Free Agency Recap: Seahawks Ready to Repeat?

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1:12Welcome to the C.O.X. Man-to-Man podcast powered by Blue Wire. Shout out to the new company. My name is Michael Sean-Dougar. You guys know where to follow me on whatever Elon Musk is calling that app these days. My app name has not changed. It's also bang right there under my finger for those watching us on YouTube at Mike Dougar. Make sure you like or go to our YouTube channel. C.O.X. Man-to-Man is the name of the channel. I got C.O.X. Man, the number two man. Make sure you like, follow, subscribe, rate, review, all that good stuff. Do the same thing on our TikTok, our Instagram, C.O.X. Man-to-Man. All the handles are the same. Really appreciate all of the love and support on there. We've been getting a lot of feedback on all those visual platforms. Thank you. Thank you. We see it so much. It means the world. So for all those who have been supporting on there, keep it going. If you have not, listen to it right now. Go do it. Please. Thank you. Chris, go ahead and talk to them. What is going on everybody? It's your boy Christopher Kidd. You can follow me on blue sky at C.E.K.I.D.D. 206 and then C.E.K.206 as well as Twitter, the same thing.

2:14And we appreciate all the love and support. We just hit 1000 followers on TikTok. So shout out to all of y'all for supporting the podcast there. And if you're new on TikTok, won't just pop on over to our YouTube channel. Go ahead and subscribe. We're over 5K on there. We're going to get the 6K in the next few months. So I appreciate all the love and support. But it's been a busy week for the Seahawks and Mike. We don't have to get into that because Mike just blew my mind with this story time prior to hopping on the show. But the Seahawks did a lot and didn't do a lot. If that makes any sense and Mike, I'm sure you can back me up on that with all the deals that were made and the players had unfortunately did not return to Seattle. And a lot of fans are going to be a little disappointed in that. But Mike McDonald, John Snyder right now on paper. They have their guys. What says you Mike? Yeah. So the short version of what Chris is alluding to is I was in New York for work. And then I had some travel troubles getting back. Didn't get back. I supposed to get back Thursday night. Didn't get back till Saturday night. But that was awful. Maybe if there's time one on a pod one day, I can explain what I had to go through.

3:16It would take too long. It's all right. So come on get a take to me to just explain that to you, Chris. 20 minutes or so. I'm sorry, man. It was pretty it was pretty long. It's pretty extensive. So it's not like a short story. But anyway, yeah. The first week of free agency is in the books. Yeah, a lot of activity, a lot of inactivity to Chris's point there. Sky's day did not sign players. They did not pursue of entry agency. This is just not the Seahawks bag last year was an outlier. So let's start with. There's a lot a lot to recap because this is our first time. My travels is also why, you know, I didn't do a lot of stuff all last week. I barely was even tweeting last week. We didn't pod, you know, maybe we maybe could have when I got back, but like I said, didn't get back to a Saturday. So that's good though, because now we've got a fuller picture. I think Chris, they're probably done making significant moves. I would imagine I never thought they would do something like great for Max Crosby. The Seahawks are seems to be sticklers

4:17on medicals. So the fact that Max's trade to Baltimore got nixed because of a bum knee. I can see the Seahawks having the same issue even though all doctors are not the same. So yeah, right now, I think over the cap has the Seahawks with something like $44 million of cap space. And pull it up right now. It's something like that. And then effective cap space to have a little less effective cap space. Obviously accounts for having to sign your draft class and some of the other stuff you keep in the reserves for practice quiet elevations, guys who go on IRR that you still owe money to. So yeah, right now over the cap has about $44 million and then $40 million in effective cap space. It looks like they have the Seahawks with 68 guys on the roster. I believe the Seahawks.com roster has 74 on the active. So they're missing about six contracts. I will get into it with the guys, but let's start with who they lost.

5:22I think that's the some of the talking points that lead into what the other things that they've done, who they then resigned and who they brought in externally. It's all tied to who they lost. So as expected, they lost a very good chunk of their 20 to actually lost every guy from the 22 draft class that was not already under contract. So they resigned, Abel Lucas, then they re-signed Charles Cross. They re-signed Charles Cross in like December, January. Everyone else from that class is gone. Rick Woollen, one year deal, 12 million with the Eagles. I'm calling it 12 million versus the 15 million number. You've probably seen including by me tweeting it. This is where seeing stuff get reported as is worth up to is instructive because some of that up to is attainable and some of it's not. Rick's base value of his contract is like 12 million. So basically, Rick's on a one year 12 million idea. Can left to the Chiefs, three years, basically 43 million.

6:23You may have seen 45 out there. Not that numbers are in. It's basically 43 million as the base value, Kobe, three years, 40 million to the Bears. That's a legit just three years, 40. And then Boyay, three years, 60 million. That's also a legit 60, good for Boyay. To the bangles. And then Derek Young, going to the Raiders, according to his agency, maybe the Raiders will have announced that by the time we, this is actually live. But I haven't seen any contract numbers for Derek. I would imagine it's fairly modest. And so Chris, we did predictions. How do we do? I feel like we didn't do very well. We did not. So it was like kind of a flip-flop. Everybody that we said would be staying gone. And everyone that we said would stay, end up leaving. So, how do you want to flip it? We both had to re-clean it. Both had to re-clean, unfortunately, which both had Boyay even angry paid.

7:25We had Boyay leaving, but you had the nugget of the day by saying, you know, if we're the bangles, we'll pay this guy like 20 million a year. Come get some sex for us. And what do you know? So you nailed that one. That was like money. And then Kobe, I said he's going to stay. You said he's likely gone. So I missed that one. Because Kobe ended up leaving, going to Chicago, Bears, good for Kobe. And then K9 was another one that I- We were spitting on K9, right? No, I think we were split, yes. So I thought that he would stay. You were like, he's gone. And yes. We both thought Joe would come back. Yes, we both were on 100% on Joe. I believe Rashid was gone. You thought Rashid would stay. So you nailed that one there. So yeah, it was up and down for us. But it was crazy. It was a crazy free agency in terms of who we thought would stay. And I miss anybody. No, that's everyone. And that would be- Yeah, that's it with the like the main guys.

8:28And so like my initial takeaway from this, and this is something I'm sure a person I've talked about on the pod, but it's worth just reiterating. The Seahawks could have kept all these guys. It was perfectly- Now, in turn, and less Jodi Allen in the ownership group has given them a very limited cash budget that we are just not privy to. That's different. Cash spending is different for each team based on the ownership groups and what they're willing to do. But just in terms of cap space, they could have kept all these guys. Somewhere in the realm of these price tags too. Definitely could have kept Reekit 12 million. Very easily. They're also the Eagles are. They're doing some weird funky cap manipulation where I think Reek's cap hit is like three million or something like that. He's got multiple void years on his deal. K9's deal has like 28 million guarantee, 28.7 to, I believe, which is essentially- The franchise tag number I think is like 14.3. Ken basically is getting guaranteed the tag twice just on the same team. The same money you would get if you got tag twice basically

9:30because it goes up in 2027. But basically Ken gets two tags. Tags you're guaranteed Ken has two years of tags you're guaranteed basically in salary. Good for Ken. Could the sea ox have done that? Yes. And afforded everything else they've done? Yes. Kobe. Also very doable deal. Kobe's deal is actually pretty modest for a safety too. That's like, I would have to go look. I don't even think that's top 10 safety money. Boi is deal while massive. Great for Boi yet. Sea ox man to man round of applause for Boi. Because 60 million, you got a good agent. And I'm not saying that because he got overpaid. I think, like I said on the prediction show, Boi is going to be worth that to another team. You give Boi a 70% of the snaps or whatever Cincinnati might give him. And if he has 10 sacks of the X-Shirt, neither Chris nor I will be surprised. He's a good player. Just was in a deep rotation. Maybe the deepest edge rush of rotation in the NFL. That's just how for agency works sometimes. It's a projection. You're getting paid for what they think you're going

