Pep Talks For NFL Fanbases

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Welcome to NFL Daily, where we want to feel tender about our restricted free agents. I'm Greg Rosenthal, I mean the Chris Westley podcast studio. I'm with Patrick Claiban and Jordan Rodrieg. Just one of those words in the NFL lexicon that I always liked, just I'd like to I'd like to be offered a tender.

00:00:23
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:00:24
Speaker 3: The thing about the language is you could go any number of ways with so many different words, and tender is one of them.

00:00:31
Speaker 1: I tried to explain it. My son was asking, like, well, what does that even mean. It's like, it's hard to explain, but we do have I'm talking big news a restricted free agent tender on this show. We also are gonna make some sad fans feel a little bit happier.

00:00:48
Speaker 4: Jordan's well, maybe not even sad, but maybe just maybe nervous or maybe very vocal at this time, just like just we're gonna just settle some people. We're gonna boost some confidence. We're gonna give pep talks, however range of a PEP talk one might need. I love to give pep talks. I'm always the emotional support friend. I love to give my friends pep talks and guess people up. So let's do this to a couple teams.

00:01:11
Speaker 3: It's a good exercise to align myself with a group of fans who make this game so great and allow them.

00:01:17
Speaker 1: To do what we do famously. You just you're not a fan, You just watch from above.

00:01:23
Speaker 3: No, I am one of them, but sometimes they like to segment. Yes, I you know, whatever laundry you wear.

00:01:30
Speaker 1: I support you, We you, and we hear you. Yes both, we love you too. And look, we've graded every team this week, well except for one coming up a little later. And yeah, some people have some hard feelings. Some people aren't feeling good, and I know the resident optimist and executive producer Jordan Rodriegue wants to make people feel a little better the off season. There is a lot more to go. We will hit a couple items of news quickly. Honestly, when the Texans signed Wyatt Teller two year, sixteen million dollar that eliminated one of the teams, I was gonna give a pep duck to really, yeah, because they everyone's just all they're thinking about in Houston is the offensive line. We haven't done enough. We trade away our best guy, like we haven't done enough on the offensive line. And I checked with resident Texans correspondent Seth Payne and I was like, Okay, how are you feeling. Does it do they even make sense for a segment like this now? And he's like, no, I think the Wyatt Teller thing. Now everyone feels Okay. They looked at my top one on one free AGENC. They're like, wow, he's the highest offensive lineman still available in the forties, two year deal, eight million dollars per year. Everything I've heard, I've asked people are on Cleveland thought like, look, I know he got benched. It was a weird situation. He's playing through injuries and stuff. But the general feeling was like he was at a solid level. He's not maybe not a pro bowler anymore. So they added a solid offensive lineman and at this point at least the Texans are at the very worst back to where they were maybe to end last season on paper on the offensive line, and this season offseason, I think it is going to be a little bit more about extending their good players.

00:02:58
Speaker 4: Yeah, they have. For me, that was my my main question about them was what were they going to continue to do upfront? And they just showed us what they were going to do and setting a baseline or setting like a control group in free agency at a position of need. It doesn't eliminate them from also investing at that position in the draft coming up either, but it just means that they're not having to reach desperately for things that are so obvious as holes on their roster. And so I like it. You know, I like pretty much everything the Texans have done this offseason.

00:03:28
Speaker 2: And sometimes the total five are or ultimately what matters.

00:03:32
Speaker 3: The individual pieces will have success or not success in different places. It's going to be a new group and so we'll have a new opportunity to see what things are going to look well.

00:03:39
Speaker 1: They believe Aarone ERSII, their left tackle, played pretty well at the end of last season. That was probably the best part of his season. They signed Braden Smith from the Colts. Now they get Teller in the mix. They like at Ingram, who they just gave a lot of money to. Blake Fisher is hanging out there kind of as a swing guy. You might still need a center, but they have, you know, they signed Evan Brown, they have Jake Andrew. They're not in a bad spot. Speaking of teams that weren't a bad spot at a certain position, and I would say the Lions still are. DJ Wanham went to the Lions on a low cost deal, and since I called them out as one of the thinnest positions in the league right now it was Aiden Hutchinson and nobody else, I just figured i'd mentioned, Okay, DJ want them. There's an NFL player. Yeah, you've got two now at that position.

00:04:22
Speaker 3: From the vaunted twenty five Carolina Panthers defense. Perhaps Brad and company have something else going on. The draft time, the Lions.

00:04:31
Speaker 4: Were setting the table, setting the table.

00:04:33
Speaker 1: They need more, they need more. Ollie helped talk me off the ledge when we were doing grades a little bit or no, no, he actually talked me onto the ledge that they need to do oh good more but like like the thinking makes sense. They're trying to get younger and we'll see what they do. Hey, step up there, yeah, hey, what could go wrong the Lions. I don't like the world where the Lions aren't like a favorite or the favorite, but we'll see if they are when we get to the season. The Vikings, I would think, and I and I checked for the first time some odds of like who's favorite to win the division that's coming up a little later. Something I'm gonna mention. The Vikings were pretty solidly like picked to come in last place. I don't know if I agree with that, especially after they break the ice on restricted free agency. First team of the year to sign a tender, Ryan Van Denmark. It's a real person. He was on the Bills, I mean, signed to an offer sheet. I just wanted to see.

