WEBVTT - This Trade Defines the NFL Offseason

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<v Speaker 1>Before we get started, please rate and review our show

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<v Speaker 1>that helps people find us. On this episode of Sports

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<v Speaker 1>Illustrated Weekly with NFL training camps upon us, s I

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<v Speaker 1>Senior writer Andrew Brandt joins me to explain how a

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<v Speaker 1>trade by the Eagles to find the off season and

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<v Speaker 1>underscores how teams and general managers across the league have

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<v Speaker 1>placed added an emphasis on one position in particular. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>your host, John Gonzaltz from Sports Illustrated and I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>This is Sports Illustrated Weekly. It's been a wild offseason

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<v Speaker 1>for the NFL. Big name quarterbacks like Matt Ryan and

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<v Speaker 1>Russell Wilson have changed teams, and during the NFL Draft

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<v Speaker 1>and I popping nine trades went down. But according to

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<v Speaker 1>Andrew Brant, our SI columnist and a former executive for

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<v Speaker 1>the Green Bay Packer, one move in particular stands above

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<v Speaker 1>all the others and signals the new way of thinking

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<v Speaker 1>in front offices all over the NFL. WHOA, the Eagles

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<v Speaker 1>are trading for A J. Brown. This is the court

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<v Speaker 1>in the seven it's happening. O God. Wow a Draft

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<v Speaker 1>night stunner. Howie Roseman has done it again. Wow. We

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<v Speaker 1>thought it was gonna be Deebo Samuel turns out A J.

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<v Speaker 1>Brown stole the show here. Yeah, the Eagles getting A J. Brown.

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<v Speaker 1>Andrew Bryant, Welcome to Sports Illustrated Weekly. Good to be

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<v Speaker 1>with you, John. We're colleagues now. I've been at Sports

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<v Speaker 1>illustraight a long time and it's good to get on

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<v Speaker 1>the podcast side of things. Yeah. Yeah, we've messaged each

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<v Speaker 1>other back and forth, but now we're we're finally getting

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<v Speaker 1>to do some content together on the show. So we're

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<v Speaker 1>excited about that. And I was especially excited about the

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<v Speaker 1>story that you wrote about. There was a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>activity during this NFL offseason, particularly around the time of

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<v Speaker 1>the draft. There were a ton of trades, but there

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<v Speaker 1>was one trade in particular that you singled out, and

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<v Speaker 1>you wrote that it defined this NFL offseason and especially

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<v Speaker 1>how front offices have changed the way they view and

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<v Speaker 1>value one position in particular. Tell us about why you

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<v Speaker 1>flagged that specific trade. A. J. Brown is now an

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<v Speaker 1>Eagle and he was a Titan, as everyone knows for

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<v Speaker 1>three years. To me, it's a fascinating study of the

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<v Speaker 1>off season with that just one trade. But there are

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<v Speaker 1>a couple of ways to unpack this, John, I think

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<v Speaker 1>The first way is A J. Brown is a very

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<v Speaker 1>good receiver, but his track record, his longevity, his skins

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<v Speaker 1>in the game in the NFL are not what we

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<v Speaker 1>could typically associate with a receiver forcing leveraging his way

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<v Speaker 1>out of a situation into it for him a better one.

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<v Speaker 1>But it usually happens with players that have been around four, six, eight,

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<v Speaker 1>ten years that have established themselves at the top of

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<v Speaker 1>the wide receiver market or any position, and not players

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<v Speaker 1>that are still in their rookie contracts and leave raging

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<v Speaker 1>a situation where they're getting out and there's a willing

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<v Speaker 1>suitor to take them away not only on a trade

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<v Speaker 1>but also compensation levels at a vastly, vastly different factor.

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<v Speaker 1>That just crystallized the offseason to me, John, because I

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<v Speaker 1>know the big moves at quarterback with Matt Ryan and

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<v Speaker 1>Russell Wilson, I know everyone's going to focus on that,

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<v Speaker 1>But to me, the story of the two offseason I'm

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<v Speaker 1>always looking at it from the business side is the transformation,

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<v Speaker 1>an elevation of the wide receiver position like we've never

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<v Speaker 1>seen before, and A J. Brown was a microcosm of that. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, it absolutely blew me away when the trade

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<v Speaker 1>went down. I should note that you live outside of Philadelphia.

