NBA Cup, Playoff Chaos, Trade Heat

Three leagues, one jam-packed run. We argue the toughest NBA Cup groups, relive a World Series classic, sort a messy College Football Playoff board, and grade the NFL trade deadline from bold to baffling.

• NBA Cup group strength in East and West
• Scheduling, prize money and knockout dynamics
• Dodgers’ comeback, MVP talk and baseball strategy
• Case for a shorter MLB season to boost urgency
• College Football Playoff rankings and resume gaps
• Back-end teams that can flip the bracket
• NFL deadline moves: Eagles’ edge, Colts’ gamble
• Bengals’ front office structure and trade value
• Ravens’ defensive tweaks and Lamar health
• Week 10 matchups that actually matter

Transcript

Tipoff And Weekly Sports Check-In

SPEAKER_00 0:40

I do what life is different, make the limit squeeze. When I form a style and identity, bounce back and get the chili cheese.

SPEAKER_03 0:54

Yo, yo, yo, welcome back to another episode of the Epic Podcast. I am joined tonight by Justin and Jared, man. Justin, how's your sports week been, man?

SPEAKER_01 1:06

Nah, it's cool. It's cool, you know. Can't say too much about it, but it's been cool. Checked out a little bit of the Pacers and whatnot. So it's cool. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:18

Cool, cool, cool. What about you, Jared?

SPEAKER_02 1:21

Same old, same old, man. Um Iowa State's rolling. Bengals is rolling opposite direct direction in historical fashion. So um, killer, man. I'm just glad NBA's back. There's always something on. I'm watching the game now. So yeah, not bad. How about yours, bro?

NBA Cup Groups And Toughest Pods

SPEAKER_03 1:40

Um It's been alright. I can't, I really can't complain. Um just being patient. Like I said, college football uh playoff rankings just came out, so waiting on that, see where Alabama's gonna be. Uh coach just made a big trade, so talk about that a little later. Um that's it, man. I mean, NBA Cup about to start, so see who's in the Pacers group and how they perform and go from there and see if they got any chance to make any noise. That's about it, man. Cool, cool. All right, speaking of that, let's jump into uh the NBA and speak about the NBA Cup. Um far as the groups, I just wanted to get uh get y'all opinions on which I think one of the toughest groups are. Uh one from the east and one from the west. Or did y'all not look at the groups? Alright, so in the east, A, you got Cleveland Pacers, Hawks, Toronto, Wizards.

SPEAKER_01 3:01

Boy, stop. That ain't no hard.

SPEAKER_03 3:04

I'm just I'm just telling you the groups in case you don't know. East B, Boston, Detroit, Magic, Brooklyn, Sixers, and East C is Knicks, Milwaukee, Bulls, Heat, Charlotte.

SPEAKER_02 3:18

It's definitely gonna be a West Coast one. I don't even know why we started with the East.

SPEAKER_01 3:21

It's definitely gonna be a West, but he's still one out of the East and the West, I think.

SPEAKER_03 3:25

That's what I was just saying. Which group do you think is the toughest job? Probably the one that you just named.

SPEAKER_01 3:29

The one you just named.

SPEAKER_03 3:31

The New York, uh, the Knicks, Bucks, Bulls, Miami, Charlotte.

SPEAKER_04 3:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:38

Okay. Um, yeah, maybe. I mean, that Boston Boston, Detroit, Magics, and Philly, that may be tough too. That's B.

SPEAKER_01 3:52

Um probably under sale on Boston and Brooklyn's horrible, so that's why I didn't choose them, even though I wanted to.

SPEAKER_03 4:00

Well, I mean, I'm just looking at Philly. I'm just looking at really Philly Detroit and Orlando.

SPEAKER_01 4:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

Yeah, I can't be mad at you for that one either.

SPEAKER_02 4:10

I'll probably go B.

SPEAKER_03 4:11

I'll probably go B. Yeah. And then the West A, you got uh OKC, Minnesota, Sacramento, Phoenix, and Utah. Uh West B, you got the Lakers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Mavericks, and Pelicans. And West C, you got the Rockets, Nuggets, Warriors, Blazers, San Antonio. I'm about to say, yeah, C. Yeah, that C is tough. I mean, probably outside of Portland, but shoot, the Rockets, Nuggets, Warriors, and Spurs. Yeah, that's gonna be that's gonna be a tough. That's gonna be tough. I mean, B B is be I mean. He ain't gonna be in the be no Yeah, I'm about to say ain't gonna be no slouch either with the Lakers, Clippers, Memphis, and uh Dallas. And the Pelicans, too.

SPEAKER_02 4:57

Crazy. Not only out of those, out of the B, only the Lakers are really playing well right now. Clippers are 500, everybody else I think is below. And then group B.

SPEAKER_01 5:07

I guess I'm thinking of it not from best team, but like matchup-wise.

SPEAKER_03 5:12

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Yeah, that one's ass. Yeah. Well, in terms of uh to your to your point, the only decent team out of it is the Lakers in in terms of that, but in terms of matchups, you could have some interesting matchups in that group just because of some of the some of the players on the teams. Nah, for sure, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 5:35

I like group A too. I mean, A got three teams that's well, hold on. They got two, but I mean the Suns are playing well. I don't I don't think the Suns is gonna last, though, but I mean everyone. Minnesota, OKC. Okay. Yeah, it's I definitely see my.

SPEAKER_03 6:01

Yeah, I think C. That's gonna be a tough uh that's gonna be tough out there. Um group C on East and West, it's probably the toughest ones. Um be interesting though. Rockets Nuggets Warriors, like that's gonna be some good games. Alright, so did anything change as far as they winning? No, they each player get yeah. 500k, runners get 200k. Yeah, that's it. Quarterfinals get 50k, okay, semifinals get 100k. Alright, so cool, cool, cool. So they've already started playing some games. I think it started on Halloween. They started playing some games, so I think Tuesdays and Fridays. Yeah, that's what it that's what it looks like. Uh yeah, because November 7th or 14th, 21st, yeah, 25th, 26th, 28th, yeah. And then uh first week of this second week of December, they start doing knockout rounds. So yeah. Cool, cool, cool, man. Looking forward to that. Jump into some college football. Uh, well, first before that, a little housekeeping. Um congratulations to the Dodgers for winning the World Series, man. Uh, I didn't get to watch that last game, but from what I heard it was a doozy. Yeah, it was a doozy. You watched, you said you got you said you was watching it. What'd you think?

Schedule, Payouts, And Knockout Format

SPEAKER_02 7:48

Yeah, I mean, it was an awesome game. Um, the suspense was high. Uh, the fans were lit. I mean, everybody was standing up from the first pitch. I mean, loud in there. Like it was it was crazy. I couldn't imagine being in an atmosphere like that with everything on the line. Yeah, it was it was it was hype. Like you could feel the you know, electricity through the TV. Um, and then it came down to the wire. I mean, the the Blue Jays was two outs from winning it all.

SPEAKER_05 8:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:14

Um who hit that game tie-in home run? I think Will Smith hit the game winning home run. Oh, uh Miguel Rojas hit the uh game tie-in home run at the one out bottom of the knife or top of the knife. Crazy, crazy, crazy game. Then it went in the extras. I think it ended in the 11th, 10th or the 11th. It was 11th. It was 11th.

SPEAKER_03 8:38

Yeah, I remember seeing it pop up on my phone.

SPEAKER_02 8:41

Yeah, so real, real crazy game. I mean, that was what a way to to uh end the season. So yeah, I was I was definitely locked in the entire time. So really good game.

SPEAKER_03 8:51

Yeah, nah. And when especially for the Dodgers to battle back because I think we were talking last week that like they bats were not looking good. So um way to battle back uh and compete, man, and come and essentially come back to win a championship, man. Went two in a row to win. They was down 3-2 as of last week. Uh last week's show. So yeah. Nah, that was that's pretty dope. Dope a damn. Uh y'all know who got the MVP. You said who? MVP.

SPEAKER_02 9:27

Yeah, I think he was talking about World Series MVP. Oh, um, uh, Yamamoto won it.

SPEAKER_04 9:34

Did he? Good.

SPEAKER_02 9:35

He went three, he went three and oh because he ended up getting a win for the last I watched the World Series, yes.

SPEAKER_01 9:41

Uh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I was hoping that he got it. That's why I asked, because that's you, you know, some sports you they kind of just tend to lean more towards the superstar on the teams. I was just wondering because I was like, boy, if it wasn't for him, they wouldn't have won. He could he was tough in this world series.

SPEAKER_02 9:57

Three wins in the World Series, like that's it, that should damn near lock you in.

SPEAKER_01 10:01

Yeah. And he pitched, I mean, coming off of pitch what, game six, then turned around in seven and gave him some some strong innings. Yeah, I mean, I'll be honest, I was impressed. I was impressed by that time.

World Series Thriller And MVP Debate

SPEAKER_02 10:13

I think people sleep on how strategic baseball is. It's almost like you're watching a game of chess in a f in a different form. Like it's completely different, but like every pitch is like calculated. And I think people downplay, you know, or people think that's boring, but like to me, like you don't get better strategy. Like it's it's crazy. I mean, it seems slow, but every single thing that's done in the baseball game and strategy, it's almost like, you know, do you do you bunt the runner over uh with you know one man on second, you know, for lead-off double or something. Do you butt him over the third, or do you try to everything is just like super strategic, and that's the part about it I like the most.

SPEAKER_01 10:54

Yeah. No, I I you know, I have to admit I don't watch baseball, but I was locked in because I was like, man, let me give this a try. And I I will say I was very entertained by the World Series this year with some good games to watch.

SPEAKER_02 11:06

So for sure, for sure.

SPEAKER_03 11:08

And hopefully, you know what I mean, it it boosts, you know, their season is too long.

SPEAKER_02 11:13

I I say that that's that's they they do need to change. Yeah, it is way too long. Like, way too long. What is it?

SPEAKER_03 11:20

162 games. Oh, is it 62?

SPEAKER_01 11:24

162. 62. It's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 11:27

Yeah, that's that's that's a lot of things.

