2022 Free Agency Frenzy Day 3: Success Leaves Clues

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Speaker 1: Be around the NFL podcast refuses to apologize to Titans Twitter from the Chris Westling podcast studio. It's around the NFL. You know, Julio Jones should apologize to the Titans sort of stealing their money. But that's a story for a different section of today's episode. Dan Hansis Greg grows with all Mark Sesler, I don't even believe that you can't apologize. He tried his best, it didn't work out. Whatever, what's up, guys. I just think Titans Twitter should be happy that they're so front and center on this podcast over the last year, certainly helped out by Justin Graver, the grave digger behind the glass again. But now that Julio's gone, we're actually entering into the three to four month period where we no longer talk about the Titans so enjoyed. Today they are tad whiney. I find that to be true. Um, maybe they could look at themselves and say, what can we correct versus constantly hitting out at us or other people that maybe at times are are slightly nonplus with their performance. Very well said Mr Sessler. Uh, this is happy New Year. Do we have a celebration? Yeah? Hit us with a little celebration graver while we're at it, even though he's probably he's a professional. We just bury the Titans in the biggest of all spots, and yet right on Cue keeps delivering. He keeps delivering. And and let's not even pretend act like a message is not being sent behind the glass within that world. Now some of the social stuff we're seeing the production value of the show. I can't do that from you know, the beach. You're very clear in your messaging this week, Dan uh get a little bit more met every day. Um, today was the day that I've been waiting for for so long. The Russell Wilson introductory press conference took place today at two three not an accident, uh Mountain time, introduced by the Broncos as the new quarterback, and we thought it would be we we talked about how excited um I was, how E said, we were to to see the unintentional comedy scale get shattered. So it only made sense that we uh check out the press conference, and instead of doing something live on Twitter, as Greg had initially planned, we said, why don't we, you know, do something a little more permanent podcast wise. We'll watch it and then we're gonna have graver or cut some clips and we're gonna take in the presser. That was russ. I think maybe a little bit of a Game of Thrones finale scenario here where you're feeling a little bit let down. You were hoping for some more fireworks on Russell's Russell's uh part, but there was still some fun to dig into over there. Well. I think that maybe Russell Wilson didn't have a total star turn in terms of like cheesiness and folly, but there were other figures present that I thought maybe provided one really on Mark's rain, that's for sure. Oh man, a man who's got a lot of positive vibes on this show, man that has marched the troops with grace and dignity, I think, But let's we're gonna save it. He's a tease because I want to know. But before we get into the Russell Wilson introductory press conference, let's get you caught up in the news and speaking of Mark Sessler, his boyhood team, he's a grown man team at the center of it all. This is starting to become very very real that the Browns are gonna go to the playoff. They're in victory formation at Baker Mayfield takes a knee and the ball game is over. At the Cleveland Browns have made it into the NFL playoffs for the first time in eighteen long years. So bringing up that clip to get into the Baker may He feel situation, because it's it's kind of incredible to me that when Baker Mayfield and the Browns they clinch a playoffs about there, they beat the Steelers in the playoffs, they take the Chiefs down to the wire. That was last year. That was early two thousand twenty one, and now here we are with what appears to be almost certainly the end of the Baker Mayfield era. That's how quickly things turned here as the Browns um are in the pursuit of Deshaun Watson as we understand. And now Baker Mayfield releases a statement on his Twitter um late yesterday um saying that, uh, whatever happens, I just want to say thank you and sounded like a goodbye statement. Then the reporting comes out the next day, Uh Mary kay Cabot. She reports it's very unlikely the Browns and Baker Mayfield have a future together. Then Chris Mortenson of ESPN comes out and says the Browns are headed for a divorce with Baker even if the Deshaun Watson thing doesn't happen, and then the stinging line they would like to have an adult at quarterback. Mark your thoughts on how all of this has really spiraled in terms of the Browns and their um security at the quarterback position. Its spiraled quickly for us that are catching up to the news, it is pretty clear that Andrew Berry, Kevin Stefanski fill in the blank have been aiming to move on from Baker Mayfield. I would say even going back as far as during chunks of last season, and it's been there's it's been their clear course they've they've been doing homework on Deshaun Watson for a while. We've heard Matt Ryan linked to him. We've heard Derek Carr linked to the Browns. Uh it iron like as a fan, I will not even we can get into the rest of it. I think in the context of what Baker Mayfield, he is, he is not perfect, and I understand organizationally, the struggle on how do you what kind of an extension do you give someone who's clearly in a different tier um. Secondly, if you're Andrew Berry, You're constantly gonna be looking to upgrade at quarterback that you you cannot be one of the five or six teams in the a f C without one of those guys. And I think Baker Mayfield, if you list the a f C quarterbacks from top to bottom, is like eleven or twelve. I mean if he's not, but he's just the floor is problematic and the ceiling is problematic with Baker Mayfield. That said, in the context of what he did for the Cleveland Browns after twenty five years of shattered seasons and terrible quarterback play, me emotionally sees him differently because I do think he gave them an air of attitude. Uh And he kind of came in and said, I understand, I'm coming to a team was one in thirty one. Let me take you to the playoffs. And frankly like he changed that organization in a big way. He changed the expectations of the organization. He gave them an attitude and identity. Not alone, but he was a big part of that. And these divorces are messy, and I think if you're a Browns fan, where I stand right now is number one I don't like the way this is playing out. And you can paying Baker Mayfield for going on and writing a letter when someone like Jimmy je didn't do that when the Niners traded up multiple picks to get trade lance. They're different people. This is the Baker Mayfield experience. But secondly, when I hear things like they're looking for an adult and they're, you know, concurrently doing homework and meeting with the Shawn Watson. I have been a Browns fan since n that's longer than a ton of people listening to the show. Have you even been on the Earth? I get that it's mostly sucked, and you stick around because of loyalty, because you think that the minute that you bounce this thing that's been this ugly is probably gonna leave you behind and goes somewhere glorious. I don't really care where it goes right now. I am out on this team, and I'm not saying that as some sort of grand standing, look at me type of thing. I'm not. I The energy around what they're doing right now is as negative as anything that the Browns have authored as since I followed this team, and there's been a lot of bad things and I just I can't follow. I cannot connect the dots and how they think this is going to connect with one of the best fan bases in sports. I