Crowning the 2025 Offseason Champions

00:00:01
Speaker 1: From the Chris Westling podcast studio in Inglewood, California.

00:00:05
Speaker 2: It's time for the new game show, Sweeping the Nation.

00:00:08
Speaker 1: Let's play around of and the winner is.

00:00:15
Speaker 2: Today we will.

00:00:15
Speaker 1: Crown the NFL's offseason champion, featuring a panel of some of the top football minds in the world. He's a longtime suffering Boston sportsman. If you don't count the first two decades of the two thousands.

00:00:28
Speaker 2: It's Greg Rosenthal.

00:00:32
Speaker 1: She's a Philly fanatic who's only el this season came in the form of a dog with separation anxiety.

00:00:38
Speaker 2: It's Colleen Wolf.

00:00:41
Speaker 1: She's a journalist who loves talking about the team she's paid to cover and loves when you mention it. It's Jordan rod Rey. Now let's welcome our host. The man who puts the Greg in the regular season is Greg Rosenthal.

00:00:57
Speaker 3: Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, wild I'm not only a host, I'm a client.

00:01:04
Speaker 4: I'm a presenter.

00:01:05
Speaker 3: I'm a contestant on this show where we will crown the most important championship of all.

00:01:12
Speaker 5: Is that a conflict of been the off season champion? I do feel like we ran into We only have.

00:01:16
Speaker 3: So much talent, all though you know Eric could handle it. Those pipes are absolutely fantastic. And we'll get to how the production room is going to be a part of this show in.

00:01:29
Speaker 4: Just a second.

00:01:30
Speaker 3: But yes, the Eagles, they got their title, their second one, Colleen three months ago or so. It's been a great run and now it's time to crown the off season Champion.

00:01:44
Speaker 5: I love champions, I love talking about champions. I like hanging out with champions, I like supporting champions. So this is a segment for.

00:01:51
Speaker 3: Me, and it's an important championship. I remember the Dolphins used to win it a lot back in the day. The Bears have won it many times recently. When you win it, they actually put a little printed out piece of paper in the facility. Off Season Championship, kind of like that Lakers in Season two title.

00:02:12
Speaker 4: It's got to be simple. Here are the rules.

00:02:14
Speaker 3: We each present a team to be considered as off season Champion. You give a little spiel, We'll maybe give that person some questions, have a little discussion afterwards, and then we each score whether that team one to ten how we evaluate whether they should be off season Champions. The production room, led by our friend Eric Roberts, will have one vote. You cannot vote for your own or not score for your own team. I think it should be pretty simple.

00:02:43
Speaker 6: Yes, it should be pretty simple.

00:02:45
Speaker 7: And we have gone over the rules and the math many times, hunting many times in advance. So this has potential to not be anything like Quarterback Island.

00:02:54
Speaker 8: This has potential to work.

00:02:56
Speaker 3: This has potential to be a running segment or not. It's up to you, Colleen. I'm gonna talk to me. Get you going, okay, colleague AKA.

00:03:08
Speaker 5: Whenever I have the ponytail in, I am Colliana Grande.

00:03:11
Speaker 8: I would like to be you know, talk to us that way. It's clear what I'm looking for.

00:03:17
Speaker 6: I hold space for that nickname.

00:03:18
Speaker 8: Thank you.

00:03:20
Speaker 3: We're going to two teams, by the way, so we'll go around the room a couple of times.

00:03:24
Speaker 8: Okay, all right.

00:03:25
Speaker 5: So for my off season winner, the Indianapolis.

00:03:33
Speaker 8: When was out just kidding, I'm not gonna do it again.

00:03:37
Speaker 5: This year, I swear, all right, Okay, good the Chicago Bears.

00:03:42
Speaker 8: I love what the Bears have done with the place.

00:03:45
Speaker 5: They've made this entire off season all about setting up Caleb Williams for success. Ryan Poles is building a roster like a man who just got designated DJ at the party. He's aggressive, he's confident, he's just committed to the vibe. At this point of everything that's happening in Chicago, Ben Johnson was the bell of the coaching cycle ball I love that higher the most. He's modern, he's creative, and maybe the Bears first head coach that knows actually how to score points on purpose.

00:04:13
Speaker 4: We haven't seen it.

00:04:14
Speaker 5: Want the offensive line looking like a group that can give Caleb Williams an extra second to breathe. That's, you know, recently seemed like a foreign concept.

00:04:23
Speaker 8: Caleb. He was sacked a league high sixty eight times.

00:04:25
Speaker 4: We know that.

00:04:26
Speaker 8: So what did they do?

00:04:27
Speaker 5: They went out, they traded it for Joe Toney and Jonah Jackson. They paid the center, Drew Dolman a nice amount, and then they drafted another offensive lineman in the second round. They're hoping that he can eventually be the starting tackle for them. Like that is how you protect your quarterback, quarterback of the future, your franchise quarterback with lineman, not just like Prayers.

00:04:49
Speaker 8: At this point. Defensively, they have Grady.

00:04:52
Speaker 5: Jarrett now that they brought in, and Deo at a baying yell, a ding bo Okay, we're gonna work on that came over from Indy and I like Shamar Turner to the second round rookie who at that point, I mean, he's gonna He's I think gonna.

00:05:09
Speaker 8: Have a huge impact.

00:05:11
Speaker 5: But the bottom line, I feel like the Bears, if everything goes right for them, they could be vying for the division in the most difficult division in all of football.

00:05:24
Speaker 8: It's just it just got that much more talented.

00:05:28
Speaker 4: I love it.

00:05:29
Speaker 3: I think it makes a lot of sense. Are you concerned at all that the Bears and their fans claim offseason championship status basically every season? And this could be a fun document and look into the future of NFL daily. We'll see how the off season champions actually do in the season. It's like they've they've gotten us hype before any concerns there.

00:05:49
Speaker 5: You know what, I would like to go back and see how many times offseason champions have hit and made marginal kind of progress, because I feel like the Lions that year, like the second half of the season when they finally started to turn things around. Yes, was that a huge off season for them? Were they one of the off season winners then? Or were they still just like a team that was downtrodden. I'm trying to remember, but I mean, you're right. You bring up a great point because these teams are perennially in the conversations, and you know what, inevitably you end up talking about them so much during training camp and they're the teams that's when they shine during the off season, and then once the regular season begins, it's like businesses usually.

