1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: The Around the League Podcast can be rich eyes in 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: in a forty yard day. Welcome to another edition of 3 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 1: the Around the League Podcast. I'm Greg Rosenthal alongside a 4 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: stadium barely filled with a couple of heroes, Mark Sessler 5 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 1: and Chris Whistling. I'm not gonna say what up, boys, 6 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:26,599 Speaker 1: I'm still gonna say, Hey, Greg, this is big time 7 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: right now. Yeah, we are twenty feet away from the 8 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: Indianapolis Colts end zone here at Lucas Oil at the Combine. Yeah, 9 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: we are inside the stadium. We're actually recording this through 10 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:39,840 Speaker 1: a camera, but no one can see it, thankfully. We're 11 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: about fifty feet away from a group of tight ends 12 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 1: who are stretching and getting ready to work out. Meanwhile, 13 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: we're just, you know, trying to not look like total 14 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: pieces of you know what after being out and about 15 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: in Indianapolis all week. We just got off the elevator 16 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: with Josh McDaniels, Michael Lombardi, Bill O'Brien. One of those 17 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,399 Speaker 1: men gave Mark the stink. I that's not true. Well 18 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 1: that's it seemed that way, But you know what, Uh, 19 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: after some of the stuff we've written in the past 20 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 1: few months, I would I would think that's fair. Well, 21 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: let's start with that. That is an experience that only 22 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: happens at the combine, and it seems to always happen. 23 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 1: On the way to dinner the other night, within five minutes, 24 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 1: I walked past Kyle Shanahan alone, Rob Ryan holding a 25 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 1: steak in shake bag, almost like he's playing to the 26 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: stereotype now, like he just feels he has to walk 27 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:37,039 Speaker 1: around with that at all times. And Mike Tannenbaum, who 28 00:01:37,040 --> 00:01:39,760 Speaker 1: said hello and is always very nice. And then here 29 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: we're on our in the elevator down to the field 30 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: and we see Josh McDaniels, we see Bill O'Brien, Michael Lombardi, 31 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: who I talked with briefly about how happy he is 32 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: he doesn't have to do anymore mock drafts anymore for 33 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: NFL Network. He was hired this week by the Patriots. 34 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: It is sort of a dizzy week of just NFL 35 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: personalities past seeing you at all moments. Has that been disorienting, 36 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: Mr Wesley, No, I've enjoyed the experience. It is a 37 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: little odd, though, because you know, every other day of 38 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: the year, these people are basically off access to you. You 39 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,600 Speaker 1: You have no access, And now either were upfront, Mark 40 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: can go up and introduce himself to Belichick. It's it's 41 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: fun time. Well let's get to that. I guess we'll 42 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,239 Speaker 1: start with that. We were at Schula's last night. That's 43 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: the steakhouse at our hotel the Weston where we all stay. 44 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: The NFL media group is there, and you know, we're 45 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: having a couple of beers and we look over and 46 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,679 Speaker 1: right next to us, Greg Siano, Michael Lombardi and Bill 47 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: Belichick are hanging out on the couch having a gay 48 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: old time. And Mark goes up and introduces him. Well, 49 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: what is you know, what's wrong with being social? Not nothing? 50 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: That's what this is for. I mean, I I don't 51 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 1: think that they were waiting for my input on anything 52 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,799 Speaker 1: that's occurring this week. And it was a very brief introduction. 53 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 1: You said you got some news from Belichick at the 54 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: time you told them he gave you the scoop on 55 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: Vince wulf for that is not accurate. He gave me 56 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 1: a very cordial handshake and then shifted his eyes to 57 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: his fellow guests, and it was time for me to leave. 58 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,359 Speaker 1: It looked like if you hung around for five more seconds, 59 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: Belichick was gonna do Darth Vader and basically grab you 60 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:20,639 Speaker 1: by the throat. But that's what the combine is. You're 61 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: absolutely right. It's almost like when you have a strange 62 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: dream where you wake up like in a fevered sweat, 63 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 1: where in the dream you saw like forty people from 64 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: different parts of your life. The combine is almost surreal, 65 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 1: and that you walk into a bar restaurant and there's 66 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: like fifteen head coaches and Norv Turner and his son 67 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: walking around and it just bizarre. Well, you tried to 68 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: convince yourself that maybe I should go back over to 69 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: Belichick and tell him about when I was a kid 70 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: and I used and you used to write letters to 71 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: be Actually wasn't a kid. I was in college, so 72 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: that's but I'm trying to save you. Yeah, it's uh No, 73 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 1: I wrote him. I actually went to school with the 74 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: thought that I'd work for the Browns and he was 75 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: at the time the coach, and I wrote him all 76 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: the time, and I made like actually T shirts for 77 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: the team and all this stuff, and I called one time, 78 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 1: my friend called around Christmas and his secretary Answerts, we 79 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:17,880 Speaker 1: called the brown Stadium and she's like, oh, Mark, I know, 80 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: I know who you are, would you like to be 81 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: connected through to Belichick? And I said absolutely not. I 82 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: don't want to interrupt hcause the day before the playoff game. 83 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: I'm wondering, as he remember this ridiculous young fellow that 84 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: consistently badgered him with letters. I thought he wrote back 85 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,120 Speaker 1: to you one time. Well, no, there was there was 86 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 1: always a waterfall of return mail with his signature. But 87 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 1: what I'm realizing now is that I strongly believe it 88 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: was his secretary that wrote all this correspondence. I don't 89 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:45,600 Speaker 1: think he sat down in his schedule and tapped out 90 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 1: seven paragraph letters responsing pretty cool, though he would have 91 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 1: remembered that. I think it was probably a smart move 92 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: not to go tell him that story, But I think 93 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 1: that would have been cool. I mean, he would have 94 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 1: remembered that there's no way you could forget says. If 95 00:04:57,880 --> 00:04:59,839 Speaker 1: this was three hours later in the night, Mark would 96 00:04:59,880 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: have going over there and told him that story. Mark 97 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:04,920 Speaker 1: might to try to kick him out of listen. Mark 98 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:07,599 Speaker 1: did play bouncer last night, and the room needed some 99 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:09,960 Speaker 1: police policing towards the end of the evening, and that's 100 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: the service that I've So there's a lot to get 101 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:17,040 Speaker 1: to yeah, we could talk about what the combine is like, 102 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 1: especially through the eyes of a first timer like Chris Wesley, 103 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 1: and that's the first time he's been doing Indianapolis. But 104 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 1: let's get to some of the news. This week we've 105 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: been