SPEAKER_02 11:29

I mean they damn it play every day. I think they have like four off days a month, three between two and four off days a month, play every day. Yeah, I mean, well, but you know, from a from a fan, I mean, you love it. That's awesome, yeah. Yeah, but you know, it could definitely be shorter, and I think if it was a shorter season, then it could draw more. It would mean more, yes, yes. Instead of the Dodgers and the Yankees playing their series, you know, on a Thursday or Friday, Saturday, and well, I guess Friday, Saturday, and Sunday series that aren't too bad. But it'd be those Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday series just be like, bro.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:08

You know, just play, I guess just play on the weekend. I don't know. I don't know. They could do something.

SPEAKER_01 12:13

They can adjust it if they wanted to.

SPEAKER_03 12:15

Yeah, you know. Yeah, but why? I mean, I'm sure they make a lot of money in TV.

SPEAKER_02 12:21

Uh just a suggestion. TV roaches.

SPEAKER_03 12:24

No, no, I'm just saying, like, I'm just thinking, like, I'm just sure they make too much money to to short the case.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

The problem is, though, I think your aud uh anybody will tell you baseball's audience has been shrinking for years. I think if you want to capture more of the audiences, um, I think if you shorten the season, that definitely can do it, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_03 12:43

So yeah, it's like people want to see home runs and stuff too.

SPEAKER_02 12:47

Like, yeah, and then it's like that head-to-head, you know, like I said, Dodgers Yankees series. It's just like, well, that should be like prime time on a Friday. But instead, like you said, you got it Friday, Saturday, you got a day game on Sunday. It just kind of waters down the, you know. Granted, this isn't no, this isn't me like trying to suggest that they, because I I mean, I don't know how it would work. Um, but I just think it would be more like if you know those games were just like highlighted more. But since they play three or four at a time, it's kind of like they kind of get watered out.

SPEAKER_04 13:18

But yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:19

And the thing is, too, even if you put those games on a certain date, you gotta hope both teams are good at that moment.

SPEAKER_02 13:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:27

Nobody wants to watch a bad, you know, New York, Boston Red Sox series. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 13:31

Even though it's it would be dope if you could if if we could uh like they could like some kind of way make the pitchers match up, but with the rotations, you never have a better chance at that, don't Jared, I think, if you play less games.

SPEAKER_03 13:45

Absolutely. Yeah, you get your best pitchers and players to play more. No, absolutely. Nah, that makes sense. That makes a lot of sense. Um, so yeah, man, I want to talk college football. We finally got the playoff rankings. Uh, I'm just gonna do top 12. I'm not gonna do the whole top 25. We can look into the bottom uh bottom 13 after the top 12. So currently, right now, this is I guess I don't want to say if it started today, but this is the top 12 uh teams right now. At 12, you got uh OU, Oklahoma, you got 11 Texas, 10 Notre Dame, 9, Oregon, 8, Texas Tech, 7 BYU, 6, O Miss, 5, Georgia, 4, Bama, 3, Texas AM, 2 IU, and 1 is still Ohio State, of course. Um, but on the back end, there's a lot of teams that can impact this playoff moving forward. I mean, you got Tennessee at 25, who's still uh the only three lost team that's in there right now. Um Missouri, who still plays uh Texas AM and a couple teams at the top. You got Michigan, who may be that fourth uh Big Ten team that could possibly try to get in. Uh USC right there at 19. Um Georgia Tech coming up extremely fast. I don't know why they're so low at 17, but Georgia Tech uh definitely been playing well with possibly a Heisman candidate at quarterback. Um it's a lot of teams. Yeah, bro.

SPEAKER_02 15:26

Georgia Techs.

SPEAKER_03 15:26

If you their quarterback is a Heisman candidate, I mean I know they had a good record, but I was just looking at what I was just looking at what they've been, how they've been speaking on the different players as far as Heisman. They mentioned their quarterback as well.

SPEAKER_02 15:37

I don't even know the nigga's name. Same here. That's crazy. Shout out to him, though. If he's hooping like that, I can tell you his name where he's from. I know he's a white guy. Haynes, Haynes King. Nah, I've heard that. Well, I watched a couple of the games. That's why I've heard I watched that Colorado game, so yeah. All right, well, shout out to him.

SPEAKER_03 16:00

Um, so yeah, no, it's a lot of teams on the back end who can make an impact on this on this selection. I mean, Vanderbilt at 7-2 at 16. It's a lot of good teams here, man. Any uh objections to this list?

Baseball’s Length And Audience Problem

SPEAKER_02 16:17

Man, I use closer and closer and closer, man. I know they keep getting more number one votes. I'm sure of it. I think last week they had 11. I'm almost certain that the AP gave them more than that this week. They they boys is nice, man. And if you just compare, if you compare the quality of the victories to ours, hey, get a little spooky because they're I mean, they are killing people. Killing teams.

SPEAKER_03 16:48

So I mean, y'all ain't no slots yourselves.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

We're not killing teams like they're killing teams, though, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_03 16:54

Yeah, I mean, I'm just looking like Penn State 38 to 14, Wisconsin 34 to 0, Illinois, 30 to 14.

SPEAKER_02 17:02

I'm definitely curious to see how that's been y'all been whooping whooping. And that'd be another thing, like at the halftime of that game against Penn State this week, we were up 17 to 14. It's just like I don't understand why teams don't stick to what works. They come out second half and just didn't score a point. They were really moving the ball. Like, they were moving the ball. It's almost like like Ohio State just be calling in, like, all right, that's enough, cut that shit out. And teams just, all right. Like, I don't know what it is. I don't know. I don't know what it is. Maybe I'm not giving our coaches or defenses you know enough credit, but it's weird, man. Teams just don't do, they just refuse to do what works. They refuse to exploit the actual weaknesses of of a team and they just be losing. But yeah, I I think I think it'll be a good I I feel like if um if I does Penn State like crazy bad this week, I think they'll jump to number one. If they pull out another 55 to 10, I think they might jump to number one. Which in the grand scheme of game things, I don't think that matters. But yeah, I think I think they might jump. Because if they if they do Penn State like they've been doing everybody else, they'll probably jump to number one.

SPEAKER_03 18:16

Yeah, but I think it also depends on y'all win too. Uh because who y'all got this? Y'all got oh well y'all got Purdue. Yeah, it's probably if y'all stump, yeah. That's what I'm saying. Y'all gonna stump Purdue out. Y'all may just stay there.

SPEAKER_02 18:30

That's at Purdue, too. I need to check tickets. I might I might roll up there.

SPEAKER_03 18:34

Yeah, that's not a that's not a bad drive at all. Not at all. Um see they're releasing the the playoff bracket right now, so we'll probably circle back to that towards the end of the uh end of the show, but we definitely got some other things to talk about, uh, which is NFL. Um trade their line. What y'all think, man? I'm I'm well I'm gonna start with you, uh Jerry, because I know you was we were talking about your teams not doing anything and possibly probably should have. What do you think the Bengals should have done, even though they did absolutely nothing? What do you think they should have done?

SPEAKER_02 19:16

Hey, bro, we're down so bad. We're down so bad. I don't know. Usually I have a whole book of stuff to to do or try. Like, I don't know. I mean, it's easy to say trade guys, but who who wants the guys on our team? Who's gonna trade for Jordan Battle, Cam Taylor Britt? Nobody wants those guys. I mean, I think they probably could have gone somewhere, but I mean, I don't think we were gonna get enough. And it's just like when when everybody needs to go, where do you start? You know what I'm saying? Like, I don't think we would have even gotten enough for any of those guys to even have a team after we traded who needs to be traded. Like, you know what I'm saying? So I don't I don't really know. Our hands are kind of tied. I mean, I know we did trade uh um Logan Wilson. Logan Wilson. Yeah, Logan Wilson about money, you know. But I've been telling y'all for three years he's been trash. And I I love the fact that the only the bright side out of us being as horrible as we are is that I've called it. So I can just firmly stand on, bro, we we we've been we've been trash. We've been trash. This defense has been trash. I think it's finally being exposed. Um, the fact that Logan Wilson can't cover, uh, he can't get in on the blitz, he can't stop the run, literally can't do anything. And like, and it's been like that. I guess it's just been masked, you know, but it's been like that. So we sent him to Dallas for nothing, seventh round pick. I mean, which is with how we draft, I mean, we can't even hit on first rounders, so there's a zero chance we'll be able to hit on a seventh rounder. So we essentially traded Logan Wilson for me. I mean, you want to look at it like that. Um yeah, I mean, I don't really know what else outside of firing some coaches and cutting a whole bunch of guys, I don't really know what else we could have done.

SPEAKER_01 21:01

The one thing I don't get, Jerry, and maybe you can express it to me, not even talking about like offseason, but just talking about like now where they are in the season and seeing how the defense is performing. What's the purpose of holding on to Hendrickson when you can trade him? And he's probably the best trade.

SPEAKER_02 21:17

I know y'all remember me saying on this podcast that he should have he should have been gone.

SPEAKER_01 21:22

Yeah, I told you I agree with you. Yeah, I mean, I agreed with you, but the whole thing was even after everything that went, I don't I guess I don't understand the value of keeping him if and I know they could have got it probably a second or a third for him. I mean, why why not move him and get some drive?

College Football Playoff Rankings Shake-Up

SPEAKER_02 21:38

I don't think one, I don't think so. Two, y'all, y'all gotta remember we don't have a GM. We don't have anybody that's on these phones trying to facilitate and and you know, Bob.

SPEAKER_03 21:51

We even have relationships with other GMs because a lot of the GMs know each other, you know what I mean? Maybe I worked under somebody in their past, or like they have some type of relationship, like you said, yeah, but no GM.

