Best of NFL News Part 2: NFL QB Rankings + Texans WR JOINS the show!

Summary

Club Shay Shay – Best of NFL News Part 2: NFL QB Rankings + Texans WR JOINS the Show!

Podcast: Club Shay Shay (iHeartPodcasts & Shay Shay Media)
Host: Shannon Sharpe & co-hosts (Drew Franklin, Simone Boyce, Marcus Grant, et al.)
Date: October 11, 2025
Episode Focus: Breakdowns of the latest NFL news, in-depth discussion of the Sports Illustrated QB rankings after Week 5, debates on player authenticity and NFL owner controversy, plus a live, candid interview with Houston Texans WR Xavier Hutchinson.

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into hot-button NFL topics including the repercussions of team owner antics, blind rankings of seventh-round draft picks (including Shannon Sharpe), and a heated breakdown of the current QB landscape after Week 5 of the 2025 season. The team also welcomes Texans receiver Xavier Hutchinson, who reflects on his breakout game, the Texans’ evolving offense, and the pressures and lessons of the pro journey.

The tone is classic Club Shay Shay: direct, entertaining, and rich with personal anecdotes, player perspectives, and playful banter.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NFL Owner Controversies: Jerry Jones’s Viral Moment

• [02:26] The hosts react to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’s obscene gesture towards Jets fans.
• Fines for Owners:
  • Past incidents referenced (Bud Adams, David Tepper).
  • Discussion if fines matter to such wealthy franchise owners.
  • Simone Boyce:

    "Jerry ain't tripping. Jerry not tripping. Tepper wasn't tripping... He just want to let those people know, listen, I don't like y'all either." ([03:51])

• The Call for Authenticity:
  • Simone and Drew wish for more "raw" reactions from owners and players, but acknowledge the pressure to be diplomatic.
• Shannon’s Anecdote:
  • Personal encounter with Jerry Jones—described as charming and personable, yet aware of behavioral boundaries.

2. Blind Rankings of Seventh-Round Draft Picks

• [17:29] Viral video segment: Debo Samuel asks rookie Jaquori Crosby Merritt to blind rank seventh-round picks. Shannon Sharpe lands at #4 ("minimum 3") behind Bo Jackson and Julian Edelman.
• Shannon’s Response:

  "Of all those guys on the list, only one got a gold jacket." ([18:52])

  • Debates about generational knowledge and recognition of NFL legends.
  • Simultaneous self-deprecation and pride about his own career:

    "There ain't very many seventh rounders that's come in the NFL that's had a better career than what I had...but it ain't many. It ain't Dan on that list." ([23:14])

3. NFL Quarterback Rankings Breakdown (After Week 5)

Sports Illustrated Top 10 (Shared by Drew Franklin at [28:00]):

1. Josh Allen
2. Patrick Mahomes
3. Matthew Stafford
4. Lamar Jackson
5. Jared Goff
6. Dak Prescott
7. Baker Mayfield
8. Justin Herbert
9. Jordan Love
10. Drake May

• Hosts Dissect the List:

  • Baker Mayfield’s Placement:
    • Simone and Drew argue Mayfield belongs in the top 5 based on current performance:

      "There are not six quarterbacks playing better than Baker Mayfield. That is a lie." (Drew Franklin, [29:21])

      • Contextualized with Mayfield’s strong first five weeks in the season.
  • Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold also cited as deserving more respect.
  • On Jalen Hurts at #14:

    "He's appropriately ranked...based on what they ask of him to do offensively." (Simone Boyce, [31:14])

• Philosophy on QB Respect:

  • Simone openly admits prior doubts about Daniel Jones, celebrates his Indy turnaround, and stresses the importance of owning those misjudgments:

    "I want to be the first to say I apologize and I was wrong." ([30:12])

4. Player Support & Locker Room Mentality

• [33:17] Segment on rookie QB Shador Sanders speaking about supporting teammates who get playing time:
• The Reciprocal Journey:
  • Simone reflects on vicarious pride for teammates from his own playing days, emphasizing the value of teamwork and mutual uplift.
  • Drew stresses the importance of keeping team problems "in-house":

    "Whatever dissension that we have...let's keep it in house. We can get. We can work it out." ([38:30])

  • Bar of the night:

    "Until the lions have thumbs, every hunter will be glorified." (Drew Franklin, [39:36])

5. Texans WR Xavier Hutchinson Joins the Show

Live Interview Segment Begins [42:16]

• Breakout Game Reaction:

  • Hutchinson, after catching 2 TDs in a 44-10 win over the Ravens, credits newfound confidence and the offense's step forward:

    "Anytime you can put up 44 points in the NFL, man, you doing something right...The only thing we needed was just a little bit of confidence." ([42:42])

• Handling Opponent Injuries:

  • Stresses that NFL backups are “still good football players” and the offense stays focused regardless of who lines up across from them.

• QB Chemistry & CJ Stroud:

  • Hutchinson praises Stroud’s professionalism and consistency:

    "He gonna come in every single day the same person...his moral compass keeps him grounded as a person." ([44:40])

  • Adds some playful detail about Stroud’s sense of humor and leadership in the locker room.

• Offensive Role & Earning Trust:

  • On whether he’ll see more targets after his breakout:

    "You gotta show it in game that you deserve to get the ball...you gotta capitalize on your opportunities that you get." ([46:11])

    • Simone predicts more looks and “sides added to his plate.”
    • “When you show up...when you make the most of the few opportunities you do get, man...” (Simone Boyce, [47:04])

• Texans’ Slow Start:

  • Self-inflicted wounds (turnovers, playing behind the chains) as key barrier. “If you stand in third and four, third and five, you’re gonna...convert them because...you got good players.” (Marcus Grant, [48:46])

• Personal Journey:

  • Juco life lessons: how the struggle and grind shaped him.

    "Juco gonna make a man out you...you gotta learn from the mistakes that you made in the past." ([50:03])

• Life in Houston:

  • The city’s temptations: “Gotta have a great backbone. Gotta have a great background...My family, my backbone, my girl’s my backbone.” ([52:06])
    • On NFL: "I want to make this a career. I don’t want to make it a job." (Hutchinson, [52:44])
      • Shout out to Robert Woods for the advice.

• On Route Running and Self-Improvement:

  • Still learning, refining his craft in the pros: “I thought I was a really good route runner. And then I got to the league and I realized, you know what, bro? Maybe I'm not as good as I thought I was.” ([53:44])

• Influences and Mentors:

  • Credits his big brother, high school coach “Coach P,” and parents: “They raised me to be the man who I am.”

6. End of Show—Future Invitations and Uplift

• Hosts encourage Hutchinson to return after future big games, keep striving, and attend Simone Boyce’s WR workshops in the offseason ([55:24]).
• Laughs and camaraderie as the crew closes the segment with an invitation for Hutchinson to hang out next home game, reinforcing the player-first, family vibe of Club Shay Shay.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Owner Fines:

  "You know how people feel about Jerry Jones. They don't like him. A lot of people don't like him. And he just want to let those people know, listen, I don't like y' all either."
  — Simone Boyce, [03:51]

• On Ranking Seventh-Rounders:

  "Of all those guys on the list, only one got a gold jacket."
  — Drew Franklin (attributing Hall of Famer status), [18:52]

• On Baker Mayfield’s 2025 Season:

  "There are not six quarterbacks playing better than Baker Mayfield. That is a lie."
  — Drew Franklin, [29:21]

• On Team Mentality:

  "Whatever dissension that we have Ocho, whatever we have going on, right, let's keep it in house."
  — Drew Franklin, [38:30]

• On Narrative and Media:

  "Until the lions have thumbs, every hunter will be glorified."
  — Drew Franklin, [39:36]

• On Making the NFL a Career, Not a Job:

  "I want to make this a career. I don’t want to make it a job."
  — Xavier Hutchinson, [52:44]

• On Self-Improvement in the League:

  "I thought I was a really good route runner. And then I got to the league and I realized, you know what, bro? Maybe I'm not as good as I thought I was."
  — Xavier Hutchinson, [53:44]

