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NewsTranscript
00:00It's March 19th, and Aaron Rodgers still has not revealed where he's headed for the
00:122025 season.
00:15But we now know where he's not landing any time soon.
00:18We will tell you the latest on the fallout for the Vikings, the Steelers, and the Giants
00:22as the wait continues.
00:24Could the tush-push be getting brotherly shoved aside in 2025?
00:29The Packers' proposal is now official, we'll break down the pros, the cons, and the chances
00:35that that play right there could be no more.
00:38Meanwhile, Micah Parsons is still waiting for a record payday at a time that plenty
00:44of others are getting theirs.
00:46Jerry Jones?
00:48Where exactly is Jerry in his checkbook?
00:50We got 60 minutes here, maybe we can find him.
00:53Welcome inside with the insiders, alongside Judy Batista and Mike Garofalo, I am Tom Pelissero.
01:02We got a lot of action, folks.
01:03We've still got a lot of quarterback jobs that remain up for grabs.
01:07We've got draft action, Carson Sweissinger, a top prospect out of UCLA, is going to be
01:12joining us in just a little bit on this show.
01:15But let's start out with the news of the day, and of course, it does have something to do
01:20with Aaron Rodgers.
01:21As I reported this morning, the Vikings have been rejecting multiple trade calls about
01:26J.J. McCarthy and telling other teams they are rolling with McCarthy as their quarterback.
01:33That of course means that while the Vikings still plan to add a veteran quarterback, they
01:37are not pursuing Aaron Rodgers at this time.
01:41So if Rodgers is going to sign anytime soon, which certain people might be rooting for
01:47at this point, his options now focus squarely on the Steelers and the Giants.
01:52Mike, we know that Kevin O'Connell and Aaron Rodgers have a long-standing relationship.
01:56They're both Cali guys, quarterbacks, they've known each other for 15 years since O'Connell
02:01was a backup quarterback in the league.
02:03There was a lot of dialogue, there's a lot of respect between the two.
02:07But as part of that dialogue, it has now been made clear to Aaron Rodgers that this is not
02:11the direction that we are going.
02:13That then has a ripple effect across a lot of people, including J.J. McCarthy, getting
02:18his opportunity right now to show he's ready for this job.
02:21What more do we know?
02:23So it didn't happen last week, and the weekend was sort of a reset and a getaway for a number
02:30of teams and some players and some agents.
02:32We sort of reconvened on Monday and started to make calls, started to feel around for
02:36when this decision from Aaron Rodgers would come, and got the sense that it may not be
02:41anytime soon.
02:42That it could be a while.
02:43This is before this Vikings latest development, Tom, that you put out there today.
02:47If the Vikings had said, like, yeah, dude, you want to be our quarterback, he would jump
02:51at the chance.
02:52But that hasn't happened.
02:54And so this is still feeling like something that's going to take a while.
02:58So get comfortable.
02:59And there's no real great rush for the Giants or the Steelers here.
03:03I mean, I would say the first pressure point would probably be around the draft.
03:08Like, you could even go through the start of offseason workouts.
03:10That's not a big deal.
03:12You kind of want to know who's going to be your starting quarterback for this upcoming
03:15season.
03:16So Rodgers has got a few options here.
03:18One, he can wait until the Vikings maybe change their mind.
03:22He could wait for that.
03:23No indication that that's going to happen anytime soon.
03:26He can sign with the Giants.
03:27He can sign with the Steelers.
03:28He can retire.
03:29Or he can just wait for whatever, you know.
03:32See what happens in training camp, during the preseason.
03:34Somebody gets hurt, needs a quarterback, hey, here I am.
03:37He has given no indication as to which of those options he's got ranked and which order
03:41Judy.
03:43But the Steelers and the Giants remaining patient here while they wait for an answer.
03:48Well, first of all, from the Viking side, this always seemed like the most likely and
03:53the most logical conclusion that they would go forward with JJ McCarthy.
03:58He's the first round draft pick.
03:59They liked him.
04:01They liked what they saw before he got hurt.
04:04Time to get him on the field.
04:05So that part makes a lot of sense.
04:08What it means for Aaron Rodgers and all of the other teams is more waiting.
04:12Again, nothing that happens with the Vikings, short of the Vikings saying, hey, come and
04:17be our starting quarterback, which doesn't appear to be happening.
04:21Nothing short of that really affects Aaron Rodgers' timeline at all.
04:25If he wants to think about this, let it play out a little more, see if any more suitors
04:30emerge, see if anybody gets hurt even, if he goes past the draft.
04:37We are all looking at the draft as the tipping point because, of course, teams would want
04:40to know what their quarterback plans are going into the draft.
04:43Yeah, but if he doesn't like his options, I mean, he can wait around and see if somebody
04:47gets hurt in training camp.
04:48I'm reminded that when Brett Favre went to the Vikings, unretired, and went to the Vikings,
04:54I believe that did not happen until August, if I remember.
04:59That was a wild summer.
05:00I believe that did not happen until August.
05:03So, you know, I really, really hope we're not still talking about this in August.
05:08But there's just no deadline that creates pressure on Aaron Rodgers, unless the teams
05:15say to him, listen, we've got to have an answer.
05:18And that certainly doesn't appear to be on the horizon.
05:22August 18th, Judy, that was the day that Brett Favre finally signed in 2009.
05:27Some of us were working at the Green Bay Press-Gazette and commuting to cover that in Mankato, Minnesota
05:32before he actually showed up in Minnesota.
05:34I will say this too for J.J. McCarthy, because a lot of this does revolve around him here.