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<v Speaker 1>I am from Philadelphia. That is not why we're doing

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<v Speaker 1>this story. But it didn't hurt. So I'm also curious

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<v Speaker 1>from the Eagles perspective, it seems to make a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of sense because they get this young, talented wide receiver.

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<v Speaker 1>He's only A J. Brown, is only twenty four, he

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't turn twenty five until June. They lock him into

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<v Speaker 1>this massive contract. Why was it such a big deal

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<v Speaker 1>for the Eagles, and how does it underline how gms

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<v Speaker 1>are thinking differently about wide receivers than maybe they did

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<v Speaker 1>in the past. The Eagles, on the one hand, have

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<v Speaker 1>spent now three number one picks in a third round pick,

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<v Speaker 1>so three ones in a three on the wide receiver

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<v Speaker 1>position the last three years. That's a lot to spend

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<v Speaker 1>on that position. Have they gotten it right? I know

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<v Speaker 1>everyone's got their opinions about Jalen reagor, everyone's got opinions

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<v Speaker 1>about Davante Smith, but I think there's very little negative

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<v Speaker 1>opinion about getting it right this time with A J. Brown,

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<v Speaker 1>who's a stud young receiver at an ascending level at

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<v Speaker 1>a very young age. H hit his last six a fross.

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<v Speaker 1>The mental who else H J. Brown, Tannehill under pressure

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<v Speaker 1>fires pot Browns had a tremendous year. I think how

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<v Speaker 1>we navigated his draft stock very well. The past couple

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<v Speaker 1>of years. We can go back to Carson Wentz, but

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<v Speaker 1>even this year picking up an extra pick for next

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<v Speaker 1>year's draft from the Saints and then using one of

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<v Speaker 1>the ones this year with a three. He also had

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<v Speaker 1>an extra three from the Carson Wentz trade two package

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<v Speaker 1>into A J. Brown. And I think the decision was

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<v Speaker 1>made on a couple of things. Number One, while DeVonta

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<v Speaker 1>Smith isn't ascending him receiver himself, here's a chance to

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<v Speaker 1>get someone that is established as a true number one

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<v Speaker 1>and lock him in along with the young developing receivers

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<v Speaker 1>they have. Number two is what I talk about all

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<v Speaker 1>the time. The money side to get him. There were

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<v Speaker 1>two negotiations, one the trade negotiation with the Titans, but

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<v Speaker 1>maybe more importantly the financial negotiation with the agents, and

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<v Speaker 1>I think how he navigated that shrewdly because it became

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<v Speaker 1>a time clock issue, right they weren't going to make

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<v Speaker 1>this trade, and it all happened on Draft Day without

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<v Speaker 1>a contract in place, so it locks that in and

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<v Speaker 1>then you have this transformative player coming to Philadelphia to

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<v Speaker 1>be a true number one receiver and bring along the rest.

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<v Speaker 1>So that's their position. The thing that we can't underestimate, though,

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<v Speaker 1>is financial stability within the franchise. Jalen Hurts is the

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<v Speaker 1>established quarterback for now. Jalen Hurts makes two million dollars

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<v Speaker 1>a year, right, so between quarterback and number one receiver,

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<v Speaker 1>they're paying, say twenty three million a year. Most veteran

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<v Speaker 1>quarterbacks make thirty million a year that are at a

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<v Speaker 1>high level. Not saying Jalen Hurts is the level of

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<v Speaker 1>those players, but you have more flexibility. And kudos to

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<v Speaker 1>the Eagles for jumping in and taking this risk while

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<v Speaker 1>Jalen Hurts is on a extremely undervalued contract. No matter

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<v Speaker 1>what you think of Jalen Hurts, he's on extremely undervalued contract.

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<v Speaker 1>So that's the Eagles side of things, all right. So

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<v Speaker 1>it makes sense for the Eagles. They've got that financial flexibility.

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<v Speaker 1>As you mentioned, they got full marks for this trade.

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<v Speaker 1>Everybody agrees that a J. Brown is a star. What

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<v Speaker 1>about though, for Tennessee? Does that trace back to the

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<v Speaker 1>money as well? What was their decision? What was their thinking?

