Winners and Losers from First Week of Training Camp

Published Jul 29, 2024, 7:20 AM

Gregg Rosenthal is joined by Patrick Claybon to give you the winners and losers following the first week of NFL training camps. Including Tua Tagovailoa addressing Dolphins fans after signing his new contract (2:19), Jordan Love's new contract (7:22), a potential Jarrett Stidham resurgence (19:18) and more! Next, we're joined by Bridget Condon as we hear about the latest from Ravens and Bengals camp (36:10).

Note: time codes approximate

Welcome to NFL Daily, where we're always trying to get Rod tidwell paid. It's twenty twenty four, Show me the Money still alive, and so is Patrick. Claybond so lucky to be joined by him today from a hotel room in Cincinnati where he covered the Bengals and he's running all over the country. Patrick, I'm excited for this show this weekend, like I've been prepping all weekend to give the listeners as many winners and losers as possible. I've been reading way too many camp reports, watching way too much ITC So I hope you're ready.

I love that you try to pawn it off as like, hey, this is a rarity. I'm not one hundred percent plugged into all this stuff anyway, and I'm doing this reason. This is just this is just Greg. This is Greg and his natural habitat.

I love it fair.

But you know, we haven't always had these Sunday night shows, and it reminded me. I used to do these articles like sixty four things you know we learned from training camp over the last week or whatever, and so that's how I'm viewing these Sunday night shows, kind of catching up on everything that's been going on while everyone else is paying attention to the Olympics and you don't have time to check out you know what Pewterreport dot com is saying about the Bucks, or some radio stations saying about the Steelers.

So we hope to get you covered.

With all the news big and small, the winners and the losers, and but before that, I mean, I just want to get to one health note, which the Patriots announced Sunday evening that Christian Barmore, who I believe is their best player right now overall best defensive player, is not with the team right now, suffering with blood clots. He is out indefinitely. So I just want to wish him, you know, a speedy recovery. And they didn't say anything about his timeline, but just they hope that he's back. It's obviously very serious issue and glad that they caught it, so hope he as well. Let's get to the winners and the losers.

Patrick.

And since we last taped Tua Tongue of Iloi's contract got done, which I was excited about and Tua was also excited about. While talking to Dolphin's crowd on Sunday, I tell you.

About Patrick's got his hands over his.

Second hand embarrassment. Is is really something And I know it was a dare for Tua to say that, but still that is so not him, right, like whatever whatever you think. And to people who don't know, because like you mentioned Rod Tipple and yeah, I don't even know the math on how long ago, Jerry maguire, we're are.

We in there was nineteen ninety six, So yeah, I don't think Tua was alive or he was maybe just born.

But that's how it used to be before meme culture. Like we would have a movie and then there would be a line from the movie and we would just repeat it for years and years, and that was the one from from the movie. And yeah, like good for Tua. We were talking about it last time. We were in the studio right when we're you know, talking about this hypothetical show and I got a microphone and everything. Everything's great here in Cincinnati. But that was my question to you, like why not just why not just pay him now and save the money in the hashole. You're gonna have to do it anyway, and here we are.

I was wrong being skeptical of this. I'll own my bad takes and it wasn't that this would never happen. But he got all the money. They showed him the money and yeah, no, I shout out. You know that movie, which which was a great movie, great maybe over a very good movie. It stood the test of time, and that quote has stood the test of time. I love that it's still making waves. But it makes more sense when you find out, yes, the offensive coordinator, Darryl Bevel dared him to say it, he said afterwards, but I don't know he got into it. I like seeing the personality to it, like he's shaking his hips. The press conference was a cool moment though. I did watch some highlights of that, and you know, he just said, words can't describe how I feel, and you could tell he looks different. He said, how he gave up sugar. I mean, that's a big thing to give up. Sugar is in everything.

Yeah, it's fruit function. I mean, there's he's got to have some sugars, right.

Right, Oranges like have tons and tons of sugar. But I'm sure you're eating some fruit. But it was it was cool to see him. It was cool to see his his son peeking on the side of the podium, beautiful boy, and it's a journey that he's been on.

Patrick. I looked it up.

It was less than a year ago at this time mid August that he first said publicly in a press conference that he had considered retirement at the end of the twenty twenty two season. You had all those injuries that he had, obviously the two concussions that were really serious, and so to be on that journey is pretty incredible to get to this point, Mike McDaniel said, it's why you coach is journeys like this. You could see how excited Tyreek Hill was when he was on NFL Network with our cam Wolf. And we'll get to the money of it all in a second, but it is kind of amazing to me that that efficient of a season, that that much has changed in one year to where he's at.

