1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,159 Speaker 1: We're back on Radio Row with Casey Valley. I'm Matt Taylor. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: Awesome experience right now to visit with Mike Tannenbaum, ESPN, 3 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:11,480 Speaker 1: NFL front office insider, a former executive vice president of 4 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: football Operations for the Dolphins, general manager of the New 5 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:17,760 Speaker 1: York Jets. A wealth of football knowledge right here, Mike, 6 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: thanks so much for the time. Yeah, this is impressive. 7 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: Are those real? Saint Elmo? We saved them for you? 8 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:26,799 Speaker 1: About that, We saved them for you? What a marketing idea? Right? Yeah, 9 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: they come around. They know how to schmooz, they know 10 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 1: how to keep the combine in Indianapolis, right, They don't 11 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: how to play the game. Yeah. I wonder if we 12 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:34,560 Speaker 1: could get my teammates to find your belt to try 13 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: one here? Oh yeah, come on now, come on now, 14 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: it'll clean you out, hair on fire, if you got 15 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: if you've got sinuses no longer, well that's gonna go. 16 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:51,599 Speaker 1: Well yeah, she basically stiff armed that idea. She ran 17 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:53,559 Speaker 1: off time. I don't know if Jonathan Taylor would be 18 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: more elusive than that. Come on, now, how many times 19 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: you've been to Saint Elmo's this week? I haven't been 20 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 1: there yet. This week. Yeah, I know, like this silly 21 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: job gets in the way. Yeah, I'm lucky. I'm on 22 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 1: a show called Get Up, which is on at eight 23 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: The production means at six am, so you know we're 24 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 1: rolling at five thirty and you're not staying out late either. No, No, 25 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: I can't, like I for me to, I can't do that. No. 26 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: I'd like to function on TV and prepare like but 27 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 1: I will get to say it almost you have to 28 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: before the week is over here. All right, Mike, As 29 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 1: you look at the coult situation, they're sitting there at 30 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 1: number four, how do you describe the spot that they're in? 31 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: Obviously what they the quarterback instability of the last couple 32 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: of years. Can you describe, as a guy that's been 33 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:39,400 Speaker 1: in that in those shoes, the sense of urgency you 34 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 1: might have if you're Chris Ballard. Oh, there's a tremendous 35 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: sense of urgency. And it's interesting because the jail and 36 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: card thing, in my opinion, really affects things. I remember 37 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: being at the Jets. We went from seventeen to five 38 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,080 Speaker 1: to go up and get Mark Sanchez, and if I'm 39 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: Chris Ballard, one of the things that's going to keep 40 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: me up at night, guys, is who can leap frog me? 41 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: You know, there's I have fourteen teams that could use 42 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:01,760 Speaker 1: a quarterbacks, So somebody could come It could by the way, 43 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: it could be somebody that we're not even thinking about. 44 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:07,200 Speaker 1: Maybe it's Minnesota, right, Like somebody could come up. So 45 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: if Minnesota just to pick a name, says here's Justin 46 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: Jefferson and two ones, yeah, you got to make that 47 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: move right with Houston or whomever. So my point is 48 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 1: like you got to be prepared to have four names 49 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: that you're uber comfortable with. When you mentioned that with Minnesota, 50 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 1: you say Justin Jefferson, two ones. That just brings me 51 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: to this from a team standpoint. Now you hear the 52 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,360 Speaker 1: you know guy is off limits? Is that is that real? 53 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: That's not true? I mean, because I would think that 54 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: if you need a guy, there is there is You 55 00:02:39,600 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: think that guy is going to change your franchise, right, 56 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 1: you're kind of willing to do anything. I mean, yeah, 57 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: there's no question about it. So um and again, like 58 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 1: I think, and he's in a great position, Don't get 59 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: me wrong. I think they'll come out of this with 60 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: a really good quarterback. I fully expect that's what they'll do. 61 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:55,639 Speaker 1: All My point is is to try to bring it 62 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: behind the curtain of like you guys say like, well, hey, 63 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: there's no out that um CJ. Stroud's gonna be there 64 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:06,760 Speaker 1: because Bryce Young's gonna go to Houston and Arizona will 65 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: take yeah, and we're we're good to go. And again, 66 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 1: what would scare me is like what happens if someone 67 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 1: goes to three Arizona's out one player away. They got 68 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 1: a first year head coach too. So that's where like 69 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:22,280 Speaker 1: you're really your head's on a swivel and you're worried. 70 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: You know. That's one of the things that I always love. 71 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:28,359 Speaker 1: You think about the trades that network, You've got Josh Allen, 72 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: Patrick Mahomes, those teams don't care about what they gave up. 73 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: But then you look at the stuff that doesn't work, 74 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: and at what point do you just say, you know, 75 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,119 Speaker 1: in the front office, where this is going to make 76 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: it or break it for me? So I don't care 77 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: what I give up. Yeah, you can't overpay greatness, right, 78 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 1: And Mahomes and Josh Allen are just great examples that like, look, 79 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:48,800 Speaker 1: the Rams gave up all off for bat Stafford. They're 80 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: not gonna take it the first round for ye who 81 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: knows how long? Right, but they won. Yeah, that's that's 82 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:55,600 Speaker 1: exactly right. Now. You could also put together a pretty 83 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: good list of guys like Jared Goff and Robert Griffin 84 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: and guys that did work out for whatever reason when 85 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: you trade off for him. So there's certainly risk. Mike, 86 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: how did you handle free agency? It's such a balance, right, 87 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: because these are the guys you've brought in, you have signed, 88 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: you want to grow, You're trying to build