Latest / Football Junkies podcast / Ep.102: The Decision

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Ep.102: The Decision · Football Junkies podcast

0:03
Quad bag alert, quad bag alert, quad bag alert,
0:05
quad bag alert, folks. That's right, we got a
0:07
loaded episode full of twist turns, hot takes,
0:09
truth bombs, and more. Man, oh man, oh man, have
0:12
things been crazy within the last 24 hours, okay?
0:16
Quentin Lake, John Jenkins, Cole Van Lannen,
0:19
and Charles Cross all get paid. John Harbaugh
0:21
gets fired. Black Monday transactions. Steelers
0:24
versus Ravens recap. And my thoughts on the 26th
0:27
draft class, okay? All of this and more. On the
0:29
102nd episode of Football Junkies Podcast, okay?
0:32
I am your host with the most, all right? I'm
0:34
your hopium, hopium, hopium, hopium, hopium dealer.
0:37
That's right. All the hopium that you need to
0:39
make it through the playoffs. I am the guy that
0:42
you go to, okay? I'm your chief bag roll damas.
0:45
That's right. Chief head of the table. Anything
0:47
and everything related to the bag. Rumors to
0:49
the bag and more. I am your GM who currently
0:51
is not on a team right now. But don't you worry
0:54
about it, all right? Don't you worry about it
0:56
because guess what? I am all these... things
0:59
and more but most importantly the most important
1:01
thing that you must remember is i am your host
1:03
kale buckle up it's gonna get crazy for all intents
1:06
purposes we might have some more news that may
1:08
be breaking so guess what on three one two three
1:11
let's lock in All right, folks, let's get into
1:40
the meat and potatoes of everything that is going
1:42
on in the league right now. So before we get
1:45
into the good stuff, because I know everybody
1:46
wants to talk about John Harbaugh. I want to
1:48
talk about John Harbaugh because there's a lot
1:50
that needs to be said about that one specific
1:52
situation. We got to talk about these bag alerts,
1:55
okay? So let's just get this thing out the way
1:57
as quickly as possible. So Quentin Lake, safety
2:01
for the Rams, inks a three -year, $42 million
2:03
deal, $25 .7 million guaranteed. He'll be making
2:06
$14 million a year. season 61 tackles one sack
2:11
seven quarterback pressures he was targeted 48
2:13
times and allowed 33 receptions for 341 yards
2:17
one touchdown and had one pick so for starters
2:20
I'm glad the Rams got this deal done because
2:23
I knew that Quentin Lake was going to garner
2:24
a lot of interest from a lot of teams in free
2:26
agency. And I knew that if he was to hit free
2:29
agency, the Rams probably wouldn't be able to
2:31
get him back. The fact that they were able to
2:33
hash this deal out at the time that they did
2:35
is actually really good. Quentin Lake is somebody
2:38
that is really effective in the slot as well
2:40
as in his natural position at free safety. But
2:43
I just love his style of play because that's
2:46
what the Rams need. They need somebody that can
2:48
do the dirty work in the secondary. And Quentin
2:50
Lake is one of those guys. Now on to the other
2:53
bag alert. So John Jenkins' defensive tackle
2:55
for the Ravens inks a one -year $1 .9 million
2:57
deal, $345 ,000 guaranteed, and he'll be making
3:01
$1 .9 million a year. When we look at his stats
3:03
from this season, 39 tackles and one sack. A
3:06
good deal for a journeyman. It's not going to
3:09
break the bank, and you're just taking care of
3:11
business. And honestly, that's what you have
3:13
to do sometimes. With this extension being done,
3:16
Do the Ravens view John Jenkins as a death piece?
3:19
And the only reason why I say that is because
3:21
most likely Nnamdi Manabuke is going to medically
3:23
retire. So with him being out of the picture,
3:27
all you're going to have left is Aeneas Peebles,
3:29
Travis Jones, and now John Jenkins. So you know
3:32
most likely they're going to have to address
3:34
defensive tackle at some point in the offseason,
3:37
whether that be in the draft or in free agency.
3:40
Keep a bookmark on that moving forward, okay?