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<v Speaker 1>You do have the opposite on the quarterback money side,

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<v Speaker 1>Ryan Tannehill has taken up a big chunk of cap

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<v Speaker 1>and cash. Ryan Tannehill was extremely effective quarterback and kind

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<v Speaker 1>of tailed off at the end of the year, so

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<v Speaker 1>people do have mixed opinions about that. But notwithstanding that,

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<v Speaker 1>and notwithstanding the fact they drafted a quarterback in the

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<v Speaker 1>third or fourth round that may replace him, that's not

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<v Speaker 1>happening this year. So he's got a fully guaranteed twenty

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<v Speaker 1>nine million dollar number. Again, that twenty nine million is

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<v Speaker 1>more than a j Brown and Jalen Hurts put together,

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<v Speaker 1>and that may have been part of it. But what

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<v Speaker 1>I could glean from the media reports John is that

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<v Speaker 1>negotiations weren't going well. Now, whether the discontent was about money,

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<v Speaker 1>or about being in Tennessee or about whatever it may be,

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<v Speaker 1>there's something brewing beneath the surface here. And again GMS

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<v Speaker 1>know this, like Howie Rosman, there's there's a little trouble

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<v Speaker 1>in paradise in Tennessee. We could potentially nab that receiver.

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<v Speaker 1>Of course they did, so I think it was financial.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know if there was more than that, but

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<v Speaker 1>my senses they weren't willing to go to that extension

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<v Speaker 1>number of year, which became the standard, but not until

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<v Speaker 1>this year. So starting in February, that became the standard.

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<v Speaker 1>And that's a new standard. But what I keep coming

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<v Speaker 1>back to about Brown is that he was not Hill

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<v Speaker 1>and Adams. He's a young player. He does not have

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<v Speaker 1>the skins on the wall those players, but he hit

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<v Speaker 1>that number. And I totally understand why Tennessee was. If

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<v Speaker 1>I'm a negotiator, which I did for ten years in

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<v Speaker 1>the NFL, I'm saying to A J. Brown's people, we're

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<v Speaker 1>not paying that. Those guys have skins on the wall

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<v Speaker 1>from to three veteran contracts. Those guys have been performing

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<v Speaker 1>for six, eight, nine years. They're not a J. Brown.

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<v Speaker 1>And if I'm a J. Brown's age and I'm saying

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<v Speaker 1>that's the market, it doesn't matter. He's only a young player.

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<v Speaker 1>I think that's where it broke down, and I think

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<v Speaker 1>they said, Okay, where can we go? You know, so

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<v Speaker 1>again deadlines spur action, the deadline of the draft, how

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<v Speaker 1>are we doing the deal? And the money deal. At

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<v Speaker 1>the same time, there was trouble in paradise in Tennessee.

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<v Speaker 1>That was very clear. The best wide receiver in the

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<v Speaker 1>goree of the franchise. I'm still tripping on the I

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<v Speaker 1>can't believe it. Let him go. J He's definitely adult,

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<v Speaker 1>He's a tone setter. As you wrote, the old way

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<v Speaker 1>of doing things with respect to younger receivers is not

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<v Speaker 1>the current way of doing things, and I wish it.

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<v Speaker 1>Note as well that you said that you really liked

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<v Speaker 1>the spot for Brown, that he sort of hit the trifecta.

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<v Speaker 1>He gets out of Tennessee, he gets a new contract,

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<v Speaker 1>and he it's a reunion with Jalen Hurts. But that's

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<v Speaker 1>sort of the new standard here with wide receivers deciding, hey,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna pick up and go to some new place.

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<v Speaker 1>Jacksonville paid Christian kirk a ton during the offseason, or

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<v Speaker 1>as you wrote, overpaid Davanta Adams forced his way to

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<v Speaker 1>the Raiders five years, one forty one point to five

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<v Speaker 1>million dollars. That makes him, by a long shot, the

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<v Speaker 1>highest paid player on a traditional extension at the wide

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<v Speaker 1>receiver position. Tyreek Hill force his way to the Dolphins.

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<v Speaker 1>Batman is now a Dolphin, and that man is getting paid.

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<v Speaker 1>We've heard so much about Deebo Samuel's saying that he

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<v Speaker 1>wants out of San Francisco is this what we can

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<v Speaker 1>expect in the future is that this does this signal

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<v Speaker 1>a shift in the power dynamics for the position. Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>so let's talk Eagles, Raiders, Dolphins. Right, We're gonna jump

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<v Speaker 1>on these top players Hill, Adams and Brown, and we're

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<v Speaker 1>gonna pay a new rate that was set by Christian

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<v Speaker 1>Kurk and Adams of about twenty three to twenty five

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<v Speaker 1>a year, and that is going to happen now. I

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<v Speaker 1>think that's a new rate. I think that this has

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<v Speaker 1>become a high value position. But I think the real

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<v Speaker 1>impact about my column is this has extended to the draft.