focused on the general managers and the coaches, and 106 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 1: there's no other place that has access quite like this 107 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,240 Speaker 1: we have. There's twenty seven general managers and coaches that 108 00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 1: spoke on Thursday, twenty On Friday, they have a big 109 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:43,119 Speaker 1: podium session and then they often off speak to people 110 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:46,039 Speaker 1: on the side, the local reporters, whoever else wants to 111 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:49,799 Speaker 1: wait around from you. You tracked Mike Zimmer into an elevator, 112 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: I believe Mark Sessler. Yeah, well, he a lot of 113 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,359 Speaker 1: these guys. The great thing is after their initial presser, 114 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 1: which there is a great chance for us to ask questions, 115 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 1: you can go out in the hall and spend another 116 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:03,039 Speaker 1: ten minutes with a smaller group and if you know, 117 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: if you started on some topic, you can kind of 118 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:07,040 Speaker 1: further and get you have a chance to get a 119 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: little more layered with some of your questions. With these guys, 120 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: Zimmer got ushered right out, and I uh very much 121 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:16,920 Speaker 1: annoyed his pr at tachet guy and just convinced him 122 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: to let me wander into an elevator, and Zimmer, you know, 123 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:21,600 Speaker 1: reluctantly answered the question I have what's the word you've 124 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:25,279 Speaker 1: used for Mark all week? As a reporter? He's a reporter. 125 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:27,599 Speaker 1: He is if if there is a member of the 126 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 1: around the league team that I'm going to assign and 127 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:34,039 Speaker 1: I would even I would include myself in this group. 128 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: If I was going to assign into myself or anyone, 129 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 1: who is the man to go get a quote, Who's 130 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:41,599 Speaker 1: the man to elbow the people out of the way 131 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:44,600 Speaker 1: and get the brass tacks, get the news? It's Mark. 132 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: He does not take no for an answer. Despite that, 133 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:52,919 Speaker 1: genial personality doesn't always it does not always produce content 134 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: that is engaging. Let's be honest. Yeah, it doesn't produce 135 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:58,599 Speaker 1: a lot of head coaches who give you smiles afterwards. 136 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:00,839 Speaker 1: Sometimes they're a little annoyed at the well let's rip 137 00:07:00,839 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 1: it around here though, because I think Wes, you know, 138 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:05,479 Speaker 1: it's the combines a tough event to come do initially, 139 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 1: and you're battling it's almost like Super Bowl working. You're 140 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: battling hordes of reporters and they're all shouting. By West's 141 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: second or third press conference, he was he knew the 142 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: right position of standing, which is the standing position right 143 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:20,240 Speaker 1: to the right of the coach next to the podium, 144 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:24,400 Speaker 1: firing hardballs at these guys. I wouldn't necessarily say they 145 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 1: were hard ball. Well, let's let's talk about some of 146 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: that surprises the week. What were the most surprising answers 147 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: or things that happen from these press conferences? From these conversations, 148 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 1: Let's start with Mark. I think what developed talking to 149 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:43,239 Speaker 1: Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman A and then the next 150 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: day UH coach Ron Rivera was Gettleman initially when asked 151 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:51,000 Speaker 1: about Steve Smith, who you'd think on a team without 152 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 1: a lot of strength and wide receiver and that's been 153 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 1: their number one guy for so long, he'd be back, 154 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: for sure. You know it costs four million, he's got 155 00:07:57,600 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: a three million dollar bonus, but that you need him 156 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: to do what they need to do on offense. And 157 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: Gettleman very strangely said, we're evaluating Smith and we're evaluating 158 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:12,040 Speaker 1: his situation, which to us it just came across as odd. 159 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:14,400 Speaker 1: And we followed up with Rivera the next day and said, listen, 160 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 1: can you take us through what's going on with Steve Smith, 161 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 1: because we're a bit confused after what we heard from 162 00:08:19,520 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: Gettleman and and Rivera. I you know, I asked him, 163 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 1: is there any scenario where Smith's not on the team 164 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: next year? And he said, I'm not sure. He didn't 165 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: have a definitive yes or no. It was just it's 166 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: it came across to me that they're gonna ask him 167 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 1: to take a pay cut. That's a lot of the 168 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 1: subtext of this week are coaches, gms talking about guys 169 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:43,080 Speaker 1: that they're in negotiations with, maybe sending messages through the media. 170 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: And that took me by surprise. Damna Check said it 171 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:49,840 Speaker 1: on Twitter last night. The Panthers without Steve Smith would 172 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 1: be like the Yankees without Derek Jeter. It is hard 173 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: to imagine. And that was one of those little colonels 174 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:57,439 Speaker 1: thrown out that we learned during combine week that it's 175 00:08:57,480 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: no lock he'll be back. They have a lot of 176 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:02,559 Speaker 1: tough decisions make. They sounded more optimistic about Greg Hardy. 177 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: They did not sound optimistic about Captain Munderland. They have 178 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:07,440 Speaker 1: a lot of cap problems, so maybe we do sit 179 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,440 Speaker 1: say so long to Smith and Carolina. Yeah, that's he 180 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,160 Speaker 1: is basically the face of the franchise. I think you know, 181 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 1: they're not the Panthers aren't the most widely read team 182 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: on our website. People, you know, he should be the 183 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: official team of the Round the League podcast. But I 184 00:09:21,520 --> 00:09:24,960 Speaker 1: think that Smith articles do really well. People people around 185 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: the league know him. He's a character, he's, you know, 186 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: face of the franchise kind of guy. I'm sure that 187 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 1: factors into their decision. Well, we've made it almost ten 188 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: minutes into the podcast and we haven't talked about the 189 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:38,959 Speaker 1: bomb that was dropped. We might have buried the lead here. Yeah. 190 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:43,839 Speaker 1: Friday evening when the report came out that Jim Harbaugh 191 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:48,960 Speaker 1: spoke to the Cleveland Browns. The forty Niners and the 192 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 1: Browns discussed some sort of trade. There's uh dispute over 193 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 1: how far along that process got, but even Ari and 194 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:02,560 Speaker 1: Rappaport has reported that the Browns went after Harbor, that 195 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:04,960 Speaker 1: they wanted to get Harby. Harbors come out on the 196 00:10:05,040 --> 00:10:09,559 Speaker 1: record and say he knew nothing about it. The forty 197 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: Niners CEO Jed Yorke says it's not true, but some 198 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: sort of conversations apparently took place that this could have 199 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 1: possibly happened. To me, that's the most surprising. I was 200 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:22,839 Speaker 1: that that's the most surprising thing of the week. And 201 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:25,560 Speaker 1: Cleveland had a chance to come out and swat it 202 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:28,719 Speaker 1: down or bury it. And they in their statement they 203 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 1: far from denighted three consecutive NFC title games. It's so 204 