understand that will be a divided fan base, but I am d energized by it. It's as cynical as as you can get um following a sports team, and my energy is not with them right now because of Watson. Because of Watson, the Baker Mayfield thing, the Baker Mayfield thing is a byproduct of that, and I don't like how that's playing out either in in a vacuum. I have no problem with them looking to upgrade from Baker Mayfield to fill in the blank quarterback that they just simply believe in more, whether it's a draft pick or something else, I don't I cannot like imagine a version of me getting right into raw raw mode for Deshaun Watson a month from now or in the middle of next season. It just is It's the one pursuit in the one angle and the one answer that I just don't really find. The Browns aren't alone on this, but it does, like you were speaking, gragging, you spoke really eloquently on it. The situation with Deshaun Watson and how the media has covered that situation, Like, let's pay attention here to what's going on in the NFL right now with ownership and teams that are rolling out the red carpet for Deshaun Watson and hosting him and hoping that he picks them like that is some grim business as well around Watson and I totally get it, Mark, you know, you know you and I we have that shared bond unfortunately of when you think you have a guy at quarterback and he's not the guy. And and look at that draft two thousand eighteen, Baker won Donald three and now both guys will probably be history from their team to be competing against each other in Carolina. They could they certainly could be. But I think what makes this situation different is, first of all, Baker had some legitimate success um and be how quickly things changed on the surface like you're saying, but behind the scenes, it sounds like Greg the Browns have not been sold on Baker for a long time. And that's and that's now what's coming out in public. Well, I know, not trying to make this all about us but or about you, Dan, but I mean, let's bring up the elephant in the room. Tony GROSSI was on our show last week with the Flashpoint series talking Baker Mayfield, and um, you know he he pointed out they weren't even interested in signing him to a long term extension when they put up forty eight on the Steelers in the playoffs, and that that was telling. And um, it's a huge win, uh for the Flashpoint series. I mean, I know there's a lot to digest here, but ultimately we look at the last the first two flashpoints, who are they? Well, yes, well let's play Hey, here you go, justin Gohad. And it should be noted that we're about to get to the news with Carson Wentz. Who's the latest big name quarterback to be moved in a trade? Ricky, I believe me the Horns again, I believe he was the first subject of the Flashpoint series. It's about getting in front the story, not reacting to the story. That's what the flash points about. Looking backwards, we could have done it on any number of quarterback and do that because we're doing it on Baker, it suggests, you know, almost energy wise, that something massive will happen with Baker may Wow. I made have brought this up to the only thing we got wrong was it wasn't ten to fourteen days, it was seven. That is wild. We almost could misuse this power and make the next flashpoints serious about anything that we know will end in chaos about it another way to look at it too, and now the war trying to fix the war. But when you with the Carson Wentz and Baker Mayfield, when you have The Godfather Part one and Godfather Part two to start a series, maybe you walk away. Maybe maybe that's how it ends. It's a it's a great point, um and and I I am annoyed that just personally that like I didn't feel like seeing this coming a week or or three weeks ago when we were talking about it late in the season. Now you guys remember that I was kind of standing on the table thinking when those stories came out about Stefanski, and I went back and read through some of them this morning. There was some in December where he was unhappy with the play calling, and then there was a lot on the record. He talked about how the protection wasn't great, He talked about how they were too conservative. Three weeks before that he called out Mary Kay and say I won't be your puppet in the exact same week that he was quoted after the game complaining about Stefanski, and I thought that was a rough moment and if they weren't ready to move on, like that's gonna inform it because an adult in the room. It makes sense to me in the sense that he doesn't seem like he's brought his team along with him. You hear whispers it's not just the Odell thing, but that the locker room maybe is not totally in love with him, And I think that's where he's getting it for the adult thing, and and you can see it in some of the ways he acts. Even the statement that you mentioned on Tuesday night, to me, it's it's it reads to me as phony. It reads to me as phony in the sense that you're trying to put this out there um to win some sort of pr battle or your or you're or you're just in your feelings. And that's totally understandable too, but but it just feels a little phony to me, and that he's playing this public game. The part that I totally respect what you're saying, Mark about the adult in the room is you're doing Um, you're saying that at the same time that you're going after Deshaun Watson, who has been accused of all these sexual misconducts, and you're essentially using those cases as a way to get DeShawn Watson likes. It's like the darkest way to use analytics or moneyball or market inefficiency possible. And that's not really being the adult in the hello, Like, if you're if you have a source connected to the Browns telling Mortenson we want an adult a QB. You're trying to trade that guy. Why are you like messing with your own leverage trying to move Baker Mayfield out of the picture when you're putting it out there that he's immature and is not a leader of men. It's that's frustrating. But the other part of it, before Mark that Um, before the Baker statement came out, we were texting yesterday and I was like, why don't they just run it back with Baker. All these teams are just running it back with these mid tier guys and guys they are not sure about the At least the Browns have a guy with some history. But again that's before a lot has happened since that text exchange between you and I that we just there's more to it now. There's more layers than just Baker's shoulder was hurt and now it's given a chance to get back on track. They want a fresh start. Yeah, and I think the relationship everything that Gregg mentioned is too fractured in has been fractured, and their intentions and how they feel about make Baker Mayfield is super clear to Baker Mayfield and like him or not, he is not a personality, you know. In contrast, there are reports that Matt Ryan understood the Falcons may look into X, Y and Z, like Jimmy g a year talked to Matty. That's the thing Like with Baker's response, I think is part of baked into what the Cleveland Browns wanted a quarterback or don't want. And that's why you're hearing about these options like do I want Derek Carr more than Baker Mayfield. I mean, I guess not forever. But it's like they're simply trying to find a different personality and a different person It kind of reminds me of what happened with Carson Wentz and the Cults, because it wasn't just Carson Wentz's play not that alone at least, and so it this constant need to upgrade. I get that if it were a video game on the On the flip side, I think that the Browns fan in me, and I think a lot of Browns fans would feel in general that how quickly this period of hope went from this unusual new feeling as a fan to completely window close. Like Dan, you talked about them having a Super Bowl window, and I