Answering if the Dodgers are Ruining Baseball & NFL News Recap

The Dodgers just pulled off another move that makes fans feel helpless, and the loudest claim is the simplest one: they are breaking baseball. I do not buy that. I break down the Tarik Skubal trade, why the return looked so manageable, and the real engine behind the Dodgers’ advantage: deferred payments, luxury tax math, and a front office willing to play a long game that other clubs refuse to touch.

We get into what deferred money actually does in Major League Baseball, how it changes a team’s competitive balance tax bill, and why it gives the Dodgers flexibility to keep stacking talent. Then we flip it to the player side and explain why the players willingly take deferrals, including the tax mechanics that can reduce state tax exposure later in retirement-style payout structures. That leads to the bigger question hanging over the league: is all this Dodgers outrage setting the table for the next collective bargaining agreement fight and a push for an MLB salary cap?

From there, I jump to the NFL and hit the biggest recent moves and storylines: Stefon Diggs landing with the Commanders, Zay Flowers getting paid like a top-tier wide receiver, Bijan Robinson resetting the running back market, Jadeveon Clowney joining a loaded Texans defense, and Deebo Samuel returning to the 49ers. We also talk key injuries, the Baker Mayfield contract standoff in Tampa, and my top five quarterbacks with something to prove this season.

Subscribe for more, share the show with a friend, and if you like what you hear, leave a five-star review so more sports fans can find us.

Transcript

Welcome Back And Today’s Agenda

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Welcome back to the JB Sports Podcast. Today is Wednesday, August 5th, and we are back for another pod. Um, no Jace today. Still doing different things. He couldn't do it. I honestly didn't even ask him. It's kind of on me. Just because I guess it's kind of this like um because I didn't I didn't pod last week. I did it like last Saturday. So I'm like, oh, I can wait till next Saturday, and then it becomes a whole thing, and then I wait a little bit longer. Turns into Wednesday, so it's not a full two weeks, but it's like almost a week and a half of not podcasting. But I did have like the instant like want-to after the MLB kind of went through their um what's what I'm looking for, the trade deadline and the Dodgers again with Tarek Scuball. I want to get to that. That's gonna be the first thing I want to talk about today. That was like the thing that really won made me want to podcast today, which was me kind of deep diving into the Dodgers and how everybody's all worried they're breaking baseball. And like I really do, I hate I hear I heard this specific um Um theory that the Dodgers get to do what they want. Just I'll get to that in a minute. So that was my my main thing I wanted to do today, which is why I was spurred the podcast. Um, but on top of that, I want to talk about some of the NFL signings that have gone on over the last about week and a half that I wanted to get into and have my opinions on those. And then I also wanted to do there's a couple NFL injuries that I wanted to talk about, and I wanted to also get into the Baker Mayfield contract stuff. I know that was like middle of last week, but I do want to I did want to talk about it just because he did have a few quotes and it just I have my feelings on it, and it's just kind of goes to show is that like at one point I really hated that guy, but I tend like now I'm kind of like a Baker guy, and I'm kind of like on his side on this, even though I understand potentially the situation he's in and why I do kind of feel for Baker Mayfield, and like there was like one point in my life in watching Baker Mayfield, I would have hated that dude, never wanted him to play on a football field ever, because of how he was at Oklahoma and like how I felt about him. But I've really turned really turned it around with him, and I think I really have turned into a Baker Mayfield guy, but I'll get to that at the end. And then I did want to do something else of like talking about some of like the win total stuff like that, but I don't want to make this podcast too long because the last one I did was like three hours. So if we get to a point where I finish up all the things, these things are already half pre-planned and then have a little bit of time. I want to talk about something at the end. I'll get into it, but I just want to get into the stuff that I have now and uh get get into all that so and then I'll make a decision then as to if I want to just kind of tack on like a more general NFL topic to kind of jump into. So without further ado, we're let's go ahead and get started here. And

Dodgers Land Tarik Skubal

SPEAKER_00 3:04

I want to start with the LA Dodgers, man. And before I think that like I said before, the thing that really spurred this on for me was the Dodgers trading for Tarek Skubal. Um Tariq, Tarek, Tarik, I think it's Tarek, Tarek. Um, the kind of like known as like people call him like the best pitcher in baseball, but he's been dealing with elbow injuries and all that. So the and the Tigers, not necessarily being a great team, decided they want to get off him, get whatever they can for him because they're not gonna pay him long term, and he doesn't really want to be there because he wants to try to go to a winning situation. And this and this kind of spurred like a bunch of teams trying to trade for him. And let me let me do a quick Google search here of teams that were trying to trade for Scuball. So there were let me see here. There were like a few teams that were very p very like aggressive going after Derek Scuball, and that was including the Brewers, that was including the Dodgers, I think the Yankees were were in on a little bit. Even though I never really wanted him in the first place, I'm like our starting pitching rotation is actually in a good spot. It's more of our closing rotation, is what messes us up for the uh for the Yankees pitching staff. And then let me see. I'm sorry, I'm trying to get the exact number of teams that were interested. Let's see, it was the Dodgers, it was there was they said there was like seven or eight teams that were interested in in the trade. It was like the Yankees were in, the Brewers were in, and I think those were like the main three, okay? And then the Dodgers who obviously got him. And honestly, what they got for what they traded for him was kind of does suck because they didn't have to trade a lot. The Dodgers didn't. I think they gave up like their 20. Their best prospect was like in their 20s something, ranked of their own prospects. They didn't give up a bunch for him. I think this was more about the I I think there were teams that could have given up more for Scuba and they didn't. And that's including the Yankees, that's including the Brewers, and that part does suck. And I think I have a kind of a working theory as to why that really happened, but I'll get to that at the very end because I want to get to this whole thing about the Dodgers first, because let's be honest, ever since the trade deadline happened, everybody's super dumb bummed about the MLB, and everybody wants to blame the Dodgers and say that they're the they they have ruined baseball and they've already won back-to-back World Series, and they're gonna be going for a third, and everybody's super upset at the Dodgers in this whole situation when I think they are a lot more, and again, I think competitively, is it a bummer that the Dodgers, the rich, just got much richer? And again, I'm saying this as a Yankees fan that I know the Yankees have spent plenty of money, they have plenty of players, and again, the Yankees are among the rich, but I think the Dodgers have separated themselves even from the team like the Yankees because of what their business practices are. Again, not saying they're doing anything wrong, but I'm saying they're taking advantage of certain things that other teams aren't either aren't willing to do, or they're just not capable of doing because of the situation with the players, and like like it takes two to tango to a certain extent, and I'll get to what I mean by that in a second. And my main and then so I am am I bummed? Yes. Am I do does do I think this like guarantees the Dodgers a another World Series? Potentially, but at the end of the day, even though I love the Yankees, and if once I see the Yankees win another World Series again, because again I haven't seen it since 2009, it will be a very emotional moment because I love baseball. Baseball is probably my is is literally the sport I grew to love first. It was a sport I played as a kid. I played the most years of my of my life playing baseball, and I've um and I still watch plenty of baseball. My my youngest brother still plays. I have a I have a joy watching him play. And honestly, when I get into watching MLB games, it is like insane because my level of understanding of the game is at such a high level. I just have a lot of fun really watching it when I get into it, right? Again, am I super locked in on the regular season? No. I think it takes a specific very specific, specific fan to be locked in on the MLB during the regular season for all 162. But by the time games start getting really important and getting into the playoffs, that's where I kind of jump in. And again, I'm not saying I'm here for the dog days of the MLB. So I I think there is are there definitely are levels of fans that are way more invested than me. And so I'm not gonna sit here and try to poo-poo and like act all upset. And and again, I am upset to a certain extent, but I'm like, I'm not trying to claim that I am some like I'm a diehard for the Yankees, but I'm not a diehard baseball fan like I am a diehard football fan. I think the only sports that I watch and I'm a diehard fan for, that I'm like a true consumer of everything about the sport is NFL and college football. Those are the two. When it comes to basketball, I can kind of jump in and out and I'm not getting super in like emotional involved in it. At least it doesn't right now because my team sucks for the Bulls. And then for baseball too, and I think that those are the two that I'm like not as diehard about as a sport, but I am diehard about the team that I watch. And I think there's even a difference there because I am more diehard about the Yankees than I am about the Bulls, and that's mostly because the Bulls have sucked for the last 20 some, like for as long as I can remember, ever since Derek Rose got her, I think pretty much ever since then, my hopes for the Bulls to be competitive on a year-in-year-out basis just have not happened. Again, I am feeling a little better about it now with Kate with Caleb Wilson being the next young guy, and I think there's a lot of promise there, but that that has yet to be seen, okay. So back to the Dodgers. They signed, they traded for Scoobaul, didn't give up a lot for him. That part sucked. And I think I do you do have to blame the Yankees and the and the Brewers for not making making it happen, like, hey, if they really wanted it, go ahead and up your offer to make sure that trade happened. And he didn't go there, but it didn't. And he goes there, and the MLB kind of explodes, and fans start getting super mad, and everybody is and I think this is what the MLB wants to a certain extent, at least the owner side, they want the fans to be mad at the Dodgers, they want the fans to consider Dodgers enemy number one, and because of that, everybody is gonna start talking about the fact that the that at least fans-wise, that there needs to be a salary cap, and the fact the Dodgers can do this is unfair to everybody else, and all the small market small market teams are getting pushed out, and I think that's a trap that the MLB wants fans to fall into to a certain extent. But I'll get back to that main regular, like overarching point in a second. But let me get to the thing with the Dodgers specifically.