00:05:25
Speaker 4: A Vikings name, Ryan Van Denmark.

00:05:28
Speaker 1: I can't say I'm like overly familiar with his work, but he's played, he started some games, and they've got an eye on him. It's I don't even know who their GM is. They don't have one, no kind of cool.

00:05:39
Speaker 3: They didn't like the other one, and so now they see it, they see a tender that's available if they go ahead and.

00:05:44
Speaker 1: Right, I guess it's Kevin O'conninz Roberzinski. It's all the staff. They pretty much just fired. QUESTI.

00:05:49
Speaker 4: The more you guys say the word tender, it is amazing. It's starting to get into that territory where like the word moist is for me, where he's just like, I just don't really want to hear this a lot more.

00:05:58
Speaker 3: It's a tender relationship situation with the GM position, right, so everybody, you know, these guys are all going to the same parties now they fit in with it. Yes, so nobody is going to be you know fired at the at the Senior Bowl. And so that's how you get Van Denmark off the ten And.

00:06:14
Speaker 1: To be clear, yes, that's the biggest problem a tender offer. You know, they were offered him this offer sheet, they signed it, he signed it the Bills. The Bills have five days to match it, and they don't get anything back if they don't match it because he was on the no cost like undrafted free agent type of type of tender where you get nothing. So there was a report from the Wall Street Journal oh that the NFL season will start in Seattle on a Wednesday. We work for the NFL, so this isn't like officially confirmed. I'm sure they want to announce it.

00:06:51
Speaker 2: There's a there's a whole schedule release.

00:06:54
Speaker 1: Right, But the whole idea of starting the season on Wednesday is new. But it's because they can't plan on Friday this year. There's the whole rule with not going opposite high school football. The reason they were able to the last couple of years. It was just because the first Friday fell at a different time. Because when Labor Day is blah blah blah. The season's gonna start on Wednesday. The Melbourne game, Damn, I'm starting to use the local. You know, that's going to be on Thursday. But the Seahawks will get the honor of having the NBC kickoff game. That'll just be on a Wednesday. Opponent to be determined.

00:07:28
Speaker 4: Here's my question. I understand that that's time. I'm terrible with time zones. I'm just going to put that out there right now for the listeners to please. I'm genuinely asking, like, please correct me wherever I'm wrong on this. I'm terrible at time zones. It's messed me up on travel cross country frequently in my time traveling as a as a reporter, like it is, it messes with me constantly and I for some reason, it's like a blank space.

00:07:50
Speaker 1: Okay my brain.

00:07:51
Speaker 4: Will it actually be a Thursday in Melbourne?

00:07:55
Speaker 1: Well, that's a great question. It probably will be a Friday.

00:07:58
Speaker 4: Set it up like I knew it was a dumb Now it'll be a Friday. You gotta be a Friday, by the way, I don't think so, I just copied it.

00:08:06
Speaker 1: It'll be a Friday. They're a day ahead, you know. I mean that depends what time of day it is here for them to be a day ahead. But for us, Yeah, it'll be Friday in Melbourne, but they'll be Thursday. They don't have the high school rules to worry about in Australia.

00:08:20
Speaker 2: Yes, Thursday here.

00:08:22
Speaker 3: Yes, it'll be Sunday night football on on Wednesday. So we just need one more day or two if I could count, I can't count much less, say Melbourne.

00:08:31
Speaker 1: Okay, Seahawks home games by the way, let's let's have a prediction, because you guys are doing great on that more on that listikes, yikes. Their home opponents include the Rams and forty nine Ers, who will be ineligible since they're going to be in Melbourne, The Cardinals and Giants, who I'm going to say are ineligible because they were bad last year. I mean, Giants, I guess wouldn't be that crazy, but they're not going to put it kick off. That leaves five really good candidates for this year to play opening night, the Patriots, which would feel a little weird, The Chiefs, Mahomes injury, and then I think the three strongest candidates the Chargers, Bears, and Cowboys. What do you think? Who do you think is the Week one came?

00:09:15
Speaker 3: Would I would lean Bears. I think that would be spectacular open.

00:09:19
Speaker 1: That was my choice too. It just feels like something they would do.

00:09:21
Speaker 4: I'm gonna swerve then I'll go Giants. I know you ruled them out, but it's a John Harbaugh Jackson Dart new era Giants. That wouldn't you think the league would love to put them on TV and see how they fair?

00:09:31
Speaker 1: Yes, a lot, and on Sunday Night Football plenty. Week one is a little much for one of the worst franchises in the league recording, you know, based on wins and losses. We have a league where you evaluate how the franchise is doing. Right. Why are you laughing?

00:09:50
Speaker 2: Well, I loved it. I appreciated it. I thought it was funny.

00:09:53
Speaker 1: Okay, in the.

00:09:54
Speaker 4: Last I'm just swerving. I've just swerve you I hear you know. My track record is famously very good.

