Latest / Football Junkies podcast / Ep.78: Bad business

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Ep.78: Bad business · Football Junkies podcast

0:03
Double bag alert, double bag alert, double bag
0:05
alert, folks. That's right. Derrick Henry stays
0:08
in Baltimore. Brock Purdy goes from Mr. Irrelevant
0:12
to Mr. Franchise Quarterback. Trey Henderson
0:15
continues to hold out and gives a little bit
0:18
of the other side of this entire contract holdout
0:22
situation that not a lot of people... see, but
0:26
I think we finally are able to see it in real
0:28
time. As well as Elton Jenkins is holding out
0:32
and looking for a new deal. That situation is
0:34
a little bit complicated, but we're going to
0:36
try our best to explain it. Chris Alave to the
0:39
Steelers? Maybe. Tinfoil hat on? Maybe. Thoughts?
0:45
On the NFL schedule finally dropping, we finally
0:49
know when everybody is going to be facing each
0:52
other in this upcoming season, as well as we
0:54
have to talk about something a little bit more
0:56
serious, and that is the NFL, quote unquote,
1:00
revamping the accelerator program, which is supposed
1:03
to increase the likelihood. of, for instance,
1:07
a minority candidate to be an offensive coordinator
1:11
or defensive coordinator or head coach or GM,
1:14
any of those high level jobs, it's supposed to
1:19
help you be able to get that a little bit easier.
1:22
Well, apparently they're going to be revamping
1:24
it. So we have to talk about that as well as
1:27
grades for the NFC North. OK, all of this and
1:30
more on the 78th episode of the Football Junkies
1:33
podcast. I am your host who currently is not
1:36
on a team right now. But don't you worry about
1:38
it because you know why? I still have my ear
1:40
to the streets because we still have a few things
1:43
that may be brewing in the background. I don't
1:45
know. Just stay tuned and just continue to listen
1:49
to the Football Junkies podcast. A podcast that
1:52
you can listen to on a week -to -week, day -to
1:55
-day basis. Because you know what? I'm your chief
1:57
bag roll dominance. I'm your chief head of the
2:00
table. Everything related to the bag. Anything
2:03
and everything related to controversies and potential
2:06
things that may affect the very foundation of
2:09
the NFL. But guess what? I am all these things
2:12
and more. But most importantly, I am your host,
2:14
Kale. You already know how... these things are
2:16
about to go this is going to be a great episode
2:18
so you already know what i'm about to say on
2:20
three one two three let's lock in All right,
2:48
folks, let's just get into the meat and potatoes
2:50
of everything that is going on in the league
2:52
right now. So I'm actively checking my phone
2:55
because apparently Fred Warner and the 49ers
2:59
are very close to a deal. So at this point, I
3:02
would not be surprised if we get news about this.
3:05
probably by the end of this episode, or probably
3:08
when I'm recording, or probably when I'm done
3:11
editing, or just when I'm about to put out this
3:13
episode, because we all know every single time
3:17
when I'm either recording, about to record, editing,
3:20
or getting ready to put out the episode, guess
3:22
what happens? Something big always breaks. Would
3:27
it be crazy if, for all intents and purposes,
3:30
Aaron Rodgers decides to finally make his decision
3:32
today by the time I'm done recording this episode?
3:35
Okay, that would be great, but then that means
3:37
I would have to do another maybe hour -plus episode,
3:40
but that's probably not going to happen, so who
3:42
cares? So let's just get into these bag alerts
3:45
that are happening, okay? And that is Derrick
3:48
Henry. inking a two -year $30 million deal, $25
3:53
million guarantee, and he'll be making $15 million
3:56
a year. And when we look at his stats from this
3:59
past season, 325 attempts for 1 ,921 rushing
4:05
yards, 16 touchdowns, 5 .9 rushing yards per
4:08
carry, 45 rushes of 10 plus yards or more, 53
4:12
explosive runs, which is basically runs over
4:15
10 plus yards. 3 .6 yards after contact per attempt,
4:19
and 1 ,323 yards after contact. He was second
4:23
in carries, second in rushing yards, first in
4:26
rushing yard touchdowns, and first in forced
4:29
missed tackles, according to PFF. Folks, let's
4:31
be real here. Under no circumstance were the
4:34
Ravens going to let Derrick Henry walk. Derrick
4:37
Henry has been a breath of fresh air. for the
4:40
run game, or better yet, the entire offense as
4:44
a whole. Derrick Henry has literally offened
4:47
so much that literally the entire division decided
4:52
to invest high into getting a defensive lineman.
4:55
The Steelers did it this offseason by getting
4:57
Derrick Harmon. The Bengals did it in getting
5:00
Jamar Stewart. And then the Browns did it with
5:03
Mason Graham. Because you know why? Because Derrick
5:06
Henry... plays such a pivotal role in crushing
5:09
each and every one of them. Let's be real here,
5:13
folks. Derrick Henry is going to be a Hall of
5:15
Famer. All he needs now is just a ring. If he
5:20
gets a ring, we have to have a whole different
5:22
conversation about Derrick Henry, folks. Derrick
5:24
Henry still is a game changer, still is a force
5:29
to be reckoned with, still is the tank that he
5:33
was when he was with the Titans. And so things
5:37
are only going to continue to get better with
5:40
this Ravens offense. However, time is still ticking
5:45
for the Ravens because you still have to win
5:47
a rink. Let's be real here, folks. I'm very happy
5:51
that the Ravens did take care of Derrick Henry.
5:54
However, the clock is still ticking and the clock
5:58
is not going to stop. So at some point, the Ravens
6:02
have to find a way to breach. That final wall
6:06
that they've been trying to breach for the past
6:08
three or four years, and they just need to do
6:11
it. You have to win. That is the only way you
6:14
can justify all the moves that you have made
6:17
for the past three to five years. If you don't
6:21
win a Super Bowl, all of this was for nothing.
6:25
But we'll save that for when we have gut check
6:28
time, which there's a good chance I may do a
6:31
gut check time before the season even starts.
6:35
And then, of course, we'll do one during the
6:37
season, then we'll probably do one after the
6:39
season and whatnot. So we'll probably do that,
6:41
but stay tuned for that. But let's get to the
6:43
bigger contract, and that is Brock Purdy inking
6:46
a five -year, $265 million contract. $181 million
6:53
guaranteed, and he'll be making $53 million a
6:56
year. Now, when we look at his stats from this
6:59
past season, 455 attempts. For 300 completions,
7:03
3 ,864 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, 12 picks,
7:08
8 .5 yards per attempt, and a 65 .9 completion
7:11
percentage. Folks, this is a dream come true
7:14
for Brock Purdy. Brock Purdy went from being
7:17
Mr. Irrelevant to now a franchise quarterback.
7:21
If that ain't a magical story, I don't know what
7:24
is. But my takeaway from this move is, one, Brock
7:30
Purdy probably took a discount because I feel
7:32
like he probably could have asked for 55. But
7:35
the way that he handled this was so professional
7:38
that you have to give him kudos for that. He
7:41
didn't do what anybody else would do, which is
7:44
go public and say that he's not doing this or
7:47
he's not doing that. No. Even while they were
7:50
still trying to hash out the deal, he showed
7:52
up. And that is something that you can hang your
7:55
hat on. Brock Purdy isn't this dynamic quarterback
7:59
that he's going to wow you with these dynamic
8:03
plays no but when you need him to get the job
8:06
done guess what he's going to do it and he's
8:08
consistently done it since he's been put into
8:12
the role of being that guy now we have to look
8:15
at this from a different perspective though the
8:19
49ers are going to be under a lot of scrutiny
8:22
this upcoming season if they don't make it to
8:25
the nfc championship Now, for some people, you're
8:28
probably saying, why in the world would you say
8:30
that, Cal? And this is why. They have the easiest
8:34
schedule this upcoming season. Let me say that
8:38
again. They have the easiest schedule out of
8:42
the entire league. I'm sorry. There are no excuses
8:49
at this point. Granted. I understand that your
8:53
division is a little bit competitive because
8:54
you have to worry about Sean McVay and Mike McDonald
8:57
and everybody else. But the fact of the matter
9:01
is, the NFL gave you a golden ticket to the NFC
9:05
Championship. So there is no excuse for you guys
9:10
not to make it to the NFC Championship. I'm sorry.