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 1: bizarre to hear that Harball, you know, would go anywhere 205 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 1: else but stay with the forty Niners, you know, and 206 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: I know there's contract talks there. The forty Niners reportedly 207 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:44,520 Speaker 1: don't want to pay him like a super Bowl winning 208 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:46,600 Speaker 1: coach because he doesn't won a Super Bowl. I don't 209 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: get that. Why would you not want to pay Hardball 210 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 1: as much money as you possibly could lock him down? 211 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:55,160 Speaker 1: Pay the man, Just pay Jim Harback. Coaches are worth 212 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 1: it in football, there's only five or six that matter, 213 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: and there are five or six that are terrible, and 214 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 1: the rest are just in the middle. Just what he's 215 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 1: not worth more than Joe Staley. They break they know 216 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: he doesn't need the money. He only buys eight dollar 217 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: pairs of Panthers Walmart. It's crazy to me, but it 218 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: also doesn't totally shock some people that have been watching this. 219 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: Harbor forty nine er situation really closely, because there's a feeling, 220 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 1: whether it's because of the contract or he's just a 221 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:28,719 Speaker 1: guy that moves on after four or five years, that 222 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:31,760 Speaker 1: maybe something was gonna come to a head between these 223 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: two sides and it wasn't a lock that they're gonna 224 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: have this long term marriage. And I think this news 225 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:40,439 Speaker 1: coming out oddly helps Harbaugh because they have to give 226 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: him a contract now. They can't go into this year 227 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: with all this uncertainty and present that to their fans 228 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:48,839 Speaker 1: and players. It's weird, isn't it. Does it hint me? 229 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 1: Because initially it was, So let's look at the Cleveland 230 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 1: angle of this, because it's a bizarre team to even 231 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: think about attracting someone like Hardback. But flip side, it's 232 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 1: a much bigger forty Niner story because you you heard 233 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:03,840 Speaker 1: hints and whispers that there was a fissure there between 234 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:06,199 Speaker 1: the hardball and the decision makers on that team. And 235 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:07,840 Speaker 1: I don't know if it was a power struggle or 236 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:12,480 Speaker 1: long term vision type thing, but it's clearly still there 237 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 1: to some degree. If he was considering leaving, there was 238 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,320 Speaker 1: some kind of a struggle for power over small things 239 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 1: like hardball wanted to sign fullback o emeriss Ach who 240 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:25,680 Speaker 1: we had at Stanford, and Tramp Balky. The GM reportedly 241 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:29,360 Speaker 1: did not want to sign him, and maybe that that 242 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 1: was one of the cracks, one of the fissures that 243 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 1: you talked about, But it sounds like there was some 244 00:12:34,000 --> 00:12:36,679 Speaker 1: tension there between that having watched Owen Marrisick play because 245 00:12:36,679 --> 00:12:38,560 Speaker 1: he was in Cleveland for a while. That's not worth 246 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:42,520 Speaker 1: a franchise coming to its knees on. Michael, Lobardi and 247 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: Harbaugh are known to be close, right, and that's the 248 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 1: connection there. And there was a mystery mystery candidate. Joe 249 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 1: Banner is on the record saying when they introduced Mike Petton, 250 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 1: there was this mystery candidate all along. So it's hard 251 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:02,560 Speaker 1: not to think that that was probably Harbaugh. And it's 252 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 1: interesting if that could have somehow happened. Harbor would be 253 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 1: in Cleveland, Sassler would be fired up, Lombardi would be 254 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: in Cleveland. There's a report that Jim Tomsula would have 255 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:18,440 Speaker 1: been the coach of the San Francisco forty Niners, that 256 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 1: they already had their backup plan in place. What a 257 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 1: weird world Shakespearean downfall for Michael Lombardi. To go from 258 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 1: almost bringing in Jim Harbor to Cleveland to a few 259 00:13:29,559 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 1: days later being fired, it shows you being not an 260 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: elevator with us, right. It's very bizarre. And I think 261 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:40,680 Speaker 1: the one other takeaway from me is that, like you mentioned, 262 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 1: is hardball guy that uh maybe something about going to 263 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:46,600 Speaker 1: a down and out team at its lowest point was 264 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:49,080 Speaker 1: a challenge to him that appealed to him. How much 265 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 1: longer does he want to ride this for? It's it's 266 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 1: hard to get to three straight NFC title games near impossible? 267 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 1: Can you is this team ascending still or does he 268 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:02,000 Speaker 1: want to maybe jump ship before they go the other way? 269 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 1: I don't know. He's got Colin Kaepernick, He's got a 270 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 1: good roster. When a title first, then maybe go somewhere. 271 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 1: I'd rather be in the place with it has a quarterback, right, 272 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 1: I would not be wanting I would not want to 273 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: be the guy at the place. Like Mike Petton who 274 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 1: spoke today and we watched that press conference Mark and 275 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:23,320 Speaker 1: his response to the whole hard a thing was interesting. 276 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 1: He said he wanted to shoot the messenger. Initially he 277 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: heard it from a Brown staffer who said, this thing 278 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 1: is going to come out and he used some choice 279 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: words like a flying you know what he said, and 280 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:39,320 Speaker 1: a rat's body part was was mentioned, and he just said, 281 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 1: this is a bunch of noise. It's not gonna matter 282 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 1: for me doing my job. And he even spun it 283 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: around to say it's a positive sign. It shows the 284 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:50,280 Speaker 1: Browns were willing to do anything, which is kind of 285 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 1: a mature, interesting take. I loved watching Mike Petton. You've 286 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 1: gotta be excited about him. Yeah. I think that I 287 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:00,160 Speaker 1: think we all sort of said this when when he 288 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,120 Speaker 1: came off the stage, is that he doesn't seem to 289 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: be They've had a string of coaches who seemed challenged 290 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:08,760 Speaker 1: to think for themselves and to stand up and have 291 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:11,480 Speaker 1: some sort of I guess more a Lorian identity or 292 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 1: a real presence. And I think that Petton and it 293 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 1: probably comes from, you know, his years with Rex Ryan 294 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 1: and seeing how much attention that team got in the 295 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: head coach. He did a nice job up there, and 296 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:22,920 Speaker 1: I feel like they threw you know, he's been asked 297 00:15:22,960 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 1: a lot of tough questions for a new coach over 298 00:15:25,400 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: the last month, and I think he didn't he sort 299 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,440 Speaker 1: of alluded the fact that has this been uh, a 300 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 1: busy first month in Cleveland. Yes, it has, and he's 301 00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 1: kind of waiting for it to quiet down and just 302 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:38,040 Speaker 1: let's do our work now. Yeah, he said. I think 303 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 1: the question was has it Has there been a little 304 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 1: more noise around the Browns than than usual? And he says, 305 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 1: what do you say it? Theoretically you could say that. 306 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:50,440 Speaker 1: I mean, he just he's been He was great when 307 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 1: I asked him. I asked him about the quarterback situation. 