Yeah, and well, ultimately, the thing about Tula, right is that level of honesty and openness that he doesn't really run away from. And there's not a lot of athletes right that would admit right or just even feel comfortable having that conversation publicly, and so you're you're you're getting it like whatever whatever it is that you know that that he was dealing with in that particular instance. I know, like coming back from the hip, right he's had the concussions. There were so many things that happened to back to back and then disappointing finishes where you know you do question things, so you do consider things, and then he let it up led the NFL in passing. I know that a lot of those things are met with skepticism considering the offense, it's considering the weapons around them. But if it was that easy to do, I think more people will do it. And I think this contract is going to work out for too well.

It's like, yeah, he landed in the perfect situation. But Mike McDaniel went there for a vision because he knew that Tua was perfect for what he's going to do. That's football is finding the right coach with the right quarterback. And it happened. And I know they're I'm not that big on too it. I don't think he's like a top seven quarterback, but the top fourteen or so quarterbacks get these big Hey, you're a franchise quarterback contracts. That's just the way it is. And when you dig under the hood, it's really a three year contract and Jordan Love's contract is similar. They're counted as for your extensions. But when you look at where the guarantees stop. First of all, it's not even garanteed passed this year, which is crazy. If for some reason he played app like the cap hit would be crazy, but like he doesn't have guaranteed money pass this year. I'm just saying, like, it is crazy how NFL contracts work that they don't really guarantee him anything, but it's really a three year contract and then if they ever wanted to change they could.

Let's get to another winner.

I'll throw out two to start, which is Jordan Love, because you know these two deals go together. What was your reaction Patrick when the Jordan Love contract went down?

Literally the same exact reaction that I had with the to A deal. And we've seen it right play out, especially if you look at Davante and Aaron's like their last couple of years in Green Bay, where there was this himming and hauling. It seemed like decisions were and ultimately like Aaron's decision and darkness closets and all that stuff. Like the team specifically, it seemed like there was a desire to play hardball right with these franchise cornerstones, and they had an opportunity here with Jordan Love And I understand the people critical of the sample size, and they say it's just a stretch late in the season, but the price is only going to go up, Like if you want him to be successful and you're trying to facilitate a successful team here in twenty twenty four, the price is only going to go up, so it just makes sense to go now.

Yeah, I was surprised how much pushback this got of like he's only done it for eight or nine games, Like, what a risk. But people said the same thing when they drafted him, Oh, what are they doing? Like we had this argument on this show. What are they doing?

Okay, let's see how that worked out.

People got annoyed when they actually gave him the two year contract before last year, being like, ed, is this a little bit risky? Like guaranteeing him money into twenty twenty four. They have him in the building every single day. They know exactly how he fits with this coach who's one of the best offensive coach in the league. Like they have so much information compared to like when you have to draft the quarterback number one overall or a first round pick or something like, you have so little information.

They know everything about him.

If you can't see with your own eyes how good Jordan Love is, you're just a hater or you're a Vikings fan, Like I think he's going to be more up and down than a Joe Burrow or even a Herbert maybe just in terms of steady week to week, because I think he's just that's his style of play that he's going to have some bad games where you're like, oh man, that was a bad Jordan Love game, like far frankly, but the highs are going to be crazy and the average game is going to be so good that I don't even care. And those last eight or nine games of the year, he was like the best quarterback in the league.

And I'm I want to see Jordan Love taking risks like Jordan Love turning the ball, Like how many times do we see Aaron Rodgers throwing the ball away? Yeah? He the touchdown interception ratio was crazy, But ultimately you want to see guy go out there and get buckets, and Jordan Love absolutely can and will do that. And if they like we've seen the team flame out late. We saw it with a guy who's going to the Hall of Fame, and so this talk about pressure and all this other stuff. Jordan Love has been there and throughout all of that, why not, And I think it made perfect sense.

Hey, everybody right, And in terms of underpaid, like quarterbacks are going to take a huge portion of the salary cap. That's just how it is. It's not a higher portion right now than it used to be. It's just that the salary cap has gone up and Jordan Love's contract, like all these are going to look totally different in two or three years. And if we really want to get into it, you know, we're we're team America, Patrick, you know, we're into capitalism. But if this was a free market, like they would be making one hundred million plus a year. I have no question, Like, how much would Patrick Mahomes make if there was no salary cap? How much is Jordan Love worth to the bottom line, if there was no salary cap. It's a conversation for another day, But to me, he would be They would be making twice as much. So you could argue that quarterbacks are underpaid if you really want, Yeah, I mean, we.

Could game it out. They would be Patrick Mahomes would be the engine of some local economy where state and local governments would get involved to procure his services. I think we could supersee one hundred million dollars might.

Not do it, No, not for Mahomes.