9:14
Everybody has gotten paid. Everybody has gotten
9:17
their deals. But it's time to show up. When are
9:20
you going to win the big game? Because if you
9:24
do not win the big game, John Lynch and Kyle
9:27
Shanahan, everything that you have done was a
9:30
waste, especially for Kyle Shanahan. John Lynch
9:36
will get a little bit of a leeway, but Kyle Shanahan
9:40
will not. At some point, you have to win. You
9:45
done paid this person. You done paid that person.
9:47
You're getting ready to reset the market for
9:49
Fred Warner. You got to start winning. You have
9:54
to win. Better yet, let me see if I can find
9:57
a schedule right now for the 49ers. Just to tell
10:02
you how easy their schedule is. And we're back,
10:06
folks. So I was finally able to find their schedule.
10:09
So here it is. Their first opponent, Seattle.
10:12
Then after that, they face the Saints, the Cardinals,
10:16
Jacksonville, the Rams, which is probably going
10:18
to be a tough game. The Buccaneers, that's going
10:20
to be a tough game. Atlanta, a little bit rocky
10:23
about that. Houston, somewhat of an even matchup.
10:26
New York, the Rams again, the Cardinals, the
10:30
Panthers, the Browns. They have a week 14 bye.
10:34
What are we talking about? They have positioned
10:36
themselves to potentially go on a crazy run.
10:42
Everybody knows the later that you have a bye
10:44
week, the more refreshed you will be ready when
10:48
it comes to the postseason. And then after the
10:51
bye week, you face Tennessee, which is still
10:53
in shambles, Indianapolis, which we don't even
10:55
know what's going to happen with the quarterback
10:56
position, Chicago, and then you end it with Seattle.
11:00
That's somewhat of an easy schedule to me. Out
11:03
of all the teams that I just listed, the Saints,
11:06
you could definitely win. The Buccaneers, that
11:10
might be... A little bit rocky. Jacksonville,
11:13
I definitely think they can beat Jacksonville.
11:15
I definitely think they can beat Atlanta. Carolina,
11:18
for sure. Tennessee, for sure. There's a few
11:21
teams on here that they can definitely crush.
11:24
And there are some other teams where it's going
11:26
to be somewhat of a fight. Chicago is going to
11:28
be a fight. Tampa Bay is probably going to be
11:31
a fight. Los Angeles has opened a fight. Not
11:35
just because they're division rivals, but just
11:36
because Sean McVay has... Always had Kyle Shanahan's
11:40
number, but that's not the point, okay? The point
11:42
is this. You have to win. I'm happy for Rock
11:46
Purdy, but the pressure is now on the entire
11:50
team as a whole to win. If you guys do not win,
11:53
there's going to be some serious questions that
11:56
are going to have to be asked when it comes to
11:59
Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch and this entire
12:01
team as a whole. Because you guys are giving
12:04
out these big old contracts and you guys aren't
12:06
winning. It's one thing if you're winning, but
12:09
you're not winning. You've been to the Super
12:12
Bowl multiple times and you still haven't won.
12:14
What are we doing? Let's get into this whole
12:15
Chris Alave situation. So according to Adam Crowley,
12:20
who was a part of 93 .7 The Fan, a local Pittsburgh
12:23
radio show, he was told by someone within the
12:28
Steelers organization, Chris Alave. That's the
12:32
text message that he got, which was Chris Alave.
12:35
And so... He tweets out and he basically says,
12:38
you know, the Steelers are interested in Chris
12:41
Alave. They made a few calls. And then shortly
12:43
afterwards, somebody else says the Steelers are
12:47
trading, are trying to trade for Chris Alave.
12:50
So instantly when this happens, all of Steelers
12:54
Twitter goes crazy. I'm talking about everybody
12:58
has mock -ups of Chris Alave in the Steelers
13:02
uniform. They got a whole bunch of highlight
13:05
clips of Chris Alave. They're just doing the
13:08
whole thing with Chris Alave. If I'm not mistaken,
13:10
there's probably a Chris Alave Berg account right
13:13
now. That's how crazy it was. And then come to
13:18
find out, according to Nick Faribault, he clarified
13:21
and said that it was just a routine call. It
13:25
was nothing significant. It was nothing serious.
13:27
Nothing is in the works right now. It was just
13:30
a routine call just to see of his availability
13:32
and how much would it cost to make that transaction.
13:37
Now, something that is worth noting is that the
13:40
Saints did pick up Chris Alave's fifth year option.
13:43
Now, according to SpotRack, Chris Alave's market
13:46
value is three years, $53 .4 million, which is
13:49
$17 .8 million a year. Me, personally, I feel
13:52
like that's very low. I feel like you could probably
13:54
pay him between 23 to maybe 28 a year, personally.
13:58
Now, the thing is this. On one hand, I respect
14:02
the move that the Seals are making, which is
14:04
they're doing their due diligence. They're calling
14:06
around just to see the availability of all the
14:09
receivers. However, I don't think the Saints
14:12
are willing to make that move right now just
14:16
because, for one, Chris Alave is the number one
14:18
receiver on the team. Two, We don't know exactly
14:21
what's going to happen moving forward when it
14:24
comes to the quarterback position. And three,
14:26
I just don't feel like the Saints are in a position
14:30
where they just want to say, screw it. We're
14:33
just focusing on next year. Now, maybe by the
14:38
middle part of the season, we may have something
14:41
a little bit different. But the fact of the matter
14:43
is right now, there's no need to make a move.
14:47
I know a lot of Steelers fans are probably thinking,
14:49
well, we shouldn't make this move. We need to
14:51
make this move. We need to do it now, now, now,
14:53
now, now. We need a number two receiver. I understand
14:56
that. I get that. But the thing is this. If you
15:00
make a trade for someone like a Chris Alave,
15:02
you're going to have to pay him. This isn't something
15:05
where it's a two -year rental, then you can get
15:07
rid of him. No, he's going to want to talk about
15:10
money. And so if you think you're going to be
15:13
able to get him for a discount, you are sadly
15:16
mistaken. The same amount of money that you would
15:18
have probably had to pay George Pickens, you
15:21
may have to pay a little bit more for Chris Alave.
15:23
I'm just being completely honest here. I think
15:26
the real question that we really need to ask
15:28
is, are the Steelers looking for more of a long
15:31
-term wide receiver two choice, or are they looking
15:34
for something that's more short -term? Because
15:37
if they're looking for something long -term,
15:38
then this is a great move. But if you're looking
15:41
for something short -term, then this probably
15:43
isn't the best move for you. And you should probably
15:45
go after someone maybe like Amari Cooper or DJ
15:49
Chark. Or you could probably pick up anybody
15:52
that's cut when it gets down to the point where
15:54
everybody has to cut down their rosters to be
15:57
in compliance and whatnot. You could take that
16:00
route. There's a few different ways that you
16:02
could go about this. But I appreciate that Omar
16:05
Khan is reaching out and testing the waters and
16:07
seeing what exactly will it take for me to make
16:10
a major transaction. Now, here's the thing. I
16:13
think a lot of teams are very weary when it comes
16:16
to making trades, when it comes to receivers,
16:18
simply because they all saw what happened with
16:21
the whole Chase Claypool situation. And so I
16:23
feel like they don't want to get swindled again.
16:27
And so when we look at Chris Alave. I feel like
16:30
giving up maybe a conditional third that can
16:32
turn into a second round pick. I feel like that's
16:34
good. Or you could just give them a second round
16:36
pick just straight up. Either way, I think this
16:40
is somewhat of a seed planting move. And let
16:44
me explain why. You're testing the waters now
16:47
just to see where things are. We all know that
16:51
this could possibly change within the next few
16:54
weeks. Probably by minicamp and then training
16:57
camp and then maybe even into the regular season.
17:00
Things could change because let's be real here.
17:03
The Saints are somewhat going through a tough
17:07
rebuild again. And so there is a good chance
17:11
that some people are going to want out. I wouldn't
17:15
be surprised if Chris Alave is one of those people.
17:18
So on one hand, this is a good move. But on the
17:22
other hand. I'm a little bit concerned about
17:24
it because why would you make a significant move
17:28
like this when you don't know who your quarterback
17:29
is going to be? And granted, I understand it's
17:32
a very sensitive subject and I understand a lot
17:34
of people are hearing different things, quote
17:36
unquote. People are saying, well. I believe that
17:40
Aaron Rodgers will make his decision by the end
17:42
of the week. Or I believe Aaron Rodgers will
17:45
do this and do that. Or, oh, I believe Aaron
17:48
Rodgers will be ready by the end of the month.
17:49
Or I think he's going to show up for a mini camp.
