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[Assistant] I'm like a lot of other people, uh, listen to you right now. I'm, I'm looking forward to getting to know this class. Cool. I've spent time with the quarterbacks in a lot of the free agent stuff, but the wide receivers, I'm going to go to school. Yeah, it's a good receivers class.


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[Assistant] That's a tease. Tease. Tease. I understand that, uh, Mr. Phil Simms' dad is with us. Phil, are you there?


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[Assistant] Okay, question number one, Big Phil. How should Giants fans feel this morning?


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[Assistant] Do you think that would be a mistake? And I back up just a little bit here, Phil, because my justification of being okay with the trade is like, okay, if they solve the quarterback issue for the future, Eli plays a year or two more, and they get the guy that they want this year, then the trade is potentially worth it. If they don't get a guy in the first, then what are they doing?


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[Assistant] So if they do go that route and wait to get a quarterback in the second, I know Chris has watched all the guys who could be available second round. Is there somebody that they could get in the second round that a light went off in your head and say, you know what, they could get that guy in grooming for a year.


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[Assistant] What were we going to say? Go ahead. I think because he's such a great receiver, and I mean he was wonderful to watch that way in all those years in Pittsburgh here, whose life as a quarterback got better today? Sam Darnold or Baker Mayfield? Which one has a better life today than they did yesterday?


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[Assistant] It's new, it's new in this new story with OBJ being gone. But I've not heard someone say, you know what? I think this team could go all in and make a playoff run and be a competitive team.


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[Assistant] They don't need to go quarterback in round one. They can get a guy in round two. It was interesting stuff. Everybody is either, yes, I'm tired of the headache. Oh, it's a giant mistake. I can't believe. I haven't heard somebody say that.


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[Assistant] That's what I'm saying there. And I don't think anybody, your dad included, is saying that, hey, Eli Manning is still a top ten quarterback, but I think I did hear him say, if Pat Shermer gets to run the offense that he wants to run, this could be, and I'm, he didn't say this, I'm guessing here, could be a 9-10 win team. Do you think they could win 10 games with Eli right now?


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[Assistant] We've lost quite a bit the last, the last week. They did. So, yes. Let's start with Earl Thomas quickly, because I want to get on to this wide list in the drought. Earl Thomas. Still really awesome. Still the


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[Assistant] I drafted very well with Ozzy News, some Eric DeCosta, the new GM expected to carry on the tradition. Yep. Alright, let's move from free agency to wide receiver, as promised, the top wide receivers. According to Chris, we're going to go from 5 to 1. Yep. Number 5, who you got, who is


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[Assistant] And there's a lot of classes. Fifth best wide receivers worth the first round pick. Are you describing a first round receiver there?


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[Assistant] He's the first guy you've described, and we've only gone five, four, and three, but with five and four, I thought you were describing him in a way he could be one or two. This is the first one where there were more concerns than positive.


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[Assistant] I hear you describe him and running only three routes basically on film. And I hear people say, why do you have to have a pro day? Why do they got to go look at him? This is a guy where the pro day, the individual workout is huge spot because they have to see you do things that you're not showing them on film. Exactly right.


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[Assistant] When you see on TV, it's like, okay, when you're there in person, yes, and someone is that legitimately fast, right? You go, oh my gosh, I would like to be that fast. It's different. Yes. Yeah. A hundred percent. I sidetracked you there. So we've got five at five through two. I think I know who number one number


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[Assistant] I know he's built. Right. I know he looks great, but just as a football player on tape, if you didn't know the 40 time at the combine, I didn't know how he looked with, with his shirt off, just watching him run routes. What'd you think?


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[Assistant] Go ahead, yeaah. So, for those of us, for those of you who can see what we're doing here, we're showing basically a glorified pie chart of what he did at the combine. Correct? Correct. And so tell me what I'm looking at.


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[Assistant] Sometime in the next few weeks, for the YouTube portion of what we're doing, I'd love to have you pick out a couple of plays, good and bad, and point out exactly what you're talking about now, and we can watch them. Cool. Do it. We can watch the strengths and take a look at the weaknesses as well.


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[Assistant] You know, Chris, one reminder in the building that you're really making it, that this podcast thing for you is going. I was in an NHL Live meeting last night, taking notes about the rundown. I look up, and on the back of one of these computer screens, just like that,


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[Assistant] It was right there, front and center. Wow. Chris Simms unbitten. That's in different parts of the building. So congrats. Thanks man.


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[Assistant] Oh yeaah, baby. What's up? Chris Sims on Button, episode 384. Just like to add that in there for no reason at all. It just sounds like we're important here. People keeping track at home. No doubt. Just in case they want to know officially, that's our count, alright? Ahmed Farid is here as usual, yellow pants.


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[Assistant] Unbuttoned apparel t-shirt. I've yet to receive a t-shirt. One of these days maybe. We'll see. And I'm still getting fucking texts about the Super Brawl. Yea. From people who don't realize.


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[Assistant] It's you. And like, people still texting me, you know, asking about my rent, and I'm like, dude, this has nothing to do with me. Like, what are you talking about? I've had a few people in the NFL who have literally chimed in on it.


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[Assistant] You know? And saying like, they voted too. I was bored, I voted too.


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[Assistant] So I had to explain that to a few people and it's come up over the last few days for some reason, I guess because we were back on the


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[Assistant] No, no, no. There's a background to this. There's a backstory to this. Like, I know. It's people just see something and they react and they come at you. No doubt. No doubt.


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[Assistant] I think yea, laissez faire upbringing as Pete says in that Phil Simms silver spoon household. So it didn't help things. But yea, I always feel like I had people, even, you know, even as I started to make a name for myself in sports, I think people


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[Assistant] Dawkins, uhm, it's good to see you. My co-host thinks your name's Dawson. You're right down the street, aren't you, at the WWE Center? Why don't you come over here and just tell them how to spell it.


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[Assistant] I'm glad. I like that exercise. I like that we can go like back and forth a little bit and talk and, you know, again, not to say that I'm ever always right on this. I do, I do feel really good about my top two that are top three for sure. You know, it's, it's, it's hard and I want to get into the running back discussion altogether. I think there's, you know, just some interesting things to bring up when we start talking about it.


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[Assistant] That's good. Hey, don't, don't get us confused with all these other mumbo jumbo sports. You want football, now you know where to find it and you can see us. Everything is there, as well as, you know, on Peacock like you said, so.


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[Assistant] Uh, it is cool. It's cool that we got our own little channel with that stuff and you see there me and Maria Taylor doing a cool handshake. You and I don't have one yet. Maybe we need to work on that too. A cool handshake? Before we're, yea, so we can be officially be best buddies. Uh, yea, we need a cool handshake. We gotta work on that.


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[Assistant] Well, hey, that's what friends are for. I'm going to teach you a little bit, give you a little soul, a little rhythm in your handshake, alright?


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[Assistant] It's not a handshake. True handshake. But like the handshake I'm talking about is actually more hand on hand contact than just the traditional handshake. It is. You know, I'm talking about us like hitting hands. Come on, come on, let's do it. Can we do it? Or you want to go into COVID protocol? There? Okay, that's that. But we got to do something like


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[Assistant] We got a hit and then, you know, bring it in and lock and then go something, a little snap or something. At least you did it right there. That was good. That was encouraging.


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[Assistant] You gotta know the generation of who you're handshaking and who you are too. Like all my black friends, we get the cool handshake and we bro hug. That's what we do. I don't know. Or if it's even a guy that's I think similar to our age a little bit and grew up when we did, we do it.


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[Assistant] Young kids or other people like that, they just get the quick like, yo, what's up? Fist bump. I don't know you that well. Boom. Get out of my way.


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[Assistant] Six million with two million in incentives is what we're kind of hearing here, right? Can he stay on the field? I don't know. That's to me where, you know, that's the thing with this trade altogether. Like I saw this, you know, and I go, okay, cool. Julio Jones. And like, don't get me wrong here. I said this to my floor today. Julio Jones to me is like definite hall of Famer.


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[Assistant] Outside of Randy Moss, Terrell Owens and Jerry Rice, I think Julio Jones is in the next conversation for, you know, best receivers in the history of the NFL.


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[Assistant] He's already 17th in the history of the league in receiving yards and done it in a lot less yards, years than some of the guys that are in front of him.


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[Assistant] So that's what's impressive about him. Freak of nature, awesome. I just want to state that. But yeah, I think your question or our question there from, uh, at New River Joe is real. I don't, you know, not only about being on the field,


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[Assistant] The other issue is, it's been a lot of management off the field, not being able to practice. So, hey, we're going to see how he is on Friday. Oh wait, no, then we're going to give it another test in pregame warm up on Sunday to see if he can play. That's the issue. So I didn't look at this deal and went, Oh my gosh.


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[Assistant] Bucks got Julio. Holy shit, everybody in football's in trouble. I look at it and go, the Bucks got a really good receiving corps. They're really good no matter what.


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[Assistant] And if they can get Julio to be healthy and be somewhat of the guy we saw two and three years ago.


