Does Kyler Make the Vikings a Contender?

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Welcome to NFL Daily, where I'm ready to be hurt by the Kyler Murray Minnesota Vikings. I'm Greg Rosenthal back in my garage for the first time since Sunday night when I talked to Nick Shook, and we got a whole new league since then, and we got good timing like we've had all week long. By getting Kyler Murray to the Vikings into the show Nick Shook. Kyler decided to not consider a backup choice or you know, playing for the Rams or some backup place where he could mess around for a year. He decided to take the potential starting job that was right in front of him and signed during his visit to Minnesota.

00:00:46
Speaker 2: Are you as excited as I am?

00:00:48
Speaker 3: Well, I think I'm more of a hater because yesterday I was it. Yesterday it was to everything's blurring together. Kyler was officially released by the Cardinals. That was yesterday, and immediately the reports came out that yes, the Vikings are the favorites to land in, but he is considering other teams. Twenty four hours later, he is a Viking. The team announced it right after it was reported. At what point did you sleep and at what point did you consider the other teams. Why did we include that in there? We knew you were going to Minnesota. Of course you're going to go there and compete for the starting job and take it from JJ McCarthy and revive your career under Kevin O'Connell. I love the fit, But why do we do these? But the semantics of it all, why do we do well?

00:01:28
Speaker 1: Because other teams probably were interested. Jordan, you know, mentioned the rams as a possibility, and then I saw that out there in some other spots, and look, you don't know what it's like shook.

00:01:39
Speaker 2: Neither do I really, Although I haven't that, I think.

00:01:42
Speaker 1: To be looking up into the eyes of Kevin O'Connell and Kyler Murray definitely is that. And listening to KOC say whatever magical words he says to quarterbacks that just makes them all fall in love with him and want to.

00:01:57
Speaker 2: Be marriaged by him.

00:01:57
Speaker 1: Defeat right, you don't know what it's like to be there in person talking to that man. And then once that happens, it's over. And that's when he agreed, So you know, your whatever plans you had before that, it's over.

00:02:11
Speaker 2: Kevin O'Connell closes the deal.

00:02:13
Speaker 3: So you're saying he's charismatic, some might even say seductive on a football side.

00:02:20
Speaker 1: Interesting, I just mean he he has a way because he is that quarterback who didn't have the career that he wanted despite being you know, a third round draft pick by the Patriots, and he certainly has a way I think of making quarterbacks feel like he's going to maximize their skills. And so let's get into the fit because I'm going to operate like he's the starting quarterback. We'll be talking about it plenty. I'm sure between now and September. The Vikings aren't just going to announce him as the starting quarterback. He is only making one point three million dollars, that's the minimum, because the Cardinals are paying him thirty six million dollars, you know, to not play for them, and so because of the offset language, you know, he just gets this small amount from Minnesota. So usually I look to the money first, and the money doesn't really tell us much. I just looked to the experience that Kyler Murray has and the fact that they gave him a no tag agreement on this contract, which is really interesting and I think a concession to him, And I just think in any fair competition he is likely to win the job. Now there has been some thought that maybe it's like not the best fit in the world. JJ McCarthy not great throwing over to the middle of the field. What's been the biggest criticism of Kyler Murray in his career, not thrown over the middle of the field. What do you think about how Kyler fits with this roster and with what Kevin O'Connell wants to do.

00:03:43
Speaker 3: I think that we get a more evolved product at quarterback, but not necessarily that much different from McCarthy because of what you just said. Kyler, who has proven that he has the talent to succeed in the NFL but has been inconsistent, does not overcome adversity at times, but is a better passer, a more natural passer, a more accurate passer than JJ McCarthy has proven in his short time in the NFL. You know what's a problem when your coach is talking about again marrying your eyes with your feet throughout your second season as you struggle with accuracy, and it's kind of chaotic in the pocket for JJ at times, just because his form is not his fundamentals are not there. Whereas Kyler has it. He's had that for a long time. That's been one of his strengths. It's just a matter of does he not try to put the team on his back? Does he get the third and long and just chuck up a prayer like can he be put into a system that gives him more advantageous opportunities and then he doesn't have to be that guy because we saw glimpses of this. I mean, I still think back a couple of years ago when they obliterated the Rams and Kyler's running all over the field and just putting the entire Los Angeles defense in a pretzel. That's the potential of him. And I think if you pair him with the right coach, and I think Kevin O'Connell is. Oh and by the way, Justin Jefferson's on that team.

00:04:51
Speaker 4: T J.

00:04:51
Speaker 3: Hockinson took a pay cut to come back, Like this is a team that is still ready made in a number of ways to be successful, that this can be the piece that then brings you back up to contender stef which is what they certainly weren't with their many issues at quarterback last year.

00:05:03
Speaker 1: I just think about how they won fourteen games with good quarterback play in twenty twenty four Sam Darnold. And then I think about how they won nine games last year with really poor quarterback play. And I don't think it's crazy for Vikings fans and people like myself that just want to watch good football to think, yeah, they're a contender. They're a contender in the NFC North, because we've already seen this team. And I know they had to cut Jonathan Allen and Hargrave and Harrison Smith might be retiring. It's not everything's not the same on defense. It's hard to keep that group together. But we've seen good quarterback play. This team is going to be a playoff team. And the funny thing is how Kyler Murray has just been lumped in with like kind of these afterthoughts and cast offs, and I sometimes think people kind of got to remember what Kyler Murray's done in his career. He was the offensive Rookie of the Year his first year, you know, you throwing for almost four thousand yards as a rookie, and like he was up and down, but he was a very productive player. And then in his years twenty three and twenty four seasons, they were a solid team, like they're a five hundred team or better.

00:06:04
Speaker 2: They were. They were good. Actually his third year.

00:06:06
Speaker 1: He was nine and five when they were the starter, and he's running for eight hundred, seven hundred yards, he's throwing an extremely productive player. If you look at his stats, it actually doesn't look very inconsistent. What is inconsistent, to your point, is these streaks during seasons.

00:06:20
Speaker 2: He can look like an MVP.

00:06:22
Speaker 1: Level player for a while and he's playing on so much instincts and maybe not having the feel of the position that then he goes into a slump for a month, and you hate that, not knowing what you're getting WEAKD week out of your quarterback. But overall, what you've gotten is a starting, freaking quarterback that shows a lot of talent. And I think guys like Sean McVay and Kevin will kind of look at a talent like that and think, Yeah, that's not in the bucket of the JJ mccarthyes right now, or a Gino Smith or any of these other guys that are available, Like, that's something exciting we can build an offense around. And now he has the whole offseason to build that offense.