17:51
Or I think he's going to show up for a training
17:53
camp. The fact of the matter is, it's time to
17:56
move on. Because the longer that you wait, the
18:00
worse it's going to look for the team. Because
18:04
right now, this is when you need your quarterback
18:06
to be in place. So that he can be familiar with
18:10
the offense, he can be familiar with his teammates,
18:13
and everybody else is familiar with his cadences.
18:17
Instead of waiting for a 41 -year -old to make
18:21
a decision on if he wants to play football or
18:23
not. Granted, I understand he's going through
18:25
something that is apparently very serious and
18:29
whatnot. I understand that. But at the end of
18:33
the day, all of this could have been neglected.
18:37
Had you just did one thing correctly. And you
18:40
know what that was? Just sign Russell Wilson
18:42
or Justin Fields. I would have just done that
18:45
because then guess what? You wouldn't have to
18:47
worry about none of this. You wouldn't have to
18:50
worry about, is he coming? Is he coming? Is he
18:52
going? Is he going? What exactly is he doing?
18:54
You wouldn't have a whole bunch of people speculating
18:56
on, well, I have inside information with people
18:59
that are connected to his inner circle that believes
19:03
that this is going to happen or that's going
19:05
to happen. You wouldn't have to deal with all
19:07
that. Granted, I understand the article that
19:10
came out about Russell Wilson not agreeing with
19:13
Arthur Smith. I understand it was so dredgeful
19:15
and it was so odd. It was just so bad. It was
19:18
so horrible. It made people feel some type of
19:21
way. But guess what? It's true. It's 100 % true.
19:27
Russell Wilson is an established veteran quarterback
19:29
who will potentially possibly be a Hall of Famer.
19:34
why shouldn't he not have the right to make certain
19:38
calls to the plate? I'm sorry, but a quarterback's
19:43
view of what he sees on the field is different
19:45
from what an offensive coordinator's view is.
19:48
Because guess what? The offensive coordinator
19:50
isn't on the field. He isn't under center. He
19:53
doesn't see something different. So if Russell
19:56
Wilson changes the call and it actually benefits
19:59
the team, then who really cares? But instead,
20:04
Everybody was upset with how things ended. Oh,
20:08
well. If you guys are that butthurt about this,
20:15
go in the locker room, turn off the lights, get
20:20
some gloves, hash it out. Y 'all get ice packs
20:24
later. Because at this point, the message in
20:28
the Steelers organization, the foundation of
20:31
the Steelers. is crumbling in front of our eyes,
20:34
ladies and gentlemen. Because we have someone
20:36
in a Mike Tomlin who does not want to do what's
20:40
best for the team. He wants to do what's best
20:42
for his ego. He wants his ego stroked every single
20:47
season. I'm sorry here, folks. Aaron Rodgers,
20:52
in the last three years, has not shown me anything
20:55
that would make me want to stay and wait this
20:59
long. Now, if this was the Aaron Rodgers of old,
21:02
oh, by all means, take as much time as you need
21:05
because you know why? And I said this before
21:07
in previous episodes. When Aaron Rodgers steps
21:10
on that field, you already know that you have
21:12
either the best quarterback or the second best
21:15
quarterback on that field. You don't have that
21:19
anymore with this version of Aaron Rodgers. So
21:23
why are we waiting this long? It is time to move
21:28
forward. If you're going to make a move for Kirk
21:30
Cousins, pick up the phone and call the Falcons
21:33
and see exactly what the asking price is. If
21:36
not, call Carson Wentz. Or better yet, just run
21:40
it with Mason Rudolph. It's not going to hurt
21:43
you. Because what sense does it make in getting
21:48
someone like a Mason Rudolph and then you're
21:51
waiting... All the way towards the point of no
21:56
return for somebody who you don't even know if
21:58
he's really committed to football or not. It
22:02
doesn't make any sense. Aaron Rodgers is not
22:05
going to move the needle that much. If we're
22:08
all banking on next year to be the year that
22:11
we take the quote unquote big swing for quarterback,
22:13
then why don't we just use this year to just
22:15
say, hey, we're going to lower our expectations
22:18
and we're just going to see how the season goes.
22:21
There's no need to say, oh, we're trying to compete
22:23
for a championship this year. No, we're not.
22:25
This roster is not a championship roster on offense
22:29
or defense. Sure, you have championship caliber
22:33
players. Yes. But you do not have a championship
22:38
caliber roster. This roster can't compete with
22:41
the Chiefs. This roster can't compete against
22:44
the Ravens. This roster cannot compete against
22:46
the Bills. This roster can't even compete against
22:50
the Eagles. So what makes you think that we are
22:54
a championship team? If you are a championship
22:56
team, you know what that means? That means that
22:59
you are able to go up against someone like the
23:02
Chiefs, like the Eagles, like the Bills, like
23:04
the Ravens, like any of the other Super Bowl
23:07
caliber teams. What happened last year? You got
23:10
crushed. You got crushed by the Eagles. You got
23:13
crushed by the Chiefs. All the teams that you
23:17
should have been beating, you couldn't beat.
23:18
And you still cannot beat. But you'll beat up
23:21
on all the other teams who are at a crossroads
23:24
or still trying to get their act together. It's
23:28
time that we be serious about winning. And if
23:33
you are not serious about winning, give it to
23:36
somebody else. TJ Watts still has not won a playoff
23:40
game. As great as TJ Watt is, he should have
23:44
been able to win at least one playoff game. Am
23:47
I wrong? Because at this point, if Aaron Rodgers
23:51
is not signed by OTAs, it's time we had that
23:57
conversation, folks. It's time we move forward.
23:59
It's time that we do something different. It's
24:02
time to admit that we waited too long. We did
24:05
the exact same thing last year for Brandon Iyuk,
24:09
thinking that Brandon Iyuk was going to be a
24:11
part of the team. And at the very last minute,
24:14
the very last minute, guess what he did? I'm
24:18
going to stay with the 49ers. What are we doing?
24:21
See, I can go on almost a 30 or 45 minute rant.
24:26
just off of the Steelers and the moves that they're
24:28
making. But I don't think nobody really wants
24:31
to listen to that, so I'm just going to continue
24:32
to move forward. But I will say this, and this
24:35
will just be the last question that I ask. Are
24:39
we focused on the present or are we focused on
24:42
the future? You answered that question for me
24:44
on our Instagram, football underscore junkies
24:48
pod. You can answer that for me on X. Follow
24:51
me there, GMKale. You can answer that for me
24:54
on TikTok, footballjunkiespie. You could also
24:56
answer that for me on the YouTube as well, footballjunkiespie.
24:59
Let me know your thoughts in the comments, please.
25:01
I want to have a healthy debate about this. But
25:03
let's move forward to some other things that
25:05
are a little bit more pressing, and that is this
25:07
Trey Hendrickson situation. So we did catch word,
25:11
if I'm not mistaken, last episode or the episode
25:14
before that where Trey Hendrickson puts out this
25:17
statement. And so now... We finally understand
25:20
why he put out that statement. So apparently
25:23
he was informed by head coach Zach Taylor that
25:28
missing mandatory minicamp will result in fines.
25:31
And this is what Trey Hendrickson says. And I
25:34
quote, we've tried to keep it as least amount
25:37
as personal as possible. But at some point in
25:40
this process, it becomes personal. Being sent
25:43
30 days before mandatory minicamp or how many
25:47
ever days it is, that if I don't show up, I will
25:49
be fined alludes to the fact that something won't
25:51
get done in that time frame, end quote. He also
25:54
puts out another statement that also says, end
25:57
I quote, and when there's a lack of communication
25:59
in any relationship, if it's business or personal
26:03
relationship, lack of communication leads to
26:06
animosity. And that leaves my narrative only
26:09
to me with no clear direction, end quote. At
26:13
this point, this is bad business for the Bengals.
26:17
And if you are not willing to pay Trey Henderson
26:20
the money that he so deserves, then move on from
26:23
him. Trade him away. Because you just crossing
26:28
your arms and just saying, oh yeah, we're not
26:30
going to pay you that. Oh yeah, we're not going
26:32
to pay you that. It's not going to solve anything.
26:34
If you're not going to pay him, just move on.
26:37
Who cares? Use that draft capital to try to get
26:41
somebody else that can play the role of Trey
26:43
Hendrickson. Because right now, all you're doing
26:45
is just wasting each other's time. There is a
26:49
team right now, I guarantee you, that will give
26:52
up possibly a first -round pick for Trey Hendrickson.
26:54
Or maybe a conditional second that can turn into
26:57
a first -round pick. I'm just being honest here.
