Around the NFC in 48 Minutes: 2022 Preview Edition

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Speaker 1: Be Around the NFL Podcast Needs a Trip to Hawaii from the Chris Wesley Podcast Studio. It's around the NFL. I'm Dan Kansas. We're not going anywhere, no nowhere, but we are going somewhere London. We are Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler. It is the long promised around the NFC and forty eight minutes show. How exciting is that for all the fans of the National Football Conference. I mean there are people out that they're just like die hard NFC fans, like you put one of those interconference They're they're like, oh no, Mark, this is your type of talk show. Welcome to the podcast. Hello, how are you? Um? I was just thinking about Hawaii. I would not I don't think the three of us go together. We would go. We would pick. We would take different islands. I take Hawaii. I think I think we would Sharon Island. I mean we're sharing a city. Different humans would would be. Um, this is funny moment. We did a live hit with mike yamic All on the Yammer on NFL Network and I was pumping up the Jets, as I'm known to do this time of year, and Greg wanted to really zing the old Zeusa at the end and he said, hey, man, you're such a Jets home or look, you're even wearing a green shirt. I'm wearing a gray NFL Network Polo color blind guy blew it on live TV. You know, well, no, no, it was. It was such a bizarre comment because you're just an adult who got a color wrong to a striking degree. Where Mike Yam said nothing, I said nothing, Dan said nothing until after green gray, and I would throw like the blue grays in there. It definitely in my biggest weak spot area. So it hit me where it hurts. Um. But I think it's important. Um. I've talked on this show many times about the under rep presentation of the struggles of color blind the community out there, and this was just another example. So I think there's a little kid out there ten years old, maybe he doesn't even know there's something wrong with him, and he's like, yeah, that is green, or he's like finally, like someone someone in a real position of success that's overcome his obstacle of position of success. Yeah, I like, I like that, isn't it? It is cool though, Mark, because we've gotten to know Greg quite well over the past ten years. Uh, that there's one thing in the world that Greg cannot have any takes on. You can't have any strong opinions. He can't talk color. He just can't do it. Even even in this hit, he did have a strong opinion about it, and I wasn't I had I had prefaced that with many different Jets Uh comments that Dan's a homer like soccer. He picked the Jets And I say this, I say this seriously to you. Yes, you have a you have a slight disability, and it's not right for Dan or Mark to poke fun at you about that. It is it is your body, and your body is functioning in your own way. Thank you. It's a failure of your body. That's much friendship. I think it's funny that you can't see colors. It's it's not true. I can see them. They're just the shades are like a big We're looking at the world. It's all black and white. It's times of change. Now you must respect people's I'm going to rein it in all right, we got a big shot with Grave Digger. By the way, we've got terrible news, right, you know, we we have our issues with with Titans fans, and they come at me. I know they've come at you guys at different times. Great, they could just learn that how Landry towards a c l and I could tell you're in a bad place. I've been there, bro, I've been there. I get I know where you're coming from. And I just want to say, it's gonna be a tough day at the office, but we got your back. Thanks guys. I appreciate that. You know, it's just a crucial piece of the defense that the guy they can do everything. But hey, next man up, life goes on. Right you're dying. I mean he he was one of the highest paid um edge players in the Lakes. That's how much they believe in him. It is a position with a lot of questions right now. But the chuckle Monsters that was their name, right, tickle Monsters. They must forge on because that's what a tickle monster, and it's a fellow tickle monsters would do what choosed to do. Isn't that the great thing and the worst thing about being a true sports fan. You don't know Harold Landry, It doesn't really change your life one way or the other. Um about the Titans this season, how they do and yet it just crushes us when something like that happens. Yeah, well, you can feel empathy as a human, I think even if you don't know them personally. Upside Titans, Yes, they need some help of wide receiver signed Josh Gordon. They did sign Josh Gordon to the practice squad. They only have four receivers on the active He also was a model citizen in Kansas City. And by the way, what he ever only did wrong in Cleveland, essentially the entire country is allowed to do at this point, so maybe he can help it. I will not push back on that at all. I think Gordon deserved to play more than he did during that prime portion of his career. But I can't have any more Josh Gordon conversations. When's the last time he made like a play he caught a pass for Kansas City in the last two years, I think, I mean, yeah, it's a good spot for him. He had his chance. But yes, I think in the last place before more faith still in the Titans defense and their defensive front. I think that's the strength of their team than I do with their wide receiver corps, with or without Josh Gordon. So yeah, I don't think it's going to make a big difference. Are there any dressers from your top one still out there that the Titans could Look, I'm gonna go look. You know what. They just signed Trey Flowers in Miami, which I thought was a really nice move. He could still play the guitar, as Dan would say. Last year a lot of injuries, but I thought that was a nice move. But they did that last week. So I heard that left. I heard that Mark Gastineau is a staying in shape um former pass rusher of the Jets. But you know, my list only has five players left. It does not include any edge rushers. Odo Beckham number eleven on the list still out there Will Fuller. Of course, Eric Fisher is not with a team yet. That's interesting. Sheldon Richardson and Dominicans sue. Kevin King, the cornerback from the Packers, never got signed in Dante Hightower without a job. I gotta make a trade, ye make a move. Alright, let's now pivot. It's time someone gives to a contract. I know he was looking for eight or nine million, but he was still playing pretty well in the playoffs last year. Yeah, he seems like because he's friends with who's he friends with who was probably multiple people. I don't know. There's a notable billionaire that he's like tight with. He was a Warren Buffett. Warren Buffet guy, just gonna say, lee Iyah Coca was amazing Buffett. I get a feeling that sues like I'm not playing unless I get paid above market value. That all right, let's get to it. Around the a f C Monday. Now around the NFC begins now, Yes, NFC South Panthers, Okay, Carolina Panthers are a team that I think comes down to their offensive line. Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Darneld played behind what I would say was the bottom three offensive line and aggregate the last two years. It is almost all new right now, but the coaching staff is still there. There thin at the skill position. Like their defense. We'll see do we trust Matt Rule to coach up a better offensive line? Were the moves enough? Ekon really struggled in the preseason. Was a little bit of a red flag game against the Patriots. He's their high pick. They have another pick, Christensen, who's now moving to left guard. They have a journeyman elf line at center that looks like a problem like and an O their journeyman at right guard. If that offensive line is bad, then any optimism I believe about the Panthers goes by the way said well, when Baker Mayfield in Cleveland was fortunate enough for for for most of that time to play behind the top two or three line in the NFL. There were moments though, when injuries mounted. I can think of that twenty nineteen season where he was when the heat was on. I mean he struggled mightily where the fact that changed everything you thought about Baker Mayfield. That's his his number one thing is he holds the ball to make a play and that works for Russell Wilson and it worked for Baker Mayfield at various points. And you know, Baker obviously is also not a large man. He's not a big quarterback, so that a lot of vision issues sometimes when that the pass rushes collapsing in on him. So they yeah, they that is with so many teams, offensive line obviously is a big question mark. But they really they're due to have some some proficiency. And obviously if Christian McCaffrey is back as well, there is there is like a a squint where you could see this offense doing some things. Yeah, I agree. I think Matt rule and it's partly based on the Teddy year where they moved the ball very well and just couldn't finish his offense. Makes sense to me. Now they're very thin. They have more Robbie Anderson McCaffrey. Oh, that's pretty good. And the most teams have more exciting players you could get, you know, d J Moore for what right? Dj Moore, Robby Anderson mcguy. But that's three guys. You need more guys. They traded for Lavisco Sanal this week. That