I was thinking about this because I was looking at like what Ronaldo makes and Messy. It's like, yeah, Mahomes would be in the two hundred plus range. I think the difference would be without the cap, there would be a way bigger gap between Mahomes and al and like a Tua. What the cap does is it makes it so all these quarterbacks are closer together than they really are performance wise, which isn't Patrick Mahomes' fault. It's just like you can only go so high, and yeah, shout out to Tua, shout out to Jordan Levet. We'll wrap this little quarterback section with my first loser. They were both winners, obviously. And that's the reporters that insist they have to call Jordan Love the highest paid quarterback in the league because his agent says so, because he's not. Like, first of all, he's tied on average per year salary with Joe Burrow and Lawrence I think it is. I think those are the three that are tied for average, and it's exactly the same. It's fifty three point one, and so what that means is new money, average salary the years tacked on. But you could also measure it by guaranteed money. Neither of them are that close. They're like fifth and sixth or whatever. You could measure it by cash over the next four years or so. Both of them are like fifth or sixth in that you could measure it over their whole contract, because these are extensions in which they would be even lower. Like Lamar is making fifty three a year. He just didn't sign an extension, so and everyone knows that when they're making these reports. But the agent who is so powerful that like he helped get Deshaun Watson that contract and has kept that because he kept everyone quiet enough to like get him that contract, like just serves this up and it's just it's not the truth. So he just I don't want to hear that Jordan loves the highest paid quarterback in the league all year and use it like as some weapon against him, not that it would be his fault, but he's also just not it's not it's not factual.

It's it's a way to spin facts.

Well, I think and in defense right of the folks that I think the general conversation right supersedes the the agent and their particular involvement because right, remember when it happened with Mahome.

Yeah, but they're the ones that are framing it and like writing those words out.

So there, I mean, we do have to bring personal responsibility. And like if somebody tells you that, it's like, well, like maybe we should maybe we should check on that. You just got to look at the flow and somebody like we talk, we tell people like how it's monopoly money all the time and there's years at the end of some things that you'll never see, like you'll never see and somebody's like, well, Trent Williams has has three years left on his deal. It's like those years aren't what you think that they are like considering.

Right, And that's another way they weren't the highest paid. By the way is total value. So that was four other ways that they weren't the highest paid. I just like pointing that out. I mean, no, I'm being like a grumpy person. It also doesn't matter. It was interesting to me that they made these deals shorter. I think ultimately it for both sides, especially the Dolphins. It serves both sides. It's a little less risky for the.

Team.

I guess it's all about where the guarantees are, but it's more that the players get to get another bite at the apple earlier. So you saw Patrick Mahomes sign that really long contract, and you saw some other longer ones.

Now they're getting.

To be these these three year four year extensions, and so that's a little bit of a change. One last news item before we take our first break, and then we're going to try to go faster through the rest of the winners and losers. I guess a loser here would be the Cowboys depth. We got bad news Sunday afternoon that Sam Williams, their edge rusher, tore his a cl If you're not familiar, Sam Williams good edge rusher, good young player, gonna be their third or fourth edg rusher. I thought the strongest on paper edge group in the entire NFL was the Cowboys, in part because of how good their bench guys are, and Sam Williams was was probably the first guy off the bench along with their their draft pick and so you feel for him losing a guy for the season this early in training camp.

And he's got, I believe, one more year before a free agent year next year after next year, and that's that puts him in a really tough spot because you know that's that's the contract year and he's gonna have to go into that coming off of Torrent Cruisee. I guess silver Lining it's July, and so so maybe that that'll put him about a year coming come out next year.

So the player I was talking about was Marshaon Neeland they took in the second round, who will have a big role. I think was going to have a role anyways, and it could change up Michael Parsons's flexibility. Been interesting to hear that they've had him at off ball linebacker more than a little at camp so far and they're probably just trying out things and that was something he did as a rookie, and obviously he's the best pass.

Rusher in the league.

They probably didn't want to have him major in that, but they wanted to maybe have him ready a little more flexible. It's a position they're thin at off ball linebacker and now with one less pass rusher.

They're probably a little less.

Likely to do that very often in the regular season, and that's not gonna that part of it won't disappoint Cowboys fans because they want to see Parsons rushing the passer. All right, now, it is a good time. We're going to take a break. And now, well, I'll let you even.

Throw out a winner.

I'll do that, Patrick back after this, Okay, Patrick, that's what I like to call the meafy portion of the program.

Now we're gonna we're gonna.

Get deep into the weeds camp notes. You were in Denver, you're in Cincinnati, and you shouldn't just throw out your winners and losers. From there, We're gonna go all the way around. But why why don't you start us off with a winner or loser?

Yeah, I'm gonna I want to start on the left coast. I'm gonna start with a guy who got blasted by everybody. Quinton Johnston spirited defense from his head coach when people were asked about his struggles last year, and he says that Quinton got a bad rap. He's been making some plays in training camp. I think you know, if anybody's familiar with my thoughts on Greg Browman. I think that this could be a spot for success for Quentin Johnson. So I think he is a winner train.

