Latest / NFL Game Previews / The Insiders Podcast: What’s at Stake for Lamar Jackson in 2024 and Panthers WR Adam Thielen Interview

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The Insiders Podcast: What’s at Stake for Lamar Jackson in 2024 and Panthers WR Adam Thielen Interview · NFL Game Previews

• 0:06
  Speaker 1: Come the inside with the insiders, literally alongside Steve Witch,
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: figuratively alongside Ian Rappaport. I am Tom Pelicero here at
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: the NFL Network newsroom in Los Angeles. Gentlemen, we are
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: oh so close right now to NFL.
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: You can smell it.
• 0:24
  Speaker 3: It's about that time, Tom.
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: Fifty two days away from the NFL regular season opener.
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: Teams are already beginning to report the training camp.
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: We got a jam pack show for you.
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen gonna be here on this show.
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: We'll talk about the Cowboys. Can they get some of
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: those big deals done Dak Prescott, Ceedee Lamb prior to
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: reporting training camp next week. We'll dive into that and
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: a whole lot more. But we start on this show
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: with some big news about another NFL Network show.
• 1:10
  Speaker 4: What's Up, Funny, good News, Good Morning Football, Dank.
• 1:14
  Speaker 3: We will see you July twenty.
• 1:17
  Speaker 5: Ninth from Los Angeles, looking forward to joining the fun.
• 1:26
  Speaker 3: We'll see you at the breakfast table, Sewing.
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: What a great promo concept. Wish I had thought of it.
• 1:33
  Speaker 4: That's right.
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: The Emmy Award winning Good Morning Football is back July
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: twenty ninth with a new cast, including Sherry Burris and
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: Akbar Baja b Amla live from La on NFL Network
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: weekdays from eight to ten am Eastern, plus GMFB overtime
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: on the Roku channel, and syndicated local stations from ten
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: to noon Eastern every weekday. Well, will they be talking
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: about football? Of course, and we've got teams reporting full
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: squads in four NFL cities headed the camp this week.
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: That includes the Texans report on Wednesday, the Bears on Friday.
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: Those teams of course going to meet in the Hall
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: of Fame game, and then the Ravens and the Chiefs
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: report on Saturday. As the countdown continues to the September
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: fifth opener, that guy Lamar Jackson, well, he's already in
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: the building. Quarterbacks reported early along with the Ravens rookies.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: So Lamar is back. The Ravens are back.
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: But will they get back into a position to win
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: a potential AFC championship and head to the Super Bowl.
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: That's one of the big questions as we head into
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: this guys about this Baltimore Ravens team. Ian we know
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: the bar has been said high. Lamar Jackson has won
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: a couple of MVPs, you still have this entire background
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: noise within the football community of well, the stats weren't there, Well,
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: the postseed success has not been there here. But this
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: is not the same team that we saw offense shut
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: down by the Chiefs the last time we saw him
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: on the field.
• 3:04
  Speaker 6: First of all, you know that we are starved for
• 3:06
  Speaker 6: football when we are leading the show with a guy
• 3:08
  Speaker 6: walking into a building. And that is literally my favorite
• 3:11
  Speaker 6: part of all of this. I love it so much.
• 3:14
  Speaker 6: All we see is guys arriving.
• 3:16
  Speaker 4: They are here.
• 3:17
  Speaker 6: Football is here, and it is literally the best. This time,
• 3:21
  Speaker 6: Lamar Jackson arrives back with the Baltimo Ravens.
• 3:23
  Speaker 4: Look at that. That is the thing of beauty.
• 3:25
  Speaker 6: And he now gets a new big time skilled guy
• 3:29
  Speaker 6: with Derrick Henry, one of the biggest name free agents.
• 3:32
  Speaker 6: He of course signed a two year deal nine million
• 3:35
  Speaker 6: dollars this year, nine million dollars guaranteed the marriage that
• 3:38
  Speaker 6: we all thought would happen last year around the trade deadline.
• 3:41
  Speaker 6: He lands in Baltimore and look, we haven't seen a
• 3:44
  Speaker 6: lot of Derek Henry on the field. We've seen a
• 3:46
  Speaker 6: lot of Derek Henry on social media in the weight
• 3:49
  Speaker 6: room looking insane with huge change around his neck and
• 3:53
  Speaker 6: lifting nine hundred pounds. That is the workhorse back that
• 3:56
  Speaker 6: the Ravens have wanted. Now there's some other questions here, guys,
• 4:00
  Speaker 6: other things we have to get to. It's a receiving corps.
• 4:02
  Speaker 6: But I think it's fair to say has a little
• 4:04
  Speaker 6: bit to prove this year. It is for sure an
• 4:06
  Speaker 6: offensive line that doesn't have Kevin Zigler, doesn't have John Simpson,
• 4:10
  Speaker 6: doesn't have Morgan Moses Gerly. We need to see them
• 4:13
  Speaker 6: come together too. But this is a Raven team that
• 4:16
  Speaker 6: has retooled more than anything in It is all there
• 4:19
  Speaker 6: for Baltimore and Lamar.
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: It's a really interesting names.
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: Of course, they've drafted a lot of wide receivers in
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: recent years, from Zay Flowers to Rashad Bateman now devontees Walker,
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: who had a rough pre draft process. But you know
• 4:31
  Speaker 1: that there's talent there in your mind. Steve Lamar has
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: accomplished everything that he has and has been in this position.
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: What's at stake for him?
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: Now that Okay, we've given you the receivers, we've given
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: you the running back.
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: We all know what the last step.
• 4:44
  Speaker 7: Is, right, I mean, he's got to win. He's got
• 4:46
  Speaker 7: to win in the playoffs. That's the main thing we've
• 4:47
  Speaker 7: seen in the regular season. The thing is, though, in
• 4:50
  Speaker 7: his division, if Joey Burrow and DeShawn Watson they stay healthy,
• 4:54
  Speaker 7: there's no saying that Baltimore is even going to get
• 4:56
  Speaker 7: to the playoffs.
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: Now, it seems like their team is all set out.
• 5:00
  Speaker 7: Not forget they've got two big defensive coaches to replace,
• 5:03
  Speaker 7: but offensively, when it comes to Lamar tom we talk
• 5:06
  Speaker 7: about how the stats aren't necessarily there, but he's still
• 5:09
  Speaker 7: the most dangerous dual threat player in the NFL. We
• 5:12
  Speaker 7: saw the passing game with eight flowers open up. So
• 5:14
  Speaker 7: the second year with Todd Monkin, I think you're going
• 5:17
  Speaker 7: to see more improvement on this offense. They were still
• 5:19
  Speaker 7: tight end driven as we've seen over years, but they're
• 5:21
  Speaker 7: going to open things up on the perimeter a little
• 5:23
  Speaker 7: bit more. And speaking to John Harball, when it comes
• 5:26
  Speaker 7: to Derrick Henry, it's just not going to be North's
• 5:28
  Speaker 7: house stuff in between the guards. They're going to try
• 5:30
  Speaker 7: to get him on the edges, which they're going to
• 5:33
  Speaker 7: stress defenses for when Lamar bootlegs on the edges as well,
• 5:37
  Speaker 7: So they're really going to try to pick some things
• 5:39
  Speaker 7: apart strategically now that they've got a.
• 5:41
  Speaker 3: Workhorse like that.
• 5:42
  Speaker 7: So but when it comes to Lamar, he has got
• 5:44
  Speaker 7: to win in the playoffs. They're not ever going to
• 5:46
  Speaker 7: get rid of him, but the narrative is not going
• 5:48
  Speaker 7: to go away until he does.