05:38He missed all last season after meniscus surgery.
05:41There's not a lot of precedent for a first-round pick missing an entire year of reps.
05:45Forget starting, missing an entire year of practice reps here.
05:48But everything I've been told is the knee is a non-issue at this point.
05:51He's recovered well.
05:52He's up to 207, 209 pounds.
05:54He's put that weight back on here.
05:56He's working out the facility, and he looks great.
05:59It's just that when a four-time NFL MVP quarterback calls and says, hey, I'd like to play for
06:03you and it won't cost you much, you'd be negligent in your duty not to at least sit there, think
06:07through it.
06:08The Vikings have done that.
06:09They're playing right now, rolling forward with J.J. McCarthy.
06:13As for the Steelers, well, they've had a lot of different things on their minds.
06:17There has been dialogue between Aaron Rodgers and various members of the organization.
06:22They've looked at veterans.
06:23They signed Mason Rudolph, and they end up close.
06:24Look at that guy, Jalen Milrow at Alabama Pro Day today.
06:27In fact, Mike Tomlin, GM Omar Khan, as well as their quarterbacks, Coach Tom Arth, I'm
06:32told, had dinner last night with Jalen Milrow ahead of Alabama's Pro Day.
06:38One of the many quarterbacks vying for all those slots that are going to come during
06:43draft week behind the probable first pick, which, of course, is Cam Ward.
06:48As you take a look at Bucky Brooks' rankings, he's staying steadfast with Shadur Sanders
06:52ahead of Cam Ward as the top quarterback.
06:55Again, every board's going to be different.
06:57Across the NFL, you see Jalen Milrow right there, slotting in at fourth.
07:02Some people have compared Jalen Milrow to another former Alabama quarterback, Jalen
07:06Hertz, who's made a name for a lot of things, been to a couple Super Bowls, won a Super
07:10Bowl MVP.
07:11But let's be honest, your average fan is just like, oh, that's the guy they push his butt
07:15when they need a yard.
07:16Yes, that's him.
07:17He does that very, very well.
07:18It helps to be an Olympic caliber power lifter like Jalen Hertz to make that play go, which
07:23is why the Eagles have executed better than anybody else, and also why there have been
07:28calls in various areas, Judy, to ban that play.
07:33Not because specifically the Eagles are this good at it, but there have been safety concerns
07:36that have been raised.
07:37There were concerns about that just doesn't look like a football play.
07:41Now, for the first time, the Packers have put it to paper.
07:44We've got a proposal, still got to be voted on, still has to pass to ban the tush push.
07:49What do we think?
07:51Well, first of all, this proposal is coming from the team, not from the competition committee.
07:56We will get competition committee proposals in a few days.
08:00But this is a proposal that we knew was coming from back in the combine, and we told you
08:04this back in the combine.
08:05While it looks like a play that would be dangerous, there is simply no injury data on this play.
08:12There haven't, knock on wood, there haven't been injuries associated with this play, as
08:16crazy as that seems.
08:18And so, usually when you see big rules changes get pushed in the NFL, it gets a push because
08:25of injury situations.
08:26Well, that's not the case here.
08:28So this is basically a proposal to ban a play based on, A, it doesn't really look like a
08:35football play.
08:36There's some people in the NFL who feel that way.
08:37And B, it looks like it should be dangerous, so shouldn't we ban it?
08:41But again, there's no injury data to back it up, certainly coming out of the combine
08:45in Indianapolis.
08:46I did not get the sense that there was a ton of support for banning the play.
08:51There are a lot of coaches, frankly, who say, listen, we just got to learn how to stop it.
08:56That's on everybody else.
08:58That's not the Philadelphia Eagles' fault that they're so good at this.
09:01We will see if things change when they get together in a meeting room.
09:04One thing to remember, it is owners who vote on rules changes, not coaches.
09:09You know why there's not enough support, Judy, to ban the play?
09:12Because the number of teams needed to vote.
09:14They all run the play themselves, too, as well.
09:17Now the Eagles are seemingly the best at it, and that seems to frustrate a number of people.
09:23You know where I stand on this.
09:24We had a debate at the combine, and it's a good thing Ian's not here, because I would
09:28eat his lunch or dinner, it's 709 on the East Coast, again in this debate because the doesn't
09:34look like a football play stuff doesn't hold up.
09:36The injury stuff, which is, you know, it's an objective thing.
09:39You can look at the numbers.
09:40And Nick Sirianni said, we've run the play more than anybody.
09:43We haven't had an injury on it.
09:45There was one injury in the Super Bowl where Chris Jones was going sideways while 21 other
09:50people in the field were going forward, and it resulted in a neck injury.
09:53So don't do that.
09:54I understand why you're trying, but don't do that moving forward, and maybe you won't
09:57get your guys hurt.
09:58So that's kind of where it stands.
10:00I'm with you.
10:01I don't sense the momentum.
10:02I think it's going to be discussed at the league meeting.
10:04I don't sense that this play is going to be banned heading into 2025, but we'll see.
10:11I talked to a defensive coordinator at the Combine who was saying the way that you would
10:14have to craft this rule if you were going to outlaw it was you had to introduce a time
10:17element.
10:18In other words, you don't want to ban every time an offensive lineman runs 10 yards down
10:21the field and shoves somebody forward.
10:23You have to figure out, OK, how do you codify that to say this is how they ban the swish-swish?
10:28Well, if you look at the rule, it says immediately at the snap, push or throw his body against
10:33a teammate.
10:34That's the way the Packers wrote the rule.