00:10:00
Speaker 1: In the last three years combined, they've won thirteen games. That just feel that that's an average of you know, four, So that just feels like a step too far. Finally, just a couple of little notes, the Colt sign camp Taylor Britt, who had some nice moments with You Boy Lou and Roumo in Cincinnati. I think that could be a fun signing. Then the Raiders signed Spencer Buford, a former forty nine Ers guard who's played plenty, and I mentioned that just because he can play football and they need offensive lineman, and I saw that it caused a couple Chargers fans that I follow on Twitter to spin out that, like, now it's a bit that they're just not signing any of the guards. They're letting all the guards go, and they're not in my pep talks because I already basically gave the Chargers fans a similar PEP talk a week ago and didn't want to repeat myself, but like, don't worry about Spencer Buford signing. Elsewhere you guys can find, you can find people.

00:10:53
Speaker 4: I think we'll count that as a PEP talk.

00:10:55
Speaker 1: Okay, let's start the PEP talks. It's executive producer Jordan Rodrieg. By the way, we need some executive producer playbon Joe's coming up.

00:11:04
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, we'll see what we can do.

00:11:06
Speaker 1: Okay, I really haven't asked. I need let me just offer him.

00:11:12
Speaker 4: Yeah, I definitely ask on air. That's a good way to get it.

00:11:14
Speaker 1: Yes, I mean you could probably come up with something by the end of the show. This guy's already hosted NFL Fantasy Live for two hours today. He can do it all.

00:11:21
Speaker 4: Oh, the capacity at which you were able to go from stage, also feed yourself and then come here all one motion was pretty pretty insane.

00:11:31
Speaker 2: Yeh, gluttony is a skill.

00:11:33
Speaker 1: Let's hear your pep doc. This was your your vision, did Jordan? I'm going to give you the floor to start with the first pep doc for any panicking fans out there.

00:11:42
Speaker 4: Well and panicking or just maybe fretting a little bit. Maybe they are in a certain headspace that I'm going to try to talk them out of. Maybe I'm gonna try to give them a big picture look at a little short term chaos. And in that category falls at least a portion of very vocal Miami Dolphins. Okay, so Miami Dolphins fans like, it's gonna be okay, right. The caveat here is assuming the people now in charge of the franchise are competent, which we don't know yet, but we also don't know that they're not competent, so they there's the silver lining so far. I actually see the vision here. It's a similar it's a quite similar blueprint to what teams like the forty nine Ers and the Rams just executed over the last couple of years, the Broncos, the Bucks. It's a sprint rebuild. And I know it's a sprint rebuild because of a couple of core and key qualities that I will outline for you momentarily. But I do want to say because it is that you as a fan base are about to have so much fun along the way as this thing comes together. Even if the outsider's fret and fuss over what the roster looks like on paper or screenshot, how many vacancies you might have on the roster heading into training camp. This is a sprint rebuild because it wasn't just about taking on the dead money in one rip or two rips in this and stockpiling draft picks. It's also the fifteen free agent contracts that combine to rank in the bottom third in the league in free agents spending this offseason. It's an important part of the strategy that tells me it's a sprint rebuild or an attempt at one and not tanking. I agreed with Allie's take on You Guys Show earlier this week. I won't repeat him. He said it very well. It's not just taking on the dead money and amassing the draft picks. It's key elements of a print rebuild. You also have to have two other things, very cheap free agents acquired in volume to set a roster floor and to give better clarity importantly on needs as time goes on. And a quarterback that gives level clarity. By level clarity, I mean you know exactly what you're going to get out of that position, good or medium. In this case, I think and hope it will be good, but good or medium, which means you have a control group around which to build the rest of your roster. It's a cheap contract in case it doesn't work out. And what I have seen a lot of is fretting about what this means form Elik willis how tough the road becomes for him. I wouldn't panic about that either. He doesn't have a lot around him right now. I've seen that worry quite a bit as I've said, but he also doesn't have to play in on a fel game. Right now, it's safe to assume that the roster gets more juice on offense and defense in the draft, and they can really allocate a lot to both of those phases because they have eleven draft picks this year so far, including two first rounders, and seven total picks in the first three rounds, including four third rounders, which is just great draft capital, including to help them move up or back at will. And so Dolphins fans, if you're down to just ride the roller coaster and enjoy the journey with me, I think you're gonna have so much fun during this phase of the process because I do believe that what we're looking at here is not a rebuild. It's not a tear down. It is a sprint rebuild, which means that they will be ahead of schedule if all goes well again caveat on competence. If all goes well, I do believe this is about to be a lot of fun.

00:15:01
Speaker 1: Feeling great. I think they hear that and they wanted something new. I think for the most part, and I know there's a segment of the fan base that's going to be angry. What doesn't make sense. I think the smart ones that that I that I know, Henry Hodgson and some of the good journalists out there covering the Dolphins, Simon Clancy, Chase Chase Kaufman, I believe it's not. I think they see the vision. They wanted them to be real with themselves instead of just being in the middle. The difference, I guess would be, who are the weight bearing walls. You know that the Rams and the forty nine, they had some real deal players. They had a real deal quarterbacks at the time when they did their kind of sprint Rebald. I think Willis can be there, but he hasn't actually played football. It's too much at.