00:06:29
Speaker 7: I think what helps the Bears here is somebody who always is like so on board with the Bears in like March and April, and while they drafted well, and oh they brought in the right free agents and you know, all of.

00:06:42
Speaker 6: This is that their floor is that they are a.

00:06:44
Speaker 7: Team that hasn't put it together on offense yet, that has a really solid defense, and now they have the added teeth of having a head coach who knows how to win, who gives them an edge unlike previous regimes recently have and somebody who and Ben Johnson, who I do think is a legit, bona fide person to take what this offense was looking like and sort of flailing and miss and you know, direction list and take it into having an identity, having a cohesive plan, and you can already see that he's working really well with the front office in communicating that plan. You could see it by how they attack the draft, the types of skill players going after Colston Lovelin versus.

00:07:23
Speaker 5: So that was the one thing that I forgot, and that's my favorite move of the entire offseason is drafting him. So now they can have those two tight end sets with Cole comet.

00:07:31
Speaker 3: I also, you know, I prepped this one a little bit because peek behind the curtain.

00:07:35
Speaker 4: I was ready to go for the Bears.

00:07:37
Speaker 3: No, No, I like it, and I actually kind of think Dennis Allen is a sneaky good defensive coordinator who's going to be good in that role.

00:07:45
Speaker 4: That's part of it too.

00:07:46
Speaker 3: It is the upgrade from Eberflus to Ben Johnson, huge, Like the biggest thing to me, I think if you were going to pick any knits, it's this idea that they fix the offensive line, like we got to see it. Jonah Jackson was a complete bust. We'll see if he helps add all Jue Dollman ultimately was a guy that the Falcons didn't want to keep even though there was a competitive market for him. Like we'll see the history of guys changing spots like they have to prove that. But the rest of it, I went into it. I'm into the continuity with pace. Let's score it. You cannot score it, Colleen Jordan and I will and the producers in the backs score.

00:08:20
Speaker 6: This is just offseason.

00:08:22
Speaker 3: This is just who do we think won the off season on a one to ten basis? I think Colleen made a really strong case.

00:08:28
Speaker 8: Thank you.

00:08:29
Speaker 3: I will announce my score first. It is an eight point nine.

00:08:35
Speaker 8: Got it? It's like a B plus.

00:08:38
Speaker 7: Oh I am second, nine point two smiley face.

00:08:42
Speaker 4: Okay, like that.

00:08:43
Speaker 3: Like that, and then we are going to Eric and the producers in the back for the final score.

00:08:48
Speaker 4: Here, Eric, what do you got?

00:08:50
Speaker 2: I mean? Chris decided a seven?

00:08:52
Speaker 4: Seven, A solid seven, okay, fine.

00:08:55
Speaker 3: It's also it's also you went first, and you know, maybe you don't want to set the bar too high. Back there, Eric and the crew will be adding up all the numbers to the determined who are the offseason champions. We've come out strong.

00:09:07
Speaker 7: I'm also writing down my personal grades to the left on my whiteboard so that certain people don't try to pull a fast one mid show.

00:09:14
Speaker 3: Oh wow, And what changed the scores and change the dude, that's terrible.

00:09:18
Speaker 4: That's terrible.

00:09:19
Speaker 8: Check in your work, watch out.

00:09:22
Speaker 4: I'll go Vikings.

00:09:23
Speaker 3: I'll go Vikings with my candidate as off season champions.

00:09:28
Speaker 4: So there's going to be a lot of talk. I have a feeling today.

00:09:30
Speaker 3: We already started it with Caleb Williams of like supporting the young quarterback. Like supporting the young quarterback. You know what the best thing you can do is to support a young quarterback. Take a couple of the guys from one of the best offensive lines in the league in the Aannapolis, and bring them together. They already know how to work together, Will Fries and Ryan Kelly interior lineman. After they signed Will Fries, we actually heard excuses from all over the league. Seattle said, oh, we tried to sign offensive line, but Will Fries he was too expensive for us. The Giants were really in on Will Fries, but they're like, hey, the price got too much. You know who didn't care about price, Vikings. There's not too much money you can spend on Will Fries. They also in the first round took Donovan Jackson, who is really like the last good interior offensive line.

00:10:22
Speaker 4: So I like a vision.

00:10:23
Speaker 3: Kevin O'Connell at the end of the playoffs said, our interior line needs to get better.

00:10:28
Speaker 4: They did it. I think they did it better than anyone else.

00:10:31
Speaker 3: Then you flipped to the other side of the ball, and you think this defense is already loaded. We don't even need anything more on this defense. How about we add more beef up front there too. We don't have a lot of draft picks, so we get Javon Hargrave, who a couple of years ago was the number one free agent in the league on a discounted price. We get Jonathan Allen, a former All Pro, to fit in, and you're not asking him to be an All Pro. You're asking him to fit in to a defense that was arguably already the best in the entire league. While other teams are like spending second round picks on running backs first round picks, that's fine, Hey, let's just bring in Jordan Mason for a very small price from San Francisco.

00:11:08
Speaker 4: He's gonna be just as good as the second round picks, I promise you.

00:11:11
Speaker 3: Like, if there's not that big a difference between running backs, we're good at running backs. And then finally, here's what you don't want to do if you want to support your young quarterback, and that's sign Aaron Rodgers. They stayed away from signing the deal with the Devil, and they supported JJ McCarthy in every way emotionally, physically, and then of course in the room with all these big beefcakes up front.

00:11:35
Speaker 4: So the Minnesota Vikings, to me, they won the off season.

00:11:38
Speaker 6: I think that's you make really good points.

00:11:40
Speaker 7: Your last one especially is sound because you don't want that sort of presence lurking over your shoulder the young player. From everything I've read and heard about JJ McCarthy, it is something that I believe he would have handled well or relatively well, considering the context of what the situation would have been in terms of his mental process and his mental health process specifically big meditative guy. But I will say the most important thing the Vikings could do this offseason, after all of the sort of noise around Aaron Rodgers connecting with them and sort of his desire to go to Minnesota was unearthed, was for the Vikings to double and triple down with all the moves they made in the draft and all of the things that they kept doing in free agency to adamantly basically support JJ McCarthy, not just with their words but also with their actions and especially getting that interior line. I mean, he is not a massive framed quarterback, so he can move, but he does not a big framed quarterback, So having that offensive line around him, particularly that interior of his pocket upgraded from the disaster that it turned out to be at the end of last season, I think will be super important. And I am interested in seeing if Kevin O'Connell is also going to build in more outlets using a couple of their different weapons.

