Latest / Football Junkies podcast / Ep.83: Deal or no deal?

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Ep.83: Deal or no deal? · Football Junkies podcast

0:03
Chick -ching, chick -ching. That's right, folks.
0:05
Triple bag alert, triple bag alert, triple bag
0:08
alert, folks. That's right. We got an episode
0:10
that's going to be dedicated to money because
0:12
you know why we like talking about money over
0:14
here at the Football Junkies Podcast, all right?
0:16
Josh Oliver, Logan Cook, and Michael Dixon all
0:20
get paid. J .K. Dobbins heads to Denver. Nick
0:23
Chubb heads to H -Town. Jermaine Pratt heads
0:25
to Vegas. Shemar Stewart continues to hold out.
0:28
And my back row dominance predictions with a
0:31
few people. that are looking for some money,
0:33
all right? All of this and more. on the 83rd
0:36
episode of the Football Junkies Podcast, all
0:38
right? I am your host with the most. I'm your
0:41
GM who currently is not on a team right now,
0:43
but don't you worry about it, all right? Don't
0:46
you worry about it because guess what? I'm your
0:48
chief, head of the table, anything and everything
0:51
related to the bag, anything and everything that
0:53
is related to trades, rumors, speculations, pending
0:56
moves that may be happening within the next maybe
0:58
24, 48, 72, or even longer than that, okay? Because
1:03
guess what? I am all these things. and more.
1:05
But most importantly, the most important thing
1:07
that you must remember is I am your host, Kale.
1:10
You already know how these things are about to
1:11
go. Yes, everybody may be on a high ears, but
1:14
guess what? The grind still goes over here with
1:16
the Football Junkies podcast. So guess what?
1:19
On three, one, two, three, let's lock in. Right,
1:46
folks, let's just get into the meat and potatoes
1:48
of everything that is going on in the league
1:50
right now. So before we get into other money
1:53
topics, let's get into the bag alerts, folks,
1:56
okay? So Josh Oliver tied in for the Vikings
1:59
in, say, three -year $23 .2 million deal, $19
2:02
million guaranteed, and he'll be making $7 .7
2:05
million a year. When we look at his stats from
2:07
this past season... 28 targets for 22 receptions,
2:10
258 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns, and 11 .7
2:14
receiving yards per reception. Here's the thing
2:17
with this deal. It's a very team -friendly deal.
2:19
It doesn't break the bank. And Josh Oliver, from
2:23
my understanding, is tied in too when it comes
2:25
to the Vikings. He's not this person that's going
2:27
to wow you on the field, no. But when you give
2:30
him the ball, he is going to make a play. An
2:33
angle that needs to be talked about with this
2:34
move is John New Smith can now demand more money
2:37
from the Dolphins. Because John New Smith can
2:39
say, hey, I set this record. I set that record.
2:42
I did this. I did that. I did all these things
2:45
better than what Josh Oliver did this past season.
2:49
So I deserve a little bit more than what he's
2:51
getting. And granted, Josh Oliver is only making
2:54
$7 .7 million a year. So I think if you're John
2:57
New Smith, I think you want to bump up your number
2:59
to maybe $9, maybe $10 million a year. Because
3:02
let's be real here. This is going to be his last
3:05
deal. So you want to make sure that you maximize
3:08
as much money as you possibly can with this last
3:10
deal. And if you're the Dolphins, you know that
3:13
he plays such a pivotal role on the offense that
3:16
you can't afford to let him go. So you may have
3:19
to give him a little bit more just to sweeten
3:22
up the pot. Because right now you're running
3:24
the risk of potentially having to pay him twice
3:27
or maybe even three times more just because there
3:30
may be other people who are in contract negotiations
3:33
right now with their team. And I think depending
3:36
on what happens with Isaiah Likely this offseason,
3:39
that may either help the Dolphins or hurt the
3:42
Dolphins. Now that we got that out the way, let's
3:44
talk about these punters, all right? So Logan
3:46
Cook, punter for the Jaguars. It's a four -year,
3:49
$16 million deal. He'll be making $4 million
3:51
a year. When we look at his stats from this past
3:53
season, 68 punts for 3 ,359 punt yards, three
3:58
touchbacks. a 49 .4 gross average punt yards
4:02
percentage, a 4 .41 touchback percentage, and
4:05
34 inside the 20 punts, as well as a 50 % inside
4:11
the 20 percentage. Logan Cook, believe it or
4:14
not, and I actually had to look this up, Logan
4:16
Cook is actually a top 10 punter. I didn't realize
4:20
it, but I had to do some research and his stats
4:24
are amazing. So it was only right for the Jaguars
4:27
to make sure that they take care of their guy.