00:15:42
Speaker 4: The NFL allportent thing. And that's you'll note in my PEP talk, I did not mention that you have to have a star or above average quarterback. You could have you could have a really really strong quarterback. But and that would that would help.

00:15:56
Speaker 1: Are you just gonna keep talking as someone passes by our studio with the sign held up that says hot Rabbi.

00:16:04
Speaker 2: Yeah, was that a reference to me? To me?

00:16:08
Speaker 1: Come on, bro, this is all I got.

00:16:10
Speaker 4: It's all out in the open. Now Greg's Greg's Greg's got himself a little nickname.

00:16:14
Speaker 1: I mean I wish the makeup room.

00:16:18
Speaker 4: Hot RABBI.

00:16:19
Speaker 1: I mean I if only I could be you know, Adam Brody, if if they grew like half a foot or so.

00:16:26
Speaker 4: Okay, you know what, I hear a lot that I think Adam Brody wishes he could.

00:16:30
Speaker 1: Be more like I'm sure sorry to interrupt your that's.

00:16:33
Speaker 4: That was even incredible. I love that she just walked by.

00:16:36
Speaker 2: Holding that sign because you have to have the sign incredible.

00:16:40
Speaker 4: I have some questions that we should get a picture of it and share it to the to the listeners because it's audio.

00:16:44
Speaker 1: I'm got to be Adam Brody. Then, yeah, No, I support that.

00:16:48
Speaker 4: They they got level clare they want what really was more important, almost even than the skill level of the quarterback, because you're looking at a combination of brock Perty and mac Jones also in San Francisco. Wasn't that it was like in a elite quarterback. Now, I rock Perty's very good, Mac Jones played awesome. Stafford's elite. It wasn't just that it was proven tho it was clarity, but it was clarity of what you are going to have at the position good or medium. Now, if it's bad, then you're then you might be in some trouble guy.

00:17:17
Speaker 1: And they gave it, you know, one hundred million dollars kind.

00:17:19
Speaker 4: Just to say I don't think it'll be bad. I think it'll be I think it'll be fine, and we believe in it. What they're looking for is clarity, because if you if all you have is a is a clear answer to a question at a foundational point on a roster, you can do a lot more with that. You can do a lot with that when you're recouping around the rest of the roster.

00:17:36
Speaker 3: Well, I think a big part of it is being able to not just evaluate talent on your team and coming into the draft and a talent around the league, and sure you get you get the picks and you get an opportunity. But I would like to see some veteran wide receivers to be able to play with Milik Willis, just because I like watching yeah football, you know, in defensive fans who maybe didn't necessarily like that move, I definitely understand why they're totally chan.

00:18:02
Speaker 4: I wanted to give him a pep talk, yeah, because I could see it. I'm a big Jayalen Wattle fan, as you guys know. So I wanted to give them a pep talk, the ones who are sad about this, I wanted to lift them.

00:18:11
Speaker 1: Up a little bit. And a report from ESPN that came out on Wednesday that eighth Chan is been telling other teams not available weight bearing wall, and so I think a Chan Aaron Brewer their center weight bearing wall. That's about it. Patrick Pollock's pretty good as a future left half's the peace work.

00:18:26
Speaker 4: Don't sleep on the tight end over there. I'm just saying that calling my shot before the season, Dulcicch. Don't sleep on him.

00:18:32
Speaker 1: Sure, but he got paid three million dollars in a one year deal. I mean that's that's a that's a that's like a sand castle.

00:18:38
Speaker 4: All right, you're up in europ and he's gonna outplay it, Greg, Yeah, I hope.

00:18:41
Speaker 3: So he a pep talk for somebody who does not need it, because Jason Lyt knows what he's doing and there's evidence of that. Extensive evidence included coming on this very program and sticking it to Greg Roses all the season didn't necessarily work out Bucks fans, and I would like to address you and to try to make you feel better because, uh, a guy that is mister Buck who going into them into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, probably as a Tampa Bay buccaneer, is going to be catching passes in Santa Clair this season. I understand that that's unfortunate. It's not something they will want. Mike Evans will be back long term. Mike Evans will always be a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. Nobody will be overly concerned about that. But what do you get this offseason? You needed help at linebacker. Incomes Alexandzeloni. That helps al Quadeen Muhammad, an underrated contributor on the defensive line coming into Todd Bowles's defense, making that a little bit better. And you've getten. You've got the Steelers team MVP and Kenneth gain Mill Super Bowl champion Kenneth Game to have one of the best receiving backfields in all of the NFL, which is so much better for Baker Mayfield. As we've seen, you know, shoulder injuries kind of do in a lot of great quarterbacks with big arms. Baker Mayfield has a huge arm. He's got a lot of violence in that motion. So what better to make the receiving game no matter who's on the field, and you keep Sean Tucker as well. To add into that, there's so many reasons to feel good about Tampa. Not to mention there was a guy who was on pace to be the Rookie of the Year last year. Everything kind of fell apart when Baker's shoulder did. I believe in Jason Light I believe in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I'm sorry Mike's not going to be there, but he will be back.