00:06:55
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I just think about the the hero plays, or not the hero plays, but the great moments for him. I also think about when they came back from injury, what was it, twenty twenty four, and the Cardinals were a much better team down the stretch because he was in there. This is It's funny you said he gets lumped in with some of the you know, afterthought quarterbacks, and I think it's largely a product of timing, Like he gets lumped in with Tua because they both were right by other teams that are moving on from you. Those are not the same quarterbacks by any stretch of the imagination. You would not be fired up if you were a Vikings fan and you found out you were getting to a tongue by load to compete with JJ McCarthy. You'd be accepting that, oh god, well, we're gonna get averageor worse unless JJ takes a big step. This is better than that by many strides. But I also think about how at certain times Kyler is just not as consistent streaky, like you said, of a quarterback throughout his career. I believe that situation matters a lot. Let's go into the last two seasons with Kyler. This past season that he basically needed to prove that he could still be the Cardinals quarterback. The year before, it was Oh, I'm gonna run more or I'm gonna run less. That's been like the annual thing is I'm going to do more of this or more of that and change my play style. What if you could just be yourself in a system that actually fits you or is it better compliments you. I believe that he was in a bad situation in Arizona dating back to the end of the Cliff Kingsbury era, and that if you put him in the right situation, he will be much more, much closer to the number one overall pick that you thought you were getting in Arizona than what he's been over the last few years. But I don't think the streakiness will ever go away. I think that's just part of his game, kind of like it is with Baker Mayfield.

00:08:24
Speaker 2: I think that's fair, And I think the rushing question is a big one. Did not run that much last year.

00:08:32
Speaker 1: Relatively actually the last few years has been pretty consistent in terms of yards per game. He's still a six yards per carry runner as a pro. And I think as he gets older twenty nine years old, obviously not the biggest guy. You know, he has done a good job avoiding hits, but probably he's going to run less and how does he transition as he gets older. But I just think of the talent and the situation around him. Here's the situation if the defense plays to its potential and they do have some questions. I like the James Pierre pickup by the way at cornerback and never mentioned that on the show. They have some questions, But if they can stay anywhere near where they've been the last couple of years, that's gonna make a quarterback look better. You have Justin Jefferson at receiver, you have Jordan Addison at receiver. You have one of the better looking offensive lines the Vikings have had over the last few years. Brian O'Neil and Christian Darisa. You hope you get healthier seasons out of those two.

00:09:23
Speaker 2: TJ.

00:09:24
Speaker 1: Hockinson is back, Aaron Jones' back. Like, it's not all perfect. I need Kevin O'Connell to actually have a good running game instead of just talking about it, which has been the case. But overall, there's a lot of support where if he's just average I'm into it. I think it's gonna be a fun team, and I just think about what's going to be watchable. The Vikings are going to be in primetime, you know they are, So give me some Kyler versus Caleb, Kyler versus Jordan Love or the Lions. Like, it's just gonna be better for us, I think to be watching these games, whether he ends up driving Vikings fans crazy or not.

00:10:00
Speaker 3: I think, as we kind of tie a bow on this segment here in this news I think back to our friend of the show, Justin Jefferson, what he talked about with us on Radio Row in which he admitted that he was frustrated last year and that him and JJ McCarthy had a lot of work to do in the offseason. But he also kind of pointed toward, like JJ has a lot of work to do too, Justin Jefferson's got to be really excited to play with Kyler Murray in twenty twenty six, and I'm excited to watch it.

00:10:25
Speaker 1: Yes, that is a great point to make, and not only am I happy because of the entertainment value. This was a hit on the Matchmaker game. If you've been listening to our podcast, it's a big contest, a big prize, a twenty five dollars gift card to Amazon, two minutes and forty seven seconds uninterrupted to talk about what they want on the show, which I kind of take advantage of almost every time that I speak, and potentially some chicken wings.

00:10:54
Speaker 2: So right now I have a one match advantage.

00:10:57
Speaker 1: There are a couple players hanging out there, but this could be decisive. Let's get to Max, because he's led every show. We spent like twenty minutes on Max and Trey on Wednesday show. It won't be that long this time, but to kind of close the book, at least for now. It was very interesting to see the Max Crosby tweet that said he is back. Everything happens for a reason. Believe nothing you hear in half of what you see.

00:11:25
Speaker 2: I'm a raider. I'm back. Run that. You know what.

00:11:31
Speaker 1: That quote. Believe nothing you hear in half of what you see. I will owe you a beer the next time I see you, shook. If you can tell me where that comes.

00:11:41
Speaker 3: From, I have no idea, but he definitely cribbed it from somewhere. Well.

00:11:44
Speaker 1: I figured it was like John Cena or something like that, but no, it's on point.

00:11:49
Speaker 2: It's from Edgar Allan Poe.

00:11:52
Speaker 1: Quote the raven nevermore on point, on topic. Max Crosby like sending little messages through through his tweets, and I think this actually was newsworthy. He went to the Raiders' facility on Wednesday already, like started talking to people inside the building. The reporting from NFL Network and other insiders are that right now the plan is to keep Max Crosby as a member of the Raiders. I think it makes sense for both sides right now. And part of the reason I think it makes sense is the reporting indicates, Look, the Raiders were trading him in large part because Max Crosby was banging a drum so hard to get out. Now, after everything that happens happened, and he still has, you know, some time to get healthy. He kind of made it clear to the Ravens that he would be all in now on coming back. Maybe that's because of all the players that they added. Maybe it's just because this was an unfortunate week. Maybe it's because he's not healthy. Maybe it's just the Raiders aren't going to be able to get the right price for him, and he feels like this is a sign either way, It sounds at for now like he is off the trade block.

00:13:03
Speaker 3: I liken this too, when you have a breakup and you're out there on the market again and you get a feel for what the new experiences might be, and then you kind of circle back and you're like, you know what, maybe what was out there the grass wasn't always greener. Maybe I actually kind of liked what I had before. Because Max Crosby coming back to the Raiders after they traded him away and essentially granted his wish doing an about face of sorts and being like, you know what, I got burned by another team. Let me go back to the team that didn't necessarily burn me. Maybe I should value them more. I'm ready to do it. But I think a lot of it really had to do with how they operated this week in free agency. If you look at their depth chart just on the defensive side alone, and you've got four new starters, and it's an area that they desperately needed to address, as well as you know, overpaying, we can all admit overpaying for Tyler Lindebaum to shore up the center position, and you hope that you have a better, more complete team now so it's a little bit more attractive for him to come back, and plus he doesn't have to move the pack up stuff go back to the house. He already knows.

00:13:57
Speaker 1: Right, and he could kind of proved to the rest of the league in Vegas that he's the guy that he used to be and see how this season goes. And I could see him kind of embracing just the storyline. He's always seemed a little bit like a WWE superhero, like larger than life characters, kind of writing the story about himself as he's you know, making it happen. And when I saw that tweet shook, I kind of thought, this is this is kind of perfect if you're writing the Max Crosby story, like the crowd pop that he's gonna get in Vegas, if he has an awesome season for the Raiders, it'll be a little legendary that he went like. It'll be one of the first things you think about, and it'll make him even more like mister Raider. I can totally I could just totally see it all.

00:14:48
Speaker 3: I could envision the buck God that's Crosby's music and he comes out in the crowd roars. I could see them doing this honestly, like not to the same degree, but you know, when they announced the team out of the tunnel in their first game at home, where he's the last guy out of the tunnel, the smoke's going off and the crowds rises to their feet and they applaud him because despite all the difficulties that they've endured over the last few months or even the last few years, and at the end, they're all in this together and this is their leader, this is their hero, the guy that they wanted, and he has recommitted himself to the Raiders, which always makes a fan base feel appreciated.