said, it's it's the window on a dollhouse, because it's it's to me, not a legit window. And they got some good players. I think it's it's a football decision, though too. All the leadership stuff would be swept under the rug if he was Russell Wilson. And and this does remind me of the Russell Wilson divorced to like it happens to the greats of the great So if you're a middle tier guy like Baker, it's it's probably inevitable that it's gonna get ugly. To me, it's more about football ultimately than anything. It's about leadership, and that he makes it about himself. And I guess when I'm saying of his phony like that's even the injury stuff that Mary Kay wrote about that that was one of the bones of contention that they both handled the injury stuff differently, and how that plays in the locker room. And even thinking back a couple of years, how he said either you're on this train, you or not when Duke Johnson asked for a trade like and how that's going to play in the locker room. That that's maturity. But if he was Russell Wilson or he was Aaron Rodgers, we're not having conversation. And I think his limitations as a player are real. He can throw it. I mean, he's miles better than Sam Donald. He's i think a mid level starting quarterback. The things he does well are great. I mean, if he sees the throw, he's a beautiful thrower of the ball, deep, short, accurate, whatever. But he doesn't have the processing and seeing the field. And maybe part of it is a hype, but people that really study the tapes that he doesn't see the middle of the field, he doesn't react quick enough, and then all those secs that you take, if you play like Russell Wilson, you've gotta make up for it with athleticism and creativity and he just doesn't quite get you there, and so then all the other stuff comes into play. Do we want to deal with this guy when really there's not that much of a difference between him and whoever we get behind door number two. I think you know, he has a little more upside than Jimmy g He's got a little certainly more upside than case Keenum or Brissett, But it's like the difference between the two that big that you want to keep him when you know he's not your char No. I think you see what you can get for him. Now, if Carson Wentz can get you two thirds, Baker Mayfield still got some value. I saw mg D in the newsroom and he was He basically said that Baker Mayfield in a good way raise the expectations high for Cleveland, but he himself couldn't reach the expectations that he helped create. And it's like that is the problem with the mid tier quarterback. And again, I don't have a problem with moving on, but there is a scenario where they move on to almost nothingness unless there are multiple avenues of strategy, which I would assume there are with Andrew Barry that if this doesn't work out, you're going else, somewhere else, but you're gonna lose the fan base, a big chunk of the fan base. For how this has gone down, I guess my the natural question is, Okay, Baker is not the guy in and if they don't end up with with Shaun Watson, who is the quarterback in Cleveland for a roster that Yeah, the window is different sizes depending on who you ask in terms of their viability as a contender this year, but they're in a very vulnerable position now. Uh, Bryan potentially car I guess Jimmy Jamis Winston like, is Baker a difference? But is Baker much better than any of those guys? I would say no. And then in the draft, yeah, interesting setup. And if I am the if I have another team, if I'm Seattle, if I'm Indianapolis, I would think Baker would become like with Carson wentz Is in Washington. Uh, some of these other deals we're seeing where it's like, okay, or you know, Mitch Drabinsky in Pittsburgh will take a flyer on this guy. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't, and then we can move on. He's one year left and he has the the shine of being a number one overall draft pick, of having some really effective stretches of play in the NFL, like he played really well as a rookie. I think the league caught up to him a little bit. He certainly played well at the end of I think he's a much better player than Carson Wentz, for instance, and I think he'll have a little more value. He makes a lot of sense to me with Seattle. Just feels like a Seattle because I've I've never bought that they want to rebuild. I think they would see his attitude. He's on the final year of his contract. As long as he doesn't want a big new contract, I could totally see them giving up a second round pick for him. If not them, then yeah, you mentioned the Colts, the Panthers. I I think he's a very tradeable asset. So it makes like they don't regret giving them the fifth year option. They had no choice, of course, they had to a year ago. At this time, they weren't even giving him the long term deal. Don't turn listen to a bonfire. The vanity situation now where you where you go back and forth in the media saying what a bad guy and teammate he is. I mean, we're just just make the trade at this point and and try to move forward here. They're not going to have control because players are gonna talk, like Duke Johnson already sent out that that tweet, and I think there's some people who he rubbed the wrong way that there doesn't need to be leaking things to the mores of the world. Mark, I want you to the final word on this, just because obviously it's such a seismic thing around the Browns. When things were good with Baker and the Browns, it was a lot of fun. Though, like when he's he always had that swagger going back to college, when he put the flag at midfield stay like he was always that dude. And when that got paired with him playing well like in that Pittsburgh game that back half of that season, it really did feel like he had something there and it was a nice run. I guess well, especially during his rookie year when I think he was playing fast and loose and not in the even the current system that I don't think it's the greatest system for Baker Mayfield. And you know, I would sit home at night and actually turn on like NFL films, and it was like these sixteen minute long featurettes on like live sound of Baker Mayfield during a game and he's like making fun of Freddie Kitchens when Freddie Kitchens was still an assistant and then he's throwing an eight yard touchdown. It's like, I have never seen this as a Browns fan. As an adult. You go back to when I was in middle school. I don't even remember what was happening. Back then. It felt incredibly hopeful, and it's all so quickly changed. And uh, I mean, you got to check yourself at the door if you get two bought in on one of these teams, because the way the NFL parks on a bus, it's not even separate him and from like a Wentz because it's just he's in the mid It's crazy to think that he gave us that moment though with Chris with West on our show. He gave us that playoff win that we all got to enjoy together. Uh, one of Chris's last times on the show. And it was awesome. It was awesome for Brown's fan to see them win that game. And and the crazy thing looking back is and I went to look at the PF grades and stuff. Those three games he played to get into the playoffs over Pittsburgh and then to beat Pittsburgh and then the divisional round. I thought he played fantastic. That was as good at three games stretch as he ever had. Like, he had some brilliant moments. He played well when it mattered the most. But I just don't think they saw him as the long term guy. Yeah, and last year heard him a lot. Uh. While we're talking about the Browns. A couple other notes. Austin Hooper, by the way, great example Austin Hooper. This time of year in free agencies, so much money is handed out and a lot of these deals don't work out. The Browns gave him, uh three years four million a couple of years back in