The Billion Dollar Deferral Reality

SPEAKER_00 10:33

I after that deal happened, I saw a tweet later on that day or the next day that talked about the fact that the Dodgers are currently def they have in deferred payments, they have over a billion dollars in deferred payments over the next, let's see, latest payments is it 40, 2047, over the next 21 years, they have over a billion dollars in deferred payments. And let me give you the names. Otani, they will be paying in for anybody who doesn't know deferring payments in the MLB, it allows MLB teams to pretty much not have to give the full value of the contract over the life of the actual playing contract. So let's just say Otani is signed to play for the next 10 years, but instead of having to pay his $700 million contract over the next 10 years, they can then split off the the that money and pay him for the next 30 something years. Sorry, next 20 something years, and defer those payments, and they're more of like an equal, like equal chunks out, so they don't have to pay all that money in a shorter period of time. Okay. And that's something the MLB does specifically that literally nobody else really, no other sport really takes advantage of in that way. I think the NFL has that a little bit, and so does basketball, but it's like it's rarely used because teams just don't have a bunch of money and they don't want to have that type of long-term money locked up, like over 20 years of just constant payments out to these to these players, even if they're not paying playing for those organizations. Okay. So back to the Dodgers. They have over a billion dollars in deferred payments over the next 21 years they're gonna be paying out. Otani is gonna be be getting paid till 2043, and he deferred 680 million of his 700 million dollar contract. So they're they are gonna owe him $680 million over the next let's see, like 17 years. They're gonna be paying him until 2043. Um, Mookie Betts, they're gonna be paying him deferred payments until 2044, Blake Snell until 2046, um, Freddie Freeman until 2040, Will Smith until 2043, Kyle Tucker until 2045, um, Tommy Edmund until 2044, Tiascar Hernandez until 2039, Tanner Scott until 2039, and then Edwin Diaz for until 2047. And I kind and I've I've talked about this before and how the Dodgers are using deferred payments to kind of have like a huge kind of um lead in in front of everybody because they're gonna have a lot more money to spend because that money is not getting thrown into players, which then isn't getting thrown into their luxury tax um payments, which is what that's what really makes it um impossible for teams once you get up over a certain threshold when you're how much money you're paying out, is that once you get over a certain thing, you have to start paying these crazy luxury tax bills. That's what MLB owners don't want to have to deal with, right? So a lot of other teams in the MLB just sit there and say, Hey, we're just gonna not get near that number, so we don't have to pay out those luxury tax bills. But the Dodgers have literally, what is it? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten players in their squad that are highly paid players, and including their best player in Shohi Otani, allowing the team to defer these payments out for long after these players are even playing the game, and they're willing to take these long, they'll they're willing to take the short-term loss of money because they're not getting paid as much money within their playing contract, but they're willing to defer those payments for super far out, even in times that they're not gonna be playing the game anymore. And in that is like a a two, like that's like I said before, two, it takes two to tango. The Dodders can want to do this as much as they want, but the player has to be willing to accept such a deal, and they have to be willing to just wait on that money and be getting that money over long term. Why does this matter? So what is and I'm gonna separate this by what does the team get out of this situation, and then what do the players get out of the situation, which is why this is such a not dangerous, but like such a like a such a loophole in paying players in like the luxury tax and all that the MLB. So what does the team get out of this? The luxury tax savings that's the Dodgers don't have to pay as much. Um so luxury tax, if you pay over a certain amount with your salaries for your players, you then have to pay a luxury tax, which is like a one big payment that then gets split up to that to all the other MLB teams that don't are aren't in the luxury tax, okay? So if you're in the luxury tax, you don't get you don't get the the piece of that by because then you're paying that luxury tax, okay? So once you go over a certain number, and depends on how many times you go over that number over a certain amount of years, that number just keeps rising and rising and get much higher, right? So because of these deferred payments, the Dodgers don't have to pay as much in luxury tax. And so when I say that, without deferrals that they have with all those players I was talking about before, they currently have a four for this season, they have a $430 million pay payroll. But if those deferrals were not there, their payroll would jump up to $470 million, which would take the luxury tax payment that the Dodgers have to pay at the end of the season. So currently with the deferrals, they only have to pay $180 million. But if those deferrals, but since they have um without the deferrals, that $180 million we get would jump up to $224 million. That that's a check they would have to write to the rest of the league at the end of the season. And that's just for 2026, okay? And because of that, because of that tax savings, they don't have to pay, and that's just for one season, by the way. That doesn't apply to the season next season or the season after that, or the seasons they've been playing these last two years with all these great players on their roster not getting paid as much money, having all that money deferred. So, with that tax savings, they're willing to sit here and they have a lot more money to spend, which means they can keep getting players like a Terek, a Tariq Scoot Tarek Skubal, even though he's getting paid a bunch of money, they can afford it because they have so much money deferred to all these other players they have on their roster. Okay, which gives them a lot of flexibility to go out, go out there and keep getting make keep adding players to their roster and they keep getting better and better. Okay. And so that's what the team gets out of it. They can keep being competitive. It's cheaper on the front end because you don't have to be paying all these luxury tax bills. And I think because the Dodgers have become such a huge deal in Japan because of players like Shohei Otani and um Yamamoto, the pitcher that they have, they literally have a whole country behind them. And those two players are considered gods in Japan, and Japan's such a huge fan, as a country, such a huge fan of baseball, they're following Shohei Otani, and that means all of the they they literally have a whole country buying merch and buying and following their team, and that just and not to mention the Dodgers are the most famous team in the in the US as well. So that that's all money that the Dodgers are are just printing money from selling jerseys, selling um merch, all that stuff. They're just gonna keep printing money as long as Shohei Watani and all these other players they have, and as long as they keep having the success on the baseball field, which isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Shohei still has plenty of years left in like playing great baseball, as well as Yamamoto is still a younger player. So and they still have a very great team and they keep adding to this team and they're gonna stay competitive and be a team that's like gonna be on the top of the sport for more often than not, right? So the Dodgers, because of that, the because they get a bunch of money on the back end, because not only they're saving money tax-wise, but they're printing money when it comes to merch sales and people showing up to their games, like all of that is off the charts, okay? So that allows them to be like, hey, yes, we're gonna be paying out a bunch of this money over a billion dollars over the next 20 years, but that won't matter because we're making so much money right now and we're saving so much right now that we can add to our team while still making a ton of money and not having to pay a bunch of tax of uh tax dollars um and luxury taxes to the rest of the MLB. And that I think I think it just allows them to stay competitive, to keep printing money hand over fist, especially from a whole country in Japan, because they're all they all view Shoeyotani's like a god at this point, and I'm not meing literal, but as close to it as you could possibly get if it's with a normal human and Yamamoto and like they like all of that is like all going in the Dodgers' way, okay. So now the second question is what do the players get out of this arrangement? And this is where I kind of did the deep dive here and what really got me into this whole thing.

How Players Win On Taxes

SPEAKER_00 19:58

So players use two specific tax specific tax rules to profit from these deferred payments, all right? The first one is a state tax prohibition, which means that state states can't tax the retirement income of people who don't reside in that state. Keep that in mind while I give you the second one. And the second rule that they take advantage of is the 10-year rule. So for deferred income to become to qualify as protected retirement income, it must be paid out in equal installments over a period of 10 years. So, with those two rules specifically, and all these players, a lot of these players are gonna be getting money long after they retire, and all this money is gonna be paid out for over 10 years, literally 20 years, so like very long amounts, and they're gonna get equal payments. So all these players I was talking about, and Terek Scuba, apparently they're gonna be trying to uh to sign him as well, and they're gonna try to take advantage of that same sat that same thing. So using those two tax rules for these players, which is why they're because again, the players have to be willing to accept these terms and be willing to take less money now while getting all of their money long term. Because again, the players have to accept this, this as a as a um as a contract negotiation, right? You the a team can't force these uh parameters on a player's contract, they don't want it. If you want to get all your money within the life of your contract, that's exactly what you which what the player can can do, and there's nothing like that they can't be penalized for that, right? So because these two tax rules that players have a chance to take advantage of, if the players are still receiving their deferral payments but don't live in the state of California, the state can't tax those payments at all. And as a little added bonus, neither can any estate they played in. So for an ML being like the jock tax to a certain extent. professional players when they play they get for on a get on a game by game basis wherever they're playing they get taxed because again most of the teams like as you get paid as you get um you have to pay taxes of wherever you played so whatever your game by game salary is you pay you pay a fee you pay you taxes in the whatever in wherever you played including the state that you live in and then all the other all the other places you play you like you're you get taxed by that state okay but because of these deferral payments and because of those tax rules those deferral payments aren't taxed at all by the state of California or the team or the where they played right and that's and they're using these deferral payments to defer big chunks of their contract. Like I said like I said uh Shelly Otani deferred six hundred and eighty million of his 700 million dollar contract so the the the city of California the state of California is only taxing 20 million out of the 680 million he's yet he's he's gonna get paid he's gonna end up getting paid by the Dodgers over the next 20 something years and that's it's very similar to all the other players again maybe they're not deferring as much of their contracts as as Shohiotani is I didn't I didn't go in the I went in a deep dive of getting all this information but I didn't go that far into like looking at every single player and how much money they're deferring and all that. So players overall these players that are deferring deferring these payments they're going to be saving a bunch of money and not having to pay taxes because California is known as a place that has a very high state taxes that you have to pay. But these players get to avoid that as long as they are out of the state when they're getting these retired payments these for um deferred payments the sit the the state of California can't can't tax that income whatsoever right and that means so for a player like Otani he's gonna end up saving 98 million over the life of his deal because of those deferred payments not being taxed by the state of California and the state of California knows this and they're trying to take then they're trying to change that rule to where that that can't be the case again that's a lot of money that the state the state of California is not getting from their from top players from stuff from top um from top players in that state right especially with the Dodgers paying out all this money that's a lot of taxes that the that the state of California is not going to be able to get now because they're taking advantage of those of that those tax rules okay and that that's the part that gets it is that as long as the players want to do so they're gonna save much money on their taxes I mean they're gonna save much money on their deals and not have to pay as much in taxes and it's like I said for the team it also helps them out as well and that's what makes it and that's what I've been talking again I haven't gone this deep dive before so now I have a much better I just thought that specifically in California that there was rules that allow them to do so that nobody else can take advantage of but that's not the case. Every other team could take advantage of that rule but the problem is is is a team willing to tie up a bunch of money like that over the long term with players that won't be playing with them right like the Yankees could do it with Aaron Judge if they can get Aaron Judge to agree to it but that means the Yankees would have to be willing to 20 years in the future be giving a player that's not playing for them anymore not adding any value to their squad just dropping a three four five million dollars into a guy's bank account that they're not getting any value out of and that already had his playing career and he's just sitting on the beach somewhere. And I think there's a lot of teams and owners that aren't willing to do something like that. And not to mention whether players are willing to do so because I think it does you have to give some credit to the players too for all those players on the dollars being willing to do do so but I think it is easier once the best player on your roster is deferring that much money of his contract it makes it a lot easier for the team to go to other players on the roster and be like hey are you willing to do a similar thing even while there is so much to be gained by doing it this way I think it makes it a lot easier once the best player in your squad is doing it that way. And again for Shoyotani specifically he can manage this because he's getting paid so much money from Japan in endorsement deals and all that other stuff like he doesn't need that $680 million right now is not going to change the way he lives right like he's he's he's set because he's getting paid so much money off the field. So and with that being the case it makes it a lot easier to go with to other players on your roster and ask them to do this do a similar thing and they all have agreed to and that has kept not only these players competitive when it comes on a year in year out basis they're going for a third straight um third straight world series and I think it also has to if the Dodgers were using that savings and not going for it every year and not spending money and making it very clear they're trying to go after a World Series every single year I don't think these players would be willing to do so but the Dodgers to their credit they're not just sitting on the on all those savings and just saying hey we're just saving a bunch of money here and they're not willing to go for it and like actually keep spending money the Dodgers keep doing so and that's a credit to them as well by not just taking it in as a situation and just trying to make as much money as possible and not be willing to spend and I think that all that is a perfect marriage to where now the they the Dodgers have dominated baseball over the last two years and they're looking to do it another for a third year in a row and now fans are upset and this is where my big thing comes my my um again I didn't come up with this on my own I heard this somewhere on on social media and it makes kind of total sense when I thought about it was that the there are a lot of like some fans that are like come up with the idea that the MLB is letting the d dot the and by MLB I mean all the owners for the in the MLB are letting the Dodgers do what they want on the front end, right? And they're