27:00
The Eagles would be interested in him. The Lions
27:04
would be interested in him. I would guarantee
27:06
you the 49ers would be interested in getting
27:09
someone like a Trey Hendrickson. Because right
27:12
now, his market value, according to SpotRack,
27:14
is two years, $62 .9 million, which is $31 .5
27:18
million a year. Now, do I think he could probably
27:20
get a little bit more than that? Yes. Just because
27:24
Trey Hendrickson has been one of the more consistent
27:27
pass rushers in the last few years. Not to mention,
27:30
he's been a defensive player of the year finalist.
27:33
The last two years, if I'm not mistaken. So it's
27:37
just time for you to go in a different direction.
27:41
But at the same time, I'm not surprised that
27:45
the Bengals are doing this because why? The Bengals
27:48
have always had a reputation of just doing bad
27:50
business. You can go as far back as, I don't
27:55
know, the 80s. They're doing bad business. They've
27:58
always done bad business. So just move on. If
28:02
you're not going to pay him, recoup that draft
28:05
capital and use it for another position. But
28:08
just know this. If you move on from Trey Hendrickson,
28:12
your defense is going to be atrocious. Or better
28:16
yet, you just won't have a defense at all. Now
28:19
let's get into the Elton Jenkins situation. So
28:21
this one is a little bit more complicated. And
28:25
I'm going to try to see if I can break it down
28:26
as best as possible. So apparently... Elton Jenkins
28:30
is not participating off -season workouts because
28:34
he's looking for a new deal. Okay, cool. But
28:37
here's the problem. Apparently, they want him
28:40
to transition to center. So these are just some
28:44
of the junkie nuggets that I was able to find
28:46
after reading a few different articles. So Elton
28:50
Jenkins doesn't have a problem moving to center,
28:52
but would like to be financially compensated
28:55
when making that transition. Now here's the thing.
28:57
He has two years left of a four -year $68 million
29:01
deal that he signed in 2022. The deal was designed
29:05
to pay him as a guard while making him quote
29:08
-unquote competitive if he moved to tackle because
29:12
Elton Jenkins coming into the league had positional
29:15
flexibility. So it was only right for the Packers
29:18
to basically pay him the money that they paid
29:21
him because they realized that they could use
29:23
him at tackle, guard, or anywhere else. The highest
29:26
paid centers right now, Creed Humphrey at $18
29:29
million. Then you have Eric McCoy at $12 million.
29:33
And then I think there's one more, I think, that
29:36
recently just got paid as well. So you have a
29:40
pretty decent market when it comes to centers.
29:42
Now the question is, how much money is Elton
29:45
Jenkins looking for? Because currently he is
29:49
scheduled to make $12 .8 million this year and
29:51
then $20 next year. Here's the thing with this.
29:56
When you have someone like an Elton Jenkins who
29:58
has positional flexibility and actually plays
30:00
very well, things could get a little bit tricky.
30:04
Because if you move him to center, there's a
30:08
possibility that you may have to reset the center
30:10
market. Now, granted, the center market is only
30:14
at 18 right now. Could you get him maybe to 19,
30:18
maybe 19 .5? Do you want to take it up to 20?
30:22
Because right now, Elton Jenkins has probably
30:25
been one of your better offensive linemen in
30:28
the last few years. And so I think it's only
30:31
right that you possibly compensate him for that.
30:34
Now, here's the thing. Are you going to have
30:37
to basically scrap the last two years of his
30:40
current deal and then just give him a whole new
30:42
deal? Or are you going to have to move some money
30:46
around? Because this is a little bit complicated.
30:48
Now, do I think this is going to be elevated
30:51
even further? No. I do believe some resolution
30:54
will come fairly soon, but the question is, what
30:59
is it going to be? Because if you're having to
31:02
move him at center, it might cost you a little
31:06
bit more. Just saying. Now, let's get into something
31:09
that's a little bit more controversial, and that
31:11
is the NFL revamping the accelerator program.
31:15
So here's the background behind this program.
31:18
So it started in 2022 after the league believed
31:22
that owners were passing over qualified individuals
31:24
of color. And so when we look at this program,
31:29
it really hasn't been super successful. And let
31:32
me explain why. Out of all the people that have
31:35
been in this program, there's only been two people
31:38
that have had success. Rand Carthorne, who was
31:42
the former Titans GM and was fired last year.
31:45
And then Aaron Glenn, who is now the Jets head
31:48
coach. That's not good. If only two people out
31:54
of probably a thousand or more who actually try
31:58
to go through this program to actually have a
32:00
better shot at possibly getting hired or possibly
32:04
getting an elevator role within an organization,
32:07
and nobody is getting it but just two people,
32:10
that's not good numbers. And so here is the statement
32:13
that was put out by the league concerning the
32:17
whole accelerator program. And I quote, we believe
32:20
diversity of thought and background is essential
32:22
to our success and it's reflected in these policies,
32:26
programs, and partnerships that help us attract,
32:29
develop, and retain top talent at every level
32:31
on and off the field. We recently executed a
32:34
number of programs, including the general manager
32:36
accelerator at the December league meeting in
32:39
Dallas. a three -day candidate development program
32:41
at Combine, and the ninth annual Women's Forum,
32:44
where 40 women advance career opportunities in
32:47
football. Every offseason, we take a step back
32:50
to reflect on the positives and areas for improvement
32:52
of our programs and assess ways to make them
32:55
more impactful. This year, we assessed and identified
32:58
additional opportunities with the accelerator,
33:01
including combining the coaching and front office
33:03
programs to ensure the accelerator continues
33:05
to be as impactful as possible. We have decided
33:09
to hold the next iteration of the Accelerator
33:12
in May 2026. This will allow us to reimagine
33:15
the program, reflecting on the feedback and engaging
33:17
with stakeholders so we can ensure a successful
33:20
program in the future. We're steadfast in our
33:23
commitment to strengthening our talent pipeline
33:25
and create an environment that reflects the diversity
33:28
of our fan base. The NFL strives to be a unifying
33:31
force, and we are confident the next evolution
33:33
of our efforts will take us one step closer to
33:36
that goal." Now, with all the controversy going
33:40
on with DEI and whatnot, there is a good chance
33:44
they may have probably done this because they
33:47
may have gotten word that they will probably
33:49
be targeted with all the programs that they have
33:51
in place. But here's the thing, though, folks.
33:55
Everyone needs to just admit it. A lot of these
33:59
programs aren't successful. A lot of these programs
34:02
are not giving minorities of color a true legitimate
34:07
chance. of being a GM, of being a high -level
34:10
scout, of being a head coach or offensive or
34:13
defensive coordinator, we all know that their
34:16
leashes are much shorter than those of white
34:20
counterparts. And this is me not trying to play
34:23
the race card. This is me not trying to be black
34:25
and white and whatnot. But let's just call it
34:28
for what it is. We have seen a lot of qualified
34:31
candidates of color be overlooked for white counterparts.
34:37
And mind you, a lot of times the white counterparts
34:39
are not as qualified or have not been qualified
34:43
in recent years to be eligible for this position.
34:48
But they still get it because they may have connections
34:51
with this person, that person within the front
34:54
office. But the fact of the matter is, these
34:57
programs are not doing enough to really show
35:02
that, hey, we are serious about promoting minorities
35:05
of color. And giving them a legitimate chance
35:08
of being the next great GM, the next great head
35:12
coach, the next great offensive or defensive
35:14
coordinator or whatever. Even when it comes to
35:18
the Rooney Rule, everybody knows that all 32
35:22
teams are going to make sure that they're Rooney
35:24
Rule compliant by doing what? Make sure that
35:27
they get rid of all the minority candidates first
35:30
and then go after the real candidates that they
35:33
really want to go after. We see it every single
35:36
year. There are some people that I feel like
35:40
that should be in the league right now. And they're
35:43
not for whatever reason. Eric Bien -Ami, I feel
35:48
like he should have at least tried to be a head
35:51
coach by now. Is there something behind closed
35:53
doors that people know that is preventing him
35:56
from being a head coach? It's a possibility.
35:58
But why is it that a lot of teams... make sure
36:02
that they're Rooney Rule compliant first before
36:04
making their decision. And I understand some
36:07
people want to say, well, it's a football decision
36:09
or it's tied to this or it's tied to that. I
36:12
don't believe you one bit because a lot of times
36:15
the minority candidates are twice or maybe three
36:19
times as qualified as their white counterparts.
36:24
Brian Flores by now should have been a head coach
36:28
again. And granted, I understand. That whole
36:31
experience with Tua in Miami wasn't the best.