free age. And see they cut ties with the tight end now, so Hoober's out of the picture in Cleveland. And what else was there? Scientific cam Grant one of the most fun uh kind of fourth receiver punt returners in the league. I like to cream there you go, all right, we got a lot more to get to. Let's take a break. We'll be right back. In other news, non Browns related, the Raiders. They add to their pass rush with Chandler Jones. A nice move here by Las Vegas men. The a f C West has a lot of juice to it. Let's let's uh, let's be honest. Chandler Jones now gets to line up um with another big time pass rusher, and you get you get the idea here with Max Crosby that all these teams it's become an arms race. Now, how do we stop all these big time quarterbacks Jones has been. I don't think anyone has more Saxon Jones since he came into the league. That's a nice get right. I think this was about relationships too, because obviously we know the Chandler Jones can play still. Josh McDaniels, Dave Ziegler, these are former Patriots guys. They have Patrick grahams or defensive coordinator. Patrick Graham worked with Chandler Jones as a d line coach or a linebackers coach, been both positions back in New England. And it's like you ship out certain players. You bring in guys are gonna fit your system, and I like to fit because I think Channel Jones isn't is someone that produces year after year, And I mean it's not just the what do you have the five sacks in Week one a year ago? It's like he's he was a little up and down last year, but in general he's been very consistent, and you know he can bring the heat in a quarterback in division with tons of quarterbacks. That's a wild pass. RS Duo Crosby and Jones. It's funny Arizona gave all that money to J. J. Watt and and ended up losing Jones at least partly because of it. They made they made that choice, and but it makes sense with a new coaching staff coming in, they ship out Yannikenackway to Indianapolis for a cornerback, rock Ya sin So they also the Raiders also get a guy who will be projected to the art at cornerback for them, who had a pretty nice bounce back good second year. The Colts seemed to like him. That that's a fair trade, a good like, a good move for the Colts. Um. But I like I like Josh McDaniels in the in the Raiders knowing that they're gonna have to be better on defense in that division. All these teams have great pass rushers, though on paper the Chargers, the Broncos, the Chiefs are probably the ones that are trailing right now in terms of that. And in Gockway is going to join Gus Broudley again. So it's again it's like, coach, bring guy in. He knows we'll fitticist. That's his third, third time, that's his fifth team in four years. A little bit of a red flag there, but he he has a good He has a good and they they need it that the Colts need it. They had to give up something to get it. But that's a good deal of NBA like three team trade almost type business for them both to get something out of that. Uh. Speaking of things that looked good on paper, Julio Jones was acquired by the Titans last offseason for a second round pick. He was supposed to form a double Alpha scenario with a J Brown on the opposite ends of the Tennessee offensive attack. It never really came to fruition. Jones once again battled a lot of injury issues. Uh. Did put some good tape out there as well, but overall it was a disappointment. So the Titans say, we're getting out of this business. Uh. They released Julio Jones reportedly will be designated a post June first cut. Saves Tennessee nine and a half million against the cap this year, um grave digger. The Titans gave up a second and a fourth round pick for Jones last June, but it never really connected. Are you okay with them moving on and trying to get younger and a little more dynamic and trustworthy at the position. Yeah? I think it was the right move to go for him. You know, see if the hamstring issues were just a one year deal in obviously they ended up not being a hams like they obviously hampered him all season long. He didn't score his first touchdown until the last game of the year. He did have six catches or sixty two yards in the playoff game, but he wasn't on the field for Ryan Tannehill's last throw of the game, targeting Nick Westbrook a Kina instead and the ball obviously INTERSEPTD. Why wasn't he on the field because the hamstring issue cropped up again and he couldn't be out there. And I think that this was the right man. We had a reputation as a guy uh that never practiced and his body starting to fall apart like just a supreme athlete that maybe didn't have their reputation as always putting in the work in practice. And this isn't just casting dispersions on him. Just look at the practice reports since he hasn't practiced like since September, from September to January, and he's turned in thirty three. I'm with you, Graver. It made sense to me at the time, and yet he's I put him at number fifty. We we uh, we combined here as a group, good group. What are they called? Think tank? Think tank? We were watching the rest of the world. We put him and we saw we thought like between Will Fuller and Marquez Valda scantly and that feels about right right in the middle. Worth worth a shot, Digger, I have a question for you, sugar pick in the draft, good wide receiver draft. Would they have other needs? Would they ever dial one up? I mean, they can't just not address that position. As a fan, I'm hoping that Kris Alave falls to twenty six and ends up in Tennessee. And I'll ask you this, U Digger, because the Titans Film Room podcast covers all things Titans. You and James A. Sparzah, is this call for an emergency podcast or how does it work with your James is an old co host. Actually were I'm with Justin Mellow What happened there? I means breaking up. You know, that's not the that's not them. Yeah, let's not linked to the other situation that you're embroiled in. No, James is a friend, We're we're cool. He just didn't want to do the pot anymore, and we went in a different direction. We got I try to give you a pop and get your buddy's name on the show in a case, and then I found out you fired the guys. Justin Mellow right for the Draft Network. He's he's a great insider. He's the co host nowadays. We talked about we did our pod last night, so we said this was a big possibility and covered it briefly. Well, they had literally they had no cap space going into the league year starting uh I believe they had like less than a million. They were less than a million over. And so now they get ten, but they don't get it until June one. They they unless they make any other moves, they are not going to be particularly active. The team that you got is the team that that you have and I and I really think that Harold Landry contract, not that it was a mistake, but I think it gummed up the works in free agency here of none of these pass rushers wanted to take less than Harold Landry, Like Chandler Jones came in for pretty much Harold Landry's contract and it took him three years on the open market to get it. Greg counterpoint, Yes, great job by the Titans. You've gone and gotten your guy, but you've you've mucked up the market and caused so much consternation that no other team is going to add a pass rusher eventually. I'm this next level like with the Jags did with Christian Kurko, because title Game, Melvin Ingram, there's a little kind of guys out there still looking. Uh. In other we thought that was st uh They didn't end up with Mitch Drabinsky, as I said, he lands with the Steelers to be their starter. Maybe. Uh so the Giants pivot. They signed Tyrod Taylor, formerly of the Texans, formerly of everyone, to a two year, eleven million dollar contract. This is right there, Greg, that is the contract for the like good you know, top backup