Latest / Football Junkies podcast / Ep.79: O-Lineman are people too

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Ep.79: O-Lineman are people too · Football Junkies podcast

0:03
Bag alert, bag alert, bag alert, bag alert, folks.
0:06
That's right, Joe Thune gets an extension. We
0:08
have to talk about the tush push because why?
0:11
It survives once again. We also have to discuss
0:16
the passing of former Colts owner Jim Irsay,
0:19
as well as the Lions withdrawing their playoff
0:22
proposal, the NFL heading to the Olympics. Caleb
0:26
Williams tried avoiding being drafted by the
0:29
Bears, which in some ways we sort of talked about
0:32
that a few episodes ago, but it's okay, as well
0:34
as a potential developing situation that could
0:38
be happening in Washington, which is Terry McLaurin
0:40
holding out possibly, I don't know for sure,
0:44
but just possibly, as well as the NFL rolling
0:47
out a new award. Yes. Old linemen finally get
0:51
love because you know why? Old linemen are people
0:54
too. So they deserve an award just like how everybody
0:57
else deserves an award as well as grades for
1:00
the NFC East, okay? All of this and more. on
1:03
the 79th episode of the Football Junkies podcast,
1:05
all right? I am your host with the most. I'm
1:08
your GM who currently is not on the team right
1:10
now, but don't you worry about it, okay? Don't
1:14
you worry about it because why? I am your chief,
1:17
Bagro Damas. I'm your chief, head of the table.
1:20
Anything and everything related to theories,
1:22
possible trades, possible extensions, possible
1:26
cuts. All of that and more, I cover that over
1:28
here at the Football Junkies Podcast because
1:30
why? We are the best podcast you can listen to
1:33
on a week -to -week, day -to -day basis. But
1:36
guess what? I am all these things and more. But
1:39
most importantly, the most important thing that
1:41
you must remember is I am your host, Kale. You
1:44
already know how these things are about to go.
1:46
You already know how my intro is about to go.
1:48
So guess what? On three, one, two, three, let's
1:50
lock in. All right, folks, let's just get into
2:17
the meat and potatoes of everything that is going
2:20
on in the league right now. So let's just get
2:22
this one out the way. Joe Thune inks a two -year
2:25
$35 million extension, $33 .5 million guaranteed,
2:29
and he'll be making $17 .5 million a year. Folks,
2:32
we all knew this was going to happen. We all
2:35
knew that once he got traded to the Bears, he
2:37
was going to get some form of an extension. Me
2:40
personally, I didn't believe it was going to
2:42
be a long -term extension. I thought it was going
2:44
to be more of like what they gave him, which
2:45
was a two -year $35 million deal. Simply because,
2:49
for one, you don't want to give him this large
2:53
deal and then he just retires in the middle of
2:55
it. No. Instead, you want to give him all of
2:59
his money up front so if he decides to walk away
3:02
from football, I don't know, next year or whatever,
3:05
guess what? It's not really going to affect you.
3:08
Not to mention, Joe Thune is still one of the
3:11
best interior offensive linemen in the league
3:13
right now. You're talking about somebody that
3:16
has a lot of experience. From winning Super Bowls
3:20
with the Patriots and then the Chiefs to now...
3:24
Going to the Bears and potentially, you know,
3:26
setting the culture within the offensive line
3:28
room. I think this was a great move for the Bears.
3:31
You lock up somebody that is going to be able
3:33
to be an anchor on the offensive line as well
3:36
as in that locker room. So all in all, congratulations
3:39
to Joe Thune. Now let's talk about this whole
3:41
tush push situation. So here's my thing with
3:45
it. Like it, love it, whatever you want. The
3:49
tush push stands. Once again, it was close. It
3:52
was very close. It was two votes away from being
3:55
banned. But luckily, those two votes did not
4:00
happen. So let's get into it. So the Eagles owner,
4:04
Jeffrey Lohr, along with Jason Kelsey, made a
4:07
last minute pitch to all the people that were
4:11
in that room on why they don't need to ban the
4:14
tush push. And it worked. But here's the thing,
4:17
though. Jeffrey Lord criticized both Roger Goodell
4:19
and Troy Vincent on advocating for the ban of
4:22
the tush push, which I can understand their side,
4:26
which is it's only a matter of time before somebody
4:29
takes the extreme route and try to perform this
4:32
play or try to defend the play. And in doing
4:35
so, they have a serious injury, which nobody
4:38
really wants at this point, if we can be real
4:41
here. And it looks like a dangerous move anyway.
4:45
Jason Kelsey stated, and I quote, he would have
4:48
returned to the NFL if he could run 60 tush pushes
4:52
a game, end quote. The teams that voted to keep
4:55
the tush push includes the Browns, the Dolphins,
4:58
the Jaguars, the Lions, the Jets, Patriots, Ravens,
5:01
Saints, and Titans. We all know that the Packers
5:05
made this proposal, and most likely they will
5:08
be the victim of multiple tush pushes once they
5:12
face them. Man, that's going to be a fun game.
5:15
But there is something that is very interesting.
5:19
And this is coming from ESPN's Seth Wickersham.
