Don't Answer the Phone! Plus Daniel Jeremiah’s Mahomes Bombshell

Summary

The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz

Episode: "Don't Answer the Phone! Plus Daniel Jeremiah’s Mahomes Bombshell"

Date: March 20, 2026
Recording Location: Elser Hotel, Downtown Miami

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Overview

This episode, recorded from the Elser Hotel in Miami, is centered on NFL draft anticipation, quarterback controversies, and the wider state of American sports. The episode’s focal point is an in-depth interview with NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who drops a “Mahomes bombshell” by placing Patrick Mahomes third among his current top quarterbacks. The crew also examines March Madness, pop culture references, and significant NFL trades and developments, all delivered in the show's signature freewheeling, humorous tone.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

Football Draft Comedy & Do’s and Don’ts (00:00–04:00)

• Draft Etiquette Satire:
  Dan opens with a comedic list of faux “do’s and don’ts” for NFL draft hopefuls, poking fun at the spectacle and the awkwardness that can ensue:
  • “Don't answer on the first ring. You don't want to seem desperate. Unless it's Woody Johnson.” (00:35)
  • “Don't do the bro hug with Roger Goodell. Why be a pawn in the commission's look at me antics? It's always degrees of uncomfortable.” (01:12)
  • “Do hug your mom first. Ladies first. Do not let your girlfriend be in the shot at all. Just avoid the whole mess.” (01:35)
• Laramie Tunsil Reference:
  Satirical advice for draftees involved in controversy: “If there does happen to be video of you wearing said mask, just say it wasn't You?” (02:10)

Jersey Number 56 & Iconic Players in Sports (04:04–09:56)

• Best Athlete to Wear 56:
  Quick consensus: Lawrence Taylor ("top of the mountain"), with nods to Sergei Zubov, Mark Buehrle, Pat Swilling, and Andre Tippett.
• Pop Culture Crossover:
  Lawrence Taylor’s filmography highlighted, including "The Waterboy," "Any Given Sunday," "Little Giants," and "Mars Attacks."
• Athlete Trivia:
  Anecdotes about Andre Tippett practicing tai chi and Wesley Walker playing blind in one eye.

March Madness & The Evolving NCAA Landscape (09:56–12:14)

• Tournament Critique:
  Dan challenges the legitimacy of March Madness as a true method for determining the best team, decrying the expansion and dilution of quality.
• Iconic No-Sport Events:
  Selection Sunday, the NFL Draft, and the NBA Draft Lottery considered top events involving no actual play.
• College Basketball Then vs. Now:
  Discussion of how globalization and player turnover have reduced the familiarity and importance of college basketball.

NFL Draft Preview & Daniel Jeremiah Interview (16:32–47:40)

AFC West Shakeup & Chiefs’ Future (19:35–21:48)

• Division Forecast:
  Daniel predicts the Broncos as division favorites, with the Chiefs’ dominance now in doubt post-Mahomes injury.
  • “I think the Broncos will be the prohibitive favorite… The Raiders are better, but I think they’re still… in a four spot.” (19:35–20:15)

The Analyst’s Approach: Parenting & Player Development (21:48–23:06)

• Parenting Philosophy:
  Daniel on coaching his own kids:
  • “We’re gonna be parents and cheer and root and all that… I'll just do the parenting, and I'll be the cheerleader… let your coach do the coaching, I’ll be the parent.” (22:07)

Chronic Team Weaknesses & GM Dream Jobs (23:06–26:23)

• Unsolved Team Positions:
  Jets’ never-ending quarterback quest and the Ravens’ historical receiver struggles.
  • “The Ravens notoriously forever couldn't get the receiver thing figured out… Let somebody else figure out if these guys can play or not. Then we'll just go take them.” (24:09)
• Best GM Opportunities:
  Daniel’s strategic picks: Chargers (for quarterback and overall roster), Bengals (for the “fun” with Joe Burrow).

Burrow’s Contract, Franchise Building, and Critique (26:23–28:39)

• Cincinnati’s Missteps:
  DJ second-guesses the commitment to two star receivers over roster depth; emphasizes the need for balance and warns about misallocated resources.

Quarterback Rankings – The “Mahomes Bombshell” (28:51–31:09)

• Daniel Jeremiah's Top QBs (at 29:38):

  1. Josh Allen
  2. Joe Burrow
  3. Patrick Mahomes
  4. Lamar Jackson
  • “Josh would be number one for me… I would still take Burrow second… I would go Mahomes three.” (29:38)

  Stunning Moment:

  • Dan: “This is borderline hot take… two QBs ahead of the great Patrick Mahomes.” (30:27)

• Mahomes’ Support:
  Discussion around Kansas City’s strong defense “even in their last Super Bowl run,” making Mahomes’ job easier.

Measuring “Clutch” and Changing Positional Value (31:09–36:44)

• Clutch Gene:
  Daniel explains how he evaluates clutch play by focusing on late-game, third-down, and red-zone situations, not any single stat.
  • “When you kind of put that whole thing together, you start to see a picture.” (31:40)
• Shifting Positional Value:
  Nickel defenders and run-stopping defensive tackles are more valuable than ever due to “shell coverage” defensive trends and lighter offensive boxes.
  • “Ideally, you want one of those Giants that can do all that stuff.” (35:12)

Quarterback Prospects & Steelers’ Situation (36:44–47:40)

• Quarterback Class Realism:
  Ty Simpson, Will Howard, and Carson Beck discussed as possible fits for QB-needy teams. Reservations about value and divisional fit noted.
  • “Ty [Simpson] goes to… he plays in the NFC West. It’s a great fit.” (37:40)
• Steelers Depth Chart and Drafting:
  DJ leans toward Kirk Cousins over Aaron Rodgers or risky rookie prospects for the now-win-ready Steelers.
  • “That points to me towards Kirk Cousins as the best option there and I think you can get a nice little two year window…” (45:51)
• Steelers’ Window:
  Pittsburgh is built to win with veterans (Watt, Heyward); now is not the time for a rookie QB experiment.

Reactions, Trades, and Dolphins Drama (47:40–54:34)

• Mahomes Down the List:
  Panel reacts to Daniel’s QB rankings, noting Mahomes’ injury and the Chiefs’ supporting cast as factors.
  • “He hasn't seemed very Mahomes-like… now he's coming off an ACL thing.” (48:31)
• Chiefs’ New Offense:
  Discussion around KC’s increased emphasis on running, with Ken Walker’s arrival.
• Jalen Waddle Trade Fallout:
  Miami fans and the panel debate the logic of trading Waddle and signing Malik Willis, with skepticism over the team’s direction.
  • “Malik Willis with a tanking team doesn’t make much sense.” (50:30)
• Waddle’s Durability:
  Criticism of Waddle’s impact, highlighting frequent “limp offs” despite relatively few missed games.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Draft Comedic Guidance:

  • "Do hug your mom first… Do not let your girlfriend be in the shot at all. Just avoid the whole mess." (01:35, Dan)

• Daniel Jeremiah’s QB Rankings Shock:

  • “Josh [Allen] would be number one for me… Burrow second… Mahomes three.” (29:38, Daniel Jeremiah)

• On Team-Building & Receivers:

  • “The Ravens notoriously forever couldn't get the receiver thing figured out… Let somebody else figure out if these guys can play or not. Then we'll just go take them.” (24:09, DJ)

• Parenting Approach:

  • "I'll just do the parenting, and I'll be the cheerleader… just let your coach do the coaching." (22:07, DJ)

• On the Evolution of Positional Value:

  • "Ideally you want one of those Giants that can do all that stuff [at nickel]." (35:12, DJ)

• Steelers’ QB Reality:

  • “Kirk Cousins as the best option there… a nice little two-year window.” (45:51, DJ)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:00 – Satirical NFL Draft Dos & Don’ts by Dan
• 04:04 – Number 56 in Sports: Lawrence Taylor & Movie Roles
• 09:56 – March Madness Rant, College Basketball Then & Now
• 16:32 – Daniel Jeremiah Joins: AFC West Shakeup, Mahomes’ Outlook
• 21:48 – Daniel on Parenting, Athlete Pressure
• 29:38 – Daniel Jeremiah's Current Top QBs: Allen, Burrow, Mahomes
• 31:09 – Measuring QB Clutch/Composure
• 34:04 – Nickel DBs & D-Tackles: The New Value
• 36:44 – QB Class: Ty Simpson, Will Howard, and Steelers’ Options
• 45:12 – Steelers’ QB Dilemma: Kirk vs. Rodgers vs. Rookies
• 48:31 – Reactions to the Mahomes Bombshell
• 50:07 – Dolphins Dumping Waddle, Malik Willis Debate
• 53:51 – Dissection of Waddle’s Durability & Output

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Final Recap

The episode’s signature blend of incisive sports analysis and irreverent humor shined with Daniel Jeremiah’s surprising quarterback rankings, strong opinions on roster-building, and perspectives on the modern NFL. The crew’s banter covered both the riotous and analytical, serving fans insightful draft talk, historical context, and memorable zingers—all while maintaining the original freewheeling tone of the show.

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Next Week Tease:
Look out for Pablo Torre, set to join the show for a special extended episode.

Subscribe:
Check out the Football America YouTube page for extra segments, and don’t miss next Friday’s episode!

Transcript

[A]

We've got the best in the biz. Daniel Jeremiah coming up to talk NFL draft. Yeah, the NFL draft is fast approaching, and while I don't know if I'm even gonna get picked, I am nevertheless as society's greatest empath, still willing to share a few helpful do's and don'ts for the draft eligible among us. First, when a team calls, don't answer on the first ring. You don't want to seem desperate. Unless it's Woody Johnson. Then just let it go to voicemail. You do need to have some standards here. Don't go to the green room. Get. Yeah, the food's good. But man, why risk being the next Aaron Rodgers or Brady Quinn with a camera zoomed in on your face as your face reacts to hearing other players names called, at least the nominees at the Oscars only have to deal with it for like six seconds. You have to deal with it all night. And definitely don't do the bro hug with Roger Goodell. Why be a pawn in the commission's look at me antics? It's always degrees of uncomfortable. The swaying gently back and forth like an old couple celebrating their golden anniversary. Now, listen, I. I get it. Avoiding that moment's easier said than done. I mean, he is kind of your boss now. But for what it's worth, I don't remember hugging any of my bosses ever. Matter of fact, let's do get Rog back in the basement. I think that'll be better for everybody. And speaking of hugs. And this one should be a gimme, but I've seen way too many guys screw it up. Do hug your mom first. Yeah, I know your agents told you he could work with anybody in the business, but he chose you because he sees you as a generational talent and. And he is ultimately the one who's going to get you paid. But it's your mom. Ladies first. Do not let your girlfriend be in the shot at all. Just avoid the whole mess. Your future wife's definitely not going to love it. Oh, but Dave, we're already married. Yeah, like I say, your future wife's not going to love it. Don't say you're ready to get to work. Why set the bar so high on day one? We'll just assume you intend to try when the time comes. Next, if you're gonna self medicate, don't do it in a mask designed to protect you from a nerve gas attack in the first World War. And if there does happen to be video of you wearing said mask, just say it wasn't You? I don't know. Maybe it'll work. And on the bright side, remember this. Are there any other names you can remember from that draft beyond Laramie Tunsil's? This one's for anybody taken by the Ravens. Don't get too comfy. Decent chance they made a mistake and wanted someone else. And if you're drafted anywhere other than the first overall, do take solace in the knowledge there's never been a worse culture fit than Fernando Mendoza in Sin City, Nevada. Don't walk like Mac Jones. That really goes for any human being, not just football players. And do remember this is still the best, the greatest moment of your life. And as a viewer, they know it's coming. The family knows it's coming. But the moment they find out they're a first round pick and therefore probably set for life and is tough to be cynical about. And as far as that goes, if you do want to give me a call, I'm sitting right here. NFL teams. Meantime, start the show. Yes. Hi. Hello, my fellow football Americans. Welcome to Football America, presented as ever by our pals over at DraftKings. DraftKings, the crown is yours. As I just said at the top there, Daniel Jeremiah on the way to talk NFL draft in the QB league. We'll talk some QBs at large too. Not just about the student athletes that are about to be taken on the banks of the three rivers. By the way, programming note, Football America will be going to the OG football town, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for that draft at the end of April. Can't wait. In the meantime, this is episode number 56. So as we do with every episode, what player or player wore that Jersey Number number 56? Best not just in NFL history, but in sports history. Gino Fuentes. Take it away. What's happening with you and Mike Fuentes and otherwise down there in Miami, Florida?

[B]

What's up, Dave? We're doing good.

[A]

How are we.

[B]

We're doing. We're doing good. We're doing respectable here. But there's. As for number 56, I mean, is there, there's a. There's consensus here, right? It's Lawrence Taylor that is the top of the mountain. 56 here.

[A]

We don't need to spend a ton of time on this.

[B]

I mean, we got some other names if you want to have some other names. We got Sergey Zubov if you want to go NHL. Mark Burley if you want to go baseball. What you got?

[A]

Mark Burley, the lefty for the pale hose.

[C]

I always remember Lawrence Taylor. One of my earliest memories of Lawrence Taylor is in the water. Boy, when he looks over at the kids after Bobby Boucher talks and he says, don't smoke co crack. Which is hilarious coming from him.

[A]

That is interesting. And now that you said that, how many NFL players have been in more movies than Lawrence Taylor? Because now that. Plus you know the football movie called Any Given Sunday. Any Given Sunday.

[C]

He's also in the Little giants. So the 90s was a big movie time for Lawrence Taylor.

[A]

And three, three, that Jim Brown. Jim Brown retired from the NFL so he could go be an actor.

[C]

Smart.

[A]

And he got promptly shot by the Naz. He was dropping. You see what he was doing? He was throwing. You've seen Dirty Dozen, have you there, Mike?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

That's what he does. He can do it. He's going to throw the grenades down the pipes, down into the Nazi officers and their significant others.

[C]

He also almost makes it. And in Mars Attacks, he played a Las Vegas performer. He played an ex boxer who had become a Las Vegas performer at the pyramid, the Luxor pyramid, I think. And he ends up boxing one of the aliens. And then he gets taken down. But then he has a triumphant return at the end when they look down after the aliens have been vanquished and he's there all cut up. He fought his way through the aliens. So he battled Nazis and aliens. What an American hero.

[A]

Holy hell. Mike Fuentes showing that it's not just dumb Dave. Whose brain is filled with the useless information. Good for you. Yes, you were running through him. Sergey Zubov was great, but also Pat Swilling, Andre Tippett. Andre Tippett is in my head at least along with Wesley Welker. Everybody makes the same joke about. Tom Brady was a sixth round draft pick. Every broadcast has to mention that Ryan Fitzpatrick went to Harvard and Tony Gonzalez played college basketball. But the two guys who I first heard that about were one. Andre Tippett, they never went without mentioning. You know, he knows tai chi. He. He does tai chi on the side to keep himself fit. And. And Wesley Walker for the New York jets was blind in one eye. They always mentioned illegally blind in one eye. Actually the number one, the first one I ever heard. Lynn Swan did ballet. That's why. That's what explained.