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[Assistant] I think it's just icing on the cake. And then of course, you know, he's smart. He wants to be there. He wants to be a part of a winner. They're not, I don't think gonna have to put too many reps on his plate and expect them to have to play 70 plays a game with all the receivers they got. So I guess that's kind of where I stand with it.


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[Assistant] Rashad Parraman's not even on there, he's on their list, right? So. Jalen, uh, Darden? Jalen Darden, who, is he gonna?


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[Assistant] He's gonna be there s- yea, you can't fit all the guys they got on here, Pete said. And he's right, you can't. Jalen Darden's a guy I really liked, remember two years ago in the draft out of North Texas. Really awesome jitterbug slot type that had like a lot of straight ahead speed. He returned some puns and played for them last year.


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[Assistant] I would think he's going to be that guy, but yea, somebody on that graphic we showed, if you're watching on YouTube or Peacock, they're not going to be there.


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[Assistant] Uh, I think you look at that as well and go, ooh, Chris Godwin? I mean the fact that Chris Godwin...


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[Assistant] Was not put on the PUP list or any other injured list and he's go here? I mean that tells me that they think there's a good chance he can play and contribute week one.


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[Assistant] So, you know, that again, he just, I think helps Julio Jones out.


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[Assistant] You know, and, and we'll see where it goes. Julio's smart, been in a lot of offenses, uhm, but yeaah, I'm not sitting here going just, oh now they're in the Super Bowl because of Julio. I hope it works out. It's a potential. It's got some potential, but I kinda gotta see it to believe it, uh, as far as what we've seen the last two years out of Julio.


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[Assistant] I'm more, I think I'm more aligned with the people here actually. I really think I look at it as fourth. I mean, Mike Evans is going to be one. We know that. Godwin.


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[Assistant] Even with the injury I think it's going to be two. Okay. Alright. And just with his role in the offense and kind of playing the slot and all of that.


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[Assistant] And then, yeaah, I mean, if you had to give me the third one, I'm gonna go with Russell Gage right now. I am. I'm gonna go with him. And then that's where, okay, now I start to look at it and go maybe that's where Julio, you know, falls in line.


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[Assistant] You know, again, I think Julio's a guy that hopefully they can have out there, and then he has a few moments of, you know, making some big plays, or being special. But the days of like,


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[Assistant] Can Julio like catch a 6 yard slam and break a tackle and make somebody miss and run for a 60 yard gain? Yea, that's where I'm just not sure he has that in him anymore. I know he can still be good and contribute.


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[Assistant] You know, this isn't, the name doesn't verify maybe some of the attentions it's got. Right. And I know it's a Hall of Famer, but he's not playing at that type of level right now.


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[Assistant] Of course they do. Right. And a guy like that, you know, they want to be in that type of situation. I mean, where was he last year, right? He kind of dictated the trade. He went to the Titans. Oh yeah. You mean the team that we all thought might be one of the best in the AFC and now here he is. He's waiting it out. You know, he's at the point of his career where he's going to be nothing but on championship contenders now.


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[Assistant] And apparently seems to have been like a deal breaker if that wasn't in the contract. I mean, if you, if you hear like and listen to a few people around the league, which I have heard, so that to me is like


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[Assistant] You gotta go, hey, that's enough. You've, you've watched your, it's over saturation now. Get outta here. Go do something else. Right? Let your mind be free for a little bit. I mean, that's usually the quarterback.


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[Assistant] So yeaah, is it shocking to hear that? There's no doubt about it. You know, was it put in there? You know, it's put in there for a real reason. It has to be. Again, you have to know that this is going to garner some attention at some point. So somebody within the organization wanted this to happen, or make sure it happened.


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[Assistant] You know, we know Kyler Murray's good. I know he knows his offense and all that. He's been in the same offense since college. I mean, he, literally from his freshman year to now, it's the same offense. Which, I also think leads to probably some of the problems we're talking about here.


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[Assistant] Oh, I know the offense. He came in day one. He was telling veterans where to go, where to line up, do all that. I, I got it. I'm good. I'm good. I'm good. And then I think when you couple on the fact of like guys that we talk about all the time, you know, we've talked about this with Lamar and, you know, other, even Josh Allen, uh, just when you have such incredible pure physical talent.


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[Assistant] Sometimes you're like, I don't, why do I gotta watch so much film? We won, I win, I'm amazing every week.


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[Assistant] I know. I won the Heisman. I'm the first player picked. Arizona wasn't shit. We got here and now we're in the playoffs, you know, and then that conversation. So, you know, I think that's what happens sometimes. It's like the gift and the curse of having incredible talent. You know, that's the stuff you look at.


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[Assistant] I think the point of this is, is we're talking Kyler Murray, 230 million dollars, and we're talking next level stuff now. Gets great, you got in the playoffs, or you're in the, you're, you're relevant.


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[Assistant] But I think what, you know, what we need to see and what I'm, I'm guessing Arizona puts this in is, you know, they just want him to take his level of preparation up to the next level. You know, he's still awesome. I get that. But it's not about his offense. It's about


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[Assistant] Getting clues about the defense. That's why you watch film. And then those clues give you, you know, the head start on checking to a play. Giving a receiver another route.


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[Assistant] Instead of just going, you know what, I'll just drop back and whatever happens, I'll figure it out because I'm some great physical talent. It's just, okay, you can do that against a lot of teams in football and feel good.


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[Assistant] Right? You can. I mean, the middle class, the poor class of the NFL, you can do that. But we get to the end of the season, you gotta play the Rams, the Colts, and the Seahawks.


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[Assistant] And then the rams again, like, that's where the little details matter. Like, just to go, oh, you know when...


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[Assistant] When the defensive tackle lines up here, they blitz two off the edge.


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[Assistant] What he doesn't line up here, they play Tampa too. And that's where I think the great quarterbacks have that. They can almost be a step ahead all the time. So then, hey, we're never in the wrong play. We're never in the wrong protection. And I think that's probably what they want out of Kyler. That's the next phase of his development here.


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[Assistant] Yeah, well you can to a degree. They're supposed to turn it off even when you break the huddle. The thing that we have found, the little loophole is, if there is no huddle, right,


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[Assistant] Then they leave it on till about 15 to 16 seconds left on the play clock. And remember that's what Jared Goff and the Rams were doing.


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[Assistant] So they'd get up to the line, and they weren't huddling, they weren't in semi, and McVeigh would literally go, let's run this play, let's run that play.


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[Assistant] Which I didn't love. I think that's against the spirit of the rule a little bit. But let me get wrong. Don't get me wrong. If they had that rule and I was quarterback, I'd want McVeigh to be talking to me too. Or if I was a coach and had a quarterback, I'd want to talk to him that way. So I'm not trying to call them jerks or anything.


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[Assistant] You know, I think when you're, when you're in those other situations as far as huddling and then breaking it, there's only so much they can do.


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[Assistant] And then, you know, that's where I got to think there's been some things that have come up. Hey, if you see this defense or this front, I want you to check to this play or check to this protection. And I got to imagine some of that stuff has happened where, wait, he didn't check to that player. He didn't check to that protection.


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[Assistant] I know FaZe Clan, FaZe Clan, because I have kids, that's why.


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[Assistant] Right. Jarvis was their biggest guy. They kicked him out. Why? One, he got caught cheating in, in, uh, in, um, you know, what the hell's


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[Assistant] That's amazing. Yeah, it is. Well, hey, we know the end of the year is an issue with Arizona right now. And, and, you know, maybe these are some of the things that can fix it, give them a little more versatility in the offense. It's tough that Kyler Murray's got to answer some of these questions. It is. It's not fair to him. I do think the Cardinals need to come out and maybe say something at some point. You know, obviously this is a guy they believe in.


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[Assistant] But there's just something about this that seems to be real that they, you've got to improve on this. You know, I know people at first, like Zach Ertz, yesterday, he made a comment like, well, he taught me everything in the playbook. The playbook's not the answer. If he didn't know the playbook, they wouldn't have gave him the $230 million. If they were going, then he doesn't even know the


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[Assistant] Plays? Trust me, that would have been a real issue. We would have heard about that a long time ago.


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[Assistant] He knows all of that. He knows that like the back of his hand. It's just the next level stuff we're talking about. And I think that's next level stuff is, yes, what gets you over the hump of beating the better teams in the NFC or winning some of those games later in the year. And hey, Kyler Murray with some of the late game, late year struggles. It's not all him too. Cliff Kingsbury has some adjustments to make as well.


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[Assistant] He gave me respect at his press conference at minicamp. I don't know if you saw that. I didn't see that. He kind of just said that Chris was doing his job. I got no issue with that. Someone asked him about you specifically.


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[Assistant] I had not. I met Lamar once and it was the day after he won the Heisman at Louisville. It's the only time I've ever met him. Hopefully he knows I've been one of the guys that have been his biggest defender coming out in the draft and through his career.


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[Assistant] I just said he should be, I wish he was out there at OTAs. Be there at OTAs. Tom Brady was there at OTAs. He had made comments early in his career that he wants to be like Tom Brady and win championships. And I said, well, Tom Brady was at all the OTAs and I'm rooting for him and I want him to be there. And yea, that's kind of the base premises of it.


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[Assistant] No, right? I baited him. Seriously. Clickbait work. Got me. Well hey, you know, we see these young quarterbacks, they pay attention. They're aware.