308 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 1: He did not mention Brandon Weeden's name period. He just 309 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 1: talked about Brian Hoyer and then he's going to be 310 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 1: a factor. I asked about Weedon and him and Ray 311 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:04,800 Speaker 1: Farmer essentially said that we didn't will know how we 312 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 1: feel about him, and his agent will know, and his 313 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:09,880 Speaker 1: agent will know when we tell them. But we know 314 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:12,000 Speaker 1: how we feel about him, and that's it. That doesn't 315 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: sound like yeah, that doesn't like a contract extension descending 316 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: from these guys. So if Dan Hansis was here, he 317 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 1: would have set this up professionally and said, what's coming 318 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 1: up in the program. We're fifteen minutes into the program, 319 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: and but I'm gonna do it. Anyways, we're talking right 320 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 1: now about the biggest surprises that we've had. We'll also 321 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 1: talk about some of the QB smoke screens, some of 322 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:35,440 Speaker 1: the transactions of guys we think are gonna get cut 323 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: or tagged, some of the news, and then we'll also 324 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 1: give our impression which coaches and GM's impressed us the most. 325 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:45,120 Speaker 1: But let's stick with our surprises for a little bit more. Chris, 326 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: do you have do you have a surprise the Cardinals news? 327 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: Hearing Bruce Arians talk, you know, you identify this offense 328 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:57,240 Speaker 1: with Larry Fitzgerald, Carson Palmer, Michael Floyd, and Arians says 329 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 1: he wants to build his offense around Andre ellen Tin, 330 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 1: who was a scat backlash. It was awesome, though, wasn't 331 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:07,159 Speaker 1: he He's gained ten pounds They said that there, you 332 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 1: know his role is going to increase in not Arians. Well, now, Arians, 333 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:14,119 Speaker 1: Arians looking very good. Ellington is gained ten pounds. That's correct. 334 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 1: But also I thought the Carson Palmer news was a 335 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 1: little bizarre. Yeah, we had. I think we've all expected 336 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:21,720 Speaker 1: them maybe to draft a quarterback in the second or 337 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:24,640 Speaker 1: third round, develop him and maybe replace Palmer next year. 338 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 1: And Arians talked as if Palmer could play three or 339 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:29,399 Speaker 1: four more years as a starter, and he you know, 340 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:31,000 Speaker 1: and I asked him out in the hall because I 341 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:33,840 Speaker 1: always think that arians is an underrated kind of quarterback 342 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 1: whisper that has did a great job with Big Ben, 343 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 1: obviously excellent work with Andrew Luck. And I said, do 344 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 1: you want to bring in a guy that you can 345 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 1: groom on your own? And he said, basically, waste of time, 346 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: because if you're not going to throw him into the 347 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:48,359 Speaker 1: fire right away, he's not getting practice reps. He's sitting 348 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:50,359 Speaker 1: there holding a clipboard and that's not how you grow 349 00:17:50,359 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 1: and learn. So I had come away from this combine 350 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,600 Speaker 1: thinking they're absolutely not going to draft a quarterback. I 351 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 1: asked about the backup situation, if you know, maybe you 352 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:03,080 Speaker 1: would draft someone to develop to take Drew Stanton's place, 353 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: and he said, Stanton could go in there right now 354 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:09,240 Speaker 1: and it wouldn't be much of a drop off, and 355 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:11,920 Speaker 1: you know basically that he's one of the best backups 356 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:13,719 Speaker 1: in the league. And you're right. He didn't sound interested. 357 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 1: He actually compared Drew Stanton to someone who used to 358 00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:24,600 Speaker 1: coach in Cleveland, Kelly Kelly Holcomb. Remember that uh big 359 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,439 Speaker 1: shootout playoff game against the Steelers. Yeah, he had a 360 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 1: couple explosive games, and I look back and I realized, Wow, 361 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:33,679 Speaker 1: Cleveland had this great offensive coordinator and didn't even realize 362 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 1: it right Arians was there. And there's a reason why, 363 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:40,320 Speaker 1: Butch Davis has the best winning percentage of any Brown's coach. 364 00:18:40,359 --> 00:18:42,560 Speaker 1: It's not because he's a great head coach. It's because 365 00:18:42,600 --> 00:18:45,960 Speaker 1: he had be a Bruce Arians now watched he Here's 366 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:49,399 Speaker 1: what the real combine messaging is when Arizona out of 367 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:52,920 Speaker 1: nowhere trades up and takes Teddy Bridgewater number four or five. 368 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 1: After all this thing, we think we've learned this and 369 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:58,880 Speaker 1: that no, we haven't learned anything. I was surprised by 370 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 1: the Bengals and assistance that they want to talk contract 371 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:05,080 Speaker 1: with Andy Dalton this office. What did Marvin Lewis say? 372 00:19:05,119 --> 00:19:07,240 Speaker 1: We want to We want to lock up all of 373 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:10,359 Speaker 1: our good young ball players. Right, he's including Dalton in 374 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:13,840 Speaker 1: that mix. He said he'll sit down with Dalton and 375 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:16,400 Speaker 1: his representatives and see if they can work something out. 376 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:19,600 Speaker 1: It's the first year that they can resign Dalton. And 377 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:22,200 Speaker 1: if i'm Dalton, it's a rare case where I think 378 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:24,440 Speaker 1: a free agent should not want to get to market 379 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:28,159 Speaker 1: because I don't think Dalton would be that popular, and 380 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:30,920 Speaker 1: I think he risks having another bad year, and if 381 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: they offer him nine or ten million, thinking well, he's 382 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:36,080 Speaker 1: not gonna take this. Most of the great guys are 383 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:39,680 Speaker 1: making sixteen or seventeen. I just run to that contract, 384 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:42,920 Speaker 1: sign up and start buying houses for my seven kids 385 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,120 Speaker 1: or whatever Dalton's got in the mix. If I think 386 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:46,760 Speaker 1: it could be a lot trickier than that. We're talking 387 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 1: about a guy who had the third most touchdowns in 388 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:51,199 Speaker 1: the NFL last year. He had thirty three touchdowns. His 389 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:53,400 Speaker 1: numbers are there, right, don't. I don't think the agents 390 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:56,280 Speaker 1: just gonna sit there and accept whatever breadcrumbs are floated 391 00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:59,119 Speaker 1: his back. They should take up a strange strategy and 392 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:03,479 Speaker 1: do just that and underplay him, like, just take whatever 393 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:05,639 Speaker 1: you can get. If you're Andy Dalton right now, I 394 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:07,479 Speaker 1: would hate hearing that as a Bengals face. Well, that's 395 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:10,719 Speaker 1: if you're if you're a Cardinals fan learning that Carson 396 00:20:10,760 --> 00:20:13,920 Speaker 1: Palmer's your quarterback for the next uh foreseeable future to 397 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 1: three years, or that Andy Dalton is which fan base 398 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:21,160 Speaker 1: is more depressed right now? This is gonna sound odd, 399 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:23,479 Speaker 1: but I'd rather have Andy Dalton as my quarterback than 400 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:27,119 Speaker 1: Carson Palmer. Wow, well, I guess Andy Dalton can be 401 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:29,720 Speaker 1: your quarterback for a lot longer. He's younger. But that's 402 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 1: even more depressing in my book. I'd rather be a 403 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:35,479 Speaker 1: Cardinals fan because I think they got more going on 404 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:37,480 Speaker 1: in general, and I think they have a better chance 405 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 1: to win the Super Bowl next year than the Bengals, 406 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:41,520 Speaker 1: and that's what I want as a fan, as a championship. 