36:34
I understand that. But this is a league of second
36:36
chances. So if this is a league of second chances,
36:39
and we all saw what Brian Flores did with that
36:41
Vikings defense last season, there is no reason
36:44
under the sun why he has not gotten another head
36:47
coaching job. Same thing with Leslie Frazier.
36:50
I can continue to go down the list of people
36:52
that should have gotten... a chance to be a head
36:55
coach or coordinator or GM or whatever the case
36:59
may be. There are a lot of people that deserve
37:03
chances, that have worked hard and continue to
37:06
prove the naysayers that they belong wherever
37:09
they belong. But you have people like Matt Iberflues
37:12
who continue to get chance after chance after
37:15
chance. For what? He was horrible as a head coach
37:18
and he still was able to get another job before
37:22
a lot of other people were able to. That's why
37:24
you saw a lot of people that were candidates
37:27
go back into the college realm. Because why?
37:30
There wasn't no legitimate chances. Same thing
37:33
for Byron Leftwich. Byron Leftwich should be
37:35
somebody's offensive coordinator this year or
37:37
somebody's quarterback coach. Pep Hamilton is
37:41
a sleeper of somebody that not a lot of people
37:43
talk about. Pep Hamilton was the reason why Justin
37:47
Herbert had that great rookie year. He was the
37:50
reason why Davis Mills did what he did before
37:53
they got CJ Stroud. People don't even realize
37:56
that. So if we really want to be serious about
38:00
giving people of color a chance, then we have
38:05
to put more pressure on the owners to be more
38:08
open to it. Now, there are some teams that are
38:12
more open to process, I would say, but you also
38:17
have others who continue to show year after year
38:20
that they're really not. Same thing with the
38:23
Patriots. Gerard Mayo should have had a chance.
38:27
Gerard Mayo did not get a legitimate chance.
38:31
And he basically got fired because they didn't
38:34
get the first pick. It still doesn't matter because
38:36
why? You still had a really high pick. Same thing
38:38
as Rand Carthorne. Rand Carthorne positioned
38:42
this team in order to get their first pick. It
38:47
wasn't because of Mike Borgonzi. No disrespect
38:50
to him. No, it's because of Rand Carthorne. Rand
38:54
Carthorne was trying to build this team, but
38:57
there's only so much that you can do when you
39:00
guys expect these GMs and whatnot to rebuild
39:03
this team overnight. It doesn't work like that
39:05
if you don't have everything in place. It doesn't
39:08
work if you don't have a solid franchise quarterback.
39:11
It doesn't work if you don't have a solid offensive
39:14
line, weapons, coaches, all those different things
39:17
and more. It doesn't work like that. But nobody
39:20
wants to give people a legitimate chance. Instead,
39:23
it's we'll give you two years and after those
39:25
two years, you're gone. The only minority head
39:29
coach that has been able to coach as long as
39:33
he's had is Mike Tomlin. That is sad, folks.
39:37
According to an ESPN article that came out this
39:40
year, the Associated Press surveyed more than
39:43
65 black players from 25 teams. about the lack
39:47
of black head coaches throughout the entire league,
39:50
36 % of them were discouraged or disappointed
39:54
by the number of black coaches. Miami's linebacker,
39:58
Anthony Walker Jr. said, and I quote, until you
40:02
see more coaches, we're all going to look at
40:05
it the same way. There aren't enough black coaches,
40:08
end quote. But let's go a little bit deeper than
40:11
this, okay? Over 25 seasons, From 2000 to 2024,
40:16
an Associated Press count shows 31 of the 173
40:22
new NFL head coaches, 18 % of them were black.
40:26
In that same span, 8 of the 19 head coaches,
40:30
which is 42%, were fired after the first full
40:34
season. Let's just call it for what it is. The
40:37
NFL has a major problem when it comes to hiring
40:40
minority coaches, GMs. Wherever they have a major
40:46
problem and it's and it feels like at times it's
40:49
never going to get resolved, even when it came
40:51
with the recent interview process with the Jaguars.
40:55
Some red flags should have been waving. Somebody
40:59
should have intervened with that process because
41:02
that's not right. And granted, if it's if you're
41:08
looking at this from, oh, this person is more
41:11
qualified than that person. Whatever. But we
41:15
can clearly see that black coaches have a shorter
41:20
leash than everybody else. We see that black
41:24
offensive coordinators, defensive coordinators,
41:26
quarterback coaches, running back coaches, tight
41:29
end coaches, old line coaches, GMs, assistant
41:33
GMs. All of them have a shorter leash than their
41:36
white counterparts. And I am not trying to be
41:39
that person that wants to play the race game.
41:41
I do not want to do that and I do not like doing
41:44
that. But what we need to address here, folks,
41:47
is that this accelerator program needs to have
41:50
serious, serious changes in order to improve
41:55
the likelihood of people being able to get these
41:59
positions. Because it shouldn't just be Rand
42:02
Carthorne and Aaron Glenn. We should be seeing
42:06
at least 15 to 20 new hires each and every single
42:10
offseason. And they don't have to be head coaches.
42:13
It can be offensive coordinators. It can be defensive
42:16
coordinators. It can be assistant GMs. It can
42:19
be whomever. But there needs to be an effort
42:23
in place to do it. And I understand that the
42:26
Rooney Rule is in place. And I understand that
42:29
the Rooney Rule was intended to increase the
42:32
likelihood of minorities to get a chance. But
42:36
they will never get a chance. It's always going
42:38
to be an uphill battle every single time. Because
42:40
you know why? Because it's who you know. It's
42:45
never about... well, I'm a little bit more qualified
42:48
because I worked with this position or I'm a
42:51
little bit more qualified because I led this
42:53
team here or there. No, it's who you know at
42:57
the end of the day. It's a damn shame, folks.
43:02
It's a damn shame. Now let's talk about this
43:05
schedule because this schedule is great for some
43:11
and it's horrible for others, okay? Because When
43:14
we look at the strength of schedule for all the
43:17
teams, the teams with the easiest schedules,
43:19
the 49ers, the Patriots, Saints, Falcons, and
43:23
Bills. The teams with the hardest schedules,
43:26
Giants, Browns, Lions, Eagles, Vikings. Let's
43:30
just look at some of these schedules, okay? So
43:33
for the Giants, they have to go up against the
43:35
Commanders first, the Cowboys, the Chiefs, the
43:38
Chargers, the Saints, the Eagles again, the Broncos,
43:41
the Eagles again. Did I say the Eagles twice?
43:45
I did say the Eagles twice. Okay, the 49ers,
43:48
the Bears, the Packers, the Lions, the Patriots.
43:50
Then they have their week 14 bye. The Commanders,
43:53
the Vikings, the Raiders, and then the Cowboys.
43:56
That's a gauntlet. Man, oh man, that is a gauntlet.
44:01
Now, granted, it's great if they have a late
44:03
bye because then they're able to at least get
44:07
themselves somewhat healthy to maybe make a...
44:10
A late playoff run, but geez Louise, man, just
44:13
to get to that point is difficult. Week 8, the
44:17
Eagles. Week 9, the 49ers. Week 10, the Bears.
44:21
Week 10, I mean, Week 11, the Packers. This is
44:26
not looking good, folks. Now when we look at
44:29
the Eagles, you got the Cowboys, the Chiefs,
44:32
the Rams, the Buccaneers, the Broncos, the Giants,
44:34
the Vikings, the Giants again. Then you have
44:37
your bye week, which is in week nine, which really
44:39
isn't that good. Week 10, you got the Packers,
44:42
the Lions, the Cowboys, the Bears, the Chargers,
44:44
the Raiders, the Commanders, the Bills, and then
44:47
the Commanders again. That is the fourth hardest
44:51
schedule in the entire league. Now, some of these
44:55
Sunday night football games, it's a little bit
44:57
of a hit or miss. Just being honest here. Who
45:00
really wants to see the Falcons and the Vikings
45:02
on Sunday night? Raise your hand. Better yet,
45:06
don't raise your hand. Chiefs and Giants, that
45:09
could be something. Packers and Cowboys, that
45:13
actually might be pretty good. Patriots and Bills
45:16
are definitely going to be good. Bills and Ravens
45:19
are going to be really good. There's a few good
45:21
sleepers for the Sunday night football lineup.