00:20:19
Speaker 1: But they started the off season in the right place and a good place. I go, well, they are the favorites by the way in the NFC South goodie and and I agree with that, But considering the world that was out there, I'm I'm underwhelmed by Alex Angeloni, al Kaheed Mohammad, Ashaun Robinson. It doesn't seem like a great value or great pop. And I just wanted more from where they where they are in their team build, that they were in a nice position and the the off season is not over. But to make me happy, make their fans happy, I don't think they're happy, No.

00:20:53
Speaker 4: No, But I do think that you made some good points in your pep Tach because one of the most excited, like my on my list of things I can wait to see manifest this season is in the like Kenny g and Bucky Irving in that backfield and what they decide to do with them, you know, as a one to two combination, especially in the past game. I think on this show, we're really massive Mike Evins fans. And I also think that I would like to see him win a Super Bowl. I would like to another one. I would like to see him thrive. What I would like to see him etch himself not only into the lore forever of Tampa Bay, but the work that he's done for that community and the presence that he is and has been. I would also like to see him go almost take almost a career victory lap in a way, and maybe start think about ending his career on a positive note and being etched into the lore of these great forty nine ers receivers that get these teams over the hump.

00:21:49
Speaker 3: Is if you're watching on YouTube, his highlight video that we're showing right now starts with Mike glennon yes, and then we get a chance to see Jamis. He's been through a lot of course he got the greatest quarterback of all Tom throwing them balls as well, but just a you know, it's a.

00:22:04
Speaker 1: Great I mean, he was there, He was there for Josh McCown as his starting quarterback, Josh Lovey Smith as his head coach. I just find that reason that we want to see him win a super Bowl depressing because yeah, because like, if he wants to win a super Bowl, the Buccaneers should be a better option than the forty nine ers if you believe in like what this team has been building towards. But I hear you that there's a lot to still be happy about, even if you can pick some knits with the last couple weeks. Let's take a break and we'll come back with Yes, a team that was forgotten and I feel very bad about when we did the NFC grade. We graded thirty one off seasons this week, and we'll get them the curds thing eagle eared listeners will not. Before the break, you might have missed it. Jordan Rodrigue's favorite new dropper on NFL Daily What a tree? No, what pipes? You know we got? We gotta lean into that more on the show.

00:23:14
Speaker 4: It's always when you never think anyone's actually listening.

00:23:16
Speaker 1: Okay, so we buttered you up just to take you back down. I did want to provide a little bit of an update on our Matchmaker game, since three of the four of us are here from free agency. The dumbest thing I did, other than a lot of bad picks, was say that it would take between four and five correct picks to win. It's not over, but the standings as of right now, I have two hits that is, unfortunately for the group in first place. You know by myself, Jordan, you got a hit in Devin Lloyd to the Panthers. Y Colleen Wolf also has a hit. She got Malik Willis. Patrick, you're sitting on a goose egg. But here's why it's not over. Hell uh, you have Deebo Samuel to the Steelers. That could still happen. You also have one more, Nick Westbrook Akine to the Falcons.

00:24:11
Speaker 4: So I can't be the greatest come back of all time. Because Patrick, if you come back to tie, you win off height.

00:24:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's at this point. I will accept that as the tiebreaker since it's such.

00:24:21
Speaker 2: A happening, so we don't have to worry about it.

00:24:23
Speaker 1: I mean, it could I had said April first is officially the day. I technically have one sitting out there, which was Tanner McKee to the Jets as a trade. That's probably not going to happen, although the Eagles acquired Andy Dalton in a trade, and so who knows, maybe maybe they could the movie.

00:24:43
Speaker 2: They've done it.

00:24:44
Speaker 3: They've convinced the world that Tanner McKee is the greatest quarterback of somebody's going to do it.

00:24:48
Speaker 1: Also, Juwan Jennings I have on the board too for the Raiders. Jordan. Unfortunately, you can be eliminated. None of your none of your players are are still out there.

00:24:57
Speaker 4: I know I was so close on Jonathan Franklin.

00:25:00
Speaker 1: Okay, so we will be updating that as news develops. But I just wanted to update all the listeners. Yeah, I'm sure and take an early victory lap. Let's go you never, I'll take it. You know, it still counts. It's like the Patriots thirteen to three Super Bowl win. Like, it's still you still shining that Lombardy. Let's talk about the team I've been teasing all show.

00:25:23
Speaker 2: Oh who is that? Greg?

00:25:24
Speaker 1: It's the New Orleans Saints. You know you matter, Saints fans Uh, yeah, we might have forgotten you. And by we, I mean me. I didn't even write any notes down about your off season when we were doing the grades. Just completely forgot about you. As if the Saints need any more talk on this program, you get plenty. But look, I don't even think this pep talk is necessary. Like we forgot about you. But according to Saints fans, I have a feeling like the Saints can kind of do no wrong. And that's that's the case with a lot of teams. Right now, you are out of cap Hell. You never once admitted it. When you were in cap Hell, you always said that wasn't a real thing. It didn't bother you at all. But now that you're out of cap Hell and not doing void years and everything, you're celebrating because you're a normal team again. That feels great. Just don't look at cash spending, where you might be the cheapest team in the league on average over the last three years. Watch you have Tyler Shuck, who at this point in the minds of Saints fans is somewhere between like nineteen eighty four Dan Marino and Heath Ledger in the Dark Night, Like that is basically what Tyler Shuck is right now. It can't get any better than this moment. In Tyler Schuck, everything is possible. He's thrown beads out on Marty Gar floats. He has impeccable restaurant taste. He's always taken new teammates out the restaurants, and he's always picking the best ones.