5:22
There is no data to support the notion that players
5:26
were hurt from the tush push, which I would have
5:30
thought at least maybe two or three people would
5:32
have shown up. But for there to be no data that
5:34
supports that, it's actually pretty good. But
5:37
all in all, this was expected. This was not something
5:41
that was going to catch everybody off guard.
5:44
No, this was expected. Everybody knows that when
5:47
the Eagles are in that formation, they are going
5:49
to convert from getting that first down to that
5:52
touchdown. They're always going to get it with
5:55
the tush push. Now, there are other teams that
5:59
have tried to at least replicate it as best as
6:02
they could. Some of them have been a little bit
6:04
successful, others not so much. But the fact
6:08
of the matter is, folks, The tush push is one
6:11
of the most popular plays in the league, and
6:14
it's one of the most broken plays in the league.
6:17
And it's going to continue to be broken until
6:19
people decide to say, listen, we need to get
6:22
rid of this. And most likely it'll probably happen
6:25
probably next year. I wouldn't be surprised within
6:29
the next three years they ban the tush push.
6:33
And then the Eagles find a different variation
6:35
of the tush push and then redo it all over again.
6:38
I wouldn't be surprised at this point, but we
6:40
do have some tragedy that we do have to report.
6:42
And that is the passing of former Colts owner
6:45
and CEO, Jim Irsay. So here's the statement the
6:49
Colts put out shortly after the announcement
6:51
was made of the passing of Jim Irsay. And I quote,
6:54
we are devastated to announce our beloved owner
6:57
and CEO, Jim Irsay passed away peacefully in
7:00
his sleep this afternoon. Jim's dedication and
7:02
passion for the Indianapolis Colts, in addition
7:04
to his generosity, commitment to the community,
7:07
and most importantly, his love for his family
7:10
was unsurpassed, end quote. Jim Irsay became
7:13
the principal owner at 37 following the passing
7:17
of his father. He was a member of the Finance
7:19
and Legislative Committee of the NFL and was
7:23
a part of a group that was created by the former
7:26
NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle in the 80s to create
7:29
the salary cap. Under ownership of Jim Irsay,
7:33
the Colts made it to two Super Bowls and, of
7:36
course, won one Super Bowl. He also created the
7:39
Kicking the Stigma campaign, which is aimed at
7:42
mental health and addictions. The Irsays have
7:45
awarded $31 million in grants to organizations
7:48
in the mental health and addiction fields, and
7:51
ownership for the team has already been transferred
7:55
to his daughters, who have held ownership titles
7:57
since 2012. Jim Irsay has left a lasting legacy
8:03
upon the NFL. From being a part of a group that
8:06
created the salary cap, to being a member of
8:09
the Finance and Legislative Committee, to creating
8:11
the Kicking the Stigma campaign, Jim Irsay has
8:15
done a lot for the NFL. And that's why you see
8:19
such an outpouring of love from all the other
8:23
teams, from former players that played with the
8:26
Colts and whatnot. Because Jim Irsay was that
8:29
guy. Jim Irsay was a type of owner where you
8:34
could have a conversation with him. He wasn't
8:36
that type of owner where he was uppity and he
8:39
was in his box and he would request for somebody
8:42
to get you to then have a conversation with him.
8:46
No. If you look at any of those highlights when
8:50
it comes to the hard knocks, he was always in
8:52
the locker room. He was always interacting with
8:54
his players. Because he loved his players. He
8:57
treated his players like family. And for him
9:00
to just suddenly pass away definitely has left
9:03
things a little bit of a somber moment within
9:05
the NFL. Because Jim Irsay left a lasting legacy
9:10
upon the NFL. And we all know that the Colts
9:14
will be in great hands because his daughters
9:17
have held ownership titles since 2012. So they
9:21
are very familiar with the experience. when it
9:24
comes to running the Colts. And so, Jim Irsay,
9:29
on behalf of me and the Football Junkies podcast,
9:33
thank you for the legacy that you have left.
9:37
Thank you and your family for all that you have
9:39
done for football. Now let's talk about the Lions
9:42
withdrawing their playoff proposal. So let me
9:45
break down to you exactly what would have happened
9:47
had this passed. So the change was going to affect
9:51
the seeding of teams. So instead of the seeding
9:55
being based on divisional games, it was going
9:57
to be based on overall record. I have an example
10:00
to prove this. So under the current format, this
10:03
is what would have happened. So with the first
10:06
seed would have been the Lions, the Eagles, the
10:08
Buccaneers, the Rams, the Vikings, Commanders,
10:10
and Packers. Fine. But here is the version if
10:15
the Lions proposal would have passed. It would
10:17
have been the Lions, the Eagles, the Vikings,
10:20
the Commanders, Packers, Buccaneers, and Rams.
10:24
Folks, this would have been a disaster. Not to
10:28
mention, it would have watered down divisional
10:30
games. Divisional games are so important, especially
10:36
in the later part of the season, that if you
10:40
was to make this move, it would diminish it.
10:44
And then not to mention, it would just essentially
10:47
say, hey, division games don't matter. As long
10:50
as you have the best record, you'll always have
10:53
a better seating. No, that's not how things work.
10:55
That's not how they never worked. So I don't
10:58
understand why the Lions would try to do this,
11:00
but I'm so glad that they withdrew it because
11:04
they knew that it probably wasn't going to pass.