00:12:53
Speaker 6: For JJ McCarthy.

00:12:54
Speaker 4: Added a couple guys.

00:12:55
Speaker 3: Ty Felton's a fun little third round pick a little after the catch guy ron Dale Moore, I don't like me some Rondale Moore and a wide receiver for role like Brandon Powell used to have there.

00:13:05
Speaker 4: Like they got a lot of weapons.

00:13:06
Speaker 5: Yeah, and I like the backfield like you mentioned bringing back Aaron Jones and then adding Jordan Mason. That's going to be great for JJ McCarthy as a young quarterback to be able to lean on some semblance there of a run game, especially with the upgraded offensive line. But really, what did it for me is nobody likes fries and beefcakes more than me.

00:13:24
Speaker 8: This team has a lot of both.

00:13:27
Speaker 3: A noted fry lover Colleen Wolf. All right, let's let's put our scores out here. Colleen, you could subtract one point from me because I kind of forgot that Aaron Jones the most part of the offseason. I should have mentioned that too, because he was a free agent. Let's actually start in the back here, Eric and the crew.

00:13:47
Speaker 4: What is your score?

00:13:48
Speaker 2: We're going with eight?

00:13:49
Speaker 1: Oh, you'd like the no Aaron Rodgers of it all back here audition by subtractioniate, I appreciate you scoring mine higher than Colleen's.

00:13:59
Speaker 4: I'm looking at you, Colleen.

00:14:01
Speaker 5: I gave you initially an eight, but then when I heard that they gave you an eight, I wanted to do a little bit better.

00:14:06
Speaker 7: So okay, right, and Jordan I did any Wow, eight point seven. I would have gone even higher with the Vikings off season, except the quarterback is still so unproven and such an unknown variable.

00:14:21
Speaker 3: Wow.

00:14:22
Speaker 4: But that was Yeah, he's there that they did everything that they.

00:14:25
Speaker 6: Could last off season.

00:14:26
Speaker 4: That's last off season.

00:14:27
Speaker 6: Yeah, exactly, he was. That's when he got there.

00:14:30
Speaker 3: If you want to knock them for their quarterback off season. You could, Yeah, Sam Howell as a backup. He does fill the role of not threatening to JJ McCarthy. He also fills a role of like probably not winning a lot of games for you if he does play.

00:14:42
Speaker 7: All right, I'm interested with what Colleen thinks. So do you know Steve from Stranger Things?

00:14:47
Speaker 8: Yeah?

00:14:47
Speaker 7: So me and Patrick were talking last show about how JJ McCarthy looks just like Steve from Stranger Things.

00:14:53
Speaker 5: Oh my god, Holy Joe, I think you're right, Oh my god, so much.

00:15:00
Speaker 8: Right, that's what what.

00:15:03
Speaker 7: Especial goal without his hat fishing a little bit right here, especially without the hat.

00:15:06
Speaker 6: The lettuce is like long and strong.

00:15:08
Speaker 3: Really Yeah, a very hilarious young looking man, JJ McCarthy. A lot of people's livelihoods in that cheng Lan. All right, Jordan, you are up with your first contestant.

00:15:21
Speaker 6: I'm going to start with the Arizona Cardinals.

00:15:23
Speaker 7: For almost three hundred and sixty five days now, I've been honking about the Arizona Cardinals, a team brimming with ideas and possibility and all the joyful hubris of a twenty two year old journalism grad sending dozens of resumes off into what they don't know yet to be the void. I have to believe that this is the year that they put everything together after their off season. I believe they think so too, and they have to or else everyone could be gone. They're a rare team with actual continuity at all their major coaching positions into their third season with the first time head coach Jonathan Gannon defensive coordinator Nick Ralis. They've been sort of orchestrating what equates to me like mad scientists working out equations on a whiteboard where they're trying to add different variables, different letters, different symbols here and there, seeing what actually works, what makes this defense actually go. And when you have a roster as limited as it has been over the past couple of years on that side of the.

00:16:15
Speaker 6: Ball, that's where you have to also verify what you need.

00:16:18
Speaker 7: And this offseason I think that they were super aggressive in actually going out and getting what they need. They also have continuity at quarterback, running back, actual continuity along the offensive line, which is someone who was born and raised in Phoenix is not something we could always say in that town. High profile skill positions, and at offensive coordinator of course, where Drew Petsing will return, and I thought they were aggressive, like I said, in free agency, with not just low risk backups and depth players like Jacobe Brissett I think is quietly a great backup quarterback for them to have brought in. But also they made splashes like Josh Schwett on a four year deal, and then they brought back core culture guy Kaleis Campbell, who I mean beaming at his press conference being back him in the valley.

00:17:01
Speaker 6: I just I loved it so much. I love that front line. I love their draft.

00:17:04
Speaker 7: Walter Nolan, their first round pick defensive tackle, is a total scheme fit, and I think that he represents the next era of their defensive line rebuild, which is a mixture of veterans and also really talented and ascending maybe still a little bit under the radar players. So all in all, I think this team has substance and they have plenty of ideas, and I think they've been overlooked because they've been less exciting than the rest of the NFC West and they've self inflicted imploded a couple of times. But they also even when they lack talent, they play really hard and they're smart, and that's why. I think that putting all the pieces together to match their ideas that they clearly have showed is what wins them the offseason.

00:17:44
Speaker 5: Well, their defense is absolutely going to make a huge jump. Also, they brought in Dalvin Tomlinson too, but that defensive front, all of the moves I absolutely loved. Joshua was the best available edge rusher they got them. I feel like I was one of the people that was overlooking the team and now I'm reassessing things.

00:18:02
Speaker 4: I look at like they're a good team.