4:29
When you have a really good punter, you want
4:31
to make sure that you keep that punter as long
4:32
as you possibly can. Because you know why? You
4:35
will always have a better chance of being in
4:38
a better position on the field compared to having
4:40
just a really bad punter where it's going to
4:43
benefit the opposing team more. We have seen
4:46
the difference when you have a really good punter
4:49
who can punt it in a way that it benefits the
4:52
defense. And we've seen bad punters where it
4:55
just messes up the entire game plan of... I don't
4:59
know, maybe the second half or the fourth quarter
5:01
or after the two -minute warning or whatever
5:03
the case may be. It's the same thing with Michael
5:06
Dixon. Michael Dixon just reset the punter market.
5:09
He inked a four -year $16 .2 million deal, and
5:13
he'll be making $4 million a year. When we look
5:15
at his stats, 76 punts for 3 ,756 punt yards,
5:20
nine touchbacks, a 49 .4 gross average punt yards
5:24
percentage. These are really good stats for some
5:28
really good punters. You are talking about punters
5:30
who really don't get the flowers that they deserve,
5:33
but they do deserve them just because of how
5:36
pivotal of a role that they play when it comes
5:39
to the defense. Just like how you need a quarterback
5:41
to get a first down, or you need a tight end
5:44
to score a touchdown, or a pass rusher to get
5:49
a sack or to get a fumble, punters can do the
5:52
exact same thing. But you know what the difference
5:53
is? They use their legs. If you need a punter
5:56
to kick with inside the 10 or inside the 5 or
5:59
inside the 15, if you have a really good punter,
6:01
they can do it. Now, if you don't have a really
6:03
good punter, it's most likely going to be a touchback,
6:06
and then you're really going to be upset. But
6:07
let's get into these signings, all right? So
6:09
J .K. Dobbins, former Ravens and Chargers running
6:13
back, inks a one -year $2 .7 million deal with
6:16
the Broncos. He gets a $895 ,000 signing bonus,
6:20
$2 million guaranteed, and he'll be making $2
6:22
.7 million a year. When we look at his stats
6:24
from this past season, 195 attempts for 905 rushing
6:28
yards, 4 .6 rushing yards per carry, nine touchdowns,
6:32
and 27 rushes of 10 plus yards or more. This
6:35
move signals that for one, the Broncos want to
6:37
be more effective when it comes to the run game,
6:39
while at the same time making a low risk, high
6:42
reward type of move in signing someone like a
6:45
J .K. Dobbins. The only problem with him is,
6:48
and I know it's out of his control, is just injuries.
6:50
If you eliminate the injuries from J .K. Dobbins,
6:53
we would be having a completely different conversation
6:56
about J .K. Dobbins. He was effective with the
6:59
Ravens. He's been really effective with the Chargers.
7:02
Those first maybe four to five weeks of the season,
7:05
J .K. Dobbins was a monster. He was doing his
7:08
thing. And this is him running inside the tackles
7:11
and outside the tackles. When we look at his
7:14
stats from inside the tackles, 106 attempts for
7:18
498 rushing yards. 4 .7 rushing yards per carry,
7:22
6 touchdowns, and 13 rushes of 10 plus yards
7:25
or more. I think with him coming to the Broncos,
7:28
I think this can expand the offense even more.
7:32
Because we all know Sean Payton loves a really
7:34
good run game. And with that being said, we need
7:37
to look at the rushing attack from the Broncos
7:39
this past season. They were 16th in rushing.
7:42
And they averaged 112 .2 rushing yards per game,
7:45
4 .1 rushing yards per play, 12 touchdowns, and
7:48
had 54 rushes of 10 plus yards or more. Their
7:51
inside the run rate was 51 .8%, and their outside
7:55
the run rate was 44%. So this is a match made
7:59
in heaven for someone like a J .K. Dobbins. And
8:01
I think this makes the team even better. Let's
8:04
be real here, folks. The Broncos are going to
8:07
be a thorn in the Chiefs' side this season. Because
8:10
the Broncos have made substantial changes that
8:13
is really going to make them more competitive
8:15
against the Chiefs. You've bolstered up the defense.