kind of shows they're a little desperate. They like your boy Hollywood Higgins. Maybe he helps out, but like that's it if they have one injury there and then it gets I do think they have a string of nice parts on defense too, and the defense last year really was a difference maker for a stretch and everything just sort of crumbled, I mean crumbled around bad quarterback play. I do think that Baker Mayfield is an upgrade. I I if you if he's protected and these weapons around and work, Baker Mayfield I think has been devalued because of what happened this offseason. People were forgetting some of the higher moments he can do he can do this. I do want to mention j C. Horne, their top pick a year ago, looked fantastic for three games, got hurt and then missed the entire season. But he could be a really big factor for them. Hey, they got Browns and Giants out of the gate. Of course, Browns without Deshaun Watson after that, Saints, Cards, Niners, Rams, Bucks, So they're in a lot of trouble if they don't win at least the Bucks mark. I want you to rank these three items in terms of concern level, peace scale level surrounding the Bucks right now. One Item one, Tom Brady stayed to mind and all this jazz about the drama behind the scenes in his personal life, etcetera, etcetera, And what it might mean to up plugged in Tom Brady. Item too, the idea that's simply assuming Todd Bowles can be Bruce Arians is entirely unproven. H Item three, the loss of center Ryan Jensen and guard Aaron Stinney along the offensive line. When we saw what happened to Brady and sort of the offense in general, when there were line issues last end of last season. All right, I got the line number One, UM, so important. I got an old quarterback. I know he's very good on his feet, but he's not fast. If the line is bad, they're gonna struggle. Two was Bowls is he Arians? I don't think he needs to be arians. You have Byron Leftwich in the building he needs and he's running the offense. The Bruce Arians ran, So you just need Bowls to be competent and get the defense coached up. In my mind, Three nebulos the Tom Brady situation. Don't really know what this what's going on. There's some reports and gossip out there about his personal life. UM, but I can't get two pumped out of up about it right now because I just don't know enough. Are you glad that I didn't spend the entire segment on Tom Brady's misadventures whatever? That? First? No, I would I would rank I would rank offensive line first. I think that's how the offense functions. I think that Tom Brady things for me. Is Second, you sure you want to flip those? I don't, because you know when that press conference shook me. When it came to how I thought I saw a loss. It's interesting because I all ended dual. I went and watched that press conference, and I didn't have like a weird takeaway. My takeaway was just like, he really seems to be sad that he won't be playing football again a year from now, or at least he's in that mindset and he was like talking about like you, it felt like a retirement speech, which was which was a strange frame of mind. To be fair, you just said there, I agree with that last part. When I saw the press conference, the only thing that crossed my is why does he look like he's He looks so young, right, I'm like item one, I couldn't be less concerned about, not about him as a human, but more about his ability throughout the last twenty years to compartmentalize and if anything, seemingly draws strength from any drama that's going on and be better. The offensive line is to me, the concern I am curious on Week one though, like how does that defense look? Uh, let's just see no making light of anything in his personal life, but just to show that how strong he is. You remember the one year, I think it was the twenty eight three year his mother was very ill and that was hanging over him the entire season, and he came out and delivered one of the great playoff runs. Ever. He's just wired differently. It's sort of like us when the lights go on, no matter what happened before a matter, no matter what happened, pros that are bros. That's what Dan says, Mark sticking with you Saints. Oh we should say that Claibon was supposed to be on the show. We tease that couldn't make it. Personal issues, nothing to do with Giselle. Go ahead, Mark and I will handle the sat daycare coming up small in a big spot for clay Bonne. Hopefully they don't listen. I found this interesting daycare. She owns the daycare, but it wasn't specifically okay, sorry market children of forty three writers at the Athletic all forty three picked the Bucks to win the South. I found that interesting because not around these parts were the three of us free out of four yesterday, Steve Wise, Gregg and myself pick New Orleans to win the division. I think a lot of that has to do for me with a roster that's gnarly on defense, even without Chauncey Gardner Johnson. They're much better at wide receiver this year. But Also for me, it's what they did last nearly in a positive that kind of thing um. But also for me, I think what they did against the Bucks last year and that in the way that conflict between those two teams went down, and really what they've been for a long time. But are we massively overlooking two items a potential nuclear at winter esque fly in the ointment I'm talking about one. You've replaced Sean Payton with Dennis Allen tbd on that to a full season of Jamis Winston remains a question mark. So you've got a big question at head coach and at least a question at quarterback. Those are two big questions. And yet I still believe do you I do believe. I do think there's a lot of varia you believe. I do believe there's variants that it could go terribly Like if you tell me that they go six and eleven and it's messy, I feel like that's part of their potential outcomes. But I also think twelve and five and winning the division is So I'm not totally in. But the reasons you gave Mark actually aren't where I'm concerned. I think Pete Carmichael and the consistency on their offense is going to be just fine. And I think jamis in that offense is going to be good. And if he's not, I like that they have two pretty solid quarterbacks there with Dalton behind him. So that's not where my area of concern is. Yeah, I think on this podcast, I think something similar is happening with the Texans. We're talking about it the other day that I hate the Texans, it's more I don't and I think they could be improved. It's more when you two guys start guessing each other up for an entire summer about a team, I just feel naturally inclined to, like, let's tap the brakes a little. If you often play this role and sometimes West was part of the twosome that like the team, whoever it is, you like to pump the pump the brakes. Guy. It's more like the certainty in which we speak of the Saints on this show. And I just said they could all know. Now you're backing off a little bit, but I'm saying in general, the idea there are the things that you brought up, Mark are very vital pieces of this conversation. And yes, I call me crazy and I know in the small sample size that Winston did some things before he got hurt, but by the way, he also got hurt, and he's coming back from a tour n A c L. A lot of things have to go right for the Saints in key places to be beating out Tom Brady for the NFC South. That's why I didn't pick him. I picked the Bucks. But I also had the Saints as a playoff game playoff team, so I'm hedging my bed a little bit. You could say I think they'll be good, but you guys seem to talk about them like they're super and I'm not there. The one thing I would always say, you know, Sean Payton's gonna win you a couple of games a year because he's Sean Payton. I do think that. To go from that to Dennis Sound, I'm not some of the offense, but the overall management of the team. I don't think Shahn C. Gardner is is not. Is that another team right now? If Sean Payton is there, I just don't. I like that safety Marcus May arrested and I'm gonna make use of my first time out in history of the show, just because I did want to mention Marcus May getting arrested, his diversity in terms of his skill set, along with Honey badroo Um. You know they were probably confident in and now he just gave away Chauncey Gardner Johnson. Oh, he didn't talk. He didn't talk to the coaches for two days. We have to give him away for nothing, just have to do it. But the reason I took a time out, I don't think they're gonna ship Marcus made of Alcatraz. By the way, he could potentially get suspended at some point. That's fair. I did just want to say. The reasons why I would be a little concern is combustible personalities, kind of like you mentioned with Dennis All and everything. It's more that defenses are traditionally inconsistent. They've been so good on defense, and I think if you look at their pass rush, their county on Marcus Davenport, who's had a shaky preseason to stay healthy, Payton Turner, their number one overall draft pick this year, they're using, you know, their concerned. They're some of the fans the B word, like he has not shown up. Cameron Jordan's is up there in years. Then you look at their defensive tackle very thin at behind on your mata. And yes, their secondary is deep, and Alan kind of believes he can coach up anyone. And there's a lot of good players, but Matthew and May