slash. Maybe I'll be your starter contract. That's the money, right, that's it. I was surprised he got this much. He got eight point to guaranteed, so a little more than Mitch, a little more than Teddy Bridgewater in Miami. It's got to annoy you. No, it's fine. I mean, they were all in the same ballpark. But the fact that Tyrod got it was surprising because he he didn't have a good year in Houston. I mean, I know it was a tough situation, but Davis certainly outplayed him when he came back from that injury. He's turning what thirty three, and this contract would indicate like he's probably gonna play if they have a losing record. Well, the Bills front office guys know him from seventeen and that's the Giants general manager right now. I I like what I like about this. I like about Teddy Bridgewater. I like about Drew Lock. Assuming the Seahawks don't do something totally stupid and at another quarterback, they are properly slotted for the rest of the off season, will we will not talk about them unless we are exorbitant, because we're not gonna have to hear about Tyrod Taylor being sold we're not gonna have to hear about Tyrod Taylor being sold to us as a starter, and they're just in the mix where they should be your equality back up and Joy, did we ever talk Teddy on this show with Miami, because I can tell you what was your short term? Remember you've been compromising talking or we'll be talking some Teddy, We'll be talking some some Tyrode. Yeah, these contracts used to go to like Chase Daniel. It's somehow the prices have not gone up. I had a conspiracy from uh, from someone that was like, what's going on. It's like our teams, our team's cappying these prices at these positions or something. I'm actually surprised that they haven't been that hot. It's called collusions. That was simply the general manager app the GMP them straight. Hey, no one like Teddy. We can all agree, Teddy, Mitch, Tyronne, they're all about the same. Let's let's all slought them in right around here. And I know this from painful experience, and the Giants learned it or experienced at firsthand last year. You do not want to have no true plan at backup quarterback when you have two bums as your backups, guys with no experience or of success, and you end up you end up with Mike Lennon and Jake from and we get stuck with that on like Thursday Night Football. Feel plan here. They just resigned Flacco and gave the origin around tender to Mike White, which is actually two point four million those are back, like Joe Flacco is going to be perfectly mediocre to bad but not embarrassing that he's actually stepped in and been better than you would have imagined the last couple. But you have when you get in a situation where your backups are dreadful, you become unwatchable and there's no progress that the organization can have in any way, even if you're in rebuilding. It just rooms to touch fired that in the Prescott for inside, I think with five or six games like the season, he he had a pretty good chance to return. You'll blew it. In other news that Darius Smith, Hey, the Patriots got a quarterbacks coach out of it or something. That's that's who we want guiding Mac Jones's future. What's going on over there? They've got like three coaches and it's just it's just Belichick, Patricia and Judge. I think they're not as territory of not trying. They're not trying. Patricia and Belichick. We're down at the Georgia Pro Day today. It's too much Patricia. Yeah, Greg Bard's righting. It's like, yeah, Patricia is like the second most powerful guy in the organ dat. It was like, what does happen? Like, who are the There's like three disgraced as a strong word, but the guys that were like by the time they were fired, it was like, oh my god, get this guy out of my building. Matt Patrician Detroit, Joe Judge with the Giants, and then the other guy I could think of on the top of my head. Well, you can say Ryan, you could say Matt Naggy, but I was thinking of Adam Gaze, who I think also wasn't talk with the Patriots at some point, who was in disgrace in Denver and then had like the thirty second scoring offense in St. Louis, and then he's brought back to the comfortable cottage of New England to do his little thing. If we were allowed to go to the desert, and we're not, We're in League UN and I don't know if they have these things, but like I now know, I don't. I now feel like I know why Josh mctagia's It's like Steve check is absolutely going to be the next coach of the New England Pages. I just feel that so strong, and I don't know when that'll be. Maybe it won't be for another day. We're heading there, uh Zadarius Smith is back with the Ravens, the veteran defensive end back to Baltimore on a four year, thirty five billion dollar deal. He began his career with the Ravens, had some success with the Ravens, turned that into a big deal with the Packers in twenty nineteen, had a couple of really nice years in Green Bay, then got hurt and then a salary cap casualty. So he heads back to Baltire mark exactly those type of annoying Ravens moves as a fan of an a f C North team, where you can just imagine him beginning a nice run at a second chapter in Baltimore. I mean, if ten days ago you tweeted that the Ravens were gonna get Marcus Williams and Darius Smith, who I totally trust will thrive in that system. It would be an app It would be viewed as an absolute win for Baltimore. They do this every year. This is why they will be a playoff team once again. I have nothing else to say. They just they just need to be healthy. They must have checked out his back pretty extensively because he, you know, missed all of almost all of last season with a back injury. That's pretty serious. Maybe that's why he didn't get signed until Wednesday. Who knows, but they need They needed guys up front. Derrek Wolf might retire, Brandon Williams is a free agent, Clais Campbell is a free agent. Justin Ellis is a free agent. So they don't have many players up there. Did you say it was pretty you know heated earlier. Definitely was giving you some space and respect. But did you say you were out on the Browns again? You're not? He led with that, absolutely will be out. This is different. This is different, and I understand. I understand that you also will never whenever I say that, you will never buy it. But that was the landscape. This is a different situation. This goes though. Let's say Jimmy g is your is the Browns quarterback and they make I like the other moves they've made so far, Jimmy G and Kevin Stefanski mean and I already know the answer to this. Even that will not lure me back in, and that alone would reason we haven't heard anything about Jamie's. But now they're not gonna go Come on, Mark, come on, this is this is different this and you start you know we're gonna see a Friday night about eight pm, we start seeing the tweets of like side by shot side shots of Jimmy G and Stefanski is like hottest coach quarterback combo in history. You're telling me that's not gonna happen. I don't know. I have two sons. Maybe I decide, like what team they like, and we we go on a new journey together. My son Walker heard j C. Jackson signed with the Chargers. That was his favorite player, and he said, I'm gonna be a Chargers fan. Now if the Chargers in the Patriots play, I'm going to the Charger. I don't know if that's really in the moment, I'll join Greg's tennis. I had a major breakthrough in my house because now my eldest Jack who's seven is starting to kind of get into sports and in a more meaningful way. I haven't pressured him with any of it in terms of following the league's but they've started to watch. I'll come in the room, they'll just be watching, you know, clips like hundred greatest plays and then um. I we were having dinner on Tuesday and I said, Oh, the Jets signed because they're