8:18
You've bolstered up the offense. You have a really
8:20
stable coach. You have a really good quarterback
8:23
now. These are all the things that you need in
8:27
order to really go at the Chiefs. And if you're
8:30
Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, you want to try
8:32
to find an angle that can keep you a little bit
8:34
more competitive over your division rivals. Because
8:38
it's not like how it used to be for the past
8:40
few years where it's basically been the yellow
8:42
brick road for the Chiefs division. No, that
8:45
yellow brick road has now turned into mud. And
8:49
so now if you're the Chiefs, there has to be
8:51
a sense of urgency when it comes to your division
8:53
games. Because now you can't take them lightly.
8:57
Beforehand, you could. But now, it's a whole
9:00
different ballgame. Because now you have teams
9:03
that can legitimately put up a fight. It can
9:06
punch you in the mouth. We've seen the Raiders
9:08
the past few years put up a fight against the
9:10
Chiefs. Just saying, because I know there's a
9:13
lot of people that are saying, well, the Chiefs
9:15
are the Chiefs. Yes, I understand that. But at
9:17
the same time, their division got a whole lot
9:19
better. It's going to continue to get better
9:22
as the years go on. So let's talk about Nick
9:24
Chubb going to Houston, all right? So Nick Chubb
9:26
inks a one -year $2 .5 million deal. He'll be
9:29
making $2 .5 million a year. When we look at
9:31
his stats from this past season. 102 attempts
9:34
for 332 rushing yards, 3 .3 rushing yards per
9:37
carry, three touchdowns, and five rushes of 10
9:40
plus yards or more. My takeaway is this is a
9:43
low risk, high reward signing. Nick Chubb, yes,
9:47
is still an effective running back, but he is
9:48
not the same running back that he was prior to
9:51
his injury. But here is the thing about Nick
9:54
Chubb though. He is just as effective with running
9:57
inside the tackles as well as outside the tackles.
10:00
When we look at his stats with inside the tackles,
10:03
52 attempts for 164 rushing yards, 3 .2 rushing
10:08
yards per carry, 2 touchdowns, and 3 rushes of
10:11
10 plus yards or more. When we look at outside
10:14
the tackles, 50 attempts for 168 rushing yards,
10:18
3 .4 rushing yards per carry, 1 touchdown, and
10:21
2 rushes of 10 plus yards or more. What was one
10:24
of the areas that the Texans really needed to
10:27
work on the most? Their run game. The run game
10:31
last season was 22nd in the league. They averaged
10:35
112 .3 rushing yards per game, 4 .4 rushing yards
10:39
per play, 15 touchdowns, 52 rushes of 10 plus
10:43
yards or more, and had an inside run rate at
10:46
39 .9 % and an outside run rate at 57 .1%. Signing
10:51
Nick Chubb is going to help Joe Mixon, especially
10:54
towards the end of the season, because guess
10:55
what? Instead of Joe Mixon taking on a majority
10:58
of the snaps, he can share those snaps with someone
11:01
like a Nick Chubb, who is just as effective in
11:03
both running inside the tackles as well as outside
11:06
of the tackles. When you look at all the Super
11:08
Bowl contending teams, what is the one common
11:11
denominator out of all of them? They all have
11:14
an effective run game, from the 49ers to the
11:17
Ravens and even to the Eagles. They are all effective
11:20
in the run game. And that is why they are able
11:23
to win some of the games that they win, because
11:25
you know why? They are able to control the line
11:27
of scrimmage, control the clock, and in doing
11:29
so, wear down the defense and disrupt the rhythm
11:33
for the offense. We all know that one of the
11:36
best ways to beat Patrick Mahomes is by disrupting
11:39
his rhythm. And by having a duo like these two,
11:42
your run game will be a whole lot better. But
11:44
let's talk about Jermaine Pratt going to the
11:46
Raiders, all right? So Jermaine Pratt inks. A
11:49
one -year $4 .2 million deal would be making
11:51
$4 .2 million a year. Honestly, I wasn't expecting
11:55
this. I would have thought he would have paired
11:57
up with his old defensive coordinator, but maybe
12:00
his market wasn't that strong. Maybe the Colts
12:03
weren't interested in him at all. I don't know.
12:05
But, I mean, when we look at this, he's a great
12:09
tackler. 143 tackles this past season, not to
12:13
mention he had two picks. He is a really good
12:15
inside linebacker, and I think pairing him with
12:19
Alandon Roberts is actually great because you
12:20
have two really good tackling inside linebackers.