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Key Timestamps

| Segment | Speaker(s) | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------|---------------------------|---------------| | Jerry Jones owner controversy | Simone, Drew, Marcus | 02:26–08:28 | | Blind ranking of seventh-round picks | Drew, Simone, Marcus | 17:29–23:14 | | NFL QB rankings breakdown | Drew, Simone | 28:00–32:55 | | Shador Sanders on supporting teammates | Marcus, Drew, Simone | 33:17–38:00 | | “Until the lions have thumbs…” proverb | Drew | 39:36 | | Texans WR Xavier Hutchinson interview | Marcus, Simone, Drew, XH | 42:16–56:56 | | Hutchinson on making NFL a career | Xavier Hutchinson | 52:44 | | Hutchinson on route running improvement | Xavier Hutchinson | 53:44 | | Show close/Invitations & WR workshop | Simone, Drew, XH | 55:24–56:56 |

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Takeaways for New Listeners

• Raw Realness Meets Analysis: No sidestepping or sugarcoating—if there’s an opinion about rankings or owner behavior, it’s delivered honestly and directly.
• Player Perspective: Listeners gain insight into life in the NFL from multiple vantage points: rookie, vet, analyst, and coach.
• Highlight on Brotherhood: Both on the field and off, the focus is on mutual uplift, legacy, and navigating the high-pressure world of pro sports.
• With Humor and Hustle: Jokes, parables, personal stories, and pop-culture spillover. Both playful and poignant.

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This episode is a solid snapshot of current NFL debates, player psychology, and the realities of life in the league—all wrapped up in Club Shay Shay’s signature style.

Transcript

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

From NBA champion Stephen Curry comes Shot Ready. A powerful, never before seen look at the mindset that changed the game.

[Simone Boyce]

I fell in love with the grind. You have to find joy in the work you do when no one else is around. Success is not an accident. I'm passing the ball to you. Let's go.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

Steph Curry redefined basketball. Now he's rewriting what it means to succeed. Order your copy of the New York Times bestseller Shot Ready [e-mail] the NFL is rolling.

[Marcus Grant]

That's right, and you should be listening to NFL Daily as we march along to Super Bowl 60. It's in the name NFL Daily so you'll have fresh content in your feed all season long. Join me, Greg Rosenthal and an all star cast of co hosts for previews and recaps of every single game. NFL Daily will keep you up to date with everything you need to know so you can sound smarter than all your friends. Listen to NFL daily on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Drew Franklin]

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[Marcus Grant]

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[Drew Franklin]

Source for women's hoops.

[Marcus Grant]

From buzzer beaters to breaking news, I bring you the highlights, analysis and and expert insights you need to stay ahead of the game. The people have spoken and it's time.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

To give the stories that matter most the spotlight. Listen to in case you missed it on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or.

[Simone Boyce]

Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Marcus Grant]

And remember, in case you missed it.

[Simone Boyce]

Don'T worry, I've got you covered.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Hey everybody, Daniel Jeremiah here and I'm Bucky Brooks on Move to six. We take you inside the game. From breaking down college prospects and NFL.

[Drew Franklin]

Rookies to evaluating team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

We study the tape, talk to decision makers and give you a perspective you won't find anywhere else.

[Drew Franklin]

It's everything you need to understand the why behind what happens on Sundays.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Sticks podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Drew Franklin]

Hey, this is Matt Jones, I'm Drew Franklin and this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective, a Little bit different.

[Marcus Grant]

Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game.

[Drew Franklin]

What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week. That is exactly what you're going to get. Listen NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. Ocho. During the Cowboys jets game, Jerry Jones had no problem letting jets fans know how he really felt. Check out this video, Ocho.

[Simone Boyce]

Let me see what Jerry talk about.

[Drew Franklin]

Can you see?

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah, I see it. I see it. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Stop playing with me. Yo, stop. Stop playing with me.

[Drew Franklin]

Middle finger make.

[Simone Boyce]

Hey, I might be the owner. Yeah, I like that.

[Drew Franklin]

Middle finger might cost Jerry a little money. In 2009, Tennessee Titans former owner rest in peace Bud Adams will find 250,000 for a similar incident.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yeah.

[Drew Franklin]

For a series of gestures May and in the direction of Buffalo Bills fan. The league fine. Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper $300,000 for throwing a drink in the direction of the Jacksonville Jags fan. Oo. Do you think a six figure fine is enough? Enough of the deterrent or a punishment for a guy that has a franchise valued at 12 billion who has a net worth of probably 15 billion?

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah, I mean, Jerry ain't tripping. Jerry not tripping. Tepper wasn't tripping. And young Bull that did it before that one Triple Adams obviously fans probably heckling. You know how people feel about the Cowboys. You know how people feel about Jerry Jones. They don't like him. A lot of people don't like him. And he just want to let those people know, listen, I don't like y' all either. And he'll take this with you.

[Drew Franklin]

And he was waving. He was waving at Cowboy fans. And then hit the other one with that. That's for you.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah, B, listen. Yeah, they probably, they gonna probably have.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, they're gonna fight him.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Yeah.

[Drew Franklin]

They gonna find him at least a quarter.

[Simone Boyce]

They're gonna let him know, listen, Jerry, you know, you can't do that. You can't do that. You know, here's 500,000. Go ahead and do what you want with that. You know what you will. And just, just.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, here's a million. Cause I'm gonna get somebody else too. I'm just letting you know I'm gonna get somebody else. I'm gonna be in somebody else stadium. And we go where? And they gonna be heckler bad. I'm gonna show. But yeah, Jerry, look, Jerry knows he'll Probably I'm surprised he didn't mention it. He didn't mention on his radio show today, but he was like, yeah, I know. I can't do that. Jerry's gonna say all the right things. But he's like, yeah, absolutely.

[Simone Boyce]

And that's the funny thing. When it comes to players, when it comes to owners, when it comes to quarterbacks, they always say the right thing. They always say the politically correct thing. And that's what I told you when we talked about, I think, last year, and you said, cam Ward can't say stuff like that because face of the franchise, you can't do that when you're representing an organization, whatever it may be. But I would love, I would love if we got back to a place where you just say exactly how you feel and how it really is right now at that moment, but it's just something you can't. But I just love, I would love that raw authenticity from players and owners when it comes to having, being real for that.

[Drew Franklin]

Be careful. I don't know if you notice we getting back to a place that where it was previously. I don't know if you noticed it paying attention. I don't want it to go back like that.

[Simone Boyce]

Hey, Unc, I don't miss nothing. You hear me?

[Drew Franklin]

Okay.

[Simone Boyce]

I don't miss nothing. I can see it little by little. As a matter of fact, let me tell you how much I pay attention. I pay attention to all the distractions that they continue to have going on to make sure we ain't paying attention to the things that are changing behind closed doors.

[Drew Franklin]

You see it.

[Simone Boyce]

I see it all.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah.

[Simone Boyce]

I may play a fool on camera, but I ain't went off. Nope.

[Drew Franklin]

I, I, I think the biggest thing is, is Roger Goodell commenced. Probably called Jerry, like Jerry. Come on, Jerry. And Jerry goes out. He was having a little fun. He's having a little fun because Jerry, he likes to have fun. He, he really is. I mean, look, having the little bit that I've been around him, he really is a great guy. He'll go into. If he, if you're out, if you ever see Jerry out and you somewhere, he gonna send you a drink. Thank you, Jerry. I don't drink. Well, here, here's a soda. I'm trying to think, oh, in Houston, when the, the Comeback, the Patriots, and I saw he drove. I don't think maybe the next year. When did Jerry go into the hall of Fame? But anyway, it might have been then because he was on the bus. He had his bus. He got a big Old tour bus, and he got, like, the man cruise, and he got the cowboy. Big cowboy logo, you know? Okay.

[Simone Boyce]

Right.

[Drew Franklin]

So that. So the next year, and. And he. Yeah, that was 20. Yeah. So. Yeah, 27. Yeah. So he got elected. So I was. Because I signed. I was with Fox, and so it was a 2016 season. 2017. So that's when. Yeah, you're. You're absolutely right. And so, man, I went on Jerry bus, man. Man, his wife. We love you, but you got to lay off the Cowboys. The grandkids was on there. Stephen. All of them was on there. But if you ever around him, he really. I mean, he's really charming. He's really personable, so it's easy. He easy to like. I'm just telling you, he's really easy to like because he is so charming, he is so personable, and his family is the same way. But it was great. But Jerry know he can't do this. He the owner. Yeah. They. They don't. They don't want the players to do that. You damn sure don't want. I mean, probably the de facto owner of all owners of all the sports. He's probably the most recognizable, the most visible. Yeah, he's the. He's the biggest owner probably since Mr. Steinbrenner.