407 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:43,720 Speaker 1: Could they somehow win a Super Bowl next year, it 408 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:45,440 Speaker 1: would be tough, but I could see it happening. I 409 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: can't see the BEng If he phrased it that way, 410 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 1: I'd rather be a fan of thirty one other teams 411 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:54,480 Speaker 1: than the Bengals. Alright, let's let's move on to the 412 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 1: quarterback talk. Quarterback smoke screens were everywhere this week. We 413 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 1: just talked maybe maybe Cardinals coach Bruce arians just notice 414 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:06,120 Speaker 1: over by talking down all these quarterbacks, maybe they are 415 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:08,679 Speaker 1: going to take someone early. I know you were at 416 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: the Doug Moron press conference. You asked some questions there 417 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:15,160 Speaker 1: and he was interesting on the quarterback situation. I was, Yeah, 418 00:21:15,240 --> 00:21:16,840 Speaker 1: my ears perked up a little bit when he said 419 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:20,440 Speaker 1: we can go any direction at quarterback free agency draft. 420 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:23,439 Speaker 1: I mean he obviously likes EJ. Manual. They drafted him 421 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:25,680 Speaker 1: in the first round. But I don't know if it's 422 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:29,400 Speaker 1: a situation maybe like well fatty fantas Lewis wasn't bad, 423 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:31,840 Speaker 1: but maybe they want to have a better backup plan 424 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 1: or competition for EJ. Manual. You know, I'll never forget 425 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:40,159 Speaker 1: that that offensive coordinator Hackett, right, he uh spoke so 426 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 1: glowingly of that Lewis. He seemed to really love how 427 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 1: quickly from the neck up, how quickly he picked up 428 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 1: the offense, talked about how they could do anything with 429 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 1: that Lewis where that wasn't the case with Manual. And 430 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:51,960 Speaker 1: that's a team that also brought in Kevin Cobb last 431 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 1: year to maybe ease Manual in, and Manual instead gets 432 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: thrown right in there in his head, what two or 433 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: three knee surgeries at this point, Right, they have to 434 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: be open minded, I think to competition. Good portion of 435 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 1: Maron's attitude seemed to be coming from the fact that 436 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:11,479 Speaker 1: with Hackett there, they hired a quarterback coach, Todd Downing, 437 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: and brought in Jim Hustler as offensive assistant or kind 438 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:18,480 Speaker 1: of a senior consultant role. But he thinks with those 439 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:21,399 Speaker 1: three minds. Basically, you have three quarterback coaches, and he 440 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:24,159 Speaker 1: thinks that they can develop a guy or win just 441 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:28,360 Speaker 1: by coaching. You can't count on Manual, you can't count 442 00:22:28,359 --> 00:22:30,439 Speaker 1: them out. You have to hope that he takes a 443 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 1: big step and he's your guy. But maybe you look 444 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:36,560 Speaker 1: over to Cleveland and you see Rob Chatzinsky out after 445 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:39,520 Speaker 1: a year. Maybe you see Greg Siano out after two years, 446 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 1: and you realize you're not on a timeline where you 447 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:45,120 Speaker 1: can hang around. You've got to have someone that can 448 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:47,639 Speaker 1: win right now at that Lewis is that's a good point, 449 00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: not that guy. I always it's my thing. I hate 450 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:53,200 Speaker 1: when people stick to mistakes too long. And I don't 451 00:22:53,600 --> 00:22:56,879 Speaker 1: think Manuel is definitely a mistake. But you better have 452 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: another option. And if you love the quarterback in the 453 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 1: first round, you are so desperate to take a quarterback 454 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:04,840 Speaker 1: last year in the first round that you took Manual sixteen, 455 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 1: why not take another one. It's a quarterback. Couldn't agree 456 00:23:08,359 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 1: more the similarities with the Browns last year at this time. 457 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 1: If he told the Browns fans, look, Brandon Wheedon, isn't 458 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:15,200 Speaker 1: your answer, they would have said, look, he's your first 459 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 1: round pick, give him another year. They wasted a year right, 460 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,320 Speaker 1: and thirty guys are out of a job because the decision. 461 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:24,600 Speaker 1: The Rams keep talking up saying brad for they have 462 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:26,679 Speaker 1: the number two pick in this draft. There any chance 463 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 1: that that's a smoke screen? If it's one of the 464 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: best smoke screens ever, because they've they've been so diligent 465 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 1: and they've just hung on that. Every everyone in the 466 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:38,560 Speaker 1: organization just stands behind Sam Bradford no matter what he does. 467 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:40,639 Speaker 1: But do you think that the knee injury that he 468 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:44,760 Speaker 1: had changes the trajectory of wanting the urgency to resign 469 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: him where it's now we've got to see A. Does 470 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 1: he take the leap that we hope he takes? But 471 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:51,880 Speaker 1: B is he healthy? Can he? Is he the same guy? 472 00:23:52,359 --> 00:23:55,200 Speaker 1: Jeff Fisher said he wasn't losing any sleep over Bradford's 473 00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 1: a c L surgery. People come back from that. He 474 00:23:57,320 --> 00:23:59,720 Speaker 1: said he wasn't losing any sleep over. Jake Long's either 475 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:03,679 Speaker 1: that he that Bradford was one of, if not the 476 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:06,680 Speaker 1: biggest reasons he took the job. So I don't think 477 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:09,200 Speaker 1: that's a smoke screen. Let's need talked a lot about 478 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:12,920 Speaker 1: how this time at number two. It's not as clear 479 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:15,879 Speaker 1: who's going number one, so that changes the dynamics in 480 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:18,399 Speaker 1: terms of trade talks. But they are very open to 481 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:20,480 Speaker 1: doing the same thing they did last year, which was 482 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:23,480 Speaker 1: trading down and getting a lot of picks, and they've 483 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:25,680 Speaker 1: talked about that that worked out well for them. They 484 00:24:25,720 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 1: think that that worked out perfectly for them, so they're 485 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:32,280 Speaker 1: very open to doing that again. They were surprising just 486 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:35,680 Speaker 1: to throw this in there that they indicated Courtland Finnigan's 487 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:37,760 Speaker 1: gonna stay on the team. We thought he was certainly gone. 488 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 1: That was one of the surprises for me. It looks 489 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:41,879 Speaker 1: like he'll be part of the team in the off season. 490 00:24:42,119 --> 00:24:45,040 Speaker 1: But let's stick with the quarterbacks. Another team that talked 491 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:47,399 Speaker 1: about maybe taking a guy early was the Tampa Bay Bucks. 