12:23
Not to mention, Alandon Roberts is still really
12:26
good when it comes to the run game. All in all,
12:30
I think this is a really good signing. It doesn't
12:32
break the bank. He still gets his money. It's
12:34
a one -year deal, prove it deal, basically. And
12:36
then next year, he can hit free agency and get
12:39
more money. So let's get into this whole Shamar
12:41
Stewart situation. So Shamar Stewart is still
12:44
not participating with the team and continues
12:47
to voice his opinion on why the Bengals are doing
12:50
bad business with him. Let me just give you a
12:53
recap of what's happened so far so then we can,
12:55
you know, get to what's currently going on right
12:57
now. So, Shamar Stewart hasn't participated in
13:00
rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp.
13:03
Now, the reasoning for this is due to language
13:07
in his contract that is focused on voiding future
13:10
guarantees. Now, this is what Shamar Stewart
13:13
had to say, and I quote, in my case, I'm 100
13:16
% right. I'm not asking for nothing that's never
13:19
been done before, but in the team's case, y 'all
13:22
just want to win an argument instead of winning
13:24
more games, in my opinion, end quote. But the
13:26
language that's in Shamar Stewart's contract
13:28
was not found in either Miles Murphy or Mariusz
13:32
Mims' contract. So it begs the question of, what
13:36
exactly are the Bengals doing? Now, this is what
13:38
Ted Karras had to say about the contract dispute.
13:41
End quote. The main thing I want to say is I
13:44
don't think to either of our defensive ends that
13:46
there's not any harboring resentment in this
13:48
locker room to them. I really hope that both
13:51
camps can figure this out because we really have
13:53
a good team. We've had a super productive spring
13:55
and you just don't want this to carry over into
13:58
the summer. End quote. Now, this is what Zach
14:00
Taylor had to say about the situation. End quote.
14:02
I think there's education that happens with all
14:05
the rookies that we do our best to educate them.
14:07
Number one, we want to protect our team and our
14:10
locker room. And so there's some things I understand
14:13
when there's frustration there, but that's how
14:15
he chose to do it. And that's his prerogative.
14:18
And we look forward to getting him back in the
14:20
fold, end quote. But here's the part that nobody
14:23
is talking about. Shemar Stewart has options
14:26
to resolve this matter. So per the CBA, Shemar
14:30
Stewart can refuse to sign and demand a trade.
14:33
The window for trading an unsigned draft pick
14:36
expires 30 days before the first game of the
14:39
regular season. If unsuccessful, the Bengals
14:42
will be unable to trade Shamar Stewart for the
14:44
entire 2025 season, regardless if he signs or
14:48
doesn't. Shamar Stewart can wait until the Tuesday
14:51
of Week 10 and still play. If unsuccessful, he
14:56
will be unable to play all of 2025. Per the CBA,
15:00
the arbitrator must make a decision within five
15:02
days of the application, and the decision, and
15:05
I quote, shall be final and binding upon all
15:08
parties. He can also refuse to sign at all until
15:12
the 2026 draft begins, which then he will be
15:15
re -entered into the draft pool and the Bengals
15:18
will be unable to draft him. The next option
15:21
that he has is Shemar Stewart could return to
15:23
college, but will face a lengthy legal battle
15:27
with the NCAA. Another option, which I don't
15:31
think this is probably going to happen, is that
15:33
Shemar Stewart could refuse to sign with the
15:34
Bengals and play in another league such as the
15:37
UFL or CFL. However, if Shamar Stewart plays
15:41
in another league in the 12 months after being
15:44
drafted, the Bengals will hold his rights for
15:46
three years after the 2025 draft. Afterwards,
15:49
the Bengals would have the right of first refusal
15:52
to any contract Shamar Stewart would sign with
15:54
another NFL team. The lesson from this entire
15:57
situation is this. Players are becoming smarter
16:01
when it comes to conducting their business. Instead
16:04
of just signing on the dotted line, They're reviewing
16:07
the language of the contract, and they're allowing
16:09
their agents as well to review the language of
16:12
the contract just to see if everything is correct.
16:15
We have seen multiple times where players have
16:18
just signed bad contracts and are put in very
16:21
bad situations for long periods of time. And
16:24
so now you have someone in Shamar Stewart who
16:27
is saying, hey, listen, this wasn't in Amarius
16:30
Mims' contract, nor Miles Murphy's. So why is
16:33
it in my contract? And granted, I would understand
16:37
if they were putting in this clause because he's
16:40
had an extensive injury history in college or
16:43
he had off the field issues in college. I would
16:46
have no problem with this. But because neither
16:49
of those two things happened while he was in
16:51
college, there is no need for Shamar Stewart
16:54
to have that type of language within his contract.