00:18:04
Speaker 3: Where if you look at their hour Lads depth chart, there's just so much red and I don't know what the other color is because I'm colorblind, maybe blue or something.

00:18:12
Speaker 5: That's all the new starters.

00:18:16
Speaker 3: I love what Will Johnson, you know, their second round pick, who could have gone in the first round. UH said this week that teams are going to pay. They're going to pay for this UH for passing on him in the draft. Arizona is getting a dog there, and I totally agree that they were my favorite draft team in terms of the talent that they added. And then you also they also get to return like some of their injured players. Bj Ojulari was a good player, a couple of years ago. They're another year removed from injury for their first round pick, Darius Roberson.

00:18:46
Speaker 4: Sweat was a weird one.

00:18:48
Speaker 3: There was some like talk about like maybe teams weren't going in on him as much because of some like long term injury concerns.

00:18:54
Speaker 6: I don't get that, because, yeah, it would be Jonathana.

00:18:58
Speaker 7: And then they extended Dray McBride, who is a franchise pillar at this point and one of the most productive players in the NFL. And you gotta love that in combination with Marvin Harrison, and then really getting serious and getting physical and getting ready to make sure that they don't just fizzle out mid season. All of their moves this offseason have pointed toward a team that is finally actually aware of its potential and wants to meet it.

00:19:23
Speaker 3: It's year three, It's go time. I like you're giving them a little extra credit for how they've played. We're trying to look at this in just the vacuum of this off season.

00:19:32
Speaker 6: Ideas have no season, But I'm with.

00:19:34
Speaker 3: You that they are a team that like they didn't quite have the personnel and now they did. Year three of the program is the big year and I'm going to get us going here.

00:19:46
Speaker 4: I'm going big. I'm going nine point five.

00:19:50
Speaker 6: Walter Nolan, bump right there. You like that I mentioned your favorite player?

00:19:54
Speaker 3: You love me that, Walter Nolan, and I love that secondary. I think this is a team on the right. They feel like off season championship worthy nine point one.

00:20:05
Speaker 5: Wow, although I am slightly concerned that the Cardinals are going to be your Indianapolis Colts, so just be careful.

00:20:15
Speaker 4: For some reason, it been my entire life right. For some reason, it.

00:20:18
Speaker 3: Took me until now to realize, like, oh, Jordan's a closet Cardinals fan.

00:20:21
Speaker 4: I didn't.

00:20:22
Speaker 8: Oh that's right, man.

00:20:26
Speaker 3: I'm not such a professional and talks about the Rams so much that.

00:20:30
Speaker 6: I cover stories. I don't follow teams.

00:20:34
Speaker 4: Eric, give us a final score here from the back.

00:20:37
Speaker 1: I want to breakfast this that I'm in a room back here with a Rams fan. Okay, several weeks ago. Okay, so you have something for you win the division?

00:20:46
Speaker 4: Okay.

00:20:47
Speaker 2: So I go to him, Hey, what are we scoring this? He said? Six guys?

00:20:50
Speaker 1: He said, a team on the rise doesn't just give him a score.

00:20:54
Speaker 4: You just do whatever. Chris Babona says, you're the boss. Back there.

00:20:57
Speaker 2: I am not the boss. We are peers.

00:21:00
Speaker 3: It's a collaboration, Greg, You're dead to me. Collaborations means meeting in the middle man. I'm annoyed.

00:21:05
Speaker 7: I brought you a patch from the Los Angeles Fire Department Air Operations that is a RAMS patch, and this is what you do.

00:21:13
Speaker 4: That's what he did, he.

00:21:17
Speaker 8: Before the show.

00:21:18
Speaker 4: All right, we are halfway through nominations.

00:21:20
Speaker 3: We are going to be back in just a second on NFL Daily, a very special.

00:21:25
Speaker 9: Episode back on, and the winner is China.

00:21:37
Speaker 4: Determine our off season champion.

00:21:40
Speaker 3: We can update our scoreboard and tell you two teams that are not going to be off season champions. Sorry, Bears, I was kind of surprised one of the favorites coming into today bringing up the rear very close in the scoreboard standings right now, but they have twenty four point two total points, the Cardinals not going to be off season champions twenty four point six points total, and the Vikings right now in the lead at twenty five points. But to discuss his decision controversy torpedo the Cardinals' champion chip aspirations. Here, let's talk to Chris Bobono. You're a rams fan that the Cardinals are the only team to get scores over nine. They got it from two of the judges and you gave them a six, and so they're not going to be offseason champions.

00:22:29
Speaker 2: Now.

00:22:30
Speaker 10: I think the Cardinals are going to be fantastic. I told Eric they might win the division next year, but under like the constraints of it being the offseason. I think what Jordan said, the continuity of the team, it's good enough to put them over the edge. I thought that their additions weren't necessarily to the level of some of the other teams that we've seen, like the Bears. The level of talent they added specifically in the offseason might not be to par with the other teams.

00:22:55
Speaker 3: So you're disrespecting Klais Campbell, You're disrespecting Josh Sweat who got a lot of money. You're disrespecting our draft analysis, and frankly, you're disrespecting Eric Roberts, who's produced the show a lot longer than you have. And yet are you losing any respect for him? That you said six? He said nine, and then he just wrote down six.

00:23:16
Speaker 4: What is that?

00:23:17
Speaker 10: I don't Arizona fashion like John McCain, I don't mind being the maverick having the Wow.

00:23:22
Speaker 7: Hey Chris, I do have one question. Yeah, how dare you?

00:23:27
Speaker 4: Yeah?

00:23:28
Speaker 3: I kind of was hoping they would be off season championship, you know, I was putting my finger on the scale there.

00:23:33
Speaker 4: But no, Chris.

00:23:36
Speaker 3: With the biggest setback since Colleen's dog took it on her table or whatever a couple of weeks ago.

00:23:43
Speaker 8: No, no, this was a couple of days ago.

00:23:44
Speaker 4: I don't know why I'm swearing in this show. I shouldn't be doing that.

00:23:47
Speaker 8: It wasn't just what.

00:23:48
Speaker 6: Happened again, I quickly speaking of.

00:23:52
Speaker 5: I was on one of the days that I was hosting GMFB. I left her home alone, and she previously the day before had ripped a mirror off the wall and shredded the jacket.