11:06
But we do have some other things that we do have
11:08
to talk about, and that is the NFL going to the
11:12
Olympics. That's right, folks. Flag football
11:13
is going to the Olympics. So here is how things
11:17
are going to go. One player from every team is
11:20
allowed to participate, and every designated
11:22
international player is allowed to represent
11:25
their country. Ten players will be chosen by
11:28
every country's National Olympic Committee, and
11:31
the NFL and the Players Association are also
11:34
working together to allow both current and former
11:38
players to compete in the Olympics. Now here's
11:41
the statement from both Roger Goodell and Troy
11:44
Vincent. So Roger Goodell says this, and I quote,
12:02
Now this is what Troy Vincent says, and I quote,
12:14
Folks, this is great for football as a whole.
12:17
And the reason why I say that is because, for
12:21
one, the NFL has been trying in the last few
12:24
years to really make the sport go global. And
12:28
I think this is the best way to really do it
12:31
because now everybody will be able to see it.
12:34
And now all the countries both. Current countries
12:39
that the NFL does business with and future countries
12:42
that the NFL will do business with will be interested
12:44
in hosting at least a game or two there. We already
12:48
know that they're hosting games in Europe and
12:51
Spain and whatnot in Mexico. But I wouldn't be
12:54
surprised if we have an NFL game in Japan. I
12:56
wouldn't be surprised if we have a game in, I
12:58
don't know, Australia. or Africa, or China, or
13:03
any of these places, I would not be surprised.
13:05
The NFL is trying to make this a global sport,
13:09
and it's very much needed because we're starting
13:12
to see an influx of international players also
13:16
make their presence known in the league as well.
13:18
So it's only right that you include them with
13:21
this. Not to mention, if you have former players
13:25
to connect with, the current generation and past
13:29
generation, I think would be even better. If
13:32
you have someone like, I don't know, Michael
13:35
Vick or Randy Moss or who else, who else, who
13:40
else? Eric Dickerson. Well, no, Eric Dickerson's
13:43
too old. I don't know why Eric Dickerson came
13:47
to mind. Who else, who else, who else? Gronk
13:50
or Tom Brady or whomever. If you get any of those
13:53
guys. I guarantee you it would be amazing. Now,
13:58
granted, this isn't normal football. This is
14:00
flag football. So all the tackling stuff, that's
14:04
out the window, but I still think it'll be great
14:07
for the game as a whole. My only concern is this.
14:11
How will this affect minicamp, OTAs, training
14:15
camp, and all of those things in the summer?
14:18
Because we all know that the Olympics happen
14:20
when? In the summer. So how exactly is that going
14:24
to work from a scheduling standpoint? Will the
14:26
players that will be participating in the Olympics,
14:29
will they be excused from this? I think once
14:31
we find clarity with that point, everything else
14:35
will fall into place. Now let's talk about something
14:37
a little bit more controversial, and that is
14:39
Caleb Williams not wanting to go to the Bears.
14:42
So this is coming from a new book that's supposed
14:46
to be coming out called American Kings, Biography
14:48
of the Quarterback by Seth Wiggerson, who works
14:50
for ESPN. And so this goes in a few different
14:53
directions. So let's just get into it. For starters,
14:56
Caleb Williams and his team consulted with lawyers
14:59
on how they can avoid getting drafted by the
15:01
Bears in the collective bargaining agreement.
15:03
Caleb Williams' father said this, and I quote,
15:06
Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die,
15:09
and I don't want my son playing for the Bears,
15:11
end quote. Caleb Williams' father also spoke
15:15
to Archie Manning, father of Eli and Peyton Manning,
15:19
lawyers and agents while considering if his son
15:22
could sign with the ufl and become an unrestricted
15:25
free agent 2025 that way he can dictate where
15:29
he wants to go instead of the draft his father
15:32
also argues about the rookie wage scale and even
15:36
says and i quote the rookie cap is just unconstitutional
15:39
as well as saying the cba is the worst piece
15:43
of shit i've ever read end quote During the combine,
15:47
Caleb Williams met with Kevin O 'Connell and
15:49
Williams actually dreamt of going to Minnesota.
15:52
But Ryan Poles, GM of the Bears, said this, and
15:56
I quote, we're drafting you no matter what, end
15:59
quote. On one hand, I understand where Caleb
16:03
Williams and his team is coming from. They don't
16:06
want to go to Chicago because Chicago is a very
16:08
dysfunctional situation. Let's be real here.
16:12
Let's really call it for what it is. Chicago
16:15
is not a good place to go to. If you are not
16:18
a defensive player, if you're not trying to go
16:20
after the quarterback, if you're not trying to
16:22
get an interception, if you're not trying to
16:23
go and get a sack, if you're not trying to do
16:25
any of those different things, do not go to Chicago.
16:29
That's just what it is. Because Chicago has not
16:32
had their act together in a long time. And I
16:36
understand where Caleb Williams and his team
16:38
is coming from. However, I would have never said
16:41
this publicly. I would have kept this privately.
16:44
And the reason why I say that is because this,
16:47
if Caleb Williams goes through a phase in this
16:51
season where he is not playing his best ball,
16:54
they are going to pull up this whole quote again.
16:58
Do you really want that? We have seen multiple
17:01
times how the media can change a narrative. So
17:07
why would you let something like this come out?