The Salary Cap Endgame Theory

SPEAKER_00 28:17

letting them go crazy and be super competitive and make them look like they're ruining baseball right and let and they're letting the fans believe that I think so that going into next season there's going to be a contract negotiation between the the Players Association and the MLB owners and I think that the MLB owners want to have want to be able to introduce a salary cap into the MLB to where there's not this just you know uncapped salary like because again in the MLB right now there is no salary cap. It's just however much money you pay the more you pay the higher tax bill you're gonna have to pay out to the rest of the teams and I think the MLB wants to get away from that and they want to go to more of an NFL model to where there's a lot there's a salary cap and you can't go over that number to where like paying this absorbent amount of money to these players isn't going to be a thing anymore. I think I think that's what the MLB owners want. And I think going into this negotiation going into next season that is going to be something that the players are not going to want whatsoever. They're gonna want to keep because again the MLB the MLB Players Association is probably the strongest union amongst all the sports unions between the MBA players union the NFL players union and um I guess you could uh MBA NFL I can't really talk about other sports but those main three the MLB has been around the longest because again the sport of baseball has been around the longest especially as the MLB and then just because of the shrewd business negotiations of the players they have a more unified front and they have like stayed strong a lot more than what the NFL Players Association and the NBA players association have over the last however long they've been around okay but with how the MLB is letting the Dodgers go insane and the player in the fans are starting to get mad about the game and the they're again the Dodgers are ruining baseball okay they are counting on the fact that the fans will be mad and they are counting on the fact that because of that we if there is going to be a because it when team when the owners in the player association can't come to an agreement on a on a um what's the word I'm looking for or statement I'm looking what's the phrase um when they can't come to a uh agreement over the terms of their what's the word I'm looking for oh no I suck I've been good this whole time it's a it's a big contract between the union and a CBA collecting bar a collective bargaining agreement that's the that's what I was looking for sorry I was having a straight up meltdown over that so there's a CBA that needs to be agreed to by both the union and the owners to be able to have a season okay and going into next season there's gonna be a fight and not not literal fight but like you know an argument fight between trying to get that CBA to come through to where the owners are going to want to are going to want a salary cap and the players are not and the players are going to be willing to stop not have a season to start out and not start on time because they're gonna dig their heels in but because of all this stuff and all the the overreacting to the Dodgers and the fans once that happens the fans aren't going to be again the fans usually aren't on the side of the players whatsoever. Usually the fans are always going to be on the side of the owners and wanting to have everything stay the same and they want everybody wants their sports to start on time and to be able to watch their sports and because that's that's the escape for a lot of people is going to watch sports and like that's the thing for for for a lot of fans out there. And if whenever that doesn't happen most of the time fans are going to fall for the players are being too greedy or the players the reason this isn't happening. It just is what it is I'm not gonna get into this again the idea that fans are so stupid they're not going to why would you why would you side with the billionaires against just the players that are trying to get paid the money to be able to they entertain you. The owners aren't the aren't they aren't the ones that entertain you on a day-on day out basis when you watch these sports it's the players so why would you sign with the owners in any aspect? That's the part that doesn't make sense to me but again it's just in the psyche of fans and that's kind of how it always happens so so fans are going to be on the side of the owners once this whole thing happens because it will happen and it will be a it will be a the CBA negotiations will be tight and it the the season probably won't start on time next year. And the fans are going to be very mad at the players and the owners are hoping that that is going to be enough pressure to make the players give up on some things and potentially let a salary cap go through so where they don't have to pay as much money the owners don't have to pay as much money as they have been for a long period of time without a salary cap being initiated. And I think that that's what sucks about it because I look at this and I'm just sitting here like it's a very long play and when I saw it when I saw somebody say it on social media it made total sense to me and fans are going to fall for a hook on and say because at the end of the day what are the fans worried about the money that's getting that's being traded off from from owners to players we're not touching that money. That has nothing to do with us what a player is or isn't getting paid doesn't impact what we what us as fans are doing on a day in day out basis. We just want our sports to start to start on time. So with that all that being the case that's the part that I think is the most diabolical part of it all is because I truly think the MLB is letting the Dodgers be the bad guy the MLB and letting them get away with do it not a get away with it but they're letting them kind of be the bad guy of baseball and potentially trying to just being willing to because again the moves that the Dodgers are making are not guaranteeing them these World Series wins right again they've done it the last two years back to back cool but the latest moves aren't necessarily guaranteeing them a World Series this coming this at the end of this season but the MLB is not necessarily doing anything to try to stop it either because they know that there is some there is a intended an intended consequence after this season for the CBA negotiation that they think they want to take advantage of and fans are going to fall for a hook hook line and sinker and the players are going to be the bad guys if the season doesn't start on time next year and it probably won't and the players will be the bad guys and I think that even if it doesn't totally change the players' minds that does add a decent amount of pressure to what the players are dealing with when they're getting social media messages all over the place talking about how they're greedy and how they're the ones that are holding up the season and now fans are all upset. And that just does add pressure on a situation I think it gives the owners a leg up and that that's the part where I'm like they're they're um the owners are letting this whole thing go and setting up the situation where I think that that's the part that's diabolical about it all. But again like I said I just think all like all that encompassing that I just think that am I bummed yes just do I think this ruins the game of baseball no um and honestly if I'm if we're being if we're trying to find a fix to what the Dodgers are doing the real fix is not allowing deferred payments take that out of the game of baseball right but my thing is when I thought of that why would the MLB teams want to do so? Because again it takes two to tango why would the team why would the owners and teams want to do that because if they know they're going to be making money for a long time and they can save some money on the front end why would you want to take away that option again not that all teams like again really the Dodgers the only team that are taking advantage of this loot these tax loopholes right now. That's the only team really taking that taking advantage that on the on the scale that they are but no other in a no other MLB owner is going to be willing to take that off the table because hey what if I decide I want to take advantage of that like there's no way the owners are going to be are going to be willing to take that as an option for themselves off the table. So like but really if you wanted to fix the Dodger problem if you're a fan out there that really thinks the Dodgers are ruining baseball if you just take away the deferred payment stuff like that would not be a problem anymore. But that's the thing I don't think the MLB owners are actually trying to fix what they think the Dodgers like the Dodgers ruining baseball are they just trying to get what they want on the back end which is they want a salary cap. They want to make sure that they don't have to pay this these absorbent amounts of money um to keep these players because again as long as there's no salary cap the players can look at them be like hey what does it matter there's no salary cap to stay under you just have to pay a tax bill right at the end of the year. And we know how much money you're making so it the players look at it as if there's no salary cap then I can ask for whatever I want and more often than not you're gonna give it to me because you want to stay competitive. And I think everybody in the room understands that as long as these teams again all these teams are making money hand over fist and making more than enough money to make to spend to sign these these um these luxury tax bills but again how the ri how do the rich stay rich is by not wanting to give up absorbing amounts of money on that scale and that's what they're trying to do. So I think they're just letting the Dodgers be the big bad the big bad wolf of baseball in order to make that happen and that's the part that I think that I they hate the most about this. Because once the playoffs start I'll be back around the Yankees and I'll be doing it again and again if the Dodgers end up winning another World Series once again I'll be pissed I'll be mad I'll be disappointed but I'm not gonna be one of those fans to fall for the banana in the tailpipe and just say it's all the Dodgers' fault. I think it's all the MLB owners I think it's and I think it's a combination of they want their way when it comes to contract negotiation with the CBA and they want a salary cap and I think they are willing to sacrifice short-term competitiveness on the baseball field in order to make that happen and that's what fans are going to be the most mad about because they don't care about the rest of the money shit. They don't care and they shouldn't care. That's money that we're not gonna be we're not gonna be able to touch so why would we be worried about the money that's exchanging hands from owners to players it's the competitiveness part and I think the owners are willing to sacrifice that in order to get that main goal they have for next season for the next CBA negotiation and that's the part that fans are not going to be able to not fall into they're gonna fall for Hookline and sinker and that's the part that sucks about it more than anything. Okay. And that's my main that big spiel on the Dodgers I think that was a I didn't I didn't win in a really good deep dive on that to make sure I understood everything as to why that's such a problem and why that works and all that and I think I did a pretty good job of that to be totally honest with you.

NFL Signings Start With Diggs

SPEAKER_00 39:36

So now getting out of baseball let's get into some football stuff. There's some NFL signings that happened over the last week and a half that I wanted to talk about here and uh have some thoughts on that. So first one I want to talk about that came out today Stefan Diggs is set to join what the Washington Commanders and he's going to be playing with them for this upcoming season. What does that do for the Washington Commanders? I think that adds I think Stefan Diggs was a very good receiver last year. Is he good enough to be a number one I think he played I think he did fairly well with the Patriots last year and getting the ball from uh from Drake man I think he did very good. Again once the playoffs started and they were playing against a lot better defenses I think he kind of took a step back because of his little bit more advanced age he's not necessarily as explosive as he once was but I think again he was very good as a number one last year until they got to the very good defenses they faced off in the against in the playoffs. But now him going to Washington he's gonna be a number two Washington already has a number one in Terry McLaurin. Again he was hurt last year and what but when he did play Terry McLaurin was still still a menace and he was still doing very good things. So now Diggs gets to come in and be a number two receiver to Terry McLaurin to where you're not gonna be able to give up give too much attention to either one of those players and I think it'll allow both of them to have a little bit easier of a time to get the ball and be able to have some really good matchups because you can't focus all on either one of those two guys because there's the other ones on the other side okay and then he's still now he's gonna have a quarterback he went goes from um oh no no no no nope nope nope nope nope nope Drake May as a quarterback last year to now he has um Jaden Daniels again Jaden Daniels very hurt last year I think he had a little bit of a down year because of all the injuries but I think he'll come back as long as he can stay healthy. Again that's a thing with Jaden Daniels man is that he's so thin he likes to run a lot and because he runs he doesn't really protect himself and that means he takes a lot of punishment and that's what led to all the injuries last year. So like either he's gonna stop running altogether and that takes away a little bit of the magic that Jaden Daniels has in his game or he's going to keep running and potentially be an injury risk and he won't be able to play full seasons and that's what'll mess up their whole their whole thing because I think the commanders their defense is awful and I think they have a lot of their stuff a lot of their money tied up in their offense and with they need Jaden Daniels to be out there on a on a weekly basis in order for them to stay competitive and if he's not going to be able to protect himself or he's not going to be able to be all that he is when it comes to the special plays because he's trying to protect himself that does take away a little bit of what like that first season when Jaden Daniels was like awesome and he looked like an MVP candidate and he took them all the way to the NFC championship game against the Eagles until they that kind of came down crashing and burning because the Eagles were on an absolute tear at that point. But like that season right there was with Jaden Daniels being able to run and be able to do all the passing stuff like he's able to do both when he's able to do both and he's such a weapon from back there at the quarterback position that's what makes him so electric but if you take away the running who knows what'll be after that or if he keeps doing the running and keeps getting injured that'll take away from it too because he'll keep getting injured because he's not as big as Josh Allen or Drake May he's not big 6'4 230 to 50 pounds and able to take a lot more punishment because he won't he won't break right Jane Dale is a very thin guy and I don't think he has the frame to add another 50 pounds on like I think he's playing at around like under probably under 200 pounds. Like he's not a big dude right so the punishment he takes is going to be a lot different than the punishment that a Josh Allen takes because it's just different frames and they're able to different um tolerances to be able to take that punishment. So that's the part that I think is the bigger deal but I think that with Stefan Diggs going there I think it's gonna be a very good match made in heaven as long as they everybody can stay healthy. And I think Stefan Diggs is going to be like as a number two receiver Stefan Diggs is a very good receiver still as number one it's a little bit borderline but as a number two to Terry McLaurin I think they're gonna be able to like a lot of defense are going to have a lot of issues with those two guys um getting the ball from Jaden Daniels.