Camp okay, okay, and we're seeing he's mixing in with the first team. I think camp and the preseason will kind of decide whether he's the third receiver. There could be DJ Chark, They're going to play some two tight ends. I'm actually going to be at Chargers camp on Monday, and so that'll be part of our next show. I'll let people know what I saw of Clinton Johnson at practice.

I'm looking forward to that.

I'm gonna throw in Kyle Pitts as an early winner, in part just because he is part of a four person room. You know the dorm room at the end of the hall that would like have four people and would close the door. Do you remember that I was in one of those rooms. It was the only year I lived in dorms. And it is the three quarterbacks and Kyle Pitts. I mean, that's like sending a message right there to just and now and every Falcons practice they're like, Kyle Pitts is getting all of the targets, and.

I think it's because of his spot in the dorm.

You think that relationship doesn't have anything to do with the fact that he's like a mechanized destroyer of worlds out there.

Okay, it might be part of it too, and he's healthy.

But yeah, every every Falcons training camp report is just like, yeah, Kyle Pitts is getting the most targets. And then I see that that he's hanging out. He's rooming with the three quarterbacks. Can you name who the third is? Of course it's Kirk Cousins Michael Pennix. And I feel bad for number three because he's it. He's a legit NFL quarterback, but he's in.

Yeah, no, no, I feel horrible.

Because Taylor Heineke.

Come on, yeah, there he is. Look at the at the survivor. That's like Taylor Heinekee just making it.

Wouldn't be wouldn't be shocked if he's someone else's backup.

Come week one, all right, give me another one.

Another winner. We're going to go to the Denver Broncos where I was yesterday. There was look, Jared Stidham is winning this quarterback battle. Through my eyes. Wow, And again that is a very the caveat is these are through my eyes so, but the quarterback rotation right was Stidham in the first practice, and then they went with the rookie bow Nicks the second practice, and they actually gave Zach a shot shot off to Steve White. He feels that the resurgence is coming. But then it went back to Jared Stidham, and I think when pads go like just blitz pick up, understanding the offense the way the way that the offense moves, it feels like Jared Stidham is going to win the Broncos starting quarterback job.

Wow, now that would be an upset.

I do think there's a better chance of that happening than the consensus. So I'm glad you threw that out there. It kind of reminds me of Trevor Simeon back in the day. Remember on the Around the NFL podcast I was out that August. I was like, guys, I think this dude, Trevor Simmons might might win this job. And I kind of feel that about Stidham. But the most of it is still yet to come for sure. But Sean Payton did kind of indicate they might change up their rotations sooner than later, and my guess would be that it just narrows it down to Nicks and Stidham. I don't think they would take Nicks out of the competition anytime soon. Reportedly he had his best day I think on Saturday, and and those are the two main guys, but maybe a little less for Zach Wilson. Let's stick actually I'm going to go back to Atlanta, but stick with the quarterbacks. Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers are just winners that everything went well this week and all of their practice reports are just like the ball's not hitting the ground and I'll get to like a loser later, but that's just like it's rare in the NFL actually at this time of the year that the offenses are being functional, Like it's usually a tough week, this first week for offenses. So the fact that Cousins and Rogers are just doing the things you expect and all the caveats apply, it's non contact, blah blah blah, but they're not looking any different than you would expect them. Cousins in a new place, Rogers off and Achilles like that is I think that's really good news. I actually think that is a genuine takeaway from this first week.

And perhaps it speaks to the advance of medical technology, or maybe it's just just these guys and the ability right where you have quarterbacks who are later on in their career, who have had all the success that they can well, you know, Kirk Cousins come up short a couple times, but he's had playoff success as well, and they get a chance to pick a very good spot. And we've seen guys just when you have that opportunity to pick your team, you normally do it for a reason, and these guys have found themselves in pretty good spot.

Yeah, it doesn't mean I'm like just assuming they're the same guys because that was on that is on my radar, but just the first I think test being passed that okay, no red flags here. While I'm talking about it, might as well not delay. Like offenses are are losers around the league, like just as someone who is going through all these reports, like everyone is concerned that their offense thinks, and so I think it's just what happens when you can't really block as an offensive lineman the first week. And granted most of these offenses might stink in the regular season that have been really strugging the Patriots, the Giants, the Broncos, the Jaguars. I've seen just a lot. Jaguars are a little surprising that it's just every day. They're like, the defense is absolutely dominating Trevor Lawrence and there's been a lot of interceptions there. But I just think it's it's partly it's that time of year that it's just it's difficult and some takeaways from there, but like overall, you don't want to get too panicky.