00:15:19
Speaker 1: I'll look forward to more reporting on what went down between him and Mark Davis and everything that he's gonna say, because if I hear that there is kind of a promise that like, Okay, let's just we're backing this together for this season, then I'll put my thoughts aside that like, hey, some team could come calling on Draft Day, or they could come calling in August and things would change. But I think if they kind of spoke to each other, they've had a long enough relationship, I believe that that's sticking. You mentioned going out kind of into the marketplace, like you know, significant other and then realizing maybe it's not all it's cracked up to be. Do you know, do you have any personal experience with that?

00:15:58
Speaker 3: I mean maybe, but we'll keep that off off show, off record for now. You know, everybody, everybody's experience, everybody's understood what's going on, what's out there, and where they could be better. So we'll leave it there.

00:16:10
Speaker 4: Uh.

00:16:11
Speaker 1: You mentioned Linderbaum and him joining the Raiders. Of course it was a lot of money there. You know, they did the whole graphics thing on Thursday. Linderbaum's in the building that is that is like a thick necked man. Him and John Spytech, you know, shaking hands and he he just paints the picture of an Iowa center. Let's listen to Tyler Linde Bram talk about what he wants to do as a member of the Raiders.

00:16:44
Speaker 4: Know his offensive lineman. Uh, you know that's that's gotta be our bread and butter is to be able to run the football. It helps things set up for different things for success. And you know the O line play. It's it's it's a mindset. It's having the right attitude of you know, determination of what we're trying to do to the defense and takes all five guys being on the same page. So super excited to get with the with the guys in the building and kind of work towards you know, our goals.

00:17:14
Speaker 1: Hmmm, that's a that's a thick with a double C young man there. Uh, he makes your neck look small.

00:17:19
Speaker 2: I mean that things. That thing's enormous.

00:17:22
Speaker 3: Yeah, he's got he's got f one neck. And I also would love to see him in a shirt and tie because I want to know what's collar sizes. It's got to be like at the end of the spectrum there just to fit in there.

00:17:31
Speaker 2: It's crazy.

00:17:32
Speaker 1: And I thought it was interesting seeing the response in Baltimore losing Linderbaum. You see Kyle Hamilton, you know, with the like crying emoji, you know, seeing this picture up about the Raiders, you see different former teammates that are really sad to see him go. And I think that's gotten lost a little bit in the shuffle here. How much the Ravens are going to miss him, and how much they now have a hole in their roster without him. Let's talk about you mentioned all the players that are now going to be playing around Max Crosby. Let's listen to quay Walker talk about why he came to the Raiders and what he thinks possibly about his new teammate.

00:18:13
Speaker 5: Having him and Quitty, the ball probably gonna come out fast, so it kind of helps us on the back end, I'll say the rest of the run as well. Those are two guys that can do a lot, especially with him. His athleticism is so much that he can do and intensity that he played with. Honestly, I just love his play style and I can't wait to play alongside him and honestly, just to match his energy day in and day out. That's all I got to say. I think Mass Crosby, his name and his play speak for itself.

00:18:42
Speaker 2: Quay Walker like he's fired up.

00:18:45
Speaker 1: He wasn't probably expecting to play with with Max Crosey, but it really does sound like the opportunity to play with his old college teammate quay Walker with Nikobe Dean was a big reason why why he ended up going to the Raiders.

00:18:56
Speaker 3: Yeah, reuniting to Georgia guys that were stars for the Bulldogs makes a lot of sense as you try to reconstruct a defense when they The funny thing is they both signed it was both a reporter about the same time, almost as if it was a weird package deal of free agency. Addition, I think it.

00:19:11
Speaker 1: Was I think it was him making a decision at the last second, because it sounded like the Cowboys offered Na Kobe Dean at least more money, but Kway Walker was already like in first and he was like, no, I want to go there. Eric Stokes is there, just resigned too, and just it sounded like it just felt comfortable for.

00:19:24
Speaker 3: Him, following the old Howie method. Just pile up a bunch of Georgia Bulldogs and a bunch of guys that teams have spent high picks on. Now, Dean wasn't a first round pick, but Walker was, Eric Stokes was, and and you know, high picks guys that they value. And it makes sense because like you need to accrue talent, and so you go and your crew proven talent. And but again, I think Crosby is the piece that really attracts everybody more than anything. Obviously it didn't happen in that order, but now that this is the reality that they exist in, it just makes it that much more interesting and exciting. But I will say this, I love the black and white like monochrome approach to their attires, the joining the silver and black Kway Walker's T shirt. Though, this is why you should watch on YouTube. Are tall TI's coming back? That looked like it was like halfway to a talty Like it's two thousand and three again and dem franchise boys are blowing up the top.

00:20:11
Speaker 2: Four paying it to this old man.

00:20:12
Speaker 3: What's the massively oversized T shirt that was yeah, early two thousands.

00:20:17
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, that's it's back.

00:20:19
Speaker 1: Honestly, I think it's coming from from Japan and Asia because because that's been that's been the style for years. And uh, the youngins, we're bringing it all back. Like the huge baggy pants, it's all coming back to the late nineties, early two thousands.

00:20:37
Speaker 2: I love it.

00:20:38
Speaker 1: A big baggy pant doesn't always look the best on like a short guy, but I'll do it anyways.

00:20:42
Speaker 3: It doesn't look good on me either, better than better.

00:20:45
Speaker 2: Than like a better than type jeans.

00:20:47
Speaker 1: All right, Let's go through some of the moves that happened since we last taped. And they're smaller nature, but I find a lot of them really interesting. Keaton Mitchell, the former Ravens running back who was not tendered by Baltimore, gets five million dollars guaranteed to go to the Chargers. That that amount of money actually opened my eyes. I mean that's more than some other running backs out there in this market and showed that there was real competition for Keaton Mitchell and an interesting piece there to kind of add to a young backfield, you know, behind their first round pick from a year ago.

00:21:24
Speaker 3: It also fills out a backfield with a bunch of different running backs of like various archetypes, like you have Hampton who's explosive but also big. You got Kamani Vidal who's a bowling ball, you know, powerback style, and then you've got Mitchell, who's a home run hitting, you know, speedster, a guy that you know in Baltimore at his best was capable of hitting home runs but never saw a ton of carries. The most he saw was actually this past season at fifty nine attempts for three and forty one yards in a touchdown. It was curious when they didn't tender him. But the Ravens feel like they're making a shift in how they're approaching a lot of their roster. So for him to get to the open market. It's the perfect fit for the Chargers to go at other running back because we know that the Chargers want to run the football so much that they went out and quickly added Charlie Coohlar as a high quality blocking tight end as well. So it's clear what they want to do. We've already known this from the last couple of years, and they're just investing further in it.

00:22:14
Speaker 1: Yeah, when I talked about the Chargers on our previous show, I kind of forgot to mention that they signed Cole Strange, gave gave him a bunch of money, the former Dolphin. So it's interesting that that Mike McDaniel. You can see his influence. It really looks all about the running game, and he loves speed when it comes to the running game. Let's talk about the Bengals, who made a couple moves on Thursday. They signed Jonathan Allen, the longtime Washington player who spent last year in Minnesota, two years, twenty eight million dollars, plenty of guaranteed money.