16:57
Because then you guys are saying, listen. We
16:59
are banking on you to make a mistake so that
17:02
we can void all of your future guarantees so
17:05
that we can keep that money. That is something
17:07
that a shady business would do. If I'm a future
17:10
NFL draft prospect, I am publicly saying, listen,
17:14
I'm not going to the Bengals because I understand
17:17
that, listen, for one, they may try to do the
17:20
same thing that they're doing to Shamar Stewart.
17:23
And two, we have seen that they have had a history
17:26
in doing shady business with their players. At
17:30
some point, somebody has to be the bigger person
17:32
in the room when it comes to the Bengals front
17:34
office, and they have to say, listen, just take
17:38
out the language. Get rid of it and just give
17:41
him the contract that he wants. Because right
17:44
now, what you're doing is playing a dangerous
17:46
game of chicken. And the Bengals are going to
17:49
blink first. But I think a question that needs
17:51
to be asked is, how long is Shamar Stewart going
17:54
to hold out? Because he knows the longer that
17:58
this holds out, the more this could actually
18:01
hurt the Bengals even more. Because as I just
18:03
said with the CBA, he could re -enter into next
18:07
year's draft class, which if I'm Shamar Stewart,
18:10
I probably would do because guess what? If that
18:12
happens, the Bengals won't be able to draft you.
18:15
Now, it may come at the cost of you not being
18:17
drafted in the first round. But I still believe
18:20
that there are a lot of teams that are very interested
18:23
in Shamar Stewart. And I think they still would
18:25
draft him if he was available in next year's
18:28
draft. So at this point, if Shamar is really
18:33
serious about this, I would say just hold out
18:36
as long as you possibly can. Because at some
18:40
point, the Bengals are going to get desperate.
18:42
At some point, the pressure is going to be put
18:44
on them so much that they're going to have to
18:47
do something. Now, if you're Joe Burrow, you're
18:51
probably going to have to put on the hero cape
18:52
once again, and you're going to have to get in
18:55
the Bengals' ass again because they continue
18:57
to do bad business. And best believe the Players
19:00
Association are keeping their eye on this dispute
19:03
right now because this could have lasting effects
19:06
on the league moving forward. So stay tuned with
19:10
this situation. But let's talk about some more
19:12
money, all right? Bag roll dominance predictions,
19:15
all right? I got my bag roll dominance cape on.
19:18
I got my bag roll dominance hat on. Let's just
19:21
get into it, all right? So Terry McLaurin, do
19:24
I think he's going to get re -signed? Yes. I
19:26
understand there's a lot of Steelers fans right
19:28
now that want Terry McLaurin. Best believe Washington
19:30
is not going to let him go, all right? So Sparak's
19:33
market value for him is three years, $93 .1 million,
19:36
which is $31 .1 million a year. My prediction
19:39
is... Four years, $130 million, which is $32
19:43
.5 million a year. Terry McLaurin has been the
19:46
most consistent and loyal player of the Washington
19:49
franchise. You are talking about somebody who
19:52
has been through a slew of changes since getting
19:55
into the league. From multiple head coaches to
19:58
multiple quarterbacks, offenses, you name it,
20:02
he's been through it all. But he's always been
20:05
consistent. In some ways... He's been like Mike
20:10
Evans. Mike Evans has gone through somewhat of
20:13
the exact same thing that Terry McLaurin has
20:15
gone through. Multiple head coaches, multiple
20:18
quarterbacks, good seasons, bad seasons, iffy
20:22
seasons. He's been through it all. But guess
20:24
what? He's always been loyal to the franchise
20:26
and he's always been consistent. So it's only
20:29
right that you take care of Terry McLaurin the
20:31
right way. Now, I understand the role of a GM
20:35
is to make sure that you give the best deal possible
20:39
that doesn't hurt the franchise. But at some
20:42
point, you're going to have to maybe swing up
20:44
the pot a little bit for someone like a Terry
20:46
McLaurin. It's not going to hurt you because
20:49
why? There's nobody else on the team that is
20:51
looking for money. Terry McLaurin is the only
20:54
person. And by the time this deal is over with,
20:57
guess what? Then it'll be time for you to pay
20:59
big money to Jaden Daniels. But by not paying
21:02
Terry McLaurin, you could potentially hurt Jaden
21:05
Daniels' growth. Do you really want to take that
21:08
risk? No. So it's only right that you take care
21:12
of somebody that has been through it all, that
21:15
has been consistent, that hasn't been a troublemaker,
21:18
that has been an upstanding player for this franchise.