Yeah, it's it's very very early and it's very very difficult, right considering that the stakes and a lot of stuff. You know, people will see like seven on seven stuff where you could take it either way. Right, it's like, oh gosh, we can't cover anybody. But I was watching a rep this afternoon where Trenton Irwin is getting is getting open and like there's there's decent coverage and Joe Burrow just puts the ball in a great spot and it's like, well, so how are we marking that there's no pass rush and you've got a guy that can you know, throw the ball wherever he wants. So it's it's very difficult to evaluate like offense defense right now, everybody.

Okay, maybe maybe I'm over. I'm over.

No, I'm just definitely what we're trying to say in all these places, like, okay, just calm down. It's it's okay that the Patriots offense is not working against a defense that's been together.

It's not at Matt Patricia levels. All right, what do you got for me?

Patrick? Anthony Richardson looks great, he looks spectacular. I was able to watch a little bit of him going four for four in a team session, just moving great ball, has great velocity coming. It's it's all the things that we saw in those four games. And he's back, he's healthy, and I think they're gonna be even better.

I love that one.

And yeah, I do love He's another guy that because he missed a couple of days in Ots that you were I was a little worried about coming into camp and it's been all systems go. They're not putting Adie Mitchell ahead of Alec Pierce yet. That that's something to watch as.

We I think they got to get them on the field.

Yeah, it's it's it's early. It's early.

I am going to give a loser despite just saying that we should be patient, with the offenses in terms of like performance and just say hearing that Daniel Jones just hasn't been accurate and is underthrowing everything. That's a little different to me than the offense totally struggling as a whole, that that they're trying to go deep all the time and he has just been off target again five weeks till the regular season starts. But it's one thing I always worry about with the guy coming off with torn acl Sometimes it messes with your mechanics and your accuracy and in just your throwing motion. And it just reportedly hasn't been great in New York pretty consistently throughout the start of camp. The positive is that Neighbors is like always open and maybe he's just too hard not to underthrow, because that's every every day. It's like, oh, Neighbors had to come back for a pass that Daniel Dunes underthrown and Daniad Jones has a big arm or he had you know, he had a good arm. That's not a concern to me, But that's the positive. His Neighbors is supportively supposedly wrecking shop every practice, But Danion Jones struggling and drew Locke also struggling.

So it's just a struggle fest.

And maybe you know, if we're gonna miss, now's the time to miss, right. I get a chance to work on things. And perhaps there's hope for Dimes after all. Who knows knows. But yeah, it's a watching the elite neighbors basically stopping look like a fair catch was not not inspired.

No, and but it is exciting to hear the way that they're talking about neighbors there that just like he wants the ball, they are insisting on.

Getting him the ball.

A couple guys, I'm going to give his winners that might be getting the ball a little more out of the backfield. Taysom Hill lining up as a running back and a full back quite a bit. I just like that as a full back. Let's go Taysom Hill full back days. And then I'm buying in on the Damian Pierce resurgence season. He does pass the test for me of like he has been good in the NFL. We've seen it with our eyes. And he talked about maybe he wasn't in like perfect shape last year and just learning some things and had some injuries and Joe Mixon hasn't really practiced at all at Texans camp, and he's an aging player with a lot of miles on him. I'm not going to push the panic button there, but that could happen during the season, and everyone who's been at practice just says, oh, Pierce looks like he's back to being the old Pier.

So I'm buying back in on Damian Pierce.

He's trying harder Joe Mixon camp, and he's motivated now. Thing to do with him being I don't think it's.

He says, he's thin, Uh, you got any more for us?

I got? I got a handful of little ones to come.

Well, it's odd because Trent Brown isn't isn't practicing right now, but Amarius Mims comes in. And that's one thing that Zach Taylor has has said, when you have all these veterans right, like, you don't need to teach Jamar Chase right how to play football, like, you don't have to coach guys up when you've got guys that have been around for a long time. So I think Amarius Mims getting more time, uh plan playing tackle is good for the Bengals.

How was the how are the vibes there since he the.

Vibes are immaculate. There's you know, I saw a kid with the blonde hair today. Apparently that's going to be a thing. I mean, Joe's probably going to grow it out.

And no, Jamar Chase, that's still a thing. But that's okay.

I'm hearing some andre yoshavaspazz that that's fun.

Yeah, and Jermaine Burton as well. I think I think receivers. Uh, the team. The team looks great. It's just going to be a question of how they stay together. Is Joe healthy and back? But compared to Denver, there's a notable difference when you have a franchise quarterback and you're watching practice.

Yeah, I gotta say I watched like that Sean peyton opening press conference freaked me out more than anything. He just didn't seem happy to be there. He was like it was like he had just walked off the field of a forty one to seven loss and it was the first day of training.

Game I watched.

I ended up watching work as someone told me, like, just watch this thing, and it's I don't know, it's almost like he.

He's not I don't know, he's giving me parcels.