00:24:02
Speaker 8: But like you know what, tros it owned her up.

00:24:03
Speaker 5: So it was fine, got home an angel.

00:24:07
Speaker 8: Nothing was out of place, everything.

00:24:09
Speaker 5: Was perfect, And I'm praising her and I'm giving her treats.

00:24:12
Speaker 8: I'm like, look at you, and then I go to grab.

00:24:14
Speaker 5: The remote on the coffee table in a tray, and next to the remote on this tray, she took a sh like on.

00:24:22
Speaker 8: The coffee table. Perfect placement.

00:24:24
Speaker 5: I don't even understand how it's possible how she did this.

00:24:27
Speaker 8: It felt personal.

00:24:28
Speaker 7: I think she is an artist who is making a profound state about the status of modern media and programming.

00:24:37
Speaker 3: We could have just said poop, you went back to it. I feel I feel self conscious because we have a new producer, Quab in the back, who's going to be helping out on the video side.

00:24:46
Speaker 4: We're not usually like we're going blue.

00:24:48
Speaker 3: All right, let's go around the room one more time and let's start with Colleen again.

00:24:53
Speaker 8: Oh okay, great, Hold on a second.

00:24:56
Speaker 3: So, yes, the Minnesota Vikings right now have a chance to be the off season champions. It's not going to happen, but it's an honor to be nominated. Cardinals and Bears your top six.

00:25:05
Speaker 4: That's pretty good.

00:25:06
Speaker 8: Okay. I don't want to say that the.

00:25:08
Speaker 5: Commanders made a deal with the Devil, but there absolutely is a Commander's fan down there right now because they crushed the offseason after flipping an entire franchise and ending up in the NFC Championship Game in one year. Now they're here, Adam Peters and Dan Quinn. I don't know what kind of like illuminati war room they're working in. But I like it because of the disaster that was left by Dan Snyder. This was a franchise that immediately rose from the Ashes to become a contender with Jaden Daniels. Now the offseason they built around him, and it's just like the Bears is just like the Vikings are doing. Like that's what teams do with young quarterbacks, especially while they're on their rookie deals. But the Commanders were especially aggressive about it. They traded for Laramie Tunsel, top tier left tackle. Then they grabbed Deebo Samuel during the combine that stole all of the headlines at Combine and had everyone talking he can turn a five yard pass into a fifty yard touchdown. And then just for good measure, they use their first round pick on another bodyguard, another offensive lineman, Josh Connerly. So that's on the offensive side of things. Then on the defense, I feel like they got a serious steal in the cornerback that they selected in the second round, Trey Amos. He's a perfect fit opposite Marshawn Lattimore and Mike sarn Reel. Still Saron Sandr's still listen.

00:26:26
Speaker 8: I don't say these names a lot.

00:26:28
Speaker 7: I do like how you emphasize Reel in there, though, because like that used your respect for this.

00:26:33
Speaker 5: Man, real, real Mike Reel is holding it down all right in the slot. So I think that that secondary really will be a problem and that Mike Reel will become a house name. But bottom line, I feel like they're loaded. Their front office is moving in such a fast paced direction, and I feel like they will within the next five years be like probably at the top of the division.

00:26:56
Speaker 6: For me, two things are true about this ty years.

00:26:59
Speaker 4: That's you know, maybe it's a long time.

00:27:01
Speaker 8: I know, well, the Eagles are still really good.

00:27:02
Speaker 4: I mean, it's not very generous of you.

00:27:05
Speaker 3: Yeah, just statistically each team would win once every four years.

00:27:09
Speaker 5: In the next decade, they could get a division title.

00:27:13
Speaker 6: Bold.

00:27:15
Speaker 7: Okay, So I love I love this team. You guys know this. We had so much fun watching these guys all year. I will say two things are true here. While I like their offseason moves on paper, and I do think that they clearly showed they believe they'll still be a contending team because they of the way that they approached free agency, a way that the way that they're approaching team building, especially when they're limited with their draft capital right now. I also don't totally love continuing to add older players at the level that they have, players that they were all over their defense last year. There is continuity on that defense. We all know we love the linebackers on that team. I think Trey Amos was one of my favorite draft picks slash matches to team in the entire draft because of how well he fits there. But I don't love immediately have to flip Josh Connerly over to the right side if he is the heir. I can definitely see the vision there at left tackle, but I don't necessarily love again going older at the at pretty you know, on both sides of the ball.

00:28:12
Speaker 3: I feel like it was a high risk off season. Laramie Tunzel great player, yeah, a guy that the Texans wanted to get rid of on some level because of culture and in Washington can can help with all that.

00:28:26
Speaker 4: And then you mentioned the Connory pick was weird to me.

00:28:28
Speaker 3: Deebo feels very boom or busty at this time of his career. And I got to say, just the Javon Kinlaw contract that they had in free agency was probably my least favorite free agency contract. So when you started this case, I'm like, I'm just going to bury her clip. I'm going to bury the commanders personal. Let me finish, Let me finish.

00:28:50
Speaker 6: Oh, Greg wants to finish a sentence.

00:28:53
Speaker 3: You made such a good case that I'm going to bump it up from two to four. Yeah, or maybe, actually, now that I remember that you mispronounced Mike sant Russell, actually I'm going.

00:29:03
Speaker 8: To go three sandrsll. I just needed to hear it when.

00:29:05
Speaker 3: I go three for the Washington Commanders, but it would have been a one.

00:29:09
Speaker 4: You just made such a great case. I bumped it up, san Russell.

00:29:14
Speaker 7: Okay, well, I actually think I bumped her up because we did actually get a really great nickname out of this process.

00:29:20
Speaker 6: I gave her a six, Mike.

00:29:21
Speaker 4: Really okay. I love giving her And it's not you.

00:29:24
Speaker 6: That's goodding No, No, I'm giving the commanders.

00:29:26
Speaker 8: That's all right, it's a command I can take it. Are you saying that I can't handle it?

00:29:30
Speaker 4: I mean you're built for this.

00:29:32
Speaker 8: Coliana Grande is here for it.

00:29:36
Speaker 3: Let's go to the back room and see what they're scoring. Doesn't really matter.

