NFL Daily with Gregg RosenthalGregg Rosenthal is joined by Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic to tell you eight things that will matter in December. First, they get you caught up on the news including Brandon Graham retiring (01:45), Myles Garrett talking about the Browns quarterback situation (07:20), and Cam Heyward sounding off on the Steelers' search for a quarterback (11:15). After the break, why the Packers not over reaching (27:05), the Chiefs signing Jaylon Moore (30:35), the Lions signing Levi Onwuzurike (33:50), the Texans trading for Christian Kirk (37:00), the Chargers signing Najee Harris (40:15), the Cardinals hiring Justin Frye (41:55), the Rams signing Poona Ford (44:34), and the Raiders trading for Geno Smith (47:00) will matter in December.
Note: time codes approximate.
Welcome to NFL Daily, where we're taking lessons from how to retire from Brandon Graham. I'm Greg Rosenthal. I'm in the Chris Westling podcast studio. I'm here with my friend Jordan Rodrigue of the Athletic and Yes, Brandon Graham retired on Tuesday, and one of the last things he did in his career was talk to NFL Daily What a way to Go?
Yeah, I love that interview too. He brought his kids. His kids answered some questions for us as well. He was emotional. He at that time was adamant that he was going to walk into the sunset at that time and he said he probably wasn't going to change his mind. So, man, what an icon iconic for the franchise and for our league.
It's so hard to stick a landing. You you really appreciate players that are able to do so because it's just so rare. I was thinking of it. We were talking about Travis Kelcey and his podcast and just how brutal that loss was for him and how.
Tough at it.
If they had won that game, maybe he does retire because he feels like he stuck the landing and instead he seems like, not only is he haunted in the moment from it, but he's aware that that game is going to haunt him, probably for the rest of his life, whether he wins another one or not. So you love it when a guy goes out on his own terms. That's what Brandon Graham did. We're going to go through all the news today. There's some fun stuff, and then we're going to get to a segment that Jordan came up with. Things that will matter in December, matter things that you know have happened so far in this free agency period. We've done a lot of like daily news, but we haven't done a lot of looking back, So looking back at what's happened and projecting forward, you know some of the moves that are going to matter long term. But yeah, well it might as well start with Graham. We already started the conversation. He officially retired on Tuesday, and he gave an emotional press conference.
Let's listen to the beginning of it.
First.
I just want to say thank you to everybody.
Already.
But uh, y'all know I gave everything I had, everything I had in this and uh, I don't have no regrets. That's one thing you gotta tell you have boys don't have no regrets.
I thought it thinking of how sometimes in dumb sports talk radio or even just like among friends, like a conversation is like, well, whose career would you rather have, like this superstar with the titles, I mean, without any titles, or this guy who was kind of a role player but beloved in his community.
And to me, I'd rather be the Brandon.
Graham, like an all time eagle that stayed there the whole time, has a game ending Super Bowl moment, literally ends his career, coming back from an injury and being part of a great Super Bowl defense. I think I'd rather I'd rather do that than the money without the championship, because he got plenty of money either way, and he.
Also got the championships, so like he gets both. I mean, he is a beloved figure in that community. The I remember reading stories a couple of years ago about just the work that you know, he and his wife do in the community and how much of a figurehead they both have been collectively that family.
They are royalty there, and I think that's so wonderful.
I think cities like Philadelphia they do it, if not better than at the at the highest level of treating their stars like homegrown legends, like heroes for the right reasons, for the fact that they that branded that the Grahams have been so invested in the community as well as contributed to this franchise given Eagles fans some of the finest memories and the ultimate highs, and like I I'll never forget. I mean, I'm not an Eagles fan, I enjoy them quite a bit. But watching Brandon Graham walk out to the fifty on the fifty two midfield for the coin toss as a team captain and his arm was just look it up in like the biggest plastic, like hard plastic brace I've ever seen, and knowing that he was going to go out and actually get some snaps and actually contribute, and he was just going to do it.
And that's what you do. And I just think, you know, it's.
A hard sport, it's a hard league because you don't often get to retire on your terms. You don't get that walk into the sunset moment, but it happens just enough to make people believe in that fairy tale. And sometimes the Brandon Grahams of the world, they do get that fairy tale.
Yeah, and he said in that interview with us on the field, and we'll hear just a small slice of that a little later that, yeah, he learned from the first time he lost the Super to Bowl to appreciate this. But how difficult this season was that his family was with him, so for him to get back on the field after having that injury. Just a reminder in terms of player development. When Brandon Graham's first contract ended, he had a total in five seasons because back then first round were just five seasons, there was no fifthyear option. That's how long he has been in the league. He had sixteen and a half sacks total. His first four seasons he had eleven and a half sacks total. He is a victory story of a valuing pressure over just sacks because he did have a lot of pressure early in his career. And also, like PFF, I'm going to give them a little nod because they always had Brandon Graham ranks so high and people were like Brandon Graham really and the Eagles saw it. They kept paying him. He gets a second team All Pro, eventually a comeback Player of the Year, a couple of Pro Bowls, but ultimately like a haul of very good guy in terms of the rest of the league, but one of the all time Eagles. The Eagles were also very active in terms of their moves over the last twenty four hours.
