Free Agency Kickoff! Crosby Dealt, Mack Stays and Last Minute Deals

18:25Gregg Rosenthal:It's a tough spot for someone like Kelsey because no one around the NFL thinks he's going to leave. And he certainly would have a market. But what is that market? Is it one year, like eight million dollars? One year,$10 million. Like, is it really going to be more than the Chiefs are willing to spend? Probably not. But if you're Kelsey and the Chiefs are asking you to essentially take a pay cut, which is what I'm guessing they're doing, despite playing very well last year, like he looked better last season, I thought, than the two previous seasons. He made more plays after the catch. If you're watching us live on YouTube, you can see some of those plays after the catch right now.

19:09Gregg Rosenthal:and uh so he's in a tough spot trying to get his bag as much as he possibly can but no one believes

19:16Nick Shook:that he's gonna go no and his current apy is 17.1 and if he took eight that's more than a 50 cut so yeah it would be a massive cut to stay with the cheese but i feel like that's about his market because while you give him the credit for making plays after the catch a lot of folks and especially those in kansas city will define his 2025 season as the year in which he made the most crucial drops of his career that contributed directly to losses in big games. And especially because of the fact that they weren't able to return to the playoffs, that just lingers as something that they're going to have to get over collectively if he sticks around.

19:47Nick Shook:So I don't think he's going to have that strong of a market because let's look at the tight end market as it stands right now. You're looking at guys like Dallas Goddard, John who Smith, David Njoku, Travis Kelsey of those four guys, who are you actually going to throw a decent bag at? No hate on Travis Kelsey. I live in Cleveland. He's a Cleveland Heights guy, but I would not throw the most money at him out of that group of tight ends. I just wouldn't.

20:11Gregg Rosenthal:Yeah, we're getting some comments that they think Kelsey's washed. I don't think he's washed. I think I think he can help. I think he's somewhere in between. He's too smart. He's too smart to be to be washed. And look, he was he was very productive last year, but he would have to wait out the market. It's a little embarrassing. It's the same thing with I saw a report today that Mike Evans will hit the market. and Matt Harmon quote tweeted it saying what I thought. It's like, didn't you report this like a month ago? And then didn't you report this like a week ago? And it's basically the agent telling the insiders, hey, let him know it's serious.

20:46Gregg Rosenthal:He really is going to hit the market. And it's just like trying to get that little extra money. There is a difference though, in that a team like the Chiefs, for instance, although they don't have a lot of cap room to spend, But some other teams out there, whoever's looking at receiver, San Francisco, would make a little sense to me. Maybe New England for the right price would make a little sense to me. I think would actually give Evans an offer, but no one wants to be the team that just is getting used as a leverage play. I give Travis Kelsey a 2 % chance of leaving, and I give Mike Evans a 12 % chance.

21:24Gregg Rosenthal:What about you? No, those are the numbers I would land on. 12 is the exact number? So come on.

21:30Nick Shook:7 and 12 is going to be. Well, over, under, 12 %? Under. 12 is the maximum. Neither of them are leaving. Neither. Okay.

21:39Gregg Rosenthal:I hope you're right, especially when it comes to Evans. I just assume you're right when it comes to Travis Kelsey. By the way, breaking news. I did see this on TMZ this weekend. Travis Kelsey's mom is renovating her house. Big news.

21:54Nick Shook:Who is the interior designer? Can we see?

21:56Gregg Rosenthal:I don't know, but they sent that out as a post, and then Jason Kelsey retweeted it and was like, breaking news, like I'm going to the park with my kids. I don't know why that was news, but it was absolutely news.

22:06Nick Shook:I got to see the blueprints. I want to see the open floor plan. How many ovens? One, two. What are we doing here? We got the built-in pancake griddle. Come on.

22:13Gregg Rosenthal:Okay, that was points three and four on our show. Number five also happened on Friday, but it's the Raiders releasing Geno Smith, and we have some expected cuts. Geno Smith was expected. The crazy part about this is that we have now seen multiple reporters suggest that Geno Smith is either a top or close to the top of the Jets wish list. I want so much better for Geno than returning to the Jets. That seems like a terrible coda to the end of his career. Frank Reich, who is the coach there, also reportedly wants to bring in Carson Wentz as a possibility. I want better for Jets fans than Carson Wentz.

22:54Gregg Rosenthal:And I want better for Gino than having to deal with the Jets fans who are going to kind of hold, hold it against him what he was the last time. And I'm still hoping for Minnesota, even though I think that's where Kyler ends up.

23:04Nick Shook:Yeah. And that would take away probably his best fit as a free agent quarterback at this point in his career. But, you know, sometimes we look at players careers and we see them returning to the team that drafted them. And we think, Oh, that ties a nice little bow on their arc. This would be the opposite. I don't know how else to describe the opposite of, of tying a bow on it other than, I don't know, obliterating the tail end of it and leaving him with no soft landing whatsoever. I mean, look, not to hate on the jets, but any quarterback that is put in that situation has to be a supernatural, like human to be able to, you know, get something out of that offense, at least as it stands right now, I know they had some injuries up front.

23:38Nick Shook:Justin Fields took about nine steps back behind that offensive line, which wasn't terrible, but got worse and worse throughout the year. Tyrod Taylor, you know, struggled to stay healthy, but similar story for him putting Gino there would be the worst thing possible because he just came from a terrible situation in the desert in Vegas behind the NFL's worst offensive line so Gino this is my plea to you please hold out for a better offer that might not be you know worth

24:02Gregg Rosenthal:as much money but is a better situation than this one yes like I I would rather see Gino be Stafford's backup or something yeah versus you know in in a situation where where he could possibly succeed if he was called upon. The Jets have$73 million in cap space. I think they're going to be active. We haven't heard any more on the Kyler Murray kind of sweepstakes since we last taped, other than the expectation is Minnesota's the favorite, but I don't think anyone really knows knows. We'll find out. Other cuts around the league. Really surprised by Taylor Decker getting cut by the Lions. The veteran left tackle was due a decent amount of money, and he announced he wasn't going to retire in February.