[C]

That's why they called him the Swan.

[A]

Right.

[C]

Yeah, yeah, I remember.

[A]

Also was his last name. Don't you.

[C]

Don't you think that legally blind, little bit of a cop out. Either blind or you're not. You know.

[A]

Right.

[C]

You know, because then they go legally. It's like crutch. Yeah. Exactly. You know, he's not really blind, then. You know I'm saying legally blind, it's a crutch.

[A]

Yeah, right. I drop. Why'd you. Whoa. Wesley, what happened? Hey, Coach, Come on, man. Take it easy on me.

[C]

I mean, just starts pointing at his eye. Yeah. Look, I can't see.

[A]

I'm legally blind in one eye. Yeah. Also, Quinton Nelson is in the NFL now, and he wears number 56, maybe

[B]

the best guard in the league for the.

[A]

For the Pittsburgh Steelers when they won that Super Bowl. 43. He was on the roster there. And in fact, he hit Joe Flacco that forced the interception that Troy Palomalu ran into the end zone against the Ravens. Now, it's also March Madness. We're talking NFL draft, but we keep our eye on Our good eye on all sports and March Madness. I have to say, it's one of my perennials curmudgeon Dave things. March Madness is fine. It's fun. If you're listening to this on Friday and you are not in a bar instead of at work, then what? What are you doing that you're letting the man win? Don't let the man win. The man, even the man, understands that you should be skipping work to be sitting in a bar. I definitely did that when I cared about it, but I care about the activity of watching the games and the fun. I do not think, for all its virtues, that March Madness is a good evaluator, who the best team in college basketball is. It's a. It's a hokey, weird tournament, and the more teams you jam into it, the less relevant it becomes. I don't think that many people are paying that much attention to college basketball these days, but I'm sure the ratings will be through the roof. Nevertheless, do you agree that Selection Sunday is in the top three best sporting events that involve no actual sports?

[B]

What do we got? We got the NFL draft.

[C]

I don't know.

[B]

What about the draft one. What about the.

[A]

Which one's number one?

[B]

Which one's bigger in basketball? The draft lottery or the draft itself?

[C]

The lottery.

[B]

The lottery.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Lottery is way.

[C]

Lottery is way bigger. Yeah. Because once you.

[A]

Yeah. Too many euros.

[C]

Yeah. And there's just. There's Basketball usually has, like, five guys at the most, that everybody's like, these are the guys. And then after that, you're kind of just like, filling out role players.

[B]

Those are the two that come to mind.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So I guess if you're gonna make it a top three thing, then. Yeah.

[A]

Well, the reason college basketball isn't important anymore is because of exactly this. You knew the guys, even the good players stayed for, you know, two years, most of the time, two, three years and you knew who they were. Now they're from, you know, it's great for the sport that it's a global thing, but you don't know who any of these guys are at this point. Like, oh, oh, he's the Greek guy is going to be like I, I've never seen him play. I, I don't know how to pronounce his name. So NBA draft lottery better than the draft itself. And then Selection Sunday, like I say, that would have to be.

[B]

I'll give it a bronze, sure.

[C]

Yeah. But not a lot of them. I can't even think of a lot a lot.

[B]

But anytime you throw a new selection

[C]

up on the screen and there's always the camera that's there like Arkansas West University and oh, they're a 13C.

[A]

They overcame it all their first time

[B]

ever in the NCAA.

[C]

They're, they're, they're 31 and 3 and now they got to play a team that scored, lost 10 games.

[A]

It, it all hinges. Well, first of all, the, the other thing I say every year this millennium is this is true only in, in men's college basketball, as far as I know, the best teams today would lose to teams from 30 years ago. That just doesn't exist anywhere.

[C]

El yeah, because the pro guys actually played years in college basketball back then. So you'd have like they were teams. Yeah. Third year Laramie or Larry Johnson or whoever. Like a guy that had been there a few years, now he's playing up against an 18 year old kid. That's basically just like.

[B]

Yeah, but those, those starting fives would go through three years of college together.

[C]

Well, they'd be teams with NBA guys now. You might have some teams, but all those guys are either headed to Europe or, you know, the account well.

[A]

Right. I think it's, I, I think while obviously as an Indiana Hoosier alum, I think it was fun that the Hoosiers won the national championship. But, but man, I don't think it's ultimately a good thing. I, in the short term. Whoa, these Cinderella stories. If that's all you have, you have nothing. You. College basketball now is largely propped up by Duke still being good. You need and teams like that. If you don't have name brand teams, like it's a good thing. Gonzaga has sustained what it's done because now at least you know whether, whether, you know, could name a single player on the team, you know, their head coaches, you know, the uniforms. And I think that really does, like I say, prop the sport up. Otherwise, I think it would really fall into irrelevance. Although, like I say, it is neatly positioned to steal your attention. It's in the middle of the week, in the middle of the day. You have very little of that in most other major sports that you have middle of the day. These games actually matter. Kind of. Kind of energy around them. And so anyway, bottom line is, go out and get drunk before we get to Daniel Jeremiah and Jalen Waddle. And we want to hear what. What the Miami boys think about that. Real quick. Did you know it's Andy Reid's birthday?

[C]

Oh, happy birthday, Andy Reid.

[A]

Yeah. How did. Did you already know this or is this really news to you?

[C]

No, it really is news. I don't.

[A]

I don't know. Okay, guess his age.

[C]

63.

[A]

Oh, okay. I saw.

[C]

Did I get it? Did I get it right?

[A]

I'm gonna go 68.

[C]

68.

[B]

Okay. I'm wrong, too.

[C]

I just knew he was in his 60s.

[A]

That's all I know in my head. He's like 77 years old, which I guess would make any sense. Although presidents of the United States exceed even that at this point, they don't even start paying attention until they're in their late 70s to making a presidential run. I don't Struck me as like he's only 68. Huh? Huh. Okay. Seems. Seems a little older than that. But anyway, I wonder how long he'll be around. That is one question for Daniel Jeremiah. Where do the Kansas City Chiefs now stand with an injured. At least to start the season, Patrick Mahomes? Where do they even rank in that AFC West? Yikes. Is that loaded? The Broncos now with Jalen Waddle and the Chargers are good. Are. Are real good, I think. And the Raiders are relevant at worst. So the. The world that Patrick Mahomes is walking back into, when he does walk back in, is. Is going to look a little bit different and more rugged. All right, let's talk about that. Let's talk about all of it with our guy, best in the business, Daniel Jeremiah. Hi. And hello, my fellow football Americans. Quick reality check. Have you noticed that after a night out, things just hit a little differently than they used to? Yikes. Old age. Like, I've got early mornings workouts and a packed schedule and even a couple of drinks can throw off my sleep and next day energy. If you track your sleep at all, you. You can literally just about see it. That's why I've been using Cheer, specifically their Restore capsules. There's something I actually keep on my nightstand now. And how about this? This is not jive. I gave one to my wife, who is not somebody who bends the elbow constantly, but did go on a twister last Saturday night. She took one and woke up right as rain on Sunday morning. Here's the deal. Alcohol affects more than just hydration. It also impacts your brain and your liver. Cheers Restore is designed as a dual action after alcohol aid with ingredients that support both. It was originally developed from research into a compound called dhm, which has been studied for how it works in the body after drinking. You don't need to know all that, but I've just told it to you anyway. And it's not some tiny brand. Cheers has been featured on Shark Tank. It's in thousands of stores like CVS and Walgreens, and they've got thousands of strong reviews online. And I just gave you one more in the last 30 seconds. What I like is how simple it is. You can take a few capsules after your last drink or before bed and it helps you feel way more like yourself the next day. Especially if you're having just a normal night out. Not going way overboard. Same night out. Way better. Morning with Cheers. For a limited time, our listeners are getting 20% off their entire order by using code [e-mail] just head to cheershealth.com and use code fba for 20% off. Do it or shame the devil. After you purchase, they'll ask you where you heard it from, please to support the show and tell them you heard it from your old pal Dave and all the other football Americans on Football America. Thanks and Cheers. All right, gather round, draft nerds. Your king has arrived. I mean, this guy I, you know, sincerely, I know he gets roughly 48,000 requests daily, especially in this window. This is sort of like he's a tax man and he's right in the middle of tax season here, so he takes a a couple minutes to kibitz with Dumb Dave. I always appreciate him doing it. You know him from Move the Sticks because he is move the sticks. Plus, he's got his little side gig with our old pal the boss, Greg Rosenthal, 40s and free agents. Make sure you're checking that if you are one of those aforementioned draft nerds. I suspect he could be a GM tomorrow if he wanted to be. He is, in the meantime, our pal. Like I say, Daniel Jeremiah. What's going down, fella? And how are you, man.

