Free Agency (Something) Day 2 LIVE: Daniel Jones to Colts + MORE!

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Dirty, 30.

Dirty, 30.

Watch out.

Dirty, 30.

Dirty, 30.

Dirty, 30.

Hello and welcome

to day two of free agency, heating that call, Dan Hansis with Mark Sessler and Connor Orr, back-to-back days.

Yeah, 30, 30.

Unbelievable, Connor.

You can feel the energy just in the intro.

Anytime you can get a man screaming, you'll be killed,

that's where you want to start your day.

Do you know,

there's, you know, that old thing, like, if you know, you know.

This is the smallest sliver, if you know, you know, possible.

I grew up, me and my cousin, Matt, just grew up watching the 1962 Toho films classic, King Kong versus Godzilla.

And that's a scene from that film where we always just got a kick out of this random dude screaming in hokayato at a couple running towards Godzilla.

You'll be killed!

You'll be killed!

I mean,

it seems like fair advice from the man.

But they weren't killed.

How about that?

See, that's the human spirit triumphing once more.

Yes.

All right.

Although it was the failures of the human spirit that created Godzilla.

Think about that.

I think we just wrap the episode at that point.

We've given everyone a lot to chew on there.

A physical manifestation of the atomic age, Mark Sessler.

That's actually you.

That's how I would describe you.

Welcome.

Here we go, day two.

I have to say, by the way, and thank you to everybody in the live chat right now.

And we're going to have a lot of fun for the next 30 minutes.

In fact, start the clock, Justin, on this dirty 30.

Can we be real about this, Sess Dog, that

we love covering this game?

But we need a little bit more clarity on the legal tampering period, which is such a weird phrase in general.

And the fact that 75% of the free agency is done before free agency officially kicks off tomorrow, how about we just drop legal tampering period and Monday is the start of free agency and just cut out the middleman because I think, quite frankly, it just muddles the message.

Yeah, like for all of us that talk about this, and if you think about like, I think of Connor when you were like a, you know, a hardcore beat writer for like the, it's like

this phrase, it fit very well about eight years ago.

It made sense.

In fact, it was like a new, a new kind of thing where it's like, let's be real about what's actually happening now.

Things have become so truncated and so quick that free agency feels essentially over in terms of curating and names in about 30 hours.

And so we've got to update the phrasing.

I remember one offseason.

I think it was like my third offseason on the Jets beat.

And you start to see how the sausage is made.

And it's like, okay, well, I need to be the first guy on Twitter to break some of this news.

And so you spend all offseason.

Like I'm talking, you know, I was late for Christmas Eve Mass talking to an agent about his back surgery, you know, to try to get in with this guy to see if I could get, you know, some third string fullback and all this news and stuff.

And you're going to the combine and you're staying out all night.

And And then it was 2012, I think it was, one of the first years of like the legal tampering period.

And then at literally 4.01 p.m., Adam Schefter just tweeted out 99 transactions in a matter of a second.

And then you're just like, well, f me.

You know, like there was like every agent during that time was like, yeah, I promise I'll call you.

I'll call you.

It was all just loaded into his tweet deck for like three weeks.

And then you're just like, fk it.

This whole thing.

That's that's frustrating.

It also reminds me, and I love it, Connor, you are self-proclaimed.

You were a madman in your mid-20s, a very different man pre-TNC.

And I think about, speaking of King Kong versus Godzilla, like Connor Orr versus Manish Mehta on the New York Jets beat.

Like two just absolute maniacs squaring off in the center of Tokyo.

Only instead of Tokyo, it's suburban New Jersey.

I never had the news-breaking prowess that he did

at all.

I mean, I was very young at that point, and he was on the beat for a while, but that didn't stop me from like,

I think about it now.

In the Jets facility, your office is these little closet-sized cubicles and then we all had doors on them.

And like, I, I would get beat on a story and I would like punch the wall and like, you know, and once at my apartment, this is craziest.

This is the funniest like free agency story ever.

So at the Combine, one of the Jets coaches tells me, hey, we're going after these two free agents.

So I know that to be true, right?

But I got to confirm it, right?

You got to get it, you know, you got to get other people on this because, you know, a coach might want somebody, but you don't know if the head coach wants them or you don't want to know if the GM wants them, right?

So I'm working to confirm it.

I'm working to confirm it.

All of a sudden, Manish drops it and beats me to it.

I was like, this is my one hot scoop.

And I had a full suitcase next to me.

And

I had, I was living in like a really small apartment in Montclair.

And then I did like the Magnus Samuelson like turnaround hammer throw.

And I threw the full suitcase through the wall of the apartment.

And it went straight through, like into the bathroom and so i had to patch like a hole that was like that was like the size of like a large dog and uh yeah i'm glad i don't have to do that anymore like maybe on a leap year mark we get that connor for one year every like right i think we i think we just need to you get um certain things into the bloodstream and probably we could produce it um i will yeah that's the other thing there's a ton of like also if you get leap year connor you're gonna get that maniac throwing suitcases through walls you're gonna get a hard drinker out on the town just for like maybe even maybe a year is too much.