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<v Speaker 1>So we have six receivers first round. We have twenty

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<v Speaker 1>in the first three rounds. This is all connected. This

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<v Speaker 1>is my point. Teams are seeing what's happening to the position,

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<v Speaker 1>and teams are seeing what A. J. Brown has just

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<v Speaker 1>done and Deebo Samuel has been trying to do, which

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<v Speaker 1>has forced their way out after they established themselves for

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<v Speaker 1>three years at low, low, low money. So I'm looking

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<v Speaker 1>at these teams jumping in and saying, let's get them now,

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<v Speaker 1>and if they hit, we'll deal with it. But we're

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<v Speaker 1>going to get him at a low price because we're

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<v Speaker 1>not paying dollar year for number one receiver. And this

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<v Speaker 1>is the altern out side of this. This is the Packers,

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<v Speaker 1>this is the Chiefs, and this is the Titans. So

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<v Speaker 1>they have decided we're going young, we're going cheap, and

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<v Speaker 1>we're using the cap space elsewhere. So we have a

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<v Speaker 1>line in the sand now, right, John, We have three

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<v Speaker 1>teams I talked about earlier, Raiders, Dolphins, Titans all in

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<v Speaker 1>on that position, and we have three teams to signed

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<v Speaker 1>to go another way. I mean, think about Davante Adams

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<v Speaker 1>and Tyreek Kills I wrote about they left what are

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<v Speaker 1>considered the two best quarterbacks in the NFL for lesser

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<v Speaker 1>teams and lesser quarterbacks. Think about that. So that doesn't

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<v Speaker 1>happen often, and that just shows you who's prioritizing the

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<v Speaker 1>position and how it jives with other positions on the team.

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<v Speaker 1>From the perspective of Adams and Hell, I get it right,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, go where the money is you're worth with

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<v Speaker 1>the market, but bear it. But then for these other

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<v Speaker 1>teams have decided no, no, no, we're gonna go young

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<v Speaker 1>and cheap and allocate the cap space in a different

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<v Speaker 1>way because we're trying to build an entire team here.

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<v Speaker 1>I get that strategy as well. I mean, you did

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<v Speaker 1>this for a long time. Which avenue would you pick?

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<v Speaker 1>Because it seems like there's two lanes here and everybody's

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<v Speaker 1>deciding on which one they like. Yeah, it's a great question,

0:13:16.960 --> 0:13:20.960
<v Speaker 1>And if I had to, I'm probably gonna stay with

0:13:21.080 --> 0:13:25.119
<v Speaker 1>my Packer affiliation and say I picked the more conservative

0:13:25.160 --> 0:13:29.280
<v Speaker 1>approach because I'm just playing the odds. I'm saying that

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<v Speaker 1>two things. Number One, Tyreeke and Davonte have hit their peak.

0:13:36.720 --> 0:13:39.480
<v Speaker 1>Not this they would be going downhill, but I don't

0:13:39.480 --> 0:13:42.040
<v Speaker 1>know if they're going to go uphill. And you're getting

0:13:42.040 --> 0:13:44.560
<v Speaker 1>out at a level of they're both being paid in

0:13:44.600 --> 0:13:48.240
<v Speaker 1>the sixteen to seventeen male million dollar range, and you're

0:13:48.280 --> 0:13:50.640
<v Speaker 1>getting out at that level rather than going up to

0:13:50.720 --> 0:13:56.080
<v Speaker 1>a whole new level of year, and you're getting younger players.