17:10
Because now this can be used against you. If
17:13
Caleb Williams goes through, I don't know, three
17:16
to five games where he's not playing his best
17:18
ball, they're going to pull up all of these quotes
17:21
again. And they're going to use that against
17:23
Caleb Williams. They're going to ask it. in press
17:26
conferences. They're going to ask it leading
17:28
up to games. They're going to ask it every single
17:31
chance that they get. They are going to hammer
17:34
this in the ground. Because why? You allowed
17:38
something like this to come out. If you guys
17:41
did not want to go to the Bears, then you guys
17:45
should have done everything in your power to
17:48
make sure that you guys didn't do it. But at
17:51
the same time, one could probably argue that
17:55
even if they did go the extra mile to say, hey,
17:58
we don't want to go to the Bears, I don't think
18:01
it still would have changed anything. Because
18:03
the Bears had their feet in the sand. They wanted
18:06
to get Kayla Williams. Come hell or high water,
18:11
they were going to get Kayla Williams. Nothing
18:13
was going to change. Now, I will say this. The
18:16
Bears have shown that they're trying to change
18:20
their thinking. By getting Ben Johnson and then
18:24
adding a whole bunch of weapons and help for
18:27
the offensive line. I think that was great. Now,
18:31
the question is this. How is it going to look
18:35
when it all comes together? Because right now,
18:38
a lot of pressure is on the Bears this upcoming
18:42
season. Specifically to Ben Johnson and Caleb
18:44
Williams. If this relationship does not work.
18:49
The Bears are going to have to scrap this thing
18:51
and start all over again. And let's be real here.
18:53
The Bears have no problem doing that. The Bears
18:56
in recent years have not had the best success
18:59
when it comes to quarterback. They messed up
19:01
Justin Fields. And I don't care what anyone says.
19:04
You can fight me. I have no problem with that.
19:07
But the Bears messed up on Justin Fields. They
19:09
did not give Justin Fields the right weaponry
19:13
and the right supporting cast to really help
19:16
him. Mitchell Trubisky? Horrible. That was a
19:20
horrible pick. So, Caleb Williams does not have
19:24
anybody that he can go to and say, hey, what
19:27
did you do in your first two years to really
19:30
stand out? Hey, how do I maneuver through the
19:34
sophomore slump in my first year as a rookie?
19:37
How do I maneuver all of these different things?
19:40
He doesn't have that compared to... Other teams
19:44
that have that type of connections where they
19:46
can reach out to their former players and have
19:48
those conversations. That's the problem in all
19:52
of this. That's what happens when you are the
19:55
first overall pick. Same thing with Cam Ward.
19:58
Everyone thinks that Cam Ward is in a great situation.
20:01
Cam Ward is in a shithole because you know why?
20:05
For one, I can make a strong case that his head
20:09
coach right now will probably be under the hot
20:10
seat come the end of this upcoming season. I
20:13
can make a strong case right now there's going
20:15
to be some significant changes on that team come
20:18
this time next year. That's what happens when
20:22
you are the first overall pick. You are inheriting
20:25
shit and you are going to try to turn it into
20:30
gold. It's impossible. So I say all that to say
20:36
this. For any person that believes that, oh,
20:39
me being the first overall pick, that's great.
20:41
Okay, that's fine. It may feel good when that
20:44
wire transfer comes through and you get that
20:48
money and that money is added to your bank account.
20:50
But guess what? When your team isn't winning
20:53
a whole bunch of games in your first three years
20:55
into the league, when all you've won is maybe
20:58
five games in three years, oh, okay. Okay. We'll
21:05
see if the money was worth it. We'll see if the
21:09
signing bonus was worth it. We'll see if all
21:11
the commercials and whatnot in your local area
21:13
is worth it. We'll see. Because I can point to
21:17
a couple of former first overall picks that are
21:21
not having a good time right now. Trevor Lawrence
21:24
is one of them. Everyone thought Trevor Lawrence
21:26
was going to be the savior of football. Oh, my
21:28
God. Trevor Lawrence is going to do something
21:31
amazing when he gets to the NFL. Oh, my God.
21:34
Trevor Lawrence, Trevor Lawrence, Trevor Lawrence.
21:36
What's Trevor Lawrence done? What's Trevor Lawrence
21:39
done? Nothing. Nothing. Even though he got paid
21:44
like he did something. He didn't do anything.
21:49
So, am I surprised? No. Do I think there's going
21:53
to be more things that come out when this book
21:56
drops? For sure. But this is probably the tip
21:59
of the iceberg at this point. And let's get into
22:02
this whole Terry McLaurin situation very briefly.
22:04
Really don't have a lot to talk about, but basically
22:07
Terry McLaurin missed a day. And so people are
22:10
speculating that maybe he's in a holdout because
22:13
he's looking for a new deal. If that's the case,
22:16
well, then the commanders just need to pay him.
22:18
Simple as that. Because Terry McLaurin has been
22:21
consistent. He has showed up. He has been a team
22:24
player up until this point. So it's only right
22:28
that you compensate him. And it's only right
22:31
that you give him a really good deal. He took
22:34
a discount with y 'all the last time y 'all went
22:36
to the table. He's looking for a re -up. He's
22:39
looking for a good deal, a really good deal.