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: So the Ravens rookies as well as their quarterbacks back
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: in the building already. Eight more teams have their rookies
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: reporting to training camp tomorrow on Tuesday, and that goes
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: to the Chicago Bears, who have a couple of.
• 6:01
  Speaker 2: Key rookies who have not yet signed their rookie deals.
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: Kilber Williams, the number one overall draft pick, bro madoons
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: as well.
• 6:07
  Speaker 3: Ian.
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: I haven't gotten a great sense of concern about the
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: fact that these deals are not done. Remember the full
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: squad's not reporting for a little bit after this either here,
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: but certainly notable in the current environment when all but
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: five deals are done for the rookie first round pick
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: so far, who got in Chicago or not?
• 6:26
  Speaker 6: Yeah, And I don't You're right, I don't get the
• 6:27
  Speaker 6: sense that this is one of those situations we might
• 6:30
  Speaker 6: have like a rookie holdout or there's panic. And I
• 6:32
  Speaker 6: know it was Roquan in Chicago years ago. Different regime,
• 6:35
  Speaker 6: different cap guy, different entire situation. No panic here, but
• 6:40
  Speaker 6: you know, historically generally these deals get done right before
• 6:44
  Speaker 6: they have to get done. So Roma Dunze's deal, I
• 6:47
  Speaker 6: would be surprised if there's an issue there.
• 6:49
  Speaker 3: CAILEB.
• 6:49
  Speaker 4: Williams a little bit of a different story.
• 6:51
  Speaker 6: Now, he is eventually going to get a four year,
• 6:53
  Speaker 6: thirty nine zero point five or so million dollar, fully
• 6:55
  Speaker 6: guaranteed deal with most or all of his signing bonus
• 6:58
  Speaker 6: up front. His situation is a little different because instead
• 7:02
  Speaker 6: of an agent, he has more of I would say,
• 7:04
  Speaker 6: like a board of directors. He does not have an
• 7:06
  Speaker 6: official NFL agent. He has an agent helping him, and
• 7:09
  Speaker 6: then he has lawyers who are working on the deal.
• 7:11
  Speaker 6: And sometimes because of the way it's structured, this can
• 7:15
  Speaker 6: take a little longer. Like many things in Caleb Williams,
• 7:19
  Speaker 6: let's say, off the field situation business, it is a
• 7:21
  Speaker 6: little unorthodox, it is a little not usual, but still
• 7:25
  Speaker 6: I would be surprised if there was an issue here.
• 7:27
  Speaker 4: And even if there is an issue, You're right.
• 7:29
  Speaker 6: Things don't really get really real until the veterans show up,
• 7:32
  Speaker 6: so in due time, this one's going to happen.
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: Should be a deal that gets done soon, perhaps even
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: soon as tomorrow for Caleb Williams Steve and he steps
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: into a Chicago Bear situation. I go back before the
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: draft the number of coaches and scouts I talked to
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: who said this is as good of a situation as
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: they can remember a number one pick walking into in
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: quite some time.
• 7:51
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 7:52
  Speaker 7: I think about Bryce Young last year walking to the
• 7:53
  Speaker 7: situation in Carolina.
• 7:54
  Speaker 3: Tom was a disaster.
• 7:55
  Speaker 7: They didn't have the personnel around him that Chicago has
• 7:58
  Speaker 7: around Caleb Williams. The only thing that's really a mystery
• 8:01
  Speaker 7: around this team is the head coach, a coaching situation.
• 8:04
  Speaker 7: They've got to win for him to continue and for
• 8:06
  Speaker 7: him to keep the staff together. But you look at
• 8:08
  Speaker 7: Dj Moore at roma, Donze Keenan Allen at wide receiver,
• 8:12
  Speaker 7: DeAndre Swift, and Khalil Herbert at running back.
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: Let's not forget Cole.
• 8:16
  Speaker 7: Kmett is one of the best receiving tight ends in
• 8:18
  Speaker 7: the NFL. So they have people around him as well
• 8:22
  Speaker 7: as a pretty solid offensive line. So Shane Walden who's
• 8:25
  Speaker 7: coming over from Seattle and Cary Joseph coming with him
• 8:27
  Speaker 7: from Seattle, to quarterback coach can get things going. To
• 8:30
  Speaker 7: get all of those things working in harmony, Chicago has
• 8:33
  Speaker 7: a chance to do some great things offensively, especially when
• 8:37
  Speaker 7: you look at what their defense did in the back
• 8:39
  Speaker 7: half of last season and how they can build on that.
• 8:42
  Speaker 7: The defense getting them an extra possession of to a
• 8:44
  Speaker 7: game with some takeaways or forcing punts, They're going to
• 8:47
  Speaker 7: have some opportunities time and put some points on the board.
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: They got a deal done with Jalen Johnson, one of
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: their priorities, their bright young cornerback, on a long term extension.
• 8:54
  Speaker 3: Here.
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: This is really unique, Eve, because today's July fifteenth. Last year,
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: you and I were sitting in the seats and we
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: had Saquon drama, we had Josh Jacobs drama. This July
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: fifteenth show was massive. Not so much this year, not
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: just because you decided to tweet t Higgins like ten
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: am yesterday, but a lot of these deals got done,
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: whether with trades or with guys taking new deals from
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: their own teams.
• 9:18
  Speaker 6: Tom, I'm laughing, not having anything to do with tagains.
• 9:20
  Speaker 6: You're right, we'll be playing on the TAG. We'll get
• 9:22
  Speaker 6: a one year deal and then next year be one
• 9:24
  Speaker 6: of the highest profile, most productive and likely highly paid
• 9:28
  Speaker 6: free agents need twenty twenty five class, assuming the Bengals
• 9:30
  Speaker 6: don't franchise in a second time. But I'm laughing because
• 9:33
  Speaker 6: you know that I am not the biggest fan of
• 9:36
  Speaker 6: the July fifteenth deadline, right in the middle of summer
• 9:39
  Speaker 6: when we should be on the golf course grinding for
• 9:40
  Speaker 6: contract news. And thankfully many many teams and agents agree
• 9:46
  Speaker 6: with me. So many big time deals got done. We
• 9:48
  Speaker 6: had nine players either tranditioned or franchise tagged, massive numbers,
• 9:53
  Speaker 6: huge contracts, big trades like Brian Burns.
• 9:56
  Speaker 4: We'd talking about the Ravens we had justin Mattabike.
• 9:58
  Speaker 6: We had plenty of la Jarry Steed getting traded, a
• 10:01
  Speaker 6: lot of huge deals. Just they all happened, you know,
• 10:04
  Speaker 6: over the course of the last four months, not over
• 10:07
  Speaker 6: the course of the last couple of days. So let's
• 10:09
  Speaker 6: say you are someone who wanted to play golf, either
• 10:12
  Speaker 6: like yesterday or today or somewhere in that vicinity.
• 10:15
  Speaker 4: It actually would be a fine time to do it.
• 10:17
  Speaker 6: At least, you know, tweet the t Higgins news and
• 10:19
  Speaker 6: then go play golf if that's.
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: And every time one of those deals got done. Ian
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: texted in the Insiders group text cross.
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: Another one off for July fifteenth. He's been rooting this on.
• 10:29
  Speaker 3: I just want to always hit him today.
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: Another deal that did actually get done on July fifty,
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: Park Cot had nothing to do with that deadline. Dustin Hopkins,
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: one of the fascinating stories in the NFL in recent years,
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: agreeing to terms with the Browns on a three year,
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: fifteen point nine million dollar contract extension. Good for Dustin Hopkins,
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: who had that remarkable moment on national TV a couple
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: of years ago, playing through injury to.