[D]

A lot has changed since we were together, Dave. I mean, for instance, you go to a football school. I didn't see that coming. That was a little bit of a plot twist. Somehow. Your hair is improved. I don't know what's going on there, but that looks incredible. Yeah, I like what you got going on with your flow up there, and I like the rustic brawny towel guy shirt that you got going on. I think it's just a whole, it's like a more manly. I think it's the transition from a basketball school to a football school. It's like this more rugged, manly Dave Damaschek. Now, I think it all comes together.

[A]

I mean, I, I don't want to disagree with you right out of the gate, but I mean, I think I've always been ruggedly handsome. I think that's who I am. I mean, that, that's, that's who I've been since day one, since you met me there. Daniel Jeremiah, you.

[D]

What do you do during the NCAA tournament? These, by the way, just kind of, you know, it's not used to be your time of the year. And now it's like, well, you know, when spring ball, we got a spring game coming up anytime soon.

[A]

That's a. Yeah. I, I, I, I'm nimble like that. I, I, I, I've. The Bob Knight years were, are way in the rear view at this. I, I've had a few minutes to get ready for the Kurt Signetti, you know, Pittsburgh legend moving over to Bloomington, not unlike Mark Cuban and one Dave Damasek. Yeah.

[D]

Completing the Power. That's the Power trio. That's what they say.

[A]

Daniel Jeremiah Banner work as always. What do you have now, three mock drafts out?

[D]

I think so, Yeah. I believe three. And I think there's only one more, but I believe there's only one more, but I could be mistaken. Maybe two.

[A]

But I think for the world, I like that everybody now does one. It's one of these things that you sort of opened it like, as a gateway for all the world to now do these things. I like how everybody does their ones, team specific ones. And they're like, what does everybody think here? Like, well, I think you are giving your favorite team guys who are not going to be available in round four their first round picks. Like, what do you think, everybody? What a bargain I got.

[D]

Would you sign up for this,

[A]

by the way, among the accolades I was listing there, but now I see you in your retro earbuds with the chords. You explained a year ago that you, you don't want to get the ear cancer or whatever.

[D]

I don't know if that's legit, but it was an Instagram video that caught me.

[A]

Vulnerable moment. Taking counsel from your brother in law. Like, I heard their waves go through your head. Oh. Another accolade I didn't mention is, is that you're one half of the great radio booth with our pal Matt Money Smith. So let's start there. Yeah, I mean, I talk about these players who's got, who are, you know, who you like in the second or third round. I also like to get you from a broader football perspective. Your Chargers look great with those two tackles coming back. You think a year delayed for Jim Harbaugh. You thought year two would be it, but then both those guys go down and then that pushes it to this year. Problem is the AFC west is rough now. The Raiders are legit. I feel like kind of borderline. Is KC the 4th best team in that division now all of a sudden?

[D]

Oh, my gosh, no, I can't, I can't. I can't get there. I can't get there. But they, I mean, for so long just being the clear cut favorite, is this the first time that it's not just a cute pick? You know, like it would. People would say if you pick the Chargers a couple of years ago, you're just, that's a cute pick. You know, the Chiefs are in the super bowl every year. I think the Broncos will be the prohibitive favorite in the division. I think that'll be probably the most commonly held opinion as we come into next year with. I would say it's going to be, you know, there'll be. Half the people will pick the Chargers next and then half the people will say, oh, Kansas City will bounce back. Mahomes will get back healthy and they'll be okay. The Raiders are better, but I think they're still, I mean, they're still clearly in a four spot.

[A]

Okay, yeah, I mean that, I mean, that stands to reason, but there's a great enthusiasm now as Max Crosby somehow ironically returns there. There's a different vibe. It really is funny how different that you're, you're waxing about my tremendous head of hair. And again, I agree, but we haven't seen each other in a little while. Max Crosby was only away for like six days and he walks back in and it's a completely new world in which they seem semi competitive at least anyway, as you evaluate players and you know, you have your four kids and everything and they play Sports seem to

[D]

be a grandkid, Dave.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[D]

That'll make you feel old, huh?

[A]

Oh, my goodness. Oh, sheesh. Yeah.

[D]

You know, I just threw you so off right there. You just lost.

[A]

Well, no, I. I just think about, like, I wouldn't want to have a psychiatrist as a parent. I think I would just be judged all the time. And, like. Like, I couldn't fool my mom, the nurse. Like, you know, you. Oh, that must be cool. Like, you know, you get immediate first aid whenever you get hurt in the backyard playing Wiffle ball or whatever. Yeah, but I can't dupe her when, like, I don't feel well. I better stay home from school. Like, she's like, no, you're not sick. Whatever.

[D]

You have a test, David. You didn't study. You need to go take your. That's the medicine you'll be taking today.

[A]

Well, I mean, for the record, to her eternal, you know, praise, she did come to school one day when the Pitt Panthers were in the first round against Karl Malone and Louisiana Tech and boosted me from school so I could watch that game now.

[D]

Wow.

[A]

Pitt didn't win that day, but Dave Damaschek did. He knew he had an ally for life. Now does. Daniel, Jeremiah, are your kids. Do you sense. Are they nervous to do anything athletic around you for fear of being judged by the old man? Do you judge them more or less harshly than you do student athletes?

[D]

I judge zero. So, like, there's. I don't think they ever felt any pressure because we just never. And that was something we just kind of decided as parents, too. Was like, we're going to be parents and cheer and root and all that kind of stuff. But I was even reluctant to even give, you know, even, like, games over. Like, hey, you know, if you keep your elbow in and, you know, this, that, and the other, like, I just want to just let your coach do the coaching. I'll just. I'll just do the parenting, and I'll be the cheerleader. So I. I know. I don't know if that's right or wrong. And I know other people have, you know, have really helped their kids in their development and growth. It to me was like, let's go. We can go play in the backyard, or we can go shoot some hoops or do whatever, but I'd never, you know, the football thing, I was like, nope, you guys just. You guys go listen to your coaches and have fun. That's it.

[A]

Yeah. You decided to hold out on your kids so that they wouldn't achieve as

[D]

much as you did. That's right. It's my fault. That's my fault.

[A]

Okay. That was a choice you made.