22:42
And mind you, he's having the success that he
22:46
is having without a stable quarterback. Last
22:49
season was the first year that he has actually
22:53
had a stable quarterback. All the other times
22:57
he hasn't. Think about that for a second. You
23:02
got to make sure that you take care of Terry
23:04
McLaurin. Just saying. Now, briefly, before we
23:06
get into everything else, Terry McLaurin's market
23:09
value is three years, 93 .1 million, which is
23:11
31 .1 billion a year. Do I think he could possibly
23:14
get a little bit more than that? Yes. Do I think
23:17
the commanders will probably give him more than
23:18
that? Yes. Jaden Daniels is on a rookie contract.
23:22
You don't have to do a whole lot with Deebo Samuel.
23:24
You don't have to do a whole lot with Laramie
23:26
Tunsil. You don't have a lot of big contracts
23:28
that you have to pay out to people. So you might
23:31
as well want to take care of Terry McLaurin.
23:33
He's the veteran on the offense. Compensate him
23:35
for it. Please. Because what I don't want to
23:38
see on my timeline on Twitter is a bunch of Terry
23:41
McLaurin mocks in a Steelers jersey. Or a Terry
23:44
McLaurinberg account. Or whatever. I'm tired
23:48
of seeing it. Alright? Please, sign the man.
23:53
I don't want to hear any speculations about,
23:55
well, I've talked to sources and sources have
23:57
told me that Terry McLaurin wants to become a
23:59
Pittsburgh Steeler. Don't want to hear it. Don't
24:01
want to hear it. Commanders, write the check.
24:04
Write the check now. Let's get into this whole
24:08
O -line award thing because we need to talk about
24:13
this because you know why? Offensive linemen
24:16
are people too, okay? That should probably be
24:19
a t -shirt. Offensive line are people too. They
24:23
deserve an award. Everybody else gets an award.
24:26
Corners get an award. Safeties get an award.
24:29
Linebackers get an award. Everybody else gets
24:31
an award. But do offensive linemen get an award?
24:33
Nope. Well, guess what? They finally do. Because
24:36
guess what? The NFL has created the Protector
24:40
of the Year Award, which basically is an idea
24:43
that was pushed by both Deion Dawkins and Andrew
24:45
Whitworth. Now, the panel will include Charles
24:49
Bentley, Jason Kelsey, Sean O 'Hara, Orlando
24:51
Pace, Will Shields, and Andrew Whitworth, which
24:54
is great because I don't want any journalist
24:56
to be in charge of this because we all saw what
24:59
happened when it came to the defensive player
25:01
of the year. Yeah, that's right. I got beat with
25:03
a lot of the journalists who said, Miles Garrett
25:06
should deserve the defensive player of the year
25:08
award, and then they based their stuff off of
25:10
PFF grades. No. It should have been TJ Watt.
25:13
TJ Watt should be a three -time defensive player
25:16
of the year recipient right now. But no, everybody
25:19
wants to use PFF grades for it. Yeah, I got a
25:23
little bit of a beef about it. Yeah, it turned
25:25
a little bit into a ramp, but who cares? But
25:27
all in all, when we look at this, all right,
25:30
offensive linemen deserve awards, and this was
25:33
long overdue. So I'm super excited to see who
25:36
is going to win the award this year. Now let's
25:39
get into the grades, folks. That's right, NFC
25:42
East. You already know Giants, Commanders, Eagles,
25:46
and Cowboys. Yes, let's talk about it. So let's
25:50
get into the Giants' first positions of need,
25:52
quarterback, safety, cornerback, interior offensive
25:55
line, and tackle. We all know that they got Abdul
25:58
Carter, Jackson Dart, Darius Alexander, Cam Scadabo,
26:01
Marcus Membo, Thomas Fedone, and Corey Black.
26:06
And when we look at their team stats, however,
26:08
they were the 24th ranked defense, and they allowed
26:12
24 .4 points per game, 346 .8 yards per game,
26:16
5 .6 yards per play, 41 touchdowns, and had a
26:21
34 .3 quarterback pressure percentage. They were
26:25
8th in passing defense and allowed 210 .6 passing
26:28
yards per game, 6 .5 yards per play, and 23 passing
26:32
touchdowns. They were 27th in run defense and
26:35
allowed 18 rushing touchdowns, 136 .2 rushing
26:39
yards per game, 4 .6 rushing yards per play,
26:42
and allowed 66 rushes of 10 plus yards or more.
26:45
They were 30th when it came to offense, which
26:49
is diabolical. And they averaged 16 .1 points
26:53
per game, 294 .8 yards per game, 4 .7 yards per
26:58
play, and 28 touchdowns. They were 28th in passing
27:02
offense and averaged 189 passing yards per game,
27:06
5 .1 passing yards per play, and 15 passing touchdowns.
27:11
They were 23rd in rushing offense and averaged
27:14
104 .9 rushing yards per game, 4 .2 rushing yards
27:18
per play, 13 rushing touchdowns, and had 46 rushes
27:22
of 10 plus yards or more. Here's my problem with
27:25
their draft. I know a lot of people are saying
27:27
that they had an A plus draft. No, they didn't.