10:35As Judy said, the competition committee proposals historically have a much higher hit rate in
10:40terms of actually being passed, but the fact the team proposes it usually means there's
10:44enough conversation here.
10:46Does it even get to a vote?
10:47We'll find out at the league meeting, which is just over a week away.
10:51There was also an interesting bylaw change proposed by the Detroit Lions earlier today.
10:56It's something we've talked about for a long time, which is the idea of having teams that
11:01are wild cards and have better records than division winners in the same conference, allowing
11:07them to be seeded solely by record, which in the case of that Rams-Vikings game that
11:11ended up being played in Arizona because of the wildfires wasn't truly a home field advantage.
11:15But the Vikings would have ended up with a higher seed and not been knocked all the way
11:20down to the number five seed and a wild card after losing their week 18 game against the
11:25Lions.
11:26It is, Mike, a very interesting proposal.
11:29It's also not something that's had a great deal of support because owners who like to
11:34get the extra checks that come with hosting a playoff game for one thing think, hey, you
11:37win the division, you should get the playoff game.
11:39But it is something that certainly has been discussed in the past.
11:42Yeah.
11:43Well, I mean, listen, you may be that owner of a team that would then get a home game
11:46because of it.
11:47So it kind of get a give and take on that one.
11:49But there are a lot of traditionalists around the league in front offices, in ownership
11:55positions.
11:56I know John Mara with the Giants has been a staunch advocate of you win the division.
12:01You should get the seeding that comes with it and the home game as well.
12:05And I know he's got a lot of other folks who think that way.
12:08This is how the playoffs were seeded in twenty twenty four.
12:12And I know we've got a shot of what NFL research provided us.
12:17Here you go.
12:18This is how it would be.
12:19So it would have been Eagles, Rams, Vikings, Buccaneers and Commanders Packers as the wild
12:25card games would have juggled.
12:26And the only thing that would have changed in the AFC is that the Chargers would have
12:29hosted the Texans instead of vice versa.
12:32It would have been the same there.
12:34I don't just like the tush push thing.
12:37I don't sense the momentum here for this one.
12:39I know there are a lot of folks that like the spirit of the idea from the Lions, which
12:42it's kind of weird, too, that the Lions are proposing this in a year where their division
12:46rivals were the ones that got hosed because of the seeding.
12:50But I don't think that there's enough support right now for this one.
12:54Is this something that we continue to discuss down the line and maybe get it someday?
12:58Perhaps.
12:59I just don't think we're there yet, Judy.
13:02I would be shocked if this passed.
13:04I've covered the NFL for 25 years and every few years this pops up and the answer is the
13:09same.
13:10They do not want to devalue winning the division because that would devalue division games
13:16and that devalues the rivalries that are within divisions.
13:20They don't want to do that for obvious reasons.
13:23They like that competitiveness within the division and they feel that taking away a
13:28home game then penalizes you, doesn't give you the reward for winning the division, that
13:34you deserve a reward for winning the division.
13:38Their response to all of this is, you want to host a home game?
13:41Go win the division.
13:43Don't worry about the record.
13:44Go win your division.
13:45That's the answer.
13:46It's always been.
13:47I would be surprised if you could get 24 owners to vote to change this.
13:53This has been a long-held feeling in the NFL among owners.
13:57John Mara, as you mentioned, is certainly one of them, but there are many, many others
14:01who feel the reward for winning a division is to host a home game.
14:07You do not want to give away those home games.
14:09That's a reward and you deserve it, we'll see.
14:13If you took that away, how would the Texans host their annual 3.30 Eastern Saturday wildcard
14:18playoff game?
14:19Some traditions just aren't meant to be broken.
14:23Coming up on the show, we got a lot of quarterbacks in new places, in new offenses, but what will
14:28be the impact of Justin Fields with the Jets and Sam Darnold with the Seahawks and Geno
14:33Smith with the Raiders?
14:35Nobody breaks it down like our guy Brian Baldinger.
14:38He's going to be with us in just a little bit, but first we got one of the top linebacker
14:43prospects in the draft and one of the best names, Carson Sweissinger.
14:47He's going to join us, talk about his pre-draft prep, 36 days away from the first pick in
14:53Green Bay.
14:54Stick around, Carson Sweissinger with us next on the Inside.
14:59Here's a snapback, Loyola rolls left, looking, bumps into his own man and down he goes!
15:05Bruins got him!
15:06Carson Sweissinger, Captain America, rides to the rescue again!
15:10He was just a special teams guy, now he comes on pressure.
15:14And he gets the key!
15:17Give that man the trophy!
15:22Carson Sweissinger coming in at number five in Bucky Brooks' top five linebacker prospects
15:27right there.
15:28One of the many names you could hear, including at the linebacker position, called in the
15:32early stages of the NFL Draft, which kicks off 36 weeks from tonight in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
15:39Carson, now kind enough to give us a little bit of time here on the Insiders with me,
15:43Tom Pelissero and Brian Baldinger.
15:46Carson, you're in this final countdown, man, it's a little over five weeks away until draft
15:50weekend.
15:51Just take me inside what it's like to be you, the way that you're preparing, and just kind
15:55of where your headspace is at right now.
15:56Yeah, I think, like you said, it's closing in, but it's also exciting, of course.
16:02I mean, this is something I've worked for my whole life, and it's great to see how everything's
16:09working out.
16:10So really, just through this whole process, just trying to take in every moment and really
16:14enjoy the process.
16:16Carson, you really popped this year.
16:20You had a great season.