Give us one month.

I think like even a fortnight would be great.

I will say one thing.

You know, I've mentioned this.

I went on that infamous trip where like Rex Ryan, I was with Rex Ryan overseas.

And I did say to him, I said, one, I said, have you ever, like, do you know Connor Orr?

I said, I work with him, and I believe he covered the Jets.

He's like, I know Connor.

That was the comment.

Like, we didn't have any further conversations.

Sorry, you left an imprint.

Apparently, I know Connor.

All right, let's get into it.

Oh, this is a good one.

Shout out to Kelly Hoban.

Change legal tampering period to

consensual finagling.

I think the goal here is to eliminate that phraseology entirely and just make a free agency.

But if we were going to change legal tampering,

consensual finagling is pretty good.

Pretty good.

I approve.

All right.

Let's get caught up to date.

Oh, Dan Partilly on the live chat.

Again, thank you to everybody on the live chat here.

Free agency something is out of control.

There are 300 plus of us.

We all like the video for our heed, Lords and Gravy.

Yes.

I feel like I hit all the wrong

points of emphasis on that because I have no idea what I just read.

Let me try again.

There are 300 plus of us.

Can we all like the video for our heed?

Lords and stone.

Somebody translated.

Dan, to yours.

This is a great shout out.

I give you a little credit.

Everyone, press like if you're watching this.

Thank you.

Oh, sure.

Good.

And I appreciate what Dan said.

I think we could have gone down a different road dramatically with that particular message, but that's okay.

And while we're here, you know, hashtag 48.4 subscribers on the YouTube.

We're almost at 20,000.

So please bang that subscribe button on Heed the Call on YouTube and get us where we need to be.

All right, let's get into it.

Enough finagling.

Here's where we stand as of 12.18 p.m.

Eastern on Tuesday.

Free agency is already starting to thin out significantly after a crazy Sunday, Monday.

Can you throw up that Levitton tweet?

By the way, Twitter hacked.

Twitter was hacked yesterday, which is pretty much what we called that.

I think I called it a coup d'etat, potentially, and that's exactly what

I was saying.

Has anyone seen the bumper stickers, by the way?

Can you pull that down one second?

Has anyone seen the bumper stickers of the people that drive the teslas and the cyber trucks now that are like i bought this before elon musk went crazy it's like nah man i don't think that's gonna save you from the spray painting and stuff i think you might have to go with something a little more like that's a patch on a dam that has exploded you know

anyway lipstick on a pig as they'd say lipstick on a pig

i actually don't think that's what lipstick on a pig means but I think it is.

Isn't like a pig is considered sort of dirty or shameful, although they're very clean animals.

But then like you put, you know, a little bit of makeup on it and we're lipsticking at a table.

I think the ultimate lipstick on a pig example in a sports context was Super Bowl 59, what the Chiefs did in the second half to make that look like not the most hideous blowout that we've seen in many years in the Super Bowl.

Anyway, the Levitton tweet.

Let's see.

Who's left as we record right now?

Stefan Diggs, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Deontay Johnson, Evan Ingram.

That's like your top five remaining dudes.

And then you have like, then you have these figures, Evan Ingram, J.K.

Dobbins, Rico Dowdle, Keenan Allen, Nick Chubb.

Look at that, Sussexie.

That just makes me sad.

It's depressing.

Amari Cooper, Khalil Herbert, DeAndre Hopkins, Juwan Johnson, Elijah Moore.

Elijah Moore.

Are we still trying to fly the Elijah Moore flag in 2025?

Is that his order?

I think that would be his order,

Adam, of

Establish the Run's order, yes, of what's left.

Do you disagree with with it?

It seems about right to be.

No, I think Adam, I mean, you know, our old friend Evan Silva and Adam

kicked some serious behind over there.

So I'm not critiquing the order.

I just like, I almost, I saw J.K.

Dobbins, I think it's six.

Like, I think J.K.

Dobbins is somewhere.

It's not going to happen.

It's not going to happen.

Okay.

I would take J.K.

Dobbins over some of those.

Yes, Justin.

That was late, but reference to Elijah Moore.

Stop trying to make it happen.

That was so late, Justin.

Well, I didn't have it as a bad thing.

You're like, let's wait till Mark Carson will drop.

It's almost like you have to wait and hope Elijah Moore comes up again, you know?

It's like one of those situations

at that point, you know.

Yeah, but I don't like doing that.

I like interrupting Mark with the drops.

Yeah,

you know, I support that as well.

We love our producer, the gravedigger, who cannot dunk,

but says he can.

Lies.

And while we're here, let's pull up the Schefter tweet.

The QB deal so far.

So Darnold Darnold to the Seahawks, three for 100.5.

I saw some pushback on that, by the way.

I'll hold that thought.

Justin Fields, two for 40 with the Jets.

Daniel Jones, oh, that happened today.