3:42
Now, let's talk about Cole Van Landen, left tackle
3:45
for the Jaguars, who inks a three -year, $51
3:47
million deal, $32 .5 million guaranteed. He'll
3:50
be making $17 million a year. When we look at
3:52
his stats from this season so far, according
3:54
to PFF, he's allowed one sack, five hits, 21
3:58
total pressures, and four penalties. Now, at
4:00
first, when I saw this deal, I was like, wait
4:02
a minute, did the Jaguars just overpay for Cole
4:04
Van Landen? Then I had to think about it. I was
4:06
like, eh. Let's give this some time. Let's just
4:09
see exactly how much he's going to be making
4:11
a year. And then once it finally came out, I
4:13
was like, oh, this is average. This ain't bad
4:16
at all. Because according to Spoltrak, right
4:19
now, Cole Van Linden is the 29th highest paid
4:22
left tackle in the league. That's not bad. That's
4:24
actually really good when you really break it
4:26
down. Now on to the final bag alert, and that
4:29
is Charles Cross' tackle for the Seahawks inks
4:31
a four -year $104 .4 million deal, $75 million
4:35
guaranteed, and he'll be making $26 .1 million
4:37
a year. When we look at his stats for this season,
4:39
according to PFF, he's allowed two sacks and
4:42
four hits. With that being said, Charles Cross
4:44
is now the fifth highest paid tackle in the league,
4:47
which is expected because Charles Cross has had
4:49
a really good season so far. And I would venture
4:52
to say he's probably going to get an All -Pro
4:53
nod this year. So it's only right that the Seahawks
4:56
take care of him. John Schneider goes under the
4:58
radar for all the moves that he's made, but he's
5:01
a really good GM. He continues to show why he's
5:03
one of those guys. You've hit on Charles Cross.
5:06
You're hitting on JSN. You're hitting on your
5:09
running backs. So far, Nick Emanwari looks like
5:11
a hit. So far, Tyreek Woolen looks like a hit.
5:14
And that's just recently. If we take this thing
5:16
to another level, I mean, this is the same guy
5:19
that drafted Earl Thomas, Bruce Irvin, James
5:22
Carpenter, DK Metcalf, Frank Clark, Bobby Wagner,
5:25
Richard Sherman, Tyler Lockett, Russell Wilson.
5:28
I could continue to go down this list. And I
5:31
didn't even realize that he was hitting on his
5:33
draft picks like this. But, I mean, man, he's
5:35
been cooking. And I would venture to say the
5:37
Seahawks are probably going to make it to the
5:38
Super Bowl this year. Rams fans, don't hurt me,
5:41
please. Eagles fans, don't hurt me, please. 49ers
5:44
fans, don't hurt me, please. But that's just
5:46
my opinion. I believe right now the Seahawks
5:48
have the best team in the entire league right
5:50
now. Don't hurt me, okay? Now let's talk about
5:53
this John Harbaugh situation because everybody
5:56
has been speculating. Everybody has been putting
6:00
their two cents into this situation. And so I
6:02
feel like I need to do so as well. Now here's
6:05
the statement from Steve Bishotti, owner of the
6:07
Ravens, and I quote. Following a comprehensive
6:09
evaluation of the season and the overall direction
6:12
of our organization, I decided to make a change
6:14
at head coach. Today I informed John that he
6:17
has been relieved of his duties. This was an
6:20
incredibly difficult decision given the tremendous
6:22
18 years we have spent together and the profound
6:25
respect I have for John as a coach and most importantly
6:28
as a great man of integrity. Throughout what
6:30
I firmly believe is a Hall of Fame coaching career,
6:33
John has delivered a Super Bowl championship
6:35
to Baltimore and served as a steadfast pillar
6:38
of humility and leadership. He and his family
6:41
have been deeply embedded themselves in this
6:43
community. For those profound contributions on
6:46
and off the field, we shall all be forever grateful.
6:49
Our goal has always been and will always will
6:51
be to win championships. We strive to consistently
6:54
perform at the highest level on the field and
6:57
be a team and organization our fans take pride
7:00
in. I will always be grateful for the extraordinary
7:02
hard work and dedication displayed by John and
7:04
his staff throughout the many successful years.
7:06
I wish he, Ingrid, and Allison all the best going
7:10
forward. We now begin the challenging but exciting
7:12
process of identifying the next leader of our
7:15
football team. Now here's the statement from
7:36
John Harbaugh, and I quote, Someday. but that
7:44
day has come today it comes with disappointment
7:46
certainly but more with gratitude and appreciation
7:49
gratitude to the owner and organization who was
7:52
willing to bring in a head coach who made his
7:54
mark with special team success a difficult thing
7:57
to do and appreciation for all the moments all
8:00
these years that are etched into eternity i hope
8:03
a legacy built on faith always fighting always
8:05
believing values built into an organization through
8:08
a team that are worthwhile good and lasting and
8:11
that are admired by fans and foes alike meaningful
8:13
and impactful relationships with players through
8:15
the years that i will cherish always grateful
8:17
for their strength and courage loyal partnerships
8:19
in this wonderful building that grew into strong
8:22
friendships through the toil and tempest of the
8:24
job every day mostly to my treasured family my
8:27
ingrid and my Allison, who are beyond comparing
8:29
every way in the loves of my life, and my closest
8:32
-knit family and good friends who stick with
8:34
you no matter what. Finally, to the author and
8:36
finisher of our faith, gratitude for a journey
8:39
beyond anything I could have dreamed of my own,
8:41
all is well with my soul because of the good
8:43
God who guides and sustains me, John Harbaugh.
8:47
With that being said, John Harbaugh's overall
8:49
record was 180 wins and 113 losses. Now, according
8:53
to Diana Rossini, John Harbaugh refused to entertain
8:57
any conversations about moving on from Todd Munkin.