27:30
By no means did they have an A plus draft. In
27:34
actuality, I would say it's probably a B minus
27:37
to maybe a B plus, and let me explain why. abdul
27:40
carter was not a need it was a want jackson darp
27:44
on the other hand was a need because they needed
27:48
a future quarterback and i understand there's
27:51
a whole bunch of people that are saying well
27:52
abdul carter was the best pass rusher in college
27:54
abdul carter this abdul carter that let me tell
27:58
you something all right i'm not trying to sound
28:01
like a hater but i don't see it with abdul carter
28:05
I see Mike Green on a higher pedestal than Abdul
28:09
Carter. Because with Mike Green, Mike Green has
28:12
a versatile skill set. He's not just going to
28:14
beat you with power. He can beat you with speed.
28:16
He can use his hands. He can do all of that and
28:19
more. Whereas Abdul Carter, it's the direct opposite.
28:23
And so me personally, I don't see why the Giants
28:26
did it. But hey, I mean, this is the same team
28:28
that let Saquon Barkley walk. And then he goes
28:31
to the Eagles and then wins them a Super Bowl.
28:33
I'm not surprised. On to everything else, Cam
28:36
Scadabo, I feel like that was a pretty good pick
28:38
as well because they definitely wanted to do
28:40
more with the run game. This is my analogy of
28:43
Cam Scadabo. Cam Scadabo is the Mick Foley of
28:48
football. Now, you're probably wondering, why
28:52
would you say something like that? Let me explain
28:53
why. Cam Scadabo looks for contact. He doesn't
28:58
avoid it. He looks, purposely looks. for someone
29:03
to run over, looks for someone to truck, looks
29:06
for someone to just bring down his shoulder and
29:09
just give it to him. That's who Cam Scadabo is.
29:13
Darius Alexander, I was a little bit upset about
29:15
because I was very high on Darius Alexander,
29:18
but I mean, of course they got him. But out of
29:20
all the positions that they really needed, safety,
29:25
I feel like they definitely really didn't need.
29:27
And the only reason why I say that is because
29:29
they got Javon Holland. I mean, If you wanted
29:33
to, you probably could have used that second
29:35
round pick and maybe a safety if you wanted to.
29:38
But I mean, again, is that really like a priority?
29:44
Debatable. But all in all, I would give them
29:47
a B minus or a B plus, honestly. And let's go
29:50
over to the Cowboys. Cowboys actually have a
29:52
lot. So here we go. Positions of need, running
29:54
back, linebacker, cornerback. Interior offensive
29:57
line, wide receiver. So first round, they get
30:00
Tyler Booker. Second round, they get Donovan
30:02
Izaraku. Third round, they get Siobhan Revel.
30:04
Then Jadon Blue, Shamar James, Ajani Cornelius,
30:08
Jay Toa, Phil Moffa, and then Tommy Akingbesto.
30:15
Akingbesto. I think I pronounced your last name
30:18
correctly. Hopefully I did. If I didn't, I deeply
30:20
apologize. Now when we break down their team
30:22
stats, they have the 28th ranked defense, which
30:26
allowed 27 .5 points per game. 355 .2 yards per
30:30
game, 5 .8 yards per play, and allowed 53 touchdowns.
30:35
When we break this down, however, they were 17th
30:38
in passing defense and allowed 218 .1 passing
30:42
yards per game, 6 .6 yards per play, and 28 passing
30:46
touchdowns. When we break it down even more,
30:48
they were 29th in run defense. They allowed 25
30:51
rushing touchdowns, 137 .1 rushing yards per
30:55
game. 4 .8 rushing yards per play, and allowed
30:58
63 rushes of 10 plus yards or more. They were
31:01
the 17th ranked offense, which averaged 20 .6
31:05
points per game, 327 .5 yards per game, 5 yards
31:09
per play, and 29 touchdowns. They were 11th in
31:13
passing offense, which averaged 227 .2 passing
31:17
yards per game, 5 .7 passing yards per play,
31:20
and 23 passing touchdowns. They were 27th in
31:23
rushing offense, and they averaged 100 .3 rushing
31:27
yards per game, 4 rushing yards per play, 6 rushing
31:30
touchdowns, and had 42 rushes of 10 plus yards
31:33
or more. All in all, I feel like I want to give
31:37
them an A, and this is why. For one, You got
31:43
Donovan Izaraku, who could have easily been a
31:46
first rounder. Siobhan Revel, who I feel like
31:49
probably could have been a second rounder. You
31:52
get Jadon Blue. You get Shamar James. You had
31:56
a really good draft. Let's be real here, folks.
31:59
For one, we all know that they're still rebuilding
32:02
the offensive line. I'm not going to take that
32:04
away from them. Tyler Booker, that was a good
32:06
pick. Donovan Izaraku, that's a really good pick
32:09
as well. Because they need another pass rusher.
32:12
Siobhan Revel, I feel like that's a sleeper of
32:14
a pick as well. Now, we all knew that Siobhan
32:17
Revel was probably going to drop a little bit
32:19
simply because of the injury. But outside of
32:23
that, he should have been a first rounder because
32:25
he had all the intangibles to be a first round
32:27
corner. Jadon Blue, I'm a little bit skeptical
32:30
about only because he has a fumbling issue. Super
32:34
fast, ran a 4 -2, but he has a fumbling issue.