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[Assistant] You know, they're on social media, and I, you know, I, I, I almost in some ways respect it because they just kind of just bring it on and take it and say, you know, like, screw it or I'm going to prove you wrong. There is something about that. But hey, I know, I know enough people to know that guy and people down there in Baltimore that he's made of all the right stuff. Yeah, I still wish he was there during OTAs.


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[Assistant] That doesn't mean I still think he can't have an unbelievable year this year and do, be awesome. Uh, so, yeaah, we'll see how that goes. But that was, that was cool that at least he, you know, gave a little respect for me.


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[Assistant] I have no problem with him being the next guy. I mean, to me he's worthy enough of being like...


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[Assistant] The next guy to one-up Kyler Murray, right? I know, like, it doesn't sound like anybody's gonna top Rogers in the 50 million a year right now, but what was Kyler Murray's final average? 46.2, right? To just barely edge Deshaun Watson. You know, it's not the same deal because it's an extension where Watson's is totally fresh and new.


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[Assistant] Like, I'd have no problem with that. I mean, you know, Lamar Jackson...


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[Assistant] Again, I didn't play his best football last year.


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[Assistant] But I think if you give me the question of Lamar or Kyler Murray going forward, who am I gonna take? I'm gonna take Lamar. I am, right now. Lamar does have...


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[Assistant] Second highest paid quarterback in football. I have no problem with that at all. He is that team. He is that team. There's only so few of those guys out there anyways. You know, again, I know everybody looks, Oh Lamar, he's not perfect throwing.


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[Assistant] He's not perfect throwing the ball, and they don't, they haven't been to a Super Bowl. I mean, people act like, you know, I kinda said this the other day, people act like Super Bowl grows on trees. Like, you're good, you haven't been to a Super Bowl, it's year five, what the fu-


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[Assistant] What's wrong with you? Get out of here. It's not, it's not hard. How about every year he plays on one of the best teams in football and they're dangerous. All right. The playoffs haven't worked out quite the right way.


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[Assistant] But he's still special and he's certainly not a guy you give up on or go, well, we'll see if we can find something else out there. No, he's, he's got top five talent in the league. He's a leader.


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[Assistant] The team is, like you said, built around him, like Kyler Murray's in Arizona, where he's got real leverage there. So, I don't like that. And then what also I don't like is, hey, the team is built around the running game.


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[Assistant] One of those quarterbacks that's in a class where you just go, but it's his time to sign up. He's the next guy. That's it. I have no problem with that.


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[Assistant] You know, I think you can look at it and look at Green Bay the last two years, but I think they'll even play a little bit more aggressive passing the ball, I think, than even Green Bay did. They do. Again, I think they have a better wide receiving core to go to get all together there with it. You know, Russ,


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[Assistant] I think also just the fact of the newness of Russ and, you know, let Russ cook and...


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[Assistant] You know, it's just, it's our new look offense. I, I, I just have the feeling they're gonna be a little bit more aggressive with the passing game maybe than Green Bay was the last few years. You know, but I don't think it's gonna look a whole lot different than what we've seen there, up there. I mean, again,


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[Assistant] You know, that, that, that, that offense in Green Bay I know is Matt LaFleur's, but it's not all that different than what Nathaniel Hackett has done throughout his career too.


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[Assistant] So I think it's going to be packaged around that with maybe a few things that Russ likes. Uh, but yeah, that's kind of what I expect. I mean, yeah, it's going to be a pass first offense, but not totally out of bounds. 60-40, 65-35. That's kind of how I look at it.


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[Assistant] I think there's a little bit of that, but I also think he maybe compounds it to a greater effect. And that's where I'm going to be interested now that he's in an offensive system that's a little more creative.


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[Assistant] And to me, this is the best offense of mine he's been around in his career.


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[Assistant] Maybe this is where that can change the heat map a little bit, to where he can give Russell Wilson a little more confidence, or maybe another clue or two that he's never heard, to just go, hey, just trust it.


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[Assistant] You know, and then he's gonna be watching Aaron Rodgers' film, and he's gonna go, damn, okay, Aaron threw it in there, okay, okay, okay. And he's just gonna have to build that up a little bit. But I think once you get a little success, he proves to them maybe a few little tricks of the trade of what to read, and then a few concepts that are added in there to where, man, Russell goes, damn, we get a lot of people open 15 yards over the middle.


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[Assistant] Hopefully that's where they can get that and he can be a little more comfortable there. They got to. They can't just throw the ball outside the numbers like they did in Seattle all the time.


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[Assistant] I think the defense, I mean, I don't expect them to be in the playoffs. I mean, I really, from everything I know, it sounded like Seattle wanted to totally rebuild and Pete Carroll put a kibosh on that.


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[Assistant] I do think there was real tangible wanting to trade DK Metcalf, wipe the slate clean, and let's go from there. And I've heard from some people in the league that that was one that was kind of like a deal breaker, like Petey was like, no, you know, I know we're retooling the team, but that to him I think was like, whoa, we're starting back at scratch. And he wasn't willing to do that.


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[Assistant] He doesn't, I know, so I understand it. Yep, 71 in September, Pete's telling me in my ear, I know, he's up there, and I understand that thought. Sometimes you have no choice. Yeah, right, right.


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[Assistant] Yeah, I would have. I would. I mean, and especially this day and age, I could be like, well, by your time, your 72, the team might be good again. Like you'd like legit across the board. Right. So yeah, I'm not expecting playoffs, but for them to sneak in, I mean, of course we know one of the quarterbacks has got to play damn good and not be like a turnover King, but also make some plays.


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[Assistant] Alright, and that's where I think it will be Gino. I do. Again, those two receivers are damn good up there. Let's not forget about that. The defense has to start off and be better. That's the first thing I'm gonna say.


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[Assistant] I mean, they've just been all over the place the last few years. And they can get somewhat in the middle of the pack.


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[Assistant] Alright, and then, often it's a line, still a question mark up there, but, you know,


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[Assistant] This is the thing, I think they can put them over there, and they can get a real running game together.


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[Assistant] With Kenneth Walker and Rashad Penny, who, I mean, potentially have the chance to be the best duo in the NFL. There's a big time potential there.


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[Assistant] Control the clock, play that stuff. Maybe they can sneak in and kind of be one of those ugly football teams. I mean, I'm not expecting it, but with Seattle, the way he coaches, the energy, we know they compete, games are never over, all of that. You know, I wouldn't just be shocked to see them being a pain in the ass and hanging around for a little while.


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[Assistant] No, you're right, we don't. But we're gonna ride the wave. It seems like he is and the rest of the team is. Nobody's coming out to debunk it. I know that. So that to me says a little something.


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[Assistant] Alright, uh, I thought his, first off, his response after whatever, it was a few days, and then he came back like, been in, I can't remember what he said, been away for the few days, what did I miss? That was his first response, which was classic. It's great.


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[Assistant] Uhm, he's handling it well. He's handling it well. I will say this. The damn guy...


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[Assistant] His street cred in the locker room is going to go way up. It is going to, you know, if he was, yeah, there you go. If maybe he was looked at as like baby face Zach by some guys in the locker room. Now he's going to be like, man, that's my Zach right there. Zach Wilson. He's the man.


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[Assistant] Yep, yep, vodka and to kill, uh, vodka. Oh yeah, yeah. That's what I did this year.


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[Assistant] Yeah, alright, I think the first thing that would come to my mind, you know, mechanically, miss too many throws that he shouldn't miss. And I talked about this during the year last year a little bit. His back leg, his right leg, gets outside the framework of his body too much.


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[Assistant] Which then affects the tilting of his shoulders, right? So, you know, as a lefty and sitting here and I pop my legs, you kind of want to be like this to throw a football. Too many of the times he was like this to throw it and then he would throw the ball into the ground, into the knees. So that's one thing mechanically he's got to work on because I would say there was three or four passes in every game where you go, damn.


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[Assistant] You're way too talented to miss that throw right there. That's gotta get fixed. Getting off of receivers a little bit. And you saw that early in the year. You know, again, big arm, big talent guy, gift and a curse a little bit. You just, oh, I'm gonna fit it in there. I'm gonna fit it in there.


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[Assistant] But as the year went on, he started to read plays out and play it the right way.


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[Assistant] So I would say that's the big thing. Don't stay on that first receiver and just hope he's gonna come open so you can throw the ball. No, move on. Hey, the other plays will present itself. And last thing I'll say that he needs to improve on, and again, we saw this a little at the end of the year, he's too good of an athlete to sit there and be the Statue of Liberty sometimes.


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[Assistant] You know, don't fall into that trap of being too much Johnny quarterback. Don't forget about what got you there and some of the best skill set you have is your ability to get out of the pocket and then go throw lasers in there. And that was one thing when I did my quarterback rankings coming back to a few times where I just went


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[Assistant] Uh, that would be three things I think that would certainly help improve his game.


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[Assistant] You're top five. He's a big time listener. We know that. He's as loyal as they come.


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[Assistant] He predicted it. He predicted it. That's big time that he predicted. He was pretty good, I think, with my quarterback rankings too, really.