8:59
Now, according to Jeff Zerbrick, John Harbaugh
9:02
didn't have a chance to inform his staff of his
9:04
firing. EDC and Sashi Brown informed his staff
9:08
of this move. And according to Adam Schefter,
9:11
John Harbaugh is the emerging favorite for the
9:14
Giants head coaching job. Now that we've got
9:16
all the sentimental stuff out the way, let's
9:18
talk about this situation. The Ravens realized
9:21
they were at an impasse. And they had to make
9:23
a choice between their head coach or their Hall
9:26
of Fame quarterback. Now, some people would choose
9:29
the head coach. You're a fool. Choose the quarterback.
9:32
And they made the right decision. We knew that
9:35
John Harbaugh was on borrowed time. We knew that
9:38
John Harbaugh, within the last three to four
9:40
years, had to show up and win a Super Bowl. And
9:44
he failed every single time. Now, you can blame
9:48
the players. You can blame the execution of the
9:51
play. You can blame this circumstance or that
9:53
circumstance. But the fact of the matter is this.
9:57
EDC and the front office went above and beyond
9:59
to meet every single need that John Harbaugh
10:03
had on that team. They traded for Roquan. They
10:06
drafted Kyle Hamilton. They drafted Zay Flowers.
10:09
They drafted Rashad Bateman. They brought in
10:11
Derrick Henry. They've done it all. And the fact
10:14
that you were unable to take this team to the
10:17
Super Bowl is a discredit to you. You can't blame
10:20
everybody. You can no longer blame your offensive
10:23
coordinator. You can no longer blame your defensive
10:26
coordinator. You can no longer blame players.
10:28
You have to take this on the chin. Now, do I
10:31
believe the ending of the Steelers game was the
10:33
reason why they fired him? No. I think this was
10:36
accumulation of bad decision -making over a period
10:40
of time. Let's be honest here. You had an opportunity
10:43
to go to the Super Bowl. You had the number one
10:46
seed. The Chiefs came to Baltimore and you blew
10:49
it. And literally during halftime, the reporter
10:52
asked you, John, what do you want to see different
10:55
in this offense in the second half of the game?
10:57
You said you want to run the ball. You're the
11:00
head coach. You can tell your offensive coordinator,
11:03
let's run the ball. Because why? You're the head
11:06
coach. But instead, you wanted to sit on your
11:09
hands, you wanted to play reserve, and then you
11:12
got eliminated. You go to the Bills, you get
11:14
eliminated. So at some point, the line of excuses
11:18
has to run out. And you have to take ownership
11:21
on why this team hasn't been able to go to the
11:24
Super Bowl and win. There's no excuses at this
11:27
point. So with that being said, do I think John
11:30
Harbaugh is a great coach? No. I think he's a
11:33
good coach. I think he's a stabilizing force.
11:36
And I think he's going to have a lot of impact
11:38
on wherever he goes next. Let's really not sugarcoat
11:41
this thing. When he first got hired by the Ravens,
11:44
he was already ruffling some feathers. And if
11:46
you don't believe me, go on YouTube, type in
11:49
Ed Reed Joe Buck interview. Ed Reed talks about
11:53
how John Harbaugh carried himself those first
11:55
few years when he joined the Ravens. And that
11:58
rubbed a lot of those veteran players the wrong
12:00
way. It rubbed Ed, Haloti Nada, Terrell Suggs,
12:04
Ray Lewis the wrong way. Understand this, my
12:07
fellow football junkies. Football is a production
12:10
-based business. And when you are not producing,
12:14
you have to go. Coaches can get fired. Coaches...
12:18
can get fired. Good coaches can get fired. Great
12:22
coaches can get fired. You don't believe me?
12:25
I got a list of people that got fired. Andy Reid
12:27
got fired by the Eagles because you know why?
12:29
He couldn't win the big game. He goes to the
12:32
Chiefs. He solidified his legacy. Mike Shanahan
12:35
was fired by Washington. Jimmy Johnson was fired
12:38
by the Cowboys. Tony Dungy was fired. Tom Landry
12:41
was fired. Hell, Bill Belichick was fired. Bill
12:45
Belichick bought six championships to the Patriots,
12:48
and he got fired. So if all of those legends
12:51
can be fired, what makes you think you, John
12:54
Harbaugh, cannot be fired? When you have been
12:56
given everything that you need and more to be
13:00
successful. It'll be different if you didn't
13:03
have a quarterback. It'll be different if you
13:06
don't have a left tackle, if you don't have weapons,
13:08
if you don't have a run game, if you don't have
13:10
good coordinators. But the Ravens did it all
13:13
for you. But if we want to take things another
13:15
level, the one move that should have been an
13:17
automatic fireball offense was promoting Zach
13:20
Orr to defensive coordinator. You knew and everybody
13:23
else knew that Zach Orr was not ready for that
13:26
position. But you promoted him to that position
13:29
and you brought in Chuck Pagano and Dean Pease
13:33
to assist him in trying to find his way. I understand
13:36
that you want to give people a chance. I have
13:38
no problem with that. But when you're in your
13:40
Super Bowl window, that shit's out the window.