SPEAKER_02 22:01

We don't have that guy. We don't have anybody that's actively because I mean like we got a player personnel guy, his name is Duke Tobin, but you only see him or hear from him like during the uh during the combine and like during the draft. But like once the draft is over, you never hear this, never hear or see or anything with this guy until the next combine. So it's like I don't even think we have like a working office throughout the year of people trying to improve the roster. So it's just like people probably call. I don't think the calls are being answered. Because by who? Well I know GM. You know, so it's just like I I don't I don't know. I I I really I really don't know. And it's just like Trey Hendrickson, I'm sure, and it's like the Bengals are so inept to to making deals, they just there's no football mind in the organization, including the coaches. They have no clue. But it's just like who who is gonna uh you know, who's gonna make the trade? Like who's gonna say, okay, yeah, we can get this person. Who's gonna facilitate it? Yeah, this person, that person, this pick, that pick. There's nobody to do that. So it's just like the price was probably crazy high. It's probably been the same height that it was, you know, uh back during the summer, which I mean it's just it's ugly. So I don't know if they got calls and they just didn't answer or got calls and the price was too high or what. I don't know the situation, but I think they were forced to keep Trey Hendrickson because there's just nobody skilled to trade him.

SPEAKER_01 23:36

Well, you know, there's rumors that teens were calling about him. That's why I brought that up.

SPEAKER_02 23:40

I don't even know. Were it were the calls answered? I I brought you. Yeah, that I don't, yeah. There was nobody on the other side of it. I wouldn't be surprised, honestly. You know, I just and I and I personally don't I wouldn't trade a two or three for him. I trade a two and a three, or maybe like a one and a three for a JJ Watt or something, or maybe two ones and a two or something for it, but I'm not giving up no second and no third uh for for Trey Hendrickson. He's just not he's just not that good.

SPEAKER_01 24:07

You said you wouldn't give up a second or a third for him? No, well, definitely not both, but no, no, no. I said second or third, like one of the I thought you said second and a third.

SPEAKER_02 24:16

No, no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 24:17

He ain't worth that.

SPEAKER_02 24:18

No, I I really, I really just don't know.

SPEAKER_01 24:21

And it's like I think desperate desperation, that's why I asked because you know some dudes are so desperate to try to fit that pass rushing role that they overpay for guys. That's all.

SPEAKER_02 24:30

Yeah, but I also think the guys know that he's just not that good. I he's not a top five edge. I I can't and he's kind of banged up right now, and he can't like and outside of pass rushing, he can't do anything. It's just that's fair. Yeah, I just I can't see anybody even really, you know. I'm certainly not giving up a second rounder for him. So, I mean, that's just and then like I say, him being hurt and kind of banged up right now, that's not that's certainly not helping the cause. But yeah, I don't think the Bengals said no, we're keeping them. I just think that they're just stupid and just boo it that way. So, man, free guys, man. Uh Jamar T, they just deserve so much better. I don't know if you saw this, Justin, but I put on my uh my story. I'm like, send them send Jamar uh to play with Lamar. I want that. I honestly would not be mad. I would love that. I love I wouldn't be mad. Like, bro, let let just let them go. If you can't just keep them in this dysfunctional situation, send Jamar up the road to play with Lamar and watch them go crazy. And oh crazy. I promise you I wouldn't care. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:41

So that that's that. Okay, fair enough. Um, Justin? Baltimore? What about him?

SPEAKER_02 25:52

Uh back on road. Uh well, we talked.

SPEAKER_01 25:56

You remember I talked told you earlier in the year. I mean, they kind of remind me of how the 49ers have all it seemed to be every year. They, I mean, Ravens got killed with injuries. So I don't know if you remember me telling you guys Petrick Carr is probably the biggest injury they had, even with everybody else. Like, he is the engine that helps that run offense go. Yeah, he even helps Lamar run in my head. Yeah, so now that he's back, I expect the offense to be better. But it still goes back to the same thing I've always said. I mean, when you have Lamar, he covers up so many holes on that offense that they never really take care of the issues. Um they still don't have a like a true X receiver, uh, a guy. You know, you like some of the pieces, but none of them are great. Um you hate it because Mark Andrews gets involved every like three, four, five games, and then you know, people think he's still great, but it's it's not that. It's just certain matchups he's still able to exploit. Um so I mean Baltimore's Baltimore. I don't I don't think they're in a position this year to I mean, really win the AFC, but this could be one of those weird years. Yeah, I was gonna say this could be one of those weeks.

SPEAKER_03 27:00

Yeah, wild card.

SPEAKER_01 27:02

It's wide open, bro. I I think if any year, this would be a year that is possible for sure.

SPEAKER_03 27:07

And it's crazy that like I get y'all saying that because it was crazy. I was just talking to my bro earlier, and we were saying the same thing. Like, this is probably one of the most widest AFC like years, period. Like, where you're not looking at the the Chiefs dominating or the Bills dominating, or even you know, the Ravens dominating, or even you know, Cincinnati playing well, like none of these like historic teams in the AFC over the past couple years have been playing really, really good. Just like everybody's like, you know, like limping through the season right now, uh outside of the coats. But again, Tyrese Maxi's going crazy. Not really a believer there too. So it's like there's this rear. Um so speaking of the coats, um, yeah. I'll ask y'all opinion. What do y'all think about the sauce gardener trade? I'll get y'all opinion first before I say anything.

SPEAKER_02 28:09

I like Sauce Gardner, so like I mean, I like I don't I don't really know. He's owed a lot of money.

SPEAKER_01 28:18

I don't know if people it actually ain't that bad. I it's not that he only he hits the cap for the next five years at like 26 million to the Colts. A lot of his money is in incentives. So like they got they're like they got he got they got many outs to get at and be able to release him without a whole lot. Like the I mean the Jets are.

NFL Trade Deadline Winners And Misses

SPEAKER_02 28:38

I mean that's how that's how that's how T. Higgins thing is too, but people won't really people ain't really looking. This dude, he he because I mean he just signed the contract, don't even kick in until 2026. No. Yeah, next year. No, how about T Higgins? 2027, because he in his fourth year and they did the fifth year option. So next year is his fifth year, and then the real money starts kicking in. So like he's he's a he's paid for sure. So I imagine at least if this if this is the fourth year, we know he's getting this, we know he's getting next year, we know he's at least getting probably the first two years guaranteed of you talking about sauce, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 29:24

I don't know. It's something we're something with the contract. I've heard some. Yeah, like it's not, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:33

It's it's it's gonna hit us at 26.5 for the next three years, and that's not nothing.

SPEAKER_02 29:39

That's a lot of money for a corner.

SPEAKER_01 29:42

Not in the market, if you think about it, it's really not. I mean, don't be wrong.

SPEAKER_03 29:46

It's really right at the market, like it's not it's not even, I don't think it's top five. He's not especially for a guy who ain't had a pick in two, three seasons.

SPEAKER_01 29:54

It's a lot of money. Uh well, here's my thing I would say I'm not so much concerned with. The money because they don't pay a quarterback. So you can do that when you're not paying a quarterback. So like I'm fine with the 26. It's just two first rounders. Okay, it just depends on how you do. That's kind of one of the questions. It's just to me, Sauce just hasn't been great. Like to me, like not that he's terrible. He just hasn't been like when I watch like a Patrick Sertain or like a Derrick Stingley, like some of that, he hasn't been that. And I think to your point though, uh Jared, if I'm paying that, I want that. I want that kind of guy if I'm gonna pay that kind of money. So but maybe he'll fit better in this defensive screen, too. You know what I'm saying? Maybe he'll flip better. But we'll see.

SPEAKER_02 30:48

And I like sauce. That's probably top five favorite players for me.

SPEAKER_01 30:51

I like him.

SPEAKER_02 30:52

But I also also it's crazy how you can sign a guy to all that money in July and then come November trade him. I mean, the the the contract ain't even close to kicking in.

SPEAKER_01 31:06

I'll say that they've already realized how far away they were from being able to win, and they got from under those contracts now so they can start their rebuild, which I actually take my hat off to an organization that recognizes that and can go ahead and and keep it moving because they don't have any. I mean, him and Quentin Williams would have wasted away their prime years for what? And then they wouldn't have to.

SPEAKER_03 31:26

And the one person I feel sorry for is Brees Hall, because he didn't get out.

SPEAKER_01 31:30

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 31:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 31:33

I feel sorry for that.

SPEAKER_03 31:34

It's like all the guys that you kind of came in with are gone. Like, you know what I mean, able to go and pursue, you know what I mean, other ventures and you stuck there with nothing.

SPEAKER_04 31:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:43

Yeah, I actually breece Hall. I feel like him and um Chase Brown would have been a nice one too.

SPEAKER_01 31:49

Yeah, but you know, actually, yeah, it would have been, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:53

Well, my big thing about this, another thing going back kind of to the sauce gardener thing is with us moving those first round picks, that means we don't have to pay first-round pick money. So it kind of saves us money on the back end, too, which makes me think they're probably gonna give uh Daniel Jones at least three at least the three year.

SPEAKER_02 32:12

Is that do you do you want that? Is that like you team enough?

SPEAKER_03 32:16

I think I I just think they are. I isn't I don't it's I can't say what I want. I mean, I was just saying, like, what do you think? Like, that's what I'm saying. I think that's what they're gonna do based on moving two first-round picks because you know it if you are, first off, you're kind of going for it right now. You you're figuring you're gonna be a playoff team, so that pick is gonna be, you know, uh mid to lower, you know what I mean, 20s. Uh that's if you, you know, make the playoffs, win a playoff game, hypothetically, just based on how the coach have been playing. I think that's what they're thinking. Like, hey, look, this is that window in the AFC now that, hey, look, we're playing well, we can get an impact player on defense because our DBs have been hurt. Sauce Gardner ain't missed a lot of games in, you know, the his past four years. So um, if nothing else, even if he's not as impactful, he's gonna be there, which we've just been battling injuries. Exactly. We've been battling injuries at DB for three years now, and we've been drafting DBs. These are young guys that we've been drafting and can't nobody say healthy. So at least we can have somebody there who we know is gonna be durable there. So I'll take that.

SPEAKER_02 33:20

I just want to know, like, your opinion. Do you have you seen enough of Daniel Jones to be like, all right, yeah, I'm rolling?