10:31to be worth, not what you've done. They're using what you've done to project what you're going to do. But sometimes that projection factors in a massive jump. I think Alex Pierce's contract, Alex Pierce, I believe his contract with the Colts is the same thing. I think he had what, a thousand yards last year. They're paying him as if he could be like a guy who gets you 14 hundred. And maybe he does. I have no idea. I don't watch the Colts with that level of interest, but it's a projection. So, but anyway, the COX could have kept all these guys. These, the structure of their deals tells me, Chris, that they were probably outside of Rick. Rick just seems like that's just a game bother. Like I said, they could have afforded Rick at 12 million. They were not going to pay Rick more than Job. Job only made eight million a year. That just wasn't, they weren't going to do that. They were already starting Job over Rick. So I'm going to pay you more. And you continue to be his backup, but also the other side of that is,

11:35if you're Rick, I'm already lost my starting job. Why do I sign up to come back and not start? I want to start. And Philly, he should start him and Quenya Mitchell should be there starting guys and then a Cooper Disauce or Cooper DeMustard, Dejean. Cooper Dejean. I'm doing the Jewish, I knew I knew it was something like that. I just couldn't remember Dejean. Cool, white guy, he should start in Philly and be able to go get a bag and then get paid in 2027. So I don't think with Rick, I don't think there was any interest on their part of paying him more than Job. And then if you're Rick, even if you are trying to keep me, if I'm not going to start, and other teams are offering me a chance to start, that's just, it's a no brand. It really just makes no sense for either side at that point. But Ken and Kobe, the structures of their deals were probably, I would guess would be holdups. If you guys have, I've been tweeting out their contracts as well. And we've, I'm sure we've talked about contracts here. The Seahawks typically do not fully guarantee

12:37the second year of a guy's salary. So I will give you an example. Where is Rashid Shaheed's deal? I think I tweeted it the other day. Rashid Shaheed's deal, I think like a portion of his, so Rashid Shaheed's deal is three years, 51 million. His base salary in 2027 is 11.7 million. If he's on the roster after five days after the Super Bowl next year, then his 2027 salary will be fully guaranteed. So right now it is not. That structure is typically how Seahawks do things. I think Ernest's deal had something like that. Sam Donald's deal had something like that this past season, Cooper Cups deal did. I think nine million of Cooper Cups base salary for 2026 became guaranteed like two days after the parade. So kind of, it means you're probably going to be on the team, but it does not guarantee that you are anything can happen between now and the next February. Whereas you look at Kobe's deal and K9's deal.

13:40K9's deal has, this is a great deal for Ken Shah, his agent. Ken Walker's $14 million 2027 base salary guaranteed today right now. He can't do whatever and he getting that, you know, he's getting that money, no matter what, in a fifth day waiver period, league year, no, no, right now, you're good, you know, and that's that's notable, right? And so he's got some other book guarantees in there too, but that's a notable difference from how the Seahawks do business. Kobe Bryant's deal, same thing according to over the cap, Kobe's base salary of 12.2 million in 2027 is guaranteed today right now today. That matters to that, that would matter. That would that would matter to me. Oh, thank you, Chris, let me know Kobe's salary is 13th among safeties. So yeah, he's outside of top 10 safeties, very affordable deal, but these structures, just the,

14:40the devil's in the details, not to say that this is why no one's told me, hey, Mike, Kobe left because they wouldn't guarantee the second year. I don't, I don't know that, but just looking at these structures, clearly that matter to their agents to get that, which it should, like if I'm a gold leave somewhere, I want some type of security, not the, if I do this, then I'm here, you know, Gino's deal was like that. It was like, Gino gets paid like a top 15 quarterback, and if he balls out, he gets paid like a top 10. No, no, no, Dale Jones is agent, who, by the way, might be the best agent in the goddamn league, it's special. I just saw what Jones got. Oh my good lord, off in the killings. But Dale Jones agent, the same year, Gino got paid by the Seahawks, they guarantee Dale Jones is first two years of that deal. Just writing that boom, two years guarantee the Seahawks did not do that with Gino. They've been the giants at the time. So I think the structure stands out to me beyond the average annual salaries, all those average annual salaries are everybody that left was doable, maybe except for boy, that would have required some

15:41cap gymnastics to make boy your second highest paid defensive lineman, especially with D hauling for an extension. But otherwise Chris, this seems to be just the case. So they ain't one of these guys back. That's what the money tells exactly what it is, which is crazy because this was such a together unit. But at the same time, this is the decision they made. They believe what the guys that have now, they'll be in position to again, have the best defense and have a talented offense without K9, that is to successfully get back to the cerebral. That's their goal, right? They want to get back there and they feel what they got or what they're going to bring and draft in. They're going to put themselves in that position whether Mike and I agree or disagree as it doesn't matter for the birds. But for them, this is the roster that they're going into ahead of the draft that we can work with this. We can compete in the NFC West to repeat as division champs. We can get that NFC title again and hopes that going back to the cerebral and going against, well, going to Los Angeles this time. They're in Senate clear for the last one. So this upcoming

16:42cerebral in 2027 next year will be in the RAM stadium. So that would be interesting. But this team right now, it just looks so much different. You lose a lot of not that they have elite players, but those players were so. They played together and they played so well together. You look at Kobe Bryant. I was 100% sure he was coming back because I just thought he was so useful in his defense and what he did when you watch the tape number eight popped. I talked about it last week when he is just making plays in the run game. He's talked taking passes away in the secondary. You just can't replace that that quickly, but maybe they can. John Snyder. He has done really well in some drafts, but he's also done really poor. I'm willing to give him the benefit and say, I think he can figure it out. He's done it before. Can you do it again? It would have been nice to keep number eight around to help out with that defense, but they are confident that Tai Okada, he can come in and do just fine. And you know what? When his number was called, he did come in and do just fine. But now is he really going to be able to be the starter for 17 games

17:45and be consistent and mitigate negative plays and all that, all that what Kobe did and during the season last year in the K9. That's a tough one just because he is explosive. I kind of think it's unfair that the chiefs now get a really good quarterback with an elite court, a good running back with an elite quarterback that when there's nothing down the field, you know what he can do? He can just dump it to K9 is going to get you, I would say seven yards. If not a first down because his cable making that first guy miss or just running through somebody. So that is one concern for the offense is K9 was really good. Like I know they did a thing where they split carried with Zach Charbonnet and Kim Walker. And I was really annoyed by that, but it worked out. It allowed them. For one, K9 played every single game this past season. So kudos to him not to mention, unfortunately, with the injury, that one more of a spotlight on K9 and the Siak said, yep, we're going to hand you the ball. We're going to give you your touches and it worked out. So now they got to fill

18:46that void. And we're going to talk about the guy that they brought in. But he's no K9 and in the draft, sure you can find some guys. There's a couple of mock drafts where they have some running backs that can go to the Seattle. But the impact is that's tough, man. K9 was really talented. I know fans were up and down on him in terms of his output. Cause Mike and I, we both said, you know, he's a top seven running back in this league. We all have seen no, there's vision. We obviously know that there's Christian McCaffrey, Derek Henry, all those guys. But after that little tear, like K9 is right there. He is that good. He can catch out of the backfield. And again, he has that breakaway speed. Hell, you saw on the Super Bowl on that stretch play. He bounces it outside. And no one touches him. He's just, he's just too fast. And now you're relying on Kenny McIntosh, who's coming off a ACL injury. He's going to be ready to take some reps. Are you banking on Zach Charbonne to be 100% healthy by, let's say, week five. Is that a, is that something? Is that a good