00:22:43
Speaker 2: They also extend.

00:22:44
Speaker 1: Their tackle Orlando Brown, their left tackle there through twenty twenty eight, so he gets a two year extension. He was not a free agent but they extend him out. He represented himself, by the way, you know, all the agents who get the credit on those tweets. How about Orlando Brown negotiating contract by himself. A little surprised to me they're spending this much money on Jonathan Allen. Both Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, who are in their thirties and had one disappointing season in Minnesota, each got released by the Vikings kind of in cap moves, but they also didn't do much there and they both got raises. Big names I guess still get paid on the open market.

00:23:25
Speaker 6: You know.

00:23:25
Speaker 3: I think that they have entered the rare era of official bag getters, especially Hargrave, but Allan now too. I mean, he had a three year, fifty one million dollar deal with the Vikings that was terminated in twenty twenty after the twenty twenty five seasons, so after one year. But he was a four year, seventy two million dollar guy in Washington. That was his second contract sign and now he's getting another nice little bag. So he's gonna end up with a pretty high career earnings total.

00:23:49
Speaker 1: When the Bengals, I gave him some pop on day one of free agency because I really liked the two moves that they made and then and that was Brian Cook the safety and Boy Mafe, and then they didn't literally didn't make any other moves until this one.

00:24:05
Speaker 2: And this is just like a lot of bunny when they have so many.

00:24:09
Speaker 1: Needs, I would have preferred to see them spread this out a little bit. And I know that they'll sign some players throughout free agency, but they're still very old school where they frontload everything because they're trying to get to a salary cap floor and they desperately need linebacker help. I think they need to take more shots on their defensive line instead of putting it all in like an aging defensive tackle.

00:24:34
Speaker 2: They need help in the secondary.

00:24:35
Speaker 1: I think they need a third receiver, they could use some interior offensive line depth.

00:24:39
Speaker 2: It's just a lot, so we'll see.

00:24:41
Speaker 1: I'm not going to grade them, you know, right now, but this was a curious contract to me. I did see a report, by the way, by Jordan Schultz. I haven't seen it out here elsewhere that Cater Kohu is going to the Chiefs, a guy I wanted to make sure to get into my top one hundred because of all the re signings. He ended up around eighty in the seventies. Good slot cornerback, and I kind of liked that mix with him and Steve Spagnola. The Chiefs have not done a lot this offseason, but the move and they have a lot of holes, so I'm still concerned, but the moves that they have made I have enjoyed between this and Kenneth Walker, especially.

00:25:16
Speaker 3: Yeah co Who. I was actually trying to pair him while working on that piece beforehand, and then was running through some depth charts and saw him up here on the chief step chart and I was like, wait what, And that's what led me to discover the report that you just mentioned. He was the guy that a lot of teams, you know, a lot of people saw as like a pretty like a really good and surprising good cornerback a couple of years ago, and then he missed his WHO last season due to injury. It's almost like it just fell off the table and out of the consciousness because he didn't play this year. So a savvy pick up for them for a Chiefs team that has lost a good amount of players in the secondary of this offseason. I was immediately pairing them with the best available defensive backs, so to see him go there, it made a lot of sense. Good pick up for them.

00:25:55
Speaker 2: Yeah, I liked it a lot.

00:25:57
Speaker 1: I also like the Commander's pickup of Rashad White, who's a really good pass protecting back, a really good receiver. He played receiver in college. He's a fine running back. He's not incredibly explosive. He's almost like the third down version of like I who am I trying to compare it, maybe like a Kyron Williams or even a James White, like you're not going to get like the long speed.

00:26:23
Speaker 2: But he's not similar to Kirien Williams.

00:26:25
Speaker 1: But I mean like the third down version where you're not going to get like the plus twenty five plays. But I really like him a lot, and it continues a theme that I've enjoyed this Commando's off season. Between the kind of the mid tier signings, there's been some signings I don't really love, a Da FAOI costs a lot of money, Charles Amena who didn't make sense. But they're doing what I'm asking for, which is just make a lot of moves in volume, and especially younger players and Rashad White I think fits that need He'll probably be their backup. I don't know who their starter is going to be. Maybe it's Jeremiah Love in Commanders fans dreams if he fell to numbers, But I think Rashad White will be a nice number two. And the Commandos fans are thirsty. You know how I know that shook because I put out a video that I like their offseason moves and it's gone crazy. And that's how, you know, like the fan base is just ready just say something nice about us, and we got we got, like, you know, thousands of likes on.

00:27:18
Speaker 3: That they'd like in the desert. They just want a drop of water to keep them alive and keep them hopeful going into the next year. And you know what, they could be a team that makes a big jump for one year the next because it was so disappointed last year. They also didn't have Jane Daniels healthy. They still have holes to fill, though, and they still have the most cap space in the NFL at sixty six million according to Over the Cap. As we record this show, I mean, I'm looking at you know, slot receiver, one of the offensive line spots. What are you doing with Zach Ertz? I know you added Chigo kon Quo, but zach Ertz was a surprisingly big part of your offense over the last year and a half two years, you added what five different starters defensively, but you still have depth guys that are on their way out. What are you going to do with this larger picture? But I do agree with a lot of these additions. You overpay for oay based on the seven and a half sacks you got with the Chargers. Whatever you add Chase On, who I think was a savvy pickup on a one year deal, because then you're like, all right, look, he's coming off of his career year. Can he do it again? For us? It's low risk leoshanal guy who's proven in Kansas City, Nick Cross, proven from Indianapolis. You just kind of keep going step by step and filling these little bit holes. But because they have so much that they still need to address, it's good to have the cap space because, like you said, you don't know if White will be the starter. You got Bill Krosky Merritt back there. You got a bunch of other guys that are all free agents as well, so you still need to add to the groups on both sides of the ball, but it's good work on their part.

00:28:34
Speaker 1: I think they've they're now entering the draft without like screaming huge needs where they just feel totally desperate. Their defense looks so much better on paper than it did a week ago.

00:28:45
Speaker 2: I think they can be competitive again right away.

00:28:47
Speaker 1: And these are mostly guys in their twenties that can be part of their team for two to three.

00:28:52
Speaker 2: Years instead of just like a one year deal.

00:28:55
Speaker 1: Speaking of redone deals, Landon Dickerson did a restructured contract the guard for the Eagles. It's a two year deal where he takes less money. Only mentioning on this on the show because they're just up to stuff. Dallas Goddard still hanging out there. They might redo his deal. They're trying to lower their numbers. It's why I have a show on the books for tomorrow, Shook is because I just feel like something's gonna pop here. There's still a few big moves to happen, and I think the Eagles are one of the teams that could possibly do it. Maybe it's a Jonathan Garnard trade and they're trying to clear spots for it.

00:29:30
Speaker 2: We'll see.

00:29:31
Speaker 1: Let's go to Arizona, where I just wanted to circle back on these stories that went out, including from NFL Networks Tom Beeli Serro that Jacoby Brissett was gonna be the clear QB one and that Gardner Minshe's gonna be the clear QB two. And there was multiple reports about this, and then Jacoby Brissett was contacted or maybe it was his agent, and he was like, well, that's news to me.