SPEAKER_03 33:27

Or are you kind of like well, I this is that part of the schedule. Remember earlier in the season, I was talking about like this is that part of the schedule. So, like just this week, looking at the Steelers game, like um against good sound defenses, this is what I want. I want to see how they respond. Also in the game, uh, kind of like what we were talking about the other day, Jared, they have six turnovers, they only lose by seven, which shows how great the offense is. You know what I mean? 90% of the league with six turnovers, they're getting fucking destroyed. You're losing by you know a couple scores. Um, so that gives me confidence, but now I want to see how you bounce back after a loss like that. You know what I mean? Six turnovers. I want to see how he plays next game. Does that carry over? Um, how's the locker room? How are people how's everybody responding? Because that's what's important to me. Because I've been through enough of the coach roller coaster that I care about the locker room, like what's going on after a loss. Like, are we responding or is this hanging over? You know what I mean? Is it gonna take us two or three games to get back to form? You know what I'm saying? Um, things of that nature. So I think that just based on the moves they make, they're gonna extend Jones. And I think they're just gonna go for it in the next three years, saying, like, okay, this is our core, this is our nucleus, everybody's playing well. We think we found our groove as far as the quarterback position. Let's go for it over the next three years. And then after that, you can kind of reassess because contracts will be done, and you can kind of reassess your stars and see if there's something you want to continue or bring in some new talent. Yeah, yeah, you're definitely gonna revisit him. Like, I mean, that's probably the only person that you really got to revisit.

SPEAKER_01 35:05

This contract's up. That's the thing. He he only got one, he's gonna be on the last year. So huh? I thought he didn't. No, that was next year's his last year of that contract. Yeah, sure.

SPEAKER_03 35:16

You're gonna so I think you, I mean, but I think there's enough money there to extend both of those costs. Now, if you're not paying the you're not paying the first round draft pick, you know what I mean? Because that's all guaranteed mostly.

SPEAKER_01 35:25

And you're not giving Daniel Jones 50 hours.

SPEAKER_03 35:27

No, no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 35:28

You know, so yeah, I'm gonna.

SPEAKER_03 35:30

You give him three years, 42, 43, and leave it alone.

SPEAKER_01 35:35

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:36

Now, can I say you give him a little more than what he got in in New York, and you leave that alone three years and we and we reassess again.

SPEAKER_01 35:44

I only thing that I did not like, and this now this is just because I I I liked him. I liked him when he was at Texas, so this is just me. I did not like that they got rid of A.D. Mitchell. I just think Adnine Mitchell.

SPEAKER_02 35:57

I did him bad.

Bengals Front Office Woes And Roster Value

SPEAKER_01 35:59

But he's the most talented receiver they had on their roster. Um, and I get it. Everybody's mad about you know what he did, but man, he's younger. Jonathan Taylor did the same thing like that. We've seen several players do it. Yeah, but then like they I they completely weeded him out of the offense, period.

SPEAKER_02 36:17

Okay, never seen anything like that in the world. If I'm if I may next morning, and they were like, they were like, he's the reason why we lost.

SPEAKER_03 36:25

Yeah, if I may. Damn. So I'm with you guys. I liked him when we drafted him. I would I was a big fan. Um my only thing is in his opportunities, a lot of drops. A lot of drops. I mean, hand like ball and hand drops. Um another thing is that you're gonna pay Alex, you're Alec Pierce. That's another one that we're gonna have to pay. So I think there's not really a lot of room because we don't run a lot of four receivers. So with Pittman, Downs, and Pierce, that's your three. With now Tyler Warren, like that's pretty much gonna be your receiver and core. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 37:09

Yeah, but he was this, I mean, he's under I understand. But the only thing was this is this is year two. Pittman, Pierce, and Downs all stay banged up. So you don't have a ton of good depth behind those guys.

SPEAKER_03 37:25

But I mean, you still got a guy who's been there for a long time, like dueling. You still got another young guy and go. I'm just saying, like guys that's just been there, that's you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_01 37:34

Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 37:35

They just been there, they ain't doing nothing to move the nigga. But but then you get Mitchell, who's been in there when you do put him in, and like I said, you get a lot of drops, you get uh he runs the wrong route quite often, especially early in uh instruments. If he's doing shit like that. That's what I'm saying. And then, like, you know what I mean? In the offseason, you hear such great things about him in training camp and things, and then it just he gets on the field, you know, in those situations where it is a four-receiver, or you know, I mean, he's coming in at a slot or whatever, and he's not doing what the other guys are doing. You know what I'm saying? Like, you're not producing whether you have all the talent in the upside and we believe in you, it's like when we're giving you the opportunity, you're not taking advantage of it. Because we can move Alec Pierce.

SPEAKER_01 38:21

I don't move.

SPEAKER_03 38:21

No, I'm just saying we can move at Alec Pierce that talented after a year. So I mean, it's two years, and he didn't do anything last year, and he had a bunch of drops. This is right, that's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_01 38:33

Like, it hadn't been two years, it's just been one year.

SPEAKER_02 38:36

I mean I just don't like the way they was coming at him about that mistake. I was like, I ain't never seen no shit like that. Like now the news people was going crack. I'm like, damn, like, nigga, you fucked up. But like to bench him, they was like, Yeah, he should never play again. I'm like, wow, okay. But like I said, that's why I prefaced it with I'm not super tapped in. I'm not gonna, I've never seen it. But I mean, do you I mean like who are you who are you in a rush to put him on the field in front of? I I don't know. Everybody I was just talking about like isolating somebody like that off of a mistake that we see five to ten times a year. DeMarco did it. It's not DeMarco. But like I said, I don't think it's good for the um the the Cardinals.

SPEAKER_01 39:23

Um yeah, uh DeMarco De Marcado.

SPEAKER_02 39:27

Yeah, yeah, it is. There it is. Yep, yep, yep, yep. He did it too. And he was out there last night. I mean, I just I wasn't used to the reaction that maybe and then like I said, I haven't watched him, so maybe.

SPEAKER_03 39:37

And like I said, and I don't think it's just that. Yeah, that's what I was you've been watching him over the two years in the time he's been on the field. Like I said, there's been a lot of drops, a lot of wrong routes ran, and I don't see out of the three receivers in front of him, I don't see somebody that you're gonna be like, I'm not gonna put him in front of Alec Pierce, I'm not putting him in front of Downs or Pittman. Like, I'm I'm not in a rush to get him on the field in front of one of those guys when they're clearly all producing now. And when you're out there, you're one of the few that's just not.

SPEAKER_01 40:09

I'll say I'll say it this way: you can say that, but when given certain opportunities, like in that Rams game, the kid showed his talent. So, I mean, you can say all that, but I mean, it is what it is. I'm just saying, I watch every game, so I I see them all the time. I do too. I I you're not the only one. I see a lot of the games, I see as far as just not just the hope. Watch a lot of them.

SPEAKER_03 40:34

So I was just I mean, like and like I said, I'm with you. I was I was excited when we got him, but like when I see him out there, I don't I don't see like excitement. I see cockiness, I see celebrations and all that stuff, and then you drop a ball, easy one. Or you know, I mean the end zone shit is the end zone shit. I don't think it like I said, I don't you don't cut or get rid of somebody just because of that. There's a lot more. And if you look back through his plays throughout the years, I mean the last two years or a year and a half or whatever.

SPEAKER_01 41:06

So according to so according to that logic, and again, I'm not I'm not even coming at you, but I'm just just to kind of put it in perspective, according to your logic, then that means like Brian Thomas Jr. should be traded because he struggled with drops this year. He's been terrible with drops this year. There's there's guys Marvin Harrison Jr. has struggled with drops throughout his career, even last year. So you're saying these teams need to move off of guys because they struggle with drops, and I I just can't agree with that.

SPEAKER_03 41:30

So I mean No, I'm just talking about I'm just talking about Mitchell being the fourth receiver on the on a team, receiver number four.

SPEAKER_01 41:39

Now, if those guys are receiver number four, just then pure talent-wise, who's the best receiver on that roster?

SPEAKER_03 41:45

Pure talent-wise, Josh Downs. Josh Downs.

SPEAKER_02 41:54

You see, I don't have no expression because I I have no idea.

SPEAKER_03 41:58

I don't even have a I know for a fact. It's hands down, Josh Downs.

SPEAKER_02 42:02

I have no idea. So if you say Josh Downs, then we just gonna roll with. I'm just gonna roll with Josh Downs. We're gonna roll with Josh Downs.

SPEAKER_01 42:08

Well, I got no idea. Roll with Josh Downs, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 42:11

About to give me lying.

Colts’ Big Swing For Sauce Gardner

SPEAKER_03 42:16

So, I mean, again, I didn't know he was part of that trade when I initially seen it because it came across my phone and just said two first, and I was just like, two first. I'm like, and I didn't even understand that at first. I'm like, that's a lot for Sarge Gardens.

SPEAKER_02 42:33

Especially for the money, like I can see man.

SPEAKER_03 42:36

I mean, I'm not worried about the money because like I said, the coast is cheap. We don't pay a lot of people, we don't have a bunch of like crazy, like big contracts, so I'm not even really worried about the money. I'm just looking at the first two first. I'm like, two gardeners is solid. Yeah, and and then and a player. Like, I'm like they said they're basically you gave up two first and a second because Adon was a second.

SPEAKER_02 43:03

It's like that's maybe they're just super convinced on him. And like I like I want him to do well, it's one of my favorite players, but you know, me too.

SPEAKER_03 43:12

Like, I even went to college. Even after the whole Dapaco and everything, like all of that, I was still like, I wasn't like giving up on him. But it's just like some people just need to, some some players you just have to sit down and just give them a time. And then when you raise give them an opportunity, hey, look, this is your opportunity again. You know what I mean? And at that end of hopes for a team that's not been high on accountability over the years. I'm not mad at them holding players accountable because we need that in our organization because we haven't had it in a long time. So I'm not mad if you players not performing and you you're not on the field. You know what I mean? Like work your way back into the rotation through practice and you know, things of that nature. Work your way back in.

SPEAKER_02 43:58

That's fair.