Like in Dallas late or maybe parcels as an executive in Miami vibes.

But that's we'll see, that's not fair.

Yeah, it's just waiting for the winds to come. There was a great he did have a great moment that not a lot of people picked up on. It was it was on Friday, I believe somebody asked about his quarterbacks execution. He said he was for it, and there were only like a couple laughs, and I'm like, wait, guys, like got to give that some pop.

Yes, that is a classic reference. Good job by Sean Payton to John McKay who said that back in the day when he was running the expansion Bucks, who were on just a brutal, brutal stretch. I think they're probably there as the worst team maybe in NFL history. They were in the mix a couple quick winners and losers. Winner Jake Bates you might not know him, but he's the UFL legend who had never kicked a field goal in a game until he kicked a sixty four yard field goal in the UFL. This is not an exaggeration, Patrick, I'm not talking professional. He had never kicked one in high school or college or professional. He was on some college teams but never got beyond being the backup. I think he came from a soccer background and he got a shot in the UFL and hit two sixty four yarders and now he's on the Lions. And unfortunately because Michael Badgeley taurus hamstring and is out for the season. The positive spin is this kid Baits is going to get the job. Most likely. He's looked good at camp and so it's a fun story. A guy who literally had never kicked a ball in a game until a few months ago. Dreams are made in the UFL. I'm going to throw out some losers to cornerbacks. Cornerback injuries, Chadobi a woozy. I think it was a calf injury early. This was a I know, I'm not taking a victory lap. It's way too early, obviously. But this was maybe the most curious contract in all of free agency. A guy who just did not look right coming off his torn ACL last year had to get bench with Cincinnati, and then they gave him a huge contract in Tennessee. So I hope he can get better. Marshawn Lattimore a hit pointer the Vikings cornerbacks Shaq Griffin has now joined Mackay Blackman on the sideline. Blackman's going to miss the season, Shack Griffin, it's not going to be that long or anything. But they're starting right now at practice Andrew Booth and Duke Shelley who was just signed a couple of days ago, and so that that's tough for the Vikings and the Rams have Darius Williams on the shelf after they all already lost a cornerback. So injuries, unfortunately, are kind of the most noteworthy thing this time of year. You hate to see that, but especially Vikings Rams. And I'll keep an eye on Latimer because he's only right when you know he can be the best player at cornerback in the league. But when he's hurt, it's just not the same. It's a bad start to his season.

Yeah, I gotta get him. It's just especially when you think back about how good that draft class was and how they're they're they're kind of falling, you know, by the wayside, and it's like twenty seventeen wasn't that long ago. But you start looking at the clock and we got some miles, We got some miles piling.

Up, You got any more you want to squeeze in Before we get to Bridget Connon, who also is Cincinnati, I'm going to get some Bengals Ravens takeaways from her.

I'm just I'm all positive, Greg. I mean, I didn't. It's really tough. It's tough, like I wasn't gonna go negative Bonnicks and making a positive on Jared Stidham. You know, it's all right.

I'll throw out some more positives then you want me you have do you have more positives?

Chris Godwin coming back looking looking healthier and better. I think the the Evans and Baker situation, everybody coming back. I think this is going to be a bounce back year for Chris Godwin in Tampa Bay. I like it. I like the Bucks in the South.

Okay uh and yeah, they they used it more in the slot last year.

I think he totally works there.

They signed McMillan, who from Washington, who's getting some buzz early in camp. He I thought about him for one of these nuggets. And so you had Trey Palmer, who did some things as a rookie. It that's a sneaky great receiver group. If McMillan is as good as they like. Again, pads haven't come on, but that that is a pretty great receiver group.

I'll go positive too.

I mean, number one, I've heard just insane things about Gino in practice so far.

I don't even want to get excited.

So someone wrote they've never seen a Seahawks quarterback start camp this well, I was like, Okay, I don't want to get too carried away, but their o. C Ryan Grubb, the way he talks about Gino is just like one of the most natural throwers of the ball that he has ever seen, and really is making Grub look better with all the protections he does. Excited about that. Justin Field's getting all the first team reps. It's not a bad thing for him, even if he's not going to win the starting job like he has now had almost a week of starter reps at Steelers camp because Russell Wilson's still not back from that calf injury. And then last one is Kingsley Sue Matteya, the Chiefs left tackle. Looks like the second round pick is going to be their left tackle, so we don't know for sure, but he's getting all the reps with the first team right now, and so that is a big spot protecting Patrick Mahomes. If you want to jump on Gino or fields, let me know. If not, you know, I'll let you free into the Cincinnati night. What do we got going on there?

Well, I mean there's some sort of festival are going on downtown, so maybe I'll know. I'll get out here and see some vendors and yeah, the I think, Greg, you shouldn't be cautious with your optimism for Gino Smith.