16:21And I thought one of the reasons, and it came under a lot of, I don't know, the traditionalists
16:27didn't like UCLA and USC going to the Big Ten, but watching you against Penn State in
16:31Nebraska and Iowa, I thought it was a big deal for you.
16:35Going into and playing those schools, playing some of those caliber programs, I thought
16:40it really helped bring the best out of you.
16:43What did you think going into the Big Ten this year?
16:47Yeah, I think there's a lot of talk about the different conferences and the difference,
16:53but the way I was viewing it, at the end of the day, you're still going in and playing
16:57football.
16:58And especially when you're playing a linebacker position, there's talk about which conference
17:02is the most physical, which heavier passes, things like that.
17:05But at the end of the day, you're playing linebacker, you're expecting a physical game.
17:10Definitely a lot more run heavy in the Big Ten as opposed to the Pac-12, but the goal
17:16was just to go out there and play a physical brand of football, play fast, and go out there
17:21and make plays.
17:24Every NFL scout right now is body-typing guys and making comparisons on their reports,
17:28trying to figure out, OK, what historic player do I compare Carson Schlesinger to?
17:33In your mind, is there a player or players that your game resembles, or at least that
17:37you try to model some things and take from their games and put into yours?
17:41Definitely.
17:42I think maybe too much of a classic answer, but the go-to, especially for a linebacker
17:48like me, is Luke Keekly would be one of the first ones I talk about, just his IQ of the
17:54game, but on top of that, the physicality and the switch that flips when he gets on
18:01the field is something that I try and emulate.
18:04Along with that, you've got other guys like Milano and Fred Warner and Roquan who are
18:10just always around the ball, and that's one of the things I try and be, regardless of
18:15what the play is, finish by the ball, and good things happen when you're around the
18:19ball.
18:21Carson, you just mentioned Keekly, Fred Warner, Roquan, the elite of the elites.
18:28It's interesting because I always think the greatest compliment you can give to a
18:31linebacker is he finds the football.
18:34When I watch your tape, that's what I see.
18:36I see a guy that knows how to find the football.
18:39Is it film study?
18:40Is it instinct for you?
18:42What is it about you that no matter what the formation, pre-stamp motion, you can find
18:47the football?
18:49I think it's a little bit of everything.
18:51I've been playing football since I was three years old.
18:54That's just a natural feeling you have, and it's been something.
18:57It doesn't matter what sport I'm playing.
18:58I'm somehow always around the ball.
19:00It's something that's been a part of me since I was a kid.
19:03The other half is that film study where you're prepared.
19:06You know almost where the ball is going before they even snap the ball, which definitely
19:09helps put you in the right places.
19:11The last bit of it is you've got to want to get to the ball.
19:14That's just when you're on the field 100 percent every play until the whistle is gone.
19:18That's going to get you in the right spot a lot of the time.
19:22Carson, you're doing, I believe, your own Pro Day workout.
19:26It's coming up here in a couple of weeks.
19:28Whether it's how you're going to time or what you want to show, what are the things
19:32that are going to jump out to the people who are at that Pro Day?
19:35I think what I'm really looking to show is just the athleticism.
19:39I didn't really have the chance to show it at the Combine and Pro Day, but that's really
19:43the goal here is to go out there, run fast, and show the short area speed as well with
19:48the shuttles.
19:50I was able to get a jump at the Combine to show a little bit of it, but go out there,
19:54do the broad as well, and then just move well throughout any position drills we're
19:59planning on doing as well.
20:01Carson, I rounded up your vertical jump to 40 inches, just so you know.
20:05I just gave you the 40, all right?
20:07It sounds a little better than 39 and a half.
20:09Tell me inside some of the discussions you had at the Combine with teams, what they
20:15wanted to find out about you.
20:17Was it just what this formation is?
20:19Because I always feel like if you know the formation, you know the play.
20:21It just sort of becomes like that after a while.
20:24What did they want to pull out of you in some of these meetings with you?
20:28Yeah, there's a pretty wide range of what they're asking.
20:32Some of it's just personality questions and how you grew up, but when they really get
20:39in the ball, it's knowing the football IQ aspects, the recall on what we were running
20:44during the year, and how those plays worked out.
20:47A lot of times, they'll pull up films.
20:48They'll just want you to explain what the call is and what you're doing, and even add
20:54into that week who we're playing, if we're playing Penn State, the look they were giving
20:59us and what we were expecting.
21:01So, really a lot of that.
21:04Carson, last thing before I let you go here.
21:07I'm sure you've seen a lot of interesting stuff in this interview, but I've mainly just
21:10been fixated on staring at your hair.
21:12That is some significant flow you've got going, presumably after a lot of training.
21:16Are you using a horse shampoo?
21:19Can you give me the secret to having that type of flow at this hour of the day?
21:23I will say, the shampoo, I'm pretty particular about.
21:28I don't do too much else, but I only use Amika shampoo and conditioner, which is a pretty
21:33rare brand.
21:35I've got to go and walk into an Ulta.
21:37I can't get it at Target, so I'm walking into an Ulta.
21:40There's no other guys in there.
21:41Sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do.
21:45And you've got an endorsement coming your way.
21:48We'll make sure that they get that clip.
21:50Carson, best of luck, man, over these next 36 days.
21:53Hope to hear your name called very early in Green Bay.
21:56We appreciate it.
21:58Thank you very much.
22:00Thanks, Carson.
22:02Carson Sweissinger, one of the many names you will hear called during the NFL Draft
22:06presented by Bud Light.
22:08It's coming to Green Bay.