24:47Gregg Rosenthal:And the assumption was he's just coming back to the Lions. I think they tried to negotiate a pay cut. He wasn't happy about it. And he's cut loose. And I don't think we ever hit it on the show. They also cut Graham Glasgow the other week and Frank Ragnar still retired. He's not coming back. So they don't have a center. They don't have a left tackle. They need a guard spot. Interesting time for the Detroit Lions. and where would have you put Taylor Decker and I'll throw in Geno Smith if you were making the top 101? These are two questions for you. Well, that would require some context

25:22Nick Shook:about who's in like the 30s and 40s.

25:24Gregg Rosenthal:Would you put Geno Smith ahead of Kirk Cousins?

25:27Nick Shook:Yes, I would. And Aaron Rodgers? No, I would put him behind Rodgers and ahead of Kirk, if that makes sense.

25:34Gregg Rosenthal:I actually put Kirk ahead of Rodgers because I think Rodgers is so tricky to fit into a different system. But I had them all basically in the same tier. They're ranked between 50 and 60. I'm calling that bridge quarterback land. But you know, this is Geno Nation. I'm still standing up for that. In the right situation, he could be better. We got a comment here that the Lions window has closed. I disagree with that. I don't think the Lions window has closed, but this is a big month for them.

26:00Nick Shook:Yeah. Look, anytime that you're... What was the story of the 2025 Lions? The offensive line. The injuries that they suffered up front. The fact that Frank Ragnar retired and replacing him didn't go as well as they thought it would, which it's always a risk. Him trying to unretire and failing his physical and then being sent back to retirement against his wishes. And now Taylor Decker leaving. This feels like an emotional move on his part. Like, I'm going to come back and play one more year and you're going to ask me to take a pay cut. All right, I'm out of here. Because then where is your next market?

26:26Nick Shook:Do you end up with a team that has the same ambitions? Like I think about teams that need offensive line men and I think about the Browns. And would Taylor Decker want to go play for the Browns over the Lions? Because I wouldn't if I was Taylor Decker. So I think if you weigh the priorities, apparently it must have been you know offensive enough for him to be like you know what screw it I want to leave entirely and now he's out there the idea though of investing in a guy for who's probably only going to play one more year it's got to be with a team that really desperately just needs a veteran to fill that last spot on their offensive line and I put him in my top 100 though because there's no tackles out there no he's definitely in the top 100 but I'm thinking like does he end up in Chicago because like they have that would questions to answer on their

27:07Gregg Rosenthal:offensive line oh that would that actually does make a lot of sense because it's just a one-year option they really need with right coming off an injury this is what uh lions correspondent kevin patrick said about how taylor decker played last year serviceable he missed more blocks than we'd seen in the past few years i think injuries really restricted him a lot like he knew he looked like a guy who knew where to be and what was coming but couldn't always get there average with the arrow pointed down not where you want to be in life where i where i feel like i am average uh with the arrow pointed you know that's a lie uh let's go packer says the jameer gibbs stats are going to plummet as they pass more and become one-dimensional let let's give them let's give them the next uh couple weeks because the lions actually have um very little flexibility financially at least on paper but brad holmes has done a great job overall i i just want to i'll grade them at the end i think i don't want to be premature but yeah i don't want to be a

28:06Nick Shook:doomsday guy either but i think there is some validity in the comment about jameer gibbs i actually talked to him at the pro bowl in san francisco and basically was going to ask him about the new offense and heard him just quickly like reject the premise of it by being like i haven't been there yet i don't know what what it's going to look like because i haven't been in the building yet so then i was like all right well can we be honest for a second we know your offensive line struggled last year and how it hurt your numbers and he basically acknowledged that he was like yeah i mean they had injuries up front and it kind of hurt our entire offense and took away a lot of our running game, which was the basis of our offense.

28:36Nick Shook:So this is going to be a, the number one priority for this team, not to mention the fact that they need to find an edge rusher to pair with Aiden Hutchinson. They could use some more defensive, you know, reinforcements. It's going to be a pivotal off season for them. It really is. It's crazy how quickly things can change, but this is the way the NFL is with, with attrition, with roster turnover, falling short of the mark one year, suddenly you lose a couple of key guys up front and the trenches get a little weaker and things get a little unstable. So I hope that Brad Holmes comes through for the betterment of the Detroit Lions fan base.

29:07Gregg Rosenthal:The trenches are looking rough, but they have a lot of great players still on that team, including Penney Sewell, by the way, and Aiden Hutchinson. So I'm not pushing the panic button yet. Here's what I'm going to do though, is test Nick Shook and our producer, Eric Roberts with a little breaking news. As we're taping this, The Rams have signed Trent McDuffie to a four-year,$124 million contract extension. Look, we already hit the trade at length on the show. This is part two of the trade, getting him locked in long term. $100 million guaranteed, reportedly, for Trent McDuffie. Now, you know, it says highest paid cornerback in NFL history.

29:51Gregg Rosenthal:It says$100 million guaranteed. guaranteed. I hate to say it when it comes to these insiders. I can't trust it until I actually see the contract come up. But it's not shocking because to me, he's a top 10 cornerback. And generally, if you're in the top 10 at your position, you kind of become the highest paid player when you're up. So it sounds crazy. But what that tells me probably is, you know, it's guaranteed money into year, you know, through three years. So of course, Trent McDuffie's going to be on this team for three, four years. He's 25 years old. I don't think he's as high level as the very, very best cornerbacks, but he's not far off and he's a guy you can build around.

30:29Nick Shook:What I like is his versatility. He proved that in Kansas City. He essentially started in the slot. He had a great performance in 2024 when they got to the Super Bowl and beat the 49ers in Vegas. And he played a pivotal role in that game itself, breaking up a few key passes. Again, largely manning the slot throughout that playoff run. Then the next year proves that he can be inside and outside and make a difference. PFF's grades have him super high over the last three years. I think the second best corner in the NFL since 2023 in coverage grade. Wow. I agree that he's not necessarily like the high-level elite brand name guy that you think of as position, but the Rams needed this.