492 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:49,720 Speaker 1: Do you think they go with the quarterback or stick 493 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:51,959 Speaker 1: with Mike Glennon at number seven? Well, I mean, I 494 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:56,200 Speaker 1: I thought I heard Lovey Smith pretty genuinely praise uh 495 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:58,639 Speaker 1: Glennon and what Glennon did in year one, And I 496 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:00,880 Speaker 1: think there's a lot to like about Mike Glennon, and 497 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 1: there's so much talent on that team that I don't 498 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:06,359 Speaker 1: know what you do. I don't know if you want 499 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: to start over at quarterback again with another rookie. I 500 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:13,360 Speaker 1: think is Glennon that much of a falloff from any 501 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:15,240 Speaker 1: of the guys that can get drafted high this year, 502 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:17,720 Speaker 1: I'd be surprised if they went with a rookie. I 503 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:20,080 Speaker 1: could see them bringing in somebody like Michael Vick. Though, 504 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:24,400 Speaker 1: when you're in the draft, though, you gotta think about it. 505 00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:28,720 Speaker 1: I mean, these guys, Bridgewater, Manzel, Bordles, maybe they're not 506 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:31,960 Speaker 1: all gonna be awesome franchise guys, but maybe one or 507 00:25:32,000 --> 00:25:34,720 Speaker 1: two of them are. And if you do enough of 508 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:36,639 Speaker 1: your study, I don't know if Mike Glennon is the 509 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:38,399 Speaker 1: guy that's going to stop you from taking them if 510 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 1: they make it that. I thought the two of you 511 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:42,520 Speaker 1: both loved Mike glenn do like I do like Mike 512 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:45,840 Speaker 1: glenn I mean not, you know, not like personally, but 513 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:49,080 Speaker 1: I like his football. He seems like a nice I mean, realistically, 514 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:51,879 Speaker 1: they may not know right now if that's even an option, 515 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 1: because that's a coaching step that just got together. Their 516 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:56,919 Speaker 1: scouts are having to re engineer what they're looking for 517 00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,119 Speaker 1: based on the new schemes. I mean, they may not 518 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:01,159 Speaker 1: right now a decision on if they want to go 519 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:04,800 Speaker 1: with Glennan based on no inside information. I'd be surprised 520 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:07,280 Speaker 1: if any of those three quarterbacks even get that far. 521 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:10,080 Speaker 1: I just think, with so many teams needing quarterbacks, why 522 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:13,880 Speaker 1: are they gonna last past the top five? Why are 523 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,760 Speaker 1: the Cleveland Browns gonna path on a quarterback? I don't 524 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:20,119 Speaker 1: think they will. Ray Farmer said they might be throwing 525 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 1: some curveballs. What you know, what kind of curveballs could 526 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 1: they be thrown there? The curveball I could see is 527 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 1: an effort to get out of that spot, go a 528 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:31,840 Speaker 1: little bit farther down in the first round for a 529 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 1: player that they are perfectly happy to take later in 530 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:37,480 Speaker 1: the first round. Might even be a quarterback that we're 531 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:41,520 Speaker 1: not thinking of, one of those top three guys, and uh, 532 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:43,479 Speaker 1: get more picks. I mean, I think this is a 533 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:47,320 Speaker 1: team that is committed to building through the draft, even 534 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:50,359 Speaker 1: though they've got a lot of money. And but yeah, listen, 535 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:54,000 Speaker 1: Cleveland has been surprising us for what five six straight weeks, 536 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:56,840 Speaker 1: so I why not continue that team? The thought is 537 00:26:56,880 --> 00:27:00,200 Speaker 1: that with Michael Lombardi gone, that they're not near early 538 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 1: is likely to take Johnny Manzel. I get the sense 539 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:06,920 Speaker 1: of that too, and and there's It was like Peter 540 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:08,720 Speaker 1: King I think, wrote that they were gonna move heaven 541 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:11,639 Speaker 1: and Earth to go get Johnny Football if Lombardi had 542 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 1: been in place, but you haven't heard his name from 543 00:27:14,480 --> 00:27:17,000 Speaker 1: anyone since. And it was almost as if Farmer, who's 544 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 1: been studying quarterbacks he was dispatched to look at pastors 545 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:22,679 Speaker 1: from early on in the year. Has someone else that 546 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:25,640 Speaker 1: he would would look to and pett And talked about 547 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:28,480 Speaker 1: a guy. Well, I still would have loved to see 548 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:30,480 Speaker 1: what to Johnny Football to come in. But you know 549 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:32,640 Speaker 1: they said they wanted someone that can throw the football 550 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:36,800 Speaker 1: in cold weather, in that environment. But wait, Johnny Football 551 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:39,560 Speaker 1: has the biggest hands of all these guys that we've seen, right, 552 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:42,320 Speaker 1: it's important. Well, I think there was a few guys. 553 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:45,280 Speaker 1: Figure where the big three of these you know, you 554 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 1: know who had monster hands this week Matt Millen I did. 555 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:52,160 Speaker 1: I did a little hit just like you guys. You 556 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 1: you did it with Bucky Brooks and Matt money Smith 557 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:57,520 Speaker 1: on the NFL dot com Live Feet of the Common. 558 00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: Everyone should be watching those two feeds simultaneously had multiple 559 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:05,119 Speaker 1: computers while you have NFL network on great stuff look 560 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:08,400 Speaker 1: finding them first all day long. Well, what extra computers. 561 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:09,919 Speaker 1: I mean, now you gotta do is go down. I'm 562 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:12,040 Speaker 1: not on the site. It's like a labyrinth trying to 563 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:14,520 Speaker 1: find these videos. Well, you don't have to find us. 564 00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:16,639 Speaker 1: I agree with that, that that would be tough. But you 565 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 1: can't find the live coverage because it's on all day, 566 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:21,639 Speaker 1: every day while the combines. But when I went on 567 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:24,760 Speaker 1: that set Matt Millen, I mean his hand engulfed mine. 568 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:28,600 Speaker 1: I felt like a little girl. All these are honest 569 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:30,359 Speaker 1: feelings from you, Greg. I just wanted to throw that 570 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:33,320 Speaker 1: out there. It's good to hear. Thomas Demitroff talked a 571 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:36,760 Speaker 1: lot about trading up from number six. We're buying that. 572 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 1: Thomas Dimitroff and his sartorial splendor possibly the most the 573 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:44,280 Speaker 1: best dressed of all the gms and coaches. Yeah, at 574 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:46,880 Speaker 1: the airport we saw him in a purple felt kind 575 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: of bohemian look and I think pants that were potentially 576 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:54,240 Speaker 1: sewn out of himp. I feel like John Fox is 577 00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:56,640 Speaker 1: known as sort of the mayor of the Combine. He's 578 00:28:56,840 --> 00:29:00,200 Speaker 1: a lot of holding forth going on. Um but he 579 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 1: had that health scare this week. I yeah, I don't know. 580 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:04,520 Speaker 1: I haven't seen him around quite as much uh, this year, 581 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:08,440 Speaker 1: I feel like the candidate to replace him eventually. Thomas Demtroff. 582 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:10,719 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, I think everybody likes him market I think 583 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:13,280 Speaker 1: Mark and I talked about this from reading the war room. 584 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 1: Just how cool of a guy. He seems like he's 585 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: a guy I would like to have a beer with. 586 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 1: He's out and about. He's making the rounds. They have 587 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 1: a lot of free agent needs. They have basically no 588 00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 1: defensive line here. Some things they might be looking, uh, 589 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:31,400 Speaker 1: the free agency, defensive tackles, defensive lineman. I think they're 590 00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:35,840 Speaker 1: gonna be very aggressive all off season, and they think differently, 591 00:29:35,880 --> 00:29:38,320 Speaker 1: and that's why I could see them doing shaking some 592 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:40,720 Speaker 1: things up in the draft, moving up, moving down, he said, 593 00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:43,680 Speaker 1: now that we're up at six, we're so close to 594 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:45,760 Speaker 1: the top, it won't be that hard to move even higher. 