Daniel Jones chooses the Colts, which was a great decision.

And we'll get into that.

One year for 14.

Jimmy Garoppolo, one for four.

Zach Wilson to the Dolphins, one for six guaranteed for Zach Wilson.

I read something interesting about Zach Wilson.

We'll get to that in a second, too.

Josh Dobbs, two for eight with the patch.

Jared Stiddam, two for 12 with the Broncos.

Nick Mullins.

Nick Mullins.

Good for you, son.

Two for six and a half.

How does Nick Mullins get two for six and a half?

And Zach Wilson, one of the big draft busts of this decade, one for six.

I'll tell you why.

I saw a report out there that I believe it was Samini,

but I'll double-check on this because I want to give the person the credit.

That Zach Wilson, who remember, memorably lost

the fight for the second string job in Denver one week into training camp, right?

Finished as the third stringer in Denver last year behind Bo Nicks.

That despite that, and despite obviously the draft pedigree and the failures with the Jets, his

throwing

portion of pregame warm-ups became mussy

TV for people at the games, including scouts, who would watch his warm-ups and marvel at his arm strength and his ability.

And to your point, I know, Connor, you're nodding your head because you're in the Wilson Hive.

We'll have to come up with a better name than that.

But that will explain why he got six guaranteed because the reason Denver didn't cut him when he didn't win the backup job is they knew he wouldn't clear waivers because he showed some things.

He's been showing things his whole career and he's been apparently doing it to the point where people are watching him and his warm-ups.

It seems crazy to me, but you know what?

I'm a Jets fan, so it's hard for me to really focus on these things.

I mean, the the problem with Zach was always that he erred towards those throws.

I mean, you know that, Dan, right?

Like, he had to win games almost in a way that Johnny Menzel did, where it was he put himself in a situation where he would need those kind of throws to succeed instead of just playing in rhythm.

But it's hard, right?

You don't want to throw away arm talent, but there's a baseball analogy there where it's like Joey Gallo or any of these guys that can smash like 400-foot-home runs, but you strike out every, you know, you're batting like 195.

And at some point, it just becomes too much of a hassle to have you on the roster.

I think this is his last chance if Mike McDaniel can turn him around.

But of any coach out there, I do think that Mike McDaniel is probably the guy who could do it.

Yeah, well, you mentioned that.

Yes, I mean, it wasn't Zach Wilson, was the classic like combine/slash pro day dazzling people, but then you've got actual defenders on the field, pressure, you got to read defenses, bullets are flying, Zach Wilson turns into uh Donna Wilson.

And this

and it's,

and it's, you say, why are you guys even wasting your time talking about this guy?

He's the backup to Tua Tung Vilo.

He's going to play six to 15 games next year.

Right.

Trust us on that.

So the Dolphins,

you know, and maybe Mike McDaniel's job could ride on

fixing Zach Wilson.

The one thing I'll say is Tua is on the shortlist of the most accurate quarterbacks in the league, right?

Whereas the biggest problem that drove you crazy with Wilson, or one of the biggest problems, was he couldn't make the layups.

He couldn't just hit guys that were open in the flat or just over them.

And it was just like, man, if you can't do that, we can't have you around here, even if you can throw off-platform 80 yards.

Daniel Jones to the Colts, one year, $14 million.

Brilliant, brilliant decision by Jones.

Where did it come down?

It came down to the Colts or who's the other team?

The Vikings wanted him back, yeah.

And I get it.

And we could talk about the Vikings QB situation, which still has my eyebrow up a little bit about

what they're looking to do to pair him with J.J.

McCarthy, pair somebody potentially.

But Jones, I think, Mark, what I'm saying is not breaking news here.

The Colts very clearly are on the fence about Anthony Richardson, and there's a chance that Daniel Jones is a QB1 in this league by October 1st.

And if he then thrives on Shane Steichen's offense, he's looking at Sam Darnold over there in Seattle, who just got $100.5 million and saying, man, that could be my arc here.

I think it's a perfect landing spot, and

I like it a lot for Jones.

Yep.

I mean, I think we mentioned yesterday that this would be the clear landing spot, and they've got, I think there's an open competition here.

The Pelraiser mentioned that, that they're going to compete.

And I think that's at least what I like about that.

Like, eyes open cults.

Don't like just eyes open.

And I think Daniel Jones is the kind of guy because of his size,

his scampering ability, his athleticism in general.

That's like, he's going to keep luring coaches toward him.

And there's reasons because you can see it it for like two quarters at a time.

He will dazzle you.

And I think the combination of him and Shane Steichen is, if anything, just a little bit of a notch below him and Kevin O'Connell.

You went to another really good quarterback coach who is going to do you service versus like a defensive head coach or something where you're just thrown to the wolves.

So I think it's, it's of the pairings, it's the best place you could have gone.

