for them uh and yet Aaron Donald said no and he pointed to the ring finger
So an a reminder uh we’ll be back Wednesday with uh our always check in with all the teams post free agency first wave around the AFC on Wednesday uh with a guest to be named later around the NFC on Thursday I think we’re getting clayon on Thursday will be there
Excellent uh so that is great and uh a note for behind the glass Eric I was thinking about this some more so for the episode recap uh hit this let’s take this down verbatim the latest EP ep the latest EP is a handless Rosenthal joint period this is like two wine Masters Somalia
Talking about wine not necessarily you or me arguing if I like burgundy or Bordeaux better nothing else got it makes my job as an editor any thought of just ending it right right at talking about wine or no you like the rest of it uh I
Oro I like that I like that like because there’s a there’s a way what Maverick did there in his conversation with marshan he was like everyone else are are piss on like they are just true but these two people right are smas like don’t even try to be like that
I think that’s un need that a little more okay depth anything else shots fired really at the rest of the industry just like Travis Kelce did for us give us a little pop I get you know I again I apologize for being a little flippant about Travis’s ex acceptance speech now that
He gave us s sh you want to talk your talk your P hey you got it all Travis has got it all and you know what else he’s got some class let’s see if they’re still doing that uh podcast 10 years from now you
Know true if we were should we have quit after 10 years these are all questions we don’t have that money that ads got all right till Wednesday keep the Call
30 Comments
Hi Mark with a C. 😊
No Myyyyarrrrc 🙁
Episode 16 of calling Marc a treasure until he acknowledges me or gets his DiGiornos.
They didn't trade for Wilson, Dan! They signed him cheap after Broncos released him.
I've still got a few miles on my hike…i was getting bored…this showed up at just the right time!
Absolutely outrageous that you go from Thursday to Monday night without a show with all that happened. No emergency pod for one of the greatest players of all time retiring in his prime? Can't wait to hear all 30 seconds on Hollywood to the Chiefs. And of course another episode without Mark. Change the name to the Dan and Gregg and Friends pod.
I could see Greg Olsen at NBC with Mike Tirico. I could see NBC/Comcast moving on from Cris Collinsworth.
Jimmy G took the 49ers to the Super Bowl and almost got them there a second time. He was also generally liked by the locker rooms he worked in. It’s not like he was unsuccessful, just a lot of injuries, which happens.
Kenny Pickett's best game after they fired Canada: 24/33 for 278 and 0TD. Wowzers!! Could almost picture the gold jacket on him after that
Calling LeBron a wine master is like calling a fly eating shit a gourmet!
Gregg Rosenthal on record at 13:28 saying "I think right now that Justin Fields is a better player than Russell Wilson" LOL Gregg is not even playing it safe and saying he has more upside, he's flat out saying that Russ is a worse QB than Justin Fields right now. It's so many people in the media like Gregg, Nick Wright, Kyle Brandt, etc who are going to look historically foolish for their embarrassingly ignorant discourse around Russ the last 2 seasons. Russ is more likely to break the Steelers franchise record for TDs / passer rating in a season than he is to be benched for Fields.
Imagine saying "they're just so similar" implying that Russell Wilson can't read a defense any more than Justin Fields when Russ has one of the highest passer ratings in NFL history. Justin Fields in the 4th quarter is one of the worst QBs in all of football. 39 of 40 qualified QBs in efficiency in 4th quarter. Which contributes to Fields having the worst win pct in NFL history. Meanwhile Russ is literally one of the most clutch QBs in NFL history at 4th Q comebacks/ GWD.
For so many Russ haters, their biggest nightmare is Russ not only starting the full year, but well enough to play another 3-4 years in Pittsburgh solidifying a HOF career and drawing attention to the fact that his peak performances rival the best seasons that Big Ben ever had who was never disrespected or had his success discounted like Russ despite him accomplishing even less without being surrounded by an elite running game/defense and having far better weapons in the passing game throughout his career.
Love that they actually put the sommelier thing in the description
Gregg most improved player with his 2nd “ah-ah-ahhhlright everybody”
The only negative thing I can really think of when it came to Donald is when he tried squaring up with Britt and Penei. His face mask grabbing was kinda cringe. But outside of that, nothing really.
sam bradford Really dude,No wonder why you guys didn't win that fucking award
This is like two wine masters, sommeliers, talking about wine, not necessarily you or me arguing if I like Burgundy or Bordeaux better.
What is with people trash-talking Tony Romo and Jim Nantz? Those guys have tremendous chemistry together and are by far my favorite broadcast team.Please give this a like if you are onboard with Tony Romo & Jim Nantz!
Integrity? This guy clearly has seen about as many episodes of ATN as he has Lawrence Taylor football games.
Outstanding performance by Gregg returning from the final break!
Ironically, Marc is the only hero I can see working as a sommelier.
Bring back the Marc Bot episode
30:32 😂
The episodes description
It was Tarvaris Jackson, Matt Flynn and Russell Wilson battling for the 2012 starting QB position for the Seahawks.
LT was an overrated crack head. Reggie white is better.
Saying Aaron Donald is better than LT and Reggie White is just not good analysis
🎉🎉
Dan hates the Packers so much lol. Aaron Rodgers hehehe
Amazing how many guests agree to appear knowing Marc won't be there 🤔
Olsen is way over-rated anyways