Zay Flowers Pay Raises Eyebrows

SPEAKER_00 43:55

The next thing next signing I want to talk about Zay Flowers this was I think it was yesterday Zay Flower signed a four-year $140 million contract extension with $108 million guaranteed. Um let me see here. Um let me see. I'm I'm gonna go to the highest paid contracts in the NFL for wide receivers because I have I saw this contract extension yesterday and I was you know I was confused I was confused when Zay Flowers got that contract. Like I said, four years, $140 million a year, $140 million total value, average annual salary of $35 million a year. Okay that puts him at he that puts him as a top five receiver when it comes to pay when it comes to his pay. That's just in total value. The average, he's still he's still top five. He's getting paid $35 a year, okay? And that he's in top five, he's behind. JSN's at number one at $42.1 million a year. Jamar Chase is at four just over $40 million a year. Drake London London is at $35, $35.2 million. Justin Jefferson's at $35, and Zay Flowers matched him at exactly $35 million a year annual salary. Okay. And I know Zay Flowers is a very um he has been a what's what I'm looking for? Sorry about sorry about the pause there. I was trying to, I was mid-thought. Zay Flowers has been a not comp what's what I'm looking for? Productive receiver throughout his time in the NFL for the last three years. Okay. Last year, he had 86 receptions, 1,200 yards, five touchdowns. 2024, he had 74 receptions, over a thousand yards, four touchdowns. 2023, he had 77 receptions, 858 yards, and five touchdowns. So for the last three years, last two years, he's had over a thousand yards, single digit, very low single-digit touchdown, which I think is an issue in this because again, if you're getting paid like these top dudes in the NFL, having five, like five, six touchdowns a season probably isn't gonna cut it. Okay. And again, and I think that is on one hand, I'm not a I've never been a Zay Flowers guy. I've never looked at him as being a number one caliber receiver. I just don't. And again, when I'm when I say number one receiver, I'm looking at him in comparison to these other dudes, JSN, Jamar Chase, Drake London, Justin Jefferson. Like CD Lamb is right behind Zay Flowers in average annual value. I don't I don't like CD Lamb like that either. I see CeeDee Lamb and Zay Flowers as very similar players. I like as long as you get them the ball and get them open, they're gonna they're gonna get a lot of catches and they're gonna like get some yards. But do I look at them as like dudes like, hey, I need a play out of you right now. You don't get no help. Like I you got to get open and do that. I just don't see them that way. I see Zay Flowers and CeeDee Lamb as very similar receivers in that way. DK Metcalf, I think he's more of a number one in the way that I like number one receivers to be. Be able to get open on your own and do your thing by comparison to what CeeDee Lamb and Zay Flowers are. Garrett Wilson is like, I think he's probably like Garrett Wilson, I think, is a much better number one overall type receiver because I think the way that he plays the game, right? So and I think Zay Flowers had two very good years, and I think that he has proven himself to be a I'm not like I don't think he's number one, but I'm not sitting here saying he shouldn't, he doesn't belong in the NFL. Okay. But my problem is is not my problem. I think I have to understand the fact that what did what else did the Ravens have? Like, what are the Ravens going to do instead? And I think that's why I think that's where Zay Flowers had all of the leverage in the world because not only do they have to pay him because he's the best receiver on their roster by far. Again, that's on the Ravens for not being able to um not being able to draft receiver-wise and not be able to really get anybody. There's nobody on their roster with the prospects of becoming a number one overall receiver if they don't keep Zay Flowers long term. There's nobody else on that roster. Like they really, there when it comes to drafting receivers, it's a no-go. And for whatever reason, they haven't been able to sign great receivers to go play there while they're still in their prime. They've gotten D hop after his prime was over. They've gotten like longer, longer in the tooth players. Again, players after their prime to come and play for them, but no wide receiver in their prime has been like, hey, I want to go, I want to go to the Ravens and play in that offense. That just has hasn't been the case. For whatever reason. I'm not saying I'm not blaming Lamar Jackson. I'm not, I'm just like, overall, for whatever reason, it just hasn't happened. And I think because of that, Zay Flowers had all of the leverage in the world, and I think it really did force the Ravens to have to pay him. Do I think Baltimore thinks of Zay Flowers as a top five receiver in the NFL? I don't think they do. But because of where they're at, because the fact they've made a coaching change and Harbaugh's gone, and they brought in um what's his face from the um from the Chargers. Oh no. Let's see here. What's his name? Um head coach. Jesse Minter. So they have Jesse Minter come in as a defensive head coach that's gonna fix the defense. And then offensively, you have Lamar Jackson, you have um Zay Flowers, and you have uh why am I forgetting his name? Uh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Um see now I'm forgetting the running back's name. This this sucks. Derrick Henry. Those are your three players on offense that are gonna be doing the best for you. Derrick Henry, later on, like he's passed, like again, he keeps doing things every year that makes me like I go into every season thinking, is this the year Derrick Henry's gonna fall off and not be able to produce as much as he has? And he keeps doing it. So I'm not gonna sit here and fall into that trap again and think he's gonna fall off a cliff this upcoming season. It's not gonna happen, but again, he's a running back, it could happen at any point. But that offense is a three-headed monster. It's Lamar Jackson, it's Zay Flowers, it's Derrick Henry. And I think because they have no other options outside of Zay Flowers, he had all the leverage in the world. And I think when Zay Flowers goes to them and says he wants to get paid the money that he ended up getting paid, the Ravens don't have a lot of recourse. And this and where I came to with this whole situation is that I think that if you're a player and it's your time to get paid and you just get to get paid at the top of the at the top of the um at the top of the uh NFL level, you don't get to be the next one to get paid the most money. And it didn't happen with this. I think Zay Flowers still, like again, he jumped into the top five, he didn't jump to number one over JSN and Jamar Chase. So that didn't happen, but I just don't think Zay Flowers is worthy of getting not worthy. I don't think he is a player that if I was an owner paying out money like this, he is not a player that I think I would throw into the top five of paid wide receivers conversation. It's just not how I feel about it. And I'm gonna do my wide receiver rankings at some point very soon, and probably I'm not gonna give give a timetable because I keep changing it, but I'm gonna do my wide receiver rankings, and I don't think I'll have Zay Flowers in my top ten whatsoever. So if that's the case, why is he getting paid fifth most amongst all receivers in the NFL? And that's where I sit on it. That's the part that sucks. Because not sucks, but you know, again, and I have to I have to also state my bias. I'm a I'm a Steelers fan, been a Steelers fan for a long time, so I'm I'm never gonna be a person that's gonna be totally on the Raven side on anything. But I think even without that being the case, Zay Flowers could play for the the freaking Saints or the Steelers themselves, and I would be saying the exact same thing. At least I I feel like I would be saying that. I think relatively when it comes to the NFL, I think I'm very impartial when it comes to stuff like this. Again, when it comes to the teams, I'm always gonna want to believe in the Steelers and all that, but I do feel like I can separate the two things and not necessarily have my biases like impact my whole thought process on things. So I think I'm I'm being relatively cool and calm about this situation and not necessarily just being like he's a Raven, he sucks. But I uh so but I do have to acknowledge my bias on this situation, but I do think I'm being very fair in the way that I'm thinking, even if I differ from, I guess, the Ravens. But like I said, I don't think the Ravens truly think he's a top five receiver in the NFL. Um, but I just think they just didn't have any other option. So it they just kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place in that scenario. So again, I just don't think he's a top five, I don't think he's a top ten receiver. So him getting paid in the top five of all receivers doesn't make any sense to me. And I think that there's a lot of fans out there that probably would think the exact same thing. So that's where I'm at on that.

SPEAKER_01 53:58

Sorry, I need to drink their um getting throat getting dry. Sorry.

SPEAKER_00 54:04

All right, next

Bijan Resets Running Back Value

SPEAKER_00 54:05

thing. Um B. John Robinson. I think this news came out yesterday or the day before. Bijan Robinson signs a three-year $75 million contract exemption, making him the highest paid running back in the NFL. His contract has a base value of $66.75 million with incentives that can take it up to $75 million. His average annual salary is $22.25 million, which puts him right above Saquon Barkley, which I think is getting paid right over just over $20 million a year. And then his total guarantees for B. John Robinson is $50 million, total guaranteed money that he is for sure gonna get no matter what, not like that doesn't isn't tied up in like workout bonuses or roster bonuses and all that. $50 million he's gonna get for sure, no questions asked. I think it's good for him, man. I think for B. John Robinson over the last ever since he really jumped in the NFL, to be totally honest with you. He has been an absolute dog. He has been awesome. And let's see here. Bijon Robinson. Sorry, I just want to have some stats on here to to boast about how insanely good this dude was. And again, this is partially because he went to Texas in college, but he was very close to being a bucke. I think the the last two teams he came down to was between Texas and Ohio State, and then Texas kind of came ponied up and paid him a bunch of money. This is right before the NIL started in college football. So Texas came through with a bunch of money. Bijan couldn't say no, so he said no to the Buckeyes, go to Texas, and that was kind of is kind of heartbreaking, even to this day, as he's three years into his NFL career. Alright, so back to him playing in the NFL. Ever since he jumped in the NFL, he's been absolutely awesome. He has had over close to 1,500 yards rushing the last two years. Um, he has had, let's see, receiving touchdowns-wise, he's had over close to 1,500 yards rushing for the last two years. Receiving yards, he has hold on, make sure I'm not crazy here. Um like he had eight almost a thousand yards receiving last year. The year before he had almost 500 yards receiving, and then he added like he had four receiving touchdowns on top of his seven, his seven rushing touchdowns. And then in 2024, he had 14 touchdowns rushing, and then he had another touchdown receiving. So like he is getting close to that 20 touchdown mark pretty much. Like last year he was like only 11, but the Brave the Falcons were pretty bad last year. Little bit of a fall off quarterback play-wise. So hopefully he'll be able to get that uptick again to whoever starts for them this year, either Tua or um um why am I forgetting his name? Uh what is his name? Hold on, let me make sure I'm not cra uh Falcons.