Lane Johnson got a big raise, which.
Is nice, just early, you know, like right, he actually was signed for a couple more years, but this is one where he was pretty low on the tackle list, so they basically just gave him an eight and a half minus million dollar rays over the next couple of years, because that's what they do, take care of their great guys. And then they also signed one of the highest players left on my top one oh one.
A Z's Ozolari.
And uh, I guess you got to queue the que the SoundBite here, like say it with me?
How he does it again? All right? I think we did well there. How he does it again? Just everyone's got to say it.
I said, dead, whoops, It's all good. I even changed it in the document. How he does it again and again and again and again. Pay a guy, I really get a guy that's going to contribute for them. I mean, it's just it's like the one too.
He said something telling I thought at one of the press conferences this offseason where he said, we're if we're going to bring in guys like we want to bring in young guys, the idea of bringing in older free agents from other teams, We're not going to do that as much. Now he did bring in to Dori Jackson, but that's on just like a one. I think he's thinking about guys in general, their philosophy. If they're going to bring in someone, bring in a guy like o Jilari who has a chance to rehab his value, who's only twenty five years old, so they get another option for a situational pass rusher. One item from one of our friends that popped up over the weekend that I did want to talk about on this show was Miles Garrett speaking to Andrew Ceciliano. This is from Andrew's podcast with the Browns, called the best available podcast.
In all serious. Do you know who the quarterback is going to be? I mean, do you have an idea? After conversations, I do have an idea. Okay, do you like the idea?
I like it enough to be here smiling in front of you because I think we have a good chance of that happening and making the most out of it.
Can you tell us who it is. Yes, you know, I can't do that. Okay.
I love that because Andrew, this is a team podcast. He works, he does great work for that team, and still he asks these questions. He gets the people what they want.
And I love it.
I love it because and I texted Andrew and I wouldn't have said his answer if he had an idea.
I was like, who do you think he's talking about? He's like, I have no idea. He doesn't know.
But he asked those questions because Miles hinted at it a little bit in his press conference that he he had a notion. So he thought, oh, that's that's interesting. That's surprising too, so he followed up, good job by him. It's now got a million views on Twitter or something like that.
It is also the perfect thing to say when you don't want people to think that you went back on your it's not about the money thing.
Mmm for that.
Okay, that's it's a great that's a cynical view.
I'm just presenting. I'm just presenting thoughts here, you know, like multiple thoughts.
A close up on his face as he said he had.
I did like the smirk.
I like it did feel like he he had an idea, and so I'll ask you, who do you think the idea would be?
I mean you putting me on the spot here. I don't know. Do you think they'll trade for somebody or think you know it's a podcast.
We talked to each other, We asked questions about football.
Yeah, I mean, you know, I cam Ward, if they can get up there, like, if they can get up to that top pick, like you know, that would be to me the right fit for them.
That would be the only one if I was Miles Garrett that would get me excited. That I think is the most logical answer. Andrew said he heard from a million different people in terms of fans and stuff, who all had their own theories and really believed in it, like they really believed it was cam Ward.
That one actually does make sense to me.
Yeah, if you're Miles Garrett and you're like, we're going to make an effort to trade up to one Kirk Cousins, I think would be the next most logical because of the same reasons why he's been connected to the Browns this offseason, Stefanski, the history there would that make Miles Garrett smirk and be happy?
Maybe maybe you know, players.
Recognize other players who are good, and maybe he's like, Okay, Kirk Cousins.
Actually legitimate quarterback. I would be excited about that.
Yeah, in that offense, though, if that Kubiak the more Qubac side of the Shanahan Kubac tree. Unless kirk Cousins can actually move in a play action or a boot action like there's there's actually not much to be excited about there. So yeah, I think that that would be the caveat here if it's kirk Cousins, like, you gotta move in that in that system a little bit. You gotta not just be hurt all year your cynical answer. I'm feeling cynical today. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm normally so so joyous.
Well, it's shaking me because I actually now think that's the most like logical answer. How could he even know? But maybe but Kim wore that that would make sense. There are only one spot away. I think it makes sense For the Browns.
I don't know.
I haven't thought about it that much.
In the fact that there's been no Ward Brown's buzz actually makes me think, Yeah, it's even.
More logical It's like the vacuum effect, where like they're there, don't say his name, don't even think about him, and nobody will know.
They're the They're the closest team. Those top three teams all need a quarterback. He's going to go, I think first overall, to one of those three teams.
And that'll be a fun topic for the next few months.
Let's talk Cam Hayward, who has a podcast called Not Just Football, which had some of our friends on it. Mina Kimes was a guest on it, but this was a different segment, and here is what he said talking about Aaron Rodgers.
I ain't doing that the darkness, darkness, treat retreat. I don't mean any of that crap, Like either you want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you don't. That's that's simple. That's the pitch. Like if you want me to recruit, that's the recruiting pitch. You know, Pittsburgh Steelers. If you want to be part of it, so be it. If you don't, no no skin on my back.
We are at a funny point in the Rogers set up that there's a potential of him joining a team that he will know that they weren't his first pick, like if he joins the Steelers, it was like, well, actually I wanted to join the Vikings, but I settled for you.