31:04Nick Shook:We knew the only real weakness with the Rams, especially entering the postseason, was their secondary, which is why we were so shocked that the secondary made big plays and that went over the Bears. Some of that had to do with DJ Moore not finishing his route and flattening it out, but still, they made the plays when they needed to. now they go after it this mirrors what they did not against the seahawks they didn't you're right and this is that's the game that tells them this is what we need to focus on the offseason is our secondary so this mirrors what they did when they went after jaylen ramsey when they were going all in back then he was around the same age he was considered the same level of cornerback they said screw it we're going all in so it's less need understanding the time is now again let's go get one of the best cornerbacks available in a trade and pay him 124 over four now the highest past the sauce gardener at 120.4 but the 100 million guaranteed you're right i need to see the details because the top guaranteed numbers right now according to over the cap are like around 48 million for derrick stingley that would be massive i don't know there's no way that

31:58Gregg Rosenthal:that's a really true 100 million guaranteed well who knows and yeah even the per year at 30 per you know tops the highest before and at his age he he is more likely than most to get every dollar in that contract, but the cap's going up. You can always massage it. And yes, the Rams are trying to win the Super Bowl, and I like what Jordan Rodriguez said on our show a couple days ago. Like, look, it's not a position they've drafted well, so if that's a position you need to overpay a little bit in a trade-slash-contract, yeah, F them picks and give the money to McDuffie. By the way, yeah, I put Eric on the spot.

32:36Gregg Rosenthal:He had that graphic up in 4.21 seconds. That was faster than the fastest 40 at the combine, getting the Trent McDuffie graphic up despite not knowing that it was coming. Now I'm really throwing another curveball here because we're going to hit point number 14 on the rundown since it was the Rams anyways. Quickly, in the secondary, Cam Curl got a big contract,$39 million over three years from the Rams. They also brought back Tyler Higbee for$8 million over two years. I don't think we need to go on much about that. But Cam Curl was a guy that was in my top 60 overall free agents, one of the top safeties available.

33:12Gregg Rosenthal:And a lot of people thought, oh, when they bring Quinton Lake back, say goodbye to Cam Curl. But no, they're going to spend money on the players that were good in their secondary. And that is a really diverse, I think, trustworthy trio. and it really speaks to how NFL defenses are run now where they can play all sorts of different styles between Curl, McDuffie, and now Quinton Lake. And yeah, they're still gonna be looking at cornerbacks, but they're gonna feel really good.

33:41Nick Shook:Hey, it's Carissa Thompson. Everything these days is fighting for your attention, work, family, social media, and it makes it tough to figure out what should really come first. But here's something that absolutely deserves to be at the top of your list, your breast health. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. And the rates are still rising. More women under 50 are being diagnosed too. But here's a stat that really hits home. One in two women who qualify for annual breast screenings aren't getting them. That's half.

34:14Nick Shook:And yet, when breast cancer is caught early, the survival rate is over 99%, nearly 100 % for stage one before it spreads. If you're 40 or older, you should be getting screened every year. And if you're under 40, it is never too early to understand your risk. So come on now. Pay the girls some attention. Head to yourattentionplease.com to learn your breast cancer risk and what screenings you might need. Trust me, your future self will thank you. Brought to you by Novartis.

34:43Gregg Rosenthal:Lowe's knows Sundays are for football. So tackle your home improvement projects by Saturday and earn your Sunday with great deals on LG and Bosch appliances. select bounty and swiffer cleaning products and more. Then once your to-do list is done, get ready to kick back, relax, and enjoy the game. Shop in store or online now and earn your Sunday with help from Lowe's, official partner of the NFL. Get almost anything you need delivered with Uber Eats. What do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well-groomed lawn delivered, but you can get a chicken parm delivered. A day at the lake, that's a no.

35:17Gregg Rosenthal:A Philly cheesesteak, that's a yes. An afternoon stroll, sorry, no. A burrito bowl, happily, yes. What about a day of sunshine? Not happening. A box of fine wines? Yes, that is happening. Delivery is on its way. Okay, how about some clear skies? No, well then. How about some french fries? Yep, a little escape? No. A delicious bowl of grapes? Yes, yes that. How about a freshly cut lawn? Can't help you there, but barbecued prawns. Order it and it's on its way. Get almost, almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol and select markets, product availability may vary by region. See app for details.

35:57Gregg Rosenthal:Get almost, almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now.

36:02Nick Shook:For adults with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms, every choice matters.

36:08Gregg Rosenthal:Tremphaya offers self-injection or intravenous infusion from the start.

36:13Nick Shook:Tremphaya is administered as injections under the skin or infusions through a vein every four weeks. followed by injections under the skin every four or eight weeks. If your doctor decides that you can self-inject Tremphaya, proper training is required. Tremphaya is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease and adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Serious allergic reactions and increased risk of infections and liver problems may occur.

36:41Gregg Rosenthal:Before treatment, your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, or if you need a vaccine.

36:50Nick Shook:Explore what's possible. Ask your doctor about Tremfaya today. Call 1-800-526-7736 to learn more or visit TremfayaRadio.com.

37:03Gregg Rosenthal:Let's go back and let's talk about all the centers. So I'm just going to rip off all these center moves that happened over the weekend as one point. Conor McGovern got$52 million,$32 million guaranteed from the Buffalo Bills. That's a four-year contract. That came just a few days after he told Tim Graham of The Athletic he assumed he's leaving Buffalo because no one had even contacted him. And Tim Graham believes literally that conversation helped kickstart negotiations, which is bizarre, but they got a deal done. McGovern gets big-time money, maybe because they were looking at the rest of the market.

37:40Gregg Rosenthal:Tyler Biotis gets three years,$30 million with the Chargers. If you remember, Beatus just got cut by the commanders. He finds a new home very quickly with the Chargers. They had three interior line spots open. Now they fill one. The Packers have signed Sean Ryan for$33 million for three years,$11 million guaranteed. He's expected to play center, which means Elton Jenkins might get cut. We don't know about that. Maybe they could move Jenkins out to a different position. He's still on the team. Garrett Bradbury got traded from the Patriots to the Bears for a 2027 fifth round pick. So the Bears filled their center hole.