22:09And it's your chance to witness the future of the game for free.
22:13Experience the history of Lambeau Field.
22:15See the Vince Lombardi trophy and Super Bowl rings.
22:18And meet NFL players and legends.
22:20The NFL Draft starts April 24th in Green Bay.
22:23Register for free entry.
22:26Go to nfl.com slash draft access today.
22:30Micah Parsons did not have to wait very long to hear his name called once upon a time.
22:35Has had to wait a while to hear his name called up to get that record-breaking extension
22:40that he anticipates getting at some point.
22:43What's the holdup?
22:45And where do those negotiations go from here?
22:47We'll discuss that and a lot more as the Insiders rolls on.
22:55The bar has been set for highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL again.
22:59First, Miles Garrett.
23:01Then, Jamar Chase at a little over $40 million.
23:04Numbers that are relevant to Micah Parsons.
23:07Although, as our Jane Slater reported earlier today,
23:10no meaningful contract talks yet between the Cowboys and their star pass rusher about a new deal.
23:17Welcome back to the Insiders.
23:19Tom Pelissero, Judy Batista, and Mike Garofalo.
23:23Mike, nothing happens quickly in Dallas.
23:26Particularly not the record-type contract extensions.
23:29So, to that end, we're kind of following history here.
23:33Where do we stand?
23:36Max Crosby, Miles Garrett, although the Garrett one,
23:40we thought maybe that might take a while.
23:42Max Crosby, Miles Garrett, TJ Watt, Micah Parsons.
23:45The four pass rushers that we expected to reset the market here in this off-season here.
23:50And all along, I had been hearing people say,
23:53well, Micah's going to go last, right?
23:55Like, he's the young guy.
23:56The one that can really hit it big.
23:58Like, he wants to see everybody else.
24:00All the veterans kind of get their money.
24:02And then, boom, there's our aiming point for where we want to be
24:05when we really get into these negotiations.
24:07I agree with Jane.
24:09It does not appear that there have been any meaningful conversations
24:12regarding Micah Parsons and the Cowboys right now.
24:14So, this is something I sort of had earmarked
24:16for closer to the start of the regular season.
24:18It's the start of training camp, and then it's the start of the regular season.
24:22Those are the two mileposts when it comes down to it.
24:24Those are the two mileposts when it comes to these deals.
24:27Because you don't want to necessarily practice without that deal in place.
24:30And then, at that point, you don't want to necessarily play without the deal in place.
24:33That's kind of the timeline that I've been looking for on this one.
24:38I feel like the theme of this off-season has been
24:41teams that get ahead of the contracts and get ahead of the market
24:44and teams that wait.
24:46And we've seen both.
24:48We saw Jamar Chase finally get done.
24:51Good for him. Good for the Bengals to get it done.
24:54If they had gotten it done last year,
24:56they probably would not have had to spend nearly as much as they had to spend this year.
25:00The situation with Micah Parsons recalls what happened last off-season
25:05when the Cowboys were trying to get some big contract extensions done, too.
25:09And they waited and waited.
25:11That's fine. The market kept going up.
25:13And then we got ever so close to the season starting.
25:16I mean, literally, Dak Prescott's deal got done
25:19on the morning of the season opener.
25:21You do wonder how much of a toll that takes on the players
25:25in terms of their concentration and their focus.
25:29And you certainly know how much it takes in terms of dollars
25:33for the teams that can't get them done early.
25:36Micah Parsons deserves to be the next person
25:39who is the highest-paid non-quarterback.
25:42So you can't blame him for wanting to wait.
25:44Of course he wants to go last.
25:46But if you're the Dallas Cowboys, you are just watching the market go up, up, and up
25:48just like you did last off-season.
25:51It's a very curious way to go about doing business
25:54for the Dallas Cowboys.
25:56And I would also go back to what we reported on Super Bowl Sunday,
25:59which is that there have been real internal conversations about
26:01does it make sense to pay another player
26:03when you already got Dak at the top,
26:05CD near the top, and now have another player at the top of the market
26:09or to potentially trade Micah Parsons for a boatload of picks
26:13and inject your roster with a lot of other help
26:16at different positions here.
26:18A lot of different moving parts still over the next four, five,
26:22Cowboys fans hope not six months,
26:24because that gets us into the regular season here.
26:26And oh, by the way, Aiden Hutchinson,
26:28also eligible for an extension.
26:30He's got to be loving everything that he's seeing at this point, Mike.
26:33Yes, Tom, thank you very much.
26:35You can't win championships in the off-season
26:39when it comes to free agency.
26:41That might be true, but you know what you can do?
26:43You can move up the NFL.com post-free agency power rankings.
26:46And that's what the Bears did,
26:48fortifying their offensive line
26:50and making moves elsewhere along the roster
26:52to help Caleb Williams
26:54and also try to fortify that defense for Ben Johnson
26:57in his first year as the coach of the Bears.
26:59Moved up to 16 from what I am told.
27:02Jeffrey Chedia joining Brian Baldinger and myself here
27:05to discuss his favorite.
27:07See, this article is not even up yet, right?
27:09This is a preview.
27:11I did my daughter's sentences today for school.
27:13One of the words was preview.
27:14See, Carmen, this is a preview.
27:16No, no, stay up there, stay up there.
27:18But we are going to preview your article, Jeffrey,
27:20on your favorite off-season moves.
27:22And we're going to start with which one is your favorite
27:24of the off-season moves.
27:26You just saw Chicago Bears, and I'll start there
27:28because it's a two-pronged favorite move here
27:30with the hiring of Ben Johnson
27:32and the rebuilding of that offensive line, Mike.