like kind of into the Bengals. After the run, I was like, the Jets, uh signed one of the former Bengals players. I called him a receiver um revering to tight end cjzama and Jack goes, oh, number one. He saw number one. I was like, oh Jamaar Chase. Yeah, yeah, he's really good. I was like, Oh, it's happening, becoming ingrained. Yes, the Hour League, the Shield is taking another soul. Do they think it's cool that you work for our league? Yeah? I find that that doesn't translate. That part does not seem to be We've talked about on the show, like you could you hear the same thing from like Hollywood Stars or Tom Brady. Sure, it's the same thing. It's like they don't right the kid the children of kids that doesn't matter. So obviously podcast host, Uh, that is not gonna get a lower run potentially wait your eight columnist for NFL dot com years ago. Alright, news, the Jaguars are at it again. Darius Williams cornerback, formerly of the Rams. Three years, thirty million, eighteen million, guaranteed this. There's always a team. They're the drunken sailor of free agency. But also it hits on this thing that annoys me as someone that's bad at math. What what the hell is the salary cap and how does it actually work? At what point do they run out of forty million dollar contracts to hand out? There's got to be there. They had the most cap space, i believe, other than the Colts going into free agency, so they had a lot to spend. You spread it out, you know, you put but at a certain point, yeah, they've given out million dollar contry. Sick like the way that your mind was basic logic math that doesn't add up or it makes my mind start to get the cap says they still have thirteen left. I don't know if that includes Darius. That includes Darius Williams though, so I think nobody's really tracking it, and it's all the honor system and people aren't like all the signings suck anyway, so that theory also does not want This is where the pay scale conspiracy comes in, because like, how is darry Darius Williams good player feisty? It's like, how is he slotted just below Carlton Davis and J. C. Jackson there was very little room between the top some weird stuff and uh, and the next level of guys they also seem like they have three outside corners and they don't really have a slot corner, which was the same situation they were in last year. Griffin, yeah, Shaq Griffin and Tyson Campbell who they drafted, and then Trent Balky, who just people like to make fun of. And remember he is the guy. And I think my theory here is he he saw his football mortality. He he knows he was lucky sort of to get one more crack at the Apple. So he's just got to spend as much money as he possibly can because he knows he's gone next year if it if it doesn't work. Uh. He in talking up Darius Williams like, oh, if you don't think he can cover outside, just watch him cover Kristen Kirk and then everyone was like, wait, you just gave Kristen Kirk like eighteen million. Is that? Is that the point you want to be? I think also to your question, Dan, like the Jaguars are gonna have to pay more money than a thriving Super Bowl contender that someone wants to go to because it's in a great city and you're a I know, income tax I don't know it very well enough to say it. It's not a great city, but I would not call it an NFL mecha. It's got probably the smallest NFLF. I started to rank the cities if I was an NFL player that I would want to play in. I feel like Jacksonville's coming in the top half. Weather alone. It helps that it's a warm weather city, but it's not like they have spent over a billion dollars in free agency, more than any other team in the league. And I think they have the most losses since that time too. So this model is not even boom or bust. It's it's largely bust. And they they they're very analytics heavy. They always signed PFF favorites, so funny want to get in and move on. I don't know the last couple of shows. I'm like, I want to think about why is this show so much longer now than it used to be? And we just talk and we talk and we talked we're gonna have anything to talk about in May and June. And by the way, just to make make it clear, as I go into a needless aside um, you could say cooking with Greece, you could say cooking with gas, but there's no such thing, Greg, one crack of the apple, one more bite. Well, I know that I only said that once, right, that was just you just said it earlier. Did it again? I was poised, like, what what do you in your mind envisioning when it's malapropism or something? How about that? I'm not getting involved in us this one, grave digger. Can you give us the correct pronunciation of I think it's I think I think I nailed it. In other news, Marcus May is on the move, the former second round pick of the Jets who had some nice years there, same draft as Jamal Adams uh then blew as Achilles and a contract year and and that seemed like bad news all the way around, but it turns out that he's still got a nice contract from the Saints three years and a half million dollar contract. The Saints, of course, lost Marcus Williams to the Ravens on Wednesday, so this is their guy that's going to be the replacement. A couple of caveats here. One, as I mentioned, blew that Achilles in November, so we don't know where the twenty nine year old is in terms of his rehab. Also, he's facing a suspension connected to a d u I that he failed to report to the team later early last year. I believe it was, so he'll probably be suspended, but maybe that will dovetail nicely with his recovery period. Usually that's one not a not a transcendent player, not Marcus Williams, but the Saints could have done worse as long as he's like the rare guy got drafted at twenty four, like he's suddenly twenty nine, but he's not been in our lives. There's that defense is loaded, you know you you kept Dennis Allen to maximize it. Their secondary looks pretty awesome. Lattimore, Chauncey Gardner, Johnson, Malcolm Jenkins is still there. You add may p J. Williams is a free agent. Uh I am curious. I'm very curious about how this team is gonna look. And they are reportedly the most likely team for Deshaun Watson and and there was even a report that if Sean Payton was around, they were not going after Dennis pushing all and is pushing for it. And that is one difference that you're getting with Dennis Allen era interesting malpropism. What did you say? That's what I said? You got it? Good for you, thank you, justin of course, you know, you know when you can't quickly look up something like that and then feed it right into the show and help us. I can't do that from the beach. No. But Greg, one reason, the only reason that we're bringing that word up is because you did something very strange to an apple verbally previous. So I'd say you're one and one on the season. So I mean it's like, what do you mean at an apple? And then doesn't deciphered what you had done their language wise, but you've got the Apple thing out of the gate. Caused problems for the listener. Well that's a great point, Mark all right. Seahawks signed defensive endy Chenna and Wassu formally in the charges two years twenty million dollar contract. Also in the news, uh, Ravens signed former Jets lineman Morgan Moses Kyle Allen. The quarterback heads to the Texans. Uh, what does that mean? Maybe Davis Mills is gonna get a real shot at that job. Then the Raiders cut Carl nassib uh the situational pass rusher, also the first openly gay NFL player. I'm gonna keep an eye on that one. Uh see what kind of market he has Brian Bulaga. The Chargers cut ties with the offensive lineman and the Washington football team. No, the Commander's release, Matt Ionitas, Brandon Flowers. I landed Collins and Jim Everett the shasier Everett the newso signing was good. The Shaws are spending money. I like him as a as