are new guys, like they're replacing two great safeties and Gardner Johnson and Marcus Williams, and that's that's a lot of turnover. So my concern is more that the defense won't be special, that there's at least a chance of that. And then things get you like what you said. I admire what you said, Greg. I do wonder is in the world at this time out scenario? Do you take a time out to continue the same topic we were just discussing and then I wanted to get that point in here. Yeah, I think Greg, little off base there with your time out. Well, this is maybe why no one's ever been allowed to take time outs in the history. And it was fun time out we've ever had. That's for sure. Fair alright time, But did the list there get smarter? I think they think absolutely. U. Let's hit the Falcons, the final team in the South. Uh, My spiky senses are tingling a little bit. That Marcus Mariotta, who's not getting a lot of talk this offseason is going to surprise some people this year. And I'm not like a huge Mariotta guy, and I'm trying not to put too much into that one game he had on Thursday Night football with the Raiders, but I kinda kinda do. And then I texted Wish this morning because I didn't want to ask, which because he's connected obviously the Falcons, about what he was seeing and hearing about Mariota, and he had some spicy stuff. First of all, he said he's a Jimmy g caliber human being. He says he's in a different headspace. Now that's the h He's in a different headspace than he was when he kind of got gifted the job as a number two overall pick with Tennessee. He's in a good place. He runs the offensive what offense well. He moves in the pocket, obviously much better than Matt Ryan. He's been great with the kid Ritter in the quarterback room. So Mariotta at this point in his career feels like this would be a point with Arthur Smith where we could surprise some people have a nice year. I think Arthur Smith is gonna gotta stay healthy yeah, but he's gonna FedEx some weirdness into the into the playbof I really think that the Falcons um. First of all, I think Arthur Smith doesn't really get the credit he should for what happened last year. They won more games than they would have with a different coaching staff with with zero parts. If Drake London works out, if Cordarrell Patterson can redo what he did last year and be used that way, Kyle Pitts, I don't hate this offense, and I think you're gonna get a lot of Mariotta on the ground. I think we're gonna see Desmond Ritter at some point too, because they love him as well. And so I just hope that the organization has patience because the defense still to me, is a mess in a lot of ways. But the offense is going to be creative and fun to watch. They were last year. They were, and yet their offensive line was totally unaddressed. It was kind of crazy, like they brought in some competition, but the the guys that they brought in didn't win him. So Caleb McGarry, who has been a problem, is still the right tackle. Matt Hennessy is in a battle at center. They're starting a journeyman Elijah Wilkinson. It doesn't look good. I want to I want to use some time just because we never talked to the Falcons like this is the most unknown team in the NFL. Uh. Here just some players playing for the Falcons this year. Brian Edwards. Uh looks like he's gonna be splitting a starting job with Cadero Hodge, a man who is playing professional lacrosse. This is not a joke. Jared Bernhardt had never played wide receiver in his life until this summer, made the roster as a wide receiver. Um. They their edge rushers right now. They're starting addressers are Lorenzo Cartner and a rotation of rookie Arnold Abaketty and uh Oga Dona Jay is his last name. Those are their edge rushers. Kind of a nice looking secondary on paper with with A J. Turrell, but about his unknown a team as you guys, That's why I can't pound the table for the Falcons being a playoff team. But Drake Leonard, it's a lot of pressure to put on a Q wide receiver. He's good art if he's good, if he hits the ground running with Pitts taking that next leap. Mariotte has got some pieces to work on Patterson there too. Alright enough, I get it you're upset about Landry stinks. I agree, but we gotta we gotta stay professional. Let's take a break, be right back. All right. Here we go the NFC East. As we go around the NFC in forty eight minutes, exactly mark the Cowboys. I found another area where this show does not agree with the Athletic, which is an excellent site to I get all your football knowledge. So is NFL dot com, by the way. But um, they have a wind total model that has the Cowboys at ten point six victories that is tied for third highest in the league, above the Bucks, above a bunch of others, obviously a bunch Washington, New York. That feels real different to me than the vibe on this show, at least coming the way I feel. I am pretty down in the Cowboys. I think the offensive line is a growing mess. Um, they're potentially asking a forty year old Jason Peters to save the day. We'll see what happens there. You're left, You're essentially left crossing your fingers. You get the full version of Michael Gallup, although it does sound like his reapts going well along along with Ceedee Lamb. But then you're asking jail and Turbert t Tolbert's to successfully filled the void. After that, they're really thin and wide receiver. After Amari Cooper was traded away for like a my little pony, figuring it's an absurd trade. Now you've got the owner joined about the fact that we're gonna get more Ezekiel Elliott and anyone's asking for at this point and less Michael Pollard and I think it's during a very rocky offseason for Dallas, their arch enemy. The Eagles have turned into this NFC darling. So you tell me why none of this matters and they'll still win ten point six games. Wish on the show on Wednesday, when he started getting pumped about the defense and Parsons as a guy that's generational talent, I was like, Oh, we're getting a little sucked into the anti hype uh turbines of the Cowboys here this year, Like because they're gonna score points, I think maybe not as many points as they scored in past years. Right, that's the that's your answer. But if the if the is really good and they have Zack Martin, a future All of Famer, and they have and they have a great on paper defense. If they if their defense is really good, let's say it is, then the Cowboys offense doesn't have to carry the load. And if they're just proficient or a little better than average, yeah that is a ticket. Just don't love teams where that's what we're saying about them opening. I agree with that. DeMarcus Lawrence though, if he's who we think he's gonna be. Sam Williams a rookie. They kept all their guys in the secondary, and they're not big names behind Trevon Digs, but they are young and have a lot of continuity. Mali Cooker and j run Chris played well for them. I'm just surprised they didn't do more. They have all this cap space. We talked about the Cooper thing, but they haven't filled that offensive life like they didn't make a splashy move there. They didn't make another splashy move at wide receiver. Well, they were hamstrung for a bunch of like the cap issues seemed to be the one team where the cap stuff affected Dallas to make a safe But they have a ton of cap space? Now what am I missing? So I'm just saying even now, like they seem like a team that would make a trade for an offensive line maybe they will in the season, or a receiver or another. Except Terry Jones always seems to see a super Bowl team no matter what is happening in reality. Are you? Are you frank like the trade of Cooper that they didn't take that salary cap space that that created and use it. I'm sitting on basically ultimately, yeah, And that's why that's why they made that. Maybe they need to keep things like that open. Michael Parsons extensions, I know, I know. I'm sorry Eagles, Greg Okay, I grave take her smiling back there about all the trigger happy gun show, I spoken enough? Why? Like I love the too deep on this roster, how tough they'll be to defend with. I think A. J. Brown's gonna have a monster season. I think they're running game is gonna be awesome with herds Um, But I am curious what they're gonna look like schematically on both sides of the ball. They went from kind of like topical Nick sirianni Um like the way they looked in Indianapolis short passing game to so run heavy in the middle of last season. What does that look like this year? And then on defense they were as conservative and vanilla a defense, just keep the ball in front of you, don't do anything else, forced long drives and hope like our offense can win, kind of slow down the game. On defense, very conservative, almost boring. Now they have all this talent, So I'm just curious how the Eagles are gonna approach this schematically on both sides of the ball. That to me is a big question. I remember, like Fletcher Coxs sort of voicing annoyance with that that that tone on defense, that is the Jonathan Gannon way to some degree. And now they got some They got some fiery players here with with they got better players in the back end. Certainly. You know what I learned about Sirianni because a year ago, we're just like, this guy does not understand press conferences. We didn't know much about them. But they will adjust. I think they got the