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: Make a big kick ends up.
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: A free agent goes to Cleveland, which has had all
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: sorts of kicker issues in recent years, solid as that
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: position and now gets paid in a big way. Some
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: other news during the lead up to training camp not
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: as positive for the Minnesota Vikings and last year's first
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: round draft pick, wide receiver Jordan Adison arrested for suspicion
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: of driving under the influence on Friday near Lax. The
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: California Highway Patrol confirmed at approximately elevenh six pmp Pacific
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: time on Friday, there was the advisement that a disabled
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: vehicles blocking lanes on I oneh five. When officer arrived
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: to the scene, a white rolls Royce was spotted with
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: Addison asleep behind the wheel. He was arrested released from
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: custody early Saturday morning. The Vikings say they are aware
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: of the arrest and are currently gathering of more information.
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: Also some sad news from over the weekend.
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: Former Ravens wide receiver Super Bowl forty seven hero to
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: Kobe Jones has passed away. In a statement released through
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: the Players Association, Jones family says he passed away peacefully
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: in his home at the age of forty. The Ravens
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: released this statement in the wake of the tragic news.
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: We are completely heartbroken to learn about the passion of
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: Jacoby Jones. Jacoby will long be remember not just for
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: a success on the football field, but the lasting personal
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: connections he made with countless people in the Ravens organization,
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: Baltimore community, and every area he called home. We share
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: our deepest condolences with Jacoby's family as we all begin
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: to process this devastating loss. We feel the same way,
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: certainly share those condolences, and thought a fitting way to
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: unor Jacoby Jones would be to relive one of the
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: greatest plays in Super Bowl history. Bil about Jacoby Jones
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: eight yards deep, brings it out of the end zone?
• 12:37
  Speaker 3: Left pash markt ten fifteen to twenty.
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: She had to tackle thirty.
• 12:40
  Speaker 3: Jacoby Jones may failed.
• 12:42
  Speaker 8: Hey my thirty, Hey good twenty do black?
• 12:46
  Speaker 3: Hey, well go all the way Jacoby Jones one hundred
• 12:50
  Speaker 3: of eight yards.
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: We were worried earlier in the off season about that
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: sumo wrestler that Micah Parkersons was taking on. How about
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: him trying to block a I'm not going to guess
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: the wait, but a larger news tackle at his youth
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: football camp.
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: That is a high schooler who's walking him back.
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: Look at that regular Vince will Fork. I don't know
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: how old that kid is. All I know is somewhere
• 13:19
  Speaker 1: Mike Zimmer's.
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: Got to be going.
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: For the love of God, Mike has stopped trying to
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: block people at push people bigger than you. We got
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: trading camp starting next week.
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: It's a long season.
• 13:31
  Speaker 4: You got a big payday coming.
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: Don't mess this up now.
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: Welcome back to the Insiders. Tom Pilliser here with Ian Robboord,
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: joined by our friend Jane Slater. Jane speaking of that
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: Cowboys defense, some different parts Mike zimmer taking over as
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: the defensive coordinator. You spent a lot of time around
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: that Cowboys team, all blocking of very large high schoolers. Aside,
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: what are we looking for with this Dallas d.
• 13:57
  Speaker 5: Well. I think Camp's going to be interesting defensively because
• 13:59
  Speaker 5: if you think about it, Micah Parsons and Trayvon Diggs
• 14:02
  Speaker 5: really didn't get a lot of time with Mike Zimber
• 14:04
  Speaker 5: for different reasons. Micah Parsons obviously a bit of a
• 14:07
  Speaker 5: holdout there, and then you see Trayvon Diggs, who's been
• 14:11
  Speaker 5: coming back from that ACL injury. You know, he sustained
• 14:13
  Speaker 5: that early in September, and if you think about it,
• 14:16
  Speaker 5: he's had about a year to recover, which is typically
• 14:18
  Speaker 5: what you need for these ACL tears. But we saw
• 14:21
  Speaker 5: on his Instagram stories he is not letting up here.
• 14:24
  Speaker 5: He is doing some sound sand work here. You know,
• 14:27
  Speaker 5: this thing really challenges your muscles, your joints, your ligaments.
• 14:31
  Speaker 5: It gives you the resistance, but that sand really helps
• 14:34
  Speaker 5: absorb the impact on the knees.
• 14:37
  Speaker 3: Now.
• 14:37
  Speaker 5: I saw him when we were at OTA's and he
• 14:39
  Speaker 5: was working off to the side with britt Brown on
• 14:41
  Speaker 5: the resistance. Cord saw them changing direction. He looked really smooth.
• 14:45
  Speaker 5: I asked someone recently, could we see Trayvon Diggs pretty
• 14:49
  Speaker 5: soon in camp? They said that they'll see. They want
• 14:51
  Speaker 5: to ease into this, but man, they'd love to see
• 14:54
  Speaker 5: a Trayvon Diggs that they had in twenty twenty one.
• 14:56
  Speaker 5: If you guys remember that's the year he had that
• 14:59
  Speaker 5: monster year eleven interceptions. Deron Bland looking to add to
• 15:03
  Speaker 5: the mix. He had the nine interceptions last year. But
• 15:06
  Speaker 5: I did ask Mike Zimmer, what is your philosophy? What
• 15:08
  Speaker 5: are you looking for with your corners? And he told
• 15:11
  Speaker 5: me he said he's looking for guys that can get
• 15:13
  Speaker 5: from point A to point B with great acceleration out
• 15:16
  Speaker 5: of the breaks. You know, he wants these guys to
• 15:18
  Speaker 5: understand schemes and tendencies. Tendencies are a big thing. As
• 15:22
  Speaker 5: much as he wants the turnovers, he says, the bigger
• 15:24
  Speaker 5: thing is making sure that you're making that opposing quarterback
• 15:29
  Speaker 5: look in different places, not get that ball to the
• 15:31
  Speaker 5: main guy. He says, the one thing that he loves
• 15:33
  Speaker 5: the most about Trayvon Diggs and can't wait to get
• 15:36
  Speaker 5: his hands on is the fact that he has the
• 15:38
  Speaker 5: best hands in the league. He says, this is the
• 15:40
  Speaker 5: guy that's got this ability to be in positions that
• 15:43
  Speaker 5: other guys just can't. So Trayvon Diggs Mike Zimmer going
• 15:47
  Speaker 5: to be really fun to see what Zimber does with
• 15:49
  Speaker 5: him and see if he can have a bounce back
• 15:52
  Speaker 5: year like he had back in twenty twenty one.
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: Guys, and I mentioned Michael Parsons that payday for him
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: probably a twenty twenty five thing. Sounds like there's an
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: acknowledgement that that's not something they're dealing with right now
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: because the Cowboys have Ceedee Lamb and Dak Prescott both
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: in contract years. Oh yeah, Dak also can't be franchised
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: training camp at this point, just days away.
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: Where do we stand on those fronts?
• 16:15
  Speaker 6: First of all, it's amazing that Mike Zimmer is defensive
• 16:17
  Speaker 6: coordinator to the Cowboys. It seems like so unbelievably long
• 16:20
  Speaker 6: ago that this transaction agreement and whatever it was habit.
• 16:25
  Speaker 4: I think, where don't we?
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: I think we outside the men's room at NFL as.
• 16:29
  Speaker 4: Outside the bathroom. Yeah yeah, that's right.