a pass rusher. The Raiders cut ties with the top ten highest paid players of the John Grudin era. Every single one of them is gone. Nick Quickkowski is another guy that they today. I don't think Nassable have any problem getting a job. He's a good kind of backup, rotational and he had a pretty good year. But he had an eight million dollar cap figure. Same with Pittkowski. Who's a pretty solid player but was just overpaid. And mc daniels is not the guy that's gonna come in and keep the old guys around who don't really fit. He's just gonna cut everyone. The only thing that happened was J. D. McKissick from the Commanders went to the Bills on a two year deal for seven million, and then today decided to go back to Washington, UH for the same deal. I thought he would have fit really well in Buffalo, but you know, they needed some positive pr I feel like because Ionitis in his agent called them liars, said they lied right to their face that they weren't going to get released and did him dirty at the last minute. He's a nice player. I think he's he's in the top eighty or so now in the in the top one o one. And I don't feel like the Carson Wentz trade has gotten the people as excited as like, maybe you want a new franchise quarterback to excite excite them. So there they've asked Carson Wentz to do a favor on social what's up Commanders fans? Carson Wentz here just landed in d C. I'm excited to get to work, excited to come in and compete, and uh, you know, as we all know, decided to really go ahead and start to take command. Wait, he just landed. He was traded ages agoin No, got to focus on the back end of it. Now, you have to understand they're trying to get take command off the ground. Take commands there, keep pounding that's there, has to keep pounding. There's his take command. Now again, Watch how clumsy the transition is. One more time, hit graver and uh, you know, as we all know, decided to really go ahead and start to take command. It's hard, though, it's so awkward to just try to do that. The social guy, they land on the plane, he's on the plane the first eight Can you do this little thing? Wait, you gotta finish it with take command? Okay, wait what it just does about Carson? He's trying his best. He's not the most charismatic guy, and he's like, and uh, as you all know, no, nobody knows, literally, no one knows what that means or what it's supposed to represent or whatever the hell they're trying to get across. What about a take to Let's let's try that again. That's fair. I don't think he's you know, as a natural thespian or something. But one more time, a lot of commanders in Washington, I love this team, you know, as we all know, decided to really go ahead and start to take command. Let's take a break and then get to Russell Wilson's press conforts. Alright, we're back. This has been something I've been excited about for a couple of weeks. Now, Russell Wilson on a dais, this is how I imagined it to be. I gotta say, I imagine it to be maybe Hackets up there, the coach, maybe General Peyton's up there, fine, but I wanted to see her up there. I wanted future junior up there. I wanted future senior up there. I wanted the future. The rapper was his children, Russell Wilson's children in cr We're in the I mean, I can't believe Sarah is not there. I can't believe she's not sitting next to Russ because that would have been great. But let's just play a couple of things, uh from the press or why don't we start graver? Uh? Where do we want to start? Let's just start off the top, uh, General peyton Um explaining why, uh, he was excited to have this new generational talent at quarterback. This is a historic day for the Denver Broncos and all our fans out there in Broncos country, and we're thrilled to welcome quarterback Russell Wilson, a nine time Pro bowler, a Super Bowl champion, Walter Payton Man of the Year to the Denver Broncos. All right, and then before Russell Wilson takes a stage, Nathaniel Hackett, he gets up in the head coach. We like Hackett. We like his vibe. When you two guys really are over the top of it. I I kind of like he's got that embarrassing but good nature dad vibe going onto him. And this is how he begins. Uh. We have two parts here for Hackett. This is how he begins to address the media on this very exciting day and team history. Come on, y'all, Russell Wilson, Holy very exciting little It was an incredible opener right there. And then, like I said, it would have been cool if Sierra was up there on the dais uh. And that is something that I can absolutely promise you that Mr Hackett felt as well, I'm not gonna lie. I was very excited to meet his wife, um almost probably more excited. Not gonna lie, but sorry for Russ. I mean, I like him because I feel like he says things that I would say, maybe in weird situations, and I certainly Grave Digger would would probably what why because talking about another man's wife specific to grave Digger, but I'm saying in general the awkwardness. Did you connect with that as a guy that covets the neighbor? No comment? I think, yeah, there's something like listening to it back was great, but seem his goofy faced Hackett and Dome as he's delivering this and looking down on cr and like halfway through it, he's almost as like, oh boy, maybe this isn't going as perfectly as I want. Maybe this isn't going as perfectly as I want. Oh I gotta just finish it. Like no one laughed or anything. At one point he had an a side set. I'm very lucky to be up here in a suit like I just I don't know the man is. He's intriguing that. He was all very excited, and I think that goes along it would it be cool if Justin's Twitter bio was like producer NFL Network, host Titans film rum covets thy neighbor, she's separated, we're together. Good point, good clarification. I don't know why that came across as sad someone uh. And then Russell Wilson took the stage. This is where I guess a little bit of a disappointment came in. Because you were looking for a ton of Russell Wilson cliches. We did get one that I really enjoyed that I hadn't heard before, and and it's something I guess that we should all strive to keep in mind going forward. Every time I call a play, I wanted offense to believe this play could go to the house every single time. You can't mistake the work, you know, you know, so I was, I always say success leaves clues. Oh, success leaves clues. He always says it. I don't think he came up with that. I think that's probably been that mean, I think you can tell along the way if if you're doing the right thing, I mean, I'm assuming that great. Do you agree with that? Or I don't know that you can succeed the hard work in what you're doing. That's the clues dot com article, right, your two paragraphs and the great paragraphs you can tell you can see a cluse towards a successful overall articles. Success leaves clues, I'm with you, um or leads to clues. I don't know, leaves, no leaves. Okay, there you go. Uh. And then on the day we learned of the new Washington catchphrase, take command. Uh? Is that what it is? We're we're in command? Command to take command is the official half back everybody wants to know. Russell Wilson famously would end all media engagement with Go Hawks. But you can't do that anymore, although it'd be kind of funny if he did. But he does have a new one. This is his new sign off. Get ready to hear this for the next three to ten years. Broncos Country, Let's rite one out of ten? Would you give it? Mark? I lived in Denver, so I have a soft spot for Denver on some level. But I'd be fine if we killed the Broncos country and just went with let's writing, Let's ride. And I think he went back to it later. I don't hate again. I think he was understated on the cheesy scale compared to what someone would expect. I'll have to decide here, Broncos Country. Let's rite. He