SPEAKER_01 57:21

KV.

SPEAKER_00 57:23

Michael Penix Jr. Whatever quarterback starts with them this year, hopefully they'll be able to play good enough to allow B. John Robinson to open up a little bit to allow him to get more touchdowns. Because again, the the everything else is there. He's rushing the football, he's doing a lot of good things. They get him the football in a myriad of ways, both receiving and rushing, and he's an absolute dog, and he's relatively healthy, and he has been an absolute, I think he it's between him and Jameer Gibbs is like the top two running backs, like really literally the last two years for me. I think that like you still have Saquons up there, you still have Christian McCaffrey's, but like when it comes to if I had a starter team today and had to pick a running back, I'm picking one of those two, either Bichon or Jameer Gibbs. And I think I'd pick Bijan just because he's he's shown to be such a weapon when it comes to catching the ball out of the backfield, too. Um, so like those are the two guys, and I'm I'm very happy that Bijan's getting paid the money he's getting paid. Because the NFL is going back to using running backs so much more, because again, there was a little bit there where the NFL has started devaluing running backs to such a high degree, and I get it because you can have um running back rooms where you're using multiple guys, and like there is no like super one bell cow back. But when it comes to guys like Bijan, when it comes to guys like Jameer Gibbs and Chris McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley's, those are the dudes that make themselves so are so versatile and use them a myriad of ways, and you can use them out of the backfield, not only running the football, but catching the football and making explosive plays all over the place. Those are the guys that get to push the running back position forward when it comes to payment because they deserve to get paid all the money they need to get paid. Because Bijan Robinson as a player is so impactful, it doesn't matter which position he was played. He can go play wide receiver and still be a very similar impact, but it's just he's just he's just that talented of a player, but he plays the running back position. So, like, so I'm very happy Bichon get gets to get this payment, gets to get this big payday for himself. Um heck, and I think to a certain extent, only owing him $50 million total guaranteed for that guy over the next three years, like that's the only guaranteed money. Again, they can add another $25 million with incentives and all of that, but like that's a steal for a guy like Bichon that adds so much to that team. And it's all because of the fact that the running back position is devalued overall, and they're just never going to get the money that wide receivers are getting because of the injury risk and all the other stuff the NFL teams like to go to as to why and the the age and what their primes are by comparison to wide receivers. So all those things the NFL teams like to use as reasons to not give them the money that wide receivers are getting, even if they're just as impactful on the field as those wide receivers are paying, close to what is what was what was I looking at? Um $40 million too, like as a top guy, but now the the top guy is a running back, B. John Robinson's getting paid 25. So that's the part that sucks for the for running back contracts. But again, Bijan Robinson, he did what he had to do. He was doing a hold in and he got the money he deserves. And I think um Jameer Gibbs is also doing a hold-in with the Lions as well, and he deserves to get paid all the money in the world because he makes a similar impact, not only running the football, and I don't think he's as good as Bijan catching the football out of the backfield in that way, and being like being as good of a Swiss Army knife as Bijan is when it comes to catching the football, but but still, he's still very impactful for the Lions, and he deserves to get paid a bunch of money too. So those two guys are the guys that deserve to get paid top of the market when it comes to the running back position, and I hope the Lions aren't stupid and try to play hardball with him because he is such an amazing player for that team as well. But B. John Robinson deserves all the money and war. I think he's been an absolute dog over his first three years in the NFL pro. And I think because they use him so like they don't just sit there and bang the money, bang, they they use him so sparingly, they like they use him all over the field. So they're not just sitting here just having him run into a bunch of defensive linemen and saying, hey, get the money yards that way, but they use them in the slot, getting the ball out of the backfield. Like so they and I think it helps his um the tread on his tires because he's not just sitting there getting getting uh destroyed by a bunch of defensive tackles all the time, so and linebackers. So I just think that Bijan will be a guy a lot like Christian McCaffrey that's gonna be able to be able to have an impact long after people think their primes are because they are such a Swiss Army knife when it like all over the football field. So Bijan deserves all the money he's getting paid, so good for

Clowney Joins A Loaded Texans Defense

SPEAKER_00 1:02:00

him. Um, next guy, Jadeavion Clowney. He is returning to the Texans on a one-year $5.5 million deal. Um, and that's crazy to me because he was taught there were teams that he was thinking about potentially going back to the Browns, and other teams were trying to vie for a service is trying to get another pass rusher, and he decides to go back to where it all started because he was drafted to the Texans when he came out of South Carolina. He got drafted into the NFL, he went to the Texans, didn't go all that well because he kind of got drafted into a system that didn't really work for him, and then he kind of goes and he's a little bit of a journeyman throughout his NFL career, and now he gets to go back and add himself to literally the best defense in the NFL, and he doesn't have they don't even have to look at him as be a starting defensive end. He gets to be their third or fourth best guy behind Will Anderson Jr. And um what's the other defensive end's name? I'm forgetting his uh um I'm forgetting his name. Um Houston Rushers I'm forgetting his name. Daniil Hunter. Like those two dudes are absolutely insane, and then guess what? As soon as one of them gets tired, you get to add in Jadevion Clowney. Again, Jadeavion Clowney is not the same player as he once was. I don't think he was ever really a like a top pass rusher in that way, like that Will Anderson and Daniel Hunter are like that because they're so they're like again, they're getting all the sack numbers, but they're also stopping the run as well. Jadeavion Clowney is not that elite of a player, but as it's a straight pass rusher and they can just go after the passer, he's still very viable, especially when he's your third or fourth best guy and he gets to come in when those top dudes are tired. Insane. And that that defense for the Texans was already the best defense in the NFL last year, and they've only gotten better, and they haven't lost anybody on that defense, and they've only added more and more pieces, and it's in like, and again, my main thing is the fact they added Kate McDonald in that second top of the second round, and I was like, man, that defense is going to eat, and they've only gotten better. So that defense is is disgusting, it has been disgusting, it will be disgusting for years to come, and I think this only adds more and more pressure onto that to that Texans team because that defense is going to be so awesome that all they all the offense needs to do is just be a regular, schmegular, middle of the pack offense, and I think this team can win a Super Bowl. And I think there'll be more than that because I do believe I'm I am a CJ Stroud believer, because again, the the doubt on CJ Stroud over this offseason has been absolutely mind-numbing to me. And again, I get it. The last time we saw him play in those couple playoff games, it was not good. But I think there's a lot of things that aren't his fault that were also impacted him and why he wasn't playing his best. Again, he has his faults too. He that last game against the Patriots, he was a shell of himself, and no matter how bad the offensive line was, I think he had the worst game he could possibly have, even with the issues that that that team has on the offensive line. And I think he was a shell of himself. I'm not sitting here taking blame away from that. But for people that are questioning if he's like if he's gonna be like, people act as if he's like one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL, and I'm like, that's just not the case. And he did not get the help that he needed when it came comes to his offensive line, and they don't have a running game to help him out. And as soon as they do those things, I think that he will get back to doing exactly what he's supposed to do in being an absolute surgeon, and as soon as he has a little bit of confidence in that offensive line, you'll get a much different CJ Stroud. And I think he will do that this season. I think he'll do a lot of good things, and I think he'll get that all the those two bad games that he last had out of his out of his way. And I think people are gonna have to get over it. But the idea that those two games are gonna sit on CJ Stroud's shoulders forever, and people are gonna keep questioning him when Jordan. Justin fucking Herbert has had similar bad moments in the playoffs, but nobody wants to question that guy. Because he's had great regular seasons, but like nobody sits here and questions him when he has equal equal types of meltdowns in the playoffs. But CJ Stroud has to wear those, right? Drake May had a terrible playoff run. The team had a good playoff run because they made it all the way to the Super Bowl, but Drake May had a terrible playoff run even after the great season that he had in the regular season. But no, he doesn't have to own those bad games that he had like CJ does. Again, I had that already had that spiel, but again, I just can't help it. See, I love CJ shot so much. Again, he's a buck guy. My bias is in there for sure. I have watched him play for a long time. I don't think those games are going to define his career, but I just hate the fact that the hypocrisy there is absolutely insane to me that he has to own those bad performances when there's other players that are considered much higher, like much better players than him have equal types of meltdowns, but they don't have to own those. It's kind of insane how that goes. But with that defense being as nasty as it is and they've only gotten better, I just think it it just takes more and more pressure off of CJ to have to be perfect. And I think as long as they get him a running game and they have a and they just they just have to be a middle of the pack offense, and I think that defense can carry them a very long way. And I think that CJ will do much more than just be a middle of the pack offense and be a middle of the pack quarterback. So I think this the Texans are going to be a menace next year all over the place.