[Simone Boyce]

Oh, yeah. Hey. Matter of fact, hey, shout out to my boy. Can't bite him. I know you're probably gonna see this. I appreciate the jersey. It finally came. It finally came in the mail. I remember I forgot what show it was when I was excited when he scored it. He had an interception. He done. It's a crazy celebration. I said, obviously, right now, you're probably one of my favorite players. Boom. They reached out to me. They got me a jersey. He signed it, too. I'm not supposed to be wearing it. I'm supposed to frame it. Yeah. My dog.

[Drew Franklin]

Is that a Colts jersey?

[Simone Boyce]

I can't. Yeah. Buying them.

[Marcus Grant]

Yeah.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, okay.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah. Yeah, Cam, I appreciate that. Hey, Unc, you see how big I got? Golly, bro.

[Drew Franklin]

No.

[Simone Boyce]

Hey, I'm swole. Hey, you know, I ate. I got an email, too.

[Drew Franklin]

From who?

[Marcus Grant]

Hey.

[Simone Boyce]

When I was in Vegas for the fight. When I was in Vegas for the fight, I went down and tried to audition for the Chippendales, and they finally emailed me back.

[Drew Franklin]

They say they're not hiring?

[Simone Boyce]

No, they say they hiring. They just had a spot open up. They had to fire some dude. Yeah. So I'm thinking about relocating out there. When the season over.

[Drew Franklin]

No.

[Simone Boyce]

I'm gonna have a residency, a chippendale residency, move out here.

[Drew Franklin]

I'm moving to Miami.

[Simone Boyce]

Okay, that's fine. That's fine. Matter of fact, hey, you know what's funny is you ain't even know. You just got back in town, huh? Yeah, you did do me a favor, right?

[Drew Franklin]

Look around.

[Simone Boyce]

Look around real quick and see what you see missing out of your room.

[Drew Franklin]

All I know is that. You know what I told Ash? What you call them, man?

[Simone Boyce]

Hold on, hold on. You know, you don't see nothing missing out of your room. I told you. I told you. I'm gonna come to Vegas when you wasn't in town. And when you. Hey, listen, when you walk in your house, it's a portrait to the right and a dog bowl to the left.

[Drew Franklin]

Where you. How you get my trophies?

[Simone Boyce]

I told you. I told you I'm gonna come out there and get my stuff.

[Drew Franklin]

Hear me?

[Simone Boyce]

Huh? I told you.

[Drew Franklin]

Hey.

[Simone Boyce]

Hey, you need me. You got. You know what? Also, you need to work on your security system. All I did. All I did. I cut you. You got to get adt, because that system you got, that definitely ain't it. Hey, check your cameras. Check your cameras. Two days ago at 7:02. I'm gonna get 702pm I got.

[Drew Franklin]

I got it. I got.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah, I appreciate. I appreciate that.

[Drew Franklin]

I got. I got a new one. I'm about to get Glock and Sig Sour my new security.

[Simone Boyce]

Hey, hey, I appreciate. I appreciate the trophies, though. Appreciate, love. Thank you. Thank you. Hey, the fact that I had to come break in just to get my stuff.

[Drew Franklin]

Shoot, you ain't getting no more, though.

[Simone Boyce]

Thank you, though.

[Drew Franklin]

You ain't getting no more.

[Simone Boyce]

Oh, I know how to get in now. I'm gonna just wait till you out of town.

[Drew Franklin]

Hey, that's all right. Y' all see. Hey, he broke. Hey, I'm glad. Cause I got.

[Marcus Grant]

We.

[Drew Franklin]

We taping this. So I'm just gonna turn this over to the Las Vegas Police Department, but.

[Simone Boyce]

They'Re not gonna be able to. They're not gonna be able to identify me. Cause I was coming up.

[Drew Franklin]

No, but you tell it. You tell it right now yourself. But we taping this.

[Simone Boyce]

I mean, I could just tell them I was lying. There's really no.

[Drew Franklin]

He ain't lying. You telling the truth because I missed the two trophies.

[Simone Boyce]

I appreciate that. It was good doing business.

[Drew Franklin]

I'm missing two trophies, so. You know what? Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. Chat y' all saw that, right? Chat y' all saw the man broke in the house. Now. Now, he done got his trophy. Now send me my.

[Simone Boyce]

I had to come and get my trophies. I had to come and get them. That's a five hour flight from Miami. Five hour flight on Spirit. I had to find where you lived at. Then I had to go through the goddamn the house plans to know exactly where to enter and where to come out. Man, you. I had to cut the wires. I had to get the trophies. I had to rewire everything back together and then leave. That was a headache for me.

[Drew Franklin]

Can I get my 5,900 now?

[Simone Boyce]

I got you now. You know what you. Now you can get it. You can get it now.

[Drew Franklin]

Thank you. I appreciate that. Man came in my house. Ash and Jordan was in on it because they know the code to the gate. To get in. First of all, you gotta get through the gate.

[Simone Boyce]

Hold on for one. Gates. I jumped them. I jumped them because if. If the code, they'll be able to tell that somebody was there at that certain time. I don't need anything logged in. I don't need nothing logged in. I jumped that. That ain't nothing.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, that's okay. I got something for it, Chad. But y' all see that? He told you. Hey, you. He told y' all what he did. So. So when something bad happened, I ain't responsible. When they say don't man, uncle have to do that. That ain't nothing but a little trophy they have for him. He is. Anyway, I. I don't want to hear that.

[Simone Boyce]

I'm good. God on my side. God got me.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah.

[Marcus Grant]

Hey, this is Matt Jones and I'm.

[Drew Franklin]

Drew Franklin and this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different.

[Marcus Grant]

Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game.

[Drew Franklin]

What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen to NFL Cover 0 with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the Iheartrad app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

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[Daniel Jeremiah]

What's up, everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here, and I'm Bucky Brooks. On Move the Sticks. We take you inside the game, from scouting reports and player development to team building philosophies, coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters. Every week we study the tape, talk to decision makers, and share the insights you won't find anywhere else.

[Drew Franklin]

It's the kind of conversation that connects the dots. From college football prospects to the NFL.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Stars of tomorrow, we break down the draft, analyze matchups, and evaluate how teams put it all together on game day.

[Drew Franklin]

Plus, we dig into coaching strategies, roster.

[Simone Boyce]

Construction, and the trends that shape the.

[Drew Franklin]

League year after year.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Whether you're a die hard fan or just love understanding the game on a deeper level, we give you the full picture.

[Drew Franklin]

If you want insight that goes beyond the box score, this podcast is for you.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Six podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

Greatness doesn't just show up. It's built. One shot, one choice, one moment at a time. From NBA champion Stephen Curry comes Shot Ready, a powerful, never before seen look at the mindset that changed the game.

[Simone Boyce]

I fell in love with the grind. You have to find joy in the work you do when no one else is around. Success is not an accident. I'm passing the ball to you. Let's go.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

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[Simone Boyce]

I'm Simone Boyce, host of the Bright.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

Side podcast, and on this week's episode I'm talking to Olympian World cup champion and podcast host Ashlyn Harris.

[Simone Boyce]

My worth is not wrapped up in how many things I've won, because what.

[Marcus Grant]

I came to realize is I valued.

[Simone Boyce]

Winning so much that once it was over, I got the blues and I.

[Marcus Grant]

Was like, this is it for me. It's the pursuit of greatness. It's the journey, it's the people. It's the failures. It's the heartache.

[Simone Boyce]

Listen to the Bright side on the.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

Iheartradio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Marcus Grant]

I'm Marcus Grant.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And I'm Michael F. Florio and together.

[Marcus Grant]

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[Drew Franklin]

Ready to dominate your fantasy league this season?

[Simone Boyce]

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[Marcus Grant]

Podcast, your ultimate source for player news, draft tips and winning strategies.