people the people to do it. But like when they made that shift to run heavy, I love teams that do That's like, whatever we're doing is not working, Let's just change everything. I expected to be especially with a J. Brown in this in the fold, a much more balanced team. They didn't they were able to get rid of Jalen Reagor because they've got wide out strength. Now they've got good, good situation at tight end, and I think Jalen Hurts is gonna be asked to do more than just run as much as he did a year ago. Yeah. I think that's one of the big questions I have because I understand it's justified that people that are excited about the Eagles this year because they did make the playoffs and then they got the roster better and it's another year for the quarterback in the system and his maturity and he has a lot of upside. But is he somebody that could take advantage of a guy like a J. Brown. Is he have that in him as a pastor to take the next step, because if he does, if Hurts takes that next step, yeah, this is another c powerhouse potentially. I love the pass rush like I love the Jordan Davis I think would be talked about if he was on some other team a lot more like Javon Hargrave is coming off a monster season. I think Kaisier White it's a linebacker that position they've struggled that they really love. Maybe Rookie and Kobe didn't like Hassan. I just maybe it's a little to a dream team. Is this is the perfect moment for Eagles. Homer's like me, I think it's I mean or whatever you want to say, you know what I mean. It's like it all you can get worse. The two like the depth chart looks so pristine and dream team actually just looked good because it was a bum rush of free agent editions. There's like, this is the best offensive line in football. Also, we should good in the trenches text there because there are a lot of listeners. We've been doing this long enough that don't even know what we're talking about. I'm the awesome when free agency happened like midsummer after the lockout ended, and it and it just created this insane like tornado of signings for the Eagles. But the parts were not actually that special if you looked at them. Nice summation, Bro, that was dead on. What would you correct from it? Nothing? Legimer, They're a complete mystery to me as we opened the season, because I look at an offensive line that's probably improved a toolsy I'll still give it to him, A toolsy young QB with vastly improved coaching, solid collection of playmakers surrounding that young tools a QB. And then I think, yeah, this could be one of the most improved offenses in football this season. And by the way, that's relative, because they were at the floor last year by the time Joe Judges running of town. Then I look at the offense five another angle and think, Daniel Jones can't play, se Kwan is washed. The receivers are overpaid, unproven, or injury prone, some all three at once, and a major overhaul is a head next spring. So if I had to guess, I'd say I'm slightly more confident that they'll surprise some people this year. But this one is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside and enigma sitting on the corner of conundrum and ambingcuity. That put that one in a little I put that one in a little dress with a bow on time. Hope. What me the middle mystery wrapped inside a riddle inside an enigma. I don't know what is it? JFK Is it really alright? It's not a take, It is a fact they're not. They're not that big of a mystery and maybe I'll be wrong, so you know, but Football Outsiders, for instance, has been projected as the worst team Outsider. I'm just saying that's the worst overall team. So that's I think they have that potential. Here's a quote UM talking about the expo, a quote from their general manager this week, Joe Shane, about the expectations, and he said, well, it's the hand that we were dealt. This feels like a transition year. I don't know if we're overrating the preseason. But in offense, UM starring like three slot guys, two of which are hurt. You know, I like cod Aius Tony but he's always hurt, Shepherd who's always hurt, and then the rookie Wandell Robinson and then another guy, Kenny Golladay who what was the quote so Jordan Nan ESPN said that Kenny Gollady and quote has been running routes this summer with the stiffness of a mannequin, which if you're new to football, that's not a positive. So that that makes me worried for Daniel Jones that like it's not quite there around him. What if I just what if when the Giants are top ten offense in November, I knock on the door of the headquarters of Football Outsiders and I just go, you just keep screaming that sec. I think that would be like Aaron shots house. To be fair to them, I think part of it is that they have him as the worst defense in the league. I think the offense was projected to be slightly more. Do not read into me saying the worst defense. This is not an offensive maybe makes up for and Don Martindale loves to leave his cornerbacks on an island and blitz like crazy. And you look at this team and you're like, which team? The Giants team. You're like, do they have the personnel for that? I don't think so at cornerback. All right, the commanders, We're ready to take command on this for the next three minutes, uh sir. Some first round picks get less buzz than others. I think Johan Dotson, selected sixteenth overall, falls in that category. We heard good things about him, that he's a polished route runner. That and when you were that you can hit the ground running in the NFL, then you factor in a healthy Curtis Samuel right, who's another playmaker who was laying in the weeds a little bit after a year lost injury. And then you have the centerpiece here, Terry McLaurin, who I think is like a top twenty receiver number true, number one, throwing a little frisky tight end in Logan Thomas. I know he's coming back from injury as well. Uh. And I'll just put it this way. You don't have to love the quarterback in Washington, but his cast of playmakers comes with some legit upside, a lot of commanders in Washington, d C. And the Pentagon. It was partially true last year too. I mean, so you you for me, I I don't disagree with your point at all. Emmuel though was kind of Samuel was out of the picture and we didn't have Dot, But I mean Antonio Gibson was a big part of it. For me, it's the defense. I think that Ron Rivera's calling card is I'm gonna come in and dominate teams and we're gonna win games fourteen to ten. And the defense last year was the worst third down defense in the league by various metrics, and in the preseason they were the worst third down defense in the league and gave up the highest conversion rate Chase Young for at least four Right, you're missing guys, and you know there is talent on the on upfront on that defense, there's no doubt about it. But they just um the year they made the playoffs. Go look at the quarterbacks they faced last year when they was more adjusted to normalized they won seven games. I just I'm struggling to see the direction of this team, and the commanders should have directions, got to take command and have direction to do so. I think this time last year, as we all know, decided to really go ahead and start to take command. You gotta say it with authority, Carson, Let's take what do one more? Take that's all on the social and take seven? Take seven? Uh yeah, I remember this time last year. They were the buzzy team too, as like laying in the weeds because of their defense. They don't hear that this year, no, they It's kind of Ron Rivera's last stand potentially like as a head coach, but at least for me, as like a guy who you really trust can create a defense that's greater than the some of their parts. And I do think they're they still have Montes Sweat. Even before Chase Young returns Jonathan Allen, they still have some good veterans I think in the in the secondary, Kendall Fuller played well for them. They have William Jaxon. I don't think they're talent poor, but he's got to improve their defense right away. They I don't know, because they went from a great defense in twenty under him to a terrible defense in one. And if Rivera has given you a bad defense again this year, then kind of what are you getting out of him? I'm really i gotta say, we're about to three minutes. I'm really proud that we went this entire Washington segment without just do windmiddle dunks on Carson. Well that we've done that all offseason, two handed thunder dunks. It's like Rock and Jack with the trampline. Time out. Let me show Greg's outs done. It calls time out to talk more about what was it? I had points I wanted to make up. I wrote them and everything a huge hit. Of course, the Steve Weish theme songs. UM really happy with how that turned out. Now, if you remember, we asked the listeners also to come up with the new commander's fight song and I had graver check in. Oh I was going to let those sit in the inbox for eighteen months? Is that not the plan this time? No comment, Um, I would like to hear just one, just pick one. I know there was some they were good, some I'm not so hot. Let's just hear one. And if you if people aren't aware because of the team name change, they they're changing the lyrics. They're keeping the bed music, which is some type of march, marching band type vibe. I think let's hear from a listener. Who is it, Greg Gamato? Hope, I'm