• 16:31
  Speaker 6: So it's like that's like such an under the radar
• 16:34
  Speaker 6: higher and the Cowboys defense is so talented, Like I
• 16:38
  Speaker 6: don't think a lot of people are talking about that
• 16:39
  Speaker 6: is for suregun help. But anyway, let me get to
• 16:41
  Speaker 6: what you actually asked about, which is the potential contracts
• 16:45
  Speaker 6: extensions for CD Lamb and for Dak Prescott.
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: For cedd Lamb.
• 16:48
  Speaker 6: The Cowboys have had discussions obviously with CD Lamb's agent,
• 16:52
  Speaker 6: Tory Dandy. As of right now, there has been no deal.
• 16:55
  Speaker 6: It is certainly something that is very much on the
• 16:58
  Speaker 6: Cowboys radar. It is a priority for the Cowboys and
• 17:00
  Speaker 6: they got some information as far as where this deal
• 17:03
  Speaker 6: could be when Justin Jefferson signed his four year, one
• 17:06
  Speaker 6: hundred and forty million dollars contract. What we do not
• 17:09
  Speaker 6: know is is this going to be above thirty five
• 17:12
  Speaker 6: or is it going to be below thirty five? Now
• 17:14
  Speaker 6: Justin Jefferson, widely acknowledged as the top receiver in the NFL,
• 17:17
  Speaker 6: would take a lot to get above it. But we
• 17:19
  Speaker 6: will see where it ends up being. Then, of course
• 17:22
  Speaker 6: contract term important as well. You're right, the clock is
• 17:25
  Speaker 6: ticking there Cee Lamba holdout for Minikamp. I wouldn't be
• 17:28
  Speaker 6: surprised if it was the same for training camp. If
• 17:30
  Speaker 6: there is no deal and then Dak Prescott is in
• 17:33
  Speaker 6: a situation like we have seen very very few players
• 17:36
  Speaker 6: here really is options sign an absolutely massive, lucrative contract
• 17:40
  Speaker 6: with the Dallas Cowboys, the team that draft him, the
• 17:42
  Speaker 6: only team has ever known, or just be like eh
• 17:45
  Speaker 6: No played out and become the biggest free agent in
• 17:48
  Speaker 6: NFL history. You won't talk about leverage that right, there
• 17:51
  Speaker 6: is leverage. The Cowboys have a week or so or
• 17:53
  Speaker 6: whatever it ends up being to get a deal done,
• 17:56
  Speaker 6: and once again the clock is also ticking.
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: There the Cowboys report for there roughly a month in Oxnar,
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: California next Winday, July twenty fourth, which is just nine
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: days away.
• 18:07
  Speaker 2: Thank you Jane, Thank you Ian.
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: Let's bring in our front office expert, Mark Ross for
• 18:11
  Speaker 1: another side of this as well. Mark, you've been in
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: the league, You've observed a lot of these contract negotiations
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: go on over the course of time.
• 18:19
  Speaker 2: It really is fairly unique.
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: The spot that Dak Prescott is in and Ceedee Lamb
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: also with where the wide receiver market has gone, certainly
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: appears to be in a power sort of a position,
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: although obviously the team has the leverage of the tags.
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: As you analyze these two situations, what do you make
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: a where things stand.
• 18:35
  Speaker 8: First of all, Tom that video of Michael Parsons as
• 18:38
  Speaker 8: a first front office that is terrifying to CEO player,
• 18:40
  Speaker 8: your star player doing that. But I digress. But yes,
• 18:43
  Speaker 8: let's get to the situation there with Dak and CD,
• 18:46
  Speaker 8: and Mike is coming up too, So the Cowboys with
• 18:49
  Speaker 8: all sort of issues there because they did not get
• 18:51
  Speaker 8: out in front of the curve with these contracts and
• 18:54
  Speaker 8: now they're playing catch up and have to get a
• 18:56
  Speaker 8: deal done. And I think, as he had laid out
• 18:58
  Speaker 8: perfectly there, really.
• 18:59
  Speaker 3: Dak has all the leverage.
• 19:01
  Speaker 8: CD not so much, just because the Cowboys can still
• 19:04
  Speaker 8: tag him next year and they know what they have
• 19:06
  Speaker 8: to pay him based on the market. But yes, that
• 19:08
  Speaker 8: Dak Prescott situation is fascinating because the Cowboys cannot franchise
• 19:13
  Speaker 8: him because he has that no trade clause. So yes,
• 19:17
  Speaker 8: he could play it out go the Kirk Cousins route,
• 19:19
  Speaker 8: who we've seen Kirk Cousins and his agent Mike McCartney,
• 19:23
  Speaker 8: not to be confused with the Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy.
• 19:26
  Speaker 8: Mike McCartney played that game perfectly at Washington and Minnesota.
• 19:29
  Speaker 8: Say Kirk, go bet on yourself, go produce and you'll
• 19:32
  Speaker 8: get paid big time, and Dak could do the same thing.
• 19:35
  Speaker 8: You know, you think, well, what's the worry of the
• 19:37
  Speaker 8: downside of the injuries. Well, again back to Kirk Cousins,
• 19:39
  Speaker 8: He's coming off of achilles injury. He got paid and
• 19:42
  Speaker 8: Dak has gotten paid off of the ankle injury. So
• 19:46
  Speaker 8: Dak really holds all the cards and all the leverage
• 19:49
  Speaker 8: in this situation. You know he's going to produce. You know,
• 19:52
  Speaker 8: he's going to put up numbers. So really by betting
• 19:55
  Speaker 8: on himself that could get paid tremendously. It'll be fascinating
• 19:59
  Speaker 8: for us, Tom if he gets this done. We have
• 20:01
  Speaker 8: a lot more to talk about real quick.
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: Can we see that video one more time of Micah
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: versus a young man from his youth football camp. Because
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: Mark Ross is a scout by trade. Forget Micah for
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: a second. Tell me about this beast from watching push
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: back the All Pro here Mark Vince Wilford Junior.
• 20:17
  Speaker 3: There.
• 20:18
  Speaker 8: You know you'll have to work on a little quickness,
• 20:20
  Speaker 8: cutting down, a little bit, trim up, But I like
• 20:21
  Speaker 8: the initial push there, he's getting his hands up, he's
• 20:25
  Speaker 8: going got the shed. I love it from that young man.
• 20:28
  Speaker 8: Nothing but upside there for him. The bullet flowing out
• 20:30
  Speaker 8: of the back of the helmet. You know that that's
• 20:32
  Speaker 8: an intimidator or whatever. High school field he will be
• 20:35
  Speaker 8: in challenge our research department figure out who that kid
• 20:37
  Speaker 8: is before the end of this show.
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: Mark, thank you very much. Look forward to talking with
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: you again soon coming up after this. Guya once started
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: high school football in Minnesota, undrafted. Here he is all
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: these years later now in Carolina where he caught like
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: six hundred balls last year.
• 20:55
  Speaker 2: Adam feeling.
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: What's the expectations with a new coaching staff at Bryce
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: Young too, that's next figure it on the Insiders. Pretty
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: good weekend for Panthers receiver Adam Field and his wife Caitlyn.
• 21:13
  Speaker 2: Out there in Tahoe.
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: He anticipate in the American Century Classic, a celebrity golf tournament,
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: where he finished seventh.
• 21:20
  Speaker 2: He tops among the current and four NFL stars in.
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: Attendance before he teat off the best part of his
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: week talking to our Steve.
• 21:27
  Speaker 7: Watch all right now, join by Carolina Panthers wide receiver
• 21:31
  Speaker 7: Adam Field. He's at the American Century Celebrity Golf Classic
• 21:35
  Speaker 7: in Lake Tahoe.