[Drew Franklin]

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[Daniel Jeremiah]

Help you crush your opponents.

[Drew Franklin]

Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast.

[Simone Boyce]

On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or.

[Drew Franklin]

Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

Toyota the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit toyota.com NFL now to learn more.

[Drew Franklin]

That's all right. I'm gonna get you. I'm gonna get my money back now. I want my money now. You got you good.

[Simone Boyce]

I got you.

[Drew Franklin]

Nope, nope. He done broken my house chat and took two of my trophies. My trophies. Ocho, there's a. Oh, there's a video going viral tonight that the staff wants us to react live to. Here's Debo Samuels asking his rookie running back teammate Jaquori Crosby Merritt to blind rank seventh round draft picks. Let's take a look at this video.

[Simone Boyce]

Got plenty of NFL greats that was drafted in the seventh round.

[Drew Franklin]

I'm gonna have you blind rank.

[Simone Boyce]

All right, Shannon Sharp, 4. Julian Edelman, 2. Bo Jackson, 1. Ryan Fitzpatrick, 3. Brock Purdy, 5. He said Standing Shark, 4. What? You would have put him at 3. I should have said 3. I might be minimum. Minimum 3. Now that your list is over, is any name on here that you would exchange? No, I'll probably keep it like that. Yeah. Who you think I should change on that? He don't know Shannon Sharp, so he says Shannon Sharp should be up higher. He said minimum be three. He should be about two.

[Marcus Grant]

For real.

[Simone Boyce]

But, you know, you, you young bug.

[Drew Franklin]

You don't know too much.

[Simone Boyce]

A Bill Young, huh? You heard me.

[Drew Franklin]

Hold on. Are you based it on what could have been or what actually was? Because of all those guys on the list, only one got a gold jacket.

[Simone Boyce]

You. You on. You didn't hear what I just said, huh?

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah. Oh, killing me in this space. What?

[Simone Boyce]

I mean, yeah, Bill don't know.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

Huh?

[Simone Boyce]

You don't know if he knew? He just. He knows the name Shannon Sharp based on the show, based on what you've seen on tv, but he doesn't understand the game, what comes behind. And with that name, he didn't know because there's no way as soon as they said your name, it should have been first.

[Drew Franklin]

But hojo, even when I came in the league. When you came in the league at 24. At 20. I mean, well, hell, I had been elite three years at 24, but I'm solo, bro. I'm just like. Do you not know anything? I mean, do you like football? Did you not follow the game of football?

[Simone Boyce]

He's young.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, he 24.

[Simone Boyce]

Nah, that. You 24 don't mean you followed the game back then. You don't do that.

[Drew Franklin]

That's what I'm saying.

[Simone Boyce]

Everybody, Everybody. All.

[Drew Franklin]

All the.

[Simone Boyce]

All of them. Not like that.

[Drew Franklin]

Nah, I was like that, man got fist magic in front of me. I like. Damn.

[Simone Boyce]

Oh, man. Hey, you know, matter of fact, you know, Fitzpatrick got here too, man. He did, didn't he do the game tonight?

[Drew Franklin]

I, I don't know. I, I didn't see. I didn't see. I don't, man, I don't watch the pre. I don't watch half. That's my time to go. Take the dogs out, let them handle their business. Get anything, you know, Take the trash out because the trash is coming. Collect the trash tomorrow. That's my time to do all that. I don't watch nothing. When I, when I, when I turn the t. When I watch the tv. When I turn the TV on. No show to watch a Thursday night game. They're kicking the ball off.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah, okay. I got you, I got you. I mean, just, it's so funny, you know, I. Playing a flag football game tomorrow where, where I won't embarrass us. I, I will, I will put on for nightcap to make sure we have something to talk about. I should have scored maybe five, five, six, seven touchdowns, huh?

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, for the flag football?

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm playing.

[Drew Franklin]

How many you gonna go?

[Simone Boyce]

Probably 5, 8, 5, 8. Fat 8. Because, you know, I don't get opportunity. This is my, this is my Super Bowl. This is basically my Super Bowl. I always talk about do things I, I, I've never done before, and so I have to pretend like I'm back in the league and I might be auditioning for another job next year. You never know. You never know.

[Drew Franklin]

Another job doing what?

[Simone Boyce]

Get an opportunity to play in the league again. Fitzpatrick is the quarterback on another team. That's why I said that. I'm wondering if he's.

[Drew Franklin]

Who, who is your quarterback?

[Simone Boyce]

Diana, Diana, hold on, hold on. I'm gonna take right now. I just had it right here in front of me. She, she's really good flag football player.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, okay. She plays flag football?

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah. Diana Flores.

[Drew Franklin]

Okay, okay, okay.

[Marcus Grant]

Yeah.

[Simone Boyce]

Destroying, you know, Destroying. Destroying is on my team. And speedy.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, yeah, yeah. He used to be the guy. He was a kicker for Central Florida, right? Yeah, he got, yeah, he produced a lot of content. Yeah, I got, I got it.

[Simone Boyce]

Matter of fact, you know. Hey, you know, Mike, you, you watch mma? Of course. You watch mma? Yeah, yeah. Michael Venom Page is on the other team. Okay, I'm thinking about like before I beat James Harrison ass. I'm thinking about a tune up with Michael Venom Page. What you think?

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, I think that'd be good.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah. Yeah. So lump him up first and then. Yeah, yeah, yeah. How do you think that's gonna go?

[Drew Franklin]

Not good for you. That's, that's how I think it's gonna go. That's, that's, that's how I think it's going to go. But no, if, if you say seventh round draft picks, if you want to say what could have been, who's the best athlete? Well, that's both Bo gonna win it. But they said, who's the best seventh round athlete? I mean, the best seventh round NFL player of the group that he listed. Now, there might be somebody that's in the seventh round, but, boy, I don't know. I like my chances. Yeah, I like wild position.

[Simone Boyce]

I like him, too. If you know your history, the history of the game, and you know, you're a young pup. He's a young pup. He's a young pup and doesn't understand.

[Drew Franklin]

He has Debo talking about where should I have it ranked? Well, Debo should have said, well, if you don't know where you should have it. Right. I can't help you. Yeah, I can't help you. I don't know. Like I said, I don't know a whole lot of seventh rounders that's in the hall. Brady's in the six. Brady's gonna be. And I, like I said, I don't know. But it ain't very many seventh rounders that's come in the NFL that's had a better career than what I had. I'm not saying, like I said, I don't know all of emojo, but there ain't been many because the draft used to be, you know, 20 rounds. So I'm sure there's. If you, if we go back to the 40s and 50s and 60s and 70s, you might find one, but it ain't many. It ain't Dan on that list. Oh, show. After five weeks, Sports Illustrated has dropped. Hey, this is Matt Jones, I'm Drew Franklin, and this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different.

[Marcus Grant]

Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that.

[Drew Franklin]

What was that? Oh, my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're going to get. Listen NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

Toyota, the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit toyota.com NFL now to learn more.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

What's up, everybody? Daniel Jeremiah here, and I'm Bucky Brooks on Move the Sticks we take you inside the game. From scouting reports and player development to team building philosophies, coaching trends and how front offices construct winning rosters. Every week we study the tape, talk to decision makers and share the insights you won't find anywhere else. It's the kind of conversation that connects the dots. From college football prospects to the NFL stars of tomorrow, we break down the draft, analyze matchups and evaluate how teams put it all together on game day.

[Drew Franklin]

Plus, we dig in the coaching strategies.

[Simone Boyce]

Roster construction and the trends that shape the league year after year.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Whether you're a die hard fan or just love understanding the game on a deeper level, we give you the full picture.

[Drew Franklin]

If you want insight that goes beyond.

[Simone Boyce]

The box score, this podcast is for you.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Six podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

Greatness doesn't just show up, it's built. One shot, one choice, one moment at a time. From NBA champion Stephen Curry comes Shot Ready, a powerful, never before seen look at the mindset that changed the game.