38:20Gregg Rosenthal:That was crazy, you know, opened up by by the fact that Drew Dahlman retired the other day. So it's just a game of musical chairs at center. The Patriots send off Garrett Bradbury. Jared Wilson, who they drafted a year ago from Georgia, is expected to take that position. And also another spot opened up. Ryan Kelly retired from the Vikings. He had been having a concussion issue. So that was a lot, Nick. But I just kind of want to just put it all out there and let me know what you think, if anything stands out to you there in general about the center market.

38:52Nick Shook:I thought Biotis' landing on the free agent market was mildly surprising, and it felt like he wasn't going to be out there for very long. Good that he kind of got the early head start in a center market that has suddenly become fast and furious. Usually isn't this active, but is this offseason. So good to see him land with the Chargers, a team that obviously understands the importance of offensive line strength given that they haven't been able to produce it over the last few years, and luckily their quarterback still has all of his limbs. As for the Patriots' trade with the Bears, very funny how this construction of this Patriots team has already evolved from year one to year two, where they went and got some of the vets that they thought could plug holes.

39:28Nick Shook:And then now that they finished that first season, they're like, all right, you're out. Stefan digs, Bradbury, you're traded. Wilson's going to move over to center the succession plan completely, you know, in place and active. And the bears get an answer after a surprise retirement from, from drew Dahlman. I know that bears fans, I am very close with a few of them. They have been panicking all week since he announced his retirement. And so it's nice to get that done before the start of free agency as well. And Bradbury, a guy with obviously with a ton of experience and did a good job as the veteran leader, the pivot of the Patriots this year, an offensive line that was very diverse, being so young on the left, so experienced on the right.

40:06Nick Shook:Didn't play the best in the Super Bowl, but I think Bradbury overall deserves this next opportunity. We'll see how he does in Chicago.

40:13Gregg Rosenthal:I don't know. Bears fans watched a lot of those Vikings games in division when Bradbury was struggling. It's a little bit of a buyer beware with Biotis at that salary that the commanders were willing to get off of him.

40:23Nick Shook:A little high, yeah.

40:25Gregg Rosenthal:And also, a little buyer beware for the Bears that the Patriots were willing to get off him. It's not like his contract was that much, but they only gave up a fifth-round pick. To me, they might bring in competition for Garrett Bradbury. They might draft someone. They might add another free agent. But, yeah, it should make Bears fans feel a little bit better that they have an option that knows how to play. But yeah, there was a lot of like protection issues with the commanders in terms of communication. Was that on Beattie? I don't really know. McGovern getting that big of a deal. Yeah, kind of eliminated him from, you know, possibly going elsewhere.

40:58Gregg Rosenthal:But man, the bills who we're going to get to in a second, they had to make a lot of cuts. And they still don't have any cap space right now. Like, and they just paid all that money to McGovern. I'm kind of wondering, like, what else is going to happen here? We know they're not going to be in on Tyler Linderbaum. That's it. I think this is the spot while we're talking centers to talk Linderbaum. Ian reported that the Ravens are trying to keep Linderbaum, but the commanders, who just cut Beattis, and the Raiders were the two teams that he mentioned could be willing to pay big-time money for Tyler Linderbaum.

41:32Gregg Rosenthal:Now, another outlet, I believe it was ESPN, had the Titans and the Giants in on Linderbaum earlier in the weekend. And so Linderbaum is going to get huge money. Legal tampering starts at noon Eastern on Monday. And I think he could be one of the first people to sign. And I have no idea where he's going. But it is very interesting to me to see the teams that are out there. And if the Raiders just wanted to give Tyler Linderbaum like$27,$28 million a year tackle type money, they could do it. Like Mark Davis would do it. they could just get they could just make the money absolutely crazy it would make the pa happy too

42:14Nick Shook:because it would launch the center market into the stratosphere but it's funny because three of those four teams that were mentioned as being in on him outside of the ravens of course are three of the four teams of the most cap space at this point as we enter the new league year raiders at 121 million titans at 92 million commanders at 87 million so they will have the money to throw if they really want him and a bidding war i believe will ensue and it's going to be one of the fun storylines to track as the new new league year opens up. Yeah, I I'm really,

42:43Gregg Rosenthal:I'm really looking forward to seeing who goes crazy, but I think these teams that you keep seeing mentioned, we just said a few of them, Raiders, commanders, Titans. I think giants are going to be very active. Patriots. Those are some of the teams that I expect to go crazy. One thing I also thought about with McDuffie, it's probably an extension. So the average per year looks a little misleading because you're not counting the year that was already on the contract. And they fudge around with these money. We see you agents and insiders at times. All right, let's talk about a few dudes staying put.

43:21Gregg Rosenthal:TJ Hawkinson took a$5 million pay cut to stay with the Vikings. And James Conner is back with the Cardinals on a revised contract. Usually that means a pay cut for him as well. Hawkinson will now become a free agent after the 2026 season. Any thoughts on Connor or Hawkinson staying with their teams?

43:44Nick Shook:Hawkinson making the necessary sacrifice that the Vikings front office probably begged him to do to stay there. And he probably wanted to stay there. I think that it's been a good home for him since he was traded there, despite their instability at quarterback over the last year or so. And it makes a lot of sense. However, Connor is an essential piece to whatever the Cardinals are going to be under Mike LaFleur. because this is all he was. Like he was their offense in Arizona. Like once they got hurt, he got hurt last year. Their offense took a nosedive and then Kyler gets hurt. He ends up getting soft benched for Jacoby.