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[Assistant] Yeaah. Hey, I like his top 10. I probably would not have DeAndre Hopkins at 6.


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[Assistant] I know, it's not fair. Yup, it is awesome. I would probably, when I really look at it, if I had to finish off my top 10, I'd have probably gone DJ Moore 6, AJ Brown 7, and then gone Devonte Adams 8. That'd have probably been my, my little Devonte Adams 8.


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[Assistant] And then I'd get into Evans, Mike Evans, and Hopkins as that 9-10 guy, I'm not really sure. You know, I know a lot of people get on me about my receiver ranking because I didn't have Devontae in the top 10, you know, two years ago.


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[Assistant] But you know, like, uh, that, hey, again, I admit, I made a mistake two years ago. He should have been in the top ten. He should not have been in the top five for me. If I had to go back and do that list two years ago, he still wouldn't have been in the top five. He would have been seven or eight for me then too. As I've mentioned, it's just not my cup of tea, that type of receiver all the time. So the funny thing is,


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[Assistant] I will say this, I had a lot of people in the NFL text me and say they like my receiver rankings. A lot. And I know we talked about this after the show the other day, but, you know, receiver is truly beauty to the eye, the beholder,


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[Assistant] A guy like Josh McDaniels loves the Devonte Adams, obviously. Loves that type of guy. We, we differ that way a little bit, me and Josh. I'm not so much into that type of guy as much as he is.


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[Assistant] I really, that's when I hate doing the list. Like, cause I like that guy a lot. I really do. And again, I think he's a hell of a football player. But this is just the, the hard part about the business.


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[Assistant] I agree, 100%. He's a professional. He says and does all the right things. He's not a me, me, me guy. He's, I mean, it's always team.


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[Assistant] I really, really respect him. I do. You know, he's saying all the right things out there in Las Vegas. I would think the one thing that's different is just, you know, Rodgers couldn't


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[Assistant] Rogers could put a pace on the football that's a little bit more aggressive than Derek Carr. Uh, not to say Derek Carr has a weak arm, he's got a really good arm, but I mean, as you know, Rogers, when he wants to throw the fastball, it's one of the best fastballs in the history of the sport.


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[Assistant] Well, this is what he does. It's amazing. You know, at his age that he's still doing this and I'm not trying to be a jerk. I mean, it's just, it's a lot of work. It's a lot of time being on the road, but it's one of the coolest things Peter does or anybody in sports media does, going around giving you a little head start on each team around the NFL.


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[Assistant] Is it underwhelming? It's, it's funny with, it's, it's might be less than 10. Yeah. It's funny. There's 20 top 10 receivers. There's, there's five top 10, you know, I didn't, it's, it's just funny where it's gone in my lifetime, our lifetime.


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[Assistant] Just where it is right now. Because I feel like if you looked at...


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[Assistant] You know, NFL running backs and rosters 20 years ago, 25 years ago, almost every team would go, damn, they got him at a running back. Damn, they got him. The running back was the best player on the team when I was growing up through the eighties and nineties. Almost every team was orchestrated around the running back.


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[Assistant] You know, other than like Dan Marino or Dan Fouts and some of those guys, everybody else was going, oh we run the ball on first and second and then we try to throw the ball on third. If we have to. If we have to. Right, right. I mean that's the way football was.


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[Assistant] And, you know, now it's running back by committee. Some of these guys we got on the list right here, they don't have many catches out of the backfield and all that. But I don't think it's because they can't. I think it's because they just, teams are trying to take wear and tear off.


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[Assistant] So I think that's hurt it. And then the rules of the game, of course, have changed it. The rules in the early 2000s, you know, that...


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[Assistant] You know, help the passing game, protecting the quarterback, all that has led to an influx of, yea, passing teams and the passing way of life in the NFL that has devalued the running back. And really, I mean, it's gonna take somebody really, really special to ever be like a top 15, top 20 running back in the draft anymore. It really is.


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[Assistant] I'm gonna go with Christian McCaffrey at six. Whoa. I am. Yeah. And listen, I know his talent is greater than that.


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[Assistant] But I mean, he's played ten games in the last two years. I mean, you know, the one thing that kind of is important for the running back in the rankings is you gotta play. So I can't put him any higher than that. His talent is really special. I know that.


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[Assistant] It is. I mean, he's amazing. And him and Alvin Kamara are in the conversation for the best dual threat running back in the game as far as catching the ball out of the backfield, run the ball between the tackles and all that. But durability is definitely a question with me.


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[Assistant] You know, and I am a little bit more of the guy that tends to, I want the guy that can run between the tackles. You know that, we've talked about that before. So, he's an awesome football player that can do everything. I will say this, you know, going back and watching him last year too, still quick as hell, still awesome round runner.


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[Assistant] I do think he lost the gear in his straight ahead speed. I do. And he's a smaller guy, and I worry about him kinda wearing down slowly but surely here, and that's where, that's why he's number six for me right now.


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[Assistant] I mean, I love that. I'm not ready to put him at 6 yet.


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[Assistant] But I'm loving that we're given a guy that to me has a talent to be in this type of conversation when we do the list next year. He does. He's special.


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[Assistant] You know, yeah, I think when he was in the game last year, everybody was like, oh, they're going to run the ball and give it to them. They don't trust them in the past game in New England yet. Right. With all that type of stuff. And then you had Mack Jones and they were kind of a running team and they wanted to do that.


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[Assistant] But man, he made some impressive, impressive runs. So I love that, that you put him there. That's awesome. I don't agree with that. I don't think he's in the six yet, but he is a six, top six potential type of guy. No doubt about it.


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[Assistant] To five for you. Okay, to five for me is where I'm gonna go Joe Mix in here. I'm gonna go Joey Mix. I mean, one...


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[Assistant] Out of the guys we're gonna talk about on this list and everything here, Joe Mixon's been playing behind the worst offensive line. So that's the first thing I'm gonna just tell people. Don't always look at his stats and his highlights, it's just not fair. It's not.


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[Assistant] And we know that offensive line is, it was one of the poorer ones in football. So it's, it's hard to have the greatest highlight film in the world. But man, he just, he can do everything. He's another guy that I think, you know,


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[Assistant] They don't let them catch the ball just because they're trying to find some way to take a little wear and tear off his tires to justify, hey, you know, we're paying this guy double-digit millions every year. We'd like him to last a little while.


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[Assistant] So that's the problem, but I think he's phenomenal in the pass game. He's way bigger than people realize. Joe Mixon is one of those guys, as anybody in NBC will tell you when they were in the Super Bowl last year, the pregame, when Joe Mixon walked on the field pregame, no pads.


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[Assistant] Everybody that worked on our crew was like, damn, Joe Mixon's bigger than I thought. He's taller than you think, he's jacked, he's fast and can break it for 60 and he can run you over and he can make people miss. He's got a little bit of everything to a football game. So for me, yes, he is one of the five best running backs in the game. So why?


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[Assistant] I get that. I don't know either. And again, I don't, I'm sure that's one Zach Taylor would like to, you know, redo as well.


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[Assistant] They could be the third down back. It's just they're trying to not let them have to take on the blitzing linebacker and kill himself for this 45th play in a row. Or catch a ball over the middle and get his head knocked. It's just the white teams are trying to help save these guys.


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[Assistant] So, he's been there third down back. It was a two minute drive.


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[Assistant] You know, they were kind of kind of, you know, up-tempo offense, and yea, they got stuck on the field with them. But I don't think it was like, hey, it's 3rd and 1, guys, take Joe out, he's not good enough, let's put some RJP right in. You know what I mean? That's where I think people are referring to sometimes, and I'm going to go, that's insane, that's not 1-1 down.


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[Assistant] I agree, but I think it was, you know, I think it was games where they realized we have no chance at running the football this week. You know, I think that's where it is. So that's where it's hard sometimes. Don't pile on him that way.


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[Assistant] You know yea, they're a little bit of a team that was all over the place and the way they run the ball. I don't disagree with you there. But I don't, it wasn't because of him, I guess is what I'm trying to say. You know, they had major issues. We know that. I think that's going to change this year. They've improved their offensive line. I would think they're going to be better.


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[Assistant] That's cool. Again, I'm not ready to put him there yet, but I do like him a lot. And I do think he's the type of guy that, you know, like you're saying, yea, you're projecting a little bit.


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[Assistant] You know, I don't look at him and go, oh wow, yeaah, there's something about his game I don't like. He's kind of got it all. There's no doubt.


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[Assistant] I guess it's just one of those where I'd like to see a little bit more before I put them over some of these other guys that I just, I know who they are, I know what they are, and I know what they're capable of, but yeaah, I like it. I like where your head's at with this so far. That's good that you're not going like me.


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[Assistant] Davencook. Davencook, where I'm going here. I mean, Cook is just...


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[Assistant] Cook is arguably, nobody hits the hole faster than Dalvin Cook. Nobody can go 0-60 and get up to the line of scrimmage and go through a hole quicker than he is. He's maybe the best in all of football when it comes to that.


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[Assistant] So that's where he's special. He plays bigger than his actual size. You know, it's also one of his negatives. Yeah. He's not going to be a guy that necessarily going to run over a defensive tackle or push the pile on a third and two situation or, you know, take on a linebacker and always win that battle and fall forward for three or four more yards. That's not what he is.