00:26:54
Speaker 4: He just played for the Savannah Bananas.

00:26:56
Speaker 1: Like he honestly is doing a better job making him self part of that community than any Saints since Alvin Kamara. Like he's just he is that dude. Right now, you have an offensive line that no exaggeration has two first round picks your last two in terms of and you're really excited about Calvin Banks and what he did, a real deal guard that everyone believes in, David Edwards, who you signed, Eric McCoy who's been great when he's on the field, and a first round pick in Caesar Ruiz. Just don't watch the film or like talk about Fuaga's health or McCoy's health or anything like that. You brought Kaden Ellis back. That's fun to replace the Mario Davis. But that's like fun for vibes unless you hear Cam Jordan talk about the fact that he doesn't trust any Saint that goes to the Falcons, even ones that come back, except kind of that's a little weird, and that and Kim Jordan's kind of out there shading the Saints right now. Something's out up with that. He's a free agent. You're a cornerback factory. You got Paulson Adebo and Alante Taylor paid in back to back seasons. That's fun to do. It's the detisance is absolutely happening. And then that Derek carr on retirement. Third round picks coming any day now, right, Saints fans, look, you can be told with complete sincerity, you are the second favorite right now in the NFC South, and I think in the minds of Saints fans, they are the favorites. If you had told all our Saints fans that we love out there, like Adam and Ryan at the Saints Block Party podcast a year ago at this time, that you and guys would be in second place, and that the Bucks have had such a bad offseason that they needed a freaking pep talk and they're they're the favorites. I don't think you would have believed it. You would have been flying high let's go Saints fans. You didn't even need a tough back.

00:28:48
Speaker 2: They got one.

00:28:49
Speaker 1: They got one on one.

00:28:51
Speaker 2: There it is.

00:28:55
Speaker 1: It's weird that mine. It's so much bigger then.

00:28:58
Speaker 4: I don't even think I can.

00:29:00
Speaker 1: Oh, thank you, Wow, I'm excited, still going. I'm excited for uh, thank you, thank you well an apologies to the Saints for not giving them. I'm gonna put you guys on the spot give them a free agency grade since we didn't do that just off us this.

00:29:18
Speaker 3: Week considered considering they were able to, you know, snipe their old coach and get a get the running back they wanted to come, come back home and give them.

00:29:26
Speaker 2: A B plus.

00:29:28
Speaker 4: Yeah, eighty six, I'm going eighty seven, Okay, B plus, firmly a B plus. I like everything that they did. I think they reset their floor in a lot of ways. They got younger, although not that much younger in terms of you know, thirty seven versus thirty year old defensive players, but still younger in a way that will help them bridge to the next phase of their team built.

00:29:49
Speaker 3: And I think keeping Alante would have been the plant. They didn't know that Alante was going to be the highest paide corner through free agent.

00:29:55
Speaker 1: I think they're shocked. Honestly, I don't think Saints fans are sad about that they didn't. They were kind of over it and more power to him. And you're also I should have mentioned this in the peptop, helping Travis et Gen like kind of reconnect with his roots and correct the record. And I like that their middle class running back contracts are back. I think that contract's find twenty four million dollars guaranteed. Edward's got forty million dollars guaranteed the guard. So you're spending a little bit of money even though yes, as I mentioned, they spent the least amount of cash last year twenty eighth this year twenty seventh the year before. So that's a little on my radar. Alvin Kamara might be retiring a couple other little minor signings. I'm trying to like, do the free agency great stuff here. I'm just like jamming it in ty Chandler. Fant are on the Saints now.

00:30:40
Speaker 4: They care, and they I think they ever doubted that you care.

00:30:42
Speaker 1: No, And yet somehow it slipped my mind. You're up next, Patrick.

00:30:48
Speaker 3: Oh, I will go and I will enlist Eric.

00:30:54
Speaker 1: He is, we put it right? Oh no, I had put it it got.

00:30:57
Speaker 4: Start, it got because I had two more. So I didn't want to go back to back. Just too much me talking.

00:31:03
Speaker 3: We love you talking. Why don't you do the New York Football.

00:31:07
Speaker 1: Giant You might not have two more either.

00:31:11
Speaker 4: I honestly, my one for the Giants is short but sweet, because I think that the Giants fans are right now are so cautiously optimistic and waiting for the other shoot to drop and worrying about what could go wrong. My pep talk here is like what if stuff doesn't go wrong? Like I could really just talk myself into the Giants being pretty solid this year.

00:31:31
Speaker 1: I could.