44:13Nick Shook:Over the last three years, the story with the Cardinals was, did James Connor have a good game? Did he run for close to a hundred yards? Then they may have won. Did he have a bad game? They definitely lost. So keeping him there makes sense. And coming off of the injury, that also explains why the contract is revised, but they have money to spend. So interesting, I think, negotiation there between the two and that like running back coming off of an injury kind of at that point in his career age-wise where you can't justify paying him the same amount he does it out of you know a move of good faith they do it because they know he's so important but they also preserve the ability to add elsewhere because they know they have a lot of holes that they need to fill

44:49Gregg Rosenthal:so good on them we got a question uh asking to say something nice about the cardinals they need hope um look malik willis could be your quarterback in less than 24 hours that would give me personally a lot of hope. It would also give me a point in our free agency matchmaker game that I'm hoping to win. I think Malik Willis might happen. And just kind of as something to remember, if you're watching a pay cut or a revised contract at this time of year, the team ultimately is saying, we will cut you. It's up to you. They're negotiating that. Exactly. It helps the agent and the player, TJ Hawkinson, look like they got to win that.

45:26Gregg Rosenthal:Well, the contract's shortened now. I'll become a free agent after next year. Well, you would have been a free agent in a day if you didn't accept the pay cut. But ultimately, Hawkinson decided the money I'm going to get there, which is still, I think, probably going to be pretty good, like$12 million is probably better than I could do on the open market. And I'm comfortable here. And that ultimately the team was ready to move on. The Eagles are not ready to move on from Jordan Davis. He gets$65 million guaranteed on a three-year,$78 million extension. It's a four-year total deal. And I find that really interesting in the context of the ESPN report that some teams have called about Jalen Carter.

46:08Gregg Rosenthal:I threw that out there in the middle of February. I was like, I wonder if the Eagles would ever think about trading Jalen Carter. So if you're looking for like a stunner of a deal in the next week, that would be one potential one. The Eagles also reportedly are talking about possibly trading for Jonathan Grenard and are doing their best to keep Jalen Phillips. So I think they're going to spend at edge. We just kind of have to find out if it's Phillips or Grenard. It's a lot there that I just served up for you, but a very cool development arc for Jordan Davis improving in his career.

46:40Nick Shook:Yeah. And it lands him, I think in the top two in APY at his position. You actually, he'll make more than Milton Williams. Actually, I think that's the same as Milton Williams. What 26 a year was that 52 mental math 78. Yeah. That's the equal to what Milton Williams got paid by the Patriots last year. I know the Eagles between the two would rather pay Jordan Davis than Milton Williams. So it makes sense. He has improved after he dropped that weight last off season, he became a more agile player. He was always very explosive and kind of a freak of nature athletically, but he became a more effective and more agile player.

47:09Nick Shook:Instead of just being a gap plugger, he could also make a bigger difference as a rusher. And as somebody who could move from gap to gap, which was big for him in his development. And that's why he,

47:17Gregg Rosenthal:how about a touchdown score with that return against the Rams? That boy was slim.

47:21Nick Shook:Look how svelte he looks. Cause he lost all that weight. He felt lighter on his feet. Now his pockets are going to feel heavier in a good way. Grenard makes a ton of sense. They got to keep Jalen Phillips. That trade for him, they bought low at the deadline, and he was so effective for them. He reinstated some presence of an edge rusher that they lacked since Hassan Reddick's final days there, because we know what they tried to do with Bryce Huff didn't work out. I think they have to find a way to retain him because he's still relatively young, even though he has had a lot of injuries. And Grenard, one of my favorite players over the last four years, He was really effective for an just complete afterthought of a Texans team.

47:58Nick Shook:And then he goes to Minnesota. They swap basically Grenard for Hunter. Both play really well. Grenard would make a ton of sense for the Eagles. It would be a textbook Howie Roseman move.

48:08Gregg Rosenthal:Yeah. And that's, that's why this Jalen Carter thing. I, I just think the Eagles are going to be incredibly active right now. Mike Garofalo reports that any AJ Brown talks have stalled. There was another report that the Patriots are not willing to give up a first round pick. The Eagles don't look like they have cap space, but they always find a way to make it done. But still, you can only pay so many defensive linemen so much money. And if we're hearing that teams have called about Jalen Carter, they could get a haul while also possibly, you know, getting a free agent edge along with Dave. Just just something to watch over the next few days.

48:44Gregg Rosenthal:No point in speculating too much because we're going to find out most of what's going to happen. This offseason is going to happen in the next 72 hours or so. You mentioned Daniil Hunter. He got a one-year extension by the Texans. Dalton Schultz also got a one-year extension from the Texans. I mentioned Hunter especially because it was like for$40 million. It was a crazy, crazy extension. But the bigger picture here is, you know, it just signs him through 2027. Same thing with Schultz. But the Texans, every other move I see this week, Chuck, is the Texans opening up cap space. And actually, that's what this one-year deal does for Hunter.

49:21Gregg Rosenthal:It lowers his 26 number, gives him more guaranteed money, pushes it out to 27. So just keep it. They also re-signed EJ Speed, who's kind of a depth linebacker for them. Just keep an eye on, like, what are the Texans doing? I feel like they're doing something. They're up to something.

49:37Nick Shook:Yeah, well, I mean, they reached the divisional round again and lost again. And they understand how close they are. If they could get consistent quarterback play, they'd probably be another step ahead or an offensive line that was not as bad as two years ago, by the way, folks. Everyone talking about how they've just been terrible. SAC numbers-wise, they cut it in half from 2024 to 2025. They are slowly getting better, marginally speaking. But yeah, I mean, Casario, wheeling and dealing. That number, by the way, for 2027, for Daniil Hunter, $45 million. 30.2 in guaranteed salary. I don't think he'll be in Houston in 2027.

50:13Gregg Rosenthal:Wait, you said it's guaranteed, though, in 2027.

50:16Nick Shook:Is that right? guaranteed in 27 but i bet you that's a new league year deadline to become guaranteed okay um i don't

50:24Gregg Rosenthal:know man he is he is one of those players talk about all-time bag getters he is that dude and to get that much guaranteed salary in 27 i that probably he probably is making that money which is a crazy bet on one of uh as john gruden pointed out once on monday night football awkwardly the best bodies in the NFL. He said if he could have one body, I always remember this. That's how long Hunter's been in the league, that John Gruden was announcing Monday Night Football. He would want to have Daniil Hunter's body. And yeah, one of the best paid players of his generation too, Daniil Hunter, keeping it going.

