Carson Wentz Foot Surgery & Training Camp Whispers

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Speaker 1: Be Around the NFL Podcast is ready for Hollywood Baby, Hollywood Park, Oh a little different. Welcome to another edition of the Around the NFL Podcast. My name is Dan Hansis come to you from a virtual room build with a couple of heroes, Greg Rosenthal, Mark Sessler. We just had back together Saturday over on NFL Network. We weren't really involved with programming, but it also reminded me that we're we never left. We've been back together for about nine straight years, so while everyone else was hugging and making pleasantries after long vacations to the South of France and the like, we've been together, joined at the hip forever and ever virtually we um we are. I think looking forward to being back together in a studio though. I think at least I've reached that point I don't want to see you guys. I think I've done an off stuff from home. I feel like I'm ready to re enter Hollywood Park. We don't know if we're going to be there for week one, but that is our hope. That is our hope. I would say I would be ready to be back in a studio setting with you guys. Absolutely. It's the you know, pepping your step walking around the office and like chitchen of people that I know, but I know that I can see Greg's intense zeal to be back in that environment. That's the stuff that I'm just gonna I'm gonna reiterate. I don't find authentic or pleasant for me of the group, but then you definitely are dan Is. I feel like if anyone I don't know, I am not a smoozer, I'm not a smoozer. I do feel like though we are in different wavelengths like back together Saturday would have been great to be asked to be a part of. It was a big event. It was very cool. They were in thirty two teams inside Training Camp Live. It's there that said, um, I didn't mind that. The second we were done with our show on Friday, it was like, I'm home, vacate. Know, weekend starts now. I went to the beach on Sunday. I bought a tortoise this weekend. While everyone is, you know, in Cincinnati talking about the offensive line over guys stretching that, I was fine with that. If they don't want us so be it, I feel I felt a little left out, But I will say our producer Ricky Hollywood did an incredible um Instagram live on NFL up and I actually joined that for roughly seconds. So I was grinding on Saturday for about half a minute. So another thing that I wasn't invited to this weekend by NFL media, Ricky and Ricky. By the way, as we bring her into the conversation, she has a new and it looks very expensive. She has a brand, brand new signage behind her, right over her back, and you would think, oh, she is the producer of this world known NFL podcast. I mean it's a really good position. It's set her up well in a lot of ways. She must have it around the NFL podcast sign behind her. No, it's her vanity podcast, the broadcast podcast that's on my radar too little on this Monday. Yeah, you are to make sure you check it out, you guys. The Broadcast podcast available wherever you get your podcast. No, it was cool. I did like nine or ten NFL up lives, so we were I was in Detroit, virtually talked with Cynthia at the Rams, talked to Colleen at the Eagles, like we were all over the place. But um, David blow you know the blow Hards, his wife qualified for one. What what happened with the Olympics was the journals that she qualified from, really really showing your respect for her. Right here, I had so much going on, I truthfully wasn't paying attention, and that's why I called in Mark to handle the blowhards developing news. Yeah. Absolutely, I thought I handled it very well by the way. I mean. I looked back at the footage that I provided and it was professional. I was concise, and it was exactly what people were asking for. In your garage showing your kids toys on the Instagram that too. You know, I can't. I can't help the setting. You know, we're in a time of pandemic. So Melissa Gunzalez his high school sweetheart who qualified in like the four high school sweetheart that's a thing, huh. I guess I was just confused about the word the wording because I'm uneducated. But like, if you're qualifying, does that mean you're not running that raising the Olympics. Obviously you're moving on. You're moving on to the next version of the race. You can just like look these things up in about thirty seconds. They they you know, they have three races to get to the finals. It's sort of like quarterfinals, semifinals, finals, the fastest people in each then advanced to the last one. It's all the Olympics at this point. Sporting theory and you know it's a fundamental But yes, I'm just just making conversation and I'm asking for the listeners out there because not everyone might know this. Okay, that was good. So check out the broadcast podcast j r VP. That podcast comes up a lot on the show. I bring up, bring up that one actually pays there, so she should, like, you know, promote that too. You know, well, so does this one. Greg. Oh, that's true. But she's sort of sewned for She's been consistent in showing that this is like the least important job she has for a while, so that I expect that I expect. I bring up the throwback podcast with such a little frequency on this program that my partner on the show, Bob, is what got so mad about it that he stopped listening to this show to to get revenge on me, which was really some petty stuff. Is that working like this is that form of revenge like inflicting you or hurting you or doesn't at all? I told him that, but that was his It was his way of getting back at me. I guess. But check out the sounds like excused to stop listening. We don't need um. Indeed, all right, big show coming up, Training camp full swing everyone underway this weekend and now this week we're starting with the pads are on and there it's taken the next step and we are all in now. So we're very excited to dig into that. And what better way to dig in to training camps? True beginning then with another edition of Training Camp Spas. But before that, let's do some news. So we wanted to present your NFL network best Hair. That's right, you got yours. Look at that. I tell you what, ma, you're the best. You're the best thing. So now we're giving out trophies for best hair um at nflux. So not only this weekend we're on the sidelines. Uh, we're giving an award, an actual trophy to David Carr for having the best hair at NFL Media. And first of all, the United Hair Federation doesn't recognize the trope be so keep that in mind. Two, um, listen, I love David Carr, nice guy, really good guy, handsome dude. Former number one overall pick college legend um. But does he need a trophy? Does David car need a trophy? And does David Carr On that note, when we're talking about his hair, does it have the volume that we're looking for, does it have the kind of pizzazz, does it have the personality or is it just the nice mop of black hair? That's I knew this would be on your radar. I saw like a pole where it was like who has the best hair? And there was only two options in his car or Burlison, And I'm just what is that? Hands this is out here? He's not pleased this is And if it was best facial hair, you clearly would not have talked about this award on the Around the NFL podcast. And here's the thing. G MFB did some fa cocta uh poll and then we had the the network doing their things. Groover who does awesome? We like Gruver down in the newsroom, he set up some type of thing who has the best hair and put some handles on it. Mine wasn't there. Your name was not even included. It wasn't. It wasn't even when you checked out of yeah, you can say you were neither neither were mine or marks? So what are you saying, Dan, Well, I let me tell you that within a thousand meters of that, let me tell you go to the mentions, all these cute little tweets sent out by the various UH program arms of the media here at the NFL, and see what's in the mentions. What the fans think? Who the who? The fan champ is the people's champ, It's people's champ. You're the people's champ. Is the old Juser, it's the new old blue eyes with the best hair? You know who we think has the best hair? Dan? And I would say this like it kind of reminded me that Saturday of that episode of the Office where Jim for whatever reason was locked away and like a distant um closed office on his own, and he wasn't with it all his friends and he was just sort of a quiet episode where he wandered around lonely. Here's Dan, not asked to do anything on air, not even invited to Erica's lie of Instagram, and not part of the hair poll. I think the hair poll would have been a tipping point moment for you. We just turn off n IF. I'll never can say smell you later. No, well, listen, you you know me very well, Mark, and you nailed that all exactly dead on Sizzler. Let's get into the news. Unbelievable. Colts head coach Frank Reich said Tuesday that Carson Wentz will undergo foot surgery. It's happening, and we'll be out five to twelve