[D]

And that would have both been power four. Power four guys, you know. But the old dad over here just wanted to. I didn't want to invest. Yeah.

[A]

He wants everybody gathering around his app state photographs hanging on the wall. We don't need to cloud that. We don't need to move those off the wall. For newer images. Now that the Chicago Bears may have, and I don't want to say they definitely have, but let's assume that the Caleb Williams progress continues into this year now that they finally gotten their QBs just 60 years into the super bowl era. What's the position group that to you is inexplicably unsolved for one team after this many decades in the super bowl era. What's the. What's the looming one?

[D]

I mean I think jets quarterback would probably be towards the top of the list. I mean quarterback's going to be the one that will always kind of pop up. Golly. In terms of other ones. I mean the quarterback ones are the ones that just jump out. And to you it's hard not to find at least one. You stumble into one good player to position. The Ravens notoriously forever couldn't get the receipt receiver thing figured out. I think Zay Flowers, you know.

[A]

Right.

[D]

They kind of solid. Really solid. But they forever it was just let's just go get Anquan Bolden. Let's just go get the veteran. Let's go get Derek Mason. Let's go get Steve Smith. Like let's let somebody else figure out if these guys can play or not. Then we'll just go take them. So that had been a bugaboo for a long time. I think Zay Flowers is probably. It's say he's ended that.

[A]

Okay. That's a. That's a good answer for a team that's been a contender for as long as you worked for him and even before the Baltimore Ravens incapable of solving the why which was always a fascinating side by side that the. That their arch rival the Steelers could never seem to land a. A high pick corner to cover those non existent receivers.

[D]

And they worked out for both of them. That's why they're in the playoffs every year.

[A]

Yeah, that's right. They seem to have kind of sort of resolved that in. In black and gold as well. Which team's roster. If Daniel Jeremiah were offered all 32 GM positions at once, which one would you say? Like I want that one because I can play hero because if I just hit on this one pick or sign this one free agent, we're going to be super bowl contenders. Which one seems closest and which roster is scary because it seems so far away?

[D]

Oh, man, that's a really good question. So broad.

[A]

Yes.

[D]

Now I'm looking at the combination, and this is. I honestly, I would tell you this. If I work for him or not, I would say the Chargers. Just because you combine the talent of the quarterback with the, the. The key pieces in place on the roster and just a little kind of tweaks here and there, like getting maybe one more guard, getting, you know, getting another pass rush to be the third pass rusher with Mack and Tui Polotu, the rest of the roster's in pretty good shape. So if I'm looking to combine kind of the quarterback with the roster pieces and only needing a little bit, you know, because, like Denver in the same divisions, unbelievable roster. But I would take. I would take the quarterback for the Chargers, so that would lead me in that direction. Selfishly, if you said, like, what GM job would be the most fun? I think it would be the Bengals because I just love Joe Burrow and I just think, man, is, you know, we could get going.

[A]

I wanted to ask you about what Burrow did about a year ago. He wanted both pass catchers, not just one, but he wanted both of them signed for the long term so he could continue to thrive. Did he make a mistake? Did the. Did the Bengals make a mistake listening to their franchise qb? And then at the back end of the regular season, he seemed Burrow unhappy. I mean, what is, what's going on? I mean, what are they doing? Why didn't they sign, like, Jayvon Hargrave as a, for instance, of the free agents that were out there, they have nobody on defense now.

[D]

Yeah, I mean, I would have preferred to just say, hey, we're going to, we're going to get Jamar Chase back in the bucket. We love T. Higgins. We can trade him, you know, and get a nice haul back and, and fill out the rest of the roster. And it's just as it works as the quarterback, you, as you go into the making money era of your career, then we're going to have to have you elevate some of the other young guys around you. We surround you with, you know, with the guys when you're young. And now you got to elevate some of these other guys and we can distribute these resources. But they've also missed, just flat out missed on some of the picks that they've had. So it wasn't just the financial resources that were tied up. They didn't necessarily have, you know, some of the best drafts that made it even worse. So I think there's, you know, I would definitely, I would have done the one receiver and then, and then let's try and draft another one. We can develop and, and use that money on the defensive side of the ball or the offensive line or other. Other areas. But you know, I also think if, man, if they just hit on all their draft picks, maybe, maybe we'd say something different because, you know, you have that. Those two studs on the outside. But I would have. I would. You get one. You know, it's just like when you're. You're. We're all parents, you know, hey, one cookie. That's it. That's it. You don't get the second one.

[A]

I mean, listen, I completely get people complain the, the overpay if you're, you know, the Ravens going after certain guys and then they kind of undo that and, and, and the Bills and people have quite the. The Bengals are so bad and have. Have handled the Burrow era so poorly. They're not even in the conversation anymore. Or Burrow has is a. Is a level down from the pity we all because everybody's a great empath as you know about poor Lamar, poor Josh Allen. They deserve better. Joe Burrow is not even in the conversation anymore.

[D]

Which is crazy because I don't know. I, I would love to see the numbers on losses with 30 points because they've stacked up quite a few of them where I mean you look how are you losing this game? It's going 30 points well by the way.

[A]

Okay, love talking QBs with you. Daniel Jeremiah is close to a QB whisperer out there in the media as. As anybo this side of Dave Damaschek. So go ahead and give it to us. What is your current after we saw Patrick Mahomes look pretty mortal this past year then end in injury. What is your top three or four really? We've always talked about this, that, that because we every team covets the man at QB. We try to talk ourselves into like there being 12 or 15 of these cats running around but in fact they're probably only four or six of them. What does that list look like of the guys who can carry a roster and cover up all the warts on the rest of the flawed roster because they're now paying out this cat so much money?

[D]

Oh gosh, that's a tough One. Josh would be number one for me.

[A]

Really? Wow.

[D]

Yeah, I would have. I just think he's the most physically gifted of all these guys. And I don't think that that roster was in great shape last year. Everybody kept saying this was his shot, this was his time. You know, these other quarterbacks, you know. No, no. Lamar didn't have to worry about Burrow, didn't have to worry about Mahomes. Like this was his shot. And I'm like, yeah, but he, you know, his roster wasn't stacked as you would hope to be in that position either. So I would still have him number one on the list in terms of carrying the team. Gosh, I, I would still take Burrow Second for me, Homes. I would take, I'm a Joe Burrow guy, so I would take Joe Burrow.

[A]

I mean this is, this is borderline hot. Take that you would have two QBs ahead of the great Patrick Mahomes.

[D]

I agree with you by Homes. I love Mahomes, but I, I just, I mean, like I said, I, that that defense in Kansas City has been really, really good the last three years, even in their last super bowl run. And we saw they got to replace the whole secondary. Now I love Mahomes, he's a great player, but I, to me, Burrow, if you put Burrow in those, in those situations, I think, I don't think he has any less success. I just love the way that he plays. So I would go Burrow two, I'd go Mahomes three. And I'd probably go Lamar Jackson, four. That would be the, that would be the four.

[A]

You gauge. And I've seen you do it compete level. That's a big thing with, with these guys, lovers of football and all of that. Is there any available method that you' attempted even or anyone else out there that you know who's tried to gauge clutch. Because that's the one thing that you can't really know until, as far as I can tell, you don't know until you're in it how you're going to react to it. Is there any ability to do that from your side of things?