21:21
Now when we look at Trey Hendrickson's situation,
21:24
excuse me, me personally, there's only two options
21:27
with this. Either he's going to hold out, or
21:31
he's going to get traded. Now, Sparak's market
21:33
value for him is two years, $62 .9 million, which
21:36
is $31 .5 million a year. My prediction is a
21:40
one -year $32 .1 million deal, $32 .1 million
21:44
a year. I think giving Trey Hendrickson just
21:47
a one -year deal is just the best course of action
21:49
at this point, because right now, the longer
21:52
that this goes, the worse that it's going to
21:55
hurt the Bengals. So I think if you trade them
21:58
away and that team just gives them a one -year
22:00
deal, okay, cool, you're on for another year.
22:03
And then by the time the deal is over with, you
22:05
can hit free agency and still get another bag
22:07
if you really want to. Because right now, the
22:10
Bengals have shown that they're not willing to
22:12
pay Trey Hendrickson. So somebody is going to
22:15
make a crazy trade for Trey Hendrickson. Now,
22:17
do I think it's going to be someone like the
22:19
Eagles or the Lions? Or, I don't know, the 49ers
22:24
or the Rams or somebody like that? Yes. And I
22:28
think they would be willing to give him a one
22:30
-year extension. I don't think he wants to sign
22:32
a long -term extension anyway. Moving on, I think
22:35
Garrett Wilson is going to re -sign as well.
22:38
Spot Rack's market value for him is three years,
22:40
73 million, which is 24 .3 million a year. My
22:43
prediction is four years, 95 .2 million, which
22:46
is 23 .8 million a year. Garrett Wilson is a
22:49
little bit of a tricky situation only because
22:51
he's not in that top echelon of receivers, but
22:54
I feel like he's on that tier with someone like
22:56
a Drake London, and that's perfectly fine because
22:58
you're still a really productive receiver. Now,
23:00
here's the question. If you're Garrett Wilson,
23:03
do you want a long -term deal or do you want
23:06
a short -term deal? Now with a short -term deal,
23:09
by the time the deal is up, you're able to re
23:12
-up again and you'll still be in your prime.
23:14
But if you get the long -term extension, you
23:17
run the risk of going through another wave of
23:19
changes. Do you really want to go through that?
23:21
No. So just sign the short -term deal. So that
23:24
way, if you feel like you're going to garner
23:27
a lot of interest in that upcoming free agency
23:29
class, you can make a decision on if you want
23:32
to stay with the Jets or if you want to test
23:34
the free agency market in its entirety. Now let's
23:37
keep on going. Drake London. I think he's either
23:40
going to be re -signed or he's just going to
23:41
play out the rest of the season. Now his market
23:44
value, according to SpotRack, is three years,
23:46
$73 .1 million, which is $24 .4 million a year.
23:49
My prediction is three years, $75 .4 million,
23:53
which is $25 .1 million a year. So if you're
23:56
Drake London, you would probably take the same
23:57
route that I just said with Garrett Wilson. You
23:59
sign the short -term deal. With the understanding
24:02
that once this deal is over with, I'll still
24:04
be in my prime, which means I'll still have a
24:06
lot of interest from a lot of teams. Moving on,
24:09
TJ Watt. So his market value is four years, 146
24:13
.5 million, which is 36 .6 million a year. My
24:16
prediction is four years, 158 million, which
24:19
is 39 .5 million a year. Me personally, I feel
24:22
like I probably could have bumped that number
24:24
up even a little bit more. But my question with
24:26
TJ Watt is this, are you looking to reset the
24:29
market? Are you willing to take another team
24:32
friendly deal or what exactly you're trying to
24:36
do? Because if I'm TJ Watt, I may be looking
24:39
at resetting the market because I am still one
24:42
of the best pass rushers in the league, if not
24:44
the best pass rusher in the league. So I feel
24:47
like there's a lot of questions that need to
24:49
be asked with TJ Watt's situation. And I also
24:51
feel like there is some frustration with TJ Watt
24:54
simply because the Steelers took care of DK Metcalf
24:58
fairly well. And they really didn't do that for
25:00
TJ Watt. And mind you, as a GM, you always want
25:04
to make sure that you take care of your guys
25:06
first. The guys that you drafted and developed
25:09
and you saw them grow over time. Not somebody
25:12
that you brought in via trade or free agency
25:15
or whatever. And this is no shot at DK Metcalf
25:17
at all. But it looks a little bit weird if you're
25:21
giving more money to the person that you're bringing
25:23
in instead of the person that is homegrown. That's
25:27
like you going out to McDonald's with your friends.