00:29:56
Speaker 2: No one's talked to me about that.

00:29:58
Speaker 1: Meanwhile, they also in their media room took took down Kyler Murray's picture and put up a Jacoby Brissett picture. Yeah, and it wasn't the media that did that, it was the team. And it's a big photo of him getting interviewed by Laura Rutlands after Monday Night football. And it just immediately reminds me of the whole Kyler Murray story too, where they're like, yeah, we're talking to Kyler all the time, and Kyler's like, nobody's stuck to me. And now what's happening again with Jacot, Like what is happening in Arizona?

00:30:28
Speaker 3: I just want to do this in the State Farness Stadium, the House of Lies. I guess like they're just putting small FIBs out there trying to look like they got everything under control when they maybe aren't as under control as they like us to believe. I mean, look, when you go into a new season, you got Jacoby Brissette as much as we love Jake Briskett, and you have Gardner Minshew as your other option. Neither are overly inspiring. But Jacoby did do a better job of his offense last season than Kyler did. Obviously, it's a whole new regime in terms of coaching staff. How do they fit that in? Is this the bridge to whatever lies ahead? Do you draft the quarterback as well as the developmental guy? None of it is awe inspiring or overly optimistic, but at least you have options. I guess I'll leave it at that.

00:31:08
Speaker 1: Okay, The keyword that you just said might have been lies. I just feel like there's a why are all these lies? Why are you? And if you're not lying about Jacobe being QB one, why haven't you.

00:31:19
Speaker 2: Talked to him about it? That that is some bad communication.

00:31:23
Speaker 3: It's one of those things where they're like internally they're like, all right, he's QB one, and then they're just like setting it. We'll tell him eventually, but right now we have more work to do.

00:31:31
Speaker 1: My theory is that they're still open to trading him and they're saying that he's QB one to like make.

00:31:37
Speaker 2: It seem like pushing the value up, you know, leverage.

00:31:40
Speaker 1: You know, they're in the middle of talking to him, and maybe it's with the Jets or I don't know who it would be, but just it's just been this has been happening too much in Arizona over the last few years. I did, like Isaac Sayamalu, who was the free agent guard they signed good, good, solid pickup, and he did his press conference and they asked him, well, why did you choose to come to Arizona And he started the answer by just going, well, the money, the money was good.

00:32:08
Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's like finally, thank you.

00:32:10
Speaker 1: And then he like knew how that would sound, and he went on to like, I want to win football game that he went on to all that stuff.

00:32:16
Speaker 2: It's like, yeah, they offered me the most money.

00:32:18
Speaker 3: That's so what I did like a couple of free agent pairings before free agency started for NFL dot Com, and one of them was Siamalo and it was I paired him with the Browns, and I just thought, if any if he's gonna cash in one more time, it's gonna be with a bad team that needs offensive line help. And I'm thinking, like Brown's, Cardinals like that, that all fits the same mold. So good on him for being honest. And you're like, hey, look, I think he's thirty two years old. I'm trying to get my bag. I got my bag. I'm happy about it. Let's go play football, right.

00:32:44
Speaker 1: It really is going to be his last contract, And you know, the Browns did hand out those contracts for a couple guys, Elton Jenkins, who I think was like a fantastic value but gave him a lot of money, and Titus Howard, and they've now they've got four fifths of an offensive line.

00:32:58
Speaker 2: Let's take a quick break.

00:32:59
Speaker 1: We'll come back a couple more stories Mike Evans Malik Willis in their introductory pressers, and then a fun little segment.

00:33:07
Speaker 2: Where where we pair some players off back in a minute.

00:33:18
Speaker 1: Back on NFL Daily. We've got a new starting quarterback in Miami. It's been a quiet offseason in Miami. They did make a signing, however, on Thursday. I think it was their second free agent signing of outside the organization to two at well as a member of the Miami Dolphins. But that's not what we're going to talk about right now. We're going to talk about Malik Willis at his introductory press conference as a real deal. I don't know if we want to call them a franchise quarterback quite yet, but we're going to call them a starting quarterback.

00:33:51
Speaker 7: I don't think I put a timeline on it. I think it happened when I was prepared. I think when I came in the league, I wasn't prepared. And that's not a noctwart coach myself. That's just what it was coming from the system I came from. And I've had a chance to learn in the last four years since I've been the league and went through four different offenses and seeing a bunch of different defenses, and i just think I've grown a lot and I'm grateful for the opportunity.

00:34:16
Speaker 1: And once again, he sounded really grateful, yeah, throughout the press conference for the chance that he's going to have.

00:34:24
Speaker 2: And it's great.

00:34:25
Speaker 1: This is how it's supposed to work at quarterback in some levels, like the guys who are supposed to be projects Land eventually with the right coach that can help develop him, and I'm excited to watch him play for the Dolphins. I really think it's a good move for them, not just because I ranked him number one overall, but because it asks flexibility, like if he does great, great, and if he's somewhere in the middle or below, like they'll be still looking at, you know, young players in the draft next year.

00:34:50
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was the right fit for them given that they had to shed so much salary cap space this offseason and really have nothing else to work with after making a couple of additions. It gives you a short term answer with an aspiring franchise quarterback who may or may not actually become that with a lot of upside, a lot of potential displayed in the brief appearances he's made for the Packers. We always obviously look back at that game against the Ravens as his best performance, one that really proved that he has these talents that we saw coming out of Liberty and then he could apply them in the NFL level. But now it's about doing it over the full season and what's the group around you, like, Because so many of these quarterback moves, whether it's rookies coming out of the draft or it's free agent additions like Willis who's coming into a starting job for the first time. It really depends on what's around you. You have the best set in the NFL and Aaron Brewer, that's a big, big boost for you. But they still have other areas that they need to address. Like half of their offense in the passing game last year ended up relying on Darren Waller. Like that's not good enough, Like we can't rely on that alone. So they have other moves or at least additions that they need to make, either in freegency in the draft to be able to improve the situation around him. But more than anything, good for him to have the opportunity.

00:35:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, the situation is rough.

00:35:56
Speaker 1: I mean they don't have a second or third receiver right now. You mentioned Waller, he's a free agent. They've lost some free agents at tight end and in general. I know they brought back Greg Doulcage. It is not a great looking group next to him, but him and Devin Hn together should be fun. Mike Evans in San Francisco should be fun. I really was taken by his press conferences it really sounded like he was dead set on leaving the Bucks, that it was maybe more Mike Evans decision than it was the Bucks decision.

00:36:28
Speaker 2: Let's listen to him doing his own research.

00:36:31
Speaker 8: Actually, well, first off, I did my research on a lot of teams that I was looking at. I was looking at, you know, contenders, guys with good quarterbacks, obviously, so I was looking at here, Buffalo Bill's, you know, teams that needed a number one rod receiver. But when I got on I like this place, this is my number one spot on my own And then I talked to John and Kyle and it's solidified it for me.