45:24
And then when we look at the Amazon Thursday
45:27
night games, which, man, these are tough. These
45:32
are really, really, really tough. Even the Christmas
45:35
night game, I feel like that's going to be a
45:37
really good game. The Black Friday game, I think
45:39
that's going to be really good as well. And then
45:41
Thanksgiving, of course, we all know the Cowboys
45:43
are going to be playing. But Chiefs and Cowboys,
45:46
oh, that might actually be good. I might have
45:47
to skip the Thanksgiving meal and just watch
45:49
football. I don't know. And then you've got the
45:51
Packers and Lions, Bengals and Ravens, Bears
45:54
and Eagles. Folks, this is going to be a really
45:58
tough year for a lot of teams. But at the same
46:02
time, this shows you that a lot of teams are
46:04
starting to become more competitive, which I
46:07
think is better for the league as a whole, because
46:10
you just don't want a whole bunch of teams that
46:12
are just subpar. You want some teams that are
46:14
really competitive. You want some matchups that
46:16
are going to be memorable. And so I think a lot
46:20
of these schedules are going to be really good,
46:22
especially when it comes to that second half
46:24
of the season. Oh, man, you won't be able to
46:27
miss a game. just because of how great these
46:31
games are going to be just oh my god cannot wait
46:34
for the season i am ready for the season to start
46:38
now if it was possible but we can't we still
46:42
have to wait a few more months but let's get
46:44
into the grades so nfc north you already know
46:47
lions vikings bears and packers so let's start
46:52
with the lions so their positions of need Defensive
46:56
back, edge, interior offensive line, defensive
46:58
line. So first round, they got Tyleek Williams.
47:01
Second round, they got Tate Ratliff. Third round,
47:04
they got Isaac Tesla. Fifth round, they got Miles
47:06
Frazier. Sixth round, they got Ahmed Hassanein.
47:10
Seventh round, they got Dan Jackson, as well
47:12
as Dominic LeVette. Now, when we look at their
47:15
team stats and we break it down by offense and
47:18
defense, they have the second ranked offense,
47:20
which averaged 30 .5 points per game. 424 .9
47:25
yards per game, 6 .8 yards per play, and 62 touchdowns.
47:30
When we break this down into passing and running,
47:33
they were the second passing offense in the league
47:36
and averaged 263 .2 passing yards per game, 7
47:40
.7 passing yards per play, and 39 passing touchdowns.
47:44
Whereas when you look at the rushing side, they
47:47
had the sixth rushing offense that averaged 146
47:52
.4 rushing yards per game, 4 .7 rushing yards
47:56
per play, 29 rushing touchdowns, and 68 rushes
48:00
of 10 plus yards or more. We all know that the
48:04
Lions really didn't have to make a lot of investments
48:06
into the offense. And all the investments that
48:10
were made into the offense were mainly just to
48:13
show up the deaf pieces. It wasn't necessarily
48:16
to address a starter caliber role. When we shift
48:20
things over to the defense, though, that's where
48:22
things get a little bit weird. So they were the
48:24
20th ranked defense, which averaged 20 .1 points
48:29
allowed per game, 342 .4 yards allowed per game,
48:33
5 .7 yards per play allowed, 36 touchdowns allowed,
48:37
and had a 35 .2 quarterback pressure percentage
48:40
rate. Now, when we look at their passing defense,
48:43
they were 30th in the league, and they averaged
48:46
244 passing yards allowed per game, 6 .4 passing
48:50
yards allowed per play, and 18 passing touchdowns
48:54
allowed. When we look at the run defense, they
48:57
were fifth in the league and allowed 18 rushing
48:59
touchdowns, 98 .4 rushing yards per game, 4 .5
49:04
rushing yards per play, and allowed 46 rushes
49:07
of 10 plus yards or more. Here's the thing with
49:09
the Lions. So you really can't give them an A.
49:14
I would venture to say probably a B plus. And
49:17
this is why. For starters, Tyleek Williams, to
49:22
some, you could probably say is a reach. To me,
49:24
I probably would say really isn't that high of
49:27
a reach because they were low enough in the draft
49:30
where they wasn't going to be able to get a Derek
49:32
Harmon or any of those other high caliber defensive
49:37
linemen. And so getting someone like a Tyleek
49:40
Williams. It's not necessarily bad. It's somewhat
49:44
good just because of the positioning. Now, if
49:47
they were, I don't know, in the teens or like
49:50
high 20s and you take Tyleek Williams, it may
49:54
be a little bit of a head scratcher. But because
49:56
you're so low in the draft, I can understand
49:59
it. Because Tyleek Williams, by some people's
50:02
accounts, was either a late first round pick,
50:05
early second round pick, or early second round
50:08
pick, late third round pick, depending on who
50:10
you listen to. But when we look at everything
50:13
else, I think they had a pretty solid draft.
50:16
Tate Rydledge, that's a really good pick. Isaac
50:19
Tesla, that's a really good pick. Miles Frazier,
50:21
so you're doubling down at interior offensive
50:23
line. Edge, you're addressing that, which you
50:26
really do need. Wide receiver, maybe it was a
50:29
want over a need. I think it was probably just
50:32
somebody that they really loved his intangibles
50:34
and they feel like they couldn't pass over, so
50:37
they just got him. So overall, my takeaway from
50:39
the Lions is... It's a B -plus draft. It's not
50:43
a draft where it's just oohs and ahhs. It's a
50:46
really solid foundational type of draft, which
50:49
they needed to address the defensive line significantly
50:52
because it took a beating late last season. That
50:56
was one of the factors that we didn't make such
50:58
a deep playoff run because that defensive line
51:01
took a beating. You had Hutch that was out of
51:03
the season. You had a lot of the defensive linemen
51:06
that were there who were also out for the rest
51:08
of the season. You had some that were unable
51:11
to be ready for the next game, so they just had
51:14
to use people from the practice squad and whatnot
51:16
in order to hold things together. So I can understand
51:19
why they made that investment in getting Tyleek
51:21
Williams. Now, when we shift things over to the
51:24
Vikings, okay, They didn't have a lot of draft
51:26
picks. They didn't have a lot of draft needs.
51:28
So most likely, I'm probably going to give them
51:31
a B plus as well. But let's go a little bit deeper
51:33
in this. So their positions of need. Corner,
51:36
inside linebacker, safety, running back, defensive
51:38
line, interior offensive line, and tight end.
51:41
With that being said, with their first pick,
51:43
they had Donovan Jackson. Their third round pick,
51:45
they had Ty Felton. Their fifth round pick, they
51:47
had Tyrion Ingram Dawkins. And their sixth round
51:50
pick, they had Gavin Bartholomew. Overall, this
51:53
was a very solid draft, and the reason why I
51:55
say that is because you address interior offensive
51:58
line with Donovan Jackson, which was really good.
52:01
You address wide receiver depth with Ty Felton,
52:04
which was great. You also address edge as well
52:07
as tight end, which was also really good as well.
52:09
So overall, this was a B -plus type of draft.
52:15
Sure, you probably didn't have a whole lot of
52:17
draft picks, but you were hitting well in free
52:20
agency, so that minimized... the needs as much.
52:24
So all in all, I would say this was a B+. Now,
52:28
could you have dressed maybe cornerback or safety?
52:31
Sure. But all in all, I think they did a really
52:35
solid job. Again, the reason why I'm not giving
52:39
a lot of teams very high grades is because a
52:42
lot of these teams really didn't have to do as
52:45
much in the draft because they made all of their
52:47
decisions in free agency. So they didn't have
52:50
to be as aggressive as what they needed to be.
52:53
I feel like at best, there are probably maybe
52:56
less than 10 teams that I would probably give
52:58
an A plus grade on. Outside of that, everybody
53:01
would probably get a B minus to a B plus. Because
53:03
why? It's a meat and potatoes type of draft.
53:06
This wasn't a draft where it was spectacular
53:09
and, you know, it was just box office. No, this
53:12
was more of a draft, as I call it, a meat and
53:15
potatoes. And sometimes you need a meat and potatoes
53:18
type of draft. That is the only way that you
53:21
can appreciate those blockbuster type of draft
53:25
classes. Meat and potato draft classes are what
53:31
makes up championship caliber teams. It's not
53:35
always flashes and oohs and ahs. A lot of times
53:38
it's meat and potatoes. Remember that. When we
53:41
look at their team stats, they were the 12th
53:43
ranked offense, which averaged. 25 .4 points
53:47
per game, 346 .9 yards per game, and 5 .6 yards
53:52
per play, as well as 44 touchdowns. Now, when
53:56
we break this down a little bit more, they have
53:58
the sixth. passing offense, which averaged 237
54:03
.8 passing yards per game, 6 .8 passing yards
54:07
per play, and 35 passing touchdowns. Let's keep
54:10
on going. They had the 20th rushing offense,
54:13
which averaged 109 .1 rushing yards per game,
54:16
4 .1 rushing yards per play, 9 rushing touchdowns,
54:20
and 49 rushes of 10 plus yards or more. When
54:23
we look over to the defensive side, however,
54:25
they have the 16th ranked defense, which averaged
54:29
19 .5 points per game, 335 .4 yards per game,
54:34
5 .3 yards per play, and 36 touchdowns, as well
54:38
as having a 35 .7 quarterback pressure percentage.