13:44
It's time out for, oh, let's give them a chance.
13:46
Let's see how things go. Maybe we give them a
13:48
promotion. Screw it. Screw it. You're trying
13:51
to win a championship. You're trying to maximize
13:53
the window that you have. Because understand
13:56
this, folks. Every year that you don't win the
13:58
Super Bowl is a year wasted. And that's another
14:01
year that your quarterback gets older. And you
14:03
know that your quarterback isn't like a Tom Brady
14:05
or Peyton Manning or Ben Roethlisberger. You
14:09
need to maximize this window. But instead, all
14:11
you've done is pissed on it. Year after year
14:14
after year, you have pissed on it. And this is
14:17
exactly why you haven't won a Super Bowl. Now,
14:20
since we're talking about the Ravens, there's
14:22
another person that we need to talk about. Because
14:24
everybody's getting it today. EDC, step to the
14:28
front. While I understand that EDC has done a
14:30
good job in building this roster. I am not going
14:34
to excuse you of the conservative mindset that
14:37
you have addressing the needs of this team, specifically
14:40
this season. How is it that you go an entire
14:44
season without addressing guard and defensive
14:48
tackle? I understand that you believe that you
14:51
got to build this team, and I am 100 % on board
14:54
with that. I do believe that you got to build
14:57
your team through the draft. That's how every
14:59
successful dynasty and championship team is built.
15:02
But at the same time, sometimes you need to bring
15:05
in somebody else. I guarantee you, if you give
15:08
EDC some true serum and you ask him about Nnamdi
15:12
Menabuke, I guarantee you he will probably say,
15:15
we knew that he wasn't going to play this season
15:17
by week three. So if you knew that he wasn't
15:21
going to play this season because nobody has
15:23
said anything about his situation, let alone
15:25
Nnamdi Metabuke, then you should have been hunting.
15:28
And I mean exactly what I say, hunting for defensive
15:32
tackle. You could have had Quentin Williams on
15:35
your team. The Cowboys essentially gave up a
15:38
second round pick for this draft class and then
15:41
a first round pick for next year's draft class
15:43
for Quentin Williams. And Quentin Williams would
15:47
have killed two birds with one stone because
15:48
you know why? He's effective in the pass game
15:51
and he's a really good pass rusher. But instead,
15:54
you wanted to be complacent. You wanted to sit
15:57
on your hands and say, you know what? We're cool
15:59
with what we have. And another thing. The Ravens
16:03
should have hired Mike McDonald. Because had
16:05
you made that move, you wouldn't be in this situation
16:08
right now. I understand that John Harbaugh is
16:11
long -tenured, he's successful, he's great in
16:14
the community, blah, blah, blah, yada, yada,
16:16
yada, kids, babies, take pictures, who cares,
16:18
right? Do you not see what's going on in Seattle
16:21
right now? Do you not see the success that they're
16:24
having right now under Mike McDonald? And mind
16:27
you, that defense doesn't have a T .J. Watt,
16:30
a Miles Garrett, a Max Crosby, a Micah Parsons,
16:33
a Nick Benito. They got Boye Mafe. They got Ochina
16:38
Nwosu. They got D -Law. They got Leonard Williams.
16:42
And they're making it happen. You mean to tell
16:45
me that you wouldn't want that in your building
16:47
as a head coach? You're okay with just letting
16:51
that walk? Are you serious? Because you care
16:54
about John Harbaugh and you value the relationship
16:56
that you have with John Harbaugh. But that's
16:58
what happens when you have an organization full
17:01
of people that are complacent with where they
17:04
are and complacent with relationships instead
17:07
of production. I would rather have a head coach
17:10
in a front office who are at odds than to have
17:14
a head coach in a front office who are buddy
17:16
-buddy. Because you know why? The tension between
17:19
the head coach and the front office, that needs
17:22
to be felt. Because the only common ground that
17:24
you guys need to have is winning a championship
17:26
and the moves that it takes to build a roster
17:30
that is able to win a championship. That's the
17:32
only thing that you guys need to have in common.
17:34
Everything else, who cares? I don't care if we
17:37
don't have dinner together. I don't care if we
17:39
have a night out on the town. I don't care if
17:42
we don't have a retreat. I don't even care if
17:44
we're neighbors. That means nothing to me. You
17:46
know what matters? Us winning championships.
17:50
Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft hated each other.
17:53
Till this day, they can't stand one another.
17:55
But you know what? They came together. They won
17:58
championships. So who cares? I'd rather win championships
18:01
than to be liked in my own organization. But
18:05
to add salt into an open wound, you are now approaching
18:08
an offseason where you have to figure out what
18:10
you're going to do with this roster. Lamar's
18:12
contract has to be addressed. Roquan has to be
18:16
addressed. Marlon has to be addressed. Your defensive
18:19
line and offensive line needs to be rebuilt.