[Simone Boyce]

I fell in love with the grind. You have to find joy in the work you do when no one else is around. Success is not an accident. I'm passing the ball to you. Let's go.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

Steph Curry redefined basketball. Now he's rewriting what it means to succeed. Shot Ready isn't just a memoir, it's a playbook. For anyone chasing their potential, discover stories, strategies and over 100 never before seen photos. Order shot ready now at stephencurrybook.com don't miss Stephen Curry's New York Times bestseller Shot Ready, available now.

[Simone Boyce]

I'm Simone Boyce, host of the Bright.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

Side Podcast and on this week's episode I'm talking to Olympian World cup champion and podcast host Ashlyn Harris.

[Simone Boyce]

My worth is not wrapped up in how many things I've won.

[Marcus Grant]

Because what I came to realize is.

[Simone Boyce]

I valued winning so much that once it was over, I got the blues and I was like, this is it for me.

[Marcus Grant]

It's the pursuit of greatness. It's the journey.

[Drew Franklin]

It's the people.

[Marcus Grant]

It's the failures. It's the heartache.

[Simone Boyce]

Listen to the Bright side on the.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

Iheartradio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Marcus Grant]

I'm Marcus Grant.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

And I'm Michael F. Florio and together.

[Marcus Grant]

We host the NFL Fantasy Football podcast.

[Drew Franklin]

Ready to dominate your favorite fantasy league.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

This season, then you need the NFL.

[Marcus Grant]

Fantasy Football Podcast your ultimate source for player news, draft tips and winning strategies.

[Drew Franklin]

Whether you're a rookie manager or a.

[Marcus Grant]

Fantasy vet, we've got the insight to.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Help you crush your opponents.

[Drew Franklin]

Listen to the NFL Fantasy Football podcast.

[Simone Boyce]

On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or.

[Drew Franklin]

Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

Toyota the official automotive partner of the NFL. Visit toyota.com NFL now to learn more.

[Drew Franklin]

NFL Quarterback Ranking Here they are. Josh Allen is number one. Patrick Mahomes is number two. I'm only going to do the top ten. Matthew Stafford is three. Lamar Jackson is four. Jared Goff is five. Dak Prescott is six. Baker Mayfield is seven. Justin Herbert is eight. Jordan Love is nine. Drake May is ten. Okay, just for the sake of our we'll go through 15. Jaden Daniel Jones is 11. Jaden Daniels is 12th. Sam Donald is 13th. Jalen Hurts is 14th. C.J. stroud is 15th. Bo Nicks is 20. Jake Browning is 30.

[Simone Boyce]

Can I be honest with you?

[Drew Franklin]

Yes.

[Simone Boyce]

I'm not sure when they made that list, but Daniel Jones and Baker Mayfield belong somewhere near the top, along with Josh Allen.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. If we're just talking about this year, Baker Mayfield got to be in the top five.

[Simone Boyce]

Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen, whatever list this is and whenever it came out, if it's Baker been done so far up into, up, up to this week in the season, Week five or week six, whatever.

[Drew Franklin]

Yes, for sure.

[Simone Boyce]

Daniel Jones and Baker Mayfield deserve to be in the top of that somewhere. Sam Darnold needs to be in there as well.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah. If we just, if we just start making it on this week.

[Simone Boyce]

Right.

[Drew Franklin]

I'm not so sure that Baker Mayfield shouldn't be one. We're not. Look, we're not talking about. Look, we understand what Josh Allen's done. We understand what Patrick Mahomes has done. We understand what Matthew Stafford has done, and we know the MVPs that Lamar has done. But we're if we're talk, if we're basing it on the first five weeks of this season, they have. Those guys have not played. Baker Mayfield. I'm sorry. And y' all know how I feel about Patrick Mahomes, and I love everybody that they got ranked, but they have not played. There are not six quarterbacks playing better than Baker Mayfield. That is a lie. I don't care what your fan base is. I don't care if you're a Bill. I don't care if you're Chiefs. I don't care if you're the Rams. You, you, Baltimore. There are not seven, six Quarterbacks playing the quarterback position better than Baker Mayfield. They're not.

[Simone Boyce]

Hell. Or, or Daniel Jones for, for that matter.

[Drew Franklin]

No, they're not.

[Simone Boyce]

He's a surprise. I didn't know. I, I mean, I could be.

[Drew Franklin]

I'm one of them.

[Simone Boyce]

I was a culprit, you know, who felt he wasn't going to succeed.

[Drew Franklin]

Yes.

[Simone Boyce]

I just thought he wasn't. Based on what we saw from him in New York and for him to come to, to Indy and do what he's doing, I'm like, man, what in the world he done flipped the whole script in the AFC side. Neither. He's playing phenomenal football, man. So I, I want to be the first to say I apologize and I was wrong.

[Drew Franklin]

I told you he was gonna start. You ain't pay one. The, the, the guy that, the incumbent guy, the incumbent starter, which is Richardson, is making 4 or 5 million. They bring a backup in making 14 million and you think the guy that's making 14 million gonna be on the bench?

[Simone Boyce]

Oh, yeah, yeah. That wasn't like that.

[Drew Franklin]

That's not happening. Ocho, with the game that you just watched, do you think Jalen Hurst is ranked appropriate at 14?

[Simone Boyce]

Ooh.

[Drew Franklin]

If you. We're. Listen, we're not talking. He won the Super Bowl. He's super bowl mvp. Based on what you've seen through the first five weeks of the season, has he played better than Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, Drake May, Jordan Love? Has he played better than those guys?

[Simone Boyce]

Glad you put it that way. I'm glad you put it that way. If anything, you know what? He's appropriately ranked. He's appropriately ranked based on what they ask of him to do offensively, what they ask him to do offensively. Where the numbers are not going to be like any of those guys. That's, that's ahead of him. So what he's asked to do, he is appropriately ranked right where he is, if that makes sense.

[Drew Franklin]

All I know is they're not sick. They're not six quarterbacks that's currently playing the quarterback position better than Shake and Bake. They're just not what you call him, Shake and Bake.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

They're not.

[Drew Franklin]

Look, and look, we know Patrick Mahomes is the most accomplished, you know, three Super Bowls, three Super Bowl MVPs. You know, he's been in the Super bowl five times. He's been in the AFC Championship. He, every year that he's been a starter, he's never not been in the nfc, AFC Championship game. We get all that. Lamar, the two time league MVP Josh Allen is a one time league mvp. Matthew Stafford led a team to the Super Bowl. I get all of that and kudos. Those guys accomplished that and you can't take that away from them. But I'm sorry, those guys are not playing the position better than Baker Mayfield is playing the position. It's just that simple. That ain't got nothing to do with what he might do moving forward. They said the first five weeks. It says after five weeks Sports Illustrator dropped their quarterback ranking. So they're saying after five weeks of this year, 2025, nothing that happened. 2024, going back, nothing that's going to happen. Week six, moving forward. They said the first five weeks of this season, Baker Mayfield's played better than everybody.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah. And he has.

[Drew Franklin]

And his record is just. They only lost one game. Josh Allen lost one game. Patrick Holmes, I think I don't know what they record. LaMar Jackson is one in four. Matthew Stafford, I think they've lost two games. Jerry Goson lost the game. Dak. I think they're 2, 2 and 1.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah. What about what? The Colts lost one, right?

[Drew Franklin]

Colts lost one. Yes. Yeah. Shador Sanders says he's excited for other rookies who have played and been playing through them. Let's take a listen to what Shador had to say. Any anytime players, you know that I.

[Marcus Grant]

Came in with and I spent a.

[Drew Franklin]

Lot of time with, they, they get moved up and, and they able to.

[Marcus Grant]

Have a vital role in this offense in this piece.

[Drew Franklin]

I get extremely excited for and I'm, you know, I'm, I'm playing through them, you know what I mean?

[Marcus Grant]

I'm excited just as them every time.

[Drew Franklin]

They get out there and run around and everything because it's just amazing that you know, you start somewhere and then.

[Marcus Grant]

You able to evolve and get to.

[Drew Franklin]

A different level and go out there and actually execute it. Just like Dylan, like whenever he got moved up to QB1, I'm like, you know, that's lit, bro. You gotta make sure you handle everything.

[Marcus Grant]

The right way and you know, just continue being him. So like for me overall I'm just happy.

[Drew Franklin]

I'm excited that everybody is living their dreams, you know.