SPEAKER_03 44:00

So we just we just can't afford to to to go back to the old ways where we're just letting the BS slide because we've been doing that, and we don't wasted a lot of years letting the BS slide.

SPEAKER_02 44:10

I don't think that daughter going for it, boy. She is for it. Every time I see her with the headset on, I just cringe though. But she's doing something right.

SPEAKER_03 44:22

Headset on take she, but she's been doing that for four years now. I think she's been on the sideline for four years. She's been doing it.

SPEAKER_02 44:30

I know they made a big deal out of her saying that she just wanted the headset. I don't think she's been listening in for four years. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 44:37

I don't know, but she's been down there on the sideline with the with the headset on and taking notes, she's been doing that for a long time.

SPEAKER_02 44:43

So yeah, that's that's not what the media is saying, bro. They're all over, they're eating this up that she's just started doing this.

SPEAKER_03 44:50

Okay, well, hey, look. The team's playing better, like something's changing in the organization, and I'm not mad at it right now. So, like, compared to what we've been dealing with the past eight years, I'll take it. She can have two headsets, she can have one around her neck and one on her head. As long as we keep playing better football, I don't care. I ain't worried about it. Whatever. There's some owners you can't find.

SPEAKER_02 45:20

That's very true.

SPEAKER_03 45:21

There's a lot of teams that owners ain't even invested. Don't care. I'll take my owner on the sideline doing that versus you know what I mean, just sitting back, you know what I mean, sitting on their money not doing nothing. All right. So I'm not angry about it.

SPEAKER_02 45:41

Uh I didn't say I was angry about it.

SPEAKER_03 45:44

No, I'm just saying, like, I'm I'm talking about me just personally. I mean, you're saying like the media's eating it up and they got something to say about it. I'm like, I'm not angry about it. Hey, do what you gotta do. Be invested in your team. It's your team. Be down there, see what's going on, hear what they're saying, hear what they call and seeing how they execute. What's the conversation on the sideline? Be in all of it. Shoot, it's your investment. Because hey, you need to identify the problems yourself first. Like, you trusting everybody else to bring it to you. And I think that's kind of where I say was. It's like kind of in the background, like picking, choosing, and depending on other people to bring you the information. Go see for yourself. Like, so again, I'm kind of I'm kind of cool with you said what I said as the cowboys. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 46:33

That's what it sounds like, but I'm letting letting them cook.

SPEAKER_03 46:36

Letting them cook. Well, that's that's when you're the owner's the GM and all of that good stuff.

SPEAKER_01 46:42

That's when your owners overly inve uh overly into too many things that they don't know enough about.

SPEAKER_03 46:49

So maybe. I mean he got a couple Super Bowls. We ain't we only got one, so you talking about Jerry Jones? Yeah, at some point 30 years ago. That's hey. I'll take I'll take two more 30 years ago. For my team, I mean, hey, everybody can't beat the Ravens, man. You know, everybody can't beat y'all. Some people gotta, we got some people gotta crawl through the mud, man. Y'all just been a model of consistency, so we can't every team ain't like that. I wish. I wish. But some teams ain't got none. But uh let's look at some of these top games coming up this week. This week, man, this is this season going quick, man. I feel like we already in week 10. It's fine. It is definitely flying. Um Thursday night games, nothing to talk about. Uh is it? Vegas and Denver.

SPEAKER_02 48:02

I'll watch about Knicks. But yeah, it's definitely not a heater game, but I'll I'll watch it. I'll check it out.

SPEAKER_01 48:09

Hey man, what's wrong with what's wrong with your guy Chip Kelly, Jared?

SPEAKER_05 48:14

I mean, bro.

SPEAKER_01 48:18

Well, because he came from Ohio State. That's why I'm messing with him. I mean, so Jared, you know, Jared knows his, you know, how you recall them. It's just like, I don't understand Buddy's offensive strategy at all. It's probably just too college. Like it is.

SPEAKER_02 48:31

It is all zone reads. I'm I'm pretty sure he's running like zone reads and shit. And he ain't doing none of that.

SPEAKER_01 48:38

Like, that's the thing. Like, he ain't even doing that with with Genty. Genty don't even get the touches that he really needs. That's the problem. Like, he Gino's dropping back 40 times a game, throwing it to guys I don't even, I didn't even know was on the roster.

SPEAKER_03 48:52

And then you just moved your top guy.

SPEAKER_02 48:57

Because I don't even know since the super pass heavy. Like, I don't I don't think I remember that. Like, I don't either. That's what I'm saying. Like, I thought he probably ain't really getting to do what he wants to do. I mean, that's always an option. You know, you might get a job. Somebody be like, nah, this is what we're doing. Like, run your C P.

SPEAKER_01 49:15

Carroll say and throw the ball though.

SPEAKER_03 49:17

Right. Because I'm about to say P. Carroll is definitely a run first. He's a run first uh coach, which is crazy. One of the best young running backs in the league.

SPEAKER_02 49:28

Yeah, I don't know, man.

SPEAKER_01 49:29

I don't know. It's crazy. But that's it. I yeah, I mean, we'll see.

SPEAKER_03 49:35

Nah, I I I agree with that. Uh, but we got some decent games this week. We'll get New England, Tampa Bay.

SPEAKER_01 49:42

Tampa coming off the bye. I'd be curious to see who on Tampa Bay is actually healthy to play this week.

SPEAKER_03 49:47

Yeah. I mean, they still, yeah, they are, especially at receiver. They got a day of.

SPEAKER_01 49:52

That's what I'm talking about. I'm I mean, they got a couple injuries in other places, but receiver, especially what what that what does that look like?

SPEAKER_03 49:59

That's gonna be could be a good game, I guess I should say. Uh potentially. Uh another one, 425 game. You got uh the Rams and and the Niners. That could potentially be a good one. Um depending on what Washington team show up, Washington and Detroit.

WR Depth Debates And Accountability

SPEAKER_01 50:17

Nah, they're done. That's that's not uh Jay names is gone, man. So man, I was right about the two, man.

SPEAKER_02 50:25

I I knew I I knew it, man. I I don't know, yeah, I just knew it's hard to go to the the conference championship and then bounce back. It's hard, man. It's almost like you're doing yourself a disfavor by going far in your rookie season. It just how many times does that turn out not well? It's almost like outside of like Patrick Mahomes, like and Tom Brady, I can't think of many cases where people got there and actually stayed there. It's like everybody took a crash. Yeah, and it's just another another statistic, another tally mark just added to that. It's almost like, man, don't even suck the first year, bro. Just just suck, get you another nice draft pick, and then kind of build on something. It's like when you hit that that high mark so quick, it's just it just it never worked out.

SPEAKER_01 51:14

It's down from there.

SPEAKER_02 51:15

I mean, like you said, that's it.

SPEAKER_03 51:16

Yeah, you can't. I mean, that's the next thing is the Super Bowl. Like, if you're like that's your next standard. Like, yeah, well, it was a season of failure.

SPEAKER_01 51:25

That's tough, man. Tough, especially since they don't have a first-round pick either. So and they're gonna be bad, and you ain't got a first-round pick for next year.

SPEAKER_03 51:34

And you can't say, like, they didn't try in the offseason, they brought in offensive linemen, they brought in weapons, like they they tried, they they recognized, like, okay, like we need to bring in some more to help him at this moment. But I think injuries and uh old defense.

SPEAKER_01 51:47

Yeah, I was gonna say, Yep, old defense injuries, and I I'm gonna go ahead and just say, I feel like every time it happens in the offseason, I'm out of the team, it never works out well. When you have a player who holds out, man, and then you start the season with like with the whole McLaren, like it never bowls well for those teams, man. That offense hasn't looked right, it never was able to look right. Never. So I just already gonna be in trouble anyway. So I just hate the fact that he was in at a time in the game where it was harmless for him to be in, and then he had a bad injury like that to that elbow.

SPEAKER_03 52:22

So yeah. Yeah. Um then Monday night we get Philly and Green Bay.

SPEAKER_04 52:33

That'll be interesting.

SPEAKER_03 52:35

That's what I was saying. That won't that won't be a bad game either. I'll tell you. Um teams on the bye this week is Cincinnati, Cincinnati. Yes, Tennessee.

SPEAKER_02 52:43

Yeah, Tennessee, Kennedy City. That means we're not giving up 50 this week. I'm excited about it. And I don't gotta go watch it. I probably won't even watch football on Sunday. I'm gonna try to get away. I needed a break. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 53:04

Can we talk about how good uh, or let me just say this how good is Philly's front office, man, and man continuing to build that team, man? Goodness grief.

SPEAKER_02 53:15

I'm almost I'm jealous, really.

SPEAKER_03 53:17

Like I it's like they do all the right things at the right time with the right players.

SPEAKER_02 53:23

It's like people just be giving them shit, like it's like people be dealing them cards for them fire hands, because like got Jalen Phillips for a third.

SPEAKER_01 53:33

They got two cornerbacks that they can give a shot to now, because you know they traded Baltimore and they got Jair Alexander, and then they traded the Jets and got Michael Carter. So now they got two cornerbacks that can come in, and then they got uh Jalen, which helps with the pass rush. It's like, man, they they're they on paper, they've taken care of some of the questions. It ain't like their defense has been terrible, but they taken care of some of them questions that they had. Still in some of them spots that they were struggling every time. Yep. And teams just give them to them. Like, oh, this is who you want. Okay. I'm gonna take it. Yep. Feel like they got like dirt on all these NFL teams. So something. Yep, because whoever they want, they gonna get. Yep.

SPEAKER_03 54:17

Yep. They get like it that is it's it's wild. It is it is wild what they do. Like I I hats off. You know what I mean? Like, hats off. But even, I mean, kind of y'all too. The Ravens, like, had y'all brought in uh what you call it, that safety, so y'all can move Hamilton back down into the box and let him kind of roam around and do his thing. That's that really been that really helped y'all defense too. So, like y'all kind of do that too when the money's there.