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[Assistant] He's in the conversation, I think, for one of the best in space running backs of all of football. And if he does have any space or a gap, I mean, man, he can break your ankles or turn on the afterburners and outrun you, let alone another guy that I think is really kind of good in the pass game.


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[Assistant] You know, they're trying to take a little wear and tear. They go, oh, we got Madison, we got other guys. Let's, let's not just kill this guy all the time. I mean, he can do it though. He really can. You see enough on film to see it. But yeah, for Dalvin, Dalvin Cook, uh, I think is.


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[Assistant] Where I might have said, you know, he's clearly top four for me. Clearly. And I get the feeling that he's definitely going to be in your top four as well.


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[Assistant] I hear you say, I'm not going to go by Vegas on that one all the way either. I mean, you can't fault him for the fact that, oh wait, they're a good running football team and their backup is also good. That's true. So that's where I would just argue against that a little bit. But I understand what you're saying. All right. You're saying, yeah, they don't necessarily ride him and him being the ultimate difference of whether win or lose.


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[Assistant] It was seven last year, yea. It was seven, it really wasn't seven. He kinda like tried to come back for one or two and wasn't the same. It was almost like five, really.


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[Assistant] No doubt. I mean, he is in my top 6. He'd be in my top 6. He'd be in, he'd probably be, he'd be, yea.


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[Assistant] I'd be more of my top four-ish maybe, if that was the consideration. But it's a real concern for me.


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[Assistant] It really is. I root for him. I mean, damn, his dad was a teammate of my father. I know how awesome Christian is as a guy. I've been around him a few times. I know how he works. He's obsessed. Everything. There's nothing not to like about Christian McCaffrey, but yes, his size and injury history here the last few years. That's what scares me.


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[Assistant] Maybe their offensive line, it should be a little bit better this year too, to where maybe it helps him out a little bit as well. And I think they're going to be in a better offense, and hopefully have some better quarterback play, which will make life a little easier on him as well. The top three, we've made it.


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[Assistant] Derek Henry is number three for me. Yup. I couldn't put him one or two. You know, and really the film kind of told me that. I know how awesome Derek Henry is.


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[Assistant] I know. You know, this is where I almost want to reveal one and two just to tell you why and why I think they're better, but we'll get to that in a second. I mean, hey, eh, he's, he's a powerhouse. I get that. Great size. When he gets up a full head of steam, he can push the pile as good as anybody in the game.


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[Assistant] In NFL history. I would agree with that. There's not. You know, when there's a seam and something there, man, he can break an 80 yarder as good as anybody in the game. So that's, I mean that stuff is really good. But.


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[Assistant] I think where I look at him and where I don't think he stacks up against the guys in the top two is short area spaces when there's nothing there.


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[Assistant] You know, that's what, I think when you go back and watch the film, alright, like with a guy like Derrick Henry, there is a lot of underwhelming runs. That's what we forget. He gets the ball a lot. Like, and to that point, let me just like, like, Derrick Henry,


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[Assistant] Only got the ball nine times less than Nick Chubb did last year. You got that? Nick Chubb. Derek Henry played nine games.


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[Assistant] Right? Nick Chubb got the ball nine times more. Okay? And played five more games.


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[Assistant] Alright, also rushed for over 300 yards more on the, so I don't think Derek Henry was going to get nine carries for 300 yards. Uh, but either way, it just, I'm, what I'm trying to say is they ride him hard. I know that and there's value to that as well.


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[Assistant] But man, there's also a lot of runs that I look at and I just would have go, man, my top two guys would have weaved through there or, you know, ran up to the line of scrimmage and gone, oh wait, nothing's there. And then been able to bounce it or make a cut. And there's so many of those runs are where Derek Henry.


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[Assistant] Oh, because he's bigger, he's a little bit more of a build up speed type of guy, he gets stuck in that. Somebody just tackles him and he goes down by the ankles. Or, you know, hey, the pulling guard play, you gotta read the guard behind it.


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[Assistant] Make a cut this way. Make a cut that way. Make a cut this way. Break an arm tackle and then turn it back on. To me, that's where he is noticeably less than the two guys I'm gonna have in front of him. So that's why I made him three. Wasn't easy to do. I know how awesome he is.


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[Assistant] So there's three good D lines we're talking about. Three D lines that to me is going back to the point I'm trying to say. They never let him get going. They never, it was, no, you're gonna have to stop and then redo.


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[Assistant] Stop and restart. Stop and re-accelerate. And to me, that's not his game. When it's a, oh wait, there's a whole


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[Assistant] But the problem is, when there's a play where he has to slow down or stop or wait, I gotta stop and cut back, that to me is not where he stacks up against the top two. And to me, that's what those defenses kind of did. They kind of said, we're going to shoot gaps and we're going to make you re...


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[Assistant] Uh, adjust or redirect your body to go somewhere else. And that's not his game there. That's not what he is made for. And to me that's just why he's, that's why he's number three to me. And again, that doesn't come easily. I got tremendous respect for this guy.


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[Assistant] You know, Nick Chubb is that guy. Nick Chubb to me has more versatility in the running schemes. You can run with him because he's got a little more, some different things he can do.


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[Assistant] Nick Chubb in those tight spaces, short areas, is able to, you know, redirect, cut, accelerate, just at a better rate to me than Derek Henry. He's capable of doing more with less, is what I'm saying.


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[Assistant] And again, I know Derek Henry's the man. Again, this is what's the worst part about doing these lists. It's not easy.


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[Assistant] You know, this is a guy that's, you know, really is, he's, he's four yards away from running for over a thousand yards, four yards in a, four years in a row. His rookie year he got 996 yards. I mean, every year he averages over five yards per carry. Don't...


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[Assistant] Blame Nick Chubb, cause they have another good running back, or two good running backs, and they're not gonna just run them into the ground, maybe like Tennessee is gonna do with Derrick Henry. Really good offensive line they have. They do, they do. But Tennessee's certainly, his offensive line ain't no pro, ain't no pushover either. It's really damn good as well.


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[Assistant] So, but I, but I understand what you're saying. But to me, that's the difference. It's, it's the, it's the plays, it's up the middle, he can hit the hole faster than Derrick Henry. It's the plays where, oh, he hits the hole, and now wait, he's gotta stop in the hole and redirect and make a linebacker miss. He's better in that department.


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[Assistant] He can re-accelerate better, and honestly, I think in those situations too, breaks more tackles than Derek Henry as well. So that's where, yea, Nick Chubb, to me,


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[Assistant] Yeah, I mean, Nick Chauvin's, the one and two were, to me, one and two. I will say, if I almost had a little bit of a tear there, where I think, yes, at this point of their careers, one and two are a little bit above, uh, King Henry, who, again, I love.


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[Assistant] That's it. Okay, so great. I'm glad you're adding that to my, to my argument. It's, it's, it's very apparent. You know, it's one of those where if you just look at stats, you'd go, oh, hey, Henry's clearly better. He might be better, but man, it was one of those where,


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[Assistant] I turned on the film and started watching Carry After Carry and I just started going, oh my gosh, Nick Chubb. I mean, some of these runs are insane. I mean, they really are.


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[Assistant] And again, he's a guy too, you know, like Henry, who we know, yea, he can push the pile and do all that, but he can go 70 to the house. But where I think he's different and I give him the advantage again is that run where, you know,


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[Assistant] Derek Henry might get six or eight. Nick Chubb can maybe, you know, put on the brakes, lower the shoulder, make a cut and run through the arm tackle while he's putting on the brakes. Stay low to the ground. Cause he is five 11, 230 pounds and his legs and he's so dense and muscular. And then he can get an extra 10 yards.


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[Assistant] And that to me is where he's just a little different maybe than the King Henry is.


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[Assistant] It is. No doubt. He's the man. Led the NFL. Led the NFL in rushing last year. He's the man right now. Jonathan Taylor's the man. You know. One, all these guys have, like, very good vision.


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[Assistant] I do think that Jonathan Taylor, Nick Chubb, and Dalvin Cook's vision are the best of all these running backs we're talking about.


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[Assistant] I mean, Jonathan Taylor and Chubb, and Jonathan Taylor especially, to me this is where he made a big jump from year one to year two, is...


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[Assistant] His ability to see the hole, see the next cut, and then, you know, to get at some more tough yards every now and then. In year one, I felt like there were some plays where I go, hey, come on, Jonathan Taylor, just lower your shoulder and smash it in there and get four yards. And he might have been looking for the bounce out of the big play or whatever. Last year, he did that, you know. He was special last year. Really.


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[Assistant] When you kind of go back and watch it, you go, man, if the Colts ran the ball early in the year, he would have got 2000 yards. They wouldn't run the ball the first four or five weeks of the year. They wouldn't do it. And if you remember about week 10 or 12,


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[Assistant] You know, what was the theme they had out there? They kept saying like run the ball or run the rock or they had something to say because they were finally getting into it going damn he's good and this is, this is the way we should play our team. Forget letting Carson Wentz drop back and try to win it all the time.