weeks. Over on the athletic Stephen Holder reported that Wentz this is an injury they suffered way back in the day, maybe even as early as high school, and over time, according to Holder, the broken bone became loose and caused pain. Um. This was greg a tough decision for the Colts. They apparently really struggled with the decision. Do you have them played through, um, a chronic foot injury, or do you get it fixed before it gets worse and ruins the season? Well, five to twelve weeks potentially can ruin the Colt season. It good if if the Titans weren't already the favorites in the a f C South, I think they already were they are now. Reich actually said it wasn't a tough decision. I think the problem was that Wentz was pushing reading between the lines to try to play through it. He said. The doctors were very clear on it, and you know, they almost seemed to be responding to reports that Wentz was gonna try to play through it that I was stuff. He said it was. It was absolutely crystal clear. And I just think, like, Okay, that's good, but you know, it's better than being an uncertainty. But if the solution here is that Jacob Beeson is their starter, and that's what Frank Reich says in the meantime, and that Carson Wentz, who it seems like wanted to try to push through this thing, is going to be pushing to make the you know, the early part of that five to twelve week timeline. You have to be a little worried that a Wentz comes back quickly, be he doesn't practice training. You know, he hasn't been in training camp at all. See, like he is nothing without his f letticas him. Indeed, he was one of the worst quarterbacks in the league anyways last year. So to me, it's like I was already looking for reasons to not quite believe in this cold team because of Carson Wentz, and this just adds a lot to it. I mean, the whole idea of WHENZ having you know, a comeback season, a bounce back campaign, was that he would have be in this marriage with Frank Wright, but it would also include you know, chemistry with his wide receivers, getting to know a new offense. I mean one that he did know essentially with the Eagles to some degree, but it's a new environment. You're completely wiped away. And something that we mentioned on our network show on Friday was that, you know, schedules are schedules, but we're getting closer now where we look at teams and we know what they are. And let's say that he misses those twelve weeks, he doesn't come back until essentially the Monday before their weekend contest with the Titans. The games he could be missing or against the Seahawks, the Rams, the Titans, the Dolphins, the Ravens, the Texans. That's we could probably potentially beat the Texans as a starting quarterback um in the forty nine ers. That is a rough road. I mean, that first month brutal, really brutal. So even if it's if it's you know, if it's five weeks though, if it ever were and he were healthy, that's before the start of the season, but it's gonna be somewhere in between there I would imagine, and maybe the surgery works out where he ends up on the better side of the timetable. But to your point, you're right. I mean, this is a guy that needed a total reboot on his career. He got it. But part of getting a total reboot is you need that kind of fresh start. You need that foundation that comes with a full training camp in a preseason and working with these new guys and getting accustomed to this new world you're in. Now he's gonna get dropped into this world of regular season football, and let's face it, most likely be in a position where the Colts need to win. Uh to to imagine them coming out of September anything better than five hundred, it feels it feels like generous to me. Uh, we don't know. You never know how this stuff plays out with the schedule, but very tough break. And I and I was in this on this podcast anyway I saw went says, I was buying into that hype that he could bounce back this season, but now he's so behind the eight ball. In addition to all the concerns that you laid out, Greg that it just feels like this is heading down a bad path of One of the thing I note, though, is that Carson Wentz last year. You started to see a quarterback that I think had lost his confidence, had lost that thing that can make quarterbacks believe in themselves, and he kind of lost that belief and so the whole Reich thing was rebuilding it mentally. I think the situation, the timeline makes that part of it even tougher for a guy that probably needed to come in feeling extremely prepared, extremely confident, knowing the people around him, and he was off to a good start for a couple of days, but the train is completely off the tracks. And honestly, signing Nick Foles, which felt like a joke a couple of days ago, becomes more and more real because Nick Foles today basically said to the media, Frank Reich is, if not my one of the best coaches I've ever been around, one of my favorite coaches of all time. I mean that relationship exists here too. He's still with the Bears, so they would have to work out a trade on that on that front, but yeah, that feels like, like, what why wouldn't you do that? At this because it went. I think as people are concerned with Wenz's feelings, think of all the decisions the Eagles made being afraid of Wenz's feelings, and I think that might be part of it. I get the Colts wanted to see what Easton looks like for a week or something like that. There's no huge hurry um. Supposedly it hasn't looked good. I remember being there in seventeen when Scott Tolzene and Philip Walker, and there was another one that I'm forgetting about right now, Stephen Morris was there and they couldn't complete a pass. And supposedly that's what Colts practices looked like for the first four or five days or so. And it's like you're not getting much done. Your center Ryan Kelly, who has a big contract, is out for a couple of weeks. You have Eric Fisher at left tackle coming off of the torn a c L. We don't know if he's going to be ready for the start of the season. And like again, like you said, Mark, like even if he was back week one, is he going to be making quick decisions? That's not whence he holds onto the ball. So to me, yes, totally forgot that out. That's amazing that I, um, I think you gotta trade for someone because you can't count on went staying healthy. So if it's not Falls, then it should be Mariota or it should be Jacoby Brissette, who they did trade for back in seen. Not sure the Dolphins would have any interest in dealing and I kind of think they wouldn't. Um, I don't know, Cam Newton maybe right before week one, would he ever be available. I'm just like throwing out names here, some sort of backup that isn't going to ruin your season. They did sign Brett Hunley, by the way, but is probably the best quarterback on that roster right now. That's really um. The one thing I'll add before we move on Greg. The dynamic between the Colts Wentz marriage is totally different than the Eagles Wentz dynamic, which was a marriage that had a lot of backstory to it and a lot of it was like a married couple with a lot of layers, uh to what's going on behind the scenes, and it became really you know, naughty naughty in a situation for them. And now it's kind of a fresh start, right meaning of naughty there. I like a little bit of a double meaning. And so if I'm the Cults, I can't worry about hurting Carson Wentz his feelings. I'm trying to save the season here alright. And other news the Ravens. They might have gotten better on defense after signing Justin Houston to a one year, four million dollar contract. Houston had other offers, uh for a gig, in fact, better offers than Baltimore had out there, but he took it to come to Baltimore. Probably good idea because he feels like a Ravens guy that could thrive at thirty two years old. Uh. A nice situational pass Russia at this state of the game. And Mark, do you think this is something that will lift Baltimore? They seem to need it here. Oh. I you know, this reminds me of when the Steelers picked up a veteran pass rush or a couple ingram a couple of weeks ago, where you just think it's gonna work. I think it's gonna work out fine. I don't think Justin Houston last year was the same guy, but he still had eight sacks and like you look at who Baltimore had. Pernell McPhee, Tius Bowser, and Jaylen Ferguson combined last year for seven sacks. So you know they have a first round rookie as well. But they needed help, and I think Houston is like the perfect kind of guy to come in to Baltimore. Obviously wanted to be there. He took less money to go there. That's unusual, so yes, I like to fit. Yeah, it's just two million guaranteed, so he did not have a strong market even if he turned down a better deal. They always figured out. I I have big questions. The the offensive line in Baltimore is totally different, quietly, and it could be better. But it's Kevin Zeitler, it's villain a Wava, it's a new center Bozeman. The defensive line, they're gonna count on this rookie fit. Oh wait for a lot