SPEAKER_01 54:44

Here's the problem though with Baltimore is like, and I'm just like, so when they lost Hidarius Washington in the offseason, that's when they should have gone ahead and replaced another safety. It's the same issue they had last year. You can't make Kyle Hamilton sit on the back end of your defense where he can't where he can't impact the game. Yeah, he can't be a true impact player. What happens? You feel the hole that you should have felt when Washington got hurt in the offseason. Now all of a sudden Kyle Hamilton can be your ex, you know, that piece on your defense that moves around and does all that. Now your defense is playing. Oh, go figure. It's the same thing that happened last year.

SPEAKER_03 55:19

Like, like, I mean, because he he plays cool, he plays nickel sometimes. He's played, he plays he rushed sometimes, like Edge, like you can find him everywhere. So now I think that's definitely gonna be a game changer for y'all. Um, 100%.

SPEAKER_01 55:36

Yeah, 100%. When he's able to be free, their defense is much, much better. So I mean, don't get me wrong, health has been huge for Baltimore, like I said, this year. So you know that that's gonna hurt every team that has the type of injuries that they had, but they're semi-healthy, or get at least they're a lot healthier than what they were. Lamar still ain't 100%. I don't know if any of y'all watched the game. I did, I did. Yeah, but I said unfortunately he's not 100%, and I don't know that he'll get there this year, so that's gonna limit them a little bit just because he didn't look like he was comfortable taking off.

SPEAKER_03 56:09

So yeah, no, no, definitely. I mean, he was I mean throwing it, he looked fine, but like he had to move around. Yeah, you can you can tell a little bit. I watched that.

SPEAKER_01 56:19

Teams get that pressure and he got to move around. That's that concerns me as far as his ability to you know trust that the hamstring's gonna hold up.

SPEAKER_03 56:25

And and but like you said, getting Ricard back will help Derrick Henry, and maybe they can, you know, I mean, lean on him more and that short passing game.

Week 10 Slate: Matchups That Matter

SPEAKER_01 56:35

Yeah, and I'll hope hopefully they'll um get Justice Hill and keep Mitchell more involved too. I I would like to see that, but we'll see. Because Mitchell's been running good.

SPEAKER_03 56:44

Like the times I've seen they put him in, like he looks real good again.

SPEAKER_01 56:48

Yeah, he's back back to his old self after the ACL injury. So I would like to, I really would like to see them getting more involved, but Baltimore is not great with uh implementing multiple backs at times.

SPEAKER_03 56:59

So well, they also uh you know, you know, proceed with caution with backs too, because the times they've tried it, they've lost three or four. So they probably like, hey, look, we're gonna take it easy. And you know, you brought Derrick Harry there for a reason. So I mean, even though they don't use him like they brought him there, like, which is correct. Yeah, there's no reason why he shouldn't touch the ball 20 times. I don't I don't see why not.

SPEAKER_01 57:28

I like my thing is this, I wouldn't even trip on him not touching it 20 if you were actually giving like Keith Mitchell and Justice Heel more meaningful run in time, really more so Keith Mitchell more meaningful time, but they don't. To your point, I don't know what they it's like Munkin goes into his screen game and all that, then they're like, all right, we'll give it back to Derrick Henry now, you know.

SPEAKER_03 57:46

Like, at least when you're on the opponent's side of the 50, like once y'all get, you know what I mean, closer to scoring, like that should be all Derrick Henry.

SPEAKER_01 57:54

Should be.

SPEAKER_03 57:54

You're right, it should be, but once we cross the 50, like, hey, look, we you know what I mean? Y'all know what's coming. I don't care if y'all know it.

SPEAKER_01 58:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 58:03

Let's go.

SPEAKER_01 58:03

Well, that's how they exactly how they should think, but that's not. I mean, y'all have seen Baltimore enough to know, like, I've told y'all, I I'm still not a Todd Monking believer. So yeah, I mean, I just think he when when the moments are meaningful, he he doesn't know how to call games. So it is what it is.

SPEAKER_03 58:22

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I do think y'all, y'all on y'all trending upwards. Yeah, for sure. And this is the time you really want to be too.

SPEAKER_01 58:29

Like, you know what I mean? November good part of the schedule. So they definitely have um games that they sh they can win. I mean, I think when I looked at it, I was like, they could easily run off the next, you know, seven games and no one would be like, oh, that's crazy. All the games are winnable. Um, just depending on how they, you know, what they do with it. Because I I'm not a believer in Pittsburgh, so I'm gonna tell you.

SPEAKER_03 58:51

Yeah, Vikings, yeah. Y'all got Vikings, Browns, Jets, Bengals. Yeah, that's y'all next four. Yeah. Then y'all get the Steelers. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 58:59

And I'll be honest with you, it's one of those where and Jerry does this, it's like division games, everybody kind of plays themselves tough, but it's like I'll be honest. Pittsburgh's defense is terrible. Bengals' defense is terrible. And they're just gonna be able to east, but they struggle with certain things, so it's like, but their offense is so bad it doesn't matter. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 59:24

Like And that's kind of like the Vikings, too. Like, yep. So you're probably gonna play damn near the same, the same type of game between the Vikings and the Browns. It's probably yeah, yeah. You get, like you said, three bad defenses. Well, four, because you get the Bengals after the siege. You get Bengals, Steelers, Bengals.

SPEAKER_01 59:39

Yep.

unknown 59:40

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 59:41

So y'all's next test will probably be New England. You know what I mean? End of December.

SPEAKER_01 59:46

I think it's interesting too. I saw uh I saw a stat and I was like, well, that is kind of and I don't remember the exact numbers, but it was like what Carson went when he was behind center Minnesota was letting him drop back and throw the ball like 63, 65%. But anytime JJ McCarthy's been under center, it's down to like it's at 53 or 55. I was like, wow, that's a big difference. So I I I think I think against Baltimore, if you if you're willing to throw the ball around a little bit, you can have some success. Um because I still think the secondary is is definitely got some some issues, but I don't think any of the teams that we just named, I don't I don't know that any of them are gonna present enough of a problem. Like Cincinnati can throw it, but the problem is the defense can't we we could probably go out there right now and go go 80 yards on on the Bengals defense. So I just I'm a firm believer in that. Yeah, like I I mean I'm with you, Jerry. I feel your pain on that because like watching them a couple times, I've been like, well, dag, I don't y'all don't put up much of a fight at all on that side of the ball. So nothing. Nothing.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:50

Um, no, that's that's definitely, yeah. Because I was I mean, I mean, watching the Pittsburgh game, like them versus Pittsburgh, like I was like, come on, like, just do something. Like offense is so inspiring right now, it's like, come on, like that's the thing. It's like people are like, well, you know, and that's they can have two more wins if they got two stops.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:15

Yep, yep. And it's like even Burrow doesn't change anything. It's like it's not your offense that's your problem. Yeah, yeah. Like, yeah, that's it.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:28

So Burrow has nothing to do with nothing at all with the losses. No, no, for sure. Which is crazy because you can't even you can't even be like, oh well, if we had borrow. Nope. Nope. In your words, in your words, Flacco been hooping. So yeah, Flacco been going crazy. Yeah, he had a career high uh Sunday, 470 yards, four T's. He had two picks, but I don't really count them because the one was a Hail Mary, and then two, we down by 14 with three minutes. You just being unbelievable. Yeah, yeah. You put you forcing it, yeah. I don't even count that. So, like as far as I'm concerned, he don't have no picks since he's been with us. He got about what, 12 touchdowns, 13, something like that. Man, he's been playing well.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:13

Yeah, he's been playing well.

AFC Picture, Ravens Adjustments, And Health

SPEAKER_02 1:02:15

I've been seeing people say, is this proof that uh Joe Burrow is a uh system quarterback? I was like, I mean, I love Joe Burrow, but y'all know I'm with the facts. We gotta talk about not now, but right now we want to talk about it, it's fair game. It's fair game. Because this offense ain't looked like this even with Burrow. I don't think ever.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:40

It's a couple, but I mean y'all, this offense is humming. Chase Brown is involved.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:45

Like when we got that uh onside kick, I looked at my boy Will, because you know, he's we was actually I was actually in the car by the time all that took place. But I was like, we're gonna score a touchdown. The thing that's gonna make the game is if if we leave time on the clock and we left 54 seconds and they didn't even need that.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:05

They didn't even need that. It was still like 17 seconds left when they scored. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:11

They didn't need scored a tu a whole touchdown. Touchdown, not even a field goal, like you gave up a full score now for sure. Yeah, I was like, oh, they're they're gonna score a touchdown. It's just the the the fact that's gonna decide the game is how much time is gonna be left on that clock. Yeah, it's almost to the point where I would have just I would have just took some knees or something and just tried to win it on fourth down. It's like and it's a shame that offense have you think like that as a as a like as an offense, you gotta protect your defense. Like that's like supposed to be the opposite side, supposed to be the other way. We about to score even if we get that in one pass, we're about to get that touchdown and we're about to lock up on D. As soon as we got the onside kick, I started getting depressed about the defense. Like, because I was just like, We're gonna sc we're gonna score. Like the game was the football guys were trying their best to give us a game, and they they were they were they were trying their best. I was like, oh, we're gonna score a touchdown, but if we leave them anytime, anytime we're gonna lose. And that's exactly what happened.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:14

Yeah, that's like I said, that's unfortunate. Like I said, two stops, you could have had two more wins, like the defense, like again, or we find another defensive coordinator at the end of this year, or we like what are we doing? I don't even think you can't even really blame them at this point because they can't tackle.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:30

No, and that's another thing, and I don't I don't I ain't gonna go too, I ain't gonna go long at all because I don't want to I don't want to hold you guys, but it's almost like they're sounding brainwashed. Like listening to uh Zach Taylor talk, it's it's kind of scary because he's they're like, so do you think you got, you know, do you think you have everything you need to win a Super Bowl? Oh yeah, I'm fully convinced that we have everything we need to win a Super Bowl in the building. And then it's just like, dude, it's just it's bizarre, it's scary. Like it's like, man, he can't really believe that.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:59

There's no way you believe it. It's it's it's it's so, but I mean, you can't you can't come out and be like, yeah, our offense is Super Bowl ready, but that defense of ours couldn't stop a high school football team. Like, you can't come out and say that. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 1:05:11