595 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:48,360 Speaker 1: Well with the new CBA he mentioned that too was 596 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:50,720 Speaker 1: no longer new, but the current cb A, it's a 597 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:52,600 Speaker 1: lot easier to trade up and down because you're not 598 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:55,400 Speaker 1: giving these guys fifty or seventy million right off the bat. 599 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,400 Speaker 1: I think that that team is one where a lot 600 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:00,680 Speaker 1: of people might feel, hey, they're gonna jump back to 601 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:03,920 Speaker 1: an eleven or twelve win situation. I just don't see 602 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:07,120 Speaker 1: that with Atlanta because it's not just their entire defensive line. 603 00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:10,080 Speaker 1: Their offensive line is a disaster that takes years to 604 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 1: rebuild those two units. Let's find out he's a good 605 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:15,440 Speaker 1: general manager, two time Executive of the Year. If he 606 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:17,480 Speaker 1: can pull off some moves in free agency and he 607 00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:19,760 Speaker 1: has a great draft, they could be right back in. 608 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:22,520 Speaker 1: It's just hard to say in in February, how good 609 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:24,960 Speaker 1: the Falcons are gonna be. Yeah, if you have a quarterback, 610 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:27,360 Speaker 1: you always have a chance to win ten games. I 611 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:29,960 Speaker 1: think can They're getting a bunch of injured players back 612 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:32,720 Speaker 1: as well the best player on their team. So we 613 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:37,040 Speaker 1: were impressed by the MIT draft. Who are some of 614 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:41,760 Speaker 1: the guys at the podium? The coaches that caught your guys. 615 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:44,800 Speaker 1: Is fancy during the week that you know before you 616 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:49,080 Speaker 1: were here, your your opinion change, and now you're you're 617 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:52,840 Speaker 1: on board, You're on the team. Yeah, go go ahead 618 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:56,360 Speaker 1: with My two favorites are both older guys, Bruce Arians 619 00:30:56,360 --> 00:30:59,840 Speaker 1: and Dave Gettlman the Panthers GM. You know you get 620 00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:03,280 Speaker 1: a lot of guys closer to your age. Yeah, yeah, definitely. 621 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:05,400 Speaker 1: You know a lot of these guys don't tell you anything. 622 00:31:05,720 --> 00:31:07,880 Speaker 1: You know, they sit up there and they shoot down 623 00:31:07,880 --> 00:31:10,520 Speaker 1: your questions. I can't remember. Greg and I both mentioned 624 00:31:10,520 --> 00:31:13,720 Speaker 1: we've used the word noncommittal as a lead in in 625 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:15,720 Speaker 1: so many stories this week. You know, so and so 626 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:19,360 Speaker 1: is noncommittal about this player. And it's so refreshing to 627 00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:23,720 Speaker 1: hear Gettleman and Arians just straight shooters answering your questions, 628 00:31:23,720 --> 00:31:26,920 Speaker 1: giving you the right answers. I love Gettleman's accent, you 629 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:30,680 Speaker 1: know stall Lotula. Yeah, he plays god. I gotta get 630 00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:34,720 Speaker 1: some offensive gods. Yeah, I can't do it. That was terrible. Yeah. 631 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 1: I think both those guys got to their positions later 632 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:42,320 Speaker 1: in life. Arians was sixty when he became a head coach. Gettleman, 633 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 1: I think is close to sixty or at sixty when 634 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:47,000 Speaker 1: he got his first GM job. You know, I think 635 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,000 Speaker 1: they're just a lot more confident about who they are 636 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:52,280 Speaker 1: and you know, about their philosophies on football, and they 637 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:54,080 Speaker 1: don't have to they don't worry about being second guest 638 00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:56,040 Speaker 1: on it. Another guy that I'd thrown into that group 639 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:58,880 Speaker 1: is Mike Zimmer. I think, you know, he waited forever 640 00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: for his job, and the thing that came across to 641 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:04,760 Speaker 1: me with him is a he's prepared for this. He 642 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:07,719 Speaker 1: he didn't seem odd at all. Um he was working 643 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:10,840 Speaker 1: the room. He knew every reporter and everyone by name 644 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:13,080 Speaker 1: when he was leaving the podium, and I just thought, 645 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:16,440 Speaker 1: you know, this guy, uh is maybe one of the 646 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 1: coaches that's really gonna surprise us and and and and 647 00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:20,840 Speaker 1: turn that team around. I got a good feeling about him. 648 00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 1: There's a lot of work to do, but he was 649 00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:24,560 Speaker 1: honest about the fact that, you know, we don't have 650 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:28,280 Speaker 1: necessarily the quarterback of tomorrow. He also didn't dodge questions. 651 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:31,080 Speaker 1: One guy, who did, I think, and he's come from 652 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:34,479 Speaker 1: this Belichick school where you don't answer anything and you 653 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:36,520 Speaker 1: and you kind of windily go on and on with 654 00:32:36,520 --> 00:32:40,520 Speaker 1: your responses was O'Brien. Bill O'Brien, and who and listen, 655 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:43,480 Speaker 1: I mean he we know your feelings on O'Brien. You 656 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 1: gave a forty five minute discourse at dinner last night. 657 00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: By the end of dinner, you know, I didn't know 658 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 1: if you were going to even show up to work today. 659 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:56,320 Speaker 1: You were so upset with Billa. I don't know. What 660 00:32:56,520 --> 00:32:59,040 Speaker 1: I don't feel is passionately about that today. I'm not 661 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:01,239 Speaker 1: quite sure what sort of path I was on. But 662 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:04,760 Speaker 1: he uh to me, I feel like every question that 663 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:10,400 Speaker 1: came his way he gave zero information, literally zero information. 664 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:14,840 Speaker 1: And so he's been well schooled by you know, his mentors. 665 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 1: You don't have to be that way. This these you're 666 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,360 Speaker 1: not going into war. These aren't state secrets that you 667 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 1: have just by answering a question on your plans for 668 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:27,480 Speaker 1: a player. Maybe it's like these older coaches, they're more 669 00:33:27,520 --> 00:33:31,160 Speaker 1: comfortable in their old own skin. Yeah, and it's it's 670 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:33,400 Speaker 1: kind of like you guys as the elder statesman of 671 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:35,320 Speaker 1: the around the league. Dan and I are much younger. 672 00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:37,680 Speaker 1: We're we're trying to be cocky and find their own ways. 673 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 1: But you guys are like, we're old. We don't care, 674 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:42,640 Speaker 1: you know, we But it's like an older woman, you 675 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:45,280 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying. It's like there are certain things 676 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:48,560 Speaker 1: not as strong maybe, but other things attitude wise, not 677 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:51,400 Speaker 1: being as you know, well, you've just acknowledged that you 678 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:53,560 Speaker 1: have the hands of a little girl. So there are 679 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:57,760 Speaker 1: a lot of things floating around things to consider. Uh, 680 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:01,800 Speaker 1: my favorite coach this it was Mike Petton, and he 681 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:05,480 Speaker 1: talks about that he doesn't love the whole media side 682 00:34:05,480 --> 00:34:07,840 Speaker 1: of the job, but you wouldn't know it watching him. 683 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:09,680 Speaker 1: You know. I walked down in the hallway an hour 684 00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:11,640 Speaker 1: and a half after he was finished, and he was 685 00:34:11,680 --> 00:34:13,279 Speaker 1: still out there talking to me, So I think he 686 00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 1: kind of might, he might kind of like it, and 687 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 1: he's got some good singers. They asked him, you know, 688 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:22,720 Speaker 1: what did you learn from Rex Ryan? And he answered, well, 689 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:25,200 Speaker 1: you mean what to do or what not to do? 690 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:28,759 Speaker 1: And if pretty much left it at that with a 691 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:30,960 Speaker 1: copy of the Warren Commission in his office. He's a 692 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:33,640 Speaker 1: bizarre and interesting character. I think I preferred when they 693 00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:37,160 Speaker 1: asked Rex