relationships with them, 89 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: You're trying to develop those guys, but then as soon 90 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: as their contracts are up, it's like you're playing defense 91 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:20,359 Speaker 1: against them, right, You're playing defense financially against them and 92 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: their age. And how how tricky is that as a 93 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 1: general manager? Yeah, it's hard, you know, and you want 94 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 1: to treat people fairly, and sometimes you just have to 95 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,600 Speaker 1: let the market sort of like dictate, like, hey, you're 96 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 1: not gonna be able to pay them all. It's a 97 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:35,479 Speaker 1: salary cap system. And I think you just want to 98 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 1: communicate and be honest and you know, let them know like, hey, 99 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:41,599 Speaker 1: both these things can be true. We're incredibly proud of you, 100 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 1: and we can't afford you. And that's just the reality 101 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: of a cap system. Did you have a system, like 102 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: did you have a value system that you really kind 103 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: of stuck to your guns on like this is this 104 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: is as far as we're willing to go with you. 105 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: I think that's all within context. Like I remember one 106 00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 1: year Santonio Holmes, we went to the championship game. He 107 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 1: is a great player, and we got out of our 108 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: comfort zone to pay him because we just felt like, 109 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: this guy scores touchdowns and hey, we may take it 110 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:09,480 Speaker 1: from a guard or a safety, but we can't let 111 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 1: this guy graduate. Did you believe that was a major 112 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 1: part of supplementing the roster. Yeah, I think. I think 113 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:19,479 Speaker 1: the good teams are the ones that like evolve over 114 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,520 Speaker 1: time and say hey, and I think Philadelphia is a 115 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:26,119 Speaker 1: great example of this. Lynnville Joseph and dominicansuing season CJ. 116 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: Garter Johnson at you know the end of all, Like, 117 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 1: I think that continuum is really important. Now, one of 118 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: the things we're mentioning with quarterbacks, there's a couple of 119 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,400 Speaker 1: guys that are we weren't sure where their futures are 120 00:05:35,400 --> 00:05:36,680 Speaker 1: going to be. How much do you play do you 121 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:39,160 Speaker 1: think that's gonna play a shuffle in those other teams 122 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:41,719 Speaker 1: that are on maybe that you know, after five it 123 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: seems like the Jets you got how much do you 124 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: think that's going to affect? Yeah, yeah, we talked about 125 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: that on Get Up. So like again, like the offseason 126 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 1: is a little bit of a continuum. So if I'm, 127 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: for example, Eric to Costo the Ravens, I'm saying myself like, gosh, 128 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: I don't want to pay two hundred and thirty million 129 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: dollar guaranteed. So that's over here. But we're here is 130 00:06:01,480 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers, c J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, And 131 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 1: now I have to tell our owner and our head coach, Okay, 132 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 1: you know we hate paying this bill. But guess what 133 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 1: you know, do we want if we're gonna overpay somebody? 134 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:16,719 Speaker 1: Because if we go over here, can we live with 135 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: Anthony Richardson? Derek Carr? Right? And now you know Eric 136 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:24,760 Speaker 1: mentioned that yesterday he has like six different ways this 137 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:27,359 Speaker 1: thing can go. Right with all the fifteen minute interviews, 138 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 1: the workouts, the evaluations. As a former GM, how much 139 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: more intel do you get this week on quarterbacks than 140 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: you had on them prior to started? It's helpful I've 141 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: seen quarterbacks eliminate themselves when we put on the tape 142 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:45,480 Speaker 1: and show Sackson interceptions and they blame the play caller 143 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,840 Speaker 1: or the left tackle, and you know, it's I think 144 00:06:48,839 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: it's maybe more a process of elimination than anything else. Really. Wow, 145 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: So you've been a part of some some disasters then, Yeah, 146 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: where the guy walked out the room and just said, hey, 147 00:06:57,279 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: cross them off, not for not for us. Now, any 148 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:04,000 Speaker 1: of those situations that they turn out to be successful, Yeah, 149 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: I'll tell you. Like one where we got wrong was Gronk. 150 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:09,720 Speaker 1: Gronk came into our room, and if you didn't know him, 151 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 1: you know, like the context of knowing Gronk TWN, you're like, oh, 152 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,400 Speaker 1: that's just ground. But if you don't know him, he's goofy, 153 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: don't know if he loves all like a bro Yeah, 154 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: hey man. And there was a number of teams, teams 155 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 1: that I really respected, that had him off his board 156 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: off the board because of his back had real back issues. 157 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 1: So um, So, I mean there's millions of those stories. 158 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: But like that's where like you sit there and a 159 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: guy who walks in and he's bouncing off the walls. 160 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: You're like, really like this guy's goofy, you know, like 161 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: and then you know, now he's gonna be the best 162 00:07:41,440 --> 00:07:43,560 Speaker 1: tight out of all time. Do you miss all of that? 163 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: Do you do? You miss the game in that capacity? Yeah, 164 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: you know there's parts of it absolutely, like the intimacy 165 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 1: you get with somebody and to be candid, like I 166 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: missed like getting inspired, Like a lot of these guys 167 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 1: come from backgrounds that are really disparate, some are really challenging, 168 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: and they leave the room and you're like, gosh, I 169 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,720 Speaker 1: got like, I got it so good like like sometimes 170 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 1: like that reminder is uh like just to because it's 171 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: very inspiring. Yeah, no doubt about that. Well, thank you 172 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: so much for the time, Mike Tannebaum from ESPN. I 173 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: know you gotta run, so thanks for squeezing us in. Well. 174 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: Appreciate it all right, Thanks guys, you joined the Shrimp, 175 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:17,280 Speaker 1: You got it.