27:34I love the Ben Johnson hire.
27:36I thought he was the best coaching candidate
27:38of the off-season.
27:40He comes in, he can fix that offense,
27:42get Caleb Williams going.
27:44It's a home run for the Bears in getting him.
27:46But then going out and rebuilding that offensive line.
27:48And we know what that offensive line meant
27:50to Ben Johnson's offense in Detroit.
27:52It's going to allow him to avoid
27:54the sack problems they had last year
27:56with Caleb Williams getting sacked 68 times.
27:58It's going to allow this offense
28:00to use those skilled players they got
28:02in the off-season in Baldy.
28:04This team is on the rise for a reason.
28:06I agree, Jeff.
28:08And I think it's, you know, the number one story
28:10right now going into the off-season,
28:12much like you're writing in your preview.
28:14Obviously, Ben Johnson can't do
28:17any of the things he wants to do
28:19out of his playbook and the concepts
28:21and the ideas and, you know,
28:23the playmaking ability of some of his talent
28:25without a good offensive line.
28:27So to get that, at least on paper,
28:29fixed right now, where Caleb Williams
28:32can stand back there for three seconds,
28:34if he can get three seconds,
28:36to diagnose what the defense is doing
28:38and go with the ball.
28:40I mean, I think that's where it starts.
28:42Detroit had one of the top three
28:44offensive lines there.
28:46It has been a big part of why
28:48they were the number one offense
28:50in football last year
28:52and why they scored so many points.
28:54So I think to get that fixed,
28:56to get Ben in,
28:58now I think they can start to inject
29:00the ideas that Ben Johnson has had
29:02and one of the reasons why he's been
29:04a leading coaching candidate
29:06for the last two seasons.
29:08One of the most intriguing moves,
29:10Jonah Jackson, a big free agent
29:12for the Rams last year.
29:14He's guaranteed next season
29:16to add it on as well.
29:18So a lot of faith in Jackson
29:20who played with Ben Johnson
29:22up there in Detroit.
29:24Moving on, we're going to talk about
29:26the defensive side of the ball
29:28on this one because I know you like
29:30something that the Eagles did
29:32that they don't usually do
29:34and that's pay a linebacker.
29:36And that's why I love it, Mike.
29:38I love that they went out
29:40and they paid Zach Bond,
29:42a player who came in unheralded
29:44as number one in the league all year.
29:46And when you think about the idea
29:48of the Eagles breaking trends,
29:50they did it last year in going out
29:52and putting a lot of money
29:54in Saquon Barkley's pocket
29:56when they didn't usually pay running backs
29:58to go and do this for Zach Bond
30:00tells me that they really believe in
30:02one, we're going to pay our stars,
30:04but two, we're not always going to be
30:06beholden to what we've done in the past.
30:08We're going to do what's best for our team
30:10and keeping Zach Bond here at Baldy
30:12is what's best for the Eagles.
30:14Nothing against Patrick Surtain
30:16and winning the award,
30:18but if you count the postseason,
30:2021 games in all,
30:22he had 184 tackles,
30:24six forced fumbles,
30:26and he showed up every week
30:28and he was the undisputed leader
30:30of that defense.
30:32And it was technically
30:34and fundamentally sound.
30:36Real quick, I remember when Vic Fangio
30:38was the linebacker coach
30:40for the Dome Patrol in New Orleans
30:42with Sam Mills and Patrick Swelling
30:44he was the leader of the Dome Patrol.
30:46He was of the Eagles.
30:48They were the best defense in football last year
30:50and the big reason why
30:52was the play of Zach Bond.
30:54Zach Bond went from a one-year
30:56$3.5 million deal
30:58to a three-year deal
31:00averaging $17 million per year.
31:02We should all be so lucky
31:04as to get those kinds of raises,
31:06but you know what, Jeffrey,
31:08you didn't make your case for a raise
31:10by giving us a third offseason move
31:12that you liked.
31:14I've been looking forward to hearing
31:16your presence on their defensive line
31:18for a long time,
31:20maybe going back to the days of Sheldon Richardson,
31:22and they got it with this guy.
31:24I know Jonathan Allison, 30 years old,
31:26but he's been to two Pro Bowls,
31:28he's had 16.5 sacks in those two years
31:30when he was a Pro Bowl player,
31:32and he's been a high-pressure guy
31:34the last six years of his career.
31:36And so you add him to a defense
31:38that brought in Jonathan Bernard last season
31:40and Andrew Van Ginkel
31:42was able to come off the edge
31:44and take the lead.
31:46Well, he was already at the top
31:48of the charts last year, Jeff,
31:50in takeaways,
31:52and they kept a lot of their personnel
31:54that was responsible for it,
31:56but a lot of it was
31:58these third-down defenses
32:00that Flores would put up there,
32:02and it's kind of gimmicky a little bit,
32:04who's coming, who's not coming.
32:06I think if they want to just play
32:08base defense right now
32:10with a Jonathan Allen,
32:12going with a Javon Hargrave,
32:14and just play base defense
32:16and rush forward the way the Eagles did
32:18in the Super Bowl this year
32:20and get home with four,
32:22they can do that if they want.
32:24If they want to throw a bunch of junk
32:26at the line of scrimmage
32:28and play, you know, blitz zero behind it,
32:30they still have that option,
32:32but I think they can play
32:34a lot more traditional styles of defense
32:36now that they've fixed
32:38that defensive tackle position.
32:40So congratulations to the Vikings.