Ryan about Mike Petton, Yes, what did he say? 694 00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:42,839 Speaker 1: I'm not a good looking guy? And and Patton. We've 695 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:45,000 Speaker 1: heard a lot about the Browns, and maybe it's just 696 00:34:45,040 --> 00:34:47,960 Speaker 1: because I walk around with Mark Sessler, but there is 697 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:50,640 Speaker 1: a buzz over the Browns in terms of half the 698 00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:55,319 Speaker 1: workers in the stadium are wearing browns. There's a lot 699 00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:58,719 Speaker 1: of back room macinations, and there's a lot of rumors 700 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:02,560 Speaker 1: about how every thing went down over the last couple 701 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:05,960 Speaker 1: of months, and everyone's got a slightly twisted story, but 702 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:10,280 Speaker 1: everyone sort of enjoys talking about this. Are you looking 703 00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:12,960 Speaker 1: forward to a day where the Browns are not on 704 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:16,120 Speaker 1: the tips of everyone's tongue. No, I'm not, because that 705 00:35:16,239 --> 00:35:19,960 Speaker 1: team has been, you know, in the wilderness media wise 706 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:22,880 Speaker 1: for so long that even though a lot of the 707 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:28,040 Speaker 1: reporting is uh destructive and disturbing, I would say, uh, 708 00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:30,040 Speaker 1: you know, because every time I talked to someone who's like, listen, 709 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:32,120 Speaker 1: I can't. You can't put this into a post or something. 710 00:35:32,120 --> 00:35:34,080 Speaker 1: But let me give you a nugget about what I've heard. 711 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:37,359 Speaker 1: It's always death defying information where it just makes me 712 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:41,080 Speaker 1: concerned about everything, but it is. It is kind of 713 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:43,920 Speaker 1: interesting now the team that you follow, who's typically been 714 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:46,880 Speaker 1: off the radar forever, bubbling up in rumors and like 715 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:48,600 Speaker 1: the Hardball thing, for instance, I think these things are 716 00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:50,680 Speaker 1: happening so fast the combine that we don't even a 717 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:53,040 Speaker 1: time of time to stop and really think about. Wait, 718 00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:55,960 Speaker 1: this news item is out there, that is a major 719 00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:59,960 Speaker 1: that would have shifted the landscape of a the NFC way. 720 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:04,040 Speaker 1: The Seattle must be loving this potential fisher in San Francisco. 721 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:06,560 Speaker 1: But also you would have had the two Hardball brothers 722 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:09,200 Speaker 1: in the a f C North, they would have been 723 00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:12,640 Speaker 1: talking about that trade in San Francisco one way or another, forever. 724 00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:16,760 Speaker 1: I mean, that would have been that type of moment 725 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:19,719 Speaker 1: that would have been bigger than Belichick going to the 726 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:22,640 Speaker 1: Patriots from the Jets, because Harb was already established that 727 00:36:22,719 --> 00:36:28,840 Speaker 1: he's so good. Um, before we go, any final thoughts, 728 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:32,240 Speaker 1: maybe your your impressions, Chris for being at the combine 729 00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:35,160 Speaker 1: for the first time, what it's like. Well, I think 730 00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:38,400 Speaker 1: what strikes me the most is, uh, you know, I 731 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:41,160 Speaker 1: haven't met many of these Beat reporters or national writers 732 00:36:41,719 --> 00:36:44,680 Speaker 1: and seeing the difference in size from all these people 733 00:36:44,800 --> 00:36:49,040 Speaker 1: asking questions to monsters. The Beat writers are must be 734 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:52,319 Speaker 1: like four inches shorter than the general population, and then 735 00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:55,080 Speaker 1: these players out here and they're basically in their underwear 736 00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:58,839 Speaker 1: working out. It's just how far have we come from? 737 00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:02,040 Speaker 1: You know, the owners sit around the Hutmobile franchise in 738 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:06,439 Speaker 1: nineteen which, you know, by the way, breaking the law 739 00:37:06,520 --> 00:37:10,319 Speaker 1: drinking beers out of buckets during prohibition. You know how 740 00:37:10,320 --> 00:37:13,000 Speaker 1: far have we come since then? No substance abuse policy 741 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:18,279 Speaker 1: vent then? Not for the owner. Hey, now it is different, uh, 742 00:37:18,480 --> 00:37:20,960 Speaker 1: I mean it was the tight ends in the offensive linemen. 743 00:37:21,040 --> 00:37:24,080 Speaker 1: Today I might as well not be part of the 744 00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:29,200 Speaker 1: same species. They're just walking by them. It's a totally different. 745 00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:31,239 Speaker 1: You know, I saw a calf muscle on one man 746 00:37:31,280 --> 00:37:33,880 Speaker 1: that was as the same. You know, my waist is 747 00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:36,359 Speaker 1: smaller than the Yes, aliens came down and saw this. 748 00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:39,200 Speaker 1: They were like, oh, this is funny. Just large men 749 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:42,719 Speaker 1: walking around and underwear while other other men study them. Well, 750 00:37:42,840 --> 00:37:47,439 Speaker 1: this entire scene is bizarre at the Combine. And if 751 00:37:47,480 --> 00:37:52,440 Speaker 1: there is an event that encapsulates how much the NFL 752 00:37:52,600 --> 00:37:56,160 Speaker 1: owns America, how it dominates you and your life, and 753 00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:59,160 Speaker 1: that you're listening to this podcast of three clowns on 754 00:37:59,239 --> 00:38:02,239 Speaker 1: your I pod and enjoying it, we thank you for that. 755 00:38:03,040 --> 00:38:07,760 Speaker 1: It's the Scouting Combine. Because this place is antiseptic, it's 756 00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:14,080 Speaker 1: totally silent, it's devoid of flavor. And here we are 757 00:38:14,520 --> 00:38:18,520 Speaker 1: millions of people watching it, and everyone's into it, and 758 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:21,080 Speaker 1: we care about the hand size, and we care about 759 00:38:21,680 --> 00:38:24,360 Speaker 1: everything going on here. And yet when you're here and 760 00:38:24,360 --> 00:38:26,719 Speaker 1: you see it, it's just it's a bizarre thing to 761 00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:29,759 Speaker 1: witnesses that this is some sort of big spectacle. It's 762 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:33,360 Speaker 1: a triumph for the NFL and especially for NFL Network, 763 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:36,360 Speaker 1: who built this entire event up. More than anything, I 764 00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:41,520 Speaker 1: think the Scouting Combines a triumph. Thought West says west 765 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:44,680 Speaker 1: Or says you want, let go, let go, says you know, listen, 766 00:38:44,680 --> 00:38:46,239 Speaker 1: I I'd find this to be one of the more 767 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:49,600 Speaker 1: enjoyable weeks for us workwise, because a you do get 768 00:38:49,640 --> 00:38:51,759 Speaker 1: to meet a lot of writers that you're referencing in 769 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:53,920 Speaker 1: posts all year long, and you find out you're pleasantly 770 00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:56,719 Speaker 1: surprised by a bunch of them actually, And I think 771 00:38:56,760 --> 00:38:58,680 Speaker 1: for us, we're all kind of in the trenches getting 772 00:38:58,719 --> 00:39:02,680 Speaker 1: to uh, you know, deliver original news versus sitting back 773 00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:04,520 Speaker 1: in the office and seeing what comes at us. And 774 00:39:04,560 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 1: I really enjoy the reporting angle of it and getting 775 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:08,560 Speaker 1: to kind of be out in front of stories and 776 00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:11,160 Speaker 1: working with you guys. I'm pretty sure Mark just is 777 00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:15,360 Speaker 1: plean to come back next year despite a rocky I 778 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:17,600 Speaker 1: will say this, I think it's hard for us to 779 00:39:17,920 --> 00:39:19,719 Speaker 1: you know, listen, we missed Dan this week too. We 780 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:22,640 Speaker 1: miss him on the podcast day, but uh, he's back there. 781 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:25,160 Speaker 1: He has our back back in Culver City, but every 782 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:27,719 Speaker 1: day we do need to get him out here next time. Yeah, Well, 783 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:30,600 Speaker 1: we'll try to get Day in here next year and 784 00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:35,040 Speaker 1: we'll be back in the studio in Culver City next week. 785 00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:37,759 Speaker 1: We'll wrap up the combine of course, it goes on 786 00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:41,319 Speaker 1: for uh three more days on NFL Network and on 787 00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:44,680 Speaker 1: NFL dot com slash Live watch our hits on that, 788 00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:48,680 Speaker 1: and we'll be writing up a storm. We'll be podcasting 789 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:53,840 Speaker 1: a storm next week back in California for Mark Seffler, 790 00:39:54,520 --> 00:39:57,400 Speaker 1: Chris Westley, and a cast of thousands here at Lucas 791 00:39:57,400 --> 00:39:59,200 Speaker 1: Oil Stadium. We'll see you next