saying that right? Well, all right over here, all right, here we go. Here we are. It's time to start to take command. There's no question we won't, sir. Here we are. We always have the upper hand without jepherdizing our stand dirds all hands are people that you cannot stand. We say we're from GC, but we're from the room and oh here we are. Here we are where the Washington commanders. There are forty four more seconds. It's time we get the picture that sounds like I hurt Washington fan on some level, digs in there. None of us are from that area. I didn't know there was a lot of DC Maryland. They do play in Landover. Yeah, that makes sense. Uh, I enjoyed it. I think the Washington football team over the years has it maybe not taken criticism from the media, especially with a lot of grace. So I feel like putting it in their own theme song would be a big step for them. But yeah, I don't I don't need to hear the second verse of the song. But I would have gotten some stuff in about the Pentagon. I would have. Ye, you gotta get that. I think it had captured the spirit of what we were looking to. It was Mark, it's a five sided fortress, and uh, you know, it's essentially it's I think you should be genuine thing at the altar of the military headquarters. A lot of people respect the Pentagon. I do understand that that's the concept of the country. Someone on Twitter got really bad at me. They were like, it's like, I really like greg and in the show, but it's like he doesn't know what he's talking about. It's like Mark has got this covered on the Pentagon. It's like like when he's trying to get into politics and really believing the Pentagon wake up sheeple. I really enjoyed that guy. I think it's time to give the Pentagon the respect it deserves. But either way, I'm on the inside on this one. Five sided fortress is what it is, a fortress of purity. It's a temple to defense all right. Time in Let's move to the NFC North greg the Bears. So it's been a lot of negativity, including from me when it comes to the Bears. So I do want to make the case for the Bears, um offensively, especially uh in general, making the case for the Bears, because I think every team has a chance. I truly do. And the case here is that it's a different offense. It's Luke Getsy who sprinkles some of that Packers system dust. And that what you saw in the third preseason game, which we haven't spoken about, Justin Fields baled out showed off his skills that Phil Wesselena and Ohio State fan who are very close next week when we make our locks of the week, good call, and we'll be hearing from him if Fields balls out that Like, look, Justin Fields is good enough that he can carry a somewhat competent offense into being watchable and exciting, and you do have two weapons to throw to in Darnell Mooney and Cole Commet that I think are really good NFL players, and you could have a good running game in Montgomery and Herbert and that if Fields is that dude in this new system where that makes the line look better, that he shows enough that you're just like excited, because that's all the Bears have ever wanted is a quarterback. And he can still if you are truly that guy, I think he could rise above um some of the deficient I think a lot of the critique is the fact that you did this in reverse order. You get your young quarterback, then you have in roster tear down and which a lot of that was on the other side of the ball. But I think you're right because he looked to me much more comfortable this preseason and especially in that third game, and Cole Commet and he had had really good chemistry, and so Cole Commet develops into a real weapon, I don't. I think there's just a lack of depth at at wide receiver and you just can't march into an NFL season with one guy and then maybe hoping the other guys project into something more, But it's that they could be in a much better place a year from now to rosterwise, if Equon st Brown can step up but he didn't with Aaron Rodgers at Byron Pringle. If he gets in the mix, but like he didn't with Patrick Mahomes, it just feels like they're missing right. And I guess I was going to continue to make the case it would kind of be like Field shows enough and he's good enough as a second year quarterback to help elevate and that look at a defensive coach who did draft for defense, and the defense helps them stay in games and at least you feel like it's headed in the right direction, that's all that matter. Like if we leave this season saying like Justin Fields is a starting quarterback in the NFL, I think everyone's gonna be and they have like four billion dollars worth of cap space next off season, right, he needs a long runway for an evaluation. I just hope that he we're not talking about next summer, when is he going to get a real chance to show whether you can play or not. I worry, but the line looks terrible or on paper, and so you're just hoping maybe it'll be coaching that makes them better. That happens sometimes, and we don't know this coaching stuff, but it does. Like the number two wide receiver is Equan Brown right now? Quite amnious. Um, but he has been hurt. Yeah, those are there two in their probably Pringle if he's healthy. The lines, If we are buying into the idea of the lines making a year two leap, are we I thought that would be more of a thing, but I'm not sensing it really. Um. But if we are, then we are believing that the quarterback is going to have some measure of success. I want to talk a little Jared Goff. Um, he's having a great camp. If you don't believe me, listen to Liev Schreiber. If anyone needs the a C, it's Jared Goff. He's been hot all camp. Uh again he that was from hard Knocks. Uh. He looks good. He has a good command of the offense. He's got some decent players around him. Um. Absolutely nobody and I mean nobody looking over his shoulder in that QB room. Um. Would I be stunned if golf puts up nice numbers this year? No, I would not be stunned. He's got to stay healthy and but I think he can, and if he does, it would be interesting to see if that comes up the Lions thought process come next spring when it's time to take the quarterback we all expect. I think this that's how it ends. I think Jared Goff from the very beginning has been a bridge. Uh but what if he balls out? Do you start to think about golf? Is more of a long term answer. It's meant to be a good draft for quarterbacks number one. So I think if the Lions, they've got to be cut throat, and it could get Jared Goff is starting jobs somewhere else. But what I like the offense he's in in Detroit right now, and it's probably the kind of offense where he's gonna thrive because I would say you've got a top three offensive line. They're built that way. Alman Ross st Brown turned into a star in year one. Jamison Williams when he emerges, that's another weapon right there. T J. Hawkinson, DeAndre Swift. I think he's super version of Austin Ekeler. So it's like you got the parts on offense there almost I would almost say there isn't really an excuse for Jared Goff to have a bad season or one of his lower seasons. I think he could have a really good season. I don't know if that move him off the quarterback market, but I think they can win enough games that it makes it trickier. One of my favorite things about the lines last year, and I am in on them being frisky. I think it's mostly on offense, was that Dan Campbell embraced that they were kind of an offense first team at some point last year. Remember there was that. It started with that Rams game where golf played pretty well in Los Angeles. There was a Haven't win over the Vikings that was their first one. They had a thirty to twelve win over the Cardinals. There was a fifty one twenty nine loss to the Seahawks, but I remember he was back and forth. There's a thirty seven thirty like win over the Packers. Backups at the end like they I think they could be a fun offensive team, and I think Campbell will embrace whatever it takes to win, and that's what's gonna take I think for this team. Offense first, I am buying in a little bit. I just want you know what I think they're one. They they changed my feelings about Hard Knocks. They certainly changed my feelings about who they are. From a coaching staff angle, I think it's one of the more creative. They're young coaching staffs in the league, and that matters. They're deep, defensively upfront to like they're not even gonna have their second round pick Pascal uh and Oguara at the beginning of the season. Rodrigo is a great Hard Knocks underdog story. He's a sixth round pick that I could start. Think he's starting the Green Bay Packers. They're on talk about time out? Good thing Greg is talking about him. Why are they on tugboat time out? You don't know about tugboat time out? You just know you don't You don't believe in them or something. Are you gonna say anything during that? Yeah? I don't need you know what. I'm not going to say anything because they're on tugboat, which makes even tougher on Mark and I. For some reason, they haven't started the clock. I don't think that's how the tug about branded a tugbot time out. Sessy stop too late. I already already took them. You have to you have to do a sessy stop for a different team. Greg by himself is not a dream. I look at this team defensively and think you can make a case time out. You can make a case that they're