00:36:59
Speaker 1: If I'm a fan like Eric Roberts, I'm not feeling great listening to that, especially after we just gave twenty nine million guaranteed to Bradley Chubb, which the longer I've sat with it feels like one of the worst contracts in free agency. Should have just broke out the back for Mike Evans who clearly wasn't getting monster offers and try to change his mind. You got Josh Allen close that deal.

00:37:19
Speaker 3: You know, Well, let's think about it, like, if your priorities as a receiver are good quarterback, winning team, like contender, good coaching staff. All those boxes are checked in San Francisco. One of those boxes are checked in Buffalo because you have a new head coach in charge who used to be the play caller, and you are a contending team, but you have a new coaching staff. So like kind of a.

00:37:38
Speaker 2: Two box, it's a contending team, it's a contending it's.

00:37:41
Speaker 3: A check and a half, you know, like if it's an next it's a one line instead of both lines of the X. So yeah, I would choose San Francisco too. The idea that he said I am. I feel like they were a piece away and I am that piece, which first off, confidence meeter through the roof. Good for you, Mike Evans. You've earned that right to say that. But I also would like to see him stay healthy throughout the season because the downside to the Niners and their reputation over the last few years is that they get hurt almost more than any team in the NFL. And Mike Evans's reputation, for as great as he is and how he'll be in Canton one day, is that tricky hamstring always pops up. And then last year added in the concussion and the broken clavicle, and you know it ended up being a pile of injuries. So he's got to stay healthy. They got to stay healthy to really maximize this. It makes a lot of sense when you compare it against the Bills. But I'm also like, it was the situation in Tampa that bad that it drove you like San Francisco is where I want to go after so many years in Tampa.

00:38:36
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:38:36
Speaker 1: There was something that he also said about the fans, and I think Bucks fans are in their feelings saying like this almost feels like shots at the Bucks.

00:38:44
Speaker 2: I don't think it's about that.

00:38:45
Speaker 1: I think it's about a guy who's done everything you can possibly.

00:38:50
Speaker 2: Do in his career with the Bucks, and you know, it's.

00:38:54
Speaker 1: Still playing at a high level, and it felt like the Bucks are just running back and just wanting a new challenge, maybe to motivate himself. That's what it sounded like, like, Hey man, putting myself in an uncomfortable new situation, that this is gonna make me be more motivated instead of just doing the same thing year after. You make me more excited. Not unlike what Tom Brady once did. You know when he went from New England to damp although that wasn't exactly his choice. It was more that Bill Belichick was a stiff At the time.

00:39:24
Speaker 2: I thought it was a good decision. It wasn't.

00:39:26
Speaker 1: Dre Greenlaw is also coming back to the forty nine or seven point five million dollars. If that's actually seven point five million dollars, I'm stunned considering his injury history. Obviously he adds some hood spots to that defense and some hitting, but considering how little he's played over the last couple of years, how he's kind of been erratic even when he has played that that seems like an emotional contract that they gave him. Speaking of emotions, I might be a little teary eyed on on the Alvin Kamara retirement day.

00:39:57
Speaker 2: If that's coming soon? Is it come and soon? Kellen Moore, let's ask him.

00:40:02
Speaker 8: He's your expectation right now?

00:40:03
Speaker 2: That albums part of a part of the things.

00:40:07
Speaker 6: Yeah, we like to We like to go through that process certainly, and so we feel obviously we we know album means a lot to us. You know, again, this is a or three days in this thing. We've signed Travis and we'll go through that process.

00:40:18
Speaker 2: Considering retirement.

00:40:21
Speaker 6: Uh, I'm not gonna get in all that stuff. I haven't had those conversations in any way.

00:40:25
Speaker 2: So Kellen Moore is so bad at lying, I give him credit.

00:40:29
Speaker 3: Did you see that look? Oh that look was so telling. Oh he froze for about half a second and he was like, oh God, what do I say?

00:40:37
Speaker 4: Uh?

00:40:37
Speaker 3: Non answer, Definitely considering retirement.

00:40:41
Speaker 1: Also, the first question was do you expect him on the team and his answer was, well, we're really looking forward to going through that process. You're looking forward to going through the process of figuring out that whether he's on the team, Like what's there to look forward anyways, that's.

00:40:55
Speaker 3: Like looking forward to jury duty, Like just figure it out exit.

00:40:58
Speaker 1: I think I think they have and their being respectful to Kamara, who's probably gonna want to announce it on his own timeline or maybe isn't totally sure, but is leaning that way. And they did all this contract chchinery that helped make that a little easier. James Gladstone of the Jaguars spoke about Brian Thomas Junior on Thursday and he said, we haven't gotten an offer for him. There hasn't been a lot of dialogue on that front, and we don't really have any action on that front, and said his only concern here was was Brian Thomas Junior. Reading all these potential reports, there's been so many different reports, it's a little too noisy. John Shipley, who does a great job on SI dot com covering the Jaguars, believes that, look, the price for Brian Thomas Junior would be very high for them to actually let go of him. And so that's why it seems like from the outside the team's trying to shut it down. All that said, you know, you get closer to the draft and that high price actually happens.

00:41:57
Speaker 2: I'm still on the lookout.

00:41:59
Speaker 1: These quotes to me, did do not necessarily shut down a potential trade.

00:42:03
Speaker 3: No, But logically I don't think a trade makes a ton of sense because he's still in a rookie contract. This is a team that's very up against it in cap space. In fact, they're in the negative right now according to over the Cap. They haven't made really any moves. They've added Chris Rodriguez to their backfield, that's about it. So they seem like a team that's pretty content with what they have. When they're willing to run it back. So why move a guy that's not costing you a ton of money on a rookie deal, who has the potential to be like a legitimate star receiver, had an incredible rookie season, took a step back last year, but aims to get back on track. He struggled with drops early. He also struggled with injuries. Later they found him a better role. He started to, you know, flourish in the second half of the season as they went on their hot streak. I just don't see any point in trading him unless you're getting an absolute godfather offer. It just doesn't make enough.

00:42:45
Speaker 2: First and a third. Would you do a first and a third first? No, for I would if you're if.

00:42:50
Speaker 1: I was, you replacing him with what you're or a good player in a in a second or whatever.

00:42:56
Speaker 2: I don't.

00:42:56
Speaker 1: I don't know if he is a perfect fit there and that's great value. I love Brian Thomas Junior though, so I'm just trying to wish it happening to go to a team that I want to see him on, like the New England.

00:43:06
Speaker 3: Patriots year give them a third year.

00:43:09
Speaker 1: Yeah, I should have mentioned when we talked Dolphins. I just thought this was interesting just for people following this stuff. Tua's release will cost the Dolphins forty three point eight million dollars on the cap next year. So they did not decide to take all of it this year. They really couldn't. But they also picked up, you know, an option bonus in his contract that made it so that they were pushing a little more into next year. So it's fifty five million dollars on the cap this year and then forty three point eight next year.

00:43:40
Speaker 2: This isn't really breaking news.

00:43:41
Speaker 1: I just wanted to spell it out how disastrous that freaking contract was.