It's still, I would say, I mean, I've probably seen whatever in my time, you know, 30, 40 quarterbacks practice, you know, and warm up and see them throw in person and next to aaron rodgers daniel jones if he uncorks a deep ball and it's on the money and it's tight like it's one of the best looking footballs i've ever seen and sometimes guys are just you know new coaches who haven't experienced that and then they stand next to him for the first time you it's really easy to get drunk on that but i'll mention this about jones quickly imagine if he succeeds in Indianapolis and in back-to-back years for Joe Shane, you let Saquon Barkley go and he wins the Super Bowl.

and then you let Daniel Jones go and he wins the starting job in Indianapolis.

And this is the first time that the Giants have hired an outside general manager since the 1970s.

That thing is going to get locked up so fast if Daniel Jones ends up succeeding and watch them just revert back to the way that they've always done things because, man, what an optical nightmare that would be.

Get Ernie Accorsi back in there.

Ian Hartitz on Twitter.

Lowest passer rating in the NFL over the past two seasons.

Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson now battling it out for QB1.

And yeah, you can,

not to

overly praise the Colts or overly hype up Daniel Jones.

He's been injury plagued and ineffective for much of his career.

And that's fair to point out.

And it's also fair to wonder that with the injuries that he's had, the athleticism just might not be there anymore, whether it's arm strength or ability to move like he once did.

But I think it's worth a flyer for a team that obviously is, you know, feeling it a little bit in terms of pressure to find an answer at quarterback.

Here is on

NFL network, Mike Garifolo reporting about the New York Giants, speaking of the Giants.

And again,

just when it looked like it was a done deal and Aaron Rodgers is going to Pittsburgh, here is a prominent national reporter connecting Rodgers to the Giants once more.

With Aaron Rodgers.

Giants have had great conversations with Aaron Rodgers, from my understanding.

And part of it is that we think that you and and Malik neighbors are really gonna vibe um and this is a guy that's got incredible football IQ

we've moved him around as a rookie we played him everywhere he soaks it all up he's great during the week he's great on Sundays

we know you ask a lot of your wide receivers and this is a guy that can handle it and will probably thrive and the kind of guy that helps you thrive as well

okay the vibe the vibes would be good first of all bullshit by the way i like i love Mike G, so this is not shot on Mike.

But do not, do not tell me that Aaron Rodgers and anybody are going to vibe.

And if only a wide receiver has the right work habits and can get on the level of Aaron Rodgers as a competitor or whatever.

Miss me with all that because, you know, who's a great player and a hard worker and a great competitor?

Garrett Wilson, and every bit as young and promising a wide receiver as Malik Neighbors.

And Garrett Wilson couldn't wait for Aaron Rodgers to get the hell out of his life.

Okay.

And now we're in a different place in Aaron Rodgers' career.

He doesn't have the juice he had with the Jets, nor should any quarterback, but that's a Jets problem.

He's not going to be able to bring Devontae Adams with him to poison the relationship with anybody else on the roster because Devontae signed with the Rams, of course.

But I would just say, buyer, beware if you're selling it as Malik Neighbors is this like great potential superstar wide receiver.

And if only he he can get on Aaron's level.

No, all that stuff, not for me.

Not for me at all.

Who's Connor?

Who's who's selling that to Rodgers?

Is that just Shane?

I mean, it's Shane and it's stable, but at this point, how sad that that's really it.

I mean, that's kind of, I mean, you've kind of showed up to a...

to a war with a peace shooter at this point, because look at everything that Pittsburgh has to offer, and you really don't have to strain your neck to think about it.

You know, we have a pretty good offensive line that's ascending, that's getting better, and is already better than the Giants' offensive line.

We just signed DK Metcalf, who I think I said yesterday, I think is going to age phenomenally on that contract.

I just think he's got the right body size and the body type.

And you're going to, you can airmill yourself into the playoffs.

Now, are you going to be successful?

Maybe, maybe not.

But this is a veteran team.

You don't have to worry about all the leadership.

You don't have to worry about the attention being on you.

You can just show up and play football.

And Cam Hayward kind of takes care of the rest of it.

There's so many more kind of items

weighing in their favor, whereas the Giants are just like, okay, maybe Malik neighbors.

I mean, that's not going to work for Aaron Rodgers.

Will the coaching staff in front office be there by New Year's?

I think Aaron Rodgers needs, he needs, if he's going to do this final chapter, consistency, and that's what the Steelers can sell you without even having to say a word.

Yeah, Steelers, just get it done.

It makes more sense.

Get it done.

I mean,

what's your plan being?

Get it done during the slide screen.

I saw some pushback online that,

yeah, well, Russell Wilson to me is the most obvious

Giants quarterback who's ever lived.

I tweeted about this like two weeks ago.

Like, this is Russ.

Can't you just picture him in the Giants uniform,

giving the press conferences, talking about how amazing it is to be the quarterback of this proud franchise, and then he's, you know, mediocre below for three months or whatever.

Like, that's how I see it.

I see the Giants, and I think it is, actually, I say that, but I also think it's probably the most prudent path for the New York Giants, which is get a guy like a Russell Wilson, draft a quarterback and try to develop and maybe replace Wilson.