But I mean, you can say, but we we really got some things to work on. We really gotta dig deep. Uh, you know, I mean shit. I would say, I don't know. I would be like, if somebody more late, I don't know. I mean, you know, to start the season, maybe, but with the performances we had over the last two weeks, I'm not too sure. Um, are we gonna get back at it and work hard and try to fix the problems? Yes. Um, you know, do I still uh genuinely, you know, like everybody in the building? Yes. But I mean, to look the reporters dead in the face and tell them, no, we're fine. We have everything we need to win a championship in this building is crazy. Because I mean, we're bad at every single spot.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:49

I think he's just trying to motivate them. That man, bro. I look, I agree with you. I think, but I think it's more so like he's just trying to motivate him.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:00

But you gotta at some point, you gotta kind of keep it real too. And that's kind of like what I was saying about the coach. Like, keep it real, like hold people accountable, like do that shit. Like Cincinnati, hey, if somebody ain't performing, you need to pull somebody out to make a point.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:15

And they don't they don't do that.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:17

You know what I'm saying? Like, it gotta be some accountability. Like, somebody gotta step in and be like, look, y'all not performing cool. We got, you know what I mean? We got zero 42 other people over here sitting down. Like, you know what I mean? I start bringing in some other guys. I'm telling them right now, hey, you miss a tackle, you on the bench. I'm bringing in your replacement. Like the crazy part about that though is like we're gonna start shuffling guys out, and we're gonna see who can play.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:40

All the backups play on special teams, and our special teams suck too.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:44

I'm just saying, like, you gotta start doing something. You gotta start threatening people's starting positions or something because it's like they benched, they benched Logan, Logan Wilson.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:54

Trash, bro. Them two rookie linebackers are like the like according to the PFF. Granted, the PFF's full shit. Like some of the stuff that they say is there's no way. But the PFF has those those two rookie linebackers that we start out there, the bottom, the bottom of the bottom, like the bottom of I think one against the run is like 82 out of 82. Literally 82 out of 82. Like, there's not a linebacker that's eligible to be rated worse than this guy in the run. It's like, bruh. Not eligible. Like, so yeah, I don't know. I don't, I don't, I don't know. That's why I couldn't even be mad at them not doing nothing. Because it's like, what do you do? The only thing that I can think of is just cancel the season. Like, that's the only thing that I think of that would have the would have made the biggest imprint is just to cancel the season. Like cut everybody and just cancel the season. But I mean, there's not there's not a series of roster moves that you can make that's gonna help this team right now. It's just it's there's just nothing you can do. We need everything.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:06

So get in free agency, start bringing guys off the streets. Like, I'd be creating people jobs right now. Hey, man, NFL don't got to want to come back to Cincinnati to play.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:18

So what? The problem is don't nobody want to come to Cincinnati to play if you look at it.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:23

That's another that's another thing. Like, that's another thing that they indirectly.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:26

But if you give them money, they'll come. Nah, not Cincinnati. I'll be honest.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:30

I don't think that it just means I'm just saying, we've said this in the past. We've talked about how we get people there.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:38

I'll say this. I've heard several of Jerry's rants on the on the Bengals, and I truly have to say, I start to see why he talks about how bad ownership is. Just being real. Like, I I truly have started to look at it a little differently. I'm like, they got bad ownership, man. And I I'll say, like, it's one of those things that, yeah, players go with the money, but I think when you got ownership as bad as they are, it's gonna have to be a whole lot of money to get certain players to come here. That's all.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:03

So but like we we were talking about like the Cleveland's and the like third organizations where you're just like people don't want to be there. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 1:09:14

Yeah. Like the funny thing with Cleveland is I think it I don't I think people like Cleveland's coaching staff, but just can't stand ownership. Yep. So that's the thing about Cleveland where it's like I actually think people. I don't think the coaching staff likes the ownership. They don't, they don't. Yeah, they don't. I yeah, I'm sure they don't.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:34

That's I think that's what Shadur is caught up in. Yep. I think the ownership wanted to.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:38

He's in the middle of ownership and coaching. I think if it was up to coaching, he would be playing.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:44

But they're like, look, I think owner the other way around. I was gonna say, I think ownership wants to be a couple of things. Yeah, I don't think so.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:54

They not drafting the nigga that the owner don't want. Hell no. Yeah, nah.

unknown 1:09:58

Nah.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:00

I think I think if you're gonna be able to do it. I look at GM, I look at GM and them as part of front office ownership. Like that's I think that's the separation.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:09

Yeah, and I think that they want, I think the the people, I think the coaches don't want Shadur.

Defensive Meltdowns And Coaching Candor

SPEAKER_01 1:10:14

Yeah, like Stefansky didn't want him, but I think the front office is like they wanted him. I I think in all actuality, Cleveland would have rolled into the season with Gabriel, Pickett, and Flacco.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:26

Yeah, I don't think I don't think Shadoer is drafted if the coaches is the only people that want him. If the front office and the owners don't want him, they're not picking. Period. No. Nah.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:39

But then again, like, why is he like I don't know why they ain't playing then? Well, you ain't gonna play. Well, then of course if they draft each, they're not gonna move him then. The ownership not gonna move him. Well, don't nobody. Because they're probably for the same, like you said, if they wanted him, they drafted him, then regardless if the coaches don't want to play him, they're not gonna move him. They're gonna be like, no, we want him here. So pick some plays on the field.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:08

He gotta have a place to go to. I don't think Shador has a place to go. I don't know that there's a team that would have been calling Cleveland to see if Shador was available.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:18

So who knows? We'll never find that out because then that's gonna start a whole nother story.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:26

Yeah, no, but I doubt it. I highly, highly doubt that anybody called on Shador. Because here's your issue. It's hard to believe that if other teams were that interested in him, he would have dropped to the fifth.

unknown 1:11:38

Yeah, I know. I know.

SPEAKER_02 1:11:40

I think people is trying to make an example, but I mean we can go on and on about it.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:43

That's what I'm saying. They're like, that's a whole nother thing. Like I said, which is part of it, Jared.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:47

But uh, the other part is we're not talking about like certain teams passing on him, you know, for four rounds. A lot of those teams that needed quarterbacks had several picks in several of those rounds passing on it. So I'm I agree. I think they were trying to set an example, but I also think that there were several people who just didn't believe in the kid as being a you know their quarterback for the future. So but they thought Tyler Shuck was? Oh, I mean you both said. I don't agree, but I think that's one of those picks where it's like that's an example. They're setting an example of you know, that's the NFL trying to make an example out of the kid. Because 100%, there's no way you're gonna tell me that you thought Tyler Shuck was better than Shador. Not a chance.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:29

That's all I'm saying. Like, it's it's and I like I like Jackson Dart now, but I don't even think I bruh, I don't even think nobody realistically thought he was better than Shador. Like, nah. If you want to look at the numbers, you want to compare to accolades. I mean, what that none of it is.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:44

None of them got like none of those quarterbacks that went before him, like really projected in front. Well, I don't think even now look at that. Now look at Cam. Like, you there's no way you think that now.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:57

Yeah, it is. Come on, man. Don't don't say that Cam Board is the reason for how why Tennessee has better stop.

SPEAKER_02 1:13:02

I'm not that nigga. I'm not saying he's the reason making it better. He's not playing. He looks like that same plus quarterback every year. Like, there's nothing promising that I'm seeing from him at all.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:14

And and that's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:16

All right, you see.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:17

And I keep my eye on the AFC South. That's that's all I'm saying.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:20

There's any quarterback that you could put on that roster and it would be any different. Are we talking like rookies or like very rookies, rookies, rookies, yeah?

SPEAKER_02 1:13:28

Shit. I mean, I ain't tapped into too much. I just pay attention to to mistakes that that people make. And it's just like when I when I the the coach first game, when it was in Tennessee, that pick he threw to Kenny Moore was egregious. Like, I'm just like, if you're doing stuff like that, you're not locked in. Because that's that's not a oh I bad throw. Like, you just how do you not?

SPEAKER_03 1:13:50

Like a it's not a tip pick or something like that.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:52

Like, yeah, I mean, it was just like the reason why I can't give I I I'll say it this way, and I I'd use it just because it's the most obvious uh example. I don't get too wrapped up in it. Don't get me wrong, you don't want to see it, but at the same time, the team is terrible. I'm sure he's frustrated. And let's just be real, we've seen with the coaches are terrible. He don't even have a head coach now, he got an interim.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:14

And they got a new own, they got new ownership too over.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:17

And we've seen guys who who have struggled that first year and turned it around. So I mean, when we talk about pure talent, yeah, he was the most talented quarterback. I mean, he was more talented than Shador. I mean, that's not a I don't I don't think you can say Shador was more talented.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:35

Yeah, and me neither. Uh uh, I don't I and we don't know what a shadower because we he hasn't played, you know, any NFL games so you could see like or NFL ratings. You're talking about in college?

SPEAKER_01 1:14:46

I'm saying even if you're talking about in college.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:51

That's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:52

He was killing. Yeah, no, that definitely wasn't saying college.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:55

This nigga was throwing walk-off 50 yard bombs and shit. Like he was killing on the money. I don't know. I don't know. Nah, I wouldn't put you in.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:04

Did you see any of what Cam Moore did though at Miami?

SPEAKER_02 1:15:06

Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I seen I seen him, I know he had a better line, better team, period. And I mean, what's was his stats that much better than than than Shadur's?