among the best defensive teams personnel wise in the in the NFL, like a top three to five defense. They just didn't produce like that last year. And I don't know if there's depth, but just that's Dan making a lot of noise, taking off his headset. Just for the audio listeners. You can check us out on YouTube too and see it. Uh, every single position is potentially filled by an above average starter. The secondaries dynamite with Gyre Alexander Back and their safeties. They love Eric Stokes. They gave Razul Douglas that money. Quay Walker's their rookie who's playing linebacker, improving kind of a weak spot, and they love what he's done in camp. They're really deep around Kenny Clark now in terms of their pass rush like one to eleven Mark, there's a lot to love on defense. Can Joe Berry kind of deliver that? And that gives Aaron Rodgers a little time to kind of get up to speed with with the rest. I think so, I'm looking at it from A to Z, and there isn't really a weak spot here. Maybe defensive tackle, but even then, like Geron Reid, who's a solid veteran, and DeVante White, who was a first round pick, Like I think, just to be another year into Joe Berry's system helps, They're gonna probably have to win games a little bit Differently. They were a good defense last year for stretches. They certainly weren't the pass packers where it's like they're going to be the reason they're fine. They were like average, Yeah, there weren't. They weren't the liability that of years past to me and to me, I think my bigger questions are just on offense. It's like I want to see down the stretch if these wide receivers actually equal DeAndre Hopkins. To me, I'm suspicious of this. We're saying that about two or three teams this offseason. It's just like we will see. I'm remembering now that the day time out was kind of about like you have to prove it to me, I've been through this before with you, but like they can't do anything until January. So are you at a time out for every episode, every like a lot of contents. It would be a strong bit to be honest and hey, look we can fill that time. I don't know, uh. Offensive line going into the year, though, is their biggest quay. I mean to me, that's a bigger question. When you're a great quarterback, you can make your receivers better. You can't make your offensive line that much better. If Elton Jenkins in bok tr aren't healthy in the interior, are just kind of a bunch of guys that are just guys. That's a That's that's my bigger concern. If Jenkins in bok tr are healthy, super Bowl possibility certainly talk for seventeen more seconds. You've got no I just I want to see you just stretch. I mean, Alan Lazard, you guys were like giving him a lot of grief last episode, a lot of physical or maybe an old tugboat time out. I don't think I mentioned al zarnths the Minnesota Vikings. Mark Sessler, all right, it's early January. What are we saying about Kevin O'Connell. Is it closer to Wow? This Sean McVeigh tree is a beautiful thing of nature, producing endless juicy fruit. The latest example being O'Connell's ability to transform this Vikings offense into rams North and helping Kirk Cousins to his mightiest season yet, turning Justin Jefferson into the offensive player of the year, taking it to Green Bay in a huge week seventeen tilt at Lambeau. Wow, this was a great higher and we dig the front office too or man, it seems like the same old team to me, mm hmm. While I have them as a playoff team, well they've been there before, um, so I do think they will be very competitive. Uh, I think they could be on both sides of the ball. But I do like, here's the thing I think you said an outstand what was the way you described Kirk cousins potential season might I don't think that's exists, I think, and I think that's part of Kirk Cousins's charm. I think we're gonna get the same Cousins that we always get about thirty to thirty five touchdowns past rating about one oh one or so. Um, he'll move the ball, he'll go into funks, he'll be unconscious for stretches. I think one big thing about their offense that they missed last year and explained their tailspin was Adam Feeland getting hurt. I think he's such a great number two. He's a perfect robin to the Justin Jefferson batman. And if you have those three, that big three, with Dalvin Cook healthy and Cousins ability to just put it on the money, they're a top ten offense. Now, Greg, I think you would like that Vikings fence because their defense. Can they do enough to get them to ten winds. I'm not that excited about the defense. There's a case that they have a high upside, a high ceiling. The front said Aius Smith and Danio Hunter have been healthy this preseason, and if they're healthy and at their peaks, that's as good a duo as there is. And then inside you've got Harrison Phillips and Dalvin Tomlinson who are like really good run stoppers and suddenly got a little like Williams Wall Vikings, you know in the Randy Moss era defensive line throwback situation going on, and you figure you can coach up the rest of it. Their defensive coordinators is Ed Dontel, who's sort of it's one of those guys that's been passed around and like it is in the system that Kevin, like Kevin O'Connell and Donnitel both seemed to me like they're sort of at the end of their coaching trees. It's like no one's even mentioned Kevin O'Connell. He's a young, strapping man um from the McVeigh coaching tree, and yet like they both seemed like they were like kind of the forgotten pickups from those coaching I mean, he had been a bunch of places before the McVeigh thing too, and not shined as an offensive play car can think of a couple of stops. I mean to me, it's this was the team of any team in the league outside of Jacksonville that most needed to make a coaching switch, because when Mike Zimmer went out the door, all you heard was about the heaviness in the building, that it had just gotten too negative and too rough around the edges, like veterans were saying, I think that the offense and Kirk Cousins are He's a huge beneficiary of having someone that's going to come in the building and like care about Kirk Cousins because we have spent all last offseason talking about the near malays between Zimmer and Cousins and the whole I know the COVID thing was part of it too. I ended that exactly on top of what Let's take a break and then hit the NFC West. All right, let's close it out with starting with the defending champion Rams. This could be a good time for your SSI stop the Rams the topic now, mark no, because I would like you to know everyone that this whole means disliking the RAMS thing is is a fabrication at this point, like me hating the Texans, right, I was fighting. I fight against this narrative because it's it's now not true. A go ahead, then, Okay, do you think that this RAMS team could come out of the gates just on fight like they struck us? And they seem publicly as about as confident as like you could possibly be. They have a lot of continuity, they have a lot of star power, and there's this idea that it's hard to defend your title. Yes, to finish the deal. Okay, but how about how those teams recently have started the next season. Patriots, I would say, one of the worst recent champions just says like overall talent actually started the next year like seven and O nine and O House on Fire when the Chiefs were defending their title. They're scoring like forty points a game in September. The Bucks last season, to start the season, we're scoring thirty to forty points a games. Started fantastic. I think you get a certain sort of confidence, and you have a continuity where you're a step ahead of these other teams. It wouldn't surprise me at all for them to come into the season and look fantastic as one of the teams in the end. I like I like this a lot because I think if you read that feature that came out on Sean McVeigh a couple of weeks ago, it I mean, this is an obsessive individual, and I think the weight of that other Super Bowl loss and the seasons after affected him in ways that it wouldn't maybe a different type of coach and a different type of human being. And I kind of get I know I've made this comparison before. If it all clicks, it's such a star heavy roster. You kind of get that eighty eight Niners team wherein eighty nine they came out and just blue doors off left and right, and if they can knock off the Bills in the opener a week from tonight, you get the Falcons, doable Cardinals, doable Niners, Okay, tough Cowboys. We'll see Panthers by week, niners again, and then the Bucks you could you're talking five and one, six and one, potentially seven and O type start if they're as good as we think they're. Yeah, and of course I do now need to see now that they can't hide it anymore. How Matthew Stafford's gonna look physically, because if he's not right, the whole thing's over. And that's part of like my overall feeling about the Rams is that, yes, it's all there, everything's in place for them to make another deep playoff run and even win the whole thing. But there's a reason nobody repeats in the NFL, and it hasn't happened in almost twenty years, is that everything kind of has to fall into place. And I think that's how it worked for Los Angeles, and then they overcame some injury issues late in the season. But Aaron Donald's gotta stay healthy. These guys are now getting start to