I just don't want it to be in every show thing. But the Seahawks people are getting me getting me excited right now.

I mean Gino was getting them excited, So it's excitement all around.

It kind of makes sense like he had to survive this offseason. He lost his guy and Pete Carroll. In the way his contract was set up in the draft, you could have gone sideways for him in terms of keeping that job, but he did keep it. And I mean, talk about best shape of your life. Just look at Gino right now. He just looks like a different person. It's his third year there. He's got a very creative offensive coach. He's got a group around him that is primed. I mean it's prime DK. You get the second year of Smith and Jigba, who's going to be better and it's just this is his year, I think to have like his best year is right now.

Gina Smith, there it is. I think it's I think the West is going to be fun. I got Kyler down as a winner as well. It just did. There's there's a there's an excitement, there's a juice there that they haven't had in a while. The division is going to be fun to see.

There was a report how he didn't feel that his lateral agility. See this is where reading all those team reports are coming in handy. He didn't feel like he really had that last year. He could run straight and you saw that you could still run, but he couldn't really do the joking that that he is known to do. And he says, that's all the way back now and you can really see it in practice. So that that's a good shout to finish up our winners and losers. You're always a winner, Patrick. Check them out on Inside Training Camp Live all week on NFL Network. We are really doing it big this week and Patrick is in the middle of it. We'll see you later, Buddy, and Bridget Conan is coming back after the break talk.

Little Bengals and ratings sucret back on NFL Daily and.

Back for Bengals practice. It's one of our best reporters at NFL Network. It's Bridget Condon.

Wow, what an intro.

I know she's straight off the field into your hotel room. I know how it is these ITC days. I don't really know how it is, but I can imagine you are in Baltimore for a couple of nights, you fly into Cincinnati, Like, what is your level of frazzled right now?

Well, first, I just want to announce like, welcome to my crib MTV cribs, because I'm like, I feel like I'm letting you into my bedroom. Love that I am happy that this is a video and not us together because I smell awful because I was just in the blazing sun for like six hours.

Yeah, my brain fried.

I literally went to Chick fil A yesterday and the cashier was like, Okay, that's gonna be sixteen dollars and I was like, okay, thanks, and she's like staring at me, and I'm staring at her, and she's like, you have to pay now. And I was like, oh, got it. I was talking to Eric DaCosta and he was He's from Massachusetts and I was like, oh, I'm from Massachusetts too, and he was like what city. I was like, Massachusetts, So that's where I'm at.

That it is hot at that Baltimore training camp. I've been there, and that'll that'll fry your brain. But yeah, I love love that. Bridget's on another masshole like me. And yeah, you spent a couple of days with the Ravens. What were your takeaways? I know Lamar must you must have missed Lamar one day and then he finally returned from his his sickness. Yeah, what was your thoughts seeing seven the Ravens for a couple of days?

So initial thoughts here, Lamar Jackson running out on the field on Saturday was one of the coolest experience. And I know a lot of people want us to get into football, and we'll get there. But I just have to say there were fifty youth football teams in attendance, boys, tackle, girls, flag football.

The way that these kids all.

Went absolutely insane when Lamar ran by them and then they're like all running to the fence where they you know, fans can go up to and he comes over in waves and these kids are screaming their heads off, which to.

Me is just a cool, cool moment.

Lamar is so inspirational, especially to young kids in Baltimore, and to see that in person, that's what training camp is all about. I know that it's important for you know, the players to get into football shape, but that was so cool.

It gave me chills.

Yeah.

I don't know if there's a player now that OBJ is not who he once was that connects with fans. Yeah, in the same way that Lamar does. Mahomes certainly, but he almost just seems like he's on another planet and somehow Lamar is like one of them, especially in Baltimore. No, that that's cool to hear. It's been an interesting camp there. They mean, they started before some other teams because they were allowed to with the.

And F game, So they've been hitting.

You saw some padded practice like but you know, anyone you talk to there in terms of front office coaches talk about which players are kind of shining right now or looking bad.

They're not going to say who's looking bad.

Yeah, let me tell you my list of players looking bad. No, my second note of training camp. Derrick Henry. Have you seen him in person?

Yes?

Okay, so I have had never done a Titans game. I've never seen him in person. We interviewed him on Saturday. That man is huge, Like you look at him and you're like, you're a running back, Like he is just like big and thick, and it's crazy to think about what this offense is going to look like with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry with that one two punch, plus you know, Zay Flowers obviously is elevating in his second year.

He had a great end of the year his rookie year last season.

So just seeing the way that they are going to design the offense and all the different options that they have, it's going to be amazing.

Yeah.

I will forget standing on the sidelines, which we are lucky enough to do when we do the London games for Sky Sports, and it was Titans Ravens last year, and so we're we're standing like right at the goal line and it just seems crazy that anyone can ever tackle that dude.