19:47expectation to set? Yeah, we're expecting Zach Charbonne back by week five. And he'll get going right where he left off last season before his injury. I mean, that's a tough expectation to, to have for a guy that's going through something as serious as a knee injury. And then not to mention George Alani, is he going to be the guy that can take some snaps and be productive? Although I was big, I know we had a couple listeners during the playoff run that were wondering, why is George Alani getting reps? Just keep giving the ball to K9. And I get it. K9 can get tired though. They were giving him the football a lot in the playoffs. He his usage went up quite a bit compared to what we saw going into the playoff. So I'm just curious as to how this is all going to play out. But I do think losing Kobe, losing reek, losing K9, losing some of those core starters, including I know boy a kind of an if and if you want just because he wasn't getting the reps. And I get it for boy a from boy a standpoint. He's probably like, yeah, I get a chance to go be the guy with the bangles versus the first of when I was with the Seahawks. I was only getting like 25 snaps a game. And I'm only getting in

20:50there on third down scenario. And I'm rushing with the Marcus Lawrence, who he wins like that and get the sack. And I'm so I understood from that process of, you know what, let me go out here and be the guy for a team that needs a pass rusher as they just lost their number one guy to the Ravens. So it makes sense. But I'm curious to see how this all develops and how this team can move forward with the quarterback situation. Yes, Devin with his boon. He's a dog. But Josh Jobah, they really, I mean, obviously they're confident they paid the man instead of weak. So I'm just excited to see how this all plans on I feel like this could be an opportunity for them to really show that my McDonald is the genius that he is. Can he get this new unit? It's going to have a new safety for the most part, a new corner. Can they all make it jail to get because that D line ain't changed that D lines will be nasty if assuming everyone stays healthy. So this should be a fun off season going into the NFL draft to see what this team can put together for a 53 man roster ahead of the first piece using game or the I just

21:51say regularly using game. Yeah, so here's the guys they brought back. This is important as well. Yeah, we alluded to Job and a Shahid. If Job got three years, 24 million good for him. That's for a starting corner on the best defense in the NFL. That's pretty, that's that's crazy. Like he makes about as much as spoon. Spoon sauna rookie deal, you know, in terms of average annual salary, I think that's what spoons deal is about 7.9. So that's crazy. And that that probably factored into it too. It's like, okay, how much more are we going to pay Job than our best corner? Anyway, so Job's back, Shahid's back, both Job and Shahid deals are essentially two year commitments because that's kind of how to see how structure things, you know, they when they I mentioned how Shahid's deal like the money guaranteed triggers later, like triggers in like February, that's kind of how I think Job's deal might be like that as well. But either way, Shahid's deal has two void years. So his cap number is pretty low, say 7 million, according to over the

22:51cap, in the first year, base salary is really low, 2.2 million this year, got a 20 million dollar signing bonus, the void years, so you can spread that out. So take 20 million instead of dividing it by three on the three year deal, divided by five, spread the money out, lowers the cap hit, because generally cap hit, how you can calculate it is base salary, added to signing bonus pro ratio is how you usually get the cap number. There's other ways to get it, but that's like the simplest way to do it without me doing too much math on the show. So Shahid's deal essentially comes out to two years, 34 millionish, and then at that point, they'd either probably cut them restructure or give them an extension. So it's about 17 million a year, good for him. Josh Job's though, good lord guys, like Josh was really good last year. This seemed like a, I think we talked about this because last week with sometimes for agency, a guy tells his agent, get me the best deal possible to stay with my

23:52team. And sometimes it's how you get deals like that. Now, again, I don't know if Josh told his guy that, but this deal reflects that, like Josh is making. He's like the 36th highest paid corner, something like that. Like Josh's performance warrants something far more far greater than that, especially with the team that already knows that he's like that. And it and projects that will be even better. So that's weird. But anyway, yeah, Josh's base salary in 2027 is four is a 5.9 million. 4.7 of that becomes guaranteed next year in February. So he's essentially on a one year deal, but should be around. And then he's really, it's just mostly on like a two year deal two years for like seven million a year. Like it, it's, it's, it's a crazy steal for Josh. Good for him. But also to bring back Josh Jones in a one year, brought back Drake Thomas, two years, eight million, Brandon Peely, haven't seen those numbers yet, probably be Rolo, though, Brady Russell, again, Rolo, Jake

24:55Bobo, hashtag more Bobo, 3.5 million for one year, safety AJ Finley, who was on IR last year with the knee injury, long snapper, Chris Stoll, is getting about 3 million over two years. Tyle Cotta, like Chris mentioned, is back on the minimum, I think it's like one point, it's like about a million bucks. Shamar John Charles reportedly is coming back another corner, who was like a practice guy last year. The Anthony Bell is back, he has a member D Bell, he was on the team was doing this thing. And the Panther is like, Hey, come play for us. And they picked him up, but he's back. I thought they would get him back if they lost Kobe. And then yes, George Alonio, as Chris mentioned, also on the minimum, about 1.1 million. So outside of Shaheed and Job, they're basically like, oh, and then Drake Thomas got about four million a year. They're basically just like minimums, minimums, minimums, two years, three years, one or two million, three million, one million, pretty economical replacements there. And then losing Rodney, excuse me, losing Kobe, Ken and Reek, they're like, oh, well, we need some bodies

26:00at running back safety in corner. So then they signed Rodney Thomas, the second, a safety out of Indianapolis, a seventh round pick in the 2022 draft, which was a starter for two years, basically lost his job, special teams rotation guys. Since then, a manual Wilson running back at a Green Bay at one year, two million dollars, basically signed Josh Jacobs back up for even less money. That's crazy. They could attend their manual Wilson for 3.5 million. It just said not. And then they signed the corner that you just played for the commanders. Chris, can you tell me Noah's last name, please? Yes. Iq big not oh shoot Iq big not gunny Iq big not gunny. All right, there we go. They signed him know what we will call him on this show to one year deal back. So Rodney and manual and Noah all got one year deals that are basically like, Hey, come compete. If you become the next Josh Joe, great. If you become the next Marquess Valdez scaling, that's so great. But it's we cost us like a million or two

27:03two, you know, that's the thought. They don't want any they want depth. They want guys we can compete guys who if it's the best version of them works out there in the rotation or they're a starter. But if it doesn't work out, it's not the end of the world. And it doesn't preclude them from then taking anybody at any of those three spots with their first pick in the draft. Like signing Rodney Thomas, if that works out great, but if you're the sea hawks, you're thinking, well, if we still want to save you with pick 32, we can do it. Same thing with manual Wilson, we like it manual Wilson, we like George Alonney, we like Kenny McIntosh, Zach Charbonne is eventually going to come back. But also, we can still take a running back with pick 32. That's the thought. Same thing with Noah, we like neomyappreciate, we like Josh Joe, we like Spoon, we like Nikki Moria, nickel. That said, if we want a corner at pick 32, we can still do it. So now this precludes them from still taking the quote unquote best player available. And that's kind of how the roster looks now. There's a couple guys who signed future deals. Can makers are still here, valus Jones,

28:06junior, Jakarta, a right, wiki white third, you know, seventh round pick last year. So they've got some other guys who are still going to be around or at least they still have their rights Jamie Sheriff guys like that. But basically what we're looking at now, I think is probably going to be how the roster looks going into the draft. Maybe they add like a kick the tires on Von Miller or something like that or who else clownies out there, maybe they would do that after the draft though, so it doesn't affect the comp picks. But Chris, I want to toss this to you, because when you mentioned that the Super Bowl is in Sofie, that brought up something interesting to me, because the other part of this from the Seahawks perspective that is that you're not on you're not evaluating your roster just within the context of whether you got better or worse, did the other people get better around you? Right? Like the Rams very clearly have decided, Sean McVey, who knows how much longer my man going to do this, even though he's super young, the efforts entire beard is gray, and he has back issues, they don't have a bunch of years to just keep building

29:08this thing, the Super Bowl is in their building, they've decided F them picks again, let's let's let's pay the guys that pay Jalen Watson Goku's traded for and then pay Trent McDuffy, my dare serious about making this to after paying Clinton Lake, that's after paying their inside backer at Landman, like they just like, yo, we're going to get distinct rocking. They've decided to go the 49ers quietly, I think. I had a good off heaven, whatever's left of my heavens, which is crazy, because like, I see both sides of it on one hand, it's like, Mike Evans is kind of an iron man, the first 11 years of his career or whatever, then last year, everything fell apart injury wise. So now it's like, what was what's more likely? Does he go back to being iron man as in age 33 or 32 or whatever, or is was his last season, 2025, a sign of things to come, you know, durability starts to subside, I guess, I don't know. But either way, if he is healthy, he's good,