Like the whole thing is a little bit awkward.
Yeah, And what I appreciate what Cam Hayward is doing, who is like as vintage Steeler as it gets, is he's being vintage Steelers.
He's got some pride.
He's showing some pride here like hey, man, like we are who we are, and I like who we are and if you want to join us, like be about it great and if not, okay, fine.
You know.
I think that that that's one of the things missing in some of these like this groveling that some of these teams have done with the Rogers cycle a couple of a couple of cycles now is like, hey, you got to have a little backbone here.
You got to say like, hey, we want you.
Yeah, but if you don't want to be here, we're not going to try to force a square peg into a round hole.
And you're and you're making us wait.
So I appreciate that it that a player, that a team is standing up a little bit.
But everyone's too desperate apparently too.
Get because quarterback matters because quarterbacks matter so much, and I do believe that Aaron will help a team that position matters. He will absolutely help a team that he joins. However, the nuance here is there are you know, fifty two other players, key players in that locker room, and a bunch of coaches who are all kind of waiting around to put their plan into place and have come up with plans A minus B plus B to adjust. And you know you will speak up if you are a player of Cam Hayward's status, and you should.
The longer it goes on, the more believable it is that the Vikings are interested on some level.
I don't know. I'm going back and forth with.
I believe the Vikings are interested. I do believe that. I believe they're talking about it. And I also believe that the reporting by my great colleagues over the weekend about that this is Kevin O'Connell's decision serves twofold and this is not insight for me. This is just my perception looking from afar at this entire situation is sending a message into the sky about who is actually still in charge in that building.
When it comes to the quarterback, whether or not.
Aaron Rodgers joins, it's a subtle message to Aaron Rodgers, that's great that you want to play with us.
We're talking about it.
This is the person with the power in the building when it comes to the quarterback, and this is the brand of this franchise.
It's Kevin O'Connell.
And that is making it very clear through that headline in my opinion of kind of hey you want to come here, great, This is also something you have to understand.
And I get that, but they got to make it, say decision too. You know, well, why do they need to take so long?
Well, I think it's smart to assess and analyze and talk with Quacy, who's killed this off season, by the way, I had a great off season. And I think it is it's risk assessment, it's risk management. I think that that's the process. If they are really having these conversations about it, you're gonna not react emotionally. You know, you're not going to react getting the guy you're talking through the down the road.
What happened?
You know?
Sure, the ripple effect.
Of such a decision, you know, you could if everything goes well, great, if everything goes poorly. If everything goes medium, what happens to JJ? Like all of these different themes.
Like you could settle that in a day though, And I get that they had other interests. They did try to keep Sandarno, they were involved, they did get into the Daniel Jones.
Well you're talking about money too. I mean, I don't know that's that's a factor too. That's a back and forth conversation. That's not necessarily just an internal conversation. If you're if you're thinking about, Okay, how much do you want? No, we're not going to do that. Okay, go back, go back and forth, go back and forth, go back and forth.
Maybe he doesn't have cell service again this time, you know, like he's in Malibu.
They got plenty of self service cell service.
I uh, I do think it's a it's a It was a life lesson I learned when I left Pro football talking NBC to come to the NFL was the toughest professional decision, or really life decision I had had to make up until that point, and I had no regrets about it. The only thing I learned from it, which was maybe part of my own immaturity, was just once it got down to where there were no more things to figure out between the two sides, you know, be decisive, because that indecision is gonna maybe make both sides or make people upset in a way that's unnecessary. It's something I don't think I would have done again, not that I was sitting there hemming and holland on for like months or or a week or whatever, but I definitely, you know, sat with that the scene. I was like, Okay, that was a good a good lesson, like, once you have all the information, make a decision. So I would say the same to the Vikings in the rod.
Sure, but again we're looking at it from the outside in. There could be things that they need to know more about. It could there could be things that he needs to know more about, you know, So we have to caveat that a little bit by saying like, we only know what we know right now. We don't We certainly don't know the entire situation.
It also, you know, means that other quarterbacks are going off the board and they don't mind that, or else they would be signing one the Minnesota Vikings. But Jamis Winston is out there, like I thought they were gonna sign someone that would have been maybe a little higher tier, and I would include Jamis in that. But it's Jamis, it's Flacco in theory, it's Wilson, Russell Wilson. I don't think that's a fit. But it's Carson Wentz like that, that's what we're talking about. It's Teddy.
I don't know, as Teddy's just gonna play a whole like it's not a higher level of backup. So that's interesting.
That's one thing they are possibly losing in this process as time goes on. The Vikings also released Garrett Bradbury that had been reported that that was coming. The former first round pick, who who's played a lot of center, might end up moving to guard. Patriots are reportedly interested. According to Mike Reese, they signed another former first round pick, Jeff Acuda, the cornerback who's bounced around a little bit. Speaking of the draft, Ted McMillan from Arizona did run a forty. There was buzz that he might not run at all before the draft, and like, oh is his stock falling. He knows he's not gonna run very fast, and he does end up running hand timed. According to the reports, there four five five four five six. When I saw that, I actually thought, Okay, that's good enough. There were some talk maybe he would be in the four six, four to seven types and that's why he wouldn't run, Like why else would you not run? That said, it is on the slower end. Only a couple wide receivers have had that slow of forty and gotten taken in the top fifteen in the last fifteen years or so. Mike Williams rest in Peace, not the one with the Chargers, but the former buccaneer, and Mike Evans, who obviously has had an incredible career. They were summon the four five to five range. He is an interesting prospect. Daniel Jeremiah put him twenty second in his latest mock draft. So I think he's someone where depending on who you talk to, you have very different evaluations of him.