0:13:56.120 --> 0:13:58.439
<v Speaker 1>So what I raised in the article is the players

0:13:58.440 --> 0:13:59.760
<v Speaker 1>that are going to replace them are not going to

0:14:00.040 --> 0:14:04.640
<v Speaker 1>place them. Right. But Christian Watson with the Packers, Traylon

0:14:04.800 --> 0:14:09.600
<v Speaker 1>Burke's with the Titans, Sky More with the Chiefs. Okay,

0:14:09.600 --> 0:14:13.680
<v Speaker 1>all first or high second round picks. Let's say they're

0:14:13.720 --> 0:14:15.960
<v Speaker 1>making two to three million dollars a year and Let's

0:14:15.960 --> 0:14:20.400
<v Speaker 1>say these other players are making twenty four million a year, right, Basically,

0:14:20.440 --> 0:14:23.760
<v Speaker 1>these other teams are saying Davante Adams is eight times

0:14:23.880 --> 0:14:28.440
<v Speaker 1>the player Christian Watson, A J. Brown is eight times

0:14:28.520 --> 0:14:34.280
<v Speaker 1>the player of Treylon Burks. We'll see. I mean, I

0:14:34.320 --> 0:14:36.120
<v Speaker 1>don't want to sit here on your podcast or my

0:14:36.240 --> 0:14:40.240
<v Speaker 1>column or anything and suggest that Christian Watson or is

0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:43.280
<v Speaker 1>the equivalent of Davante Adams. There's no way in the world,

0:14:44.240 --> 0:14:46.280
<v Speaker 1>and Aaron Rodgers is not gonna have that production with

0:14:46.360 --> 0:14:50.920
<v Speaker 1>him even as Aaron Rodgers. But over time and as

0:14:50.960 --> 0:14:55.080
<v Speaker 1>his money is so low, those are fair questions to ask. Yeah,

0:14:55.120 --> 0:14:56.600
<v Speaker 1>I don't know how it's gonna work out for the

0:14:56.640 --> 0:14:59.040
<v Speaker 1>Raiders or Dolphins. I do like the idea of A. J.

0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:01.520
<v Speaker 1>Brown being eight is better than everybody else for the Eagles,

0:15:01.520 --> 0:15:03.360
<v Speaker 1>but we'll see how that works out. You can read

0:15:03.400 --> 0:15:06.000
<v Speaker 1>his column about how wide receiver values have changed on

0:15:06.120 --> 0:15:07.880
<v Speaker 1>SI dot Com, which we will link to on our

0:15:07.920 --> 0:15:11.080
<v Speaker 1>show notes. He has unquestionably one of the most valued

0:15:11.120 --> 0:15:13.920
<v Speaker 1>members of the Sports Illustrated family. Andrew Brandt, thank you

0:15:14.000 --> 0:15:15.880
<v Speaker 1>for this. Always a pleasure, John, I'm good to be

0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:22.440
<v Speaker 1>with you. Thanks for listening, and a reminder to please

0:15:22.560 --> 0:15:24.960
<v Speaker 1>rate and review our show that helps people find us.

0:15:25.760 --> 0:15:28.640
<v Speaker 1>Sports Illustrated Weekly is at production of Sports Illustrated and

0:15:28.720 --> 0:15:31.960
<v Speaker 1>I Heart Radio. From more podcasts from I Heart Radio,

0:15:32.280 --> 0:15:35.680
<v Speaker 1>visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

0:15:35.760 --> 0:15:38.960
<v Speaker 1>you get your favorite shows. And for more Sports Illustrated's

0:15:39.000 --> 0:15:43.720
<v Speaker 1>best stories and podcasts, visit SI dot com. This episode

0:15:43.720 --> 0:15:46.880
<v Speaker 1>of Sports Illustrated Weekly was produced by Cooper McKim, Jessica

0:15:46.920 --> 0:15:50.480
<v Speaker 1>your Moski, Jordan Rizzieri, and Isaac Lee, who was also

0:15:50.560 --> 0:15:54.760
<v Speaker 1>our sound engineer. Our senior producer is Dan Bloom. Our

0:15:54.840 --> 0:15:59.000
<v Speaker 1>acting senior producer is Harry swart Out. Our executive producers

0:15:59.040 --> 0:16:02.800
<v Speaker 1>are Scott Brody end Me John Gonzalez. Our theme song

0:16:02.960 --> 0:16:06.000
<v Speaker 1>is by Nolan Schneider. And if you've stuck around this song,

0:16:06.360 --> 0:16:09.800
<v Speaker 1>we leave you with this. So I assume this means

0:16:09.840 --> 0:16:11.720
<v Speaker 1>the Eagles are gonna win the Super Bowl, right? Actually,

0:16:11.720 --> 0:16:13.680
<v Speaker 1>you know what, don't answer that. I'll just take that

0:16:13.720 --> 0:16:14.200
<v Speaker 1>as yes.