But I don't know if they have that, as we talked about, and it's one of the command 10 commandments of Heed free agency.

I think they have the brain trust is under so much pressure, the GM and coach, to field a winner and get seven or eight wins this year that they're probably pushing hard to get Rodgers in the building, even if that's not a long-term long-term solution for them.

Or are the Giants, not unlike some other teams, telling us, we're not buying these top two quarterbacks in the draft?

And we understand that that's not going to save the day.

And we're going to go get

an aging Russell Wilson over one of those two guys.

What would Russell say, by the way?

Because I actually spent like half an hour thinking about this, and I think I have the solution because it was always go Hawks or it was Broncos Country, let's ride.

And then I don't know what he did in Pittsburgh, but it could be.

He didn't.

I think it was even asked that he was trying to tone it down a little bit and not make it, you know, the branding was down in Pittsburgh.

What do you think about Giants Nation be tall?

Or stand tall?

Like Giants Nation, stand tall.

I think Russ is probably a little self-conscious about his height.

Yeah.

Oh, right.

Yeah, you don't want to be a little bit more.

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Once more, for our U.S.

audience only.

By the way, we're hearing Charles Robinson, veteran reporter,

that Russell Wilson's market beyond the Giants is considered, quote, flat.

ESPN's Dan Graziano indicated on Get Up

this AM.

Is that that's the ESPN show?

Yeah, I like Get Up, Cold Pizza.

Cold Pizza was good.

Yeah, I liked Cold Pizza.

I've watched Get Up a number of times.

I thought that is that in 2004, like February of 2004, I was on a beach in Miami with my buddies

in a deep emotional valley after the end of my college relationship.

And just

looking at the world in a darkly cynical way at that time in my life.

And

up to, you know, came up to us on this beach, this like camera crew, like me and my buddies.

And it was an ESBN crew.

And they were like, they were shooting, I guess, some type of B-roll for the launch of Cold Pizza, their new morning show.

And they're like, hey, what do you think of the name Cold Pizza?

And I think they felt because we were like young 20-somethings, we'd be like, cool name.

I love pizza.

Hold the anchovies.

But in reality,

but in reality, in this dark place in my life, I just like looked dead in the camera and said, I hate the name.

But I hated everything at that time.

And then the show failed quickly.

Yes.

You broke up with a woman.

Well, let's make it clear.

She broke up with me.

Yes.

Okay, but where was she at this time?

Like, was she off?

Like, was it the kind of thing where she is like, I found my freedom again?

Or like, was she also, you know, you mourn a little bit.

Even if you're the breaker-upper, you'd still be a little bit morose.

Or was, what was she doing?

Why are you asking me, the woman who broke up with me, what she was doing after she left me?

Like, I don't know.

Probably moving on with her life while I was.

I only followed her for like three or four weeks afterwards.

I do remember, and I think everyone has gone through these at least once in their life, and it's probably good for you to really get your heart stomped stomped on

at some point.

I remember that same weekend in Miami Beach being in the middle of this absurd nightclub

with all these structures everywhere.

It was almost like

a Greek theme, or what would it be?

Not Greek.

It was almost like Stonehenge.

It was just stupid looking, right?

And the music was blaring.

And I find a quiet area of...

of the club to call my ex-girlfriend.

And it's just like, what are we doing, buddy?

But you have to go make those i like wouldn't really trust a move like anyone that tries to write a book or anything if you've not been through all of this and like you've got to be the guy that does that desperate ridiculous thing in front of your friends like at a nightclub that's shaped like i don't know the stonehenge thing is optional but like

yes absolutely

dirty 30

more like dirty 20s it's an interesting time to do like 30 30.

anyway yes bn's dan graziano indicated on get up which was once cold pizza many years ago, that Aaron Rodgers could be seeking a two-year deal.

There is perception out there that he wants to play two or more years.

And that's the last thing we're going to say about Aaron Rodgers for now.

Let's see.

What else happened?

This is what's happened since we've been with you last.

The Chargers,

Mark, I know you're high on the Chargers.

I think you said I'm a little bit like, eh,

Chargers sign running back.

Najee Harris one-year deal up to $9.25 million.

I mean, tell me why you love it because this sounds like the Chargers are about to get more boring.

It's like, from the team that brought you 4.2 yards per rush, we bring you 3.8 yards per rush.

Go ahead.

Like, we're in a post-J.K.

Dobbins, Gus Edwards world here, and I would say this.

I like it for Najee Harris of all the landing spots.

Like, if you want to be a running back that has a chance to get a ton of carries,

he is, I'm not saying he's clearly the lead, but looking at who they have right now, I think he's sort of their dude at the moment.

I could see them drafting someone as well.

But Jim Harbaugh with any running back, I like it for the running back.

So of all the places he could have gone, good job.

From a human angle, okay, sure.

Yeah, two things.

He's played 17 games every single year of his career.

He hasn't missed a snap.

And we saw how electric they were.