• 21:36
  Speaker 2: Adam, thanks so much for joining us. First off, the.
• 21:38
  Speaker 7: Look, man, I mean, you got the whole Jared Allen
• 21:41
  Speaker 7: thing going on here.
• 21:43
  Speaker 3: I did get to play with Jared for a few years,
• 21:45
  Speaker 3: or maybe it was one year, but maybe that's where
• 21:48
  Speaker 3: I got the motivation from. But definitely trying to keep it,
• 21:51
  Speaker 3: stay young and make them kind of fool them to
• 21:54
  Speaker 3: think that I'm still a young player. But I feel
• 21:57
  Speaker 3: great and just trying to have a little fun. I
• 22:00
  Speaker 3: have to go with the look.
• 22:00
  Speaker 7: I mean, you look at your numbers from last year,
• 22:02
  Speaker 7: one hundred and three catchies, one thousand and fourteen yards.
• 22:05
  Speaker 7: I mean, one of your best seasons in your ten
• 22:07
  Speaker 7: year career. How would you kind of sum up how
• 22:09
  Speaker 7: things went for you individually last season?
• 22:13
  Speaker 3: Well, it was a weird year. You know, only win
• 22:15
  Speaker 3: in two football games, is you know. I always feel
• 22:17
  Speaker 3: like I can add value to help teams win, and
• 22:20
  Speaker 3: we weren't able to win a lot last year, so
• 22:22
  Speaker 3: that was a real bummer. But I think it just
• 22:24
  Speaker 3: drove me to have a great offseason to really focus
• 22:26
  Speaker 3: on getting better and getting healthy and feeling great, which
• 22:30
  Speaker 3: I have the last few years. So I'm excited to
• 22:33
  Speaker 3: go into this new season with a kind of a
• 22:35
  Speaker 3: fresh start, fresh kind of organization from the top down.
• 22:38
  Speaker 3: So things are exciting in the building and just excited
• 22:43
  Speaker 3: to get back to work.
• 22:43
  Speaker 2: You talk about the.
• 22:44
  Speaker 3: Way things went.
• 22:45
  Speaker 7: We know Bryce Young with the quarterback was a first
• 22:47
  Speaker 7: overall pick. How do you think going through a rookie
• 22:50
  Speaker 7: season like that will help him grow? What kind of
• 22:53
  Speaker 7: stepping stone do you think that'll be for him?
• 22:55
  Speaker 3: Yeah? I told Bryce after the season was over, I said,
• 22:57
  Speaker 3: I know that this was a difficult year for you
• 22:59
  Speaker 3: and many others, but I think it's the best thing
• 23:02
  Speaker 3: that ever happened to him. I truly believe. I think
• 23:04
  Speaker 3: he's going to look back ten years, fifteen years from
• 23:06
  Speaker 3: now and he's gonna say, man, I'm so glad that
• 23:07
  Speaker 3: hat my rookie year. The adversity that I had to face,
• 23:10
  Speaker 3: the you know, the things that were out of his
• 23:14
  Speaker 3: control that happened, really I think just made him a
• 23:17
  Speaker 3: stronger leader, stronger person, a stronger man. And I'm really
• 23:21
  Speaker 3: excited to see, you know, him take what happened last
• 23:24
  Speaker 3: year and really build off of it and take some
• 23:26
  Speaker 3: of the positives and learn from the negatives and as
• 23:29
  Speaker 3: a team as well. So really excited to see his
• 23:31
  Speaker 3: career unfold and I'm glad and very excited to be
• 23:34
  Speaker 3: a part of the first few years and see what happens.
• 23:37
  Speaker 7: Well, you know, one of the changes they tried to
• 23:38
  Speaker 7: make to help him was it went out they hired
• 23:40
  Speaker 7: Dave Canalis as a head coach. We know the success,
• 23:43
  Speaker 7: but he's had with quarterbacks the past few years. What
• 23:46
  Speaker 7: is Canalys's I guess energy and everything he's brought.
• 23:50
  Speaker 2: So far done for the whole team so far.
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: Well.
• 23:53
  Speaker 3: I think it's funny because when he was initially initially hired,
• 23:58
  Speaker 3: I just felt like everyone was talking about how much
• 24:01
  Speaker 3: enery had and this young guy, and then you kind
• 24:04
  Speaker 3: of get around him, you kind of expect this like
• 24:05
  Speaker 3: raw raw and like super passion energy, and that's not
• 24:09
  Speaker 3: really the case. But in a great way. I think
• 24:11
  Speaker 3: he has a really good demeanor about him that's very confident,
• 24:15
  Speaker 3: and it is energy, but it's not like raw raw
• 24:18
  Speaker 3: and yelling and screaming. It's just this confident and just
• 24:23
  Speaker 3: very trusting person that just kind of lets it fly.
• 24:26
  Speaker 3: He's like, hey, like, this is what we do and
• 24:28
  Speaker 3: we're going to do it really well. And if it
• 24:30
  Speaker 3: doesn't go really well, that's okay. We got our chance
• 24:32
  Speaker 3: the next time. We're out there. So it's a really
• 24:34
  Speaker 3: cool demeanor that I wasn't necessarily expecting. Like you said,
• 24:37
  Speaker 3: you know, you hear about this like super energetic, passionate guy,
• 24:41
  Speaker 3: and I just don't. I don't feel like that's the case.
• 24:43
  Speaker 3: He does have a lot of energy and passion for
• 24:44
  Speaker 3: the game of football, but he just kind of he
• 24:47
  Speaker 3: just instills confidence with his kind of demeanor.
• 24:50
  Speaker 7: Plus he might be the most fit, fit guy in
• 24:52
  Speaker 7: the locker room. So you guys got to keep in
• 24:54
  Speaker 7: shape so you can look better than Dave Canalis speaking
• 24:57
  Speaker 7: of also reworks some things and trying to help out
• 24:58
  Speaker 7: the past game.
• 25:00
  Speaker 2: The you know, the wide receiver room as well.
• 25:03
  Speaker 7: I mean they bring in Deontay Johnson, a draft savior, Lagett.
• 25:07
  Speaker 7: What about that group and how that's changed and how
• 25:09
  Speaker 7: do you think they can perform this season.
• 25:12
  Speaker 3: Yeah, it's been really exciting offseason to see those guys
• 25:14
  Speaker 3: go to work. Some of the young guys get so
• 25:17
  Speaker 3: much better, Mingo Terrace Marshall, there's so many there's so
• 25:21
  Speaker 3: many talented guys that weren't really able to kind of
• 25:23
  Speaker 3: be themselves last year, maybe years in the past. So
• 25:26
  Speaker 3: it's really been able to been really cool to see
• 25:28
  Speaker 3: them grow as players. And then Deontay just a special
• 25:31
  Speaker 3: football player. You see the way that he moves, change direction,
• 25:35
  Speaker 3: can really track the football, and you could tell it
• 25:37
  Speaker 3: was an instant boost to that group and to our team.