30:10until the electrical substation down there, get some, he's fine. I was going to do my next point. Yeah, and then they, and then I think the nine hours and I just made another move, I like, was it, oh, they traded for, oh, stuff, whatever the do the, the dilemma for the Cowboys, he got overpaid by Dallas, but for the nine hours, that's a good get for their front. So my question that I was going to toss to you, Chris's I, it's a two partner. Do you think the sea ox growster as its dance today is as talented as it was on February 8th, that was the day the school. And B, from just a, just a talent standpoint, has either than Rams or nine hours caught the sea ox. Big thanks to our sponsor, better help for partnering with us for this important conversation about mental health. This Steve Smith here, former NFL Y receiver and host of the 89 show on YouTube. So having a counselor and working with better health, that gives you an opportunity to really start

31:11to unpack, but people don't understand when you unpack things, you also open up a box, you're not always sure what since I, so I think that's why I was seeing a professional is extremely important. If you need someone to open up to visit better help, that's better H E L P dot com slash 89 to get started. Liberty Liberty Mutual customizes your car and home insurance to save you money. That's it. That's the ad. No bells and whistles. No, guys, I said no bells and whistles. No, tramones are fun. Visit Liberty Mutual dot com and make the switch today. Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty two answers that I have got you. So for the first part, this roster is not. I don't think the sea ox roster is. No, it you lose Kobe. Good defender. Tyler Carter, he's good, but

32:14he's not as good as Kobe. That's why code was a starter. Hello, not breaking news. It's for real. There's a reason why those starters, but I'm not mad at the vision. Like they believe he can get to that point because you guys remember, Kobe was what? He was a cornerback and he developed, they put him in a different position and he became this player. So he went out there and earned the good deal. Tyler Carter can do the same thing. I'm not saying he's playing a different position, but he can definitely get better from where he was last year and take the next step. Could he be better than Kobe? Sure. We'll see this season. Rick Woolen, I told you guys the last time, I think Reek is a better player than Josh. That's just how I feel. And I don't think I'm wrong to say that. Granted, Josh Job is a talented player. I would just take Reek if I had to pick. If it was a draft, I had to redraft the guys. I had Josh Job or we're rolling. Yeah, Rick Woolen has a bunch of penalties. Yeah, Rick Woolen sometimes gets in his own head, which Mike, did

33:15you watch his press conference when he his intro to the Eagles? Rick, oh, no, I missed it. I ended up watching it. And I thought something was really cool that stood out was the fact that he talked about his mishaps and basically stayed in there. Yes, sometimes I get him on head, I got to be better at that. So he's actually acknowledging some mistakes he's made. But if we were to take a piece of paper and write down all the good things Rick has done as a C arc versus all the bad, the good outweigh of the bad three times fold, not even worried about that. His talent is just his talent, his ability to, I think he's got better at getting out of his own head, right? I think that's something that was big first couple season with Rick. And then I know he mentioned in the presser that he got better at tackling, which I would agree with. He became a much better tackler this past season. But I think it's the mental stuff. And when he gets that taken care of, he could become a top 10 guy in his league, which is why I was shocked he only had a one

34:16year deal for 12 million. I'm thinking Jesus, the C arc didn't want you at all. Like you are better than Josh Joe. And I know you're thinking you should be the starter. But what it's suck to go out there and prove that you should be the starter. Okay, I hear you. You feel like you're better. I ain't got go out here and do all this work for you to give me 13 million a year. Cool. Whatever. And not to mention canine, you lose him. I don't see how the offense is going to take the next step or even just be the same, right? So I don't see the C arcs right now currently with this roster being where they were at the Super Bowl. That team was really good. This team is still good, but I don't know if they're really good. I would imagine they'll be just fine. But on paper, I don't think this team is as good as they were in the Super Bowl right now. And in the second part, Rams, well, damn, their cornerbacks were mid. Not anymore. They've gone from, yeah, I mean, Forbes, he got a

35:17little, he got the speed, he got the length, but he's, he's okay. Well, the Rams said, hold my beer. We got two starters for you. So now Forbes, I don't know where they're going to put him. He could probably still be in the start. He was still there. The other team still was here to contract help me help me out. I'll look at you go ahead. You go ahead. I looked at it. So we all know their defensive line is great. But like I said, their secondary was the issue. The cornerbacks to be, to be specific. They just gave up a lot of stuff and you guys understand. But now their cornerbacks he is. He's under, he's under contract for 26. So this new starting lineup could be, well, not could be. It'll be Trent McDuffie and Jalen Watson and probably Forbes. That's their like worst dude. You know how Mike and I will Mike specifically discussed, Mike, who's your worst guy? Your, your, your, your 11th guy might be your worst guy. Whoever it is for the CEO of defense, it might have been Drake Thomas. Drake Thomas was really freaking good. Alright, so that doesn't sound so bad. Now does it? Now you look at the Rams on that defense. Their worst player potentially could be Forbes who break away speed, solid

36:21tackler. Yeah, he, him and Reek are like the same frame. So basically, their worst defender and the, and the cornerback room happens to be a six three corner. Okay, that, to me, that's like damn actually, I don't even think they'd be starting him. They, they bring back Kobe Durant. Is that what you're thinking of? No, absolutely not. No, he, he, sorry, I just, no, you're good. I'm what, who am I missing out that you think is better than Forbes? Who is that? Who's the other corner? I know what's the name of the brand because that the sea ox, the sea ox were actively picking on him and having it have been for years. And I think it really wants enough tape to realize we can actually try him back out there. But as long as they brought back their two safeties, Cam Curl, who I believe they did. And then, uh, kitchens, they still have kitchens. Yes. Yeah, because you, they drafted him, uh, pretty recently. So I believe they're starting five DBs are going to be McDuffy, Quentin Lake, as they're like nickel guy. He's their even worry, basically. Uh,

37:23McDuffy, Watson, Lake, Kitchens, Curl. That's five. You don't even need, you don't even need, uh, Forbes. So they're worse. I might be like, Jalen Watson, the guy that just gave $17 a year, uh, two. So to your point, yes, they have upgraded. And I don't even think that Forbes is part of the math fair enough. So to that point, they have improved defensively offensively, they're going to be fine. Matthew staffers healthy and the old line does their thing, which we all assume this is why we're doing this exercise wash. They're good. So yeah, the Rams are like, they knocked on the door. No one opened it and they kicked it down now. And there's a, there's a stare off. Might be Donald C's, Sean McVey, and they're about to, you know, the Rams are coming through the door. So they're right there. Like, I'm not going to just say they're better just because I haven't played a game yet. See, I've made this rubble. They won it, but they're right freaking there. Like, kick knocked on the door, knocked on the door. No one answer.