00:29:40
Speaker 1: Why they're giving her ten guys all the additions they got, they got a new stadium, they got the draft, Like, come on.

00:29:47
Speaker 8: Oh my god, lunch on me, guys.

00:29:50
Speaker 1: You just gave you gave Chris crap for torpedoing the Cardinals, and you just torpedo the Commanders for no reason.

00:29:56
Speaker 3: Yeah, it wasn't no reason. I just disagreed with the take. But she did a good Jebb presenting it.

00:30:02
Speaker 4: They got that draft, that's a total of nineteen.

00:30:04
Speaker 3: Unfortunately I torpedo them right into last place in this exercise.

00:30:08
Speaker 4: They will not be off season champ.

00:30:10
Speaker 7: I think we all know what Greg's actual strategy is here. You guys will learn about it in the coming presentation.

00:30:17
Speaker 2: I want to hear next.

00:30:19
Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm going next. I'm gonna go rams. I've been given high scores. You guys buried my bears, my bears nine point.

00:30:28
Speaker 8: Nine point two point nine. You know what, I kept the receipts just for that.

00:30:33
Speaker 6: No, this is exactly what we knew was gonna happen.

00:30:36
Speaker 4: You presented the Bears, you didn't score them at all. You don't know what you're talking about.

00:30:39
Speaker 3: I'm doing the Rams just because someone should, and I was surprised no one was gonna.

00:30:46
Speaker 4: Take them month.

00:30:47
Speaker 3: Okay, they have less players that they added, but when you really look at big off season hauls, a lot of the times, the teams that win the off season are not the tea that add a ton of flashy players because it ultimately doesn't usually work out. It's the team that added one incredibly important piece and knew the right pieces to hold on to. That's what the Rams did. DeVante Adams will be the most important player added from another team in the entire NFL this offseason. Not only is he a huge upgrade on where Cooper cup was. Sorry, I don't think it's going to work out for Seattle. I think there's a reason the Rams let him go. I think DeVante Adams is exactly what this offense needs and is still a top twenty receiver.

00:31:33
Speaker 4: If he.

00:31:35
Speaker 3: Was five years younger but played the exact way that he plays, I think he would have gotten like seventy million dollars guaranteed.

00:31:42
Speaker 4: I don't understand how they got Davante A. Adams in.

00:31:45
Speaker 3: How the rest of the league let the Rams get him in at that salary.

00:31:49
Speaker 4: It's amazing. Matthew Stafford.

00:31:51
Speaker 3: His contract details came out over the last week. They didn't have to give him any guaranteed money into the second year. He's only getting already only getting forty four million dollars this year.

00:32:02
Speaker 4: That's great for.

00:32:04
Speaker 6: And four million of that was paid last year.

00:32:06
Speaker 3: Right like normal people. That's good, But that's like the Gino Smith area a little less. That's the fifteenth highest paid quarterback in the entire league. And not only did they get them for that, but they're like, we're not going to guarantee you any money next year, even though the Raiders and the Giants are going to guarantee you like ninety million dollars over two years. He's taken less money to give them more flexibility so that they can quietly keep their offensive line together. Alec Jackson was a nice resigning considering what was out there. They got off the Jonah Jackson contract. That was painful, but it was a mistake, and they want to stop the run. They bring in Punaford, But to me, it's more about those two guys. It's a clear vision. It's DeVante Adams, it's Matthew Stafford. It's building up such a good culture and a coaching staff that Matthew Stafford even wants to stay over getting more money elsewhere.

00:32:54
Speaker 4: That is why they won the offseason.

00:32:56
Speaker 7: The joining thread between both of those players that you mentioned in you alluded to this was the recruitment and the pursuit by Sean McVay of both players, Davante Adams. You can read about this at the Athletic dot com expensively. By the way, Davante Adams was in Japan with and thought that his like phone was broken because he saw he had gotten a video from Sean McVay that was taking forever to load, and he was like, oh my gosh, what could this possibly be? Is my phone broken? Restarted it, like, updated everything whatever. No, the video was taking that long because it was seven minutes long, and it was one of two videos that Sean McVay sent him, narrating Davante Adams highlights while holding his phone to a TV and playing Davante Adams cut ups.

00:33:39
Speaker 4: I gotta cut up the video a little bit though, narrating and if.

00:33:43
Speaker 8: Baldy breaked down, he had cut ups.

00:33:44
Speaker 6: They were he had them made for this exact recruitment. It was.

00:33:48
Speaker 7: It was so interesting how he like, he was like, I don't care how this looks. I'm going after this guy. You know, and like he it was. So it's the same thing with Matthew Stafford, getting him in a room, sitting down talking about the short term and the long term future.

00:34:04
Speaker 6: After Matthew Stafford has two offers.

00:34:06
Speaker 7: With huge amounts of guaranteed money on them from other teams, getting him into a room at unhinged hour behavior five point thirty in the morning, six thirty in the morning on a Friday, and saying, Okay, this team wants to win a super Bowl and laying out a plan of how they're going to try to get this second super Bowl with Matthew Stafford, solidify a Hall of Fame case, solidify you know, all the things that come with that. And I think that that's an important thing with his head coach, who commands the belief to do it.

00:34:35
Speaker 5: Yeah, and their top pick the tight end, Terence Ferguson. He was the top tester at the tight end position at the combine. And I feel like the poon Afford replacing Bobby Wagner was a necessity and I like it.

00:34:49
Speaker 3: I love that they addressed the poon Afford thin because they needed a run stopper, and yeah, they've been wanting that second tight end.

00:34:54
Speaker 4: Thank you for helping me out.

00:34:55
Speaker 3: Terrence Ferguson, I'm going to give myself a ten on that, just because I think you're fired up. Self love is important, but I'm not allowed to grade myself, So I'll start with Colleen. Colleen, what is your score for the Rams?

00:35:10
Speaker 8: A seven?

00:35:12
Speaker 4: Okay, what do you got?

00:35:15
Speaker 6: I want to hear why she gave them a seven.

00:35:17
Speaker 5: Because I actually think the Cardinals had a better off season, and I gave you a higher grade, so now I have to go lower that.

00:35:23
Speaker 6: I love that explanation.

00:35:25
Speaker 7: Oh my god, Jordan, Okay, I gave them a nine point five.