32:42Vikings went to beef up
32:44the two-point position
32:46in the Super Bowl.
32:48Invest in the Vikings.
32:50If you want to see more of attacks
32:52on our site,
32:54go to LPA.com backslash
32:56first read or Chedia.
32:58I think both will take you
33:00where you want to go
33:02when this article gets posted.
33:04What time tomorrow?
33:06I don't know.
33:08Log on to 1201AM.
33:10Just keep hitting refresh
33:12all day long until you find it.
33:14It's been quite an offseason for Justin Fields who, here he is in Morocco, he was there on
33:21a vacation, I don't know, with a bunch of other football players.
33:24I believe he was there when the other good part of his offseason began.
33:30He got signed by the New York Jets to be their starting quarterback.
33:34There he is arriving at the Jets' facility in Florham Park, which, I like Florham Park.
33:38It's definitely not Morocco.
33:41From the desert, let's take you to the deep sea, where our man around the world, Brian
33:46Baldinger, was today.
33:49Baldy was diving.
33:50I heard him talk about how great the visibility was, and frankly, these pictures definitely
33:54show that.
33:55Amazing visibility, amazing GoPro by Brian Baldinger.
34:00Let's bring Baldy back.
34:02This is incredible.
34:05Let's welcome back Brian Baldinger and Mike Garofalo.
34:08We're going to get to the...
34:09That was amazing.
34:10We're going to get to the diving video later, Baldy.
34:13But first, let's talk about some of these offseason moves.
34:17Let's start with Justin Fields and how he's going to fit in the New York Jets.
34:21Well, Judy, I'm a big fan of Marrakesh and of Justin Fields together.
34:25I mean, Marrakesh, everybody should go.
34:28I mean, it's beyond exotic, but it's fun.
34:30But I would say that I've always been a fan of Justin Fields.
34:33Coming out of Ohio State, I was a fan.
34:36You know, in Chicago, he averaged 6.2 yards a rush, and for five different games, Aaron
34:43Glenn had to defend Justin Fields, and he saw how difficult it was.
34:46I didn't think Pittsburgh used him properly last year.
34:49And I think when you look at Tanner Engstrom and the new offense coordinator in New York,
34:54I think you've got to use him as a bona fide runner and use him as a weapon from that standpoint.
35:00I think it'll open up things for Brees Hall and Braylon Allen and Zia Davis, the running
35:04backs there.
35:06I think they've got work to do in the offensive line.
35:08But I think there's real potential here for Justin, because he's never been really in
35:14a stable place or a place that had a great offensive line.
35:18He did get off to a good start last year and then kind of oddly went back to Russell Wilson
35:23after he got off to a great start and was playing error-free football.
35:25But I think he's got a chance to flourish.
35:27I mean, he knows in that building right now, he's the guy.
35:31And I don't know that he felt like that in Pittsburgh, even when he was starting.
35:35I don't think he felt like that.
35:37And there was always change in Chicago.
35:39I feel like they found their guy.
35:41He's young and there's a lot to build around him and his talent.
35:46So I'm pretty bullish on what Justin Fields can do in New York this year.
35:51Aaron Glenn, when he was in Detroit, you know, they made the trade for Jared Goff and we
35:54thought, well, there's your bridge quarterback, and no bridge quarterback, right?
35:58That guy is the highway in Detroit.
36:00Justin Fields, same kind of thing.
36:01Like we got that, oh, here's your bridge quarterback.
36:04If he can get the same kind of deal where you don't have to spend a draft pick on a
36:07quarterback because you got your guy and he winds up being your guy for an extended period,
36:11that's the best possible scenario for Aaron Glenn.
36:13A reasonable deal at $20 million a year.
36:16Again, reasonable when you're talking about quarterbacks.
36:18Speaking of quarterbacks and a guy that got slightly better, let's say about $15 million
36:22or so better, Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks.
36:26What do you like about the fit here between Darnold and what they're going to do up there
36:29with Clint Kubiak as the OC?
36:31You know, Mike, I always think like these quarterbacks like Sam and Baker and others,
36:36like they have to go to rehab after they get off to a bad start in places.
36:40And I thought rehab for Sam started in San Francisco with Kyle Shanahan and Clint Kubiak
36:45when he was the quarterback coach there.
36:46And I thought just a year playing scout team, playing week 18, I thought Sam really learned
36:53a lot.
36:54And I think reuniting with Clint now in Seattle with Mike McDonald, the head coach, I feel
36:59like this could be a new beginning for Sam.
37:02Now, obviously, Minnesota, things went well for the first 15, 16 weeks of the season.
37:07But I'm feeling like this connection that he has with Clint is a good start for him.
37:13Now, they've got some team building to do around Sam and that offense.
37:17But now that they've got him locked up here, start building.
37:20We'll see the draft.
37:21I think they'll address it in the draft, whether it's receivers, offensive line, give him some
37:25help.
37:26But I think it's a good start being reunited with Clint Kubiak.
37:29All right.
37:31The move that cleared the way for Sam Darnold in Seattle, I think one of the stunners of
37:36the offseason so far, the trade, Gino Smith going to the Las Vegas Raiders.
37:41How's that fit?
37:42Well, I think it's going to be good because I was around Chip Kelly when he first came
37:48to Philadelphia, Judy, back in 2013, he got off to a great start and really his ideas
37:54about tempo inside, outside receivers, some of the staples of his offense, like Gino played
38:00at West Virginia for Dana Holmerson.
38:03He played in basically the same offense in college where a word tells you what the offense
38:07is.