54:44
When we look at their passing defense, they were
54:46
28th in the league and allowing 242 passing yards
54:50
per game, 6 passing yards per play, and 24 passing
54:54
touchdowns. When we shift things over to the
54:57
run defense, they were second in the league.
54:59
They allowed 12 rushing touchdowns, 93 .4 rushing
55:04
yards per game, 4 .1 rushing yards per play,
55:07
and allowed 39 rushes of 10 plus yards or more.
55:11
So all in all, they were in a really good spot.
55:13
They re -signed a lot of their free agent players.
55:16
They made additions with Javon Hargrave as well
55:19
as Jonathan Allen. So the defensive line got
55:21
stronger. They made a lot of moves in free agency.
55:25
So they were good. They just had to just patch
55:28
up a few different things, which really isn't
55:30
that bad. Getting someone like a Tyrion Ingram
55:32
Dawkins, I think that was a good pick. Ty Felton,
55:35
great pick, as I said before. Donovan Jackson,
55:37
even Gavin Bartholomew. I think that's a really
55:40
good of a sleeper pick because why? along with
55:44
TJ Hawkinson is great because I think they've
55:48
been looking for another productive tight end.
55:51
So having Gavin would definitely help out as
55:53
well. So again, I'll give them a B plus. I'm
55:58
not going to be somebody that's going to say,
55:59
oh yeah, A plus, A plus for sure. Oh yeah, A
56:01
plus. No, B plus. Let's go over to the Bears.
56:06
So their positions of need, defensive line, running
56:08
back, edge, wide receiver, interior offensive
56:11
line. So their first round, Colston Loveland.
56:13
Their second round, they got Luther Burden, Ozzy
56:16
Triple O, and Shamar Turner. Their fourth round,
56:19
they got Ruben Hypelitz. I think I just butchered
56:23
your last name. I'm so sorry. The fifth round,
56:26
they got Zah Frazier. The sixth round, they got
56:28
Luke Newman. The seventh round, they got Kyle
56:30
Monegai. Kyle Monaghan. I was finally able to
56:34
pronounce his last name. Now, when we look at
56:36
the team stats, they were the 32nd ranked offense
56:39
that averaged 18 .2 points per game, 283 .5 yards
56:44
per game, 4 .5 yards per play, and 33 touchdowns.
56:48
When we look over their passing offense, they
56:50
were 31st in the league and averaged 181 .5 passing
56:54
yards per game, 4 .9 passing yards per play,
56:57
and 20 passing touchdowns. When we shift things
56:59
over to their rushing offense, they were 25th
57:02
in the league and averaged 102 rushing yards
57:05
per game, 4 rushing yards per play, 13 rushing
57:08
touchdowns, 42 rushes of 10 plus yards or more.
57:12
When we look over the defense, however, they
57:14
were 27th in the league and averaged 21 .8 points
57:18
per game, 354 .2 yards per game, 5 .9 yards per
57:23
play. 37 touchdowns, and had a quarterback pressure
57:26
percentage of 36 .5. Shift things over to the
57:30
passing defense. Atrocious. 31st in the league.
57:33
They averaged 217 .9 passing yards per game,
57:37
6 .8 passing yards per play, and 17 passing touchdowns.
57:42
They were 28th in run defense and allowed 20
57:45
rushing touchdowns, 136 .3 rushing yards per
57:48
game. 4 .8 rushing yards per play, and allowed
57:51
64 rushes of 10 plus yards or more. All in all,
57:56
this was a dynamic draft class. For this to be
58:00
Ben Johnson's first year, great. I would venture
58:05
to say this is probably an A plus draft class.
58:08
And let me explain why. For one, you get Colston
58:11
Loveland, which is a great weapon. You get Luther
58:13
Burden as well. So you have two really great
58:17
weapons. Because technically speaking, Luther
58:19
Burden was supposed to be your first -round pick.
58:21
But I think the reason why he fell was because
58:24
of the whole attitude issues and that he took
58:27
off plays or whatever. Something crazy. But then
58:29
you also address tackle with Ozzie Tripolo as
58:33
well as defensive tackle with Shamar Turner,
58:36
which is great. You get Zah Frazier in a really
58:39
good corner. You get Luke Newman, who is a pretty
58:42
good tackle that I think he can develop over
58:43
time. All in all, this was a really great draft
58:47
class. You would dress tight in, which is great
58:50
because now you have Colston Loveland and Cole
58:52
Komet. You now have Roma Dunzay, DJ Moore, and
58:56
Luther Burden. You have Ozzy Tripolo. You have
58:58
Shamar Turner. You have Zaha Frazier, Luke Newman.
59:02
You have it all. I can venture to say this is
59:05
probably a B plus, maybe an A. You know what?
59:10
Bump it. I'll give him an A. Now, I already know
59:13
there's probably a lot of fans that are probably
59:15
saying, well, that's not fair. That's not fair.
59:17
Listen, for this to be Ben Johnson's first draft,
59:21
it started off really well. You get Colston Loveland
59:24
and you get Luther Burden. What? What? Caleb
59:29
Williams, there is no excuse for you, which speaking
59:32
of which, we will be talking about that whole
59:34
situation in the next episode. You thought I
59:36
forgot, but I'm not going to. We will be addressing
59:38
that in the next episode for sure, because I
59:40
have to go a little bit deeper into what exactly
59:44
occurred with that entire situation, because
59:47
it really doesn't make any sense. And some people
59:49
are leaving out details, but I really need to
59:51
know exactly what happened. So stay tuned for
59:53
that. But back to this whole draft. Great. Absolutely,
59:58
100 % great. Just saying. So let's end things
1:00:02
with the Packers. So their positions of need
1:00:06
were cornerback, wide receiver, interior offensive
1:00:08
line, and edge. So they drafted Matthew Golden,
1:00:11
Anthony Belton, Savion Williams, Baron Sorrell,
1:00:15
Colin Oliver, Warren Brinson, Micah Robinson,
1:00:19
and John Williams. Yeah, Micah Robinson. I knew
1:00:24
I was pronouncing that right. And when we look
1:00:26
at their team stats, okay, they were the fifth
1:00:29
-ranked offense, and they averaged 27 .1 points
1:00:32
per game, 370 .8 yards per game, 6 .1 yards per
1:00:37
play, and 51 touchdowns. When we break this down
1:00:40
a little bit more, they had the 12th passing
1:00:42
offense, which averaged 223 .9 passing yards
1:00:46
per game, 7 .6 passing yards per play, and 28
1:00:49
passing touchdowns. When we shift things over
1:00:51
to the rushing offense, they were fifth in the
1:00:53
league, and they averaged 146 .8 rushing yards
1:00:57
per game. 4 .7 rushing yards per play, 23 rushing
1:01:01
touchdowns, and 70 rushes of 10 plus yards or
1:01:04
more. When we shift things over to the defense,
1:01:06
however, they were fifth in the league. Allowed
1:01:09
19 .9 points per game, 314 .5 yards per game,
1:01:14
5 .2 yards per play. 36 touchdowns, and had a
1:01:18
quarterback pressure percentage of 32 .3. They
1:01:21
had the 13th passing defense, which allowed 215
1:01:26
.2 passing yards per game, six passing yards
1:01:28
per play, and 23 passing touchdowns. When we
1:01:32
shift things over to the run defense, however,
1:01:34
they were seventh in the league, and they allowed
1:01:36
13 rushing touchdowns, 99 .4 rushing yards per
1:01:40
game. four rushing yards per play, and allowed
1:01:43
46 rushes of 10 plus yards or more. Overall,
1:01:47
this was a really solid draft class for the Packers.
1:01:51
For them to get Matthew Golden and Savion Williams,
1:01:53
I think is great. And the reason why I say that
1:01:56
is because you have a Swiss Army Knife and Savion
1:01:59
Williams who could potentially be the next Cordell
1:02:01
Patterson. As well as a burner in Matthew Golden,
1:02:04
who ran a 4 -2, which was honestly great. You
1:02:08
have Anthony Belton in the second round, which
1:02:09
we all know that the Packers have had a lot of
1:02:13
success in developing second and third and fourth
1:02:17
round offensive linemen, so I'm not surprised.