25:29
And instead of you treating everybody to McDonald's,
25:32
you only treat two or three people, and then
25:35
everybody else has to fend for themselves. That's
25:38
not going to look right. So if I'm TJ Watt, I'm
25:42
breaking the bank. I'm looking to reset the market,
25:45
possibly. Unless the team is telling me, hey,
25:48
listen. We're in the works of trying to acquire
25:50
another player for either the offense or the
25:53
defense. If you take a little bit less, they'll
25:55
give us more cap flexibility. So that way we'll
25:58
be able to acquire them. If that's the case,
26:01
okay, fine. I'll take a little bit of a lesser
26:04
deal. But if that's not the case, well, then
26:07
I'm looking to reset the market because I deserve
26:09
to reset the market because every time that I'm
26:12
on the field, I change games. We all have seen
26:15
the record. when TJ Watt is on the field and
26:19
when he isn't on the field. So it's only right
26:22
that you lock him up and you make him a stealer
26:24
for life. Now, Aiden Hutchinson's situation is
26:28
a little bit weird, and I'll explain just a little
26:30
bit. So Sparak's market value for him is four
26:33
years, $141 .2 million, which is $35 .3 million
26:37
a year. My prediction is four years, $141 .2
26:41
million, which is $35 .3 million a year. Here's
26:44
the thing with Aiden Hutchinson. Now, is he...
26:47
A top five pass rusher? No. Is he a top 10, maybe
26:50
top 15 pass rusher? Yes, I'll give him that.
26:52
But the question is this, whose contract are
26:55
you going to model? Are you going to model Nick
26:58
Bosa's contract? Are you going to model Max Crosby's
27:01
contract? Are you going to model TJ Watt's current
27:04
contract? Whose contract are you going to model?
27:07
Because right now, you don't want to keep on
27:10
resetting the market for a whole bunch of players
27:12
while at the same time, you're still trying to
27:14
be in a good situation with your cap. That's
27:17
my only concern with Aiden Hutchinson. It's not
27:21
the injuries. It's not the play. It's none of
27:23
those things. It's you want to be able to still
27:26
be in a good place where you have some cap flexibility.
27:28
So if there's somebody that you really want that
27:30
you can acquire via trade or free agency, you're
27:33
able to do it without having to do a whole bunch
27:35
of restructures. Now with Micah Parsons, that's
27:38
a ticking time bomb. And I'm going to explain
27:40
in a little bit. So his market value is four
27:43
years, $145 .1 million. which is 36 .3 million
27:47
a year. My prediction is four years, 150 million,
27:51
which is 37 .5 million a year. Now, a few days
27:54
ago, somebody was able to take a couple of pictures
27:57
of Micah Parsons talking to Jerry Jones. And
28:00
apparently Micah and Jerry were talking about
28:02
numbers. And Micah told Jerry, hey, listen, talk
28:05
to my agent so we can finalize the deal and get
28:08
things done. Since then, nothing has been finalized.
28:11
Nothing has been talked about. So if I'm Micah
28:14
Parsons, Do I want to play the waiting game and
28:17
see what TJ Watt and Aiden Hutchinson and Trey
28:20
Henderson is going to get? Or do I want to get
28:22
my deal out the way first? Because I'll wait
28:26
a little bit just so I can get a little bit more
28:27
money. But if I just want to be a team player,
28:30
I'll just sign the deal now so that way I don't
28:32
have to worry about it. Now, Kyle Hamilton re
28:35
-signed. His market value was three years, $60
28:38
.8 million, which is $20 .3 million a year. My
28:41
prediction is four years, $88 .4 million a year,
28:44
which is $22 .1 million a year. Kyle Hamilton
28:47
is one of the best safeties in the league, if
28:50
not the best safety in the league. He is literally
28:52
the 1A or 1B to Antoine Winfield Jr. There is
28:57
nobody else that is better than those two safeties.
29:00
So it is only right for the Ravens to reset the
29:03
market for this great safety. Now here's the
29:07
thing with Lamar Jackson's situation. I know
29:09
I'm going to catch a lot of flack for him, but
29:11
I really don't care. So re -sign, okay, we already
29:14
got that out the way. So his market value is
29:17
five years, $340 .5 million, which is $68 .1
29:22
million a year. My prediction is five years,
29:25
$290 million, which is $58 million a year. So
29:29
here's the thing. Me personally, I don't feel
29:31
like you should pay a quarterback $60 million
29:34
a year, and here's why. Paying a quarterback
29:36
$60 million is not a good move because it puts
29:38
a strain on the cap space, which if you're a
29:41
Super Bowl team, you want to be able to have
29:43
cap flexibility. Because say, for instance, there's
29:46
somebody that you really want to be able to get
29:48
in the trade deadline, but you can't do it because
29:51
why? You just gave your quarterback $60 million.