And they and they did.

There was a big goal line stand in the game where like it was like a car crash and you're just kind of amazed that anyone could ever tackle him. And yeah, I read that article about his diet how he doesn't eat Yeah, from the season until four or five pm and then again at eight pm.

Sounds insane. How could you operate like that?

That's kind of crazy. I'm like, oh, is this safe? Like can we get a nutritionist? But he I guess because the Titans used to practice like early, so he wouldn't need it right away. But I think with the Ravens they start practice at like one, he's having to eat something before. So he was telling us that he's eating these avocado spinach smoothies. He doesn't eat chicken wings or anything anymore. And off camera I was asking him about it. He's like, do you want to try one?

I was like, yeah.

He never brought it over, unfortunately, but he was like, honestly, I hate avocado, Like I have to drink that smoothie and like chase it with water. And I was like, if that is not dedication, Like he's doing everything he can to help this team.

Yeah, I don't care how good a job you're doing interviewing me. I'm not sharing my my smoothie with you or with anyone that just doesn't say thing that you share.

I guess cup hold on, hold on, he wasn't going to share his He was going to have like the trainers make us our own.

Okay, okay, okay, I feel yeah for that too. But that's nice of him. He is.

He's known as a nice guy. Let's move on to Cincinnati where you were today. I know, I know it was hot down there, Like, how did this offense look? I know Jamar Chase hasn't been out on the field. How did it look without him?

Okay, so he's still at practice. I don't know how much you saw online or whatever. So he actually was throwing passes with Baldy. It was hilarious. Baldy was like, hey, Jamar, throw me a pass and Baldy dropped it. Baldy was like, it was my finger. I was like, you can't use that as an excuse, Baldy. But he's like in every rep right, Like he might not be playing on the field, but he's there right next to the coaches talking to the players. He's very much still involved. Like that leadership role is there. Joe Burrow looks phenomenal. I was watching him today and I was like this guy had wrist surgery. Some of the balls he was throwing. I was like, dang, those are really nice. One interesting thing from eleven on eleven, T Higgins dropped a pass like over his shoulder and he got down immediately did ten pushups, which I thought was pretty cool. Like it was a contested ball and obviously he thought he should have caught it.

But that's just the dedication.

You can see it from the you know, all these stars that have been together for so long. T Higgins said earlier this week that Joe Burrow looks like he did the off season going into that Super Bowl run.

So take that for what it is.

I think it's so important, and I don't know if we're talking about it. That he's out there during preseason. Yes, I mean his rookie year, no preseason because of COVID, and then he was coming back from an ACL he had the app and deck to me he had a calf injury.

He's never completed a preseason pass.

And you know, of course people say preseason and whatever, but the Bengals have struggled the past three years to start the season, they've been five and four. They've had to get themselves out of these holes in like November December, they've been able to go on runs. But imagine if they can start the season eight and oh nine to oh what is I'm.

Almost afraid to talk about it because I'm with you. It's so huge and less about the preseason games and more just these practices than stacking one after another. And I mentioned earlier in the show he did winners and losers, and my losers are just like NFL offenses around the league are just usually struggling at this time of year. So I do note when some players coming off some struggles come out like a house on fire. And the two names probably that have stuck out the most to me of just everyone that's been there has said they've looked excellent are Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts. And so I think if you're Bengals fan, it's fine, it's fine to get excited. It's fine to get overly excited at this time of year, like you haven't had a build up like this, So that would be huge for them. And the lack of Chase gives gives Andre Yoshavas, who's the number three receiver right now, and Jermaine Burton who might be the number three receiver eventually, like more more time with Burrow, which is the worst thing.

Yeah, Trent Irwin too, make it a place. So it'll be interesting to see because they're trying to work a couple of different guys into that slot. With obviously Tyler Boyd gone. They need to figure out who's going to be that number three. So that's that's really important this time of year.

I don't know, I'm tempted.

I do think maybe it's the it's a year for one of the other af C, but the one one of them that I'm debating, But no, I was high on the Chiefs. I had them going to the super Bowl going into last year. But this year, I think Bills are Bengals. I'm I'm debatings.

See I'm obviously just coming from Baltimore, and I'm like, nobody can stop these guys.

Yeah, one of the those are those are the four? Head wait till that we know one of those four and it's probably not going to be the Chiefs will disappoint because that's just like that's how the.

NFL is going to get You.

Never disappoint though, Bridget thank you for joining me, and thanks We're gonna try to get you in the show when you're back in the studio, but enjoy the rest of inside training camp. I know you will be on the road the next week and a half. Like most of NFL Network, we will be on the road on Monday, but just down the road and Elsa Gundo talking to the Chargers.

Until then been NFL Daily. We'll see you next thing.

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