Not electric's the wrong word.

We saw how efficient they were with J.K.

Dobbins until he got hurt last year.

And the other thing that I'll just mention, Justin Herbert's had his best seasons with an elite check-down running back.

And we forget that Najee Harris caught 75 passes in his first year in the NFL.

And then after that, just sort of fizzled out because Ben Rothesberg and then Kenny Pickett and all that kind of stuff.

But I think he could be a real factor for this team.

He's taking a beating.

He could disagree.

I don't disagree.

He's a Harbaugh type.

I think Harbaugh had long been a fan of him.

So I think maybe I'm just like Cold Pizza on Miami Beach, Dan, right now.

But that's okay, Dan.

That's okay.

But I think there's a part of me that just like, I'm still a little bit like, man, I wish Justin Herbert could have fun out there, but he's going to be shackled in this offense now with Jim Harbaugh after being coached poorly previous to that.

But people are also sick about hearing people that cover football talking about, oh, man, if Justin Herbert only gets a chance, he's like 37 years old now.

Hang on, my heater just came out.

Live TV, folks.

What can you do?

Justin carried us through that bridge over troubled water.

Vikings sign guard Will Freeze, five five years, $88 million.

Also signed defensive tackle, Jonathan Allen, three years, $60 million.

They're closing in on defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.

They've also re-signed cornerback Byron Murphy Jr.

According to Burt Breer, the Vikings beat out the Colts, Pats, Giants, Seahawks, and cards to get...

Am I saying that right?

Freeze or fries?

I don't know.

I think it's fries, actually.

Okay.

But I only think that because everyone's making like, give me a bag of fries joke.

Hilarious.

Well, that would suggest a link between the pronunciations, yes.

He was the top guard on the market, though.

That's Vikings making moves.

So the Vikings have been very active.

Which, by the way,

I mean,

to put a button on our point with Sam Darnold yesterday,

Dan,

we're blaming Sam Darnold for this meltdown.

And what is the only thing the Vikings have done this offseason is try to fortify the offensive line that got the absolute shit kicked out of them and made Sam Darnold look bad over the last two weeks of the season.

Yeah, I saw some criticism towards

primarily Connor, but the group overall about Sam Darnold and being too optimistic and too cheery about his landing spot in Seattle.

And it's just like, listen, we're not saying Sam Darnold is Joe Montana.

We're just saying that I believe and we believe that the way that season ended was not just on Sam Darnold and the sample size overall of the season was tremendous.

And it shouldn't be surprising that a functional front office like the one in Seattle would look at him and see him as a potential upgrade in the short and long term over Geno Smith, who is very much a

right side of the Dalton line, but not necessarily an elite quarterback.

And now you're going to get younger and cheaper at the position.

And there's a chance that he replicates a success or comes close to it in Seattle.

It was a good move, and Sam deserves it after going on a nomadic journey from New York to Carolina, Carolina, San Francisco, to Minnesota.

And now he got the bag and I'm proud of him and I'm happy for him.

And I, now I'm not in Miami Beach anymore.

Danny's on the west coast here in Los Angeles, the Pacific, a mile and a half away, and I see blue skies and crashing waves and golden sands for Sam Darnold.

I choose to believe that.

Okay, and I'm happy and I'm in love and I'm married and I'm, and that's all I have to say.

Yeah, and so now you're like a dumb proponent of Cold Pizza, the show.

You're back on board.

You've told the producers.

The idea that a nomad, that he's nomadic, because like a nomad typically is like in a

stagecoach or some sort of like,

you know, low-rent vehicle with a bunch of stuff in the back, but he's like a multi-millionaire.

So like the nomads, like he took a first-class flight across the country to get to point B.

Absolutely.

Jay Tweeter adds, beehives are nomadic because they need to pollinate.

And that's good.

And he certainly has pollinated across America in the first five or six years of his career.

But hopefully he's got a long-term home with Seattle.

Let's see who else has been active.

But

to Connor's point, yes, the Vikings know what ruined their season.

And it was, yes, quarterback struggled in the last two games, but the offensive line didn't hold up.

And schematically, they learned a hard lesson that you have to be able to adapt quickly when a team figures you out or a league figures you out.

And the Vikings did not figure it out in time.

Also active.

We mentioned the Giants.

We've talked about the Giants.

Can we fly that up, what they've done?

We added 15 minutes to 3030.

It's now a

filthy 45.

Can we get frags to voice that?

3030.

We could, if we ask nicely.

All right.

Let's see what the...

Giants have done so far.

They've been very busy.

Javon Holland, the safety, Paulson Adebo, the cornerback, defensive end Chauncey Golston, defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris, offensive tackle James Hudson, linebacker Chris Board.

These are not household names, but they are added to a roster that needs help.

And then on the flip side in the NFC East, the Eagles have lost a lot.

Here's what the Eagles have lost on defense in the last 48 hours.

Josh Sweat to Arizona, Milton Williams, New England, Isaiah Rogers, Minnesota, Darius Slay, no longer with the team.