38:23They kicked it open. Sean McVey staring at my McDonald. He's like, I see you brother. We, we are right there. We are coming in the the Niners. Oh boy. Yeah, they're, they're trying to be things up because for some odd reason with all the injuries they had, they found themselves in the post season. You put any other team in the scenario that the Niners had, they're probably finishing with like six wins. It's just not, it's not going to be good. Somehow, the Niners are like, you know, what Mike Evans, we don't need to do too much. I mean, we got Ricky Pierce all, we got a couple other guys. In the red zone is probably where they're going to use you. We're going to use him. Brandon, I you. We'll see you later, buddy. He's gone here. Do this. Do this for me. Ranked rank the NFC West right now. Go today. See how I get the draft. One into the draft. He was the best team in NFC. Go in NFC West. Go. Seahawks, Rams, Niners, Cardinals, the tough part is those three teams are probably all going to make the playoffs again. It won't be like, oh, yeah, only one team makes it out of it. It'll be another dog

39:26fight. I imagine again, because the Seahawks are really still good. The Rams are coming and the Niners are also right there. To be honest, one flipping injury could ruin it for one team to be completely honest. That's how close it is. All right, let's extend the exercise. Now give every roster a roster score. And you can factor in which we probably should do coaching staff quality. So between coaching staff quality and we're projecting here with Brian Flurry, obviously, the new OC coaching staff quality. Growth among young guys, because obviously, Nicki Moury in 2025 or 2026 Nicki Moury should be a better player, but also that you can probably make that case for up in stout. All right, of the Niners being a better player. The Niners will be healthier. Guys will just get better together. You know, a lot of these teams have changed staffs. I think the Niners, what Niners have a new DC Rams,

40:27lost some coaches, Seahawks, lost some coaches. So you got a lot, you got losses. So factor, let's go coaching quality. Let's just assume a level of growth among these players. The young players guys taking the next step in year two, year three, whatever. Give every roster in the NFC West a score, one to 10. You can use decimals, right? So 8.3, 7.4. I don't know. I'll just give them round solid numbers. Easy for me. Okay. Well, it sounded like they used to. They're very close. So if you wanted to close your margins, I would give you that leeway. But if not, that's fine. Give every roster a roster and coaching quality, like combined, a team, a combined team score, the NFC West, one through four. Easy money or one through five or one through four. Sorry. One through 10, but rank all four teams. Excuse me. Gotcha. Well, coming in at four, the nine or, excuse me, gosh, all the teams in the cardinals are coming in at four with a solid three. I know nothing about them. They're going to be trash, really simple. All right. I feel like that's fair. No, I didn't say no argument here. Number three, this is going to be tough, but go ahead and give me.

41:32Oh, this is so tough. Give me the Niners. I think I'm going to give me a number or give me a roster. Yeah, that's fine. I gave you the, we'll put them at a seven. I just think having a new DC coming in, they have the players. Fred Warner is going to be coming back. I don't know about both, but I imagine he'll be healthy by the, the start of the season. Just having a new voice in there could become a challenge. Obviously offensively, Kyle Shanahan running the thing, running the ship, shouldn't be any issue. Their offense should be fine. But I think the defense is where they might have a couple up and downs. It's just, it's not easy replacing someone like Salah, who did a phenomenal job with what he was dealing with. I mean, my goodness, he might as well just had Mike and myself out at corner. And we made the rest of the pastor. Yeah, no pastor. Oh, yeah, God, no deliming. So kudos to him for even doing that. And hell, it was an opportunity to go head coach again after his mishap with the jets. They really didn't help me. But that's either here nor there. So I'll give the Niners a seven.

42:37Number two, I'll give the Rams. I like what they're doing, but I got to give some love to the team that just won the Super Bowl. And that's the sea ox. And the Rams will get at eight. And I think the sea ox will get an eight point five. They lose. Clint Kubiak, their offense, a coordinator. I know I use a decimal point after I told you, I don't need that. They lose their office. I think the decimal points is good. These teams are close. So that's why I wanted to give that up. It's close. That's why I think it's got another dog fight this season, this upcoming season. So losing Clint Kubiak as their OC, that's going to be tough. Obviously, flurry coming in here. As he mentioned, it won't be too much different, but that's just still a new voice. I'm not a lot of coaches also are gone, right? You promoted Brian Flurry. Yeah, a new coordinator with the quarterbacks and Tyson Prince, Justin out and run game coordinator along with John Ben, who stayed as a senior offensive assistant. So just a lot of changes for this team, but I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt because they just won. It'd be crazy for me to say, well, maybe not crazy,

43:37but I get I wouldn't be upset if a Rams podcast had the Rams number one that's the odds number two. Fine, whatever. I just think they want a championship. I got to give them some credit for getting that done. All be it. They had Clint Kubiak and now I have lost them. I don't have enough numbers outside of going into the path and saying, well, this is why I think I'd rather just go like you said, Mike, a clean slate. Right now, who has the better coaching staff with the players coming back? I will put it break it down like that. Fourth, again, the Cardinals, three to four points. They're not going to do nothing this season. I mean, hell, they gave one color of Murray. That tells you everything you do know there. Three, the Niners at seven points and then the Rams at eight. And then the Seahawks eight and a half. That's how I'd rank the NFC West. What do you stand? Yeah, you know, while I was presenting that to you, I was thinking about it because that is really kind of the way to look at it.

44:38Plus the, we can go around the entire NFC. Maybe we'll have time to do that at some point just later in the off season. But you look at the whole NFC. I do think the NFC West is where their biggest, I don't know if you would agree with me here. I think the NFC West is where the biggest challenge, the most aggressive challenger will emerge to their title defense. I think they don't go back to back. It will be because they were eliminated by a team in the NFC West. All the, I will say the Eagles are interesting. I know you don't believe in Jalen Hertz, but if they just hand the ball to say Juan, they'll be okay. Anyway, continue. Yeah, yeah. You know, that's fine. I believe in Jalen Hertz, but the, the gist of is that is that I don't. So that's, that's fine. I don't know, that doesn't make sense to y'all. It'd be too much to explain, but they, the Eagles have a quarterback club. That's why I don't believe in them. That's the best way I can say whether it's how they feel about him. I he feel about them. His attitude, in fact, he's like Russ 2.0 in my mind. For a lot of the wrong reasons, yeah, I just don't really see that going.

45:38So yeah, I think the only other one will be the Bears. Be if the, if the Bears contend, but I think the NFC West is their biggest one thousand. It's the thing that stands in the Seahawks way of a title defense in my mind. I can almost, I would almost put a bet down that if the Seahawks don't repeat their last game that they play will be against an NFC West opponent. Like in the playoffs, that's just, I think that just like last year, I feel like if they were to not get to the Super Bowl, it would be because they lost to an NFC West team. That's the only had three losses last year. Two of them were in the NFC West, the Niners and Rams. The other one was to the, to the Bucks who I just think about just more South. I think they're going to be picking like top five this year. Todd Bowles get fired mid season type of thing. We'll see. Yeah, I actually would probably just, when factoring in continuity of coaching and like roster quality, coaching quality, I think I probably have the Rams and Seahawks right now as a push. I would just say 8.5 and to, to, to eight. Yeah, I think I probably like 8.5 or would I 8.7? And maybe even nine is a really good roster is top to bottom.

46:41I think the Rams, yeah, they brought back Chris Shula, right? So of the three teams of the three teams that we're talking about, the Niners, Rams and Seahawks, the, the Rams of the only team returning their offensive play collar and their defensive play collar. I do think that continuity will matter. Just think about to get into Brian Fleur a little bit. Like, just think about how much Clint grew and how much that needed time. Fleur is going to need the same time and Fleur is never called plays. So it could even take even longer. Like I've been rewatching some of the games from last year and then watching all this like documentary footage and all this stuff and like, the Clint thing was like, it was pretty funky there for like a month or so. Even though they were putting up points like even like just the Jill and Mill of Roll packages, right? It was just like, what is this guy doing? You know, and then at the end of the, it's like, wow, every team should hire this guy, but it didn't start that way. So even if Fleur ends up getting to that point, we're like, man, the Seahawks might lose another play collar. I could see the first month just kind of being a feeling out process,

47:43going through some things together as a unit, him getting to know Sam in a different, different way, you know, just as the quarterback. So I do think the continuity there is important. Whereas a lot of these teams, all three of the NFC West teams, I think are returning most of their staffs. I haven't analyzed all of them. But it's like everyone's bringing back most guys. Obviously, they all lost some guys to Rams and included. But just keeping the play collar continuity, I think will matter quite a bit for the Rams. The Rams roster is really good. Like the Rams rewatching some of these games and having watched the tape already. Like, what the Rams have done makes a lot of sense. Not like, like you said, as well, what the Seahawks done, it makes sense. I can see why they're just like, you know what, we don't want to pay rent. I can see why I said, you know what, we're not going to pay Ken. The Seahawks have long valued running backs in the draft more than they've done with their dollars. Like they paid March on a few times. But by the third time they did that, they were just like, that was dumb. We should not have done that.