51:00Gregg Rosenthal:I think Willie Anderson will get a long-term contract this offseason too. I mentioned the Bills making some cuts earlier. This happened back on Friday, but I did want to note Taylor Rapp, Curtis Samuel, and then Teron Johnson out the slot corner. Just an indication that it's got to be different. I was surprised to see Teron Johnson, who I think will have a market as a slot cornerback, but just like, okay, if there ever was a Sean McDermott guy, Teron Johnson is that guy, and we're getting rid of some of the Sean McDermott guys.

51:28Nick Shook:Yeah, and they're currently looking at a cap deficit that they have to get out of. So you're going to see some of these moves. You're going to see restructures because this is another team that, you know, got to the divisional round, had Super Bowl ambitions. This was supposed to be the year. No Chiefs, no Ravens in the playoffs. and now with a new head coach, but the same pressure to deliver, you've got to find a way to retool this roster. And I think about some of these guys on the defensive side, like a Taylor Rapp. I don't think that people were very fond of him in Buffalo with the way that he performed.

51:57Nick Shook:Not that he had a terrible season, but I just don't think that they were super fond of him and his presence in that secondary. So sometimes this is what you have to do to get better. I know, but it was Teron Johnson.

52:06Gregg Rosenthal:Bill's fans, if you're watching, hit us up. I thought he was still solid. I know he's had some injuries. He's, you know, he's 30. Maybe he just doesn't fit the scheme. And it does show that the cap is real. By the way, one of the dumbest comments I've ever seen in my life right now said the Eagles only have one real championship. I don't even know what that means. They beat the GOAT, Tom Brady, in one of the best games he's ever had, 500 yards or something preposterous. And then they beat the crap out of one of the other GOATs, Patrick Mahomes. How are those not as real as it gets?

52:40Nick Shook:Yeah, I don't understand that. That Super Bowl in New Orleans was incredibly dominant and lopsided. Those are two very real rings. This is why they say don't read the comments.

52:50Gregg Rosenthal:They say don't read the comments. Another guy that snuck into my top 50 once we got some of these signings and tags was Justin Stranade. And I knew, influenced by Ollie Connolly, I was a little higher on him than probably consensus, an edge linebacker who can rush the passer, an inside linebacker, but who can rush the quarterback. And the Broncos agreed that he's an important piece for them. He is staying off the market. $13 million over three years,$10 million guaranteed, you would assume, in the next two years. So a good bit of business for him, kind of a journeyman type who gets the most money of his career.

53:27And I did the math, Shook, from my original top 50,

53:31Gregg Rosenthal:eight are off the board. That's it so far. So that's from re-signings and tags. So for the most part, I think we're going to have a lot of like the big name players changing teams in the next 48 hours.

53:43Nick Shook:Yeah, you're right. That means we're going to get an active Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday this week for sure. I also think about one of my most loyal Twitch viewers is a Broncos fan. And he jumped in there on Friday and was like, we got to keep Sternod. We got to keep Singleton. Like these are guys that just define the Broncos defense. So to see him get paid was nice.

54:03Gregg Rosenthal:Yeah, he really earned it. It makes you wonder. Alex Singleton is a free agent there, and so you don't know if he's going to come back. I did not crack my 101, but a solid player. He's played a lot for them. Another trade or another move over the weekend. Zaire Franklin is going to the Packers. He's a linebacker who's been with the Colts for a while. He's going to Green Bay for defensive tackle Colby Wooden. Kind of a sign Quay Walker is on his way out, I think, in Green Bay. Zaire Franklin actually has a decent contract that they are taking as part of this deal. Colby Wooden, more of a younger defensive tackle prospect for the Colts.

54:45Gregg Rosenthal:What did you think about that move for Green Bay?

54:48Nick Shook:I thought it was interesting that they're resupplying their linebacking court because I feel, maybe I'm in the minority here, but I've liked Quay Walker a decent amount, but he's also made some boneheaded plays in his career. Athletic guy that could definitely fill a lot of the job that they need filled at that position. But you think about Edge Cooper being lined up alongside him and the other studs that they have. It kind of makes more sense. And the Colts, meanwhile, kind of beef up up front. It's one of those interesting one-to-one trades where it's like, hey, we have a need here. We have a need here.

55:17Nick Shook:We don't really care to keep this guy that much if we can fill this need. All right, same here with this guy. Let's get it done. Right.

55:24Gregg Rosenthal:And he's only making only$6 million, which I was like, do you need to pay that much for him? Like, is he a scheme fit? And then I thought, oh, yeah, Jonathan Gannon is the defensive coordinator of the Packers. Remember him? Jonathan Gannon has a great history of taking linebackers and just getting the most out of him. If I would say he has a specialty, that's one of them. So if he has a vision for Zaire Franklin, I do too. He helped many linebackers over the years. So let's make it happen. I mentioned the Rams earlier. We're talking Packers. While we're here, you see this Rashawn Gary stuff? Like what happened over the weekend?

56:10Gregg Rosenthal:He was hacked? I mean, he says he was hacked. He put this statement out on Instagram that his time in Green Bay is coming to an end and blah, blah, blah. And then just like a little while later, he deleted it and then he said he was hacked. What do you think happened there?

56:29Nick Shook:Okay, so I didn't see the initial post. And I would judge a lot of my analysis on this on how well the graphic was done. Because it's either a prepped statement or it's something that's made out of emotion. There's usually a paragraph long caption that says goodbye to the city that they were in and they're preparing for something new. Multiple Browns did it this offseason. And I didn't see it, so I can't tell you.

56:53Gregg Rosenthal:It looks pretty professional. When I got the call in 2019, it was one of the greatest moments of my life.