00:35:29
Speaker 6: Certainly no bias here.

00:35:30
Speaker 3: I was going to say, you made a strong case for them in support, so yeah, it's good to see that.

00:35:35
Speaker 7: So but also the reason why I didn't give them actually even higher because I thought they had the exact off season that a team that thinks it's going for a super Bowl this year has, including stocking future first round picks that they may or may not even have next season.

00:35:48
Speaker 6: They may use it before the trade deadline.

00:35:51
Speaker 8: To build up good let's need this is cooking.

00:35:54
Speaker 6: Back to FM picks era.

00:35:56
Speaker 7: They've sent the signal, so this is a worry for me is the second, and they may add Jalen Ramsey still, but the secondary is thin, and they've taken a strategy of late of adding plug and play veterans and sort of patching the outside the perimeters of the secondary together and playing really talented young safeties in the middle of the field and in the box, but then having sort of like these patch and play vets on the outsides that they think are assisted by their pass rush, which sometimes can work and sometimes can really make you pay so and it did at times last season when quarterbacks could break contain and work out a structure against them. So that's still an area that I'm concerned about with them. They may change that before the summer is over. But I gave them a nine point five.

00:36:36
Speaker 3: All right, We are on the edge of our seats here waiting to find out you have to get over the top at twenty five. We're at sixteen point five now using my brain, I think it needs to be over eight point six to find out whether the Rams could get into First, we're going to the producer room.

00:36:54
Speaker 4: Oh what's the score here?

00:36:55
Speaker 6: You already see it.

00:36:56
Speaker 1: Ten guys, perfect ten, perfect ten, not the eleven that Chris wanted to handle out.

00:37:03
Speaker 8: Wow, what's going on back there?

00:37:06
Speaker 1: No, this is I mean, it makes sense. This is the only team you guys are talking Super Bowl with. Then they thought they're one away from last year from making you.

00:37:13
Speaker 3: Know, clapping here you go, hold on, Wow, the Rams into first place at twenty six point five because it's being the headset off of Eric.

00:37:23
Speaker 6: Yeah, it's like the signing dominancepector.

00:37:27
Speaker 10: The pick swop and they're building a city in Woodland Hills, like everything's going.

00:37:32
Speaker 3: Okay, we're not going to give it off. Isn't giving them any extra credit for building a facility? Okay, like more than a decade after they moved here. What's taken so long? You let the Chargers beat you at that? All right, let's go, let's move on. Please ye too much?

00:37:44
Speaker 7: I just want I'm next. So I just want to say, okay, I just want to say I'm still going to be the one that gets trolled, even though we have a literal Rams homer behind the booths.

00:37:52
Speaker 4: Right, although you did give them a nine point five.

00:37:55
Speaker 6: I deserved a nine point five.

00:37:56
Speaker 4: I agree.

00:37:57
Speaker 3: Let's wrap things up and uh, let's do it with Jordan Rodrick.

00:38:01
Speaker 7: This team could actually at the end of the day to take the lead, and I think they have among the strongest cases of any team in the NFL, especially relative to what last season looked like overall and how much of a difference this offseason so far has made.

00:38:17
Speaker 6: I have the New England.

00:38:19
Speaker 7: Patriots to somewhat grivicingly present for your consideration, and yes, I do believe, and this is why, as someone who doesn't necessarily talk up the Patriots a lot, I happily present them because the best move they could have possibly made overall was hiring Mike Vrabel as their head coach. That alone gives them a ton of points, because Mike Rabel is also the type of coach who will be seen and heard in every part of the building, bringing a cohesion and also like getting adult decision makers in every part of that building, including the front office. And look no further than their off season as proof. It is natural and normal that bad teams have to overspend in free agency to get above average players to lift the floor of their roster. So be it as long as they also, and I want to emphasize this, also nail the draft and compliment and it especially helps to already have your quarterback figured out, which they do. New England does owe a league leading one hundred and ninety seven point eight million dollars in guaranteed money on contract signed this offseason, including winning a few bidding wars in Milton Williams and losing a couple of ones Chris Godwin, Coleman, Shelton. And I'm not judging about that amount. Why because they did nail the draft. I can actually see the vision for every single pick, and especially with their first four picks, how they specifically maximize the help outlets, protection and production for quarterback.

00:39:41
Speaker 6: Drake may Well.

00:39:42
Speaker 7: Campbell, a top offensive lineman who literally said he's willing to fight and die for his quarterback, though, is now one of the sort of captain material young core players on that roster. Treveon Henderson also a captain material core player on that roster, a pass protection expert and a great outlet for Drake Mae especially a great runner especially outside the guards and in the passing game. Kyle Williams one of the sneaky best receivers in this class. All he does is get open. And Jared Wilson, who eventually is going to take over for Garrett Bradburry if that investment at center does not work out, and I could see that happening sooner than later. My only question that actually remains about this team is how they go about sorting out all of the pieces that they added this offseason, And also still a little bit of hesitation about Josh McDaniels, who, outside of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, has question marks about his communication, his style of coaching, and the way that he can teach and communicate his offense. But here's where I also think they won. Mike Vrabel set about hiring a staff of people who are really solid teachers and communicators, almost making up for the fact that he understands he's self aware of how difficult that offense is to pick up and understanding that in order to actually build a functional group that lifts the entire floor of this team together and raises the ceiling, they're going to have to all be on the same page, from how he hired a staff to who we added and who all of this team. How this team is overhauling and overturning in one off season. I think it is special, and whether or not their record reflects it, at the end of the year. It is a new day in New England.

00:41:12
Speaker 8: You should be a lawyer. That was beautiful, he really was.

00:41:17
Speaker 3: Yeah, they win just off that they win off of the most like people added, I mean that's usually it kind of wins in terms of off season championships, and then it usually doesn't look good in the end.

00:41:28
Speaker 5: But I'm a little concerned about mac Hollins not wearing shoes.

00:41:32
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's a problem.

00:41:33
Speaker 6: Like they might have just it in Buffalo.

00:41:35
Speaker 3: If you just counted like the news starters that they have, it could be like nine, like Will Campbell, Garret Bradbury, both of those might be below average starters.

00:41:44
Speaker 6: Morgan, most you hate Will Campbell so much.