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[Assistant] I think it was a noticeable difference in their football team when they let him take over. But, like Nick Chubb, and as I think to a greater extent, it's rare where


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[Assistant] You know, run people over for tough 5 yards, break ankles for tough 5 yards. Oh wait, he can break for 90 and nobody can catch him?


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[Assistant] I mean, look at the Ravens game. He catches a swing pass out of the backfield, runs for 80 yards. Again, he's another guy that, hey, we have other guys, so we're going to use Naheem Hines to catch the ball, take some wear and tear off. But I think all these guys could be a little bit better in the pass game if they were just given the opportunities. But yeah, I think we're both on the same page here and he's clearly my one.


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[Assistant] And what's, what's his size and weight? What's he 5'11", 227?


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[Assistant] Yeaah, that's the proto- that to me is the Chris Sims proto-


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[Assistant] It, it, it, it pops off to you more, you know, cause sometimes when the season's over, we just think about like the highlights and some of the big runs and some of those plays are just like, oh yeah, there was a hole and he outran everybody like, but I think that's the thing that I came away from when I went back and watched was like how many times he,


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[Assistant] Okay, you know, went through the hole, made somebody miss, kinda broke up the sidelines, and you go, oh.


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[Assistant] He's gonna get pushed out of bounds here, or, you know, he's about to go down. And then he makes a move, or a cut, or lowers his shoulder, and you go, holy shit, he got 25 more yards after that!


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[Assistant] And that to me was where it was, or just runs up the middle where he's kind of dancing and picking his spot and kind of weaving through traffic. And you go, okay, and then boom, he hits on the gas and you go, holy shit, he got, I thought he was going to get 12 yards there, he got 45.


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[Assistant] And, and to me that's where he's the best in the game right now. An incredible combination of that. And I think that's why they're both, to me, the best in the game. And I think maybe I changed your mind as far as Chubb to Taylor. That body type.


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[Assistant] Their way to be physical, they're a little bit more explosive, their acceleration is better, and because they're 5'11 and so compact, their ability to kind of take on hits and things and bounce off of them, give them a little bit more of an advantage than a guy like Derek Henry who's, you know, a little bit more taller and longer like.


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[Assistant] And tell me your, your football like background or sports background growing up and kind of what you did.


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[Assistant] Wow, wow, that's impressive. What position did you play, uh, uh, on the football team?


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[Assistant] Yeah, alright, alright. So you cut some of that baby weight off to look good in your, your wrestling outfits and, and show all your, your pecs and your, your curls for the girls and your tries and all that.


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[Assistant] You would put the bangles in front of both of them? That's what you're saying? We might have a biased opinion here. We might have a problem here. Alright, so wait, so off to just the top of your head, or just what you've seen from the list, right? And what you know of coach quarterback. Take the bangles out of the conversation.


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[Assistant] If you knew about this little exercise right off the bat, who would have been that?


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[Assistant] That one that you would have thought is one or two right off the bat. Do you agree with Ahmed there and his, and his, and his next group of guys as far as Tannahill Vrabel, Allen McDurbin? Or is there somebody else that jumps out to you?


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[Assistant] Oh, I like it. Wow. Yeaah, that's my boy Kyle Shenan. Yeaah, he's got some fight in him. He's got some fightiness in him. He ain't gonna be scared. And Lance, Lance is big and physical too, so alright. He's coming in with a different one there. They got some love. You gave them love, number nine.


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[Assistant] I mean, listen, I mean, you know, again, I'm, I'm one of those guys, Angelo that go like, you know, Hey, this was fun. This is a great exercise. We had a lot of fun with it, but there's no way they could whoop some of these coach quarterback combinations. I mean, two was one of the smaller quarterbacks. Mike McDaniel's like


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[Assistant] Five nine a hundred and sixty pounds.


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[Assistant] You like that one. Yeaah. So you like them to be, you think they're up at the, uh, at the top towards, those ones right there. Or you're saying they're, they should be lower. What are you saying there? They should be lower. Okay. I'm with you because I don't know about Ibra Fluis. I mean, Fields, I got respect for him, but I don't think Ibra Fluis is going to win a lot of these coaches. I pushed that, I pushed back against Ahmed on that one.


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[Assistant] That's the problem. You're exactly right. I mean, yeah, I know, I know. Well, he's probably got the same thing to say about you, but you got something to say right now. You're the champ right now.


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[Assistant] Yeah, you're in good hands there with Burrow and Chase. I don't think your bangos are going anywhere anytime soon. There's no doubt. That's a special combination. Wait, another thing I just want to ask you about too, cause I know you, you pay attention to football, but like, all right.


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[Assistant] You know, I know you got SummerSlam coming up this weekend, which is really cool, and we'll talk about that. But!


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[Assistant] Alright, if you could take one guy from the NFL to kind of be a tag team partner, right? One guy, I don't care what position, whoever.


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[Assistant] Who's the guy that you think you're gonna take into the ring with you? Who, who you bringing in? Mmm.


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[Assistant] I know. Tough hard hit. I gotta think it's somebody on defense, right, for the most part? I mean...


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[Assistant] I had a feeling you might go there. Yeah. I know. And like, I know you guys, you look similar with your shirts off. I mean, it just seems like it fit perfect. I mean, it'd be great actually.


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[Assistant] And upset the titans like the bangles did. That's what he's saying he's gonna do. He's got somewhere to go after that.


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[Assistant] I'm rooting for a friend of the pod now. Definitely, a definite friend of the pod. I mean, feel free to chime in at anything that's physical in any way as far as our pod is concerned. So you're, you're, you're a friend of the podcast forever now. Other thing I just want to ask you real quick, Angelo, like,


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[Assistant] Does your life, I lived in Nashville, I played on the Titans.


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[Assistant] Did that, have you thought about like the heat there and what it's gonna be like, you know, outside, outside arena?


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[Assistant] Nah, we appreciate it, man. Thanks a lot. Seriously. Well, you'll, you'll hear from us again. We're going to get you involved too. We're going to make Ahmed a defensive line expert this year on the podcast. So we'll probably need to help you or call you to help him out and hold his hand a little bit through some of this too. And maybe you can tell him how stupid he is.


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[Assistant] I mean, he made a good, like, I've done both Orlando and Nashville.


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[Assistant] Which was just around the corner from hell, let me just tell you. Like, I was like, wait, hell's just down the street, but I'll stay here. I mean, yea, it's hot as hell there, so he will be conditioned, but I don't think it'll be any different than Nashville. Nashville, I found my training camps there to be


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[Assistant] No doubt. We're gonna, we haven't talked about new helmets yet, so we're gonna hit that on Monday. Alright, we know we got more questions to hit on as well.


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[Assistant] We got a few topics that we're going to kind of sort out right now as far as what we're going to hit on. You know, uhm, so that's coming up though. And of course we're going to have news coming on Monday that we're going to be able to talk about plenty of things. But we want to get at some point into training camp battles a little bit. You know, I want to get into


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[Assistant] Top defenses in football, I know that's part of our conversations. We gotta do something maybe with some defensive line focus to your new expertise there and talk about that.


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[Assistant] Uhm, and then maybe for Monday we can come up with a handshake by then, you know, and get you, get you going there because, you know, I'm an expert, they say.


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[Assistant] Man, I wanna do the handshake. I wanna, I wanna like see, you know, you kinda fluster a little bit, a little nervous and see where it goes from there.


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[Assistant] No. It's kinda standard. It's standard. You've been around enough locker rooms, you just know.


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[Assistant] I know, sometimes you just gotta let it go, you know, or you get that guy that's a little, doesn't lock it the right way, and you're like, oh, okay, but like, I'm the kind of guy that if I start to see you enough, and we're doing the handshake, that by the third time, I'm gonna go, wait, wait, wait, hold on, we gotta fix some things here, let me take you to school here, and figure this out.


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[Assistant] And I will be that guy that will straighten things out, right? So yeaah. Try to make some people cooler.


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[Assistant] We'll be here Monday. After that, going to the Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame game next week on NBC. Next Thursday, Jags Raiders. We'll be doing a pregame show from there. Think we're gonna do a podcast from out there too. Maybe something Hall of Fame related.


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[Assistant] Uh, be safe. Have a good rest of your week. Omid. Yep. Clap it up.


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[Assistant] Hi, I'm Mike Tirico and thanks for watching. Make sure to hit subscribe for the latest news and highlights from NBC Sports.


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[Assistant] Yo, yo, what up? I'm at Bereads here, my man today. I'm Chris Sims. Chris Sims on Button Podcast. We kinda got a good one here today. I mean, it's really good. They're all good. They're all good, but this is like extra good, okay? Because, uh, first of all,


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[Assistant] My dad's coming on a little bit. We're going to have him. You haven't had to deal with my dad. It's usually a Wednesday podcast. So you'll understand that you're not going to get much said when my dad gets on. And supposedly my dad has some quarterback take that he wants to get off his chest. Really? I think he's ranked the quarterbacks officially in the Phil Simms world.


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[Assistant] The way he was telling me and how excited he was about this makes me think, yes, he's gonna try to crap on some of the things that I've said. So I don't know where this goes right there.