• 25:41
  Speaker 3: So very excited about that. And then always great to
• 25:43
  Speaker 3: have a kind of talented rookie coming in that has
• 25:47
  Speaker 3: a different skill set than the rest of us. You know,
• 25:49
  Speaker 3: he's a big, strong, physical, fast guy that can do
• 25:53
  Speaker 3: a lot of a lot of things. And when you're
• 25:55
  Speaker 3: able to have a few guys that can do a
• 25:57
  Speaker 3: lot of different things, it just creates a very easy,
• 26:01
  Speaker 3: organic way to have success on offense because you can
• 26:04
  Speaker 3: kind of move guys around, you can you can kind
• 26:06
  Speaker 3: of let guys line up and play football because everybody
• 26:08
  Speaker 3: can kind of do a lot of different things, whether
• 26:11
  Speaker 3: it's long or you know, deep, short, intermediate. When you
• 26:14
  Speaker 3: have a lot of guys that can do all three,
• 26:16
  Speaker 3: it really creates an opportunity for the offense cordator to
• 26:19
  Speaker 3: open up the playbook.
• 26:20
  Speaker 7: Yeah, I mean, you know that through the great things
• 26:21
  Speaker 7: in your career quickly. Adam just kind of a philosophical
• 26:24
  Speaker 7: question here at ten years in the league, how do
• 26:27
  Speaker 7: you view the NFL or the game now differently than
• 26:30
  Speaker 7: maybe you did seven or eight years ago.
• 26:33
  Speaker 3: Yeah, well, going into year twelve now, it's crazy how
• 26:36
  Speaker 3: fast it's gone. But I think it has changed quite
• 26:39
  Speaker 3: a bit. It definitely has changed. It's gotten younger, it's
• 26:42
  Speaker 3: gotten faster, more physical. I think, you know, people would
• 26:45
  Speaker 3: probably think I'm crazy for saying it's more physical, but
• 26:47
  Speaker 3: I think it is just because the speedy game is.
• 26:49
  Speaker 3: Speed of the game is so fast. You might not
• 26:51
  Speaker 3: have these like head on collisions like you did in
• 26:53
  Speaker 3: the past, but I think things are just moving so fast.
• 26:56
  Speaker 3: You have linebackers that are running faster than receivers, and
• 27:00
  Speaker 3: you have defensive alignment honestly that are running just as
• 27:03
  Speaker 3: fast as receivers, tight ends and that are just strong
• 27:07
  Speaker 3: and physical guys. So it's just it's just been a
• 27:10
  Speaker 3: different game. And I think, you know, I think the
• 27:13
  Speaker 3: teams that are able to adjust to that, to be
• 27:15
  Speaker 3: able to move the ball down the field, to be
• 27:17
  Speaker 3: able to really take advantage of some of the rule
• 27:19
  Speaker 3: changes as far as you know, the illegal contact and leading,
• 27:24
  Speaker 3: you know, hitting in the head and all that stuff.
• 27:25
  Speaker 3: You just you got to kind of trust it and
• 27:27
  Speaker 3: just sling it all over the all over the field,
• 27:29
  Speaker 3: but you've also got to be able to run the football.
• 27:31
  Speaker 3: It's it has changed a lot. You know, teams aren't
• 27:33
  Speaker 3: running the football as much as they did twelve years ago.
• 27:35
  Speaker 3: But I think the teams that do stick to the
• 27:38
  Speaker 3: run and really play off the run game are the
• 27:40
  Speaker 3: teams that have success late in the season and into
• 27:43
  Speaker 3: the playoffs.
• 27:43
  Speaker 7: Hey, Adam, and last see what about your former quarterback
• 27:46
  Speaker 7: for Minnesota being back in the Division Kirkcauzes now being
• 27:49
  Speaker 7: with the Atlanta Falcons.
• 27:51
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I don't love the fact that competing against him
• 27:54
  Speaker 3: twice a year because he's such a great football player
• 27:56
  Speaker 3: and he does such a great job of studying, understanding
• 27:58
  Speaker 3: the defense and and really giving the team the best
• 28:01
  Speaker 3: chance to win football games. So that part I'm not
• 28:04
  Speaker 3: looking forward to. But I am looking forward to see
• 28:05
  Speaker 3: him twice a year and being only a few hour
• 28:08
  Speaker 3: drive away from him, catch up in the off seasons
• 28:10
  Speaker 3: and get some golf together. So it is really cool.
• 28:13
  Speaker 3: I'm excited for him to have a fresh start. You know,
• 28:16
  Speaker 3: he did so many great things for that Vikings organization,
• 28:18
  Speaker 3: and I wish he would have been there a lot
• 28:20
  Speaker 3: longer than myself as well. But that's not how this
• 28:23
  Speaker 3: game works, and just excited for him to go out there,
• 28:26
  Speaker 3: have a fresh start and go play at a high level.
• 28:28
  Speaker 7: Well, as you know, the NFL is a business, Adam,
• 28:31
  Speaker 7: thank you so much for joining us.
• 28:33
  Speaker 2: Really do appreciate it.
• 28:34
  Speaker 3: Oh, thank you so much. I was good to talk
• 28:36
  Speaker 3: to you.
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: Panthers kick things off against the Saints on September eighth.
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: The Vikings face the Giants. Can Daniel Jones and company
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: do enough to push for the top of that division.
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: We'll break it down the NFC's coming up right after
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: this on The Insiders. Welcome back to The Insider, Steve Watch,
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: Tom Pelisero here in La joined again, Mark Ross and
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: Ian rapport Ian. I'll start with you. We talked about
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: the Cowboys earlier. They're the team that was on the
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: top of the division a year ago. But let's talk
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: through some of these other teams. Starting out with the Giants.
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: They were a playoff team in twenty twenty two.
• 29:17
  Speaker 2: The first year for Joe Shane and Brian Dable.
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: There they beat the Vikings on the road in a
• 29:21
  Speaker 1: playoff game.
• 29:22
  Speaker 3: I was there.
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: What does it take for them after a rough twenty
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: twenty three season on a lot of levels to be
• 29:28
  Speaker 1: a factor in the NFC East year in twenty twenty four.
• 29:31
  Speaker 6: You know, this Hard Knocks offseason version which we're just
• 29:34
  Speaker 6: tom has been so so good and we have learned
• 29:36
  Speaker 6: so much of what the Giants think of their quarterback,
• 29:39
  Speaker 6: Daniel Jones. And obviously we spent a lot of time
• 29:41
  Speaker 6: wondering discussing this offseason where the Giants going to trade
• 29:44
  Speaker 6: up for a rookie quarterback?
• 29:45
  Speaker 4: What were they going to do?
• 29:47
  Speaker 6: All of that aside, it's important, but Daniel Jones was
• 29:51
  Speaker 6: going to be their starter this year no matter what,
• 29:53
  Speaker 6: whether they acquired a quarterback or not. They what they
• 29:57
  Speaker 6: have done this offseason is give him the kind of
• 29:59
  Speaker 6: weapons that he really hasn't had, right, the kind of
• 30:03
  Speaker 6: skill guys that he hasn't ha Thelik Neighbors is one.
• 30:06
  Speaker 6: Not just that the offensive line. They spent a bunch
• 30:08
  Speaker 6: of money in free agency beefing up that offensive line.
• 30:11
  Speaker 4: John Runyon is one example.
• 30:13
  Speaker 6: They've kind of plugged the holes there knowing that the
• 30:15
  Speaker 6: supporting cast for Daniel Jones is as important as anything,
• 30:20
  Speaker 6: not just for him to succeed, although obviously you wanted
• 30:22
  Speaker 6: to succeed like he did the previous year, but also
• 30:26
  Speaker 6: for their evaluation, they want to know is he the
• 30:29
  Speaker 6: guy or is he not?
• 30:30
  Speaker 4: Surrounding him with this many pieces?
• 30:32
  Speaker 6: Well, for sure, help it is all there for the
• 30:35
  Speaker 6: Giants and Daniel Jones, just a matter of staying healthy
• 30:39
  Speaker 6: and getting it done.