00:41:46
Speaker 3: I'm just saying a rookie, how many rookie tackles have been above average starters as rookie, He's a top five pick. It's not too often. Sure, so was Neil and a Kanwu. They were top ten picks a few years ago. I'm just saying, as a you can't expect Garrett brad Barry and Will Campbell to like be plus players necessaria. But in terms of new starters, Campbell, Bradbury, Morgan, Moses Stefan Diggs eventually Kyle Williams, maccollins, Ish, Milton Williams, Carlton, Davis, Roberts, Fulane, Harrol Landry. It's a totally different team. So whether it does, if you need it to be, it had to be a totally different If you hit on five of those, then I think you did well. The McDaniel's point is a is a good one that he needs to show.

00:42:23
Speaker 6: But I think there are enough people in that building that make up for him.

00:42:27
Speaker 3: I mean, he he also you know he had the he had the Matt Castle season. You know, was he still there? I don't remember. No, he was in Denver at that time. All right, Colleen, let's go to your score first.

00:42:39
Speaker 8: Perfect even from the Russian judge.

00:42:46
Speaker 3: Let's go to the back here, and Eric gives in eight strong eight in interesting You get the coach right.

00:42:53
Speaker 2: That's a big thing, guys.

00:42:55
Speaker 4: You know what. I an interesting score there, Eric.

00:42:58
Speaker 7: That's an honorable thing to do, because we know where your allegiances lie in buff.

00:43:02
Speaker 2: Maybe they're still going to finish like third in the division. But it was.

00:43:04
Speaker 3: As a subtweet, Chris, yes, because I think you know now that it's down to the last vote here and what they're.

00:43:12
Speaker 6: At Oh shocking, they're in the New England Patriots.

00:43:15
Speaker 4: They're at eighteen.

00:43:16
Speaker 1: He's doing the meth.

00:43:18
Speaker 4: I'm trying to do the mat I did it last time too.

00:43:20
Speaker 8: You're counting cards, But do you really.

00:43:22
Speaker 4: Want to be off season championship?

00:43:24
Speaker 3: I mean that might be like a scarlet letter a little bit, you know for these New England Patriots. The Rams are sitting at twenty six point five, and so the Patriots would need what over eight point five to be the official off season you.

00:43:42
Speaker 8: Play to win the game champion.

00:43:44
Speaker 6: R No, I know what you're doing.

00:43:46
Speaker 4: I'm gonna give them an eight point four nine. The Rams are off season champions for gratulations.

00:43:55
Speaker 6: Wow, Rag just wants my men s flooded.

00:44:00
Speaker 4: With Oh no, I don't, no, I don't.

00:44:03
Speaker 5: Yeah, but they have the potential to win both the off season and the season.

00:44:07
Speaker 3: I you know, even though I'm having a little fun there with the Patriots, if I was ranking these teams, it is why I chose the Rams. Like I believe in the Rams, and I would have put the Cardinals and Bears maybe ahead of them too, But you know, to each his own, they're all great candidates. Do we have any honorable mentions.

00:44:24
Speaker 7: Yeah, okay, this was so fun, by the way, congrat love to all the contenders, Congrats to all.

00:44:29
Speaker 4: The offers, the Rams.

00:44:30
Speaker 8: This is yeah falling right now.

00:44:33
Speaker 7: Whether or not everything completely implodes through whatever supernatural force exists, it's going to be fun. Every year that I've covered that team, it's either been a complete disaster or the absolute highest of highs. And there's no in the middle. And I call that the reverse Jeff Fisher. There's just there's no middle space that they existed anymore. So my honorable mention for off season champions. I love the Denver Broncos off season. They were already a strong team. They made their defense stronger. I just they were already such a quiet threat to really watch. I love that they added running back in the draft. I just think that they are going to be a team to seriously watch out for. And they're in such a tough division. I know, but it just is going to be so much fun watching how they continue to build off of a strong first season. And I had so much fun watching that defense last year. And I don't I said this on the other show, like I don't know who the hell opposing quarterbacks are going to throw at right. That entire secondary. It's full of players you want to avoid. Now.

00:45:35
Speaker 3: I love that their off season the Chiefs were the hardest one for me to leave UF. I think they've had an incredible offseason to get two potential left tackles in an offseason where it's impossible to get it. I like their backup quarter. I get like that they brought Hollywood Brown. I think they quietly were awesome.

00:45:52
Speaker 4: The Colts. If it wasn't for Daniel Jones, I would throw.

00:45:54
Speaker 6: The Raiders were another honorable mention for the Jets.

00:45:56
Speaker 4: I've liked in general with just the approach that they've had.

00:45:59
Speaker 8: I like the Jets.

00:46:00
Speaker 5: Okay, Jack Collen and Travis Hunter doesn't even have to leave Jacksonville.

00:46:04
Speaker 8: It's like the first time that someone is happy to.

00:46:06
Speaker 6: Stay in a bold new era in Jacksonville and a.

00:46:10
Speaker 3: Bold new era on this show. The first ever off season championship surprisingly won by the Los Angeles Rams. I did not expect that coming into today.

00:46:19
Speaker 6: But yeah, what could go wrong?

00:46:20
Speaker 4: It's an off season of change. Yeah, maybe it is.

00:46:23
Speaker 3: They are the team of the ones that we talked about that I think has the best chance to go deep in the playoffs, So maybe it's good for the off season champion manners branding h to go with a team that we think could have some postseason championship as well.

00:46:36
Speaker 4: It really show that we were ahead of things. Okay, I don't know.

00:46:40
Speaker 7: If you guys, if you guys, listeners, viewers, if you liked this, let us know. We had so much fun doing it. We want to do more. So if you liked it, let us know.

00:46:47
Speaker 4: And if you didn't like it, don't let us know.

00:46:49
Speaker 6: Yeah, would you vote if you didn't like it? I don't give a shit.

00:46:53
Speaker 3: That's it for today's NFL Daily. We will be back on Thursday morning. Thursday morning with Patrick claibon really looking forward it talking about some players, some teams who suffered some collateral damage after the draft. Always loved having Patrick back. But yes, this was the first and not the last episode of and the Winner is Congratulations to Caldeana Grande in the Los Angeles