18:22
You need to do something with Rashad Bateman.
18:24
You need to figure out what you're going to do
18:26
with Isaiah Likely. You have a lot of key decisions
18:28
that you have to make that you can't just brush
18:31
off. On top of that, you have to bring in a new
18:34
head coach. And that right there alone is a whole
18:37
other situation itself. But you're okay with
18:41
that. Let's talk about Steve Bishotti too. I
18:44
don't hate you for the statement that you put
18:46
out. What I hate is the lip salad that you continue
18:49
to feed Baltimore fans year after year after
18:52
year. Don't tell me that you want to win championships.
18:56
Show me that you want to win championships. Jerry
18:59
Jones this offseason alone showed that he wants
19:02
to win a championship. He moved off of his star
19:05
player in Micah Parsons just so he can get more
19:08
draft picks and he can get Kenny Clark. And mind
19:11
you, there's a good chance that Jerry Jones might
19:14
do something crazier in this offseason. He's
19:17
showing that he wants to win. There are other
19:19
teams that are showing that they want to win.
19:20
The Ravens aren't. And that starts from the top
19:23
all the way to the bottom. Steve Busciotti, if
19:26
you are serious about winning, you need to light
19:29
a fire under EDC's ass and every single person
19:33
in that front office. You need to let it be known
19:35
from day one, from this point. On the 7th day
19:38
of January in 2026, you need to all let them
19:41
know, everybody can get fired if we don't win
19:45
the championship soon. I don't care who you are.
19:47
I don't care if you're my neighbor. I don't care
19:49
if you're the uncle. I don't care if you're the
19:51
janitor. It don't matter. Because at the end
19:55
of the day, we are here to win championships.
19:58
That's what you said in that statement. You said
20:00
that. So with you saying that you're trying to
20:03
win a championship, show it. Prove to me and
20:06
everybody else that you're trying to win a championship.
20:10
Because all I continue to see is an owner that
20:13
is complacent with where his team is. As long
20:16
as you're doing well in the regular season, oh,
20:18
Steve Busciotti doesn't care. He doesn't care
20:21
at all. But let you start losing. Let you start
20:25
having a season like this. Now things get a little
20:28
bit tricky. Things get a little bit tense. Things
20:33
get a little bit uncomfortable. But that's where
20:36
championships come from. You had an opportunity
20:39
of a lifetime to win a championship this year.
20:41
If you win one championship, that justifies every
20:45
single move that you made. And I've said this
20:46
in previous episodes. All they have to do is
20:49
just win one championship. I'm not saying you
20:51
need to go on a 20 -year run like the Patriots.
20:54
Just win one. You mean to tell me you can't win
20:57
one in a year where the Chiefs aren't going to
21:00
the playoffs? Are you serious? unacceptable.
21:04
Now, when we talk about candidates for the Ravens,
21:06
the two people that come to mind is Brian Flores
21:09
and Jesse Minter. Now, the thing is this, Jesse
21:13
Minter in some ways has an advantage over Brian
21:16
Flores because Jesse Minter was a part of the
21:19
coaching staff not too long ago. So there still
21:21
could be some familiarity between Jesse Minter
21:23
and the organization. Now, with Jesse Minter's
21:26
system, I think it's better overall because I
21:30
think everybody on the defense is going to benefit
21:32
from it compared to Brian Flores. Brian Flores,
21:35
on the other hand, is more creative when it comes
21:37
to his blitzes, which is good, but I just feel
21:40
like if you really want to maximize the talent
21:43
that you have on the defense, I would venture
21:45
to say get Jesse Minter over Brian Flores. But
21:48
either way you look at it, whoever you hire between
21:50
those two, that's a good hire. honestly. But
21:53
since we're talking about firings, let's talk
21:55
about all the other ones that have happened.
21:56
But before we do that, we got to pay some bills.
21:59
Pardon the interruption, but this is your GM,
22:01
your bag road domus here to talk about rss .com.
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Now back to the good stuff. And we're back folks.
23:40
Let's talk about everything that has occurred
23:42
so far since Black Monday. Now for those of you
23:45
who don't know what Black Monday is, Black Monday
23:47
is essentially the day after the regular season
23:50
that has ended. where a lot of head coaches,
23:52
GMs, coordinators, you name it, a lot of them
23:55
get fired, unfortunately, okay? The current head
23:58
coach openings are the Ravens, Giants, Titans,
24:00
Falcons, Cardinals, Browns, and Raiders, all
24:03
right? Now, the current GM openings are the Dolphins
24:06
and Falcons. Now, we all know Jonathan Gannon
24:08
got fired, which personally I didn't like because
24:11
you have pieces on the team. You have Walter
24:13
Nolan, you have Will Johnson, you have Max Milton,
24:16
you have Marvin Harrison Jr., you have Paris
24:19
Johnson, you have Trey - McBride, James Conner.