29:54
You're going to be tearing your hair out. There's
29:56
no need for you to do it. Now, if you're somebody
29:59
that has won multiple Super Bowls, you're dominant
30:02
in the postgame, and you've won MVPs and you're
30:06
top five, you know, one of the best quarterbacks
30:08
in the league, okay, fine, whatever. Do whatever
30:10
you want to do. Don't care. But if you haven't
30:13
won an MVP, if you haven't been to the Super
30:15
Bowl, let alone the divisional championship,
30:18
there is no need for you to be asking for $60
30:21
million. That's why I was very critical about
30:24
Dak Prescott getting his deal. Because guess
30:26
what? He didn't deserve that money. He hasn't
30:29
been to a Super Bowl. He hasn't been to an NFC
30:32
Championship. He hasn't won an MVP. He's not
30:35
even the top five quarterback in the league.
30:37
So why would you pay him $60 million? It's ludicrous.
30:41
If you're Lamar Jackson, you want to stay away
30:43
from that $60 million a year mark. Because guess
30:46
what? If you haven't made it to the Super Bowl,
30:49
if you haven't won a Super Bowl, everyone is
30:52
going to be saying the same thing. Did the Ravens
30:54
overpay Lamar Jackson? Does he deserve that deal?
30:58
Do you think they should move off of him? What
31:00
should they do now? They can't do anything because
31:03
they gave Lamar Jackson $60 million a year. He
31:06
don't want that publicity. If I was Lamar, I
31:08
would take a little bit less so the team can
31:11
have cap flexibility so that if they need to
31:14
add somebody, they can go and add somebody without
31:16
having to do a whole bunch of restructures and
31:18
moving money around while at the same time, I
31:22
am prolonging the Super Bowl window for the team.
31:25
so on to the next candidate we have and that
31:27
is james cook now for him i would say just play
31:30
out the rest of your deal now his market value
31:33
according to spot rack is four years 40 .8 million
31:35
which is 10 .2 million a year My prediction is
31:39
three years, 25 million, which is 8 .3 million
31:41
a year. Now, if I'm James Cook, I'm taking a
31:44
shorter term deal just because for one, I can
31:46
get all of my money up front. And by the time
31:49
the deal is over with, I'll still be in my prime
31:51
so that I can re -up for another deal. Because
31:54
I don't know any team that would be willing to
31:56
give him over 8 million a year. I think a team
32:00
will probably lowball him, especially these playoff
32:02
contending teams. They would definitely lowball
32:04
him. And if it's a team like the Jaguars that
32:07
will give him this crazy deal, guess what? They'll
32:09
move off of him the next year. We've seen it
32:11
before. They do it every single offseason. Now
32:14
on to Rashawn Slater. So of course, he's going
32:16
to get re -signed. Now his market value is five
32:19
years, $127 .5 million, which is $25 .5 million
32:22
a year. My prediction is four years, $108 million,
32:25
which is $27 million a year. We all know that
32:28
left tackles get paid a whole bunch of money.
32:31
So it's only right that the Chargers give him
32:33
a boatload of money because why? He's the left
32:36
tackle. And you always pay the left tackle over
32:39
the right tackle, just saying. All right, now
32:41
on to the final person, Sauce Gardner. So with
32:44
him, he'll most likely be re -signed. So his
32:47
market value, three years, 64 .9 million, which
32:50
is 21 .7 million a year. My prediction is three
32:53
years, 68 million, which is 22 .6 million a year.
32:56
Here's the thing with Sauce Gardner. If I'm him,
32:58
for one, I'm taking a short -term deal. I don't
33:01
want to do a traditional four or five -year deal.
33:03
I want all of my money up front. So just in case
33:06
this team goes right back to the shithole, guess
33:08
what? I can move off and I can hit free agency
33:11
and be in a much better situation. Not to mention,
33:14
I still want to prove that I'm still one of the
33:16
better corners in the league because I had a
33:19
down year. And so that probably affected his
33:22
confidence and it probably affected a lot of
33:24
people's outlook on Sauce Gardener. So I would
33:27
just take the shorter term deal, but you guys
33:29
let me know in the comments, all right? So I'm
33:31
gonna end this episode here. If you guys like
33:32
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34:03
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34:05
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35:28
And as always, this is your GM Kale signing out.
35:31
Peace and love later. Happy Father's Day to every
35:34
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35:37
if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be the man that
35:39
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