[D]

Well, I just do it, you know, kind of put it under the umbrella of situations. So, you know, when you look at third and seven, you know that's, that's third and seven plus. So when you can watch all those plays, when you look at the red zone plays where, okay, it's a. These are four point plays. I mean this is, this is condensed space. This is not a lot of room. This is a lot of pressure and it's pressured. Not only physical pressure that you're dealing with, but you're also dealing with again, the, the, the outcome difference, you know, we convert to seven. We don't. It's a three. These are all four point plays. I look at late game situations. So let's go look inside two minutes, you know what they're doing in late games. And then I look at big games, you know, how they've played in those big game stretches. So I don't think there's one thing, but I think when you kind of put that whole thing together, you start to see a picture. And I think, look, quite honestly, it's why, you know, I like Mendoza. You know, Mendoza is not a perfect player, but when you look at him and those, in those instances, I don't know how you could come to any other conclusion. The fact the guy is pretty clutch and he's, he's shown it in those key spots that you can look at.

[A]

I mean, yeah, the idea that they, that they breezed through the schedule and what they did in the playoff was remarkable stuff. But yeah, he had a couple of tests in, you know, some white knuckle moments.

[D]

Some white knuckle moments there.

[A]

Yeah. And throwing the ball big, big help from, from Rhett Lewis, by the way, catching some of those passes. Well, I mean, right.

[D]

Man, I just thought, I was just watching, you know, you're watching Cooper and Surat and I'm sitting there going like, gosh, I mean, the pressure those guys must feel, you know, knowing, you know, the shoes that they walk in. I don't know. They did it. They, they somehow were able to overcome those expectations heaped on them by the ghost of Rhett Clenchmit. So congratulations to them.

[A]

Oh, look at you going. Going with the proper name.

[D]

That's what it says on the back of the jersey. That's a, that's what it says in the back of the jersey.

[A]

He's a fancy guy. He's. He has a stage name and everything. DJ Is there. Are there positions that matter more now than they did five or 10 years ago? I see. We'll get to Jeremiah Love in just a second here. But you know, that was, that was. The rhetoric was that running backs had become fungible and why would you spend, why would you use a first round pick? Are there positions that matter more than they did five or 10 years ago and which ones matter less?

[D]

Yeah, I think that always changes. To me, the nickel position has become really, really important and really specifically kind of the bigger Nickels. That's what, you know, teams are wanting to do because the answer to the, to everybody playing nickel was, okay, well, we're going to bring that nickel into the run fit. We're going to run the ball at him and we're going to make that little guy have to tackle our 220 pound running back. And now what teams have done, as you've seen with Ian Warri and Derwin James and Kyle Hamilton, all of a sudden you look down, there's 6, 3, 220 pounds in there. So you're not, it's not so fun running at those guys anymore. And they can cover a little bit and they're instinctive, they can blitz. Like there's a lot of the best defenses have really good players in that role. Petrie can do some awesome stuff even though he's not a huge guy with Houston. You know, you look at any of the top defenses in the NFL, I guarantee they've got a stud in that spot right there that can do everything. So that's become important.

[A]

And you're right too. I hadn't really considered. Right. It's, it's the Swiss army knife thing, but outsized. Like Mike Hilton was a guy, I think he was sort of the personification of what you wanted in the Slaughter as a nickel, right?

[D]

Well, we used to just take, hey, you're a good, you're a good corner, but you're little and undersized. So we're just gonna, you just play in the nickel. And now, I mean, there still are guys like that. I mean, we'll see you in the. Speaking of Indiana, like Ponds will probably be one who's going to play a lot nickel, but for an undersized guy like, he is really, really tough and feisty and, and you know, he's going to be able to hold up okay in there for a little guy. But you ideally you want one of those, one of those Giants that can do all that stuff. And the other thing I think you'll see, and you're starting to see a little bit of it. Unfortunately, this draft isn't great in this area, so I don't think it'll be reflected this year. But I think having defensive tackles, you know, that can hold up and that can, you know, be able to anchor against double teams and then just give you enough pass rush doesn't have to be great, but just enough. I think with everybody wanting to play shell coverage, you've got your two high safeties. We're a little light number wise in the box. Like those, you know, we went from when I started in 03 of there's value in the run stopper and then with the Casey Hamptons and, and Nadas and these guys, like that was the era and there was a lot of value in those big guys. And then it was, hey, it's a passing league. If you can't rush the passer as a defensive tackle, you can't take them in the first round. Like it's, you know, that, that two down plugger that this is, this is no longer what we're looking for. And now everybody said, okay, well we got to stop all these big plays. So we got to play our safeties high. Well, that means we got to stop the run with fewer guys. Where the big guys go, we got to get these big guys back in here again and there's more value with them. So I think to me that's kind of just done really a full circle.

[A]

You talked about the hero, Fernando and obviously he's going to be number one to the Raiders. Is there any cube. I mean the exact same conversation we had one year ago, D.J. and I suspect we had that conversation two years ago. I met, mentioned this a year ago. Two years, right? Everybody. Oh, you can't take any quarter. Tyler Shuck Jackson, dark. I mean you gotta wait for next year. That's where all the studs are gonna be. Lenores and Arch and Drew Aller and so on. And now it's the exact same conversation for next year. I mean, is there, is there anybody in the meantime in the QB league for teams that need qb? Still is Ty Simpson. I hear Dan Orlovsky going on about it. I like Ty Simpson. Or am I just trying to talk myself into it as a Steelers fan? Is he a viable first round pick?

[D]

I like Ty. He's in my 30s, on my list. So to me, like, if you say what's a perfect spot for him? I've said, you know, Look, Arizona at 34, I really like there's, there's possibility maybe they trade back in to get the extra year late one. I don't think that's a reach at all. I think he enters into the conversation there. The challenge is going to be, you know, to me, you know, the fit matters and the location matters and I don't see him as a great fit in Pittsburgh. I don't see him as a great fit with the Jets. Like those are divisions to me that just they beg for a bigger guy just to be able to withstand the beating to play and the weather. You're going to get later in the year, whereas Ty goes to, you know, he plays in the NFC West. It's a great fit. And I think he, he, you know, he could have a really solid run there. So I, I like him. I always tell, you know, people when we're talking this time of the year that it's, it's a love him or hate him business that we're in. Like, you either love them or you hate them. And I'm like, no, there's accessing the talent and then just matching it with the value of where he goes. So I, I like him. I think he's got a chance to be a solid starting quarterback, but you got to marry that with the value. So if you're Arizona and you're picking three, that's not, I don't think that's what you're getting there. I think he's your second pick. Even if it was in the first round, if you, There's a difference. You know, everybody says, well, is he a first round or a second round? I'm like, well, there's also difference. Is he your first pick or your second pick? There's just different. Well, last year when, you know, you talked about dart, you know, well, yeah, Micah Parsons gets up there. Not Micah Parsons. What's the other Penn State kid? Abdul Carter. Abdul Carter is the one who goes up to the podium. That's your shining star. That's your first pick. And it takes a little off of Jackson Dart. He's the next one up there. He was their second pick. Even though he's a first rounder. You know, Shuck last year he wasn't, he wasn't there. You know, their guys picking up there at the, at the top of the draft. So there's just a different, there's a different pressure there. I think it's just marrying the talent with the value. And I thought last year those two teams did that.

[A]

Well, I mean, just in terms of pedigree, he is the Bama recruit. I just can, from a million miles away, have to assume that, you know, he's got the physical attributes. He may not be big, like, it may not be sufficiently big enough, but otherwise I just have to assume without knowing anything about, oh, he's the starting quarterback at Alabama. He must be physically gifted. All right, let's talk, let's talk about my team.

[D]

Hold on, hold on just one second. Can I just pause that for just one second?

[A]

Go ahead.