• 30:39
  Speaker 4: And as we've learned, they have a ton of confidence
• 30:41
  Speaker 4: that he can do both.
• 30:42
  Speaker 1: All those Melik Neighbors highlights that they were watching on tape,
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: those passes being thrown by Jaden Daniels, who is now
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: with a.
• 30:48
  Speaker 2: Different team in the Division of Washington.
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: Steve, of all the teams, I'm just thinking that through
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: this in my head, I have no idea what they're
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: going to be. The Commanders are pretty close right at
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: the top of the list. I know Daniels was a
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: hell of a college player. I know Dan Quinn is
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: a hell of a culture builder. Beyond that, there's a
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: ton of unknowns. Give me the state of the Commanders
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: in your mind.
• 31:05
  Speaker 7: Well, part is because you've got these young players mash
• 31:07
  Speaker 7: up with a lot of veteran players on short term deals.
• 31:09
  Speaker 7: So again we know how that works. You're trying to
• 31:11
  Speaker 7: build a culture, set a table for other people to
• 31:13
  Speaker 7: come on and build kind of onto that nucleus. Well,
• 31:15
  Speaker 7: Jadon Daniels is the anchor of that nucleus, So let's
• 31:18
  Speaker 7: kind of walk you through what happened in the offseason.
• 31:20
  Speaker 2: He took the majority of the.
• 31:22
  Speaker 7: Reps as the second team quarterback behind Marcus Mariota, but
• 31:26
  Speaker 7: in the final week of offseason workouts, he started working
• 31:28
  Speaker 7: with the number ones to let him know going into
• 31:32
  Speaker 7: the offseason, coming into training camp, this is here for you.
• 31:35
  Speaker 3: And make no mistake about it.
• 31:36
  Speaker 7: He is going to be the starting quarterback on Week
• 31:38
  Speaker 7: one for the Washington Commanders. So speaking to somebody there,
• 31:42
  Speaker 7: they said he had no problem picking up the offense,
• 31:45
  Speaker 7: but he's still, like most rookies, has to learn coverages
• 31:48
  Speaker 7: and things that defenses are going to throw at him.
• 31:50
  Speaker 7: Doctor Cliff Kingsbury, the new OC has got to work
• 31:52
  Speaker 7: with him. They also speaking to the according to the
• 31:55
  Speaker 7: person I'm speaking with, can't forget to run the football.
• 31:58
  Speaker 7: They can't rely just on Jayden and Daniels to be
• 32:00
  Speaker 7: the dual threat passer runner because don't forget this offensive
• 32:04
  Speaker 7: line gave up sixty five sacks last year.
• 32:06
  Speaker 3: Jayde Daniels is not a big guy. He can't take
• 32:08
  Speaker 3: hits like that.
• 32:09
  Speaker 7: So they've got to run the football and establish an
• 32:12
  Speaker 7: offense that works cohesively in the run pass game. That's
• 32:15
  Speaker 7: what training camp is going to be all about. Still
• 32:17
  Speaker 7: as Jade and Daniels, who they say is a total
• 32:19
  Speaker 7: gym rat, learning just the nuances of how to play
• 32:22
  Speaker 7: the position.
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: Mark, you're there in Philadelphia, you live there. I know
• 32:26
  Speaker 1: the temperature in that market generally is higher than it
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: is on an August day at the Nova Care Complex.
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: But after the way that last season ended, some of
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: the attrition that they've had some of their longtime veteran
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: players like a Jason Kelsey, like a Fletcher Cox walking away,
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: what do you see in the twenty twenty four hour
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: Eagles and how do they get back to that team that,
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: for a good chunk of the past few seasons here
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: has been one of the best in football.
• 32:49
  Speaker 8: Well, Tom, you mentioned it. The anks of Philly fans
• 32:51
  Speaker 8: here is which team is going to show up? Is
• 32:53
  Speaker 8: it that ten to one team that looked like the
• 32:55
  Speaker 8: best team in the league or the team that lost
• 32:57
  Speaker 8: six to the last seven and.
• 32:58
  Speaker 3: Got blown out in the playoffs.
• 32:59
  Speaker 8: So that's the huge question mark here at sports radio
• 33:02
  Speaker 8: here in Philly and my family and friends here they
• 33:05
  Speaker 8: don't know.
• 33:06
  Speaker 3: They're scared to death. Who's it going to be?
• 33:08
  Speaker 8: So, but you got to have total confidence that Jalen Hurts.
• 33:11
  Speaker 8: Of course, he's the catalyst of everything. There we'll get
• 33:14
  Speaker 8: back to the form that the MVP like form that
• 33:17
  Speaker 8: he's had.
• 33:17
  Speaker 3: The Eagles with a ton of talent.
• 33:19
  Speaker 8: Yes, here comes Sakwon Barkley from the rival Giants.
• 33:23
  Speaker 3: Will that help?
• 33:23
  Speaker 8: Of course that's a huge question mark because when you
• 33:26
  Speaker 8: look at the talent on offense with Aj Brown and
• 33:29
  Speaker 8: Devonte Smith and the offensive line, you say, yeah, there's
• 33:32
  Speaker 8: not a team in the league with better offensive talent
• 33:35
  Speaker 8: then the Eagles. So what a new coordinator there? Then
• 33:38
  Speaker 8: even on the defensive side of the ball, new defensive
• 33:41
  Speaker 8: coordinator Vick Fangio gone as a sound reddick in comes
• 33:44
  Speaker 8: Josh Up. Will the defense get back to top ten
• 33:47
  Speaker 8: four or top fifteen to four? More struggle like they
• 33:50
  Speaker 8: did last year? So a lot of question marks with
• 33:53
  Speaker 8: the coordinators with which team will show up? And then
• 33:56
  Speaker 8: head coach Nick Sirianni a lot of the anks towards
• 33:58
  Speaker 8: the end of the season last year, is this the guy?
• 34:00
  Speaker 8: Is he the leader? A lot of questions marks for
• 34:03
  Speaker 8: a team that could be Super Bowl or we don't
• 34:06
  Speaker 8: know what they're going to do.
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: Tom a lot of pressure from a lot of different
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: angles around that division, and everybody reporting to training camp
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: here over the next week and a half. Stick around fellas,
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: be back in just a little bit. Coming up after this.
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: So we got news on Calvin Johnson. No, he's not
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: coming out of retirement, but would you bet against him
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: if he did.
• 34:25
  Speaker 2: We'll break it down next to me inside.
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: Coming up this month, it's the return of the Top
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: one hundred players of twenty twenty four. That's right, the
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: players voted for the fourteenth year in a row, and
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: a new Top one hundred will be revealed. Watch the
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: countdown every weekday at Nude Eastern on NFL Plus, then
• 34:49
  Speaker 1: tune in here on NFL Network August second for a
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: special Top ten Countdown event. Is NFL dot com Slash
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: plus to sign up. Meanwhile, flag Football's newest Marquie event
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: is on the horizon. The NFL Flag Championship start this week.
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: Let's meet one of the top squads in the game.
• 35:12
  Speaker 9: Every team that knows about flag football knows about Texas Furity.
• 35:20
  Speaker 3: My name is Nellie Thompson.
• 35:21
  Speaker 9: My name is Ava Waller, is my wide receiver and
• 35:23
  Speaker 9: I'm the quarterback for Texas Fury.
• 35:25
  Speaker 3: Being a part of the Texas Cury family has been amazing.
• 35:29
  Speaker 3: From the very first snap, you could tell that this player,
• 35:34
  Speaker 3: she had something.