James Bradbury, expected to be cut.

C.J.

Gardner Johnson traded to Houston.

That was another move the Texans, after their controversial decision to trade their left tackle, they did add Gardner Johnson to their secondary.

It's a huge chunk of the back end of your defense.

It kind of shows you how

well built the Eagles are because

the people they lose, those were all key contributors.

And they'll find a way to keep it going.

But I'm more impressed with that group than the Giants group outside of javon holland the thing too about philly is i remember talking to vic fangio at the super bowl and he saw six plays of zach bond playing what he termed to be offball linebacker before he identified him as a potential starting off ball linebacker like zach bond played six plays on tape and then vic fangio is like okay i can make you an off-ball linebacker.

So a lot of this is like, wow, they're losing so many guys, but you have a staff that can identify talent on a different level right now.

I mean, all these scrubs at the bottom level of free agency were like, who the hell is that guy?

He's probably the Eagles' starting defensive end next year, and we just haven't seen him play yet, you know?

Very fair.

Fangio.

Fangio.

Justin, can we get a little eight o'clock delight and just spin us through the rest of the transaction since yesterday?

All right.

Since yesterday, picking up where you just left off, the Texans, yes, traded for CJ Gardner Johnson and also signed guard Lakin Tomlinson after trading away Carpenter Green he's the best the Saints re-sign Edge Chase Young three years 51 million for a guy who was on a prove it deal Jets at safety Andre Sisco the Bills this was yesterday signed defensive tackle Michael Sauce loved that deal yes he tweeted tweeted about it the front office doing work

keep my superstars happy get out of the way Woody all right

Bills signed defensive tackle Michael Hoyt Hoyt, who is a very interesting guy who transitioned from defensive tackle to linebacker with the Rams.

Cardinals signed linebacker Akeem Davis Gaither.

49ers signed defensive tackle Kevin Givens.

They place a second-round tender on running back Jordan Mason, and they are planning to release nine-time Pro Bowl fullback Kyle Yuschek.

Ego.

White on the market.

That's sad.

The Bengals are re-signing hookum.

Like me in 2004.

White on the market.

Bengals are

available.

The market.

Cookum, Joseph Osai, and they've also re-signed cornerback Marco Wilson.

The Dolphins add O-line James Daniels, formerly with the Bears.

They also signed cornerback Ifitu Malafanwu, whose older brother was a famous drafter.

And they re-signed defensive back Elijah Campbell.

That's it.

Almost there.

Raiders signed linebacker Landon Roberts.

Falcons signed linebacker Divine Diablo.

Also, the Raiders added safety Lonnie Johnson.

Cowboys have made a couple moves.

Signing offensive lineman Rob Jones, and also signing Solomon Thomas, Dan.

Do stop talking.

Two more, Chief sign Christian Fulton, and the Panthers are going to release Pro Bowl running back Miles Sanders.

Okay.

Miles Sanders, man.

Who's going to get sucked in by the Sanders hype next?

Good job, Justin.

All right, any closing thoughts on

today's show?

Speaking of Justin,

I was just informed this yesterday, which is sort of stunning, and it has a little less to do with football, but

I thought that Jokic from the Nuggets and Donchich from the Mavericks were the same person.

Football is completely different than basketball.

Really?

And so, like, I'm so unplugged on basketball.

My neighbor really follows it.

And so we were talking, and I was like, hold on a second.

And so now I'm fully coming to understand how bad the trade was.

And so I'm sorry.

Like, you know, when it happened, I just was like, who gives a shit?

But I was like, oh, wow, this is really bad.

I didn't know there were two of those guys.

And Connor shared that

when we had zummies, Jason Zumwalt, do the Luca impression during our Super Bowl week that Connor just sort of quietly mystified went along with the whole screen.

But you know what I think?

I think there are a bunch, if you're a super casual or like not, if you just kind of pick up sports news like in the airwaves and you're not following the the NBA, there are a bunch of citizens out there faced with the same dilemma that Connor was faced with, and they feel heard now.

It's not even law enforcement.

A bunch of citizens out there.

It's Jokic, by the way, not Jokic.

Uneducated.

Jokic.

Okay, well, then why does it start with a J?

He's from Serbia.

I don't know.

Ask.

Thanks, Strong Connect.

Also, you know what?

I think, to Connor's point, they call him the Joker, too.

They don't call him the Joker.

Right.

That's fair.

That is a strong.

I I mean, he's playing here.

We're not playing in Serbia.

What is this?

I dream in red?

Same for the newsletter.

Holy God.

Go look at yourself.

Drive your cyber truck somewhere else.

I do.

Has anyone even cracked that newsletter to see how wrong we are about this analysis?

But Jokic went 30-20-20 the other night.

Unbelievable.

That's the one on the Lakers or the one on the

nugget.

I don't know.

All right.

Of the players that we mentioned earlier that are still out there, does anybody have a guy that they really think is going to because there's always guys that hang out that end up becoming big-time difference makers in free agency.