24:21
You have pieces. You just have to make things
24:25
work. And that takes time. But what you can't
24:28
do is uproot the progress that has already been
24:31
made so far and just say, you know what, we're
24:33
going to bring in somebody else. Because their
24:35
vision and the way that they utilize those players
24:38
may be different. But on to the Falcons. They
24:40
fired Raheem Morris and their GM. I understand
24:42
the GM firing, but I don't understand Raheem
24:45
Morris. And the reason why I say that is because
24:48
the Falcons towards the end of the season showed
24:50
some promise. And I feel like they showed enough
24:53
promise that you can hang your hat on and say,
24:55
we're going to give you another chance. I understand
24:57
that you guys are trying to win. I understand
24:59
that you guys want to be competitive. But let's
25:02
be honest, you don't have the infrastructure
25:04
to be successful. And in order for your team
25:06
to be successful, that requires you, Arthur Blank,
25:09
in the front office and ownership to be patient.
25:12
But what you can't do is uproot all the progress
25:14
that has been made so far, regardless if it's
25:17
big or small. Instead, you have to give this
25:19
thing time and then assess if things are going
25:21
in the right direction or wrong direction. Now,
25:24
as far as the GM getting fired, I understand
25:26
that because you can't just give $100 million
25:29
to Kirk Cousins and then draft a quarterback
25:31
in the first round in the same year and think
25:33
things are going to be hunky -dory. It's a dumb
25:35
move. And then you give up another first round
25:38
pick to get James Pierce, which he's showing
25:40
some promise, but you gave up a first round pick
25:43
that you need. You need that first round pick
25:46
this year, especially with it being a defensive
25:48
draft class. You could have brought in another
25:51
defensive tackle, another corner, another middle
25:54
linebacker, but instead you gave that up to the
25:56
Rams. So now you've positioned the Rams to be
25:59
successful within the next two years. Those are
26:02
fireball offenses. Even when you look at his
26:04
drafting, it hasn't been well. Sure, you drafted
26:08
Drake London. Sure, you drafted Tyler Algier,
26:10
Kyle Pitts, Drew Dallman, Avery Williams, Frank
26:14
Darby, B. John Robinson, Michael Penix. I can
26:17
continue to go down the list. But of all his
26:20
draft classes, how many of them are still on
26:22
the team right now? Probably not a lot. You let
26:25
Drew Dallman go to the Bears and you didn't even
26:27
fight for him. Those are the type of moves that
26:29
are fireball offenses. On to the Cowboys. They
26:32
fired Matt Eberflus. That's a no -brainer. The
26:34
defense was not playing well this year. John
26:36
Morin, former offensive coordinator for the Lions,
26:39
he got fired. That's a no -brainer as well because
26:41
there was a point in time where Dan Campbell
26:44
took over the play calling for the offense. Anytime
26:46
your head coach does that, you're most likely
26:48
going to lose your job. The Commanders, on the
26:50
other hand, a little bit of a head scratcher,
26:52
especially with the offense, because with Jaden
26:55
Daniels voicing his support for Cliff Kingsbury,
26:57
I would have thought the Commanders would have
26:59
tried to keep him, but Cliff Kingsbury and Dan
27:02
Quinn couldn't see things eye to eye, so that's
27:04
probably why they went their separate ways. Which,
27:06
side note, what really pisses me off is when
27:10
they talk about, oh, we decided to part ways.
27:12
That's a fancy way of saying, I got fired. I
27:15
understand that Andrew Barry is a really good
27:17
GM and his vision might be great and whatnot.
27:20
But this is the same GM that gave up three first
27:24
round picks and multiple day two and day three
27:26
picks and gave the dumbest contract in NFL history
27:30
to acquire Deshaun Watson. And you mean to tell
27:34
me that you're going to keep him? But you're
27:36
going to let Kevin Stefanski go. Are we serious
27:38
right now? What sense does it make that I give
27:41
up future assets that has pushed this franchise
27:44
back for a quarterback that played less than
27:47
two full seasons, and then I get to keep my job?
27:51
That's the dumbest thing you could have ever
27:53
did. But you know what? The Browns will be the
27:55
Browns. Now, as far as Joe Shane, how is it that
27:59
you're able to stay on the team, but Brian Dable
28:01
gets fired? I understand that Brian Dable did
28:04
a lot on the field and off the field, and there's
28:06
a lot of skating reports about him. Okay, cool.
28:09
But mind you, Joe Shane is the reason why the
28:12
Eagles won another Super Bowl, because he didn't
28:15
want to pay Saquon Barkley. That right there
28:17
alone should have been a fireball offense. And
28:20
the fact that the Giants decided to keep him
28:24
instead of just letting him go, there's no need
28:27
in keeping him. He has shown that he cannot get
28:30
the job done. You move heaven and earth to get
28:33
Brian freaking Burns, which it is paying off
28:36
very well. But then you draft Abdul Carter, even
28:39
though you drafted Kayvon Thibodeau not too long
28:43
ago, high up in the first round. Why would you
28:45
do that? These are the type of things that make
28:48
me wonder, how are you guys able to keep a job?