of snaps. Having having Houston out there, though, to me, is big. They always figured out, like this second year guy, Matta Boucke, their defensive tackle. It's like they just have like guys coming out of their pockets that end up working out way way better than you expect. And I'm sure for the Ravens this feels nice because you remember in the off season when they're trying to get another wide receiver. Everybody kept on telling them no, and they were signing elsewhere for lower money amount. Jujuic smith Suster comes to mind as one of those guys. Now somebody wants to come to the Ravens, and I think it's a smart move by Justin Houston. In other a f C North news markie that Cleveland Brown has got a deal done with a star on their offense, but in a Baker Mayfield it is Nick Chubb to star running back and team agreed on a new contract extension that covers three years, thirty six point six million, twenty of that guaranteed. And uh. While people mark in um debate whether to do a deal with Baker right now or to wait, this one feels like a no brainer. Nick Chubb is a certified badass. Keep him in the building, keep him happy, give him the money that he's deserved. It feels like a no brainer to me. And I you know you you you certainly see the debate on Twitter over pain and run back even this much money, and it's it's not It is not the most He's not the highest paid running back by any stretch at this point. He's well paid, but I look at him, what he I cannot think of a Cleveland Brown um in years and years that I've enjoyed watching more than Nick Chubb. I just think he he like he rumbles like a train through the valley. He's beyond delusive. He's a total home run hitter um. He never speaks out of anything negative. He barely smiles. I think his career right now, if you look at the numbers, align with like Jim Brown. Well you know what, I honestly I think he is like he is someone Also when you pay him, he's not going to go soft or change anything he does. I I really think this is like one of the last real men. What have happened to Gary Cooper? The strong, silent type um on the earth? And I don't care about running back money. I think you pay the people on your team who are the most important. And Nick Chubb is honestly the heart and soul of that offense. And I think that, by the way, he's going to be a good running back by the end of this contract. Still, I don't think this is not every running back is gonna fall off the earth four years into the career. I mean, he just seems different to me. I take offense to that. I mean, I consider myself a real man. I'm sure a lot of Nick Chubb's professional football teammates consider themselves real men, and yet Chubb is like one of the last ones on earth. Apparently, Well you know what it's because when's the last time you saw him like posting selfies and you know, doing like TikTok dances. Like the guy is just a different type of dude. Kareem Hunt was asked like, oh, have you have you seen Chubb? You know, this offseason, you hung out with him, and he was like, no, man, All that that that guy does is eat and work out, Like he doesn't want to see anyone. He's not hanging out with anyone. I I found it fascinating they gave him this contract on the same day owner Jimmy haslin Um revealed that they just resigned Paul de Podesta, their chief strategy officer, to a contract extension. They didn't make a big deal, but he he went out of his way to say this happened a while ago. A deep Podesta didn't want to announce because that's been such an argument in analytic circles. I mean Deep Podesta was literally laid by Jonah Hill and Moneyball. He he is like one of the guys and the Browns are one of the teams at the forefront of this movement. And it's this whole argument, don't pay running backs money. It's like, no, that's that's not the argument. I think we've now gotten to a point with these some of these contracts that it's it's sort of what the analytics are saying, which is, yeah, of course you paid the Nick Chubbs. I would take Nick Chubb personally over any running back in the entire NFL. To give a linky term contract, he would be number one. But if you look at his countract look at Derrick Henry's contract mixed into a lesser degree, but similar the guaranteed money is all in the first two years. It's really just a two year contract. Chubb Chubb could have been a pain and pushed for more. It's basically a two year, twenty million guaranteed three for thirty six. That's very reasonable. It is not the Todd Gurley Zekiel Elliott give him quarterback money with guaranteed money into the fourth year. Country and I do think that is the impact somewhat of analytics in the front office is like it's sort of a happy medium. Of course, great running backs are worth money, um, but maybe just not Zekiel Elliott money. So you know, it's almost a reward to the guy that is just the grinder that does his does his work behind the scenes, delivers on the field, doesn't give any anybody any trouble, doesn't go to Cabbo and alert the media about a contract holdout, And I just like, good job, Mark. The Browns rewarded a guy that deserved like Levyan Bell would have never taken this contract. Zeki Elliott would have never taken this contract. They would have They would have probably played out the final year of their rookie deal and and made some made some noise. Yeah. In other news, Seattle Seahawks Jamal Adams he wants to be the highest paid safety in NFL history. He's been wanting that for a long time, dating back to his jet stays when he forced to trade out of New York. Now he's in Seattle, about to enter his second season after a strong debut, but he's not practicing yet. He's missing um practices with his team, although he's at the facility. Uh, he's staging essentially a sit in hold in as they call it, because he waits to get the contract so he'll be happy with his team. Again. I love it. I I the minute I saw this, I was like, Dan is just he is doing a jig around his home because it's so predictable. You have to say that it is so predictable. And it's almost like the Jets were ensnared in this um you know, call it a naughty k n O T T y issue with Jamal Adams and they just handed their way to Seattle and now Seattle's dealing with it. And Pete Carroll called the talks amicable and the suggestion is it probably will get worked out. But I would just say, like, who wants to be the team that's gearing up to like to pay the most expensive safety. It just doesn't feel like the thing everyone's galvanized to do, especially in the box safety. I'm with you, that isn't known. You know that if you're gonna pay someone, the ghost of Earl Thomas would be the guy who, By the way, I think stage the first ever holding. I need to copyright that. I think I came up with the holding. It's pretty good. Melvin Ingram did it last year. I remember he was just hanging out for a couple of weeks. The fact that there don't seem to be sweating it suggests to me it's probably a deal is probably coming. Dwayne Brown also maybe doing a holding in Seattle. It's a little unclear if it's injury related, but he definitely wants a new contract and he's definitely not practicing, and that seems also so they might have dueling holdings right now, and relax Seahawks fans. I'm not really, I'm not like, I'm not truly doing a jig because I agree with what Greg saying. Deal is probably gonna get done. But I will say this from experience, be very careful. This is a temperamental personality you're dealing with here, and if your contract hits a snag and you bad blood starts to build. He is not someone that ever holds his tongue and it can cause issues, as we know. So I'm all for Jamal Adams getting the money's worth. I know that he's a box safety, but he's also something that he offers something that really no one ever has done in his position at this level, which is his past rushing ability, his ability to sack the quarterback which has huge value as well. So I think he should get the contract I just under Also from a bigger picture with the Seahawks, this is such an important season in their trajectory, like going forward. We know all the Russell Wilson drama from earlier in the off season. We know where Pete Carroll stands. He's the oldest coach in the league, and you know it's been a while now since they've been a true uh force in the NFC. Um if things go south after the season and the Russell Wilson relationships sours further, and maybe he's not even in the picture. Are you building around a safety that's being paid higher more than I don't know, is it makes sense to hold off on Adams, but well, Adams allow that without things getting ugly. It's it's tricky, tricky business. But remember that the terms of that trade when they sent two first round picks to New York to get Jamal Adams when he wanted a new contract. It gives Adams all the leverage in the world sales Seahawks have to pony up or it becomes one of the worst trades in a very long time. You raise, you raise great points and that Seattle to me could be