[Marcus Grant]

And I'm living my dream also.

[Drew Franklin]

Come every day and be able to work.

[Simone Boyce]

That's dope.

[Drew Franklin]

I like that.

[Simone Boyce]

That's dope. That's dope. Because I, I got that same feeling. I got that same feeling. Now the circumstances are a little different. I was the second round pick, you know, and I, I went in and TJ was there. We were both rookies and And. And watching TJ get his shine because he learned some of the things a little bit before me, so he got an opportunity to get in there and do some things a little different. You know, it might not have been the game, but just saying practice, and I was excited. I was living vicariously through him because, oh, my goodness, made it to the league. We done left Oregon State, and boy, you out there shining. Boy, you just beat the starting db, so I'm hyped. So to see him get the opportunity to be in there and just. Just get his feet wet with the ones was awesome for me. And it took me a little longer to get myself in a groove before I got my opportunity with the ones, you know, especially in practice before. Before I saw the light of day in an actual game, so I get exactly where he's coming from. So to go. To go to war, to be in meetings, to see all the work you put in turn into fruition live on game days at 1 o' clock is a wonderful sight to see. And it's easy to be happy for someone, especially a competitor that you're competing with for a starting spot.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, that. But, you know, he worked out with Cam Ward, so he has a relationship. You know, the banter that they had going back and forth. So I'm sure he's extremely excited. Dylan is there. Although they played the same position, they're like, hey, bro, you get an opportunity to go in to do your thing.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah.

[Drew Franklin]

You know, you root. You know, you root for you guys that, you know, I want to see you do well. I don't want to see you fail. I don't. I don't want anything to happen to Dylan. But if I have to go in there, if that's how I got my start, that's how I got my start.

[Marcus Grant]

Right.

[Drew Franklin]

And I just love his attitude. I just love the way that, hey, I get to live my dream. I still get to come to work. Hey, as long as they tell me I got a helmet.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah.

[Drew Franklin]

And I get to put some cleats on.

[Simone Boyce]

Good.

[Drew Franklin]

My key work, as long as I can punch my code in at that gate and it slide open, I'm good. Yeah, I'm good. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He wants to start. He wants to play. Who doesn't want to start? Who doesn't?

[Simone Boyce]

That's any competitor. Unk.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, that's what you should want to do.

[Simone Boyce]

You don't want to play. You shouldn't be playing at the highest level in general. Everybody.

[Drew Franklin]

Absolutely.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah.

[Drew Franklin]

I mean, at first, Ocho, like, man, I Made the team. I'm in the NFL. Yeah, but then you started looking around, you're like, hold on, man, I ain't never sat the bench.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah, yeah, man.

[Drew Franklin]

I play special teams. Mm. I'm taking all the reps that the starters don't want to take.

[Simone Boyce]

Basically. Basically.

[Drew Franklin]

Ah, nah, hell no. This gotta change. And so, But I, I, I, like I said, I'm excited. I'm happy for him that he understands that. Look, it's not going the way I envisioned it. I thought I would get. Hey, look, started with the draft for me, Ocho. Once the draft happened the way it happened for him, it happened to me the same way. I was like, man, ain't nothing, ain't no Gibbons. Now what? I thought I was going to get drafted how I thought I was going to get drafted. So what makes me think now that I got drafted in seventh round and I'm going to go to a team and I'm going to be able to play right away.

[Simone Boyce]

All right, listen, you understand the game. You saw the game they were playing at the draft. So you understand the game that they're playing now? Nothing has changed.

[Drew Franklin]

Nope.

[Simone Boyce]

Nothing can change. Before. They are waiting on you to do. They waiting on you to fold.

[Drew Franklin]

They're waiting on you to say something crazy and then they gonna talk about. See, that's why. That's why. Because they used to know where, you know, he said, you know, he didn't want to go to the Baltimore and sit and blah, blah, blah. See, that's why who you should look, everybody look for me. You, Ocho, we happy. I don't care where I went. I just wanted to get somebody draft me, give me an opportunity to play. I don't care if they had 12 tight ends. I don't care if they have 15 receivers. Guess what? They got 16 now.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Drew Franklin]

And that's the, that's the way. But that's him. You know, I had for the longest time on Charles. Like, man, I wouldn't have did it like that. Right. Somebody wouldn't have did it how I did it. So all I know is, like, when I speak, I'm talking about, like, when it comes to winning and trying to keep the locker room together, there's certain things that we family and we family. There's a lot. Man, I ain't know. He like his brother. I ain't know his. They didn't talk. Yeah. Cause that's family. They keep it in house. I look at us, the football team, as a family. Whatever dissension that we have Ocho, whatever we have going on, right, let's keep it in house. We can get. We can work it out.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Drew Franklin]

And that way we can control the narrative, we can control the story. Once they get out on you, they're gonna write what they want to write. Now, I got the pin. Ocho. They tell me, until the lions have thumbs, every. Every hunter will be glorified.

[Simone Boyce]

He writing a story. Until. Until the lions have thumbs. Every hunter. But that's a bar. Hey, that's a. Hey. Ain't got no penny pad in this goddamn hotel here in goddamn London. What? Until the line have thumbs and. Wait. Yes, they do. Hold on. What? Stop. Stop playing.

[Drew Franklin]

Right.

[Simone Boyce]

Well, that's a good one. Now I remember, too. Until the line has thumbs up, the hunter will always write the story.

[Drew Franklin]

The hunter will always be glorified.

[Simone Boyce]

Oh, glorified. Okay, okay.

[Drew Franklin]

Because he's actually writing the story.

[Simone Boyce]

Boy, I'm gonna use that in my next argument. Hey, listen, it probably had nothing to do with the situation, but when I use it, if I can just get it to think for a minute and stop, that mean I won.

[Drew Franklin]

Ocho. The Brian Browns are currently play paying 8 QBs. They're playing paying DeSean Watson 35.9 million. They're paying Jameis Winston 2.2 million. Dylan Gabriel 1.1 million. Joe Flacco 999,000. Shador Sanders, 955,000. Bailey Zappy, 315,000. Dorian Thompson, Robinson, 171,000. Kenny Pickett. They paid him by the front pocket, 8,000.

[Simone Boyce]

Hey, listen, that's light. That's light. That's light. The only thing on there that kind of would hurt is DeShawn not being able to be out there and play and contribute, making that kind of money. Things didn't go well. I'm curious to see what's going to happen next year when he is healthy and he's able to come back and contribute. What happened to that starting job? I'm sure because his salary is so high and he commands so much of that damn. What do you call it? Salary. I think he might be the starter next year, you know, especially if he's healthy. I just. That's 30. 35.

[Drew Franklin]

36 million, 35.9.

[Simone Boyce]

Hey, boy. Hey, Hutch, man, where you been at, man?

[Marcus Grant]

I've been here.

[Drew Franklin]

Let's. Welcome to the show Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson. He caught two touchdown passes in the 44:10 win over the Ravens. This was the first time the offense scored more than 26 points all season, bro. With the with the offense exploding in a way that they haven't all year long, do you feel this is what the doctor ordered to get you guys out of the funk and get you guys headed in the direction that you want to go?

[Marcus Grant]

For sure. I mean, anytime you can, you know, put up 44 points in the NFL, man, you doing something right. And I feel like, you know, correct. The only thing we needed was just a little bit of confidence, man, and that's what you're going to get with a win in the league. So I feel like we heading in the right direction. It's only about us, you know, being consistent now.

[Simone Boyce]

And you know the funny thing, too, offensively, Hutch, not only for you, obviously, building your confidence and getting some of those passes, getting that trust from your quarterback and knowing that, okay, this is someone I can count on. This is someone I can trust in times of need. Do you look at it, the fact that the Ravens were depleted defensively and had so many starters out? Do you guys look at that and say, we don't care about who's hurt. Whoever we line up in front of, they gonna get that work and carry that same mentality into the.

[Marcus Grant]

You got to. Right? I mean, it's the NFL, like I said, man. So, like, the second string, third string, I'm still good football players at the end of the day. So, like, you gotta go in there with the confidence that, you know, anybody who lines up against you can get the work. And, you know, unfortunately, you know, they had a lot of injuries. I mean, you know, that's a part of the game, but, you know, you can't really. You can't. You can't lie. You can't really think about that.