I think that going back to twenty twenty three, thirty one other teams would have drafted four point five second seven second forty time runner Pooka Nakua in the first round had the chance. So I do think that, you know, the past is one thing, and there is a very small recency. But if you were going to go back and Rewigh, some of these players who have been outstanding despite a slow forty time.
Jake Lennon never ran famously, which means he probably would have been in that area.
I'm also kind of the throw out the forty in general person, so maybe I'm not the right person to be talking about this, but I do think that if you're going to ask, like those thirty one other teams, they'd be like, including the Rams, they'd say, well, we should have drafted this kid in the first round.
Well, of course, but it's also part part of the reason. Yeah, part of the reason.
He also had the injuries and everything, but yes, anyone would have taken him rounds and rounds higher that they missed him. My son got a pooka yeah, poster at the book fair. I'm like, what, they weren't any good books to buy? You just bought a poster at the book You know, I missed the book fair. It's a it's a fun thing.
You put like thirty thirty bucks on the gift, you know, the card or whatever.
But love it.
What You also buried the lead of that story, which is that the Rams have now surpassed the Patriots in Walker's fans kings.
Yes they're up to number two.
I was like, you can't buy a poster, bro if you say you're not even rams and he's like, I am, they're number two.
Okay, did you just do your son's voice?
This is just a deeper voice, one item that only I'm interested in that. I just thought I read this and I thought it would be interesting for the NFL Daily audience to hear. The story on the Athletic from Andrew Marshawn was about how the ESPN changed their lead director on Monday Night Football. They took the number two guy from Fox. That that alone I find interesting, but I wouldn't have come in it. But they had a quote from ESPN Brooke Magnus, so they're a big executive there, and he said, quote, I feel like we are not in the same conversation with Fox and CBS relative to our overall game presentation, which is wow. First of all, I don't even know if that's true. I think the ESPN does a great job. They obviously love their announcers, but they're saying the overall presentation. Yeah, they directing the producing. They're not even in the same conversation with Fox and CBS. But the interesting part of that to me, is like, NBC is clearly the best one and you didn't even mention them. So are you just not trying to give them credit? Is it just a slip up, or is your judgment so bad that you you know, that's just weird quote.
I'd have to hear the inflection of the quote, because if you read it a certain a different way, it would almost sound like they're putting themselves above on CBS. If you read it a certain way.
The context of the article would make it clear that this was a decision he made because he just thought they weren't as good and they wanted a guy.
They're they're gonna have a Super Bowl in a couple of years.
H My issue, I mean, this is a very selfish issue as a person who's like covering, you know, covering a beat and needs to see like replay like all the time because watching things live goes so fast you wish.
You had a replay.
Atlanta, by the way, that Mercedes Benz Stadium has little replay screens in the press box. It's fantastic, really really solid. Fox and CBS drive me freaking crazy because they do not show replays fast enough, nor sometimes do they even show them.
And now you talking about the lead cruise. Are you talking about like Teams three, not the leader.
No, but I'm just saying that should be standard. That should be standard. Give the people the information.
There's only so many resources. So I've thought about that too. You do get a different broadcast with teams four or five, six, you know three, you have way more replays on the lead cruise and.
Right which all the crews should have the same number of replays.
Fair, fair, democratize a lot of cameras. Anyways, that made me think ranking wise presentation. Wow, I'm going NBC one. That's easy.
Of course you ranked them?
Oh my god, Well, no, I'm doing this at the top of my head.
I would have maybe gone to ESPN two, just because maybe it's Troy and Joe. But the overall presentation, I want to get a lot of comments from my friends in the industry on this one. I might have gotten Fox, ESPN, then CBS last, because I don't know why. I just I guess I'm not really smart enough to make this call. Let's finish the news quickly and go take a break. Just some little nuggets before we do that. Ronald Darby, who's bounced around a little bit signed with the Texans. Juan Thornhill, the former Chiefs safety to the Steelers. The Saints signed former ram Jonah Williams Our buddy bo Wolf. He's always had a big man crush on Christian Ellis doing the rare thing where he's taking a restricted free agent visit. You don't see those too often, A special teamer mostly with the Patriots visiting the Raiders.
Wolf Pop and then.
International Player Program star Yakub Johnson still going strong at a position that barely exists in the league many years into his career. Congratulations to him. He is back with the Houston Texans. All right, let's take a break. And on the way, we were listening to Brandon Graham with us the Super Bowl. You've already celebrated one Super Bowl title. What do you learn from that? Now you're going to put into this celebration.
Now, Well, you know what last time it was, I had stood out here just so I can feel it, because you know, when you go through adversity, you don't want to run. And I'm so happy that I stuck through it because now, I mean, now we got the green confetti coming down, and it just feels so much sweeter because we knew what happened last time and we wanted to make sure that that didn't happen again.