anywhere. You know, they could make the super Bowl. They have enough talent, but they it could also fall apart. Like their number one cornerback right now is a Kelly weatherspoon. Number two is DJ read like it is a long way from the legion of Boom. You have to have things come together. And I saw this the whole like, are we gonna run the ball a lot again? Like talk is starting up again in Seattle, like because ultimately that's what Pete Carroll wants to do, but it doesn't want to like say it out loud because he knows everyone gets fired up. But every time I kind of doubt the Seahawks, they end up winning, like eleven games. It's really hard. They're going to eleven and five, I mean, but I do think that there are they're pretending eleven and six. Their potential rumblings on the horizon. If Russell Wilson, despite his tweets saying how thrilled and happy is right now, um, all that could bubble back up, you know, come late January when they've been knocked out of the playoffs again. To dance point, I think it's Russ or Carrolo unless they go to the super Bowl. But I pick yeah. I agree, um, but yeah, the Seahawks have been good for so long, and you I'm using good and not necessarily positive right now because they're kind of stuck in this this good col de sac and being in the good could de sac keeps certain people happy and paid and employed, but it doesn't necessarily lead to the lombardies that just winning double digit games is not gonna be enough for this team. They're gonna have to make a substantial playoff run or I really do see um changes coming um changes in the depth chart of the Minnesota Vikings at quarterback in training camp, Kirk Cousins and Kelln Mont the the sixty overall pick in NFL Draft. We're among the Vikings placed on the reserve COVID nineteen list on Monday. That's a problem because Kellen Mon is the guy waiting in the wings at quarterback. Kirk Cousins is the starter entering I believe is a fourth season in Minnesota. He's the locked in, loaded starter for the Vikings. And this is also the same kirk Cousins, and here we are talking about COVID nineteen again because she cannot avoid it. Uh. Famously, Estra said, if I die, I die a little a minor tweak of the famous vandrago. If he dies, he dies, referring to himself when when he was talking about precautions to slow the spread of COVID nineteen. So, I don't know, does that selling a guy that's vaccinated not particularly well and the fact that he's out of practice tells us he's not. Because that's why Jake Browning. Do I have the name right? Yeah, Jake Browning? Brown can't say I'm overly familiar with Browning. Could have googled that in I got it right. Um. Browning through over a hundred passes, according to reporters on Saturday and Sunday's practice. Each he was literally the only quarterback because he was vaccinated, and so Kirk Cousins, even though he doesn't he didn't test positive as as far as we know, because of the rules, because he's a close contact in that quarterback room, you know, he and they're there, four string rookie are out. You know, I can't practice at all. And they actually had to you know sign uh cooks. Today they worked out our old friend old McDonald. So at least it's getting our old friend McDonald old McDonald. Yeah, not even Cole McDonald. I'm talking about case Cook. That's awesome. That feels like, um, like when you buy like a football video game and they don't have NFL licensing, like that would be one of the quarterbacks case cookis. It's hard to believe that's a real human, but um, he is. I will say Zimmer seems steamed um and he's not alone. He's in that Ron Rivera territory, and they've got a bunch of stuff going on in Washington too. I think Zimmer's basically said, like they asked why certain players were not vaccinating, he said they were reading some stuff and they're involved in certain types of information campaigns that to him are just like what are these people talking about? So I think he's just beyond I think these coaches are trying to like counsel these guys to get it up to the nine plus percent range, and some of these teams are some of these coaching staffs are having a really rugged time convincing aspects of the team. When he said some guys are staunchly against it. I think he was talking about cousins. I mean, because cousins, you know, he is making the choice even if you don't test positive, that you're risking an example like this about this quote from Zimmer referring to our friend Jake Browning. Jake is really smart. He's vaccinated, He's out there, he's available. It's important to be available in a team sport. And this is a big year for Mike Zimmer, by the way. You think he's pissed because all the b and let's be honest, that's what this is well to me, and I think we're all in agreement. These guys that aren't getting vaccinated, Um, they put their team in a tough spot. And Zimmer is just trying to put out the best team possible here and he's dealing with something that he has no control over. And you see the frustration boiling over when it's wasted practices, and like look at I mean what people want to have their own opinions on the whole a vaccination thing. I'm all about like that debate. That's cool. Like I'm vaccinated personally, but like, if you're going to be part of a football team. Like, the whole point is you are wasting practices. You're like, what's happening in Washington? They have like seven guys on the list right now. I mean, it's just these things matter, These days matter. And when this when this branches into week one through week five, weeks six, and it's going to for some teams, it's a mess. Almost seemed in tears because he was kind of he was just saying, do it for me, you know, I'm I'm scared, I'm immunocompromised. And right after that, five or six of his guys tested positive. So that's not working because he's trying to say it's not about you, it's about other people. That's generally this whole argument. But that's not it's not gonna work with everyone. That's what's happening in the news. Listen. I really like David Carr. He's a friend of the show. I remember a few years back he came on our program broke it to Pete between Greg and I and Derek Carr over some blocking that had been done on social media. David was instrumental, as was Lindsay Rhodes and making that happen. And the only thing David did nothing wrong other than accept the trophy. What I liked him to abdicate the trophy? Does that work? Um in real time? Uh? Just say, you know what, thank you, Derek, my brother. But I can't accept this because it's not this is the tug boats property what I've liked that, sure, But did I expect it happened? No? Is it too late for it to happen? No? So in this fantasy land, he is aware of your self appointed nickname tug boat, right, I mean the question by the way, you know tug boats like going off right now, So don't act like it's not something that's caught fire. Unlike all your other self appointed nicknames, I like this one. I'm I'm off for tugboat in front of its interesting story, do I mean to book? I think tug about is an interesting origin story. It's attached to um to weather, a real weather event that happened on a very special weekend and we were together. So I think it's there's a little bit more to it than the other eight or nine nicknames that you've attempted to attach yourselves too. I like some of them, Big Big Daddy Rich or whatever that one. That one that was nice. That was that was a Chris Westling joint. Well west like and did to Chuck Daily, the former Pistons coach and his love of his own hair. Um, all right, let's get to it. It's that time of year, training camps in full swing. Let's do some whisper. Why do you seem so scared? All I wanted to do is to play with you this band? All right? Oh jeez, that's a thing. I don't know what that's all about. That's a thing. Let's get into it. Things that we're hearing, things that we're reading. They might not be the top headline over on NFL dot com or over on the quote unquote worldwidely or over on p f t uh Greg's old place of business. That maybe they're not top of the stack, but there's stuff that's going on behind the scenes that are gonna have huge ramifications, uh in the short term and potentially the long term for teams. So Greg, get us going with a whisper that you've heard or care to report on. I don't know whether to go with like the big, bigger story when you described it to me, pumping pumping up like the white slot receiver in the first few days of camp feels more like the classic whisper. And that's what's happening here with Adam Humphries in Washington. I usually don't buy this stuff. Oh okay, like the nifty slot receiver is getting open when there's no tackling a shocker here. Um, But hearing how Humphries is Ryan Fitzpatrick's number one target day after day actually is meaningful to me because you look at what Humphries did with Ryan Fitzpatrick, getting a hundred targets per season back to back years when they were with the Bucks. Kind of forgot those Fitzpatrick Bucks