Deebo Returns To The 49ers

SPEAKER_00 1:07:34

I really do think so. Um next one, Debo Samuel is back with the 49ers on a one-year up to $7 million deal. This is after he spent last year. Was it last year or last two years? Just last year, I think. He spent last season with the commanders, did some good things. But I just think that Debo Samuel is a player that just totally fits in a Kyle Shanahan system. And I think that he they was still doing very still similar things with the commanders, but it's still not of the same caliber of offense as what Shanahan does. So I think that a lot of the things that Debo Samuel does well, he he just wasn't taken advantage of as well as if he was playing with the 49ers, and now he's back there. So I think that the Niners, Shanahan, will be able to get him back into that offense, making some good plays, and I think he'll do very good things there. He knows the offense like the back of his hand, so that's not changing anything. And I think, again, Shanahan knows how to use him. I think he'll make some very good plays and he'll do some good things. And I think that was a more critical signing because of the fact that Ricky Pearsall, the guy that they were expecting to be their number one guy, uh, is probably is expected out for this upcoming season with a PCL injury. Because again, he he got shot at some point and was able to come back and play, but this whole knee injury thing has been an absolute like problem for him. So he's not gonna be playing at all this season. So getting a guy like Debo Samuel back on that roster was gonna be a huge thing for them because he already knows the offense and like they already know how to use him in that way. Um, so that was a big, especially with them letting uh Joan Jennings go, because Jennings was looking for a contract from the 49ers and they won't weren't willing to give him the contract he wanted. So they just kind of I think they traded him to the to the Vikings, I think. Yeah, they traded him to the Vikings, and he ended up getting finally getting the contract a couple days ago from the Vikings a one-year, $13 million deal. So he gets a contract extension from the Vikings that he wasn't able to get from the 40 Niners. So Niners lack of wide receiver weapons, so now you have to add Debo Samuel back, and hopefully he'll be able to kind of recapture that matchup that he had with the Niners when he was there last. So um, so that's it with all the signings that I had in my um written down that I wanted to talk

Training Camp Injuries That Sting

SPEAKER_00 1:10:02

about. The next thing I wanted to jump into was NFL injuries that have kind of popped up over the last week and a half. Um this, I think this one happened today. Falcons defense this one was announced today at least. Falcons defensive end, Jalen Walker tears his ACL and will miss the 2026 season. And that's a big blow to their defense because they not only used those, they used those first two uh they used two first-round picks on two different edge rushers, not in this past draft, but this the draft of last year. And they got Jalen Walker and who's the other guy? I'm forgetting his name. Oh no. Hold on. Give me a second here. Give me a second. Let's see here. Falcons. Jalen Walker and who was the other? Wow. The defenseman they picked. It's the one that's been having all these issues recently. Ugh, gross. It's Jalen Walker, and the other one was um hold on. I got this. I got this, I swear, I'm gonna figure this out. It's uh Jalen Walker and James Pierce Jr. James Pierce Jr. has been having all the issues off the field, but apparently he's gotten them fixed and he'll be able to play this season. So like now you're gonna be down one of the two premier pass rushes you drafted in last year's draft, and that's gonna be a huge deal because again, that was like what that Falcons defense was missing was real edge pressure, and now they're gonna be without one of their two main guys they were gonna be relying on this upcoming season. Um, so that one is a big deal. Um, New Orleans defense tackle Brian uh Brzee tears the ZCL and he's out for 2026. Again, not the best player on their defense by any means, but I think he's shown ever since they drafted him last year's draft, he's shown up to be a very good player, consistent, playing some very good um playing very good for them last year, and now they're gonna be without him this upcoming season. This is a Saints team that I think is like a very trendy pick for being a much better squad and having a chance to win the AFC T the NFC South. Again, the NFC South is an absolute like who knows who's gonna win that division that division on a yearly basis, because it just seems like all the teams are kind of bad, and nobody really knows who's gonna win the division, and they all kind of decide to either be terrible or kind of be okay all at the same time. So, but the Saints were a really trendy pick to win that division, but without a guy like Brian Brzee for that to help out that defense, that's gonna be a huge deal for them um this upcoming season. And I already mentioned the P the Ricky Pierce all injury. So those are the injuries that I wanted to talk about.

Baker Mayfield Contract Standoff

SPEAKER_00 1:12:56

And then the next thing I wanted to jump into was the Baker Mayfield contract situation because that was in the middle of the week last week. He came out and he had a press conference and we was talking about his contract stuff, and because he made it very clear throughout this whole process that this offseason is like, hey, um, you have up until training camp starts, and then once that once training camp starts, we're not talking contract anymore. I'm just gonna play out this last season, and it happened. I think it came to the the first day of training camp. Um, he told his his agent, we're not talking about a contract anymore, we're just gonna play this season out and we'll see where it goes when the season is over. And there's a couple, and he kind of went on a because he had like one big press conference um that he had with the media, and he's like, Hey, this is the one time I'm gonna talk about the contract stuff, and then I'm not talking about it anymore for this season. And he made that very clear, and I think when I when I was watching the interview, he was answering a lot of questions, and he was very honest and up front, and he was talking he felt disrespected and undervalued. Um, these are these are a couple quotes that he had. That's the really disappointing part to feel undervalued after thinking you've earned it. And he also said, if you've waited this long to take care of your franchise quarterback, that that's too bad because it's only going to get worse from here. I'm gonna have a really big year. So Baker Mayfield, like he was he started off again, he got drafted by the Browns, played very well. He led them to their first playoff win in a very long time, and they decided to kick him to the curb for Deshaun Watson and paid Deshaun Watson a fully guaranteed contract that is viewed as like probably the worst contract in all sports, okay? And so they kicked him to the curb. He goes to the Carolina Panthers, who doesn't give him a chance, and he ends up having to leave there, go to the LA Rams, plays for a game there. Again, he was not really gonna be a long-term answer for the Rams because they had Matthew Staff on the roster. He was just injured at the point at that time, and then he finds his way to Tampa Bay, and it felt like a very natural fit for these last three years or so, and he's been very good there. He's played some very good football. They've won the division, they've made the playoffs, like they've he's done a lot of good things there, and he feels like he was a guy that has earned being their franchise guy. He's not super old, he's still relatively young. And if he's a guy that feels like he's been not only feels that he's been that way, but he's shown it on the field to be their quarterback and he's been their leader and he's produced, and he says that he's not only been told he only knows that in himself, but he's been told that by ownership on down, that he's their guy. But when it comes to when it comes time to break, like put your money where your mouth is, and you don't do it, that's where I understand him feeling disrespected. But when it comes to what he was looking for, they were so reportedly, because there really is no true numbers ever put out there, reportedly the team was offering him two-year deals that he was looking for over fifty fifty plus million dollars a year when it comes to his pay, but the the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were not willing to reach that number on a yearly basis for him as a quarterback. And that's the part where I understand Tampa Bay not being willing to go there. Baker Mayfield, let me look at his contracts because I want to, because I think this was what adds to how he's been such a he's been such a steal for them over the last three years. So over the last three years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he's been he's like his first year there, he got paid five million dollars. His second year there, he got paid five million dollars. Um his last year. Hold on, let me make sure I'm not crazy. Roster bonus. Sorry, his cap hits were his first year there was about six million dollars, and then the last two years he got paid twenty-six million dollars in 2025, and he got paid close to 40 million dollars. He's gonna get end up getting paid close to 40 million dollars this year. So the last three years, they've been getting like top, am I gonna call him a top 10 quarterback? Probably a little bit too far, but top 15 for close to like what are top quarterbacks getting paid? I think contracts right now for quarterbacks are probably closer to 60. Let me make sure I'm not crazy here. Um for quarterbacks on a yearly basis, we're over 60 million dollars at this point. And the fact that let me just get all cut quarterback contracts here. And the fact that you're getting Baker Mayfield at $33 million a year, close like half of what the top quarterbacks are getting paid, but he's like outperforming some of the guys that are ahead of him. Again, I'm not saying outperforming because I think he's very similar to the guys that are getting ahead of him. Like, there's a Dak Prescott getting paid $60 million. Would I prefer him or Dak Prescott? I don't think it's a $30 million difference between those two players. Him or Jalen Hurts, I don't think there's a $20 million between him and Jalen Hurts. So like the fact that you're getting a guy like Baker Mayfield playing at that level at that number, I can understand the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being like, I we really like that number. And the idea that Baker would want to jump up to close to 50 million, jump up to $50 million average per year. I understand the Tampa Bay Buccaneers not really wanting to go there, but I more than understand Baker Mayfield feeling like, hey, I'm looking at my production based off of dudes that are ahead of me and getting paid a lot more than me. And I feel like that if I'm not getting if I I deserve to get that pay raise and I deserve to be like up there with the other guys because my my production is up there with those other guys. So I totally understand this from both sides of the coin. I really do. But like, and again, this is part part of me kind of turning around on Baker. There was a point where I'm never be even close to being on Baker's side in a situation like this. There really wasn't. I hated him for so long with him being with Oklahoma, doing the whole plant plant uh flag plant thing in Ohio State. That one definitely sticks in my mind. And then he ends up going to the NFL, going to play for the Browns. I was a big non-Baker believer with the Browns. And again, I always stuck to the he is not good enough to be your championship-winning quarterback for your team. Okay. That's where I've sat, that's where I've been, that guy, and that's that's where I've gone. But I also think that he has done a lot in kind of ingratiating himself, especially especially with the the Tampa Bay over the last few three years. He's ingratiated himself there. He's been a very good leader. Do I think he's a quarterback that can lead them to a Super Bowl? I still don't fucking think so. I really don't. But I think this is also a world where a guy like Sam Darnold has led the city the Seahawks to a Super Bowl. But again, Seahawks are built like a much different team. They have a lot more talent all over the place. But I'm not, but I can't be so mad at Baker Mayfield and think that he's so far away from it when I think Sam Darnold and him are very similar players when it comes to their production on the football field. It's just Sam Darnold had the luxury of going to Seattle that built knows how to build a football team from top to bottom, and Sam Darnold got to like just be the guy to drive the Ferrari. When I don't think Baker Mayfield is really doing the exact same thing with Tampa Bay in the way they're building their squad. So I just think I look at this from both sides and I totally understand it both ways. And I totally respect Baker and having the feelings that he has about what he feels like he has done with Tampa Bay, and he feels like he deserves to be their quarterback, their franchise quarterback, and he feels disrespectful. Like all that I totally understand. But on the other hand, I totally understand Tampa Bay being like, hey, this has been real cool at 30, but at $50 million, it's a much different situation, and we just don't think you're a $50 million quarterback. I totally understand both sides of this. I really do. I really do. Is there a middle ground that can be reached between those two? And like that that's the that's the big question here is how dug in is Tampa Bay on the number that they have, and how to dug in is Baker Mayfield on getting paid over fifty million dollars a year. Is there a middle ground somewhere in the like the early to mid forties that they both sides can be happy with? That's the big question here, because if there is, then they should hit that number and and get in get this job done. Because again, as much as Tampa Bay is playing hardball with Baker Mayfield, they don't have another answer outside outside of him. They don't, they don't have a guy on their roster. They would be out here in quarterback hell just like everybody else, including my Pittsburgh Steelers, looking for the next quarterback because they don't they don't want to actually go and like you know bite the bullet and go draft a quarterback and kind of jump into that. So they like they don't have another option outside of him, but I think that the Buccaneers are really thinking the idea that, like, hey, if you go to free agency after this season, nobody's gonna give you the money you're looking for, and you're gonna be coming back to us. But I so I understand that line of thinking, but the only problem is you're dealing with Baker fucking Mayfield, and he has a real petty streak on him, and there is a chance that there is a team that's not willing to pay him the money that you're willing to pay him. But if Baker Mayfield feels wronged and he feels like being petty, I think it's more than an option, he'll be willing to take a discount and to go play for somebody else just to spite you. And that's the guy you're dealing with, and I think he the he's been there for three years, they should know that by now. But I think I think Tampa Bay is really playing with fire on this one. I think they really are. That's the issue. Is that if Baker feels that disrespected it if he does if he feels that's disrespected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it may not matter what other team, what any other team offers him once he gets into free agency. He'll just take that number at all number overall just to be able to come back later and be able to spite the the the Tampa Buccaneers and say, hey, you guys disrespecting me, so I don't even it doesn't even matter how much you're willing to pay me more than somebody else. I'll just go take their money and be able to show you how good I am and make you realize how much you missed out on me. And that's the part that I think the Buccaneers are playing with fire on this one with. But you know, it it's it's it's all business at the end of the day, it's all about business. And again, as like I totally understand Tampa Baby. I'm like, hey, paying you $50 million isn't really what we want to do. But I think that playing hardball with the wrong one, man, I think he's one that he's petty, man. He's petty as fuck. And that's one thing, as much as I think he has changed over the years, and I think he's gotten much better when it comes to his demeanor and being a leader on the football field and making good decisions. But that petty streak he has on the football field, off the football field, that shit ain't changing. And if you unlock that for him and he is gonna turn that towards you, he'll do some petty shit. He'll do some fucking petty shit, I'm telling you. I'm telling you. Um, so that's the part that I think the the Buccaneers are definitely gonna have a long-term issue with um if he decides to sit here and just to be as petty as possible, even if he's gonna be taking even less money to play somewhere else by comparison to what the Buccaneers are willing to pay him for a new contract. So only time will tell. Um by for when it comes to that by the end of the season, if he ends up having a great season, they may not have another choice but to pay him whatever he's looking for. And that's the part when it comes to one of the quotes that he had is that if you wait a lot, waited this long um to take care of your franchise quarterback, that's too bad because it's only gonna get worse from here. I'm gonna have a really big year. And if he does, then Tampa Bay might actually end up having to pay him more. Which I'm I don't think that's really gonna be the case unless he like goes and wins the Mr. Bowl, which I don't really think is in the card for Tampa Bay. But if he does, like they could he could force him into the corner where they have no choice but to pay him the money he's looking for and more. But like that's you're taking a chance on it, man. You really are. But again, at the end of the other side, I totally understand Baker feeling that way, and I respect him for it. And I and I really respect that interview. I think it was very honest, but I do think it does make things super fucking awkward. The fact that he was so open about it. And he was still very emotional. It wasn't very um, it started out feeling like when I watched all the the whole interview. It started off feeling very analytical and like to the point and everything, but you could just tell the emotions are there on his sleeve. Again, Baker's always been a guy that's where that wears his emotions on his sleeve. So you can tell that's there, man. He feels disrespected, and that's the part where uh uh he's a petty motherfucker. That's the that's that's the issue when it comes to Tampa Bay on this one. Alright, so that's it with with uh Baker Mayfield. Let me see here. We're at close to an hour and a half. Is there anything else I really wanted to jump into before we get out of here? Let me see here. Is there anything else I wanted to jump into before we go? Because I didn't want to jump into like a very big topic. It's gonna take me a long time, but it takes us into like a again, like I said, I did three-hour podcasts last week. Like the last pod I did was three hours, and I think like that was probably a little bit too much. But again, I did rank every single NFL team from one to 32 on podcast. So I do think it was for a very good reason, but I do think three hours is a little excessive. So I'm trying to be a little bit more tame this time around. And I don't have Jace here to be my buffer to be the guy to say, hey, motherfucker, either speed up or let's get off this shit. So I do tend to like just kind of ramble along if I if I have my my thoughts on something. So let me see here. I don't want to do a rankings thing because that's more of a Jay. Jace is really a part of the ranking stuff. Um let's do this. I'm gonna do as my last little bit here before we get out of here.