Back on NFL Daily, it's the middle of March. We're turning our attention towards the NFL Draft. Started to watch some tape as it were, got forties in free Agents coming up next.
I like that show, thank you so much.
One of the main things I like about that show is how DJ puts you in your place sometimes and his gino Darnold take okay outstanding in my opinion, and I love the video of it because you could see all over your face like he is making a great point.
Please, it's more incredulity to how you say that. This is a great segment coming up. And like I mentioned, yeah, we're in March, We're going to turn our attention towards the draft soon. But I did want to kind of look back everything that's happened in free agents, see, and you came up with this segment is a perfect way to do that. And it's going to be looking back, but it's also going to be looking forward. What's happened over these last ten days or so that's going to matter in December December, like I missed December on in some ways it gives me like the shakes to think about, like eating.
In the middle of it shows what you've done between now and then right like.
That, just because it's so busy and everything. But also I missed the holiday season, so these are things are going to matter in December. Why don't you start to.
Further contextualize too.
Teams make free agency moves, Teams add players to their roster for December, Like this is what free agency really does set up in some ways, certainly prior to the trade deadline as well, whereas the draft more sets of a long term vision, a long term foundation. But December, when football becomes real and when teams are starting to wind up to make that playoff push, these are the moves that we think will matter. Whether it's free agency, whether it's coaching, these are the things that we think will matter in December.
I especially.
I think that's true and a great point because freeency is a lot about not just depth, but it is about depth, but it's about those mid tier starters. It's not about your superstars. You need to draft those or in the case of the Commanders, you can trade for them. But that's the exception a Laramie Tunzel type of trade. Most of these moves have been getting filling spots with solid, hopefully above average starters.
Why don't you get us going?
Yeah, my first one is that I like and I think it matters in December that the Green Bay Packers have not overreached in free agency. In March, Brian Goodikins noted early in the off season that the Packers had like the cleanest slash best cap they've had in some time. It sort of made people think that maybe they'd be hyper aggressive in free agency, but they actually made meat and potatoes moves on players they really liked.
I liked that they.
Didn't overreach or overspend on a bad free agent class. They're giving some of their young guys a little bit of air and a little room to keep growing. And we've seen when Matt Lafleur takes the strategy as a coach to let some younger players develop and grow up a little bit, then it really really works. And I think they set themselves up to actually hit those premium positions in the draft. They signed Aaron Banks, who the guard who's a system fit out of the forty nine ers. I think he's a little bit underrated personally, especially when he's in the right scheme. And then corner Nate Hobbes, who as my colleague get the Athletic Night Schneidman wrote, has a really powerful relationship with Rich Bisaccia. So they did the meat and potatoes thing. They still will have needs. They are going to move on from Jay R Alexander. That will free up about six million dollars more of cap space. They'll have close to forty million dollars in cap space after that release. And I think they have three picks in the top one hundred. I think they're going to go receiver, cornerback, and possibly edge. And I think that they like working this way. I think they're comfortable with their developmental process, with their coaching staff who has continuity.
And the Aaron Banks signing, which was one of the most surprising to me. Just seeing four years, seventy seven million for Aaron Banks, I was surprised, but then you peek under the hood, it's twenty seven fully guaranteed. It's a signing bonus. The Packers are old school. They do contracts the old way, where they have you sign a big signing bonus, and that's it, and that's it for is just in case it's a bust, they would cut them and actually save a lot of money next year. Now I don't think they will. They have a ten million or nine one point five million dollars roster bonus that they'll have to make a decision early in the off season next off season, and if he's just decent, they'll have him on for another year. But then it's a year to year move. So once I saw that, it's a little less risky. They don't need them to be a star, they just need them to be solid.
The reason why I think all of this matters specifically for December is through OTAs and through the summer, especially in a post JayR world and a post draft class world, you're going to see where everybody fits together on this roster, and you're going to see really what the plan is. They're taking this very ultra patient approach where they are stockpiling this money to where, hey, let's say somebody becomes available at the trade deadline who could really help you, and you're better because you've developed these young players together and you need to go out and get that person, but also promise them a certain contract. You know, teams often shed players because they're in need of a contract coming up, and you can promise that player said money and then you roll through November December. Like That's why I think this patients really matter for December for the Packers, And it was very targeted.
Two guys, two positions they really wanted to shore up. I really like the Nate Hobbs signing. But yes, if you just do the basic thing which I did as part of its exercise, which go to NFL dot com and look at the notable additions and notable departures, they don't have many additions. It's just like a couple whereas a lot of teams. You know, they're filling in a lot of depth. And doesn't mean the Packers won't sign guys eventually that are just true depth guys. But they really had two targeted guys. They went after him. I'm gonna go with my first thing that's gonna matter in December. It's gonna be the chief signing of Jalen Moore.
Oo.