days already. Uh, And you think this guy is only twenty years old. He got paid because of Ryan Fitzpatrick. He was injured in Tennessee and if nothing else, I'm not saying he's gonna catch a hundred passes. To me, he is a guy to be aware of. And it's another sort of stack here that I'm building in the case of the Washington football team being the most entertaining version of the Washington team that we've seen this century. And Humphreys now added to the mix with McLaurin and Logan Thomas, who just got paid and Samuel and Gibson. I just think he's there, whisper. That's the whisper. Whisper buying this, whisper buying it. This isn't Saint Chris Hogan on Hard Knocks four years, thirty six million dollars he got from the Titans off that run with the Bucks and it did not happen. It didn't want in. The Patriots supposedly tried to give him like more money up front and on everyone that they got lucky, they got lucky, they didn't, um uh, And it just didn't work out in Tennessee. And that was a nice set up, it seemed for him in Tennessee. So I guess I I temper that where where is he at age wise? At this that's the thing he's And he was injured. He was injured the whole time he tried to play through it. He did not look good. He just turned So yeah, I mean, it feels like a nice uh, it could be a nice move. I'm with you on that. I mean, I think, like we all love Ryan Fitzpatrick, but there is a scenario where he turns evil at some point and we get the lesser version of Ryan Fitzpatrick and you, and suddenly we have his game. I'm not saying his character. I'm just saying another you know, the film Another Whisper out of Washington. They're just in that relation is that Heineke has has come out not playing well this camp, that there is no company that even though they're splitting reps a little bit, Heineken Whisper. You know, It's it's interesting and this is I think, yeah, we're all happy that Ryan Fitzpatrick he's gonna get a chance to be a starter, and who would have guessed it um in two thousand twenty one. But it is also another cautionary tale of what happens when you blow a first round pick at quarterback in the ripple effect it has. Because I'm not totally buying this set up. As much as I like Ryan Fitzpatrick to put together a great seventeen game campaign, I think the role that he's been in the last few years is perfect for him as a relief man off the bench who can help you out in spurts. But when Dwayne Haskins bottoms out the way he did, Um, you're kind of left scrambling. And they now they have this defense, this playoff ready defense, and they have some pieces on offense, and you're just putting a lot on Ryan Fitzpatrick. We'll see. I don't know, I don't want to be negative about Ryan Fitzpatrick. Let me throw out another wide receiver. Um, the whispers are getting louder out in Floren Park for Elijah More, the second round pick out of oldness. I'm not you know, I'm not gonna say and listen Homer obviously, but I'm not gonna say that this is gonna be the Justin Jefferson of two thousand twenty one, the rookie wide receiver who immediately goes off and becomes a big time star. But I would be very surprised, based on what we've heard through O t A s in the early portion of camp if Elijah Moore does not have a significant role and isn't a playmaker out of the gate for the Jets. And a lot of that, of course goes back to how Zack Wilson develops at quarterback. But as an example, UM, in both the practices over the weekend, they started with long touchdown catches by More, and again there's no pads on over the weekend, and you can't really grab the receivers, so you don't want to get too caught up in these practices. But at the same time, he cannot be covered. Uh and and the Jets don't have a great secondary. But that just everything you're hearing is that this guy is different. He looks different, he plays different, and if he turns into a star, that is a huge hit for Joe Douglas to get in the second round in a draft that had several wide receivers taken in the first round. Um. But this last note from Robert May's over at the Athletic based on what we saw Saturday, More isn't just going to be a slot option for the Jets. He's gonna have the multifaceted role of a top shelf receiver, which is what they need because they have a lot of good guys in that group, including Corey Davis. Corey Davis is a perfect two. If More develops into a one quickly, the Jets are set up really well at wide receiver. I'd say the other whispers the Denzel Mims, who we were so high on, is like practicing with the third team. Part of that is because Elijah More has evolved so quickly. I mean, I don't. It's it's almost hard to call it a whisper because I feel like I've been hearing about Elijah more Um trumpeted from the New York Press all spring into summer, and it is superb. It is extremely enticing for the Jet stand. I hope, So, I hope. So Mark sounded like you were saying it live. Can we just hear that one again? I went to hear that one again. How about some whispers that guy's annoying? Uh no, and proud of me? Now dad? No? Actually yes, It's just that's a father who's not giving his son what he deserves, which is um to be told that he's loved and respected. Affirmation does affirmation? I want to see? Like, look, last year was maybe the greatest rookie receiver class of all time. Maybe this is a trend. Jefferson, Lamb, Claypool, Higgins, Judy, they all put up big numbers. So now we're like expecting a rookie receiver to put up some numbers. It doesn't seem it so crazy. Used to be a position that you kind of waited a little bit till they got mean, that feels like anti Jets propaganda. Greg, You're like what, you're already looking at Elijah More No matter what he does, it's just you know, a run of the mill yard receiver that he could put up over it. If these guys can all go over nine D, what what's wrong with More going over a thou and two like that? It's not so unprecedented now, I think for a Jets fan, though, you'd be peeing your pants because it's been like decades since anything like That's current added a thousand yard receiver in six years, which is absurd in modern football. Mark, how about you? Um, I'm gonna go to Las Vegas. I will allow you do all your things. Tell me when you're ready, Tell me when you're ready. Do you know, Mark? Do you know in um? You know in sitcoms with when there's a laugh track and you can even watch it on YouTube, like watch a Friend Friends episode when they take out the laugh track and how weird it is and it's almost like you're on acid when you're watching it. When when the drops of this quality are are being just just filtered into the program like a David Swimmer. You you just give a slight pause, let the drop breathe, then take off. In fairness, though whispers in the past would always include us just going whisper, so you know he didn't know this was the plan. It's tough. It's tough to adapt on the fly. I mean, the drop comes when I'm like two thirds through all, not not when you're not when you're two thirds through a sentence. So it's just like I, I will, I will take a pause. It will be a twenty minute pause until the show ends. How about that? Al Right, Mark, You've made your point. No more fun, everybody, Um, okay, out to Las Vegas. I'm just I'm waiting for her to drop it again. I think there's a little whisper about a guy that was chuckled at during draft day, Alex Leatherwood. Why did the Raiders pick this guy? His name is Funny. He is a total reach. Um. We had our fun with him, as did everyone. But the reports coming out of Las Vegas are that he has been he's settled in very quickly at right tackle. He's looked great. Um they say good feet, his hands, he's fluid, and he's got good size. And the Raiders basically have installed more than plays on offense and he hasn't he hasn't really skipped a beat, and so for you know, Mike Mayock, I think needs a win. If you look at actually like Jonathan Abram, like some of these guys that have been drafted that were meant to come in and be stars simply have not been at all. And like this was the one where ever everyone thought Mayock, you think differently, But are you actually capable of picking players for the Raiders that can turn this team around? If Leatherwood clicks, it does wipe away some of the nonsense that happened with their offensive line. Yeah, I think that Mayok has done if they don't show progress as a team in these draft picks um either from the last couple of classes or like you make a good point, if Leatherwood has a really good first year, I think that helps a lot. We don't know, like the what is the true reporting structure and who's actually making the picks. Maybe it's actually John Gruden, but Mayok and his roles. The GM obviously has a voice in the room, if not the biggest voice, and and I think there's gonna someone who's gonna have to pay for it if they have another bad season. I would also add quick clear that like Henry Ruggs, who was another disappointment. Um. They noted that he added thirteen pounds because