[D]

You realize that, would you, if I told you Tua and Bryce Young and I line them up next to Carson Palmer and Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Is that, are those pillars of like the going to look the part. You know they're going to. Absolutely. You pick them out of a lineup.

[A]

But I, I don't know. I, I was never a part of the thing where everybody decreed that TUA before he even threw that the, the, the national title winning touchdown overtime pass that he was. This guy is a camp miss. Look at, look at this prodigy. Look how gifted he is. I never fully understood that one. But I take your larger point who right now, I mean here's the thing. Your pal Pen Penn Hill's own Andy Weidle has done remarkable work in Pittsburgh loading up at the line of scrimmage. I knew that was exactly why they brought him there was to try and fix that up. You have. First of all, before I ask you about QB's, you have Blake Miller going to Pittsburgh at pick number 21. I assume that kind of offset, if you would even call that a widel or a Steelers miss with Broderick Jones. He hasn't really fully fleshed out to what you would expect somebody picked at that spot to be. Plus he has the neck injury and all of that. So that's a deficit. But I, you know, with the roster where it is. Am I overstating it from your eyes? I think that's the best roster in at least the division right now. Save the quarterback spot. So you want somebody in there right now who can take care of business. And I mean you can explain, you can talk Blake Miller if you want to. I'm sorry, I'm all over the place with this. But I guess the matter at hand is it's the quarterback league and so, so long as they continue to, to fiddle around with, with brand name QBs that are out of style now on the TJ Maxx rack. What are they doing?

[D]

Yeah, I mean, look, I, I would argue, you know, Will Howard is going to be an interesting part of that.

[C]

Really.

[D]

I think he's going to be compared to these guys I do like. I, I like Ty Simpson. I have a higher grade on Ty Simpson than I had on Will Howard coming out. But Ty Simpson's got eight good games that he's played in college football. If you took Will Howard's playoff games well, that's half of those games. Right. He played at a really, really high level. One on one national championship. I know on a loaded team, but he played really, really well. He's bigger, sturdier. So I'm, you know there's, there's at least part of the discussion there. I've, I've thought of them as a Carson Beck team. You know, whether that could be. Take your flyer in the third round.

[A]

Keep saying that once keep saying Carson Beck specifically to Pittsburgh.

[D]

Yeah, it just kind of fits more from a, you know, physicality standpoint. But I've even, you know, argued that, hey, look, the, the trade we just saw yesterday, which was Andy Dalton going to Philly, like Tanner McKee was a five star kid coming out of high school, went to Stanford. He, you know, there's a, there's a lot of ability there. And if the Philadelphia Eagles are going to move on from him and maybe think they can cash in in a quarterback market in a draft that's not great at the quarterback position, maybe that, that Howie thinks he can, you know, fetch something for him. That would intrigue me. I saw a kid play in high school. I remember calling David Shaw was at Stanford and be like, hey, are you recruiting this kid? And he goes, yeah, no, I think we're going to get him. I'm all, congratulations. This, this kid's unbelievable for a high school kid. He was at Centennial High School out here in the end of an empire, but he's a big athletic kid with a big arm that I just don't think a lot of people are familiar with him.

[A]

But yeah, it's weird how certain guys slip through the cracks. By the way, kudos to you because you said that. I remember sitting in a room with you and talking with you about the 2018 draft class that at the draft left and you switched at the last minute. Right. If I remember correctly, you said, you know what? Love Sam Darnold always have a moving bake up to number one because of the fit in Cleveland. And you like that fit. And I think you ultimately were proven right. The Browns, Browns did up and, and, and moved on from him. And I, I think we can render that being a mistake at this point.

[D]

Well, I think I kept, I kept Sam as my top quarterback in the draft for fit, but yeah, yeah, for fit. I might have gone over there.

[A]

But you were right though about Sam Dard, because a lot of people said what a misread on, on this guy. But ultimately you were proven correct.

[D]

You said the wait just gotta wait seven or eight years for these things. That's it. That's it.

[A]

All right. We've waited long enough. Now, Daniel Jeremiah, who should be, you're the general manager. You and Andy Wydle and Omar Khan now get to powwow. And you say you gotta listen this 20, 26, the QB that you, that is realistic for you. Let me give you three options. Yeah, well you mentioned Will Howard and I'm interested in Ty Simpson because I'm desperate, you understand? Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins. Or how about this one? J.J. mcCarthy.

[D]

Oh, wow, that's a little plot twist there.

[A]

You'll be fine by me. You gotta be like that. People keep saying, well that's crazy. Have you seen him? Listen, the Steelers have reached a position now where they cannot make sober five dollar place bets at the crap. Just got to put it all on the roulette wheel and spin. Man, they gotta, they gotta get lucky at this point. You know they, they, they fooled around for too long. How say you, I mean 43 year old man, you know, no 40 year old person's ever been in a super besides Tom Brady.

[D]

Here's what I would say. Where the roster is now and you and your out of your words, best, you know, talent inside the division.

[A]

You disagree?

[D]

No, I think there it's a strong case. I mean I think the Baltimore roster is not anywhere where it's been in the past. So I think it's, I think it's very fair. But that points to me towards Kirk Cousins as the best option there and I think you can get a nice little two year window because when you bring back TJ Watt, when, when you bring back Hayward, like that's not, hey guys, we're going to fool around and see if we can experiment with this JJ McCarthy thing and see if this, this, this hits for us here. Like I think once you've made that decision to kind of run with those guys now you've built up the offense and defensive line really well. They've got a lot of good young players on this team. But this feels like hey, this is kind of a decision for the last of this ride of this group and then, and then we'll go on and try and find the next one. So I, I would say that would be more likely than them taking one in the first round.

[A]

Okay. And, but specifically because a lot of people come at me when I say Kirk over Rogers and they say Kirk.

[D]

I would say Kirk. I would take Kirk Cousins.

[A]

Yes. We're not talking about, we're not talking about 2014, we're talking about right now. Wow. We're talking about one season in a 43 year old man versus a guy who very quiet look quietly looked pretty good at the back end of the 2025 season. All right, thank you for validating my opinion.

[D]

Go ahead Daniel, My bug guy just got here.

[A]

Go get the door. Just.

[D]

I just saw him come down the hill.

[A]

Go get him.

[C]

Go get him.

[A]

Or.

[D]

All right. David. Do we. Do you need anything else for me today?

[A]

Well, I wanted to talk some Jeremiah love, but I think you've said it all already. You like him very much. You think he's a great pair for Cam Ward. And I guess I get where you're coming from. Since they loaded up on defense and that's that. Next time I see it, it'll be on the banks of the Three Rivers. Let's have a dinner, a lunch, something like that.

[D]

I would absolutely love it. And now I'm going to see if we can get some wasps out of my attic. So that's what we're going to do right now.

[A]

All the best with that. In the meantime, thank you so much for your time. There he goes, everybody. The best in the business. Daniel Jeremiah. There he goes. Off the deal with the bug man. What did you fellas think? Anything stand out? I mean, I. I think a couple of things really stood out to my Steelers colored ears. Is that a thing? Steeler, black and gold glasses? I don't know. Can my ears also be that ear? My. My black and gold earmuffs. Either way. Well, I don't have earmuffs on. They were open because my ears heard what he said. Whatever he said, they like. They really like Will Howard. I keep hearing this. I did hear him say Carson Beck. That buzzes out there. But the number one thing was Kirk Cousins over Aaron Rodgers. He agrees with Dumb Dave. I like that. But also, how about those QB rankings by Fuentes? Two guys ahead of Mahomes.