Just we just haven't talked about Jalen Moore a lot. And if you're not familiar, Jalen Moore is an American offensive tackle who comes from this offensive line factory in San Francisco apparently, and so I think it pairs up nicely with Banks, and he is gonna be the favorite to win the nfafc's left tackle period. And I don't know how this is going to go. I actually, if I have all the time in the offseason that I want, I would love to go back and watch some of his starts. I haven't done that, so I'm not gonna pretend solid pass block ratings almost every start till the last one actually against the Rams. I think he struggled with the forty nine ers. But obviously the Chiefs really liked his tape. They gave him more guaranteed money, let's say, than Aaron Banks got. He got over twenty million dollars guaranteed for a guy that's barely started in the NFL, played five hundred snaps the last two years combined, and that's all the experience that is. But they picked a guy who they decided was their number two choice behind Ronnie Stanley, to be Patrick Mahomes's left tackle. That is a big time bet. They're also moving very specifically their second round pick from a year ago Sue Mattea two left guards, so that is a brand new left side of the line. And when I looked at all these moves, like this actually feels like the one that might be the one that tips the scales for a team, whether they're going to contend for a title, whether they're going to repeat as fifteen and two type of team, or whether they struggled the Jalen Moore signing.
I don't know how it's going to go, but I think it's going to matter.
It will absolutely matter.
I think that's a great pick, Greg because it could be either or in this case, we'll know by December whether it will actually help lift them into maybe not winning by such narrow margins that are statistically improbable year over year. What I also think is that you really have to show your work early if you're the Chiefs with this new left side, because teams will smell blood in the water at this point. They saw how hassled Pat Mahomes was, how much shuffling they had to do along that offensive line, playing one of their best linemen out of position where he struggled. And I think that this is absolutely going to matter, because the Chiefs always matter that time of year. They're always a threat that time of year, and if this works, it could really really work. I also think that they're going to continue to restock in the draft. There might be some troubleshooting going on with some of their talent identification processes because their last couple guys have just not worked out the left tackle spot especially, and so I think that that's going to be something to look at as well.
Internally.
Well, they better get this right.
Yeah.
If I had wanted to be a little more negative, I could have said it mattered the core players that they lost. They're among the teams I think that lost the most amount of important players. Tony Justin, Reid, Trevelle, Warton, Derek Noddy just signed with the Jets. Solid player Amena who is still a free agent. Wouldn't be surprised if they bring him back. But I wanted to be a little more positive. I'm going to trust their system and their evaluation. Overall, They've done pretty well in the OFFENSEI flint, all right, give me another one.
I think it will matter.
In December that the Lions re signed Levi Onouzurigua to it one year, five and a half million dollar deal. The reason I think it will matter specifically in December is because we don't know how long Aiden Hutchinson's return not just to play, but returned to foremance, so his actual level of play, We don't know how long it will take. If it does take into the season, by around that time, it's going to really be a factor that a dynamic and ascending young defensive lineman who has not really been able to put it fully together since he was drafted, but really showed some positive flashes last season and was moved all over in their d line chaos because of all the injuries that they had, that he and Aiden Hutchinson have this rapport and this tandem as someone on the inside who can disrupt and call attention and somebody who can free up Aiden Hutchinson's to cook the way we know he can and vice versa. And I also think that it's interesting because he this is a potential signing. This is like a prove it deal that the Lions have done with on Woozerique. The one and a half sacks last season are a false flag in my opinion, because he had a nine point seven percent pressure rate, which was higher than both Joshan Warden and Jevon Kinlaw, both of whom got paid much more than he did. So this is sort of a prove it deal where they clearly want to see what this pairing is going to look like.
By December, we'll know, right, And.
They've seen the process that when Uzourique has gone through to get healthy, they've had him in the building, the improvement that he's made. I think he's one of Dan Campbell's guy. That's a good shout out. And yet they would have been a logical team to me for an Ojulari or I agree.
I think they're gonna they set themselves up to draft right.
I agree with that, but they really don't have any edge players, like true edge, like speed around the edge other than Hutchinson.
I mean they have dat Marcus Davenport.
I guess that's similar where you're you're just hoping he can stay healthy and that's a high ceiling. But it's a very thin position and there were a lot of guys out there, and I don't really see anyone out there like the first fifteen names I wrote down. I'm looking at my initial positionless for edges. They're all gone from free agency, which is crazy.
That they do not last if the brad Holmes lines look at the defensive line anyway, like the brad Holmes rams looked at the defensive line. It's all a big mathematical equation, right, which is why I think they've cleared the runway by making this signing for just one year and low stake signing that.
Could be very very high upside.
I think that they are looking at this mathematically and like, okay, we have cleared the path now to plug in a like twitchy traits guy, a speed rush guy that we can identify in the draft. We don't have to worry about, you know, a plus B in Levi and Aiden Hutchinson because they understand at their apex how those traits would complement each other into that equation. They're only looking for C now.
And they're huge.
I mean, they have DJ Reader coming back, they have Alee McNeil, They signed Roy Lopez who's an interior guy. They have a lot of bulk, and I can almost hear the Lions fancying what about Josh Pascal. He was a second round pick, hasn't really done much, but I'm thinking, like a bend the edge edge guy. They definitely need that, but that's a good shadow. They love to have tons of different types of guys. They have a lot of dudes up front, hoping that it works. I'm gonna go with a guy at a position for the Houston Texans where they don't have a lot of dudes, and that's wide receiver Christian Kirk. Not only did they free up some cap space by when they brought him in, they actually used him as a bank immediately, and I think.