00:43:46
Speaker 3: And as it currently stands, they have three starting jobs with filled by players who are free agents on the defensive side, and three starting jobs filled by players who are free agents on the offensive side, and they haven't made many moves and they don't have cap space to work with because they are taking that huge hit with Tua, which says they were so done with him that they were willing to kill a good portion of their cap not only this year but next year two just to move on and try to start anew with a different quarterback. And you know what, John Eric Sullivan, Jeff Hafley, I tip my cap to you, because that takes a lot of courage and the acceptance that you're probably not going to be that good immediately when you take over your new team.

00:44:23
Speaker 1: And they're not getting rid of players just to get rid of them. They're going to build around the good players that they have. I've liked everything that I've heard out of Miami. I just think it's going to take some time. I think when I looked at their roster, Josh Norris sent out a tweet that they still have six open starting jobs, and I went and looked at it, and I would approximate it add more like eight to nine. So this is a team that, even if Milik Willis plays well, should be in the mix for a top five pick. A quarterback can only do so much, but you never know. Some quick nuggets. The Ravens cut Cooper Rush, that was kind of a failed backup quarterback signing in a year ago. The Falcon signed Epson Ebucom who can still rest the passer a little bit. Bryce Huff is retiring, you know, just a couple of years removed from a big contract from the Eagles. Was with the forty nine ers last year. He's only twenty seven years old, but the game not in him anymore, and Tony Dungee is officially out at Football Night in America and NBC, they're making some changes to that group. Feels overdue. Always thought Tony Dungee was overrated on TV. Feels mean to say, but.

00:45:33
Speaker 3: Yeah, it didn't really make a lot of sense behind the microphone grab bag here though, I'm gonna start with Rush real quick. That fit never made sense when they added him. It didn't make sense when they relied on him. Whenlamar went down, it didn't make sense. And when Tyler Huntley came in and was superior to him, it even made less sense. And this makes this move. Yeah, you could see this coming from a mile away.

00:45:53
Speaker 2: Tylerbcom he's the man.

00:45:54
Speaker 3: Yeah, Snoop Ebicom had a pretty productive career at over multiple stops. I'll always remember he's obviously with the Falcons now, but I remember the role he played with the Rams. Don't forget those those Rams defenses when he made a difference for them back in the day.

00:46:07
Speaker 1: So, yeah, Samson's wat I said his name wrong before. And they're gonna need extra edge rushers because I don't think James Pearce is going to be playing football for them anytime soon, maybe maybe at all. All right, let's do a rapid fire segment. It is time for Charging into the offseason, presented by Apple Card for all your game day purchases. Nick, you have a piece coming up on NFL dot com, the best fits for remaining free agents.

00:46:31
Speaker 2: Little did you know we would use.

00:46:32
Speaker 1: That on the podcast as well and get the segment sponsored.

00:46:36
Speaker 2: Let's go back and forth.

00:46:38
Speaker 1: It's the same number, only two players left of my top forty overall. I think we're down to about twenty five to thirty players overall or left for my one oh one, and the majority of those are like eighty five to one oh one. But we're going to try to find the spiciest meatballs we can get and connect some players and teams here.

00:46:58
Speaker 3: Okay, so we are here, we'll go safety. We'll go to Kwon Brisker. I obviously lean on your top one on one to find some candidates here, and I believe that despite the fact that they don't have any money, the Minnesota Vikings are in the market for safeties. Yeah, Garrison Smith, you know, moving on there. Brisker is a player who I thought did a really good job for the most part in his time in Chicago and would be a value addition to a defense like Minnesota. He's still out there. We're obviously on the tail end of the first wave. Doesn't mean that you still can't get your money, but I think they might be able to come in at a semi affordable rate to add to that defense. They already added James Pierre at cornerback, so they are focusing some attention to it. They have needs over multiple spots. They don't have the cap space to work with right now, but they can you know, do some gymnastics to make it work. So I like that pairing first.

00:47:48
Speaker 1: He would be really fun on a Brian Flores defense. Yeah, I hate it for him. You know, I had him ranked in the you know, number forty five once all the re signings happened on the final list, so he's one of the higher players left on my list. Kind of regret ranking him that high. It's really about the concussions. Why I don't think he's going to get much money, why he hasn't had much of a market and it really it's just so unfortunate for him that it's costing him obviously time and health but also financially here as a free agent. All right, I will throw out one. Let's go Stefan Diggs. Can't you just see him as a member of the Baltimore Ravens.

00:48:24
Speaker 3: I had a hard time because he's like a top my list and I'm thinking, like, God, what teams need receivers? And then I'm like, oh my god, I know they just got DJ Moore, But would they entertain the idea of a reunion?

00:48:36
Speaker 2: Now?

00:48:37
Speaker 3: I think right, so, yes, the Baltimore Ravens makes the most sense. I could definitely see that being a fit natural progression.

00:48:44
Speaker 2: I had to think about it for a second.

00:48:46
Speaker 1: I was like, wait, has he already been on the Ravens, because you know he was the Texans and the Patriots, like he had some moments against the Ravens. I just can absolutely see that for what it's worth. Elliott Wolf the nominal Patriots GM, though I kind of believe it's Mike Rabel said on Thursday they would not rule out bringing stuff on Diggs back at a reduced rate, but I think I'll be able to do better financially in whatever the Patriots probably would be willing to pay him.

00:49:12
Speaker 2: All right, give me another pairing.

00:49:14
Speaker 3: Another pairing that we have here, Let's go offensive line. Wyatt Teller, a guy who has had a lot of success over the seven years with the Browns. In fact, I was with the Browns when they acquired him, and it was just like a throwaway trade. They're like, what was day three pick for Wyatt Teller. We're like, we've never heard of this guy. And then he gets in the building and you kind of understand, oh, as he starts to play, Oh, this guy's this guy's legit, like they got to steal here. And obviously he forms, you know, a great career with the Browns and again gets the accolades and everything else. But he is at that age point now and he's been battling some injuries and some inconsistencies over the last year and a half two years where you think his market value has dropped a little bit. He posted a goodbye to Cleveland before I think even March began, because he knew he was going to, you know, test the market and they weren't interested in keeping him bringing him back. So let's put him with a team that could use unexperienced guard along their front five. Let's send him to Tennessee who needs to replace an older guard Kevin Zeitler. Throw Teller in there, replace him. He's got him by like five years younger. Why not make that work and use a little bit of your cap space on it.

00:50:15
Speaker 1: It's funny those are the two highest ranked remaining guards on my list. The only two guards remaining still on my list? Is why Teller and Zeitler? Who's a little lower? Maybe I maybe I had them a smidge high. But if he can just like start for a team at a solid enough level that that's very valuable. I don't know if Kirk Cousins is at that point in his career anymore, but I do like that mix of him with the Raiders the more I thought about it, like Kirk was always the and the shining star, the apple in Kyle Shanahan's eye. He always wanted to get Kirk back. And you know who is with Kyle Shanahan for many years, And I believe, you know is one of the reasons why Clint Kubiak is a head coach right now, is Kyle Shanahan. You know, he's all those years in San Francisco. I just feel like he would work perfectly.

00:51:03
Speaker 2: In that system.

00:51:05
Speaker 1: I think he'd have to adapt to the world where he would be Fernando Mendoza's caddy, but would be a good one Bee And they could even pretend like, Hey, we're going to start the season with Kirk Cousins and for whatever reason, they just want Doza to wait.