00:31:31
Speaker 4: I could if I tried really hard, and I've been crying really really hard to talk myself in to this version, the John Harbaugh version of the New York Football Giants. And because I like that they're moving to a heavier personnel roster, bringing in the tight ends and the full back. I think it really matches well to Jackson Dart's play style, camp Scataboo's running style. Particularly. I love the Denard Wilson signing excuse me as a coach. I love that he had the Titans playing so creditably, creditably the defensive coordinator season their new defensive coordinator. I love how he coached that team even when all was lost in general, they had him playing hard, playing pretty well relative to a the roster b expectations. And see that the dumpster fire all around them at that point. And I really like that they have even though they only have two picks in the top one hundred, they still have seven picks. They have number five without needing a quarterback. It's a really good spot to be if you want to trade back and get more picks, and thirty seven will be coveted by teams trying to jump over as these position runs start to happen on day two, or to package again if a team wants to get back up into one. So I'm intrigued and interested by these New York Giants. And again I could talk myself into asking fans what if just nothing goes wrong.

00:32:49
Speaker 1: I think they're going to be a trendy worse the first pick going into the season tough to predict, like what's going to be trendy? But I think it just makes sense. I think everything he said makes a lot of sense. It's why I was horror like some of the reasons why I was horribly wrong about them last year. I thought they were kind of a sneaky They could be good team last year win eight nine games because their best players are awesome. And now you're adding John Harbaught to that mix. Hopefully Malik Nighbors gets back healthy. But like their their top tier players, you have two great tackles, you have a promising quarterback, as you said, like your elite players, obviously on the defensive line and everything like, there's not a ton of huge holes here to at least just be creditable incredibles.

00:33:31
Speaker 3: But I'm glad, and maybe you know John Harball, where we saw things get a little bit stale, you get a combination of the structure, the experience with what it takes to accomplish those things, combined with that talent, and a year one masterpiece could take place.

00:33:50
Speaker 2: Let's do it.

00:33:51
Speaker 1: I think they like they might have had Plan a's in free agency that were a little splash than the Plan bs they ended up with. And yet I'm fine with what they did. I like what they did. All right, let's go Patrick, now you're up.

00:34:05
Speaker 3: Now I'm urry, and you know I had to reach deep, to think about connecting with the people of Arizona.

00:34:11
Speaker 2: So here it is. As of right now.

00:34:14
Speaker 3: The experts in Las Vegas have you at plus twenty five thousand to win the Super Bowl. They call them experts in the desert. But you know, Cardinals fans, You know the Glendale Phoenix reason region has had zero point six inches of rainfall this year.

00:34:27
Speaker 2: They are showing you the respect of.

00:34:29
Speaker 3: Being the actual desert for your biome, much less your football team, a team that features the best tight end in football. In his first four seasons, Trey McBride has more in receiving yards that you guys ready for this, Rob Gronkowski.

00:34:42
Speaker 2: And Antonio Gates.

00:34:43
Speaker 3: That's the rookie season where he had thirty nine targets six games started by David blou Colt McCoy and Trace mcstory. Yes, who Trace McSorley. They don't respect you, but you know the truth. You know that Jacoby Brissett, much like this franchise, has had some stewards that frankly didn't know what they were doing. At this day, some forces are actively trying to replace him with Jimmy Garoppolo, who eight years ago got forty one million dollars guaranteed in one calendar year after less than one hundred dropbacks, and almost achieved greatness with what we thought was the best play caller in the game, before eventually leading a Hall of Fame receiver to lament his potential death due to his passes on the sideline. All this time, Jacoby Versett has been biding his time, being better than the starter at almost every spot he's been, including once when a guy with.

00:35:35
Speaker 2: The worst contract in NFL.

00:35:37
Speaker 3: History, for some reason, got a chance to play with him instead. You are Jacoby Versette Cardinals fans, and he, like you, knows that Walter Nolan leads to a defensive Rookie of the Year season if he's able to play. You know Will Johnson is on trajectory as a Pro Bowl corner, and you know that Johnson as a name reminds you of another phallic name, Peterson, who was very good at quarterback. These are what we call foundational pieces. You add to that foundation with Isaac Saamalo, Super Bowl champion. You see an up close and personal what Kendrick Bourne can do. Devin Duvernet adds on the return game and receiving game for years across multiple regimes.

00:36:14
Speaker 2: The plan was to blame Kyler.

00:36:16
Speaker 3: Well, Kyler's gone now and maybe other people will be gone too.

00:36:20
Speaker 2: But the foundation of names. Because you demand the foundation, you keep the foundation.

00:36:25
Speaker 3: And if Monty, Mike Nathaniel, if anybody fratens that foundation, you make them pay because the foundation is in.

00:36:33
Speaker 2: The desert and so are you fans.

00:36:37
Speaker 1: Let's give it up. Let's go.

00:36:42
Speaker 2: Official.

00:36:43
Speaker 5: Who hell yeah, season took a found trail now called one nine hundred Goodway on.

00:36:54
Speaker 4: A new episode of Flight Plan or whatever the wow.

00:36:59
Speaker 3: I just we talked about the exercise and I was like, whom who am I standing for? I'm standing for the people who have had to deal with this and I want better for it.

00:37:08
Speaker 1: If if if we knew that was coming, Patrick, that would have ended the show. That was it just show you say thank you, it's been a great week.

00:37:17
Speaker 4: We should end it there.