get a little bit older, um, and we gotta see his Cooper Cup gonna have the same season as he did last year. I like Gallen Robinson a lot. Is that going to work out the way they wanted? Everything worked out last year for them to win each one of those games close? But they were a good team that they were streaky team, and I think they could be streaky and and I think it would be a positive streak to start. Who's the running back by the way, who's like they're guy crossing your fingers. They don't stay health. I'm gonna make the case this team is fun to watch. People don't seem to be looking for and it's not even gonna use the G word. Okay, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are still on this team, by the way, one of the best duos in the league. You got Rashid Penny and Kenneth Walker, I think, a really fun running back duo. And then more than anything, you got Pete Carroll in like uh post Russell Wilson, post Russell Wilson, Uh, you know, silver Fox. I don't give what mode. They didn't like each other, or at least they didn't like how the credit was a portion him and Russell Wilson. It's a little bit of like a Jimmy Johnson Jerry Jones situation, but more polite about it. And what Pete Carroll did great Ones was take some interesting talent on defense and make it all work in a fun, sort of ugly way. I think he's got some players to do that with Jamal Adams, hopefully he's healthy, Tariq will In, this freaky rookie who's probably gonna start for them. They've got a lot upfront. Puna affords a fun like I think, actually the Pete Carroll revenge season could be a lot of fun. No A fan, how about that? A lot of fun? No Ah fan, how about that? A lot of fun. I'm just saying, these are athletic players. I think they draft really athletic players, and so to me, that's fun. A lot of athletic players in our league. I have an alive branch, especially athletic like freaky sort of combine time types and all of branch for you. Because I I am exhausted with my exhaustion towards Geno Smith and so what I because I don't want to go into the season with any of that business. I want to just start fresh. So I am starting over about four weeks until Drew Lock. Well, if he, if he, if they, if either of them annoy me want come the regular season. That's different. But he actually, I don't think he is getting quite the credit that he should for how he played in the preseason. Gino Smith, he was killed with drops, but he had the most big play throws of any quarterback in the preseason. I know he played a lot too, but I I'm it's a one year patch and that can cannot be their long term plan. But Gino Smith, along with everything you mentioned, you could see them not being a disaster. They can win games. They could win nine games eight. The absolute ceiling is nine games with Gino Smith and Drew Lock behind center. It's the it's the atypical non not based around a quarterback team. I'm raising it to ten. I just uh, I like this Pete Carroll. You didn't mention he's athletic. He's athletic, He's a he's a mover. Who's the movie star that your your mom is into? Is it Richard Gear? I believe she's into Carol, so I thought she had a big Richard gear fascination. I just night like Snyder Snyder Revival Schneider has been struggling lately. Old John Schneider, you know the shirt off in the locker room. These this rookie class, on paper, could have a bigger impact than any rookie class in the NFL. They've got depth and they've got time. Rank among your twelve favorite teams that you have, You've adopted twelve teams at this point. You got one second fourth quick time out here. Drew locks on this team because Russell Wilson was traded. Nice return on that deal. Get Drew Lock in your building. Can't even beat out Geno Smith. Okay, but good news for they set the first round draffic I don't think the center piece of the d they probably like accepted to take true luck, I know, but like they probably like, oh, well, he could be our bridge guy and not Gino. Gino's our backup. And then they got to camp and they're like, no, here we go. Everyone. Russell Wilson and the dever Broncos agreed to a five year extension worth two five million, including one sixty five million guaranteed. So the Broncos, who have handled this beautifully every step of the way, they pulled the trigger on a blockbuster to get a Hall of Fame CALIBERT quarterback with years of his prime left, and now they quickly take care of business. Baltimore Ravens, are you paying attention and lock your franchise start up? Focus on football? Everybody wins. I can't argue with that. The i'd liked. I want to see the details of the hundred and sixty five million dollars guaranteed. I know that it's said that sometimes you find out more after the fact. That's interesting to me because that that is the second most guarantee, you know, highest amount of guaranteed money in the in the history of the NFL by quite a bit, Like Watson is number one by quite a bit. And now Wilson was almost sort of meeting the Watson deal Kyler Murray's point, but that was like a lot of fuzzy stuff in there too, Like it's that's yeah, like the Kyler wasn't fully guaranteed. So I I don't know, I'm interested in that, But what are you gonna do? You have to go all in. I just want to commend um Kevin Patrick for the lead in the article on dot Com quote Broncos Country, let's sign Oh well, Pat Russell Wilson problem. Patro is a pro uh. That is it's so smooth, hundred and sixty five million guaranteed. Russell Wilson an established Pro Bowl quarterback, a Super Bowl champion, and Watson got two thirty that deals that was actually, you know, to that point, it has not been the thing that the owners were afraid of. To this point, it's not. That's an interesting where it's not everyone has to sign, you know, these top guys because even Russell Wilson. Look, I think that I think I think the Cleveland's owners are persona on Grotta among the other owners because of that contract. And I actually it's the best possible result that you're not seeing any copycat scenarios contract wise to that one. Well for the other owners, right, although not for the owner in Baltimore. So if there's if you want to find one positive thing about the transaction um that caused you to divorce the Browns forever, I guess it wouldn't be positive, but for Browns fans it would be positive. That I think it's preventing Lamar Jackson from signing in Baltimore. That's the reporting is that he wants that fully guaranteed money, that the Ravens won't do it, and that that's not gonna happened before the season because of it. We'll see. And by the way, this all happened in part because the Broncos, who had unsettled ownership issues, sold to uh Walmart Walmart Air, Rob Walton and his group four point six five billion. He has the money. That's he's thirty three. I think the fact that the even guys like Matt Ryan being thirty eight, is he now thirty nine playing at like his love I think it's okay to change the timeline of quarterbacks. You are expecting Russell Wilson to be there for five years. I feel like it used to be like aged thirty four. Maybe this is obviously just throwing numbers out there, but now I feel like age thirty eight. Those guys were drinking like twelve packs of beer in the off season. Every Rivers did it, Breeze did it. It's not like it's not rare all right time in Cardinals me Kyler coming off a tumatuous offseason that ended with a massive pay day and a since um exercised contract stipulation that essentially told the football world this team doesn't believe it works hard enough. That happened. That was like the craziest story of our summer. I think. Um Anyway, I look at the Cardinals as presently constituted on offense, can't help but see a remarkable amount of pressure and responsibility on Kyler Murray two make a Honda Civic move like a Ferrari put it that way. Hollywood Brown? You like Hollywood Brown? Do you love Hollywood Brown? James Conner? I know he had a lot of touchdowns last year? You love James Conner? Are you a Rondel Moore Truther? Okay, he's a He's a good, uh second year player, Zach. It's with ninety thousand miles on the odometer. How about a j Green thousand on the odometer. I know new Copkins is coming back, but he's coming back from a p D suspension on the wrong side of thirty. Just feels like Kyler. I'm not saying he's been put in his position to fail, but this is gonna be hard work in this division especially, and this is a team that you know, I don't know if it's a Cliff Kingsbury thing. Obviously they've come out hot seasons in a row and then faded without DeAndre Hopkins at it for six games. I don't like that five of your four of your first five games include tilts against the Chiefs, the Raiders, the Rams, and the Eagles. That that's that's a playoff run right there. And I mean there's a lot of pressure on someone like ron dial Moore to have a much bigger role than he did last year to be used if they say they're gonna do that. I mean, if there's an injury to James Conner, there's not much behind him at running back and you're hoping the offensive line works out. I just I'm with you. I picked him as a playoff team because I do think that if they can make an adjustment to the way the end of these seasons seemed to happen under Cliff Kingsbury, they're one of those teams that have Kyler Murray. If you get what you got from him for