put a little bit of the CRRA at twelve thirty we as we just signed our contract and I'm gonna go make a baby. He always where, he always works in that thing to let you know that he's in a physical relationship. Right, those are the leaves he leaves, that clue he when he does the like pretend I'm going to go through the whole game in the warmups, Like that's another clue. Like, hey, I'm a head worker. That's a clue. Absolutely, the Seahawks are leaving some clues though too, like their their statement that they um left or that they put out as Russell Wilson was talking petty uh led by their owner which is really unique to me, led by their owner Jody Allen, the first sentence of which is while Russell made it clear he wanted this change, he made Seattle proud, dotted and moved on quickly to new players. Our leadership is great, all about the future. And then Pete Carroll doubled down on it and said, as Jodie mentioned, Russell wanted this change, and like wow, uh this is Uh, that's what I love about the NFL. It's such a petty league and it's basically high school. Uh. And Russell Wilson Lindsay Jones, who's a great reporter with the Athletic she's the senior writer there, and she was plugged in enough, I guess on Twitter to see that the Seahawks went down that road. So she quickly pivots and asks Russ about the Seahawks, making it very clear that you, sir, were the one that wanted to end the marriage. While We've been talking to Seahawks and put out a statement where they said that you kind of initiated Um this, Why wasn't that you felt that it was a time time for change? And when did that feeling really start? Yeah? I didn't initiate it. It was definitely mutual along the way. There's definitely been a lot of conversations. This hasn't been I initiated anything, but it is what it is. I'm I'm happy to be here, that's all I know. Obviously I'm happy about the ten years I've had. But I think that um, you know, it's uh, you know, we'll have to read about it later. We'll have some fun. Maybe on my book one day, we'll have some good stories. The way that she phrased that question was an A plus home run out of the park. She left him with no avenue that but to have to address it and the way she wanted he have to eat. She even had to ask again what words she used because it was cutting. How petty did they put it out during the press conference? That is insane. His his facial reaction for half a second when she asked it was the most authentic, And he wasn't expecting, you know, yeah, moment of the press content because he was just he just got to get this look at his face, like mother. Yeah. And as we're taping, they're actually doing their own press conference. I'm not really sure why. I just I guess announcing center right, announcing free agency signings, and Pete Carroll is quoted during that press conference saying, we've been successful for a long time, and we're proud of that. But we're also proud of the fact that we know what we're doing. So he's just like, back off. We got this fun, fun little subplot. Cool dad was asked, I guess what his feeling was when he found out that it was happening. Oh yeah, pure joy. He No, he wasn't asked anything. He just said that with with no prompting. That's what what we liked about it. Um. So there you go. That is the Rustle Wilson press conference. And you know, hopefully Nathan Nathaniel Hackett could keep it together, uh Sierras around during the season. It just seems like it's gonna be a challenge for There's no way she enjoyed that awkward five seconds. So in hindsight, he could you revise the game plan here? Right? They might start the thing where like they have a little you know, electric shocker on his body, so when he starts to go off script, it's like being alright, just raining it in, dad, chill it out. All right. There you go, three shows in. It is now the new year for the NFL two season. Will probably back with another show tomorrow. We're gonna track what's going on in our league. And uh, the signings are going slow. Well more than half of the top one O one is still available, including twelve of the top twenty five of the top ten. It usually doesn't go this slow. I don't know. I don't have a great, great theory why, But it's definitely just kind of moving a long slowly instead of quarterback Domino the quack. If you're like, uh, one of our fans of the show and we love you who can't get enough of a t N and like the more shows the better, having a fourth episode this week comes down to not us but our league, you know, pepping it up a little bit. Let's get Allen Robinson off the board, let's get let's get von Miller other quarterback move, let's get let's let's get Baker traded, Let's get Honey Badger moving. Uh. And if those things happen in the next twenty four hours or so, you will hear from us. Uh could be an emergency podcast from our own homes. You never know, Mark, but this is about show business, So give us a good show, NFL, and then we'll give them a show. We also have Friday the around the NFL broadcast, so even if you don't hear from us on Thursday, you could check us out on Friday where we will give a full rundown of the week that was in our league, and then we'll be back Monday with another show. But again, you could hear from getting tomorrow and if you don't just listen to one of these episodes twice and you're covered anything else. Definitely not great job. Justin behind the Glass, Randy Um held fire on his new enemy. Uh, George Py, you were really getting annoyed, you thought, George King about him to one little thing where he was like talking about he was in the room with Hackett and Russell Wilson. They were going place like I could only stick around for half an hour, like, oh, you're so like, I get you're busy, but it's like he had a couple of comments that felt a little corporate to me. Um. It kind of rubbed up against my past corporate jobs that were not non fun. And he's kind of the guy on the conference call in this in this thing we just saw that needs to make the extra comment just to make everyone else aware that A he's on the call and be look at my little look at my little call, like my little comment here. It's like totally not helpful. We get it. You think you're me d throws a question, Oh we have we have one for Mr Peyton and and also Mr Hackett, Like why what what was the what was the real impetus between making sure you get Russell Wilson, and once Hackett jumps in first, Peyton can't be just like, oh, that's good enough to stand. It's like, I'm the one who made this happen. I need to say something as well. And I realized I'm with you, I get it. I'm with myself also, But I I am not um. I'm not in the habit of trying to burn a bridge with every new episode. So I'm I will TBT whether or not I find him a friend or phone right and TBD weather flashpoint series continues. Um again. Sometimes you just got to know if you want to have one of those special properties that just stands on its own. Like let's say, um, Star Star Wars. If Star Wars just did the three movies way back when, yeah, and they ended it with Phantom Menace. If they just ended it there, no, no, no, it would have been the legacy would have been secure the seventies ones into the early eighties. You just stopped right there. I think everyone would have been fine to be honest and kept going right and just it got sloppy. It's become a soup. Yeah, Phantom Menace maybe the worst. It may be one of the worst. Movies of all time. Yeah, all right, let's let's keep it out of this realm. We're not that's not what this podcast is about. You maybe take that to the Titans film room with that guy you fired. You raised the topic anyway, Thank you everybody for listening. That's enough ridiculous. We'll be back maybe tomorrow, definitely on Friday, definitely Monday. Until then, the call s