48:44And then they paid Chris Carson and then he immediately broke his neck, right? Like just just paying guys to just not gone well for the mouse out of the first time they extended March on. Whereas they've used the first round pick on a running back to second round picks on a running back in this last like six or seven years. They use another high pick on a running back. I want to say it was Kristen Michael, like the second round pick, third round pick, something like that. So they, they will invest in the draft. Like John Snyder's logic is, yeah, I do think running backs matter when you draft them as opposed to a penguin. So I can see why they were like, we're not going to pay Ken. I can see why they were like, we got nine or 11 starts at a tie. O'Cotta last year and we were fine. Kyle Cotta, Julian love, you're up. Everything I can understand that even if some of it I would disagree with, particularly letting Kobe go. But I get it. That said, on the ramp side of things, look at this way. The last two years, the ramps have played, they've given the defending

49:45champs or the, the eventual champs, I should say, their toughest game at a playoffs. The toughest game that the Eagles played in the playoffs, the year they won, was against the Rams in the snow. That was it, because then they beat the hell out of the commanders and beat the snot out of the chiefs. Seahawks, the same thing. They beat the snot out of the Patriots and the Super Bowl. They beat the snot out of the Niners and the Division around. What was their toughest game, the Rams? So the Rams probably thought they're right there on the doorstep. And then you tell me the Super Bowl is in our building? Yeah, let's go get Trent McDuffy. Like, let's go get Dylan White. Let's fix our DB issue because they had a huge DB issue. Like in the NFC championship, that's how bad it was. I was thinking about this when you mentioned Forbes. They didn't even know who to start in the, in the, in the, at corner in the NFC championship. They were rotating Darious Williams, so I believe just retired. A manual Forbes had another guy out there. And they were just, they started Darious Williams. He was getting barbecued, gave up the deep bodice. He missed the tackle on Jack's like the first drive, benched him and brought him Forbes, been brought Darious Williams back.

50:46Like think of them. That was a situation on top of playing Kobe Durant, who the Seahawks were actively picking on. That's number 14, by the way. A guy who also gave up the Cole Comet play in the playoffs against the Bears. Like Durant was clearly an issue. So they got rid of both of them. The guy, well, those guys out the lineup and upgraded. Like I think, and like you said, the Rams didn't need to do anything to their office. Just bring everybody back. Like them trying to trade for AJ, according to Diana Rossini, is absolutely insane. That's the greed they talk about in the Bible. That is greedy as hell. AJ Devon and Puka, greedy bastards. No, you can't have AJ Brown. No, absolutely not. You can't, but even without AJ, their offense is fine. Their defense had a DB issue. They fixed the DB issue. That was their only issue. Their fronts fine, their backers are fine. Their safeties were fine. They really was just a cornerback issue that they fixed. So, and they got back and they pay Quentin Lake. These rosters are a push to me. They are, they're right there.

51:47They were evenly maxed in the three games they played. What were they separated by like four points or something like that? And three games they played. So I think those two rosters are a push. And then the Niners are probably the next tier, next tier down. I'm unfairly punishing the Niners in my assessment for just injury history because with the Niners, like just every year, you have to say if they're healthy and that's just like, I feel like if you have to say that every year, they're just not going to be. I don't want to predict will be and who won't. But the Niners starting lineup with their O line, their D line, everybody, like on paper, it looks fine. The Diamador up then their safeties are probably, it probably should draft a safety, but the receivers look fine. And Purseau, Kittle, Mike, it looks fine. McCaffrey, but just you tell me all those guys are going to play in January.

52:48I'm just like, no, they're not, which is unfair that you should assess teams. That's just not, I'm unfortunately doing it anyway. So I really just, you know, like a two horse race in that regard. And yeah, I think those teams are a push. And that's where to kind of spin this forward. I do think that the draft, this is, this comes back to what we we talked about last episode, too, about how John Snyder has basically said, this draft is ass, basically, they have four picks. And I think they have pick that 188 or something like that. I can look up the exact number. You can look at what the sea ox picks is like 180 something. They have pick 32, 64, pick 96. I do know that. And then they have the Browns pick in the sixth round. So four picks. And that's because John Snyder has basically told us. Yeah, 32, 64, 96 and 188, 188. Okay, cool. So they have four picks. And that's where I just kind of think, man, this is actually a really kind of tricky

53:52situation to be in because they could really use an impact player in this draft. I do to kind of tip that skill. Because if you really think about it, when down the stretch, the 2025 draft class really just produced two impact players, Gray and Nick. But that was, they don't win the Super Bowl without those guys. They mattered and in all of their games down the stretch. I think if they were just, just get one more of those. One more and I know it's asking a lot like, oh, get somebody who could be like rookie of the year. Well, yeah, that's how teams win championships is they get guys who wildly outplay their contract. If Nick even wore a hit the open market right now, how much you think? How much would you think a team would pay Nick right now if he was a free agent? Whatever he, whatever they get is probably he'd be up there with some of the best. Yes, you're probably starting at, yeah, 23 ms a year. Yeah, on the market today. Right. And Nick, Nick in 2026 is going to make 1.3 million.

54:54Right. So that, but that's how you build a championship roster. You get guys who are worth that same thing with Gray's Able. Gray would, if I was Gray's agent, I would go take the test right now. If he could be a free agent, I would take the little agent test, pass it tomorrow. And go get Gray $21 million a year tomorrow because that's how valuable he would be. So I do think they need one of those to, to tip it. And the reason why I also think the draft is important is because can you tell me the exact number of how many picks the Rams have? Because I believe it is a lot. I think they gave up, remember they gave up some for Trent, but then put up for you. Well, they, they had two. They had the Falcons first round pick a look as the Falcons are idiots. Um, so the Rams still have their first high first round pick. Uh, 13th, yeah, the 13th via the Falcons pick 61 93. And then 207, 232, 251, 252. So they got what, four late round picks, but yeah, I guess.

55:55And then a, and then a first round pick in the top half. And then real quick, tell me how many picks the Niners have. I think I think it's a lot. Um, got you. And, and not, and not to say that like the team that drafts the best rookie is going to win the Super Bowl, but I do think that we've seen that if you can get an impact guy like that, how much it'll tip the, the scales, um, when the, the margins are so thin between these teams. So I, I think the Seahawks made some understandable moves infrared and see generally. But man, if I was the other teams in the NFC West, I'd be feeling, I'd be like, oh, we can, we can go get these guys. Now the Niners, that may be a little bit more delusional. Now, whose press conference he asked me if I saw a reeks, I did not see his, I did see what Mike Evans said that he was like, this team's just missing, uh, one piece. I'm the peace me. Sound like the market sports. Now to be fair, I thought the market's launch would have been wrong if he had told me that in March as well. Like, oh, yes, he's just missing a piece. I'm the peace. I'm like, well, but also to DeMarcus's credit, he said they're missing a quarterback and me.

57:00Not just, not just me. Mike Evans for him to look at the roster and say they're just missing me. I'm like, brother, they lost the last game by 35. That was not a no-biter. If the Rams were to say that, I'd understand why it's like, if the Rams were like, we were just missing DBs. We got two good ones. We're straight. We can go beat Seattle. I'd be like, you know what? Maybe who am I to, you know, that logic would track the Niners logic. That does not track. So the Niners have seven picks. Thank you for, for you to miss in 2026. So then yeah, first round, they got a late one and then second round. They got a late one right before the sea arc. So, and then a bunch of comp picks because Kyle Shanahan hires black people. So I think that I do well. The Niners get all these draft picks because they lose all these executives who aren't white or these coaches who aren't white and they get all these picks. They do. It's crazy. Good for Kyle Shanahan's D.I. Niners over there. Anyway, I thought the draft now has just become even more important. And it's, it's, it's tricky because it's become even more important in a time when.