32:37
Outside of that, I can talk myself in or out.
32:41
of the rest of the picks. Now, wide receiver,
32:44
sure, they probably could have addressed it,
32:47
but they didn't. And in doing so, guess what
32:49
they did? They made a trade and they got George
32:51
Pickens. So all in all, I think they did really
32:54
well when it comes to the draft. I would probably
32:58
give them between a B plus and maybe an A. Because
33:03
those first one, two, one, two, three, four,
33:08
those first four picks, great. Great picks. But
33:12
this is the type of draft that the Cowboys need
33:14
to continue to have if they really want to be
33:17
serious contenders. Otherwise, guess what's going
33:19
to happen? They're going to be pretenders like
33:21
they have been for the past, I don't know, 20
33:23
-something years. But moving on, though, to the
33:27
Commanders. Their positions of need. Edge, defensive
33:30
tackle, wide receiver, safety, and corner. Here's
33:34
the thing with the Commanders. They didn't have
33:36
a whole lot of draft picks. So this would be
33:38
pretty quickly, though. So the first round, they
33:40
got Josh Connolly. Second round, they got Trey
33:42
Amos. Fourth round, they got Jalen Lane. Sixth
33:45
round, they got Kane Medrano. And then seventh
33:48
round, they got Ja 'Cory Kroski Merritt. Here's
33:52
the thing with their draft. I understand why
33:55
they went tackling in the first round, because
33:57
they wanted to shore up the offensive line to
33:59
make sure that they protect Jaden Daniels. Not
34:02
opposed to that whatsoever. Now, granted, I feel
34:05
like that was probably more of, you know, best
34:08
player available instead of, you know, addressing
34:11
a position of need. And I only say that because
34:13
you were lower in the draft. So it wasn't going
34:17
to be a whole bunch of great options when it
34:20
came for you to pick. Unless if you trade up,
34:23
which even if you trade it up, you would have
34:25
less draft capital to go with. So Josh Conley,
34:29
I feel like that was a good move. Trey Amos,
34:31
this is just my personal opinion. Trey Amos shouldn't
34:35
have been a second round pick. Trey Amos should
34:37
have been a first round pick. Trey Amos had all
34:40
the intangibles to be a lockdown corner. Jalen
34:44
Lane, I feel like that's an interesting pick.
34:47
Just give it some time. Just give it some time.
34:51
Same thing with their sixth round pick and their
34:52
seventh round pick. Give it some time. I think
34:55
they're probably in the best situation possible.
34:58
Now when we break down their stats. They were
35:01
the 13th ranked defense, which allowed 23 points
35:04
per game, 326 .9 yards per game, 5 .4 yards per
35:09
play, and allowed 43 touchdowns. They were third
35:13
in passing defense, which allowed 189 .5 passing
35:17
yards per game, 6 yards per play, and 25 passing
35:20
touchdowns. They were 30th in run defense, which
35:23
allowed 18 rushing touchdowns, 137 .5 rushing
35:27
yards per game. 4 .8 rushing yards per play,
35:30
and 64 rushes of 10 plus yards or more. They
35:33
had the seventh ranked offense, which averaged
35:35
28 .5 points per game, 369 .6 yards per game,
35:40
5 .7 yards per play, and 54 touchdowns. Now,
35:43
when we break this down, however, they were 17th
35:47
in passing offense, which averaged 215 .6 passing
35:50
yards per game, 6 .4 passing yards per play,
35:53
and 29 passing touchdowns. When we shift things
35:56
over to the... rushing side they were third in
35:59
the league and they averaged 154 .1 rushing yards
36:03
per game five rushing yards per plate and had
36:05
25 rushing touchdowns as well as 67 rushes of
36:09
10 plus yards or more so on one hand yes they
36:12
were a pretty good team but we all know that
36:15
the run defense was not good so i feel like they
36:18
probably should have addressed that within the
36:20
first to maybe fourth round just because for
36:25
one, there was a lot of defensive library that
36:26
were available. And two, teams were attacking
36:30
the run defense a lot. So you wanted to make
36:33
sure that you shore that up. Now, do I feel like
36:36
they did it in this draft? Not really. Do I feel
36:39
like they probably could have done it in free
36:40
agency? Sure, there's a possibility, but I feel
36:44
like that they should have addressed that in
36:45
the first round. Tackle, I feel like you could
36:48
have addressed it in the second round if you
36:50
wanted to. In the fourth round, there were still
36:52
viable options at tackle. Better yet, if you
36:55
wanted to, you could have taken the veteran approach
36:57
and you could have gotten another veteran tackle
36:59
if that's the route that you wanted to go. But
37:01
overall, I feel like the commanders probably
37:04
had like a B plus, B minus type of draft. Now,
37:09
granted, yes, they did have limited draft picks,
37:12
but... the people that they did draft were actually
37:15
pretty good players now on to one of my favorite
37:18
teams the eagles e -a -g -l -e -s eagles yes
37:23
i did that who cares their positions of need
37:25
edge cornerback interior offensive line d tackle
37:29
wide receiver Here's the thing, they have a lot
37:31
of draft capital, so let's just go through it
37:33
all. They had Jihad Campbell in the first round,
37:36
Andrew Makuba, Ty Robinson, Mack McWilliams,
37:38
Samel Mundin, Drew Kendall, Kyle McCord, Miles
37:42
Hinton, Cameron Williams, and Antoine Powell
37:45
Ryland. Yeah, um, I don't know if y 'all realize
37:50
this, but Ty Robinson was a sleeper of a pick.