• 35:35
  Speaker 5: Toughial flag football has brought a us sisterhood.
• 35:39
  Speaker 9: She found this community of girls that were like her
• 35:42
  Speaker 9: that we're all super talented athletes playing with Aba Wallace's
• 35:46
  Speaker 9: experience on itself, She's super high energy, She's an amazing quarterback.
• 35:51
  Speaker 3: Nelly is a leader on the field.
• 35:53
  Speaker 4: I don't know where Texas Fury would.
• 35:54
  Speaker 3: Be without her.
• 35:55
  Speaker 9: I would tell the young girls that you can play flag.
• 35:58
  Speaker 9: I'm playing in college on scholarship. Can do it if
• 36:00
  Speaker 9: i kids.
• 36:02
  Speaker 3: Flaketball has been life changing. I can't imagine life without it.
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: I mean, the NFL Flag Championships presented by Toyota are
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: coming your way starting this Friday. This tournament will feature
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: the best of girls and boys flag football representing all
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: thirty two NFL teams. Watch the action this summer on ESPN, ABC,
• 36:26
  Speaker 1: NFL Network and more Disney Networks, and visit nflflag dot
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: com to start playing today. Welcome back to the Insiders.
• 36:36
  Speaker 1: Tom pelaserro joined now by Ian Rappaport. Some big news
• 36:40
  Speaker 1: Ian I Detroit. Nothing to do with the current Lions
• 36:44
  Speaker 1: who report to training camp in just a few days here,
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: but one of their legends, Alvin Johnson, being inducted into
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: the Pride of the Lions.
• 36:52
  Speaker 2: This is an unusual situation. Guys go into their Ring
• 36:55
  Speaker 2: of honors all the time.
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: But when you've got a legend who retired years ago,
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: who was already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame,
• 37:03
  Speaker 1: there is a lot that has had to take place
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: under the current regime here and now Calvin Johnson, finally
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: it appears back in the family.
• 37:13
  Speaker 6: You're exactly right. I mean, usually these things are not
• 37:15
  Speaker 6: big news. They're important to those involved, but not big news.
• 37:18
  Speaker 6: This is really news because it is really an illustration
• 37:22
  Speaker 6: of how long and how far the lines have come
• 37:26
  Speaker 6: with this situation. Calvin Johnson, of course, we know, retired
• 37:28
  Speaker 6: from the Lions and they had him repay one point
• 37:32
  Speaker 6: six or so million dollars in a signing bus. He
• 37:34
  Speaker 6: did not like that very much, and at that point
• 37:37
  Speaker 6: he was essentially estranged from the organization.
• 37:39
  Speaker 4: They offered him. A couple of different deals did.
• 37:42
  Speaker 2: Not work out.
• 37:42
  Speaker 6: He didn't want to work for the money that he
• 37:44
  Speaker 6: believed he already deserved. And then this new regime came
• 37:48
  Speaker 6: in and Rodwood and Brad Holmes and Mike Disner, the
• 37:51
  Speaker 6: COO who delivered the news actually to Calvin Johnson at
• 37:55
  Speaker 6: his own charity golf tournament in pitch perfect fashion today.
• 37:59
  Speaker 4: It was actually bit emotional.
• 38:01
  Speaker 6: This is something that this organization has been working for
• 38:04
  Speaker 6: for a very long time. It is simple, but it
• 38:07
  Speaker 6: is important. Get one of your most important players, one
• 38:10
  Speaker 6: of the best receivers in NFL history, under your umbrell
• 38:13
  Speaker 6: and honor him like he should be honored. That's what
• 38:16
  Speaker 6: the lines did today.
• 38:17
  Speaker 1: Gret as well as Sheila hamp Ford, who has made
• 38:19
  Speaker 1: a lot of wise decisions here putting in place to
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: the people like Brad Holmes, Dan Campbell, Rod Wood now
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: Kelvin Johnson a part of this team.
• 38:27
  Speaker 2: And if I know Dan Campbell, it's gonna.
• 38:29
  Speaker 1: Find ways for Calvin Johnson maybe to be integrated a
• 38:32
  Speaker 1: little bit around that team. Ian stick around back with
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: you here momentarily coming up on.
• 38:37
  Speaker 2: The other side of this break.
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: We don't yet know when Nick Chubb will be back
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: on the field following his devastating leg injury last season,
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: but you will not believe what he is already doing
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: in the way form.
• 38:49
  Speaker 2: Stick around and see him sid.
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: In a list right now if most received touchdowns of
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: fifty plus yards in NFL history.
• 39:02
  Speaker 2: This board got us thinking earlier today.
• 39:04
  Speaker 3: All right, it's the.
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: Major League Baseball home run derby, as we bring in
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: our Ian rapport as well as Mark Russ. Who's your
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: favorite home run hitter in NFL history?
• 39:15
  Speaker 4: I can't believe Jerry Rice has that many. It wasn't
• 39:18
  Speaker 4: like the fastest guy.
• 39:19
  Speaker 6: That's just anyway catching run, I guess for me, not
• 39:22
  Speaker 6: a receiver, well not really, Dion Sanders right, and mostly
• 39:26
  Speaker 6: because before he was coached prime, before he was arresteem
• 39:29
  Speaker 6: Collie get ANFL network.
• 39:31
  Speaker 4: He caught one, if he caught an iront, he was gone.
• 39:35
  Speaker 4: Always the fastest guy in the field at me.
• 39:37
  Speaker 6: You know, if he did a little mix in, a
• 39:39
  Speaker 6: little kickoff for park returns to you know, he could
• 39:41
  Speaker 6: go to the house. Prime time always my favorite had
• 39:44
  Speaker 6: to watch whenever he got the ball.
• 39:47
  Speaker 8: Well, my least favorite on that listen is to Shaun Jackson.
• 39:50
  Speaker 8: It was with the Giants. He was like he was
• 39:51
  Speaker 8: just absolutely fortunitate us. Nothing more amazing. In twenty ten,
• 39:54
  Speaker 8: his walk off punt return fell scarred by that.
• 39:57
  Speaker 3: So let's talk about the good. That's Randy Moss.
• 40:00
  Speaker 8: It came out my first year scouting, and I mean
• 40:03
  Speaker 8: just throughout his career. I don't think there's anyone like
• 40:05
  Speaker 8: him that could just stretch the field and just absolutely
• 40:08
  Speaker 8: terrorized defenses and just have highlight play after highlight play
• 40:12
  Speaker 8: like Randy. So definitely my favorite there just to watch.
• 40:15
  Speaker 8: Even still just watching Randy highlights completely different.
• 40:18
  Speaker 4: I go to my.
• 40:18
  Speaker 7: Favorite five button suit guy, and that's Hall of Famer
• 40:21
  Speaker 7: Rod Woodson, who's got twelve interceptions return for touchdowns. He
• 40:27
  Speaker 7: was a big hitter, he leads everyone, but tom, how
• 40:30
  Speaker 7: about this that he didn't just return him for touchdowns.
• 40:33
  Speaker 7: Rod has one hundred and three total takeaways, seventy one picks,
• 40:40
  Speaker 7: thirty two funnel recoveries.
• 40:43
  Speaker 3: That is a difference maker.
• 40:45
  Speaker 1: I'm gonna say, Devin Hester my sheer virtue of the
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: hardest position to make those big plays happen. He did
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: it more than anybody. Twenty career return touchdowns. Well deserved
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: that he is headed into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: Another one headed into a right Frannie joins us tomorrow
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: on the insiders.
• 41:03
  Speaker 2: You should be there, see you
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: M