38:08You could get to play snapped off in 16 to 18 seconds if you want to, if you need to.
38:14So I think he could play that up tempo style because he has played in it before.
38:18So I think Chip coming back to the NFL, he's learned a little bit about how to protect
38:23your quarterback a little bit better than he did.
38:26He's learned from some, some, you know, formations and tight ends, things he didn't have when
38:32he was at Oregon or maybe his first year in Philadelphia, but I think he's learned a lot
38:36since then.
38:37I think it's a good fit for Gino.
38:38I think he's going to play well in his offense.
38:40It's going to ask him to play fast and that's Chip's offense, that's his, a staple of what
38:46he does.
38:47And I think Gino is capable of doing it.
38:50One of the few moves that the Raiders have made so far this off season as they try to
38:55rebuild with Pete Carroll in charge.
38:57Baldy, thank you very much, Mike.
39:00Thank you very much.
39:01And when we return, we're going to give you a look at the big 12 pro day in Frisco, Texas.
39:06More than 200 prospects were working out in Frisco.
39:09We've got highlights.
39:10We've got analysis coming up next on the insiders.
39:19Breaking news.
39:20Another pass rusher has just cashed in this time.
39:23It's the Neil Hunter who has agreed to terms with the Texans on a one year, $35.6 million
39:30contract extension that now makes him the NFL's second highest paid defensive end.
39:35He gets a raise to 32 million this season and almost all of the 55.1 million that he's
39:41due through 2026 is now fully guaranteed.
39:45So potentially here, this could also form a groundwork for getting a Trey Hendrickson
39:50deal done in Cincinnati.
39:52Meanwhile, the big 12 welcomed over 200 prospects and nearly 300 scouts to their two day conference
39:57pro day event in Frisco, Texas.
39:59Our Rhett Lewis, Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks are there.
40:06Hello insiders.
40:07Rhett Lewis, Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks here with you from the Ford Center home of
40:11the Cowboys today.
40:12And of course, home to the big 12 pro day where we saw the offensive linemen and defensive
40:17linemen hit the field first.
40:18DJ, who stood out to you here on day one?
40:19I'm going to go with Connor O'Toole from Utah.
40:22It doesn't have a ton of production from the fall, but man, what a workout.
40:25He ran a four, six, six, 40, an excellent three cone time as well.
40:29So you get a chance to watch him go through the testing.
40:31You see him run here real smooth, fluid, easy.
40:35That wasn't just in the 40 and in the three cone, also just watching him move around.
40:39Everything he did look effortless and it looks smooth.
40:42So someone helped himself and it's going to give himself an opportunity at the next
40:46level.
40:47Well, guys, I'm going to go with the Arizona standout, Jonah Semenya.
40:50Continue to put the exclamation point on what has been a really solid pre-draft process
40:54for him.
40:55When you think about what he has been able to display, this is a guy that can play outside
40:59and inside the versatility.
41:00When you look at the tape, you see the IQ, you see the toughness and the physicality
41:04that you want to see.
41:05But out here, we want to see the movement skills.
41:07Could he move around?
41:08Can he make these transitions?
41:10Is he someone that can play outside, maybe a right tackle, or is he destined to make
41:13a move interior?
41:14I think he really helped himself with what he's done throughout the process, particularly
41:19with what he was able to do at the Big 12 Pro Day.
41:20Yeah, guys, I'll go back to the defensive line group and talk about one of the players
41:24we saw from Baylor, Trevin Ma'ai, who's kind of played up and down the defensive line for
41:30Dave Aranda.
41:31Said they've used him at nose, they've used him at the three tech, they've used him as
41:35a five at times.
41:37He checked in at just about 277 pounds, ended up running a 4'7", 40 today.
41:43So I think as a guy that you want to maybe pack a little bit more weight on and then
41:47put him on the interior of that defensive line, and you could be talking about a player
41:52that definitely catches the eye of some talent evaluators here at the Big 12 Pro Day.
41:56So those are the big guys, right?
41:58Tomorrow, day two of the Big 12 Pro Day, we're going to talk about the quarterbacks, the
42:02running backs, the wide receivers, kind of a loaded skill group, especially at running
42:06back.
42:07And we shall get a chance to talk to, Bucky, I know you're looking forward to this, you
42:10see him down in the field, Coach Prime, Deion Sanders, and his son, Shadur Sanders.
42:16One of the very top prospects in this draft class, going to be here in attendance, and
42:20we look forward to chatting with them.
42:23But again, Big 12 Pro Day, day two, one o'clock Eastern.
42:26We'll see you tomorrow, right here from Frisco, Texas.
42:30Few players bigger in Super Bowl LII than Devontae Smith on that touchdown from Jalen
42:35Hurts.
42:36But have you seen it?
42:37Well, there's a different way you can see it, and you will not be able to unsee it.
42:42We'll explain next on the Insiders.
42:44We score, it's over.
42:47Call it.
42:48Just call it.
42:49For the Eagles, it is first and ten, and they take over in Chiefs territory at the 46-yard
42:57line.
42:58Check, check, check, check, check.
42:59And now the Eagles get it back.
43:00We're going to run some plot.
43:01We're maybe sure the Daggers will play.
43:02Devontae Smith!
43:03He has done it!
43:04Touchdown!
43:05We score, it's over.
43:06Call it.
43:07Just call it.
43:08This must have taken forever to do.
43:24The best part of that phenomenal work by Fabu Brick is nailing the Nick Sirianni strut
43:30in stop-motion.
43:31We'll see you tomorrow.