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[Assistant] Hands down, where does he go? I don't know, I don't know. Is it fair to call him a man crush? He is one of my man crushes. Yes, he really is. I love his style of play, the way he slings the football.


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[Assistant] He's got a little moxie of Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, Aaron Rodgers, gunslinger type of guy that I always like at the quarterback position.


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[Assistant] Yeaah, right, that he might have, yeaah, that's the rumor. You're, you're very good, you're very good at that. Pretty good, right? Yes. And then, I mean, we're, we're sitting here Thursday, and, uh, the schedule came out last night. So that's where we're gonna start it off, but, uh, that's what we got to look forward to with this right here, and take it away there, slugger.


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[Assistant] I mean, it is awesome, and the fact that we have the ability to flex games late in the year when teams don't deliver, uh, it's great, but I mean, come on, Packers, Bears, to start it off.


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[Assistant] Uh, really, I think this is even better. Steelers, Patriots, I mean, no, no shortage of storylines there.


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[Assistant] As far as the first week one Sunday night football game. But so many good ones that jump out to me. New Orleans Cowboys week four. What? The Cleveland Browns making their Sunday night football. Week three debut at home with the NSC champs Rams coming into town.


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[Assistant] And I got my circle week number eight, okay. My two favorite quarterbacks are playing each other. The pillow games. The pillows are there. Okay, and I still think this guy is the best quarterback in football. Okay. But this is the first time


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[Assistant] But this is the first year where I go, oh no, there's some competition and they're going down.


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[Assistant] I mean, Akib Talib, Marcus Peters vs Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. There won't be any crap talking or shit talking in that matchup. No, not at all.


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[Assistant] No, it's all excitement, it's all optimism, no matter what, as far as teams. I mean, you heard ESPN, they picked all the games last night, and the NFL was 64 games above 500. I mean, there's no checks and balances there. But I think the thing that, uhm, you know, the thing I look at, and this is what I hate about the whole schedule release,


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[Assistant] When people start telling me about, Oh, I can't wait to this matchup in week 14 and week 15. Like they know those two teams are going to be really relevant at that time of the year. Hey, listen, other than New England Patriots, you don't know what the hell and who the


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[Assistant] Okay, I'm coming out hard in that, so I hate when people go, whoa, this stretch in December right here.


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[Assistant] And okay, that looks cool right now before the season starts, but the season could go and it could be that stretch in December is a bunch of teams that are like, you know, three and 45. So you don't know that. So when schedule releases come out to me, uh, uh, um, and the first thing I do and really the only thing I do


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[Assistant] Uh, one of them was the 1996 Patriots who lost to the Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers. The other two are the 07 Giants who beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl and


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[Assistant] Uhm, the 1993 Dallas Cowboys with Emmett Smith. So that I think is a good example of showing you that it's very hard to recover once you're in the hole in the NFL. It's just too much to overcome as the season goes along.


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[Assistant] I played in one playoff game and was around other playoff teams where I was the backup quarterback.


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[Assistant] But I don't think the pressure of those moments or the preparation for those games was nearly, uh, as pressure-packed, I guess, for lack of a better phrase, as like if we started out a year 0 and 2, or 1 and 3. You wanna talk about...


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[Assistant] To me, it is. There's a lot to overcome there. And then, what it also can do, vice versa, for teams that are not very good.


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[Assistant] It can kind of give you false confidence to go, hey, we can find ways to win. We kind of got something. We got a formula here working. And all of a sudden you think, oh, this team that we didn't think was going to be worth a damn going in the season. All of a sudden they're three and one or four and one.


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[Assistant] And they find a little belief and confidence and NFL football is such a game of momentum to where now that's where we get the teams where we would go, I never saw this team being in the playoff conversation. I can't believe this. And here they are in December in that convo. And it's all because of how the start of the season shapes up.


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[Assistant] Yeah, okay. I mean, right off the bat, I think a team that I just looked at and said, not a bad opening schedule. And let me just pull it up just to make sure I got it right. But the New England Patriots were the first team. I know they got the Pittsburgh Steelers week one. That's brutal, certainly. But, you know, after that, they get to play three teams, really four or five.


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[Assistant] Six teams in a row that I can legitimately sit here and go, no, they're better. I'm not saying they're gonna win the game, but they're better. They have the Miami Dolphins, the Jets, the Buffalo Bills, the Washington Redskins, the New York Giants, and then the Jets again. So I look at that and go, ooh, New England's poised to be in a very much of a power position.


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[Assistant] Uh, you know, after the first six, seven weeks of the season.


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[Assistant] They have some other stretches that are going to be tough. If you're looking on YouTube right now, you know, weeks 9, 10.


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[Assistant] No, I mean, I know, I'm with you. It is. I mean, this is gonna be a tough start.


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[Assistant] Then you got the Minnesota Vikings, which we know is already one of the most talented defenses in football. You got the Broncos, Vic Fangio, who came from the Bears, who knows all about Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers. That's gonna be scary. Plus, they have talent on their team, and it's gonna be a good defense, and you can talk about, like you said, Eagles and Cowboys.


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[Assistant] Yeah, Aaron Rodgers is gonna have to make some magic early on in the season, certainly jumped out to me. You know, you wanna talk about another team who's got a tough early schedule, uh, Ahmed would be the New Orleans Saints. That's when I look at and go, holy hell, Batman. I mean, they got...


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[Assistant] Okay, Texans to start the year at home. Okay, that's great, but the Texans are a playoff football team, tough physicals to Sean Watson, JJ Watch, De'Vion Clowney, De'Andre Hopkins. I mean, come on, we know they're capable of winning some games, but then they go,


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[Assistant] They're gonna be a fringe playoff team, a team that can, you know, have a first round by, or a team that's gonna be fighting for that wild card spot. They go two and two, yeaah. You know, it's gonna be tough sledding, but at least they're in a good spot.


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[Assistant] No, I think the day and age of, uh, Drew Brees being able to carry a team, you know, just with his ability and decision making and pinpoint accuracy and it all being on him, I do, I think those days are done.


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[Assistant] And that doesn't mean that the Saints can't still win football games. But I think we saw last year, it was a little bit of a transition of how they played. They were definitely a run first team. Mark Ingram, Alvin Kamara. And I think they're going to continue to do that. They got a really good offensive line.


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[Assistant] Yeah, I don't think that he is, I certainly would question that to a degree out of the fact that


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[Assistant] Man, that's been two heartbreaking seasons, uh, the way they've ended. Minneapolis miracle and then of course last year the debacle in the NFC championship game to where that is a lot to overcome.


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[Assistant] And, you know, it's tough to, you know, restart the engine once again and have a chip on your shoulder and just, this is, we're going for the Super Bowl and all of that after you had two big letdowns like that. So I'm going to be very interested to see how they start out the year.


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[Assistant] Yeah, that is not gonna be easy. I mean, playing in New Orleans, uh, just in my experience, New Orleans certainly ranks up there as far as one of the toughest places to play, uh, when they are good and the crowd is really rolling, which they will be on week one, so that's scary. The Jacksonville Jaguars. I mean, everybody watch out for the Jacksonville Jaguars.


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[Assistant] I still think this is one of the most talented teams in football. The defense, they don't need one player. They're good. And they're gonna be one of the best defenses in football.


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[Assistant] But, you know, getting Nick Foles, you know, having a high draft pick, what do they do? I would think it goes somewhere on the offensive side of the ball to where I think Jacksonville is going to be a lot closer to the team we saw in the AFC Championship game and have a bounce back here. So to your point there, that won't be easy. And then of course the Chargers, the Panthers are a team I look at as bounce back.


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[Assistant] And the Falcons and Chiefs we know are dangerous as well. I mean the AFC South is just, that's a tough division.


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[Assistant] It's, it really is. When you talk about the Titans, Colts, Jags, and Texans, that's four quality football teams all have pretty good quarterbacks. Uh, so yeaah, that's not a bad one either. I know there's another one, my buddy Kyle Shanahan. This is, I, I'm worried about him, okay? He's my friend, alright, and I'm rooting for them.


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[Assistant] You know, but it's a big year. It's year three. Jimmy Garoppolo's gotta perform. My man Kyle Shanahan, they gotta have a good record at some point just to take the pressure off. They start off on the road twice, okay? At the Bucs, at the Bengals, both East Coast teams, okay? That's always tough. That's right. And they're not good. I know the Bucs and Bengals, we're not talking about Super Bowl, but here's the angle that everyone's gotta remember.


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[Assistant] It's two starting head coaches, nuke head coaches. So the team, the fan base is going to be energized, right? And, you know,


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[Assistant] They're both home openers. The Bucks are getting a home opener and getting the 49ers. Then next week is a home opener for the Bengals who have the 49ers. But then after that, it just doesn't get any easier.


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[Assistant] It's Steelers, they get to go home for their home opener. Oh great, you got Big Ben and Company coming to town.


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[Assistant] So that's not good. You got the Browns coming to town the week after that, which I know we all know are going to be dangerous. And then it's at the Los Angeles Rams. So I look at that as going, wow, that's a tough schedule. And I'll throw in one other team there that I think I just would say watch out for this schedule. The New York Jets. The New York Jets.