28:52
What are you guys doing behind closed doors?
28:54
Are you throwing these people under the bus?
28:57
Because what are we doing? Giants, John Mara,
29:01
you literally told Joe Shane, sign Saquon. Well,
29:05
you didn't say it directly, but you essentially
29:08
said it in a roundabout way. You literally said,
29:12
Saquon Barkley is by far our most popular player.
29:16
And Joe Shane sat behind his desk, smiled like
29:20
Mickey Mouse, and said, huh, who in the world
29:24
wants to sign a running back that much money?
29:26
Who wants to do that? The Eagles did. And guess
29:30
what? It worked. Because you know what? They're
29:32
now Super Bowl champions. But on to the Ravens
29:35
and Steelers game. So Lamar Jackson, 18 attempts
29:37
for 11 completions, 238 passing yards, three
29:41
touchdowns, one pick, 13 .2 yards per attempt,
29:44
and a 61 .1 completion percentage. Derrick Henry,
29:47
20 attempts for 126 rushing yards, 6 .3 rushing
29:51
yards per carry. Zay Flowers, 6 targets for 4
29:54
receptions, 138 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns,
29:57
and 34 .5 receiving yards per reception. Aaron
30:00
Rodgers, 47 attempts for 31 completions, 294
30:04
passing yards, 1 touchdown, 6 .3 yards per attempt,
30:07
and a 66 completion percentage. Jalen Warren,
30:10
14 attempts for 66 rushing yards, 4 .7 rushing
30:14
yards per carry. Kenneth Gainwell, 9 targets
30:16
for 8 receptions, 64 receiving yards, and 8 receiving
30:19
yards per reception. While I understand that
30:22
Lamar Jackson was playing, you should have had
30:24
the same game plan that you had facing the Packers.
30:27
And the reason why I say that is because in the
30:29
first half, the Steelers couldn't stop the run
30:32
game. So that should have already let you know,
30:34
hey, we can run the ball successfully against
30:36
these guys. But instead, you decided to take
30:39
a detour and that's the reason why you're not
30:41
in the playoffs. Now let's talk about the defense
30:43
because I have a lot of questions for y 'all.
30:45
For starters, how is it that Shadobi Awuzie can
30:48
go one -on -one against Calvin Austin without
30:50
no safety help and get burnt the way that he
30:52
did? Or better yet, why were you bad at tackling?
30:56
These are the fundamental things that you would
30:58
expect a team like the Ravens to show. But clearly
31:01
they didn't. And that's one of the reasons why
31:03
they lost. But I think the part of the game that
31:05
really sealed the Ravens' fate was their inability
31:08
to run the ball after Lamar Jackson converted
31:11
that key fourth down play. Once you convert that
31:13
fourth down, you're running the ball. You're
31:16
trying to get as close as you possibly can to
31:18
the end zone. Now I understand that they believe
31:21
in Tyler Loop and whatnot, but... Why is it that
31:24
you want to position him right there when you
31:27
could have just ran the ball at least 5 to 10,
31:29
maybe even 15 more yards? You have Derrick Henry.
31:33
Just run the ball a couple more times, drain
31:36
the clock a little bit down, just inch your way
31:39
up the field, and once you feel like you're in
31:41
a good spot, then kick the ball. But what you
31:43
don't do is just clock it and think, oh, we're
31:47
going to win this game. No, you didn't win the
31:48
game. You choked the game away. But that goes
31:51
back to coaching because you should have realized
31:53
that at that point, we need to run the ball as
31:56
much as we can, get as close as we can to the
31:58
end zone, then figure out what we're going to
32:00
do from there. But instead, you felt comfortable
32:03
because you converted on a key fourth down that
32:06
you were good, that you had already sealed the
32:08
game, when in actuality, you didn't. Was Todd
32:11
Munkin the reason why they ran the ball as much
32:13
as they did against the Packers? Because that's
32:15
what I believe. I don't think John Harbaugh would
32:18
have done that. I think John Harbaugh would have
32:20
tried to beat them in the air. Now, when we talk
32:22
about the Steelers, however, offensively, I'm
32:24
not really surprised because they don't have
32:26
DK Metcalf, but you have to start including Pat
32:29
Fryer move more into the game. You can't just
32:32
dink and doink him at different points of the
32:34
game. Consistently give him the ball. The way
32:37
that you use Johnnie Smith, you need to be doing
32:39
that to Pat Frymuth because he has the same ability
32:42
to do that. Now, defensively, I'm frustrated
32:44
with them because the safety play has been very
32:47
inconsistent. Like, there was a point in time
32:49
where Kyle Duggar got benched for Chuck Clark.
32:52
Anytime that happens, that's a problem. And clearly
32:56
it was because Zay Flowers was killing them deep.