58:03They don't think the draft is that good. It's like, well, wait a minute now. And I can tell you that they also don't think the draft is very good. The sea arcs are scheduled to have 12 picks in 2027. Getting four, it's supposed to get four comp picks for losing. Reek, Kobe, Ken and boy, boy, and then they have their own original seven through the first seven rounds. And then they should have an extra seventh from the Falcons, who again, are run very poorly. But that's for the Mike Jarrell trade where they gave up Mike in August. So that's seven plus an extra five. They're not guaranteed to get the comp picks. Things have to happen, but they're projected to get those. So the sea arcs very clearly don't think this draft is that good, which is whatever. I have not. I haven't examined it well enough to really know whether that's a good or bad idea. I do know that they need to get at least one guy who's going to impact.

59:04And I think Chris, how good does that guy need to be? Like I've said, impact player, I was trying to find an example. How good does that rookie need to be? Like, how good of a rookie need to find who's a recent example of Nick even worry? That's fair. Yeah, I think that's a high, that's a high bar. I feel like here's one, I feel like that rookie that they get of the, let's say they pick four times or five times, whatever. I think the really tipped it, they need a rookie who's as good as, as good as Shaq was in his rookie year. That fair for someone like that. Which should kill Griffin? Yeah, yeah, she killed 2017. Another one I would say maybe is 2020 Damien Lewis, like his rookie year. I feel like they need someone in that of that tier. Like I was not a star, but like an immediate starter who can plug like you're, you're not like worried about them when they're in line.

1:00:04Like I was never worried about Shaq in 2017. I was maybe like his first game because it was on the road against Aaron Rodgers. But after that, I was not, I feel like that stuff, that's the bar that these guys need to hit with at least one player in this draft. And that's a, it feels like the worst time to need something like that. Because again, they've decided the draft is not going to have any picks. Now, they have four, but it feels it's still, that's just not a lot. You know, another guy that comes to mind would be Jay Reed. Rookie Jay Reed. Jay Reed is a, I can't remember. He was okay. I think he was. Was he not? He might, but I just, it's, it's fun. The 2016 season is very fuzzy. But I do like your pick of, well, actually, he wasn't that good in rookie year. I think that's going to have to stick. Yeah. And I feel like Shaq and, um, and, uh, and Dulu were very, like, it was very clear.

1:01:09They were going to be like four year starters, like from the rip. And that's what I think they, they need not like, uh, some flashes. Like they've had some gricky that have like a toy Horton flashed, for instance, right? Like that, and that was great. It was great flash with five touchdowns last year, um, which is nuts. I mean, five touchdowns and eight games, she played like 11 games. It didn't score, right? So it just shows you how effective toy was. But it was like flashes mostly. Shaq, when he played his rookie year, we were like, oh, we're good. They can cut sharps. You know, uh, it was like the sentiment. Yeah, we disagreed with that as an idea. But still people understood why they were like, oh, they drafted this. She killed Griffin guy. Same thing with like Dulu. Remember they drafted Dulu? They cut like, they cut Suizi. They definitely cut Fluker. Um, they were just, they were just like, oh, we don't need these veteran guys. Cause we drafted a rook who can start. Like that's what I think the, the standard needs to be. Oh, you know what? I got a better one. Maybe not a better one. Unfortunately, he got hurt.

1:02:09To be Horton. Like he came in, he, you know, he didn't start immediately. But he, you saw it and you're like, you know, this guy, he's gonna be a starter for the next three, four years. He can't stay healthy. But that would be another guy like impact. Cause he was a special team. He has him impact. And then obviously against the commander, he had his coming out party and he was like, oh, yeah. And then we hadn't seen him since. But talent wise, I would think that's a good one too. And I was in the same class with reek with the not reek, but with, um, Nicki McWory, he just became the guy. So I think Tori could be in that conversation. A guy similar to Tori, impact wise, I think. Yeah, now put them over the top for sure. Yeah, looking at it again. Yeah, I think also, uh, Ken, Ken's a good example as well. Ken was a very good rookie. Like he was not a proble, Ken never made a proble actually. Okay. Maybe I can't use Tori because he didn't finish the season. So yeah, I like the guys that will get because, uh, it turns a talent.

1:03:12I get where you're going with that, but just like, you know, but you just think about it for a year. Yeah, exactly. Like K nine played his entire rookie season. So yeah, we'll go with those guys. Damian, K nine. Yeah, Deleu was, Deleu is a really promising rookie year. Like that was very clear from the jump. Damian Lewis was going to be a four year starter. He would be solid, um, and that was a good pick. And they got hit with pick 69. That's why that's another thing I'm looking at too. Like it doesn't have to be the guy with their first pick. She killed was a third round pick. Deleu was a third round pick and was a second round pick. Like they can get that type of guy with someone in their first three rounds. But I just feel like this free agency. When I look at it, when I finally got stopped getting million flight delays over the weekend, I sat down and looked at it. Before we record it, I'm like, they still need something. They do. They, it needs to be like an impact, uh, who's a immediately going to start. And now I'm looking at the roster. I'm not even sure where that would be. Maybe they get like, uh, an impactful. Like edge rusher right off rip, maybe it's not having enough of those.

1:04:17That's the, that's a tricky thing because the roster is really solid. It's a really good roster. This is, uh, this is, uh, to be very clear. So I'm not like downplaying how good the roster is. I see how it's have the best roster in the NFC. They do. I think them and the Rams have equally one A one B, whoever, like you said, if a Rams podcast was like, we think the Rams have the best roster. I'm not going to get on it. Go tweet them and argue. I feel like it's, it's a very fair take. Um, to the, the Rams roster is very good. It was good last year. So I think the Rams and the Cux, once again, have the two best rosters in the NFC. So the Cux are not like in desperate need of a upgrade and talent. But like, again, you're not looking at how just good you are roster is. It's everyone around you. People, you're the hunted now. People are coming after you. Like the same thing when the chiefs kick everybody's ass in the AFC. Everyone's trying to get better to beat my homes. Now they weren't really doing it. Uh, but that was the goal. It's like, okay, we're good. But how good are we? Can we beat the chiefs? Can it specifically for a lot of those teams, Buffalo, Baltimore, Cincinnati, there for a stretch? It was, can we go win a playoff game in Arrowhead?

1:05:21That was kind of a, the thought, then there are off seasons all year. The answer was always no. It's crazy. Uh, no one went down there and one except that one year burrow did it. Uh, and they called it burrowhead after like the one playoff went stupid. Um, but that, now that's the Cux. Now everyone's like, okay, but can we go beat Seattle? And I don't think any other team really has a good argument other than the Rams. Maybe the bears, but I just don't. Until Caleb completes better than like 50 something percent of his passes. I'm just not going to see it. Caleb was at like 58% or something like that. It was a, so funky number at 58%. Yeah. No, you're not going to complete 58% of your passes and come and beat Mike McDonald. No, sir, nobody. Uh, but yeah, that's kind of, when I look at free, free agency and totality, that's why I wanted to kind of do that exercise and kind of see where they're at. Cause we can just talk to her blue in the face about this, well, how good, who they should have kept, whatever. But in what money they spent, what money they didn't, the reality is,

1:06:23if you want to repeat, there's going to be teams you have to go through or teams that we're going to try to go through you. And how will that go? And I do think that we're kind of shaping up for similar scenarios last year, where it's you and it's you and the Rams. It's you and the Rams with, with, uh, I don't believe in green Bay. They need to fix their defense. Uh, I don't, I think the bears are frisky. Am I missing somebody? Is somebody going to bounce back? Maybe that I'm not thinking of wasn't at the top last year. The Eagles. Yeah, I just can't. I just can't, I just don't want to, cause their, cause their D line is so good. Their D line is similar to sea ox, where it's just dogs up front, great. It is. And that's why I'm giving them a little bit more love. I know that quarterback issues. That's why I say just give it the Sequon. If the dude throws 10 passes and Sequon gets 20 carries, they probably won that football game. I would guess you're right. You're right. And I do think like in the situation where let's say the sea ox are like the three seed and have to go to Philly Philly should have a top 10 defense.