Five Quarterbacks With Something To Prove

SPEAKER_00 1:27:46

Not a bit, but like last little thought experiment before we get before we go. I'm going to give the top five teams that I think are under the most pressure to win this upcoming season. I think that's it. Should I do win a Super Bowl or just win in general? Ooh. That's a great question. Holy. Oh no. Oh yes. That's actually a really that's a really good question. Top five teams that I'm just gonna go win. Because win a Super Bowl, obviously there's gonna be teams that are Super Bowl or bust. But I think there are teams out there that if they don't make a considerable step up in the caliber of team that they are, they could have some real questions to have to. No, no, no, no. Got it. I got it. I got it. I got it. No. This is what I'll do. I'm gonna do top five quarterbacks with something to prove this season. That's gonna be. If they and that, and by saying that, I mean quarterbacks that if they don't make good enough headway above a certain level, that we're gonna have real questions as to what their long-term prospects are as like whatever level of quarterback that we think that they are that they are. That's it. That's what I want to, that's gonna be my top five they do today. Next part I do want to like jump into more doing the more rankings for quarterbacks and position rankings, and doing the um what's the what is it? I'm looking, I'm talking about division winners and like making the playoffs and all. I want to start doing that stuff too. Um, but for the last, just one little thing here, one last little like um segment to get us out of here. Top five QBs with something to prove this upcoming season. Okay, let's see, one through five. Should I include CJ Stroud in this? Because obviously it's CJ because people want to doubt him so much. I'm gonna say CJ notwithstanding, because I do think people are going insane on that. I think I think going too far. And I think people that are giving him way too much way too much um grief about it. And I think there's people that like I'm gonna I'm gonna not include CJ Stroud because I think he's an obvious answer. So I'm again, I'm gonna send him out and not be that, not have it, but I'm gonna say outside of him, top five quarterbacks are something to prove this upcoming season. Okay. Should I start at five or start at one? Let me think. Let's go with let's just go from five to one. The quarterback has something to prove this season. I think that number one. No, sorry, let's start at one. The quarterback with the most approved this year. I'm gonna say Justin Herbert. And I say that because, like I said before, he is a guy that has done a lot of things throughout the regular season, but in the playoffs, he has pretty much been a like a negative sort of player playoff-wise. Okay. I think when everybody wants to look at CD Stroud and talk about the how bad he was in this last year's playoffs, I think Justin Herbert has very had very similar playoff um playoff like out outings. And I think nobody really looks at him and like gives him real grief for it. Everybody wants to blame everything around him. But coming into this season, he's getting um Mike McDaniel, the quarterback, the former coach of the Dolphins, but very good offensive coordinator. And everybody, including me, thinks that that's gonna be real rocket fuel, that if this offense has anything explosive to it, he will be a big reason. I think he, if everybody else has gotten replaced but Herbert, and I think if it doesn't work this season, I think there's gonna be real questions for Justin Herbert, because Justin Herbert's been a consensus top five slash right outside top five quarterback pretty much his whole career because of how talented he is. But if he doesn't do it like make a big step up in his playoff performances and like doing some really good things this year, I think he's gonna have he's gonna have some real real questions going into next going into next offseason. Number two. Let's see here. Let me think here. So the question is my my two that I'm thinking about is Jalen Hurts. Ooh. No, because he's at least won a Super Bowl. But I think he's on the I think he's in the top five because of all the issues offensively and people questioning whether that was an aberration or if he's actually I think he's in the top five, but I don't think he's two. Let's go with Lamar Jackson at two. I'm gonna have him at two because again, he is another guy that hasn't really gotten all that far in the playoffs. Yeah, hasn't he sorry? I think him and Justin, um, nope, him and Josh Allen have been very similar in the playoffs, but I think between them, because of Josh Allen's record against Lamar Jackson in the playoffs, I think Josh Allen has proven a little bit more and he's been a little more consistent in the playoffs by comparison to Lamar. And I think that Lamar, dealing with the last few years of what Jarrett Henry has left, he j like he had the power struggle with him and John Harbaugh. John Harbaugh lost that power struggle. He is out. They brought in Jesse Minter. Minter will fix the defense, and I think that the defense has more than enough talent that I think to get back to really good level, especially with his coaching. But now the the the pressure's on you, dude. You're gonna be, I think he's looking for a contract this this season this offseason. Who knows whether he gets it or not before the season starts? But people do look at Lamar Jackson being like he has to do a lot more in the playoffs, and if he like there's getting to a point here where he's getting paid a lot of money and that team is built out the way it is, is that if he doesn't if he can't get to a Super Bowl now, and he's not really playing that great in the playoffs, like I think he has some real things to prove this upcoming season, especially in the playoffs, especially after like they've gotten rid of everybody else. They've gotten rid of coaches, they got like they got rid of your head coach, and that you had a you and him had a top power struggle, and you won that. So, like, there's a lot less people to blame other than you if you don't do what you have to do this upcoming season. I think number three, quarterbacks with something to prove this season. I'm gonna throw in uh no, no, no, no, no, no. Well, maybe nah, because if I if I don't have CJ, I can't have him in there. No, no, no, I'm not gonna do that. Not gonna get jump, I'm not gonna be jumped down that one. Because I was thinking about Bryce Young adding him into there, but he made the playoffs last year, and again, as much as I don't believe in him as a long-term quarterback there, I can't take out CJ and keep in big because I think him in very similar situation when it comes to getting question, even if I think it's for the wrong reasons. At number three, I'm gonna throw in Trevor Lawrence or the question is, is Joe Burrow eating off of the one Super Bowl that he made? Is that gonna keep him afloat for another season? You know, I think Joe Burrow has had more reasons for him not to do what he needs to do when it comes to talent around him and stuff. I'm gonna put Trevor Lawrence here at three. I'm gonna put Trevor Lawrence at three with quarterback something to prove this upcoming season because he finally had a very good season last year during the regular season. He played very well in that playoff game against Josh Allen. And I think that when it comes to help, Trevor Lawrence is a lot of it. And I think he I think now everybody understands he has a coach that can really put an offense that he can really do well in around him. So if he doesn't take that next step and like do some real damage in the playoffs, I think Trevor Lawrence, especially with the money that he's getting paid, people are gonna really start asking some real questions about him after this season if he doesn't take some real steps forward and getting farther into the playoffs than he has been. Because again, he played well in that playoff game last year against Buffalo, but before that, he literally did nothing in the playoffs whatsoever. And um I think that when it comes to help, he has a ton of it. So like he has a very talented team around him. So if he doesn't make some real headway in the playoffs this year, I think there's gonna be some real real questions going into the offseason. Number four, I'm gonna put in Joe Burrow, man. And when I do this with him, I think that, especially since he hasn't made the playoffs the last couple seasons now, he's been relatively injured for the last two, three seasons. Um, I think he has to prove not only that he can stay healthy throughout a whole season, because again, that has been again, that's something you can't control. I get it, but the injuries are really mounting up. So the question is, can you can he even survive a full season? And then once he does, if he does, he has some real quotes out there talking about how he feels like this is the best team he has ever had with the Cincinnati Bengals. He has said that. His own words, this offseason before camp has started, this that those are words he has used to describe this team. And again, this is a Joe Burrow that has made a Super Bowl before. So he has had a team that he has managed to pull to a Super Bowl, and he feels like this team is better than that team. And he finally has a star defensive player in Dexter Lawrence to be the guy for the defensive side of the football to kind of build that defense around. So if Joe Burrow thinks this is his best team he's ever had, and if he can prove that he can be healthy throughout a whole season, because again, when he's on the football field, Sunday after Sunday, he proves that when he's out there and playing, he can, he's one of the top top three quarterbacks in the NFL. And again, I'm not going to get into the argument of who's one, who's two, and who's three, but I consider him as a top three quarterback out there on a week in, week out basis when he's out there and healthy. And he has all the weapons still with him. He still has Jamar Chase, he still has um T Higgins, he still has all the offensive weapons. The offensive line is still an issue, so that's one thing that has. I don't think there's no reason to think the offensive line will be better this year by comparison to last year. But again, Joe Burrow has used the words with his own mouth, said this team is the best team he has been on with the Cincinnati Bengals. And so he must feel, again, using those words against him, unfortunately, that includes the off. He didn't say excluding the offensive line. So if it comes out to this season and he plays the whole year and they don't like get back in the playoffs and make some real headway, that's on him. He used the words best team he's been on since he's been the Bengals. So I think Joe Burrow, not only when it comes to his injuries, but I think as a team success thing, I think he does has to get back to the playoffs, and I think he has to make some real noise. Because I don't think I don't think Kansas City is going to get back to being top the AFC again. So if that's not the case, there's a real like you have the Patriots, you have the Texans, but like outside of that, you have a real power vacuum as to teams in the AFC that can really make some real waves. And I think if Joe Burrow believes he's this this team is what he thinks he is, he should be as long as he's healthy, he should make some real noise in like this season and into the playoffs, or there's gonna be some real questions as to not necessarily if he's a quarterback worth being in the NFL and getting paid the money he's getting paid, but the real question is is whether he's gonna want to stay in Cincinnati long term, or if he gets injured again, whether he's gonna be a guy that P that teams believe in can be a long-term answer that can't that can stay relatively healthy. Because he really up to this point he hasn't been throughout his NFL career. So I think Joe, there's a lot of questions for Joe Burrow as well, even though I think on the football field, when he's out there playing, he has at least questions of all these guys on this on these lists because he's done a lot more things than any of these other quarterbacks have done. When especially other than Lamar Jackson, because Lamar Jackson has two MVPs, and but when it comes to on the like success on the football field, like Joe Burrow's had more team success than Lamar has had throughout his career. So um, and then number five, at least in the playoffs, and then number five quarterbacks with something to prove this upcoming season. I think I might have to put because nobody I could put Jordan Love in there, but come on, I didn't really think that much of Jordan Love in the first place. I'm gonna put Jalen Hurts at five. And I say this because AJ Brown's gone, and all the news coming out of Philly after they traded him was that the vibe in the locker room is a lot better with AJ Brown gone. And with the new offenses coordinator, they're saying that that Jalen's gonna do a lot more things under center, and they're gonna change the offense around, and they're gonna become a lot they're they're gonna do things to make the offense a lot better, and that Jalen's gonna make the changes that the Eagles put it out there with to the media that he wasn't willing to do before. And Jalen has in those things where Jalen was unwilling to do a lot more under-the-center stuff to kind of help out the running game, and that he wanted to play from under the playing the shotgun, and he wasn't really really willing to throw the football in the middle of the field, and he wants to, and he like all of those things, like all like the Eagles let that get out to the media. That was a real story that came out during the offseason. So I think Jalen Hurts and he won the power struggle between him and AJ Brown. Guess what? Jalen Hurts won that power struggle. So now you have taken a real step back when it comes to wide receiver talent in your team because you felt like, or at least him and the team feels like that AJ Brown was a cancer, even though I think A.J. Brown was right most of the time about the offense and all of that. But again, AJ Brown had his issues too, and not necessarily handling it the best way. But again, I thought he was gas lit for so long that I thought it was kind of warranted, but neither here or there. Um, but I think that Jalen Hurts won that power struggle, and I think that the Eagles have called him out for the issues that I think he hasn't been willing to fix up to this point in his career. And he's already been paid. And I think that Jalen Hurts coming into this year, is he going to be willing to change to be a little more malleable in the offense he's willing to play in? Is he gonna be able to play at the same level without a real number one receiver in AJ Brown? Again, I think the world of Devontae Smith, but I do think there is a question as to whether he can be a true number one receiver. Like I think Devontae Smith has been an awesome number two, and uh can he make the transition to be a real number one is a real question for me. Again, I I have confidence that that Devontae can do it, but we have to see it, all right? So with all that being the, and they added a couple receivers, they added Mikhail Lemon in the first round of this last year's playoff runs. I mean, sorry, in the in the draft. So like they added to that room, and they're and they're changing the offense and they're gonna be running the football more. So Jalen Hurt's gonna have to prove he's willing to change with the offense, willing to do some things, willing to throw the football in the middle of the field, and not be so scared to do it that way, because that changes like that takes away options if you're not willing to throw the football in the middle of the field and take a chance of throwing interceptions if you're not precisely accurate. And can the team have the success they're looking for ever since their Super Bowl won a couple years ago? Like if they implode again this upcoming season, I think the Eagles are more than willing to jump off of him if they feel like it's not going the way he needs to play when it comes to him making real improvements to his own game. There's nobody else to like, I guess, I guess maybe they could fire um Sirianni as a head coach and blame him, but like outside of that, there were there's nobody else to fucking blame. There's nobody there anymore. AJ Brown's gone. The cancer you've all considered as the guy that's been the problem is gone. And the Eagles did enough to make sure that everybody knows that there was things that Jalen Brown can get better, Jalen Hurts can get better at. So is Jalen Hurts going to be willing to make those changes and get better throughout this upcoming season and have some real team success with it? Is gonna be a like he has a lot of questions to answer this upcoming season. Even though I think he's already won a Super Bowl. Like, I think when it comes to that, he's he's good, like on the arm field success, but I think that he needs to show improvement in his own game, and I think he needs to prove that they can be just as good without AJ Brown. Because that defense is still gonna be nasty, they're still one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. But you're not gonna tell me that like losing AJ Brown and drafting Mikhail Lemon, you're gonna be a better wide receiver room. It's not gonna be that way. The only way they're gonna prove to be a better offense is if they change that offense, run the football a lot better with Saquon Barkley. And if Jalen Hurts shows that he's willing to be a more precise passer and use the middle of the field and kind of add some real variation to that offense, like that's where Jalen Hurts and that offense can prove to be better than they were last year because talent-wise, they're not better without AJ Brown. They're not. All they can do now is prove that Jalen Hurts is willing to change and that the problem with AJ Brown is they can move on and be at least be an oak, like they're not going to be a huge drop-off in the passing game without him. Because I don't like so because talent-wise, they're still one of the best teams in the NFL, even without AJ Brown. Like, just top to bottom. But I think the offense is really taking a step back to a certain extent without him, without AJ. So, like the question is how much? And I think that's where Jalen Hurts does have some real questions to uh answer this upcoming season, but with his play. So, all right.