1:02:19
And then you get a quarter in Micah Robinson.
1:02:22
You also get another tackle. You get another
1:02:25
edge rusher. All in all, they had a very solid
1:02:28
draft class. I cannot complain about their draft
1:02:32
class at all. I feel like they addressed a lot
1:02:34
of positions of need, and I think they did fairly
1:02:37
well. Now, the question is this. Do we give them
1:02:41
a B plus? You know what? I will let you guys
1:02:44
make that decision for me. Let me know in the
1:02:47
comments on the YouTube Football Junkies pod
1:02:49
on if the Packers should get a B plus or A. And
1:02:52
please give me a good enough answer. If you do,
1:02:55
then I will change my grade. But as of right
1:02:57
now, I think I probably would give them... Let's
1:03:05
think, let's think, let's think. I'll give them
1:03:08
a B plus. Eh, who cares? I'll give them a B plus.
1:03:11
But just let me know in the comments, okay? Please.
1:03:15
Please, I would definitely appreciate that. But
1:03:17
I'm going to end this episode here. If you guys
1:03:19
like what you are listening, please, please,
1:03:20
please, please, please make sure you guys download
1:03:23
the episodes. Leave a five star, five star, five
1:03:26
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1:03:30
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1:03:32
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We're available on Spotify, RSS feed, as well
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1:03:44
you have to do is go on our RSS feed page and
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1:03:49
that we are available on when it comes to podcasting.
1:03:52
Now, for my YouTube people, Football Junkies
1:03:55
Pod. Football Junkies Pop. When you go on our
1:03:58
YouTube page, in our bio, we have a link to the
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link tree. When you click on that link tree,
1:04:04
it will take you to anywhere and everywhere that
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we have Football Junkies content. We are also
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available on TikTok as well. Football Junkies
1:04:11
Pop. Football Junkies Pop. Clips. I know. Most
1:04:15
likely, I'm probably going to have to go on a
1:04:17
break fairly soon because for one, I need to
1:04:21
start working on a lot of clips. And two, I need
1:04:24
to start working on planning my exam for one
1:04:27
of my certifications. So yeah, there's that.
1:04:30
But back to everything else. For my Instagram
1:04:33
people, football underscore junkies pod, okay?
1:04:36
Football underscore junkies pod. Junkies pod
1:04:38
is not what? It is together, not spaced. It is
1:04:46
together, not spaced. You can follow me on X.
1:04:50
And on Blue Sky, same handle, GMKale, all right?
1:04:55
GMKale, G -M, and then Kale, K -A -I -L -E. As
1:04:59
always, I hope I gave you guys the fix that you
1:05:01
guys need. I love you guys. I appreciate you
1:05:03
guys so much. Thank you guys so much for listening.
1:05:06
For all my football junkies, I appreciate you
1:05:08
guys. We are almost hitting 80 episodes, folks,
1:05:12
80 episodes. I would not be surprised by the
1:05:16
time I am done editing this episode. We won't
1:05:20
have something else to talk about. Maybe Fred
1:05:24
Warner inks his deal. Maybe he resets the market.
1:05:28
Maybe a certain quarterback makes his decision.
1:05:31
Maybe a team that doesn't have a quarterback,
1:05:33
quote unquote, finally makes up a decision and
1:05:35
probably wakes up and realizes they should probably
1:05:37
just move on. I don't know. I don't know. But
1:05:40
guess what? Stay tuned because guess what? We
1:05:43
got some things that are coming on the way. I
1:05:45
have caught word that. There may be some moves
1:05:49
that are going to be made fairly soon. Stay tuned.
1:05:51
But just know, your GM, who currently is not
1:05:54
on the team right now, but don't you worry about
1:05:56
it, will be there to cover this all. So guess
1:05:59
what? This is your GM Kel signing out. Peace
1:06:02
and love. Later. Breaking news, breaking news,
1:06:05
breaking news. I told you so. I told you it was
1:06:10
going to happen. And guess what? It happened,
1:06:13
folks. That's right. Fred Warner gets the bag.
1:06:17
He recessed the linebacker market again, folks.
1:06:21
That is right. I called it once again. It happens
1:06:24
either when I'm editing, when I'm recording,
1:06:27
or when I'm done. I got more work to do, but
1:06:30
that's perfectly fine because I love doing it.
1:06:31
So Fred Warner inks a three -year $63 million
1:06:35
deal, $56 million guarantee, and he'll be making
1:06:39
$21 million a year. When we look at his stats,
1:06:42
98 tackles, one sack, four forced fumbles, 11
1:06:47
.9 missed tackle percentage. Folks, he is the
1:06:52
one, not the two. He is one of the best middle
1:06:57
linebackers in the league right now. And it was
1:07:00
only right for the 49ers to make sure that they
1:07:02
take care of their guy, which is great because
1:07:06
what we're starting to see now is somewhat of
1:07:08
a resurgence in the middle linebacker position.
1:07:12
Because for the longest time, middle linebackers
1:07:15
really weren't as useful, I think, is the best
1:07:19
way to say it, because of the rule changes. Everybody
1:07:22
knows prior to this point, you had the Ray Lewis's
1:07:26
of the world, the Derrick Brooks's of the world,
1:07:28
London Fletcher's and Larry Foots and all of
1:07:31
those great middle linebackers. But then we went
1:07:35
through a period where, of course, the rules
1:07:37
changed. And so you couldn't be as physical as
1:07:41
how you used to be in the early 2000s. And so
1:07:43
in doing so, everybody began to diminish. how
1:07:47
high they wanted to draft middle linebackers.
1:07:49
Not to mention, we also started to see a lot
1:07:51
of busts when it comes to drafting first round
1:07:55
middle linebackers as well. But now what you're
1:07:58
starting to see is a lot of middle linebackers
1:08:00
such as Patrick Queen, Roquan Smith, Fred Warner,
1:08:03
just to name a few, who are getting paid, who
1:08:06
are really effective. Now, when you probably
1:08:08
look at those stats from Fred Warner, you're
1:08:10
probably thinking, you mean to tell me they reset
1:08:12
at the market for this? When you turn on that
1:08:15
tape, Fred Warner is a beast. Fred Warner is
1:08:20
everywhere near the football. Football goes,
1:08:23
Fred Warner is in five feet away from it. He's
1:08:27
either making the tackle, making the pick, making
1:08:30
the fumble. He's doing something. That is who
1:08:33
Fred Warner is. And he plays such a pivotal role,
1:08:35
not only on this team, but on the defense. He
1:08:38
is the heart and soul of this defense. So it
1:08:42
was only right that they do so. Now, as I've
1:08:44
said before with the whole Brock Purdy thing,
1:08:46
the clock is ticking. It's time for this team
1:08:50
to start winning. It's time for them to really
1:08:53
show that they are a true dominant team. You
1:08:56
have the easiest schedule in the league. It's
1:08:58
time for you to win a championship. If you don't
1:09:01
win a championship this year, I'm going to have
1:09:03
to have a lot of serious conversations about
1:09:07
Kyle Shanahan moving forward. Because right now,
1:09:10
The deck is stacked in your favor. You have the
1:09:14
easiest schedule, you don't have a lot of tough
1:09:17
opponents that you have to face, and you have
1:09:19
a late bye week. So you are in a good position.
1:09:22
The only team that you really have to worry about
1:09:25
in your division is who? The Rams. The Seahawks,
1:09:28
I feel like, are still trying to find themselves
1:09:30
offensively, as well as the Cardinals. So if
1:09:33
you can get past the Rams, or at least break
1:09:36
even with the Rams, then all you really have
1:09:39
to worry about is who? The Vikings, possibly,
1:09:42
the Lions, the Bears, and the Eagles. That's
1:09:46
it. And all those other teams, they can hash
1:09:49
it out within their own divisions as well. But
1:09:51
I told you so. Remember, I told you so. Stay
1:09:55
tuned. Another episode should be coming out fairly
1:09:57
soon. Got to work on the talking points. Got
1:10:00
a few things we have to talk about. Grades and
1:10:02
all that other stuff and more. As always, I love
1:10:04
you guys. I appreciate you guys so much. Back
1:10:06
to editing. I go. If this episode doesn't come
1:10:09
out the same day that I recorded it, then it
1:10:11
will be coming out tomorrow around eight o 'clock.
1:10:14
All right. Peace and love. Later.