he was getting pushed around as a run blocker last year, and he said it he wanted to basically not have that happen again, and he looks completely different. I do think it's it's worth noting that that the Raiders big you know, changes on the offensive line other than Leatherwood, was like self scouting, like they're replacing one of the best centers of the last ten years in Rodney Hudson. But they did it because there was a guy in house uh In Andrey James that they really believed in, like that's been there for a couple of years. It wasn't it wasn't necessary. Denzel Good is also playing that guard that they're replacing, Like it's a couple of in house guys. I think Gruden loves having Mayak there because I think finding the right GM for Gruden where Gruden's really in charge is tricky, someone that he can work with well but is ultimately subservient in in many ways. I think that's Gruden has a lot of relationships over the last twenty five years. That's I just think maybe there's gonna be a point with this quote unquote rebuild uh, where there might need to be a sacrifice if the fan base is on fire and things go sideways again. True, and they have a lot of they have a lot of guys in their secondary they need their safety more to work out. Maybe trayvon Mullen steps it up a little bit this year, like they've made a lot of moves. Alright, you're up, Greg Whisper, Waspers, well done. See the slight pause, A little swimmer pause there, Mark, thanks Dan a little. I understand how that works technically too. That's not what was happening with me. Let's go to the most predictable whisper of all time. Shocker And and this is really be in position this way. Trey Lance actually looks so good that even though you would have never guessed it in O T. S in minicamp, maybe has a shot to start Week one. We shouldn't. Why is that shocking? Maybe it's to the to the guys who are they're covering it every day. They like knowing more doesn't help because the coaches are saying it, they're watching it. And yeah, of course Jimmy G looks better and O. T. S or whatever. But if you take a step back, this job is gonna be Trey Lance. If Trey Lance balls out and through four or five games, uh, four or five practices again nonpadded, it sounds like he's playing quite well and that he's gonna have a chance. And to me, this is a rocket ship taking off. And if he keeps it up and plays well in the preseason, he is their Week one starter. I don't know if Jimmy G stays on the team or not, but they people are loving the deep throws that Tray Lance is trying that Jimmy G doesn't even attempt. So if again, if they're like even, it goes to the rookie, Like if it's close to a tie, it goes to the rockie. And right now they're saying like, if you just watch the two quarterbacks, it's close to a tie and Lance offers something Jimmy G obviously, I mean, come on, I mean, this is this is the hand picked rookie that everyone's in love with in that building. If he's showing that he is able to play the guitar right off the bat, why hesitate pull the trigger? Yeah, it's very early and and things again change a lot starting this week, once the pads are on and things get more difficult for the offensive side of the ball because the defense is no longer playing with one hand behind his back. Maybe Lance totally is flustered once that happens. But if he's not, what's the case for staying with Jimmy G other than just oh well, he was on our team that went to the super Bowl, Like, you got to play the best guy, right, I think of anything you're you want to put a lot of Jimmy G out there during the summer too. As we've talked about, he's trade baite at this point, another quarterback goes down. Suddenly he becomes very tradeable and they get a high price for him if he looks good in the preseason or they got a high price form anyways, But here's the thing about trade Lance. Even if they stick to the script and start the season with Jimmy G. I still think you're gonna get a sub package with Lance that's just gonna grow by the week. He is the same height and one pound heavier than Colin Kaepernick and can do things to Colin Kaepernick could not, and everything they say about him is just that He's pure electricity. If you go watch his college film, there is something about him that you just cannot keep off the field. So I think you're just gonna get a bigger and bigger dose until he just naturally takes over the role. If he doesn't take it right away, I think there's a case to be made to keep Jimmy G as a million dollar backup. I know you want to avoid that, but at least if you're not getting any real exciting offers for Jimmy G. I'd rather have those two than counting on Trey Lance to stay stay healthy and great for sixteen games. When you have a super Bowl ready roster, I would just keep Jimmy G. See if he'll try to take a bake Try to force him to take a bake up, but that would be difficult. But I think I just pay him, Just pay him as the backup. You want Nate Sudfeld as your backup this year for fans now, But if you're a fan, though, like, who cares about Jimmy G's contract for this year? If he's not the better quarterback, that's stuff that we can go I'll get in the weeds about. But like, at this point, you put the better player, and they have invested a lot more in Trey Lance if you think about it than just the money to Jimmy G. Jimmy G is a more tradeable asset than I would have thought before you do a little bit of digging. He's under contract only through two so this year and next, the salary is, you know, pretty high. But if you can factor in a way to work things out financially to maybe take on some of that. I wonder if you took on a portion of his salary what Jimmy G would fetch in a trade if you if you didn't take on any of the salary, if you're the Niners, maybe it's a mid round pick, but maybe you get a second round pick for him if you eat some of the salary and to keep him. I'd rather keep him. I'm with you because I don't want to losing record for the what the fourth time in five years. Quarterbacks so important. It's in a it's a weird situation they're in, but I still just keep him in pay him. I think that does give you some cover too, because this is a team with Super Bowl aspirations and U you're all in. So if you can if you can afford to have a backup. That's making million dollars a little weird. I mean, it's the but the payroll is set at this point, like you know, just just go go to work. It is, it is all right. Another quarterback news. This headline from Denverse seven ABC. So much for Steady Teddy period the rare period in the headline Bridgewater Craters as defense dominates. Where's the headline from Denverse seven ABC Troy Rank with the report also in the lead, Steady Teddy had more interceptions than gloves Oh in an otherwise accurate training camp, Bridgewater Crater on day four picked off three times as the Broncos gnarly defense dropped its fangs. Drew Lock played well during the same time, and according to um Mr Rank by his count through four practices, Lock leads the QB derby to one one as the team returns to practice Monday and puts on pads for the first time on Tuesday. UM My point here is not to get into another Teddy Bridgewater debate, but two uh kind of put it out there that there is a pretty decent chance Drew Lock somehow ends up being the starting quarterback for the Broncos one, something that I thought would never could never be the case by the end of last year, and it just seemed like they they knew, everyone knew that they needed to get better at that position. But when you bring in and this, I guess it is where the Teddy talk comes in a little bit. When you bring in someone like Teddy Bridgewater where the ceiling maybe isn't as high as you wanted to be, you might end up in a situation where you're going back to the Lockwell, um, and that might not turn out well for this Broncos team that is otherwise ready to make a run. Won't this be like the fifth time in six or seven years that will see two, if not three goes starting quarterbacks? And I predict that we will see whoever starts Week one, fine, we'll see the other quarterback by the end of Week two. Well. Fangio today Monday pointed out Teddy Bridgewater bounced back huge, it's to two to one. Here's the here's a tweet, Uh, Teddy Bridgewater pushing the ball down the field today hits on a forty yard bob. Oh my gosh, Courtland Sutton Deep. It's a whole new Teddy. I'm waiting, wait a day, wait a day. I mean, it's just like, we'll probably see both. I think the only chance that we see one is if Teddy gets weak one and I would give him a slight edge to get that and they just start winning. But other than that, Um, you're right, I think we'll see both eventually. Alright, Mar, alright, let's go to Arizona, where our friend Peter Schreeger um noted that someone that I've been down on this signing, the whole concept of the Cardinals going after a J. Green and putting them on tickets and you know all this other business. It's like, are we really talking about a J