00:37:18
Speaker 1: No, No, I love the connections, I love the detours. I love being inside of Patrick's friends. In mind, whenever you wrote that, well people talking.

00:37:28
Speaker 3: About the Lakue Wolves like those twenty eighteen when Jimmy g got that contract.

00:37:32
Speaker 4: That's fair, not what we were you did you forget that Davante Adams was was lamenting his like overall well being.

00:37:40
Speaker 1: No, I just like I just like that. In the middle of the pep talk for the Cardinals, we went down that road.

00:37:47
Speaker 2: Randomly at somebody loved it.

00:37:50
Speaker 4: I am someone who loves lore. I think you guys know this about me by now. The lore that you reached into, and that was incredible. It was incredible.

00:37:58
Speaker 1: It was beautiful. And it's why Patrick Claiban not only a host and an analyst, but a thespian, a showman back in the day. Were you ever in any school plays and stuff? I could see it? Yeah, No, you were, it was I didn't know that.

00:38:11
Speaker 2: And then seasons started to conflict.

00:38:13
Speaker 4: M Oh, you chose the athletic course.

00:38:16
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was actually the plot of high school musical.

00:38:21
Speaker 1: All right, Jordan, wrap us up here?

00:38:23
Speaker 4: Oh I can't follow that, are you okay? It's okay, Well, you know, I actually which camera am I looking at this one?

00:38:29
Speaker 1: Right here? Okay?

00:38:31
Speaker 4: I just I want to have more of like a heart to heart kind of pep talk here, and and I don't know if there's any like sad piano music or anything we could plan this right now. I probably should have made a note of that.

00:38:41
Speaker 1: Yeah, but that would be my PEP doc to you tell the producers.

00:38:47
Speaker 2: Like two like I do. Thanks Eric.

00:38:49
Speaker 4: I know that a lot of Bills fans have redirected their anger and worry about the possibility of underachieving toward our show, and particularly my criticism of their free agency to this point. By the way, one week of it has passed so far, and grades were very loosely applied, I just want to leave that there. Last year people were mad that I was worried about their defense. I'll just leave it there. One person even told me that I was too hard on the team because they did while considering their situation entering free agency, to which I say, the same front office created the situation that they are now navigating. Both can be true. And I did talk about how much higher I am on the DJ more trade than like probably the general consensus of said trade. I love DJ Moore, I think he's fantastic. So allow this to be maybe the one and only time I explained the root of my criticism. Nicely done, Air, you only need to give him a minute. I am not sorry for wanting more for you, guys. I love the Bills, particularly the fan base, and you have one of the best quarterbacks we've seen and we'll see in our generation. And I want you to know what it feels like to walk into to a season and feel inevitable, not worried about roster holes or depth or what happens if or we still needs. I don't want the same patterns and the same results for you. I want you, guys to know you're going for it with everything you've got. I want you to feel the sweet, pure heat of what it means to fly so close to the surface of the sun that you must either win a Super Bowl or melt into the abyss. I want you to feel alive. My message to Bills.

00:40:31
Speaker 3: There is music came in because the first it wanted to pep talking. Do people get in the face push it.

00:40:37
Speaker 1: They are in a tough spot and they do feel a lot. I think that's a great that's a great shout out there. It was I saw ethan hawk on the red carpet of the Oscars.

00:40:47
Speaker 4: To love is all that matters, he was saying. And I and I love idly love the Bills, And that's why I'm hard on that.

00:40:55
Speaker 1: That the sun doesn't care if the grass is noticing, it's sunshine, It's it's just and yet, yeah, the Bills are in a kind of the toughest spot to be as a sports fan, where it's like, you have these incredibly high expectations and yet you're very defensive about anyone poking holes at you. And yet there might be a little part of your heart that has a nagging feeling that the best.

00:41:15
Speaker 4: Is But I think it comes out of love. Yeah, and maybe misdirected and misappropriated love turning into anger, which welcome to relationships, folks, But that just I'm just I'm just gonna leave it there, because that is I love the Bills hard, and I want more for them. I'm talking to my friend in a troubled relationship.

00:41:35
Speaker 1: They've done their best, I think in the Josh Allen era in the seasons that had lowered expectations, which maybe this will be one of them. Although I checked and they are pretty significantly heavily favored to beat the Patriots in that division, for instance, and there's still one.

00:41:50
Speaker 2: Of those teams. Okay, they got rid of the problem.

00:41:52
Speaker 1: Speaking of feeling alive and celebrating and being in the moment, I did not intend for this to happen. But as we were taping, I have some massive news out of Indianapolis. The Colts have signed Nick Westbrook Akine and that means it's over. We could call it Patrick at best. Can get one play the music?

00:42:26
Speaker 2: Please?

00:42:27
Speaker 1: Oh thank you again. I am the matchmaker King.

00:42:31
Speaker 3: I should have kept him in the division. It's in the same division his whole career. What am I doing?

00:42:36
Speaker 1: I want the music. Let's get out of here. Please. What a week really fun making shows with you. I wanted to be celebratory. This thing's over. What a great idea. A big win for you, Patrick, and you're acting, Chops. A big win for you as executive producer. You're going to get all the residuals and a big win for the listeners forgetting such great shows. I'll we will see out Monda