37:53
Go ahead and look at his footage. Ty Robinson
37:56
is a game wrecker. Ty Robinson... is going to
38:00
change the game. When you need someone to make
38:04
a play, Ty Robinson along with Jalen Carter are
38:06
going to make the play. That's who they are.
38:10
I don't know how Ty Robinson was able to slip
38:13
through the fourth round, but man, he is a monster.
38:17
When we look at their team stats, they had the
38:20
number one ranked defense, which allowed 17 .8
38:23
points per game, 278 .4 yards per game. 4 .7
38:28
yards per play and allowed 31 touchdowns, as
38:31
well as having a 31 % quarterback pressure percentage.
38:35
They were also first in passing defense, which
38:38
allowed 174 .2 passing yards per game, 5 .1 passing
38:42
yards per play, and 22 passing touchdowns. They
38:45
were 10th in run defense, which allowed nine
38:48
rushing touchdowns, 104 .2 rushing yards per
38:51
game. They allowed 4 .3 rushing yards per play
38:55
and 45 rushes of 10 plus yards or more. When
38:58
we shift things over to the offense, however,
39:00
they were the eighth ranked offense, which averaged
39:03
27 .2 points per game, 367 .2 yards per game,
39:08
5 .6 yards per play and 53 touchdowns. They were
39:11
29th in passing offense, which averaged 187 .9
39:15
passing yards per game, 6 .5 passing yards per
39:18
play, and 24 passing touchdowns. They were second
39:22
in rushing offense, which averaged 179 .3 rushing
39:25
yards per game, 4 .9 rushing yards per play,
39:28
and had 29 rushing touchdowns, as well as 76
39:32
rushes of 10 plus yards or more. Folks, this
39:36
is an A plus. I don't care what anyone says.
39:38
This is an A plus draft right here. For one,
39:42
you have Jihad Campbell, who, from what I've
39:45
heard, there is a good chance that they may use
39:47
him in somewhat of that Derrick Brooks type of
39:49
role, where he can be used in both outside linebacker
39:54
as well as inside linebacker. So you have that,
39:57
plus Andrew Makuba, plus Ty Robinson, and everybody
40:03
else. Mack McWilliams, Samel Mundin, Drew Kendall,
40:08
Kyle McCord, Miles Hinton, Cameron Williams,
40:10
Antoine Powell -Rylan. You got it all. And once
40:13
again, what are the Eagles doing? Replenishing
40:17
the defensive line as well as the offensive line.
40:20
They double -dipped at tackle this draft class,
40:23
and they also got a defensive lineman. Folks,
40:26
as long as offensive and defensive linemen...
40:30
are coming out of college, the Eagles will continue
40:32
to draft them. Because why? They know how to
40:34
develop them. That's just the Eagles MO and it'll
40:38
continue to be the Eagles MO. Me personally,
40:41
with the amount of draft capital that they had,
40:43
you would have thought that they would have messed
40:45
up on some of these draft picks. But no, they
40:47
did an excellent job with the people that they
40:50
drafted. Miles Hinton is a sleeper of a pick.
40:53
His father used to play in the league. If I'm
40:56
not mistaken, I think he actually played for
40:57
the Eagles as well. So you have that with Andrew
41:01
Makuba, who was definitely one of the better
41:03
safeties. I mean, come on. What is there that
41:08
you can hate on when it comes to their draft
41:10
class? Their first three players are going to
41:15
be great players. We all know that they wanted
41:18
to address linebacker. And so getting Jihad Campbell,
41:22
I think, is great. Absolutely amazing. Because
41:27
if you have not seen Jihad Campbell, go ahead,
41:30
go on YouTube and look at Jihad Campbell. That
41:33
dude is a monster. That dude is everywhere near
41:37
the football. If the football is in somebody's
41:39
hand, Jihad Campbell is right near them. And
41:42
if not, well, then guess what? Something is going
41:44
on. But I'm going to let you guys debate if that
41:48
was right or if I was wrong on getting the Eagles
41:51
an A+. But I want to end this episode here. If
41:54
you guys like what you are listening, please,
41:55
please, please, please, please make sure you
41:57
guys leave a five -star, five -star, five -star,
41:59
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43:25
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to that point as always i hope i gave you guys
43:32
the fix that you need and love wait i knew i'm
43:35
forgetting something follow me on twitter slash
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x gm kale all right gm kale k -i -l -e as well
43:43
as blue sky gm kale k -i -l -e i'm probably going
43:47
to start posting more on blue sky soon i probably
43:50
am i need to but as always i love you guys i
43:54
appreciate you guys so much have a memorial day
43:56
you guys be safe don't drink and drive What am
44:01
I going to do? I'm probably going to cook on
44:02
the grill and look at more stuff about football.
44:05
So as always, this is your GM Kale signing out.
44:08
Peace and love. Later. Unless somebody wants
44:11
to, you know, make a decision and sign somewhere
44:14
or whatever. But later, guys.