Closing Thoughts And Support The Pod

SPEAKER_00 1:47:20

I think that's it for me. That takes us to close to two hours here. 147, very healthy podcast. I know that last one was a little bit of a quit uh kind of like a you know in the moment type of add-on, but I I feel like it was a very I think that was a very good top five for um, I think that was a very cool thing that I thought of just in the moment. So I think that's it about it for us today. I think on the next pod I want to do, I want to start doing the um position rankings, and I want to do the and I want to start doing the um division winners, get to the playoffs and all of that. So those are the things I want to start, because again, this is heck the camps have all started in the NFL, so like we're into football season now, college football, NFLs, like all that's gonna be most of the podcast now, um, for at least for the next for however long. It's gonna be such a long and fun football season. Um, so I'm very excited for that, and I hope to get Jason sooner around. I know I keep saying we're gonna get Jason, but it's a must because I think even Jason said he wants to be on, so it's just me bucking up and just asking him to do it and just like getting a real answer out of him and being willing to acquiesce a little bit and make that happen. So for me, as because for viewers of the podcast, I'm listening for a while, um, I that's what you've grown to love. So just sitting here listening to me talk and yapp to a computer or slash the wall on a weekly basis has probably been annoying. So bringing him back is on the of the uh utmost importance, and I'll make sure to bring him back and we'll make it happen for you. But if you've been me, if you've managed to listen to me and just sitting here, because again, this just been me here for the last few podcasts. So if you've managed to do so, I definitely appreciate that. But I will get him back on and we'll get back to being having both of us on more regularly. Um again, life happens and all that, but I just think that we need to make sure we make and I make a concerted effort to make sure we can get him on as much as possible. So, because again, I can jump on and do a podcast because I have all the equipment whenever I want. But it's just coordinating and getting Jason involved, more involved, is where I need to get better. So for those that have been listening for a while and that's what you're in here for, and that's what you're here for, is getting both of us here um doing what we do. I need to get better at that, and I apologize, but you know, the pot I still need to get out pods anyway, because I just I love this stuff so much. So um, and if you guys still listen to it, I definitely appreciate that. So without further ado, let's go ahead and the podcast here. If you've been listening for a while, we appreciate you. If you're just now jumping on, hopefully you like us and enjoy us enough to uh join us on this ride of talking about sports in the dumbest way possible. Um and if this is the first pod you've listened, listen to and it's just me, go ahead and listen to a prior podcast, a few podcasts to go, where you get both me and Jace on so you get a better idea of what this podcast is at its best. And again, I do promise I'll get Jace on more um going forward because again, we're we have to get back to the season again, so like he'll have to be on. So you will get it, you will get more podcasts with both me and him on so you get a better idea of what we are at our best. Um, but if you do like us and enjoy us and want to join us on this ride, if you could do a couple things for us, we'd appreciate if you could like our podcast, subscribe to the podcast, and rate the podcast five stars wherever you listen to us. We're available on all all audio platforms out there. So wherever you listen to your podcast, we're available. So make sure you get like us, follow us, and give us a uh and download it however much you can. We are available on YouTube as well. We don't have video, but if you have like YouTube premium and you just throw on a video and you can just kind of play it in the background, like while you're at work and your headphones, we are available that way. So like make sure if you find us on YouTube, um, make sure you subscribe to our to the YouTube channel. Make sure you like the uh video and uh make sure you share and then last last but not least, make sure you share us with friends, family, enemies. Anybody you feel like can enjoy the podcast on a weekly basis that we put out at least once a week when I'm when I'm doing the right things, and then during the football season, like no questions asked, it'll be twice a week. So um make sure you share us with anybody you feel like can enjoy the podcast we put out. Um I would I would appreciate that. And then really last but not least, make sure you follow us on Twitter and or X, whatever you'd like to call it. At JV Sports Pod is the podcast handle, at Jovante Boozer is my handle, and then at Jace Boozer1 is Jace's handle, and uh that is about it for us. So thank you guys for listening. Thank you guys for always listening. Have a great day, have a great night, and we will see you next week. Goodbye, y'all.