Green this way? But according to Trigger said that he has looked incredible out there at Cardinal's practice, and not just a J. Green, but rookie Rondale Moore also looked fantastic dominant showing today, he said, by both of the wide receivers number three point coult McCoy a quiet great signing. According to Peter Schrieger, so we're hitting aces across the board here, and that actually makes me feel more suspect about the first two nuggets. Well, I know, it's a great quality signing because he brings not just his you know, limited athletic ability, but his I would say, high character and ability to teach younger players. There you go. I'm not sure I quite buying the A. G. Green hype, yet it'd be nice to see it came from our colleague Greg Well. I'm just saying one who claimed he respected you highly. So if anything you could that he's been looking good, I'm I'm I have some doubts whether he keeps it going in the season, but I was expecting him to be fine last year, and it did it did not happen. The shocking thing to me is that Larry Fitzgerald might still be on this team. This isn't a whisper, but we haven't talked about it here because I Cliff Kingsbury said that it was up to Larry Fitzgerald, so that that indicated, and some teammates have talked about it, so it indicates they've offered Larry Fitzgerald the contract and that Larry Fitzgerald has some interest in playing. I kind of thought Larry Fitzgerald was retired, or that he was being forcibly quietly open ended. It's been I think I thought he was getting forcibly retired. But the way that the Cardinals have publicly talked about it makes me think almost for sure that the cot like like there's not a lot of it to him to go like earn a spot on the team. Essentially, they offered him one of those types of contracts, probably close to the minimum, and if he wants to play for that, he can play and if not, see you. But they actually are leaving that open. Do you remember, Mark, Like the last three or four seasons of the Office, I was depressed there and the and the show. The show was so tremendous, uh, seasons one through about four that what happened starting really in about season six through eight or nine, Um, it started to almost remove some of the shine off the show. And you kind of wish they would have ended it sooner, like when Michael left, for instance. UM, that's kind of how I feel about Larry Fitzgerald's career. Um, he is the um the Office of Wide Receivers to me in the two thousands, and to see him have, um, who is the who is the Spader? James Spader? I don't need like a James Spader era of Larry Fitzgerald in the NFL. I think last year we saw a lot too give us a clue that maybe he wasn't the guy anymore to be playing uh in the wide wide receiver in the NFL. But hey, he's he's also inclined to do whatever he wants. It's it's an apt comparison. And what's so when does he just to see aside like on September eight, I'm going to show up and play. I mean, it's this would be the time to maybe show up. If you're gonna do it, he is gonna retire. I mean we've saw we saw Jerry Rice, you know, get cut by a few teams. Hard to keep track of which one was the last one the Seahawks was as that was Spader esque. Yeah, there he's trying. You would think Fitzgerald's trying to avoid that. But maybe he won't even maybe he won't even show the The offense, the quote unquote air raid offense in Arizona um a lot of volume, tons of plays. They led the league and you're like, oh cool, they're explosive. But all they did last year, especially as things created down the stretcher just throw short, short, short, short, and Larry Fitzgerald. That's kind of what his thing is. They need a J. Green, or at least the modern day version of Larry Fitzgerald. What they need is a J. Green to be the old AJ Green. But he might just be old AJ Green nice not according to Traeger, So we'll track that. Alright, Let's do one more quick round, Greg, I got a few. Well you got stepped on that time, didn't you. David Swimmer, it's I do not want to be the Swimmer. Let me be Joey. I guess I'll be Phoebe. That's who I know. You're not a Phoebe. You're not You're not a Joey. You know we're we're strong here. So I'm gonna grab Chandler markets Swimmer, I'm gonna be that the guy who owned the coffee place. Um, he just passed away. I think it's a little too soon. Could you be anymore insensitive? See, I'm Chandler. I'm gonna go because it's all been sunshine and roses. I'm gonna go negative here. Adam Beasley, longtime reporter for The Dolphin, covering the Dolphins new works for Pro Football Network pfn UH, says there's concerns about Jalen Waddle, you know, their number six overall pick, that he has not fully recovered from the ale injury that he played through in the National Championship. You'll remember that he is limping, that there is concerned within the building he has not regained his same explosiveness. He did not have surgery. I don't believe. And and it seemed like you went the rehab route and that like they're trying to sell it as like a wattle still faster than plenty of people. And he's out there, he's practicing. But when they asked Waddle about it, his answer was, well, I'm out here practicing and that's that's all that matters. So that it kind of indicates he knows exactly what he's talking about here. That ankle is taped, and that that's a concern because you you you went all out to get this kid, and you you want him to make a fact be a factor right away. Also, if you're less on August one, when you start getting your ass kicked in the NFL, it's it's probably something I could get worse. That's you hate to hear that. SA think about the fact they traded up at him. I mean they gave away traft assets to get this guy in other wide receiver injury news Ravens head John Harbow. Harbaugh said that Mark's Brown suffered a hamstring injury that's actually more significant than originally believed. That's going to lead to Rashad Bateman, their rookie first round pick, and also Sammy Wack Watkins to get more opportunities. But Sammy Watkins, of course, is always hurt, and that there's always an injury right around the corner. With that former first round pick and Bateman, it's you know, you could go Justin Jefferson, or you could go Jalen reagor or any other insert rookie that doesn't really break out here. Um, that's putting a lot on his plate um. If Marcus Brown is dealing with injuries and that comes at the same time Lamar Jackson, he's not gonna be back at practice ntil until Friday at the earliest. We don't need to belabor this, but we just talked about it with Kirk Cousins. Because he's not vaccinated, his timetable is different and he's gonna be out now the first two weeks of camp at least because of his latest bout with COVID with no guarantee that he doesn't catch it again. Um so put it all together. This is a raven scene that needs to take a step forward on offense, and this thing is a little jumbled here in the summer anyway, Again, Panic, it's just a whisper. Bateman though, has been getting ray of reports, and actually so is Sammy Watkins. And I understand, like we can, you know, pump the brakes on him at any moment. But but and I know it's Greg Roman, who is you know, he was with him in Buffalo, but said he's just been by far the best wide receiver at camp, so at least you know the guys receivers in all of football. That actually is so outlandish that I thought he is the one calling the plays. And Sammy Watkins has not entered a training camp healthy in a while, So you're right, Dan, I have We've been burned so many times. It might end any second now. But if you want to tell me Watkins while he stays healthy, is their number one receiver, I would totally believe that. Yeah, yeah, Mark, Um, I will go to the New York Giants training camp and the Athletics. Dan Dugan mentioned that the g Men, I'm just gonna read what he reads. I love this paragraph. The g Men have thrown an excessive number of fades into the end zone with little success. Quarterback Daniel Jones and new big money receiver Kenny Golladay have struggled to get into rhythm on the timing throws, so they've stayed after some practices to get extra reps. Jones was intercepted by safety Logan Ryan on an overthrown fade to tighten Evan ingram on Friday's practice. And it just sounds like last year's thirty first ranked offense is struggling at the moment. That was my end quote. It is. I don't think it's uh Daniel Jones or Kenny Golladay's fault. That stupid offensive play callers are still calling for the end zone fade. Horrible play never works. It works like once every you know, seventy plays. Uh, it's the hardest throw to make in the entire world. Can we stop attempting it? Right? I don't think that's the only play that's not working for them, But you are right about that particular play call that is um it is a reminder to they were like one of the worst teams inside the ten yard line. Ever, that's how you have a quarterback end up with eleven touchdowns. That's like, how do you think of how many throws