[Drew Franklin]

So, yeah, at the end of the.

[Marcus Grant]

Day.

[Drew Franklin]

Hey, I don't care if you're out there with a cane in a wheelchair, I'm gonna go by you.

[Marcus Grant]

You got to. Right? Like, that's just like. You got to be a little. You gotta be a little crazy, right, with your thoughts and your thinking. Like, you gotta have that type of mentality, or else you're just not gonna succeed in the NFL.

[Drew Franklin]

Cj, what's the. What's. What's cj? What's CJ like in the locker room, practice field, the bus. We know he's on the. He's a competitor. Obviously, he wants. He had that sensational rookie year. Took a little step back. He seems to be now with this big win over the Ravens, dropping 44, throwing, I think, through four touchdowns, clean game. What. What's C.J. what's C.J. like, what's he been like, seven's a pro.

[Marcus Grant]

Like, I know a lot of people, you know, that. That can get tossed around a lot of different ways. But seven a pro, man, like, he gonna come in every single day in the same person. And I mean, when you have that type of success, man, like, you know, you can change quickly, right? But he got set. Like, his morals, his moral compass, what he believes in, like, that keeps him grounded as a person. And then as a football player first and as a person, bro, he funny, bro. He always joking around. He always got something to say. You know how those Cali people be, bro. They always got some jokes under their sleeve. They always want to jokes with you, rank with you, but that's just like, that's just who he is as a person, man. Like, you wouldn't want anybody else as your quarterback, right? Like, you want somebody who gonna. He walk. He walked through the door, you know, he, you know, like, he know, you know, he in there. Like, you know, he in the building. And that, you know, that gives you confidence too. Like, you know, I'm catching the balls from seven. I'm making plays with seven. Seven trusted me to throw me the ball. Like, man, that's a good ass feeling. I won't lie to you.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah. You know what's funny? What I want to ask, and not to give too much away. When you have a game like you had, right? Do you see the offense getting you a little bit more involved, Seeing that you can also be a playmaker outside of them always keying on Nico Collins or. Or other players? Now, now we have another weapon in Hutch. Now y' all got the focus on. You can't double goddamn Nico all day because Hutch are killed.

[Marcus Grant]

Yeah, I mean, I'm an athlete. I'm a competitor, bro. Like, so, like, obviously I'm a receiver too, you know, so, you know, like, I want the ball. Naturally that's gonna happen. Like, you're going to want the ball. So, like. But you know, the first thing I go back to is, like, you got to show it in game that you deserve to get the ball or that, like, you're. You're worthy of getting the ball. And then also, like, in the heat of the moment, you gotta capitalize on your opportunities that you get. Cause you're not gonna get too many. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, they may throw you some if you don't capitalize on them, right? You don't know when you gonna see your next opportunity. So, like, for me, it's really just always been, like, just being consistent, showing up every day, making the plays when I'm, you know, giving the plays and then going from there. So it's like, I, you know, I would like to hope so. I don't know the answer, but, like, you know, I would hope so. But at the end of the day, too, I got control, and I got control.

[Simone Boyce]

Listen, I, I, I understand the game of football. I understand the game of football. And they always reward those that they can count on in the most important times. So even if you haven't seen it yet, I can tell you, whatever your plate looks like before last week, they gonna add some more to that plate. They gonna add some sides. Yeah. I'm telling you. I'm just telling you what's gonna happen. And subconsciously, because your performance against the Ravens, if they don't call it, seven coming to you any goddamn way, because he gonna remember. Damn. When I needed him most, man, Hutch was right there. Subconsciously, the ball coming to you. And that's some of the things that you can't coach. You can't coach that. There's some things you can't coach. It just. It's in the quarterback's mind. They always remember, who can I count on in times of need? And when you show up the way you do, when you make the most of the few opportunities you do get, man.

[Drew Franklin]

All right.

[Simone Boyce]

If you go for 150 this week, just know. Just, just no.

[Marcus Grant]

For sure I will. I'm gonna shout you out. For sure. I got you, X.

[Drew Franklin]

Why do you think you guys got off to such a slow start this year?

[Marcus Grant]

I mean, if you really look at, like, how we play in those three games, like, we was in the game the entire time. Right. Like, granted, we got, you know, one of the best defenses in probably the league, so you always gonna naturally be in games. But, like, we was just causing, like, our own conflicts on O. You know what I'm saying? Like, turnover's gonna kill you late in the game. Getting behind in the chains early. Like, can't no offense be successful when, you know, you sitting in 1st and.

[Drew Franklin]

20S, playing behind the sticks.

[Marcus Grant]

Yeah. So it's like you, like, you already playing a good team. Cause it's the league, of course. But also, you're not helping yourself when it's first and 20, second and 15. Like, it's hard to get a game going like that. So, like, you just got. You gotta be in front of the sticks. That's what the league is, man. If you stand in third and four, third and five the whole game, you're gonna most likely convert them because, you know, you got good players. So it's like, man, just not beating ourselves up. Especially in like the heat of the moment, I feel like is why we got off to a slow start a little bit. But also like, them slow stars teach you a lot, though. Like, man, you had a slow start, so what? Nobody really cares. You know, the world gonna talk, you know, crazy about you. But we all know what we got inside our building, what we can do on any given day. So it's like, man, you just gotta keep that in the back of your mind too.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, what's that? Transition. You go from bland junior college, Iowa state, and then to the NFL. You went the juco route. Cam, everybody knows Cam went to blend and then the Iowa state. So what was your thought process? So when you went to juco, man.

[Marcus Grant]

And juco, bro, it's only one way it's gonna go. You either gonna make it or you're not gonna make it.

[Simone Boyce]

Hey, Santa Monica, you know it.

[Marcus Grant]

So then you know it then, like, it's so much talent that go through juco that probably nobody's ever heard of, nobody's ever seen before, you know, like, that's just the sad truth about juco. Like, you gotta grow up very quickly and you gotta learn from the mistakes that you made in the past. So really, I'll tell you, like, juco gonna make a man out you. Like, if your parents aren't he dead. I'm not throwing like my parents, man, they raised a great man because I'm here today. But juco taught me how to be a man and how to like, take. You take them licks on the chin and get back up. So it's like juco is just going to teach you more about yourself than you probably know. Because you either gonna make it or you're not gonna make it. And you can't really blame nobody for you not making it or making it. It's all on you.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, we got a lot of guys. Ocho in Savannah state from juco, Itawamba, Kah. What's that one? There's one in Kansas. We had you from alsworth. What's the one? Coffeeville. We had. We had a bunch of juco guys.

[Simone Boyce]

You know what? Where you, where are you from?

[Marcus Grant]

Jacksonville, Florida. Slash St. Augustine, Florida, bro. Come on now.

[Simone Boyce]

Oh, man, stop playing. Hold on. I want to ask you, right? And I always want to ask people that actually live in that wonderful city that I, I, I Don't. I don't like. I don't like the jungle. I call it the jungle. What's it like living in Houston?

[Marcus Grant]

It's different.

[Simone Boyce]

Is it difficult?

[Marcus Grant]

It is difficult. A little bit. Just cause like.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, real difficult. Real difficult, Ex. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. You know, I feel like you saying.

[Marcus Grant]

Difficult for a little bit of different reasons than what I'm saying difficult for.

[Drew Franklin]

It's difficult. Whatever.

[Simone Boyce]

Difficult is difficult.

[Drew Franklin]

Whatever your difficult is, I can't bicker with that.

[Simone Boyce]

I didn't transition away from football because I've been to Houston one time.

[Marcus Grant]

Yeah.

[Simone Boyce]

And I ain't coming back. I've been there twice. I ain't coming back no more because I can't deal with that. So I'm trying to understand how do you focus in season when you got all that around you?

[Marcus Grant]

Gotta have a great backbone. Gotta have a great background. Like, I gotta. I surrounded people who, like, who love.

[Drew Franklin]

Know why you there, ex.

[Marcus Grant]

And who care for me and want to see me be great. So, like, really trusting in, like, my family. My family, my backbone, my girls, my backbone. So.

[Drew Franklin]

You know what I'm saying?