56:58Nick Shook:and always that's not getting hacked i'm sorry that's not getting hacked that's this one has

57:02Gregg Rosenthal:come to an end the agent called him was like take that down now right my read on it is they're trying to negotiate a different contract maybe it's a pay cut maybe it's a some sort of restructure and at some point he either was getting emotional or he thought it was over but the contract the negotiation not over until it's over and my guess is that him and his agent are still working on

57:31Nick Shook:like a possible deal super producer eric roberts has sent the screenshot to us in via text and yeah he did not get hacked at all this is super real this is absolutely real your theory is very

57:44Gregg Rosenthal:correct we can't be still using hacked in 2026 because who's getting hacked although i will say

57:49Nick Shook:i don't know if you've gotten dms from people in the business who were like hey i'm up for an award with these podcast awards. Click here to vote. That's getting hacked.

57:56Gregg Rosenthal:Okay. By the way, we have a comment. I asked the Bills fans out there, anyone, for some Teron Johnson perspective. And from a super listener, Brad Beetson here, Teron Johnson, his tackling grades were down the past two seasons with a missed tackle rate at 17 % plus per PFF. I think it was really just about the cap hit and moving away from the 4-2-5 defense. Great perspective there. A few more missed tackles, changing defense, big cap number. This new coach, it is how these things happen. So keep an eye on Rashawn Gary, by the way. He would be an interesting guy to add to the edge group. Some official releases that we were keeping an eye on and expecting.

58:36Gregg Rosenthal:Joe Mixon is officially cut. Don't know if his career is going to continue. Marshawn Lattimore was officially cut. It's crazy, but with his injuries, I'm not totally sure his career is going to continue. Tremaine Edmonds, a linebacker for the Bills. His career will absolutely continue. He will have a market, but they did not find a trade for him at a big salary number. And so he is now hitting free agency. We have kicker news, Shook. Chad Ryland staying with the Cardinals. The Colts re-signed Blake Groupie. And then one of the wildest bits of news of the entire offseason. Eddie Pinheiro got$10 million guaranteed.

59:14Gregg Rosenthal:I need to see the fine print if that's true. $10 million guaranteed from San Francisco, four for 17 total. The 49ers have been trying to solve this kicker situation for so long. I almost feel like they spent so much money, Shook, just to convince themselves that if we spend a lot of money, then Eddie Pinheiro is going to stay as awesome as he was for the season that he just had for us.

59:39Nick Shook:Look, they started last year with Jake Moody. It didn't work out. They ended up with Eddie Pinheiro, and it worked out remarkably well. Incredible. He was what? He was what? 28 of 29. He barely missed the kick,

59:49Gregg Rosenthal:but it was one year and Eddie Pinheiro's had a long career.

59:52Nick Shook:Yeah. And over the course of his career, he's hit 89.7 % of his field goals. So yeah, he's not rock solid, but he was also the guy that began his career in the windy city of Chicago, spent some, a few years in Carolina. Look, you spent a draft pick on Jake Moody and it never worked out. You gave him time to figure it out and it didn't work out. Then you got this veteran who came in, you're rewarding him. And you're also trying to confirm your bias toward him by spending this much money and hoping it works out. and they're far from the first team to do this. The Browns did it with Dustin Hopkins like two years ago and ended up with Andre Schmidt to start this year.

1:00:23Nick Shook:So I think it happens more often than we realize, but hopefully it works out for them because he was good this year.

1:00:28Gregg Rosenthal:Some other odds and ends before we get out of here and kind of start looking ahead to Monday. The Dolphins released their kicker, Jason Sanders, and their fullback, Alec Ingold. So if you want a fullback, that's a good one on the market. Traylon Burks is back with the commanders for like a contract up to$400 million. My most niche take right now is that I'm still not totally giving up on Traylon Burks just being kind of like a fun number four based on his commander's tape. Man, he had some crazy catches. I know there was that one that was like the catch of the year, but he, I don't know. I kind of like that move for the commanders as like a fourth, fifth receiver to see if he can do something.

1:01:04Gregg Rosenthal:The Cowboys put a second-round tender on their kicker. Brandon Aubrey haven't been able to work out a long-term deal. Darius Williams, the longtime Rams cornerback, retired. The Panthers are expected to cut Andy Dalton if they cannot find a trade partner. That was David Newton from ESPN that reported that. The Cardinals released Dalvin Tomlinson. Tommy DeVito is back with the Patriots. Right now he's their third quarterback, but maybe he'll become their backup. And then Drake Thomas, who had some nice moments there for the Seahawks at linebacker, is back in Seattle for two years,$8 million. Let's start spinning ahead a little bit, Shook.

1:01:40Gregg Rosenthal:Kind of what's next. is there anything you're looking at as we head into monday and really the meat of this free agency

1:01:50Nick Shook:season um well honestly i now that we just covered it very quickly here i want to know if a team would be willing to risk a second rounder to go after brandon aubrey because i think they would i think that i think that that tender is actually pretty competitive uh just given how like a late second or Aubrey? Yeah, if I was in need of a kicker desperately, I think that I would.

1:02:13Gregg Rosenthal:I mean, why not? Who just got a late two? The Bears did for Curtis Samuel. Do they need a kicker? No, Kyra Santos is fine. I was like, I think that is pick 60. That was why it was sticking in my head. If nothing else, just make the Cowboys spend a huge amount of money. But then it kind of ties you up for a week. That would be really funny. It does feel like Alec Pierce is maybe a candidate here to get the most guaranteed money of anyone in free agency now that he is this close. The Patriots, the Raiders, the Commanders, and the Titans are all reportedly in the mix for Pierce. Patriots fans are really getting excited about it.

1:02:57Gregg Rosenthal:But Vegas, Commanders, again, it's these same teams. I still, if I had to pick a team, I would go Colts. But as we get closer, I might go with the field over the Colts now. Even though I do kind of think in the end the Colts will find a way to keep them.

1:03:16Nick Shook:Yeah, so Pierce said this past week that he felt he earned the right to test free agency, but he also acknowledged that quarterback has a big part in it. Plays a big role in making his decision. And yes, the transition tag is on Daniel Jones, but we don't know when exactly he'll be back or what form he'll be in. And if Pierce believes that he is going to, you know, have sustained success, it's going to have to be with the quarterback. So if you look at the other three candidates, Drake May is very enticing, very enticing, probably gets more money offered to him by the Raiders or the commanders.