That was part of the strategy.
They immediately converted his entire salary to a signing bonus. They didn't decided I'm not going to extend you, we're not betting on you long term, but yeah, like we're going to take your thirteen million dollar base salary and like turn that into cap space right away.
So that's a nice little bonus.
I love when players arrive.
I love when this happens, when players arrive on the roster, and like the player wins because he gets a lot of money immediately, but like it's almost like a laundering operation on the backside of the contract.
It is weird. Surprise the Saints dud don't do more of this.
Yeah, you bring in a player specifically to open up cap space, but he's on a one year deal. He's a number two right now for them. Is he best used as a true two? Probably not. I think they need another receiver there and it wouldn't surprise me if they either bring in another veteran or invest in that position in the draft. They've been acted a lot of mock drafts to Mika Buka from Ohio State, so they could add a young player there too. To me, he's more of a three, a two slash three. But either way, they needed someone that really contributes. And for this exercise, I tended to go towards the better teams because the better teams they matter in December, and they're going to need Christian Kirk to matter. And I'm curious how you think, and I'm putting you on the spot again, how he fits into.
Nick Kyley type of offense. Christian Kirk.
Well, I'm curious with Nick Cayley. I'm curious how much Patriots he's going to be. How much get the ball out super fast and you know, worry maybe less about the status of the players up front and more about you know, technical execution and also getting the ball out very fast to help alleviate some of that, and I think that get open fast, get open quickly, receivers will thrive if that's the direction they go in. I'm curious about how much RAMS influence is going to be with Nick Kyley with this offense. You know, I don't necessarily see that he's gonna have like the blocking help that maybe the Rams have prioritized in their receivers for the last you know, especially some of the guys coming back from injuries, the physicality, the size.
And Christian Krisch is not that guy I means all, but also.
The other guys coming back, you know, coming back from injuries and all of that, like and you know a little bit more diminutive size difference there.
I just don't know.
That sort of tells me he's going to gravitate a little bit more toward Patriots, which means to me Christian kirk will be a nice fit because get open.
Fast and a slot guy who can stretch the field, which I think is a nice compliment with Nico Collins where they're both versatile. I just think he's really important of all the guys that changed teams in the last month. To me, he was a little under the radar is just going to be a really important figure for them, and both sides, kind of like the stuff on Diggs deal a year ago, really should be motivated to bring the best out of each other.
The difference with Kirk is he's still young.
He's twenty eight year old player, so I know he's had some injuries, but he should be fully recovered.
That's going to be a good one. Let's let's go to your third.
My third is the Chargers. Adding Naji Harris will matter in decise. Oh I love this signing for the Chargers. He is mentally and physically tough. With some blocking, he can really wear on a defense. He is physical, he is powerful. He does not miss time due to injuries. He's not missed one game to injury in his career to date. Despite his physical running styles, four consecutive one thousand plus rushing yards seasons. And we know Jim Harbaugh wants to run the ball. And last year we were like, Okay, we get it. It's cute, it's not really working. We see the vision, the execution production is not quite there. And a running back cannot like magically by himself. Heal an offense and offensive line. But I think this is where you see the projection of focus going and like, Okay, let's really make this what we believe that it should have been that it can be. And I think Jim Harborough will especially want to run the ball in December. In January, if the Chargers get into the postseason again, and they're also going to be on the road and outside twice in tough environments, possibly very cold depending on the timing in their own division, So I think that this is going to matter in December.
Najia Harris being on the roster, I.
Agree he will be the centerpiece of a few late season Thursday night or Monday night games.
They don't always give the Chargers Sunday Night, but maybe maybe if it's the Chiefs, I can see that.
And you add Makai Beckton, you might be moving Zion Johnson to the center. I think they'll do a little more work there, but they're trying to improve the running game in multiple ways. I'm going to go with a coaching higher. Oh, Justin Fry offensive line coach, this is gonna matter. He was obviously the offensive line coach for the national champion Ohio State buck Eyes, and they had a ton of injuries and people thought he coached them up.
Well, he coached.
Paris Campbell at Ohio State, who is now the entrench left tackle of the Arizona Cardinals.
So there's a relationship there.
He was with Chip, you know, he's been with some NFL types obviously at Ohio State. And to me, the fact that they lost Clayton Adams and so this is a combination. I think both these things will matter.
I don't know how.
I'm just dorking out here that this working is really important for the Cardinals because here's what the Cardinals haven't done this offseason. Add anyone to their offense. They and they didn't need to on some level because they had incredible continuity. Here's also what they haven't done, like lose anyone that really mattered to them on the offense. It's the same group back, but you did lose a guy that very highly thought of in Clayton Adams, who was kind of the run game coordinator and the offensive line coach. And now you bring in a different guy, and their running game is going to be so central to what they do. Nick Shouok is always talking about it, and so it's another one where I don't know how it's going to go. But to me, it really really matters, and it obviously matters for the Cowboys as well, because you're you're trusting that vision Clayton Adams going over there while you downgrade at running back with Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders probably had someone in the draft like no wide receiver too, so it's two spots offensive line coach carousel.
It matters.