SPEAKER_03 1:15:18

I don't think so. I can't I can't tell you.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:20

I know Shadoer has some some pretty great stats. I mean, he was Big 12 player of the year. I don't know if I don't know if uh Cam got uh ACC player of the year, but or he pretty probably did, but he probably did, but I don't know. Like 12 player of the year.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:34

I don't as far as their college careers, I don't see it was I don't think they were like number one pick versus fifth round pick. They wasn't that far apart.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:44

Nowhere near that far apart. That's I think that's what makes it worse too, Justin. When I when I when I think about that, that's what kind of makes me like a little bit more, because it's like there's definitely not a five-round gap between those two guys. I mean, not even close.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:59

No, but like I said, I don't I didn't think Shador was a fifth-round pick, but I am saying, like, I don't, I'm just gonna be real, which I don't think Shador was a better quarterback than Cam Ward, that's all. So coming out of that.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:11

That's objective. I I mean I ain't gonna I ain't gonna die on that heel either, but it was definitely.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:17

And like I said, until we see Shadoer in NFL football, like at this point, we really don't know.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:22

And like I said earlier, I think the gap between uh uh Cam Ward and Shadur is way smaller than the gap between uh uh CJ Stroud and uh Anthony Richardson. And Anthony Richardson was like what five, four, five, six, something like that. Way closer than those two were. So and that guy got drafted, they you know, Anthony Richardson got drafted high first round. So I don't know what the scouts saw or didn't see, but yeah. No, I agree.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:54

I agree.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:55

It might have been closer than CJ Stroud and and uh in uh Bryce Young.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:02

That's probably man, yeah. Looking back at that, yeah, Bryce Young and Ben, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:10

I think all four of those guys are like, you know, shit right there. But you got three of them that went high first round, and then you got Shadur in the fifth. Total BS, man.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:22

Yeah, I don't, yeah. Playing with that man.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:26

Crazy. There's no way he shouldn't be one of them quarterbacks getting that first career start in week eight. Like, no way. With all these teams, all this terrible quarterback play, man. I'm nothing. It's crazy.

Ownership, Culture, And QB Development

SPEAKER_03 1:17:40

And the and and another reason why I kind of look at that the the short, I mean, we've already been through all this, but the fact that you took a quarterback before him and then you drafted him, like why? Right. There's really no reason to even do that then. That's who does that? That's kind of make that's that's I think that's the reason why everybody was thinking, like, okay, like y'all really wanted him in the early rounds, but y'all kind of probably had a collusion with the league that hey, look, we're gonna draft him in the fifth, don't nobody touch him.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:06

Definitely collusion.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:08

I fully believe that. The Dylan Gabriel shows that when you already had three QBs on your roster.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:18

Not good ones, per se, but yeah, you remember at first you said you didn't think it was collusion, though. I I said that.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:27

Because now, granted, Shador definitely did make it easier on itself. I can't say that. I can't say that. But just from a football talent standpoint, you know, Dion, Dion and Shadur definitely make it easy for people to not like them, especially people of the the other, you know. Yeah, they they they definitely make it easy. So I definitely would have eliminated some of that, some of that extra stuff. But at the end of the day, from a football perspective, yeah, no, this is totally collusion. So if I said that prior.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:59

Yeah, your tones changed on Shador from from when we had that conversation. I could I think Bernie here brought something up and you kind of you kind of got in him a little bit about Shador around that draft around this. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:13

I've seen how this played out. I mean, just just like even for the fact that like he just like bro just said, for them to draft a quarterback in the third round and then pick him in the fifth, you're playing, bro. And no, I'd rather he just went undrafted. But the fact that he went after you took a quarterback in the third round and after you have 95 quarterbacks on your roster already, you're playing. That's right.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:36

After you traded for five one, you traded for one. Yeah, yeah. When you take one in the third, then you take him in the fifth.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:43

If he just goes undrafted, I'm like, all right, yeah, he probably talked himself out of a job. But the fact that he was drafted in that situation, bro, you're playing.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:51

There's that's who y'all really wanted in the early rounds, but you wanted to make an example. So you talk to your owner buddies, and everybody agreed to leave him alone.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:02

The other part of it I said is I think Cleveland has been so bad at quarterback, they were just taking as many swings as possible, if I'm being honest.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:09

That too. That that too. But you really haven't been bad at quarterbacks. You just can't, you just don't keep them. You're not satisfied because you have Baker Mayfield, who was fine.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:18

He was he wasn't great with Cleveland, though.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:21

Bro, he took y'all to the playoffs the first time y'all had been in 10, 20 forever.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:26

They won a game, too, didn't they? Yes. I don't know if they win a playoff game, but you, but but still you were trending in the right direction with him. Uh the Steelers, but I could be wrong on that.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:37

Yeah, I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:38

Regardless, even if you didn't win, you were in a better position with him than you've ever been with anybody else you've drafted.

SPEAKER_02 1:20:45

Then you ship him out and he turned up. Granted, he he made some stops in between here, though.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:49

So I ain't gonna say he's but he still but even in between those stops, he was still playing okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:53

He was serviceable, yeah. You're right. Yeah, but I'm just saying he's not who he is today. And uh again, we can take that, but that's such a small three years three years removed.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:03

That's what I'm saying. Who would know? Imagine this Baker Mayfield in Cleveland, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 1:21:07

We don't know if we ever would have got you don't know if he ever would have got the version of Cleveland.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:11

But you know, just hindsight. If if if if so, what have been? What would have been? You know what I mean? So it's not like y'all just bad at picking court, y'all just don't keep people around and nobody really wants to stay there, like we were saying.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:21

Right, but I'm saying, I mean, but but we've seen so many examples. That's why I don't even use that anymore. I mean, are we gonna say that this arrow would have been who it would have been with the Jets? No.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:30

Yeah, no, yeah, yeah, right, right, right.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:32

So yeah, you can look back and say, if this guy was there, you would be better. Yeah, but you can't, you can't assume that somebody would become who they are in in that situation. Because part of what made Baker is those situations he went through, the coaches he got to get coached from, and then turning into who he is now.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:49

So I mean Yeah, and and and like I say, like if he was just horrible in Cleveland and y'all moved on from him, cool. He wasn't that bad, he wasn't that bad compared to what y'all have been compared to the Menzels and the the couch, like all them guys.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:08

Yeah, but you gotta remember too, the reason they moved on is because they thought they were getting Deshaun Watson in Houston.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:15

So that's true too. That's true.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:18

So you gotta think of the full scenario behind why they moved on from Bayes. No, fair. Fair.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:24

And that Deshaun Watson at that time was MVP level almost. Yeah, got it. But yeah, no, that's crazy. Nonetheless, man, we've been we've been going. Uh man, final thoughts, man. Final thoughts. What are we defunding? No, yeah, but what are we defunding? I don't think I ain't gonna call this final thoughts no more. We're gonna just talk the funding. Who we defunding?

SPEAKER_02 1:22:50

I don't even think I got enough enough defunds for the Bengals defense, but I do have a card of the day, though. All right, so this here, ah, the lightest lightest crazy. Okay, okay, better. This is a gold wave one-on-one of Garrett Wilson. Meaning, well, one on one, obviously, there's only one of this particular card in the world, and I have it. I mean, it's nothing crazy, it's not super, super valuable, but I mean, it's kind of cool to have just the owner one on one of one of your guys. So oh, yeah. That's the card of the day. Yeah, man. I'm I mean, I'm yeah, I don't even have any enough defunds left for the Cincinnati Bengals defense, so we just gonna let it ride and and just rock out.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:37

Uh, what about you, Justin? Man, I heard they canceling the Jake uh tank fight.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:42

Good. Good. No one wanted to see that mess.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:46

I just wanted to start a conversation about box.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:49

Nah, it's a disgrace. So but you do, this is the month I told you, where you do have uh some fights coming up. So I want to say, let me see. The 15th, you got the Chris Eubanks and Connor Ben two coming up. That's uh on the 15th. That that uh the first one was pretty a pretty good fight. So the second one they're expecting to be pretty good. Then the next weekend after that, you got the David Benavidez fight, and like Brian Norman, I think, and Haney are fighting. So you got that that car was a real good card, and that's on the 22nd, and then the 29th, uh Ben Whitaker. Uh he he fights out of UK, but he's a heavyweight, entertaining fighter. Um uh he fights the weekend after that. So you got you got a couple good weekends of boxing coming up in November.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:36

So nice, sweet, sweet.

Final Thoughts, Card Of The Day, And Boxing Slate

SPEAKER_01 1:24:37

Yeah, sweet. But definitely happy to hear that that clown of a show with Tank and Paul are off. And the reality is, and this is just me, um the shenanigans of that, and I get it from the money side, but the fact that he went that route and didn't want to run it back with Roach or find an actual fight to fight, I'll be honest, I've lost a lot of interest in even watching Javante Davis fight. So I ain't got nothing for a buddy right now. He's gonna have to he's gonna have to win win that back. But I did hear. Did y'all any of y'all watch that Keyshawn Davis fight a while back when him and his brothers got the real ignorant after they fight? Um and they and they jumped the dude who beat his brother. Wow. Yeah, but that's why you ain't that's why you ain't seen Keyshawn Davis. Like they that they they did some real ignorant stuff. Um he was involved in the jumping? I don't know. Did the dude win or did Keyshawn Davis win? No, no, Keyshawn won his, so like on his cards, they call it DB3. So it's three Davis brothers, and all three usually fight. So the older brother lost his fight. Rightfully so, he got worked. Uh he lost. Um, but they jumped buddy in the like, I don't know if it was in a hallway or in his room or something like that, or uh locker room or something like that. It was it was crazy because I said I said it was a disgrace. It was a disgrace uh for that. And Keyshawn Davis, I want to say they said he was part of it, but I don't get me wrong, don't get me on here saying I don't remember exactly his involvement or whatnot, but I just said it was sad because he went from being a I think a fighter that a lot of people had a lot of high hopes for to a guy where you ain't seen him fight in a minute, and I don't know what his market is as far as you know marketability. Because I'm gonna tell you now, he ain't the ace out of any fight right now, because now he's got to rebuild that reputation. So but supposedly it ain't till next year, though. I think it's like February next year. Supposedly, he's got a fight lined up, which is gonna which is against a dude named Hutchinson, who's nice. Hutchinson is nice. So if that actually if that fight happens, I'm gonna tell you right now, that may be one of the best fights of 2026.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:47

Sweet, sweet good, good, man. I'm glad we got some some boxing updates, man. We watched it last week. Uh so yeah, man. I guess with that being said, man, this has been the Epic Podcast, man. We will see y'all again next week.