32:58
I don't know what they need to do, but they need
33:00
to figure it out. And please, can we stop using
33:03
Malik Harrison so much? because clearly that's
33:07
a tell. Anytime Malik Harrison is in, oh, stop
33:10
the run. You need to start including Peyton Wilson
33:13
in because Peyton Wilson is a playmaker too.
33:15
Now, the final thing we need to talk about, and
33:17
this will be very brief, is the 26 draft class,
33:21
okay? I'm going to let you guys know now, this
33:23
is a defensive draft class. So if you're looking
33:25
for pass rushers, corners, linebackers, whomever,
33:29
this is the draft class for you, all right? The
33:31
pass rush is going to be the spotlight of this
33:33
class. You're going to have David Bailey. You're
33:35
going to have Mason Thomas. You're going to have
33:37
Reuben Bain, just to name a few, all right? This
33:39
is a weak quarterback class. Now, before Ty Simpson
33:42
declared for the draft, I was under the impression
33:44
that Fernando Mendoza was going to be the only
33:46
quarterback taken in the first round. Now, that's
33:49
probably going to change. Now, me personally,
33:51
I still believe that Ty Simpson should have went
33:53
back to school. And the reason why I say that
33:55
is because there is a history that shows quarterbacks
33:59
who play more snaps in college tend to transition
34:02
better into the league. Look at Anthony Richardson,
34:05
for instance. I know that's probably a bad example,
34:07
but Anthony Richardson doesn't have a lot of
34:09
snaps. Ty Simpson doesn't have a lot of snaps.
34:12
So why would you try to go into the league now
34:14
when you know most likely you're going to be
34:16
thrust into the fire? So most likely, you're
34:19
probably going to go to the Jets. Do you really
34:21
want that? I don't think so. Now, with that being
34:23
said, this is an emerging wide receiver class.
34:26
You're going to have some options. Cardinal Tate,
34:28
of course. Denzel Boston, Makai Lemon, Jordan
34:31
Tyson. I can continue to go down the list. You
34:34
already know who they are, right? But I think
34:36
there's going to be some other receivers whose
34:38
draft stock is going to increase after the Shrine
34:41
and Senior Bowl. Now, the linebacker class seems
34:43
very interesting. You have Harold Perkins. You
34:46
have Anthony Hill Jr. You have Sonny Stiles.
34:48
You have a little bit of Arville Reese because
34:50
he plays both inside and outside linebacker as
34:53
well. So you have a lot of good options at inside
34:55
linebacker, and there's probably going to be
34:57
a few others that are going to rise up once the
34:59
Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl happen. With that
35:02
being said, I think the cornerback class could
35:04
also be very interesting as well. I know there's
35:07
Malik Muhammad. I know there's one from LSU that's
35:10
gaining a lot of attention. There's one from
35:12
Indiana that's getting a lot of attention as
35:14
well. So there's going to be some very notable
35:17
names. I just believe, and this is my personal
35:19
opinion, I could be 100 % wrong. Don't take anything
35:22
that I say serious because I'm not a Todd McShay
35:25
or Mel Kiper or any of those top -end guys yet.
35:29
I think this draft class is more appetizer than
35:32
main course. And the reason why I say that is
35:35
because you can use this draft class to either
35:38
get more picks or to fill in holes on your team.
35:42
Because 27 is gonna be the draft class where
35:45
you're gonna wanna take that big swing because
35:47
you're gonna have Ryan Williams, Jeremiah Smith,
35:50
and multiple quarterbacks to go after. So if
35:52
you're a quarterback needy team, this isn't the
35:55
draft class for you. 27 is the draft class for
35:58
you. Even with Trinidad Shambles, because everybody's
36:00
talking about him. Everybody's raving, hooting,
36:02
hollering, hearing about him. I think he's probably
36:05
going to go back to school for one more year
36:06
just to build his draft stock up, which is perfectly
36:09
fine. Just don't take a quarterback this year.
36:12
Fill out the rest of your team, whether it be
36:14
tackle, guard, wide receiver, tight end, whatever.
36:18
And then in 27... Make the move that you need
36:21
to make and get your quarterback, okay? But I'm
36:23
going to end this episode here. If you guys like
36:25
what you were listening, please, please, please,
36:26
please, please make sure you guys leave a five
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36:37
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36:50
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36:55
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37:00
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37:02
and everything that I've talked about in this
37:04
episode. Am I right? Am I wrong? Let's have a
37:07
debate. Now for my YouTube people, you can follow
37:09
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Football junkies pod. When you go on our YouTube,
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37:58
K -A -I -O -E. As always, I hope I gave you guys
38:01
the fix that you guys need. I love you guys.
38:03
I appreciate you guys so much. Thank you guys
38:05
listening to another episode of the greatest
38:07
football podcast that you can listen to on a
38:09
week to week, day to day basis. And stay tuned
38:12
because our second episode of the Stack and Shed
38:15
series should be coming out fairly soon. You
38:17
just got to give me some time. All right. So
38:18
as always, I love you guys. Appreciate you guys
38:20
so much. This is your GM Kale signing out. Peace
38:23
and love. Later, guys.