[Marcus Grant]

So it's like I got a lot of people who believe in me, who want to see me make this something more than just being, you know, what the NFL stand for. Not for long. Yeah, I know. Me personally, I want to make this a career. I don't want to make it a job. So when.

[Simone Boyce]

Wait a minute.

[Marcus Grant]

Come on, bro. Come on, Come on.

[Simone Boyce]

I gotta write that down. Hold on. I gotta write that down. Hey, say it again.

[Marcus Grant]

Not a job. I can't lie to you, though. I can't lie to you, though. I. I did get that from somebody, though. I got that from Rob woods, man, my first year in the league. He told me that. So I'm also. Throw him a little shout out, too. So. Shout out to Rob woods, man. I appreciate you, brother. Yeah, he gave me. He gave me great gems. He gave me great gems.

[Drew Franklin]

Check this out, Ocho. This is your. This is your. I'm. I'm gonna throw this up for you, Ocho. And then you. This man was praised for his route running ability when he came out of college.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah.

[Drew Franklin]

So now that you, you, you. You can run the routes, what are you working on now? What are you trying to get better at now to make you that complete receiver? Because, yeah, look, running routes are fine, but hey, I got to be strong at the point of attack. I got to be able to. Hey, I got to be able to high point the ball to 50. 50 balls. I got to be able to run after the catch. I got to be able to block. What are you working on to make yourself that complete? Complete?

[Marcus Grant]

I would say I'm, you know, I'm still fine tuning my route running. You know, when I got to the league, I learned a lot. Like, I thought I was a really good route runner. And then I got to the league and I realized, you know what, bro? Maybe I'm not as good as I thought I was. I'm being for real though, because you go against up a lot of good DBs, man, and like any of the little small.

[Drew Franklin]

You was tipping your routes, were you tipping.

[Marcus Grant]

I won't lie to you. I had this bad. Bro, I had this bad habit, bro. I had this bad habit where I used to throw my head. So I throw my head to the right. That means I'm going left.

[Drew Franklin]

Why would you. Why would you tell me which way you going?

[Marcus Grant]

But it was like a little bit of it was like, man, I didn't. I won't even lie to you. I didn't believe that, like I could get open. You know what I'm saying? Like, I had a lack of confidence in myself that I couldn't do something that I've been doing for, you know, my whole life. And so really, I made that a long answer. But always got to fine tune your route running. Always. That's something that you can never get, like perfect at. You always got little small things and then two. I probably definitely say, like the catch point, man. Like just trusting my hands, sticking the men's down there and grabbing the ball.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah.

[Drew Franklin]

You don't catch with them, you can't for sure.

[Marcus Grant]

You definitely catch with your eyes. I also learned that too. So look, see you always learning something new every day.

[Simone Boyce]

Hey, hey, listen, listen. When you wanna. When you wanna get a little working about what? You know, with them feet, you know, come on down there for a little second.

[Marcus Grant]

All you gotta do is hit me up, bro.

[Simone Boyce]

Hey, you know, I got. I got. I got wide receiver workshop. I got a little wide receiver workshop in June or July.

[Marcus Grant]

I didn't get it last time. I didn't get it this time.

[Simone Boyce]

Like, I got you.

[Marcus Grant]

I got you.

[Simone Boyce]

Listen, I'm gonna get it to everybody this time.

[Marcus Grant]

I'm there.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah.

[Simone Boyce]

I need all I can get. I got. I got a whole lot of knowledge.

[Marcus Grant]

I'm knowing I crossed the water for you, boy. I promise you, boy. I come. Hey, it don't matter where I'm at, bro. I drop all my plans, bro. I'LL come out there for sure.

[Simone Boyce]

Appreciate it.

[Drew Franklin]

Give me some of your strongest influence. When you were growing up, who were some of the big influences? Maybe as a parents, maybe with a coach, Maybe it's someone that you saw. Give me some of your influences that help shape what we see here today.

[Marcus Grant]

I mean, honestly, I think it starts with, like, no brother. My older brother. I wouldn't have probably played football without him. You know, I wanted to be like him. Like every little young sibling, you want to be like your older brother. So I wanted to be like my brother. And then two, I probably really say my receiver coach in high school, man, Coach P, he the one who kind of made me transition to being an outside receiver, like, my senior year in high school. He saw something in me that I like, you know, I didn't really see in the moment. And so, like, a lot of props to him, bro, for, like, just believing in me, seeing my potential, and maybe, you know, I didn't see it. So I give a lot of props to him. And then, you know. Can never leave out your parents. My mom and dad, they raised me to be the man who I am. So I probably say them. Definitely. Probably my biggest influencers.

[Simone Boyce]

That's dope.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, congratulations on your breakout game. Continue success, stay healthy, and when you have some more success, come back.

[Marcus Grant]

Yes, I will. This will be the first show I get on.

[Simone Boyce]

All right, listen, wait, before you go, I don't mean. I don't mean to beg. Right. You know, I don't really come to Houston often, but when y' all next home game?

[Marcus Grant]

I think in two weeks, we play the 49ers.

[Simone Boyce]

Well, you know, if you. If your boy go ahead. If I catch me in spirit. Fight out there, man. Can I get.

[Marcus Grant]

Come on, bro. You always welcome, bro. We gonna celebrate you here in H town, man. Come on now.

[Simone Boyce]

Yeah. You want to go to Area 29 with me?

[Marcus Grant]

Hey, I gotta focus on this.

[Drew Franklin]

He don't need but one ticket. I'm sitting this one out, but I wish y'.

[Marcus Grant]

All. I appreciate that.

[Drew Franklin]

All right, man.

[Marcus Grant]

Appreciate y', all, man.

[Drew Franklin]

Okay. Foreign.

[Marcus Grant]

Is rolling. That's right. And you should be listening to NFL Daily as we march along to Super Bowl 60. It's in the name NFL Daily, so you'll have fresh content in your feed all season long. Join me, Greg Rosenthal, in an all star cast of co hosts for previews and recaps of every single game. NFL Daily will keep you up to date with everything you need to know. So you. You can sound smarter than all your friends. Listen to NFL daily on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Drew Franklin]

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[Marcus Grant]

In Case youe Missed it with Christina Williams, the podcast that's your go to.

[Drew Franklin]

Source for women's hoops.

[Marcus Grant]

From buzzer beaters to breaking news, I bring you the highlights, analysis and expert.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

Insights you need to stay ahead of the game.

[Marcus Grant]

The people have spoken and it's time.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

To give the stories that matter most the spotlight. Listen to in case you missed it on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or.

[Marcus Grant]

Wherever you get your podcasts. And remember, in case you missed it.

[Simone Boyce]

Don'T worry, I've got you covered.

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[Simone Boyce]

I fell in love with the grind. You have to find joy in the work you do when no one else is around. Success is not an accident. I'm passing the ball to you. Let's go.

[Stephen Curry (Narrator/Promoter)]

Steph Curry redefined basketball. Now he's rewriting what it means to succeed. Shot Ready isn't just a memoir. It's a playbook for anyone chasing their potential. Discover stories, strategies and over 100 never before seen photos. Order shot ready now at stephencurrybook.com don't miss Stephen Curry's New York Times bestseller Shot Ready available now.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Hey everybody. Daniel Jeremiah here and I'm Bucky Brooks on Move the six. We take you inside the game. From breaking down college prospects and NFL rookies to evaluating team building philosophy, these.

[Drew Franklin]

Coaching trends, and how front offices construct winning rosters.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

We study the tape, talk to decision makers and give you a perspective you won't find anywhere else.

[Drew Franklin]

It's everything you need to understand the why behind what happens on Sundays.

[Daniel Jeremiah]

Don't miss it. Listen to the Move the Sticks podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Drew Franklin]

Hey, this is Matt Jones, I'm Drew Franklin and this is NFL Cover Zero. We're just here to try to give you an NFL perspective a little bit different.

[Marcus Grant]

Did you see the Colts pretzel? That was my other big takeaway from that game.

[Drew Franklin]

What was that? Oh my. We think NFL coverage should be informative and entertaining. And twice a week, that is exactly what you're gonna get. Listen NFL Cover Zero with Matt Jones and Drew Franklin on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.