Daniel Jones through inside the ten yard that weren't complete last year. I'm not gonna go two things. I think how much better you'll do inside the ten with se Kwon Barkley there, who's quote making tangible progress towards returning to practice. But you know, the longer it takes him to return to practice, the more you can concerned about what kind of se Kwon Barkley you get and if he's gonna be ready week one, hopefully he's there because the offense will be a lot better with Barkley. Let's, um, we haven't really it's weird, and this isn't just our show in general. The Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence aren't getting a ton of pop because I don't know, there's just no buzz and sexiness to a guy that's the number one pick six months before the draft and you just assume certain things. But interesting stuff going on in Jacksonville, where Trevor Lawrences alternated repetitions with the first team offense through the first four days of training camp. Um he's done very well. But C. J. Bethard and Gardner Meanshoe also getting plenty of work here. And um, you head coach Urban Meyer, Um, you know he's he's out there. He's you know, of course, a legendary college coach, and he's giving you the raw raw stuff with a the best man, may the best man win. But can we cut it out? I mean, let the best man start. The best man is, of course Trevor Lawrence, who's the generational type prospect at quarterback. So I said, give him every single rep, give him every rep and get this kid ready for Week one and stop playing this game, this college game, because you're not in college anymore. This is where the big boys put on the big boy pants. Mr. Meyer, give Trevor Lawrence the gig. I agree with that, and give Gardner Minshew to the Colts for for like nothing, just for my own enjoyment. I want to see that. That would be a spicy trade. It just you have to wonder if the Jacksonville Jaguars would be so self confident to do like what Bill Belichick did, trading true Bledsoe in the division of the Bills way back when. I mean, would the Jaguars consider that a tradeable spot? I don't know, get marked comparing Minshew to who you know, the guy who had the biggest contract in NFL history at that time. I mean, the cults would still go one and four with Minshew, but think of all the cool mustaches in the crowd at Lucasill Stadium, so they probably go for and one. To be honest, you can't. Here's why that Jags aren't getting much buzz. By the way, the athletic doesn't have a Jaguars right right now. I need that rely on you Athletic for all the teams. UH. Florida Times Union totally understand. Um, the economic model for newspapers not sustainable. Can't get those articles. There's no there's nothing coming out of Jaguars practice right now. It's already like the smallest market big cat country. You know, I see you, Um, But that's more aggregation we need. There's no reporting. It's like it's like a black hole right now. We need we need more media blackout in Duval. If you're out there, Jacks fans and you have a trusted source, that you believe in for reporting out of Duval County, please hit up at Greg Rosenthal. Right, I'm doing the debrief get out. It's up on Mondays. It's like all the notes, what we learned from around the league, and and it's it's just tough. There's a couple of black holes, but Jacksonville, it's tough to find any information out of there. Alright, anybody else in anything? I think we hit it? How about how about this? I feel bad for the Cowboys. No, don't feel bad for the Cowboys. You know, I've been kind of like bringing up all the bad stuff Dak and you know, Dac not throwing like that is significant, And and Lawrence is coming off back surgery and Cooper has been out seven months. Those those are all significant. Uh so is the fact that Tyrone Smith and Layton Vanderesh, who have not been healthy in years, have showed up looking about as good as they have in years and are two of the truly elite athletic players at their respective positions. If those two guys were actually at their best this year like that, that changes the Cowboys. So there's a little positive news for the cow eight nine or nine and eight. Mark eight and nine. I'm not getting sucked in this year. Greg. It's happened to me too many times in the past. So we're what we're rolling Washington. I don't know that is a that is an absolutely absurd division of football. In fact, coming up soon, we're gonna do our division power rankings. UM. I call him the overly esoteric Division Power Rankings. That's coming up soon. UM the O E D p R. See if I who's the guy that was on our show, Um, Aaron Chatz, if he can just come up with d V O A and that becomes industry standard otto. Yeah, people, people division power rankings. The people whispered, you know, they thought this was only like kind of an off season dead of the off season type of content. But the division power rankings coming right back in the middle of August. Thought of it in June, but I didn't. I thought of it in August. So I like it. Um, that's coming up soon. We'll figure out what's the division? What's the worst division? I don't know what to think about. I mean, who is the the in the Desert RG. Who's the recognized division favorite? Is it? Is it the Cowboys? I think so? But I don't know. Off the top of my head. I think what I noticed was the Cowboys in Washington were way ahead of the other two, And to me, you could shake up all four of those, and I feel like they all have a chance even you know, we'll find out during five long hours of Hard Knocks with Jerry Jones waxing poetic NonStop from wire to wire, because I'm the only one that has to watch it, Mark, you do not have to watch it. I've actually, really I've enjoyed them. You know, I've not a cynic against Hard Knox, but I mean, you know, if you're going Cowboys, you're gonna you're like the definition of a cynic against Hard Knocks. If if anyone in the country is a cynic of Hard Knocks, it is you, literally just said Mark, uh during five long hours of Hard Knocks like that, I think being cynical about it, it is an opportunity to do something special and teach us things we don't know. So if you're going Cowboys, it's just like I like you tell me that, I have a little bit of a reason to be on edge about that. As the chosen team, Mark, do you know how much like battery power I could say, or like usage, I could save on my cell phone if I just deleted the hundreds of tweet texts that you spent over the years about how much you don't like hard knocks while it's happening like that, that's taking up. Except for the Brown season. The Brown season was like transcendent on every level. It was an excellent television, beautiful television. Greg By the way, some of the things that I text you are not to be announced on the podcast in front of you know whatever large the audience is just an f y I trillions. All right, good at We'll be back Thursday with another edition of the show. I think we might have a guest sitting in or working on it. UM and the around the NFL broadcast in NFL Network. Also back on Friday. Also big things cooking over on that front um with a reboot coming for a week one of the season. We'll get get you more info on that soon. Head on over if you can to uh iTunes and rate and review this fair podcast. It makes a difference. We won Best New Podcast two thousand thirteen. Apples bestowed that upon us and we are looking for more hardware. It's officially it has come to the point where we need to ramp up the awareness of this podcast. For the UM Award giving COGNIZENTI we want. We won the Stitcher in right best podcast, the sports podcast. We were nominated for some I've been nominated. It's Susan Lucci es. We've been nominated a bunch. But I think if if our fans helped raise the profile via iTunes, I think if I had to guess, and I don't want to be cynical here, but in the absurd world that is giving away trophies to podcasts, that is a substantial thing that happens in the world now. If I had to guess, I bet a bunch of these jabronies just go over to the podcast the Apple podcasts, and they see who has the highest stars and who has the most comments, and then uh, they say, all right, give these bronze a troph in a big spot. Well, I'd say it's been a dry spell and I don't see it ending anytime soon with the way these things work. Just at you know, do we deserve it, absolutely Will we get it? Absolutely not. I like to think that they're doing a lot of research, that they're going back to the August second episode, and they're like, well, Mark did talk through that sound drop. I guess uh, I guess we'll go with the fantasy footballers this year for the world pinning on me. That's fine. I can clean that up with the talking over my drops because I put a lot of work into that. I think I've explained why that happened and how it happened, and I would I think the finger points to someone else. All right, good stuff. Ricky's just sitting it out. That's fine. We'll be back and down alright till Thursday. Heed the call.