1:07:26Again, next year, uh, Jalen randomly played, can play well in the playoffs. Like his two best games in his career are two super balls. And he was outstanding in both of them and outplayed Patrick Mahomes and both of them. Uh, so yeah, I should be in that as hard on, on, on Jalen, but you're right. Philly should probably get more respect than I'm, than I am giving them. But yeah, I don't, I'm not really sure about the Lions. I feel like a Dan Campbell team should get the benefit of the doubt. Um, and maybe a, maybe a should maybe that's the like usually we have a team that misses the playoffs and ends up bouncing back in a big way. The sea ox were that last year. Maybe the Detroit would be that, uh, but yeah, I got to see how they do their old line thing. They had a lot, they had to repair a lot of that old line. I'm not really sure they've done enough there. We'll see, uh, but yeah, the sea ox, I understand what everything they did. They have a good roster. They have the best roster in the NFC. I think we're setting up for a very similar 2026. As we saw on 2025 where boy, a play here, a play there.

1:08:31And it's a difference between a Rams getting another Super Bowl in their building, which is crazy. Or the sea ox potentially going back and back. Cause I think they can do it. I do. I think that when we keep in so much of this roster, I'm even looking, sorry, I cut you off. I looked, I just for just why we were talking real quick. I looked up the, the game book from the Super Bowl, which has the starters. The sea ox are returning every starter. But two guys, it's Kobe and, and, and, and that's it. Cause technically, Rick doesn't start and then, uh, boy, it doesn't start either. So in terms of like of the 22 listed starters for the sea ox and the Super Bowl, that they won by double digits, they lost two guys in that context. It's not that big of a lot, but those are two good guys. Like they won the Super Bowl because probably because they had those two guys. One of them was the MVP of the damn game. So, uh, it, they lost, they lost guys who matter.

1:09:31But ultimately, yeah, I think they're in a good spot. But to stay with the, like, the chasing edges thing that Mike, me, Donald's talking about, you're being chased, people are chasing. You know, how do you stay ahead of them? Right now, I think they're just on, I think they got caught. I think it's fair to say my opinion is they got caught by the Rams. I know you have their roster a little better. I think they got caught in the right, uh, even. And the Rams have a higher first round picked in them too. So as who would have motivated, uh, can we just fast forward to the regular season? Let's just skip the track. You know, we don't even got to do all that. Let's just week one September, whatever 12th, Thursday night football, let go. Well, the Rams are going to play in Australia before that, too. It's going to be funny. None of the, I think their Australia game is before the season open. I think maybe I'm wrong on that. But I believe it is. York fans are going to love that. How the hell the ramp didn't win it all? How they get a game first? You know, money. Yes, the answer is always, is, is always money. But that's what makes I think the pressure then too.

1:10:32There's still like is on both of these teams to the nail their draft pick. Like, like, I think the 2023 draft, or excuse me, the 2024 draft was very like similar where both the sea oxy rams have picks right near each other. The sea ox Scott Murph, I think, and then the Rams, what took verse. And I think this is a wash is how that went. Uh huh. Yeah. So we're looking at another scenario where the ramp, who the Rams take at 13 is that as good as a person. The sea ox take it 32, you know, like, cause I think, I think with pick 32 and pick 13, I think both teams should expect them to get a starter. I would be if I was them, who we take a pick 13 should start for us. And unless it's a quarterback, obviously, uh, I guess unless it's a receiver as well, but no, if it's a receiver, they should just be 11 personnel. That guy should be able to get on the field. Sea ox would pick 32. It's a little trickier, but I feel like that guy at 32 should be in the rotation, for sure. Like he should play as much as boy played as a rookie, probably.

1:11:32That's fair. Yeah. That would be. Yeah. I'm with you though. We fast forwarding will be fun. But I think the draft actually becomes even far more fascinating. No, it kind of as you mentioned, the arm race between those two. Yeah. Who's going to get the impact player they need to hoist that trophy? That's going to be pivotal. So man, well, welcome back, Mike. It's been a hectic weekend for you. Your back home. I know you still part delivering books despite all the drama you went over the weekend. I am. Yeah. I felt bad for people who were hitting me up, asked me for books and stuff too, because I was like, when I get back home, I check my inventory and make sure I got books for you. And then I'll like just never hit them back. And it's like, it's got never made it home. Yeah. I never made it home. I used to text my parents in our group chat every time I land. Uh, and they just, they just never heard from me on Thursday. And my dad was like, call me all day Friday. I was like, oh, I just was playing phone tag with them, but I am back. And so yeah, I am still shipping books. I got a few left, a few hardcover left, got a few more paperbacks as well.

1:12:34But I am shipping them. Appreciate everyone who has been hitting me. We'll get you your books. I'm going to send out some this week now that I'm back. No flights for a couple of weeks. So yes, thank you for reminding me of that. And yeah, one last thing. Yeah, they're going to get some revenge games. This year, we all the guys that they lost too. Oh my gosh. Yes. We're going to play Colby's team. They won't play boys team because that's a, that's, that's 2027. But yeah, they're going to be getting some good, uh, good revenge games there. Uh, Colby, three and, uh, and Ken playing all their teams and then playing Cubiac. Uh, they should be played them by 30. Oh, yeah, that, that's guys can be beat down. That rate of drop is not, I mean, I kept joking that the Falcons are not run well. The Raiders are not even. Hopefully Cubiac does well, but, you know, there, but yeah, that, that, that roster, that, that organization, every, every piece I read about them in the athletic.

1:13:37I'm like, wow, this is a bad franchise. Same thing with the Jets. I can see why the Jets people, if they didn't like the athletic, I could feel them. Cause that's why every time I read them, I'm like, I'm reading that the Jets are terrible. So I get it. Same thing with the Raiders. I'm not reading everything, anything good. Uh, anyway, I'm looking forward to those two, those, uh, revenge games, uh, against those guys. And I think we should get a simple rematch too. That'd be crazy. I think the pay, no, I think the Patriots are on this good. So, uh, yeah, I think they got to come here as well. Well, that might get ugly. I don't have every. Oh, you're going to have a big Romeo dobs guy, huh? They don't have any receivers. I'm sure he's good against this defense, though. He might end up being what the pages were last in the Super Bowl. Who would they have one touchdown by a guy that walks into the stadium with no shoes on? What's his name? Oh, Matt called. Yeah, that's weird. Yeah, yeah. He had, that's how it's my busy.

1:14:43Yeah, be one with the earth. They say, yeah, they can say that I'm aware of shoes and still be one with the earth. But nonetheless, let's get Mike out of here. It's been a great episode of Sioc's man to man. He had a busy day, Mike is busy man. But nonetheless, we appreciate all the love and support. If you haven't, check us out on YouTube, Sioc's man to man, tick tock. Sioc's man to man, Instagram, Sioc's man to man, you can follow me. As you could see on YouTube, if you're watching, see kid 2006 and blue sky as well. Mike, give him your handles. Yeah, Mike do go. I appreciate all the love. Yeah, at one point, yeah, Chris is looting to the stuff. I had a really long travel weekend. It was awful. Maybe next pod, I just give it. It's not, it's not the end of the world. But yeah, it's just crazy. I will stuck on these coasts for days for reasons that when you explain them to someone. They were like, wow, are you making this up?

1:15:43Like was not just because it snowed in Seattle. That was only one of like five reasons I could not get home. But yes, I am back. I am sending out books this week. So we'll do that. Appreciate the love and support. Enjoy your week, follow us on all social media platforms and we'll catch you next time. I'm trying to mail hot, I was happy you could have the balance. That shows you a ton of things to make for your choice. I told you everything was you give from a time to your back. And I told all you leave, gave you plenty of things to make for your choice. Liberty Mutual customizes your car and home insurance to save you money. That's it. That's the ad. No bells and whistles. No, guys, I said no bells and whistles. No. Troubles are fun.

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