[C]

I understand that Mahomes. The last two years he hasn't seemed very Mahomes, like if that makes sense. Plus now he's coming off an ACL thing. An ACL that happened like in the back half of the season. So he's going to be coming into a season. His first couple weeks will probably be against guys that are already at full game speed. You know, he'll be kicking off cobwebs. These guys are already in like what, week four or five. Gino, you think he'll be ready? Wouldn't come back.

[B]

I really. I really do get the feeling that they're really going to run the ball a lot.

[C]

Yeah, I mean, don't get me wrong, Mahomes will have the arm talent until he's 43 years old, but it's just like the speed of the game and the mobility. So at this exact Point I can understand putting a Josh Allen in front of him or a Joe Burrow in front of him.

[A]

It's also funny, you know, you adjust, you're aware of it, but your brain doesn't fully register the transaction that we've seen in the last week. Plus, but they now, like you say, they now have Ken Walker back there, so they could kind of fundamentally change their approach to what it's been. But then they don't have corners. So what's that going to mean? Because like DJ said, they did lean on that defense. I think a lot of people, it was almost an afterthought. People talked about Chris Jones a lot, but otherwise people weren't talking about how important that Chiefs defense was to their sustainability success. That's interesting. And then the other thing is that the Broncos are the team to beat. I don't know who's really going to make much of a case against that right now. So that brings me to the other side of things. The Dolphins sign Malik Willis and their first move basically is to trade away the one decent pass catcher they have in Jalen Waddle. How say you. What's the buzz down there in Miami, fellas?

[B]

Well, I mean, at this point you have to wonder if Devon Hin is going to be. Be next, right? Because you got nothing else on the offense. You got Malik Willis out there with no real receivers. So, I mean, maybe they're going to draft one of the top 10. Maybe they're going to go ahead and sign Juwan Jennings. But at this point, why? It wouldn't make sense to sign Juwan Jennings.

[C]

Yeah, you're either going full tank or you're not. And half the salary is dead money. It is kind of weird, the Malik Willis thing.

[A]

Now.

[C]

I don't think they're.

[B]

Yeah. Malik Willis with a tanking team doesn't make much sense.

[C]

Well, how are you going to evaluate them? You know, like, no disrespect to 2 2atwell, you know, but I just don't think that, you know. Yeah, like, I just don't think that that combination of the receivers, I. There's, I think two Washingtons. I can't even name them for you. Honestly, they just.

[A]

Why don't they. Why wouldn't they even have kept Tua to put to play with 2:2. That's such a great opportunity that they dismiss.

[C]

I just don't. The Malik Willis thing is what? Like, because clearly we're tanking, right? Like the whole like Devon a Chain thing, we're gonna.

[B]

Well, that's the Reason I say we're not tanking.

[C]

No, but, but there's no way.

[B]

Because there's no way saying Malik Willis on the roster.

[C]

But that, but I think that's like if he somehow finds a way to impress, they're going to run the ball a lot. We know that already. Right. Or attempt to. So if he somehow impresses with this cast now you're like, oh, okay, well, we have a guy moving forward. I think it's just a big trial period. We'll give him a good chunk of money. He'll see if he sticks around. If he does something. When this somehow some way he met, he like goes above.500 this season, ends up with a 9 and 8 record, you give him all the money in the world. Right. Because he will have found a way to do the impossible with this cast of characters. But that being said, the Jalen Waddle trade I thought was a good trade. Yeah, it's basically a very high second round pick. The 30th pick overall, third round pick for a guy who honestly to me, I don't remember a game where he didn't limp off the field. So. Good trade for the Dolphins, I understand from the Broncos side too. I mean. So we'll see.

[A]

Second men's you for Greg Rosenthal of this episode. But he pointed out that I think Waddle only missed in fact six total games during his career with, with the Dolphins.

[B]

That wasn't the problem.

[C]

But if you go back, if you watch his games, if you watch his

[B]

game going out of games, not coming back.

[C]

Correct. He'll, he'll, he'll be out there in the second quarter, he'll have something ankle. He'll come out for a series or two, he'll come back in the third or fourth and then basically just be a pedestrian out there. A decoy for Tyreek Hill or Waller Dolce or whoever was out there trying to catch passes. I've seen every Dolphin game game for the last, for the whole entire career of Jalen Waddle. And there's a lot of exiting games.

[A]

Well, I mean, you know, as I said, you know, a bunch of minutes ago, the I, I think people are, are weird when they try to cosplay NFL GM like. Well, the Broncos overpaid. The, the Bills overpaid to get DJ Moore. Yeah, they're trying to win now. It's a win now league. It's a year to year league. It makes a. Yeah, I get you gave up a lot to get Jalen Waddle, but that theme was pretty loaded up before they Had Jalen Waddle now even more so. And it is a year to year league in Miami too. And so I. The Malik Willis thing is so wild to the point that on the heels of Max Crosby, if teams can do that, can Malik Willis do that? Like, hey, you know what? I got offers from other teams. I think I'm going to take one of those.

[C]

As it turns out, it's definitely, it's a familiarity play. Like he knows these guys.

[A]

But let me just give you can't be happy now.

[C]

I mean he'll. When that first paycheck comes in, he'll be just fine. But.

[A]

I know, but he could be making that paycheck might win some game.

[C]

I had an argument the other day with Ethan. He was talking about, oh, the Cardinals don't have better receivers. I go, they have Trey McBride, that Michael Kidd, I remember his last name, it's Wilson. I think he was amazing at the second part of the year, Marserati Moff. But I'm gonna give you some Jalen Waddle numbers. Okay? The first year, 104 reception, second 75.

[B]

That was a record at the time.

[C]

That was a record rookie receiving record 104, 75, 72, 58, 64. Last year, his least amount of yardage. The year before that, 744. And he had three 1,000 yard seasons coming into his, his fourth year, but one of them was 1015, the other was 1014. So I really had really one big year for yardage. And he is a dynamic player when you can get him the ball, but he has to be out there. And, and I'm, I'm kind of excited to see what Denver finds a way to do with him because they have a lot of, they kind of have like that Green Bay thing going on. A lot of like two guys. Right. So let's see what, what Waddle can do in there.

[A]

I, I disagree with you about Cortland Sutton, but okay, yeah, just another guy that's always injured.

[C]

Another guy. I love Cortland Sutton button, but always injured. He'll have games where he completely disappears.

[A]

I wish I would ask D.J. this is it. The most overstated thing going in pro football schematics. The idea like you have to have a true number one. Which of those two guys is the, is the number. Who cares who the number one is? Let the defense tell you which is the true number one. They're devoting more assets to stopping that guy. Okay, then let's throw the ball to this guy. I mean that's exactly what the, what the Bengals have been doing too, right? So. All right, listen. You know what I'm bummed about is that we flapped our gum so long I still haven't gotten a chance to review the Tennessee Titans getups. And now we're gonna go away for a few days. Good news is, though, make sure you're checking out the Football America YouTube page because we keep updating that through the week. We actually are now doing an extra seven, eight minutes that posts on Tuesday so that you don't forget about your pals over here at Football America. Make sure you're subscribed there and or actually leave out the or and wherever you find your favorite audio podcasts. We'll be back next week. Next Friday. Pablo Torre. I bet you've heard of him. I know all the scoundrels in the NBA and the NFLPA have heard that name. He'll be with us for an extended sit one week from now. In the meantime, thanks to Daniel Jeremiah for the grand work, thanks to the Fuentes boys, Bradley Cooper eating his soup over there in London Town, and everybody else at the LeBatard network. Until next time. Thanks so much, my fellow Football Americans. It's been a thin slice of heaven.