And let's face it, I know it's Tuesday morning on the West Coast, but it's already late in the game right now in terms of

being

a

figure who's really wanted in this realm.

So

you're going to get any of these guys at this point on a discount.

Who stands out to you that's left?

Are we at the point where because the wide receiver group is older and a little bit kind of like we're over these guys that like Stefan Diggs can't help anyone?

Like, I guess I'm not like jazzed up about anyone left, but it's like Stefan Diggs could help a team, no doubt about it.

The idea that he's like, we're marching him into a retirement facility is a little bit beyond the pale.

This is an unsexy answer, but I would say that there are so many teams now running the Kyle Shanahan offense that the fact that Kyle Yuschek is now available and the reason that he's valuable is because he can play fullback and tight end.

And so what that does is it keeps opposing defenses in base defense.

They can't bring their nickel onto the field.

And so if you're like Mike McDaniel or like, that's why Mike McDaniel went out and got a fullback.

That was one of the first things he did.

So there's like 10 of those offenses.

I bet he finds a market very quickly and he's probably very helpful because there's no fullbacks out there.

There's not a lot of those guys that are available.

I'm kind of into

Evan Ingram.

I know that in Jacksonville, he wasn't much of a playmaker, but I just wonder if that's a function of some of the offensive issues they've had there and the quarterback injuries the last couple of years.

I would be open to taking a flyer on Ingram.

I think J.K.

Dobbins, I'd welcome him into my running back room as a death piece or rotational.

And I'll say it, Ceci, I know there's a decent chance that Nick Chubb is past the point of no return in terms of being an elite player, but given another full year from that hideous knee injury, I would kick the tires on a incentive-laden deal and put him in a shared backfield and see if he can give you something.

And, you know, because there is obviously, he's a beautiful football player that had his career upended by injuries.

I'd love to be the team that gives him a shot at a redemption arc.

Yeah, I think it's also, and, you know, we don't know what this means as just watching, but he's been called by multiple people inside the building like the best teammate in the entire.

He's the heart and soul of the Cleveland Browns.

So it will hurt to see him somewhere else, but like I would never doubt him physically down the road because here's a guy that suddenly you get a video of him, you know, benching like 2,060 pounds.

So like, yes, I love that.

I don't know what team it would be, but and I don't know if it's right away, but like, what if mid-season he's back in form and he starts hammering people?

That would be, yes, I love him.

He was my favorite football player before all the wreckage unfolded here.

True.

EarthFat.

That is the name.

EarthFat in the chat asks, is Mark any closer to rearing 24 children?

Mark did yesterday's show.

If you missed yesterday's show,

speaking of pollination, this was like not any, it wasn't like I want to have a big family and I want to be a loving dad.

He just wanted to, you know, insert and leave as many locations as possible and that's his goal so how are we doing on that any any progress

day by day progress day by day um operation but i don't know why more people aren't into this concept of this this is old ancient earth practice and then it's like oh i'll have one and a half children and have a fence like no like you go out and you just like fence well whatever it is just like you go out and you just like like let's think about the earth differently like that's how i that would be my thought it would be it is complex it's a complex concept, depending who's involved.

I heard that the humans use idioms such as white picket fence to discuss family security and settling down.

I like, I do think it's nice if you had a fence around your

humans prefer comfort as they age.

I am an outlier.

All right, great stuff.

Two minutes left in this, what did we say, filthy 45?

We will be back, barring some crazy breaking news.

Last time you hear from us today, Tuesday is right now.

But we'll be back Friday, or excuse me, Wednesday, which is technically the start of the league new year.

We're going to go a little bit later.

We're going to do 3 Eastern, noon Pacific with, well, actually, we might have to talk about that, Mark, because we have our friends, Mike and Jordan, scheduled to join us.

So uh right

the time yeah we'll let you know but we will be live streaming again keep an eye out on social um and we'll let you know when that's going to happen uh any final thoughts gentlemen mark

I don't know.

Like, I really do.

I really, I kind of, I think one of the biggest mysteries about this process is I'm not even being flippant here, is like, will we do another show today?

Because like, if the Rodgers things drop, like, that's sort of the final little piece of the puzzle.

That would be the thing that I think would trigger another episode.

So that's the mystery that I'm pondering between now and

the Sunday today.

Maybe it won't, you know?

And there's a bridge to

the draft, too, where it's like, develop your quarterbacks, people.

We're waiting for goddamn Aaron Rodgers to decide between two teams at 42, like

for this to be a feasible solution.

There's nobody in the draft right now that we love.

There's nobody in the pipeline.

Like, you know, let's go.

We got a development issue here.

We have reached the portion of the free agency week where the smart teams make moves that will make their roster better and win games in January.

So keep an eye out now.

All the big spenders, that's all fun.

You could call the Pats or the Commanders or

who has a ton of money winners.

But the real smart teams, check out the Ten Commandments and check us out tomorrow.

And remember, as always,

heed the call.

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