1:03:47Nick Shook:But you have Fernando Mendoza expected to be the number one pick of the Raiders coming in there. And then the commanders have Jane Daniels, but can they protect him? Can they keep him upright and prevent the injury?

1:03:57Gregg Rosenthal:Who offers the most money there, Shooky?

1:03:59Nick Shook:but if all the money is the same then where are you going because that actually becomes somewhat intriguing i would probably rank the raiders last on that list because of the unknown i'd put drake may and the patriots first although he did the battle for targets with kashaun booty

1:04:14Gregg Rosenthal:yeah come on with that money you're getting it and a great deep ball thrower here's running the

1:04:19Nick Shook:nice they're running the streak and the dagger and booter running booty running the dig oh yeah

1:04:22Gregg Rosenthal:let's do it i want it i want it there's a report to the commander's in on him which would be interesting they also seem in on tight ends uh isaiah likely maybe as a possibility one thing i'd like to see tom palacero had his list of players who will get a surprisingly good contract and free agency and they had our two highly ranked tight ends from my 101 k dot and and charlie colar on his list so i liked uh seeing that i'm curious how quickly the edge market goes where does Hendrickson go? Where does Jalen Phillips go? Cowboys, Bucks, Eagles, I think all in the mix for the big edges. Adafi Owe obviously out there to Romeo Dobbs is maybe like kind of the backup for a lot of these teams.

1:05:05Gregg Rosenthal:If you don't get Alec Pierce, even though he's a very different player, I just think a lot of the same teams could be going for him. I think the 49ers are laying in the weeds there, but no sense predicting too much because it's all going to be happening by the time people really start listening. I also wanted to say before we said goodbye, just rest in peace to Bob Harlan. The longtime Packers president and CEO died on Thursday at the age of 89. And we had Kevin Harlan on the show last summer and he told a great story about how his dad, Bob Harlan, helped Mike Holmgren and Ron Wolfe really execute the Brett Favre trade that, you know, even though he wasn't the one making the decision, he let the football people do it, even though everyone was giving them heat.

1:05:56Gregg Rosenthal:That was a time in the Packers history where you had sort of this, you know, committee that was almost overseeing things and having to rubber stamp all these big moves. And Bob Harlan said, no, let Ron Wolf make the football moves. He brings in Brett Favre. Similar thing happens with Aaron Rodgers and Bob Harlan ran the Packers for over 18 years and really turned it around. If you weren't around in the 90s, like there was a minute there where Packers weren't in great shape. There was some question about whether they were going to be able to keep the team there long-term. They end up doing that stock sale and go public.

1:06:33Gregg Rosenthal:They renovate Lambeau Field and now it's really a treasure. And oh, by the way, he won a Super Bowl and they won another one after he was running the team too, obviously you know his son uh kevin harlan we're friends with uh his granddaughter olivia harlan decker too and so our thoughts are with the family just wanted to to mention that before we got out of there uh man shook i hope you're ready you're going to be writing uh a lot of posts in the coming days oh yeah we're going to have you on nfl daily uh later in the week i'm excited this

1:07:04Nick Shook:this is this is when we set the table for what lies ahead in april and then going into the season This is when the buzz hits a peak right here.

1:07:11Gregg Rosenthal:I mean, by Friday, things will be calming down, and the shows are going to be great. And we'll have a new off-season winner. Yeah, most of the moves will happen, really, that matter this off-season by Friday. And we're going to be analyzing that all week long. So if you're listening to us now, come back with us. We're going to be on YouTube all week long, Monday through Wednesday, I should say, at 7 p.m. East Coast time, 4 p.m. on the Best Coast. And we're also going to be on the NFL channel. So if you have the NFL channel, which is the free over-the-air NFL network, it'll be me, it'll be Steve Weiss and Jordan from the studio.

1:07:53Gregg Rosenthal:Let's hit that music. Let's get out of here, Eric. Really appreciate everyone joining us for this live YouTube on Sunday evening. A little different. I'm really excited. And I'm also annoyed because the second we say goodbye, Shook, this is already going to be out of date. So we'll see you on Monday podcast all week long. Can't wait. See you then.

1:08:20Gregg Rosenthal:Get almost anything you need delivered with Uber Eats. What do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well-groomed lawn delivered, but you can get a chicken parm delivered. A little escape? No. A delicious bowl of grapes? Yes. Yes, that. An afternoon stroll? Sorry, no. a burrito bowl, happily, yes. A day of sunshine, no. A box of fine wines, yes. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost, almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol and select markets, product availability may vary by region. See app for details. Get almost, almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now.

1:08:57Gregg Rosenthal:You know how it's never really about where you're going. It's about who you're going with. The right people can turn any drive into a great memory. That's something Toyota really believes. They design vehicles around real life and real people, the ones who make plans happen and bring everyone together. Inside, everything's built with passengers in mind. Comfortable seating, smart layouts, and space that actually works so everyone can relax and enjoy the ride. There's room for the people, room for the stuff, and room for the moments that happen along the way. Because when people are the destination, your ride is important.

1:09:32Gregg Rosenthal:Learn more at Toyota.com and find the vehicle that fits your people.

1:09:38Nick Shook:Hey, it's Haley Steinfeld. When everything requires your attention, it can be tough to figure out what to prioritize. But I'm here to talk to you about something that you should always put first, your breast health. In fact, if you're 40 and over, you should be getting screened once a year. And if you're under 40, it's never too soon to visit yourattentionplease.com to learn about your breast cancer risk. So go on, pay the girls some attention and take the time to find out your breast cancer risk at yourattentionplease.com. Trust me, your future self will thank you.

1:10:07Gregg Rosenthal:You're listening to a podcast, so you're doing something else too, like maybe scrolling home listings on Redfin, saving places you like without thinking you'll get them, because that's what house hunting has become. But Redfin isn't built for endless browsing. It's built to help you find and own a home. Redfin agents close twice as many deals as other agents, which means when you find a place you love, you've got a real shot at getting it.

1:10:35Nick Shook:Redfin helps turn saved listings into real addresses. Get started at redfin.com. Own the dream. This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human.