00:51:20
Speaker 2: Either way, I just like it.

00:51:22
Speaker 1: I think he's ready to go into his mentor phase and if he needed to step in, I could act. I thought he played pretty well at the end of last season. I ranked him ahead of Aaron Rodgers on my rankings, and in that system with Clint Kubiak, I think it'd be fine.

00:51:36
Speaker 3: I think I had him right behind Rodgers, although I don't have it up in front of me right now. I agree with the sentiment that you just expressed there. I don't know if I like the idea of him in a Raider uniform. For whatever reason, it just doesn't. Yeah, that's it, but it just doesn't right Like Raiders' uniforms silver and black intimidating. Kirk Cousins is not intimidating. But he does deserve a job as a backup, and I think I thought as a backup, who could push somebody for a starting job, you know, if they have a young guy that's you know, maybe coming off of injury like the Atlanta situation or whatever. I think at this point his best market now is as a plus backup, And it would make a ton of sense to do exactly what you said, even if I don't like it visually. However, I am getting tied debt mur to Tim Couch vibes, and maybe that's just me exposing some of my personal sports trauma from when I was a child. Hopefully it didn't go that poorly.

00:52:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, it would be like, you know, mister Rogers getting traded to the Raiders.

00:52:31
Speaker 2: You know, if mister Rogers was alive, Yeah, and a football player.

00:52:35
Speaker 1: Won't you be my what is that mister Rogers documentary? Did you ever see that?

00:52:43
Speaker 3: I did, and I didn't realize he came from such wealth, which won't Next to Kirk Cousins classic back getter.

00:52:51
Speaker 1: Classic classic making me cry on on an airplane type of movie, there's just like there's that one scene, there's a couple of scenes and Erica chimes in that Mendoza is very much Kirk light So they are kind of like two versions.

00:53:06
Speaker 2: Oh my god, same guy.

00:53:07
Speaker 1: Yeah, he this basically walk they can basically walk through casinos, shielding themselves from the horrors of people passing out, the worst sitting to put them in papers for prostitutes.

00:53:24
Speaker 3: All right there the card clickers right on the on the street. Just don't walk down the strip, guys.

00:53:28
Speaker 2: All right, let's wrap up that quickly, one more each. Let's go.

00:53:32
Speaker 3: What was my next one? My last one here was America's heel. Juwan Jennings still out there, still available, looking to get some money. And I have two options here. I know that kind of breaks the rules, but I have two options because let's just say this, Juwan, I'd like to send you to the AFC West. Okay, Now you have two choices here. You can go play for a team that may or may not have its superstar quarterback to start the season, but you understand that if everything goes right, you'll be contention and you'll play for a coach who knows how to scheme you open. If that's Kansas City, Okay, we can send them to Kansas City, or we can send you to their arrival, who occupies Sofi Stadium in the Los Angeles Chargers, and you can fill the place left vacant by Keenan Allen. If the Chargers decide to know, that's an interesting he's a free agent. Let's fill out the receiving corps with Quentin Johnston, Juwan Jennings and lad Maconkeey and give Justin Herbert options and hopefully, maybe, just maybe, with the new offensive coordinator now in charge, they'll be able to scheme them open and you'll be able to reap the rewards.

00:54:33
Speaker 2: Yeah.

00:54:33
Speaker 1: I like the Chargers in terms of the fit. It feels like they're playing the compensatory pick game or something and not trying to pay too much money. It is surprising Kendrick Bourne got a contract before Juwan Jennings. Kendrick Bourne is playing for the Cardinals next year. It's probably just a financial thing. I mean, I would throw out the other AFC West team. We keep talking about the Raiders, if only because that would put me over the top to winning our Matchmaker free agency game we played on the show last week because I had Jwan Jens the Raiders.

00:55:01
Speaker 2: But I don't think that. I don't think that makes sense anymore.

00:55:03
Speaker 1: Because they gave Jalen Naylor that money, They're probably not going to give it to another guy who mostly plays on the inside. I went with the next highest player ranked on my board other than Kyle Kyler Murray right now, which is Rashid Walker, the tackle of the Packers. I'm going to put him to the Lions. They're familiar with him from the division. They really don't have a left tackle. And one of the reasons why Walker's market maybe hasn't developed is there really aren't that many spots available right now for a starting left tackle. He could go to Carolina kind of to fill in for Ikeya Khanmu who's coming off of a really serious injury, but they already have like their quote unquote franchise left tackle. You know, the Steelers, would they ever want to replace Broderick Jones, who's not one hundred percent. The Browns still need a left tackle, so they could just like keep spending, but there aren't really a lot of great fits. I just want the Lions to be decent, and I think Walker, you know, now, he'll have to bring his money demands down a little bit and maybe he could be a four for like a one year deal. Go to Detroit and try to just beef up your value.

00:56:05
Speaker 3: There are a lot of layers here. Because I turned to your top one on one to kind of assemble what I want to do with best remaining free agents in their fits, and Walker is one of three guys that I don't have paired as of now, among like twenty guys, which will obviously pair down because some of these guys will sign and will reduce it to a pool of about ten. Right. You got Walker there, he got Steffan Diggs, which we already worked through, and he got Juwan Taylor, and it just speaks to the what you just said, which is that there aren't that many tackle spots available in the NFL right now. It makes sense to go with a guy who is ideally in the prime of his career, who got a lot of buzz as a desired candidate without necessarily having all the tape in the world to back up how much how highly people were treating him going into free agency. He was a top target for teams that needed offensive lineman and yet he's still out there, which speaks to me a difference in perceived market value versus actual market value, which is often driven by need, and with the lack of spots available, that value is going to come down. So I like that pairing a lot, because they obviously need to figure out what they're going to do now that they parted ways with Taylor Decker, and so it makes sense. In fact, some of these other guys that I've considered on this list another offensive linement. We talked about Zeitler earlier, right, I had him going to Detroit. Just just throw veterans that are experienced, because last year, what did they deal with a lack of depth? And they got caught, you know, kind of with their pants down with a lack of depth and a lack of experienced guys that were able to step in when injuries occurred. So why not add veterans, a mix of veterans and guys with potential to potentially just in total, solve your problem up front.

00:57:30
Speaker 1: Yeah, they signed Larry Boram from the Dolphins, who's kind of a journeyman. They have Giovanni Manu who they took in the fourth round a couple of years ago but hasn't looked great when he's played. I don't love entering the draft kind of needing a left tackle for a team that good, that was charging into the offseason. Presented by Apple Card. Apply for Apple Card in the wallet app today. Start earning daily cash back on all your game day purchases, from tickets to tailgate munchies to merch subject to credit approval. Thank you, SHOOKI that music and get out of here. I know you're not quite done for the week, but it's a grind of a week. Where's that music?

00:58:05
Speaker 3: It is? It is? It is a grind of a week. But you know what, We're fortunate to be here and cover it. I'll say that, Yes, I love doing the show with you. We will be back for one more show. I just want to be ready in case a big trade happens. The big Ginger will Gavin coming back on the show on Friday.

00:58:23
Speaker 2: We will see you then,