The ripple effect, yes, huge, Yeah, I agree. He has a great reputation too. Josh Simmons, I believe, was just out there last month at the Combine talking about like what a huge impact that Justin Frye has had on his career, saying he's extremely technically gifted, extremely technically aware and really gives them their mechanics.
So getting deep here, it's in March, we're talking offensive.
Line, Justin fry and I did a quick Google. I will say I did a quick Google Seart looks you know he that came up. So I'm like going on the fly here with the Justin fry take.
I mean, you don't need to have a major take. I just it's just just something to watch. Just their running game does matter.
I was I think I thought about it because I just looked how man they have the most continuity, they have the least amount of change except for that one position, and the running game is so important to what they do. With Kyler, it's a big year. Also, I like that the Bears and Ben Johnson interviewed him. I know they didn't end up hiring him, but I just think like he you know, he's clearly got a good reputation among these forward thinking coaches.
All right, wrap it up, let's get out of here.
Yes, Okay, So I.
This is going to be the first time I've really talked about the Los Angeles Rams this off.
Okay.
I know that there's a small percentage of our listeners that get very annoyed when I do talk about the Los Angeles Rams. But I think they're going to matter in December, yes, in January. And I think all of the moves they've made in free agency so far, starting with getting Matthew Stafford back for at least another year, set off their A plus plan of really, actually, they're going to make a run this year. Like I could say that definitively they are going to try to go for a Super Bowl this season and of all their signings and the flashy ones and the important ones and the ones that make a lot of sense, poon Afford signing with the Rams is what is going to matter the most. In December last year, the Rams were among the worst teams in the NFL in defending the run throughout the year, starting with the season opening loss to Detroit and Ben Johnson, who ran it down their throat in overtime, didn't even give Matthew Stafford a chance to touch the ball after the Eagles put up three hundred single game rushing yards on the Rams in one game at the end of November. In December, the Rams allowed nearly an average an average of nearly one hundred rushing yards per game. In the playoffs, they allowed one hundred and six and two hundred and eighty five rushing yards.
OOH, respectively.
Poon Afford is one of the NFL's best run defenders last season, and a defense that does like to schematically play their fronts similarly to how the Rams like to play their funds keep the safeties back deep. The second the Rams were able to keep Matthew Stafford, poona Ford became one of their priorities to get in the building to sign Poona Ford and DeVante Adams were their priority free agent targets, and he was signed to get in the way and stay in the way and carry this young, ascending defensive line into their pass rush plan on the early downs and into December and January.
Well, I love the glow up for Poona Ford after last year making I think just a million or two from the Chargers to get a nice raise. Always been kind of a hipster favorite among the film watching community, and now he's a RAMS favorite.
I love that nose tackles. They're kind of back. I don't know why I said that, so weird.
But they're so back, like two gapping guy in these systems where you don't want to have a lot of guys that have Yeah, they're they're making it happen.
And then I didn't have a they're making it gappen. All right?
Oh wow, I was like looking for my fourth one. It was a stretch. It was a stretch. I didn't think it was that interesting some of the ones I was coming up, like Jets defense lost some people. It was like the Colts offensive line lost people. Then I thought like, let's be real, what actually mattered in terms of all these transactions more than any other. You're talking the Rams, I'm talking Gino. I'll be quick about it, but just another the Raiders are a relevant team again. They will be a relevant team in December. I'll at least say that that they're going to be relevant and watchable. The Raiders in their long history have never been more boring than they were in twenty twenty four.
They were forgettable.
That's the last thing you want out of the Raiders, if nothing else, Pete Carroll and having a legitimate starting quarterback is going to make them watchable, make them earning those national window games that they always get, regardless if they're good or not.
And I think they're at least going to be in the mix.
So that is a franchise changing move to bring in a quarterback to go with your new head coach.
So of course that's the way I agree.
I have been kind of given the Raiders some praise since they hired John Spytech, who went about making Steven very very happy.
Your personal trainer, trainer who apparently you have went.
Got in an extra day on Monday, had some free time.
Nice shred, Greg Shred. I mean, I'm grinding film and lifting weight.
It's been a slow recovery. It's been a rough month, not a lot of shredding going on. I just love it.
You could see the presence when John Spy second Pete Carroll walked into that little section of set of film and TV sets in Indianapolis in the silver and black. There was this presence there, both of them together. They had this like gravitas that's like.
Oh, yeah, we know ball, they matter.
That'll be fun. I think the Gino I think. And I had to convince you on this, by the way. I was texting you about this when I was like, I love this for Gino. I love this for Gino. I love that he's going to get paid. I love that he's going to a team that I think is closer than a lot of other people think to actually competing, because they will.
It's almost like Pete Carroll will like, will it to be so?
I hope so.
On paper, the depth chart still has some issues on both sides of the ball, but football is not played that way. Year after year we think one thing, and I'm with you when I thought matter, like the Raiders matter again. They got a quarterback, they got a coach. Let's get out of here, will be back. If you have this feed, you're going to get forties in free agents. Next on your feed, we'll be talking with Daniel Jeremiah about mock draft. We got an NFL Daily coming up later this week. Thank you, Jordan, You're so welcome. You know what will matter in December? What our friendship?
Yes, that is back. You know who else is back? Nose tackles. When those tackles are back, football is back.