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[Assistant] The Bills and Browns to start the year, okay? Which I know, these are two teams that I would say watch out for, the Bills and Browns. But then they're at the Pats, they're at the Eagles.


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[Assistant] They got the Cowboys and then they played the Patriots again. So you gotta play the Patriots two out of their first six games. That's never a good formula. But let alone you got the Eagles and the Cowboys who were both playoff teams and the upstart Browns.


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[Assistant] And the Bills, who are a good football team, and I think really on a sharp trajectory going upwards. So yea, the start of the year frames so much, and those are just a few teams that the schedule jumped out to me.


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[Assistant] Yes, it does. Those are, those are as, as an ex-player or a guy that played in the NFL. Those are the stretches that you're looking at when the schedule comes out. You're going, okay, who are we playing in week one?


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[Assistant] Uh, what are our primetime games? Those are the first things as a player you look at. You know, the next thing is alright, who are our first few games against? And then, do we have like, any murderers row stretches of just unbelievable games, you know, teams that we have to play in a row, or, you know, travel schedule?


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[Assistant] Travel schedule can wear you out in the NFL. And I know it sounds minute maybe to some teams, but you know, think about it this way. Oh, you know, you're, you're, you're play a Sunday night game or a late Saturday game. You're on the West or Sunday afternoon game.


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[Assistant] You're on the west coast. You get home. It's, you know, okay, gosh, I get in the house. It's two in the morning, three in the morning. Let's get up the next morning, go to the facility, start the week going. The coaches are, you know, they're tired. All of those things that travel being away from home.


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[Assistant] You know, uh, all of that affects your season all together, especially when you get Sunday night and Monday night football games. Because then there's no rest for the weary. And I said this today on Pro Football Talk.


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[Assistant] The coaches are the ones who really get killed in those stretches. You know, you play a Monday night game, and as a coach in the NFL, okay, the game's over, go home for a few hours and sleep, but tomorrow, man, we gotta cram in Monday and Tuesday into Tuesday, okay, and get ready for our next opponent, so that's not easy, or if you're on a road trip.


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[Assistant] Monday Night Football. And you'll land back in, let's say, you know, whoever it is, Monday Night Football, you're the New England Patriots, you land back in Foxborough, and it's five in the morning.


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[Assistant] The coaches just get off the plane and go right to the office. And that wears you out. And that affects game planning. And it affects the players and all of that. So those are all there to look at.


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[Assistant] I was on a 6-0 football team that went into the bye week and we never won a freaking game like the next 7 weeks in a row after that. Because you go home, you take the foot off the gas pedal, the coaches relax a little bit, there's a little attention to detail lost.


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[Assistant] Guys go up and eat a little more this week and I don't have to play. I'm gonna work out a little less and let my body recover. You get out of your routine. You get out of your routine and you get out of some of your...


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[Assistant] You know, you get a little sloppy with techniques. I mean, I always felt like the offensive lineman's pads were high when we came out of a bi-week. Like, you know, staying low and driving off the ball. Little things like that to affect your team.


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[Assistant] Yeah, I know that doesn't look good and people are going to have the advantage as far as preparing for the New England Patriots.


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[Assistant] But the bye week also can be one of those things where teams are, hey, we talk about Andy Reid being great off the bye week for a reason, because he's one of the few coaches in football that has provenly, has consistently proven that he can handle that week and the team can still be good the next week. Most teams, if you look at it, it's not that, you know, overwhelmingly beautiful as far as the results.


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[Assistant] And the Ravens are a team that is set up to be physical, and they're still a really good football team. Hey, whether they're in the playoffs, I don't know, but I think they're going to be in that conversation because they're talented on offense and defense align. Lamar Jackson, the whole Ravens defense is good, so.


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[Assistant] Uh, yeaah, I would think they're gonna be one of those teams that's in the mix all, all along. Alright Ahmed, uh, you weren't there for this. No. I, I just wanted to talk to this guy alone, okay? He's a quarterback.


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[Assistant] You're in the triangle sometimes. But either way, I talked to Drew Locke earlier. It was a great conversation. Here's that interview right now. Drew Locke!


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[Assistant] And a lot of people haven't given him maybe the credit he deserves. Uh, I would like to state it right now just because I know he can hear me and I want to butter him up for this conversation. But I from the get-go said he was the number two quarterback in the NFL draft. Maybe he might not even like me for saying number two. Maybe he's gonna be like, what the hell?


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[Assistant] Why wasn't I number one? But Drew Locke, thanks for coming on, man. How you doing, buddy?


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[Assistant] That's right. At the end of the day, you got a chance to be a, you're going to be a first round quarterback and you'll get to prove me wrong at some point. And I'll have you back on the podcast and you can go, okay, Chris, you idiot. I was the best quarterback. So deal with it. So please prove me wrong. I'm just putting that offer out there for you.


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[Assistant] Definitely. Alright, so, uh, alright, so let's just start, you know, with where you're at right now.


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[Assistant] What's this whole process been like for you since you've gotten done with your bowl game? Uh, just if you can kind of just give us a synopsis of everything you did preparing to the combine and to where you're at now and kind of just what it's like being drew lock here the last two and a half months.


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[Assistant] Yeah, well wait, I want you to stop right there just for a second, because I'm with you. The combine is weird altogether. And I hated this, and I just want to ask you this before you go on, just because you're on the subject.


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[Assistant] You know, again, I wasn't a first round quarterback. I was hoping to be, but did you feel like you were competing with guys at the combine? Like I know at the combine, I would see a guy throw and I'd be like, oh, that was a good one. I better bring my A game next time around. Did you find yourself letting thoughts like that creep into your mind or did you just say I'm going to be drew lock and not worry about it?


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[Assistant] Alright, so you get done with the combine and of course now it's get ready for your pro day and all the visits and everything like that. So kind of what's, I want to know kind of what's been your process as far as building up to the pro day and then talk to me a little bit about the visits you've had to make around the NFL.


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[Assistant] Okay, alright. So, I mean, yes, you made all the visits. You don't have to name all the teams, I mean, but let's go through a few of them. There's one, you know, the New York Giants. You, you, you go, uh, go, give me your East Coast trip and give me your West Coast trip and give me your North trip, if you can remember off the top of your head. Just yell out the teams for me, if you're allowed to.


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[Assistant] I got you. Yes. His name is John Elway. Yes. And he's had a love affair with you apparently from get go. So I'm not shocked. You were out there. Yes. They've been in conversation with you a lot. What was that like to meet John Elway? Uh, just why we're at it because I look at him as certainly one of the three or four greatest quarterbacks of all time.


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[Assistant] Yeah, okay, so, you know, here we are, we're, we're basically six days from the NFL draft.


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[Assistant] And you don't have to tell the team here, but do you have a feel right now, six days out, about maybe the one team you know is in a draft view, or the two or three teams that you think are in the conversation? Do you have any feel at all, or are you totally in the dark at this point?


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[Assistant] First thing we gotta talk about, alright? You go to the New York Giants, you talk about that visit. The hell with the actual visit. What I wanna know about...


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[Assistant] Is what happened after the visit, alright? You got to go and hang out with Saquon Barkley and it sounds like you had a kind of a fun late night. So let me hear the goods. What did you do with Saquon? What was it like to be King of New York next to him, uh, for a night?


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[Assistant] Alright, that's good. Veal's good, and I hope that Zequan, he picked up the tab, he's already got cash, you don't have it yet, right?


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[Assistant] Alright, so that's cool. Your big baller hanging out at Italian restaurants, uh, with Saquon Barkley. Next thing I got to talk to you about, which hits kind of close home, close to home to me. And I don't really like this, okay? And I like you as a player. I'm not proud of my school, okay? This is where I went to the University of Texas and


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[Assistant] Down the middle of the field for like a 70 or 80 yard touchdown. You make no acknowledgement to the Texas sideline or anything. You do your little dance, which I don't know what the hell that dance is. I want you to explain that to me. But then they mocked you after, which as a Texas alumni, I'm not even gonna lie.


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[Assistant] I did not like that. I did not think it was cool that the head coach or some of the other guys on the team got involved in it. It bothered me at the time and I've always wanted to ask you about it.


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[Assistant] Tell me just, you know, what your thoughts there, why they were mocking you, and then I do want to know where you got that dance from.


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[Assistant] No, this is the next thing I want to bring to you as far as the conversation. You probably could have left after 2017 and been a top 10 or top 15 pick because your offense played well and your stats were amazing and everybody gets in all of that. You're still going to go top 10 or top 15 in this draft.


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[Assistant] But people question you more this year, I feel like, after the season, than they did last year.


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[Assistant] Let me just say this, as a guy that has defended you a lot, and I'm, I'm, I'm all in on your game and what you bring to the table. I mean, I, I wanna say this to defend you. Your offense wasn't as good. I just thought, you know, you lost Josh Heipel, he went to Central Florida, and it was not as creative. So I wanna say that.


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[Assistant] Also, I watched Georgia and Alabama where people like to blame you and I want to go, well, I don't, I didn't see three open receivers the whole game. So I don't care if Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers played in that game. I don't think the results would have been any different. Have you found yourself?


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[Assistant] Having to defend your play last year because to me that seems to be the number one media critique about you.