the first twelve thirteen weeks last season, was one of the best quarterbacks in the league. And I think that it's forgotten a mince the dramas. I like what you did when you said their first four or five games, there's there's you know, three tilts, like he didn't reuse the word games very right early, Like that's how you're speaking as you would write your Kyler point about how he started last season where he was kind of an m VP candidate. You know, if if you can start the race in the first is well made because this is year four in the same system for a guy with all the talent in the world and a coach that's supposed to be an offensive coach, like like, this is a guy that in the money is is what it is too, that should be able to be at that m v P level if he's as good as we system. Is it a good system? Like is it proven that the doubts it's not a it's not a disaster. I just I think they've got to find a way when everyone has tape on them come October, extremely thin on defense at multiple positions. They traded for trayvon Mullen from the Raiders this week because they don't have any cornerbacks tape. Well, that would help maybe turn the xbox off for five minutes. I'll lured you into that jugular shot you threw me, all right, one more the San Francisco forty mark. All right, Trey Lance, as I mentioned yesterday, has thrown three eighty nine live passes since high school. That's less than if you were like playing football three times a week as a bro with your friends on the weekends. That's not he has probably done that in practice. Okay, well, I'm just saying, actually, that's not true. Greg, He's never thrown more than that number. He has played in twenty five games since hide school. Okay, talk about like not watching film. He's not even throwing. It's IM a gamer. Trevor Lawrence, he has played five. Trevor Lawrence has played fifty three, Justin Fields forty six, Matt Jones forty seven, Zach Wilson forty three. Did you do this yourself? No, I readed its research. Some someone else did the mass. I think that Kyle Shanahan, I don't know the answer to that, and we are we are not. There's going to be no response period for you if you do not stop interrupting me. Okay, um, I just wonder Kyle Shanahan has seen him practice for over a year, seen him in limited game action. I have pre season started off real hot, and I thought, I thinking we've turned the corner with Tray Lance, and it did not finish that way. It was real up and down. Can you I'm literally going to talk for the rest of the entire thing. Do you worry that you're over emphasizing like arcs of a preseason when it amounts to like fifteen snaps per games. Well, that's your opinion. I am not worried. I'm not worried. I think the word people were over worrying that Jimmy g did not have a playbook, and Kyle Shanahan just laughed that off. I'm just asking, do you think that Kyle Shanahan, who said a lot of nice things about Trey Lance, actually believes in them? And what would be the scenario? How bad would they need to start for the trade Lance experiment just simply to end, because that feels like a constant drumbeat scenario if he if he falters, I'm not done talking. I just think, yeah, three straight, if he's really struggling in their two or three games under five hundred, that's it. Like it could be as early as October. I just I don't think that's he Isn't that an organizational nightmare to bench the guy you gave. I don't think it is. But I'm saying, like if the goal, as it always is ultimately is to win the Lombardi Trovia this year, like we talked about, this is great news for the Niners. They have a fallback plan now and it's a guy they know can get them where they need to go potentially depending on how you feel about Jimmy g But before that it was this loaded team and a completely unproven guy. Now you have a backup now is a bad look for the entire organization if he bombs out, it would be a terrible look. Absolutely, But I love that they now have somebody they can turn to in case that happened. But there their roster is so loaded. Their defense it might be my pick as the best defense in the league going into the season. And I think their offensive to their offensive line is a concern and Trey Lands was missing open receivers in the preseason. But it's a great roster. They could help the quarterback and that's why their season was over. If Trey Lands camp play and doesn't develop this year, and now it's not. Now they have do we have a time out still left over? I'm gonna taken just talk now. Yeah, But don't don't don't tell him. Well, the forty Niners third round pick from just a year ago, Trey Sermon, who was getting drafted awfully high in fantasy leagues a year ago, uh is now remember the Eagles they had talked trade at one point, but he actually got released quietly. That's the most of hand thing to release Sermon in year two after he said a lot of nice things about trade. Sermon also literally a week ago he said, like, Trey is amazing, Trey is going to be a huge part of our team. And then they I mean, I guess if you're trying to trade him, that makes sense. But the third round picks are tricky because if it's the first or a second round pick, in most cases, unless you're Alex Leatherwood, they're gonna give you some rope. But once you get to that third round pick, you see a lot of whiffs and quick hooks on those. To be fair, they drafted Elijah Mitchell in the exact same draft in the sixth round and he's their starter. And it's a real meritocracy San Francisco. All right. That was around the NFC in forty eight minutes. Now we turn our attention to next week. It's gonna be wild. It's gonna wait, it's it's caught. Hang on, there we go. It's gonna be wild because next week is the beginning of the y Sular season. So you'll hear from us next on Tuesday. Here here's this is crazy. Tuesday, we're gonna have um the Around the NFL podcast. Tuesday, We're going to have the finale of the Hard Knocks podcast with me and Connie. Tuesday, we might even have the debut of another new podcast connected to the Around the NFL family that I'm gonna hold on telling you more about at this time. We also have Tuesday's Sound Tough for You, and a regular Tuesday show Thursday. We're going to have Sandwich Props on Tuesday. By the way, Sandwich Props on Tuesday. Thursday is gonna be our week one preview show. Thursday night is gonna be our TNF recap of what game rams bills we're going maybe, and then Sunday the return excuse me, Friday, Oh, Friday Friday. We have a Friday fun show every Friday this year, uh me, Greg Mark, maybe some special guests will have a fun little show that gets us into the weekend, you get that more content, am I right? Okay? And then Sunday it is the return of the flagship show Week one recap. That's a lot it is, but we're happy to content. We're testing your love and we believe listeners that you love the show and want more content. And if you don't want to listen to each and everyone, that's up to you. But there will be some that will love it, and that Friday show will be like a little smaller shorter than the other shows. I think everyone who loves the show is gonna love it. Digger has something you didn't even mention the newest show, the other new show, Monday Night recap coming the day after that. Do we have too many shows? And Thursday Night? Yeah said Thursday Night six shows per week around the NFL. The TV show is back on NFL Network on Saturday, and that's gonna be kind of a look back on the week that was on the podcast side of things. So a little bit of a different show than you had last year, but still a good way to see, you know, the show from a different perspective. That's a lot it is. I am slightly concerned. What is it? Pigs get fat hogs get slaughtered and all the video shows can be viewed on the NFL Fast Channel as well as listened to in audio. So do both. I've yet to get to the point where I'm, you know, really sick of hearing myself talk. I haven't gotten to that point where we're gonna test it this year. So that's what this season is all about. We're gonna test it. Oh, by the way, Power Rankings is back next week and every week after that until January or February. And Mark, you're taking on QB indexes that rollout next week. I believe it's the week. I mean it's gonna respond to the games after now you I think you do. So I've been a great start, not until a big one like set the table off into the season. They asked the question of our editor if that's actually put it this way, and put it this way, it's always been on the schedule before. And if I have to file a Power Rankings on Monday morning for games that haven't been played yet, you should have to file the X before because we have already been done with it. Knowing Mark he is, he is a preparer and he gets things done ahead of type and if he had known that that was hanging, he would have worked on it this week. Gotten it maybe out of the way. That is the only tactical issue. But maybe talk with our features that are Ali Banpuri about your assignments heading into the new season. I mean I have in the past. This this wasn't mentioned, So just check that email whatever he sent. All right, there you go, Sunday morning. Thank you everybody for listening, Thanks for the support. Thank you to why this week, Cynthia Freeland, thank you very much. Cynthia, You're the best. Until next week, he the call