The Best of The Dan Patrick Show

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Best of The Dan Patrick Show The Dan Patrick Show | The Dan Patrick Podcast Network | Released January 6, 2025

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1. NFL Playoff Push and Coaching Changes

[01:00 - 03:33]

The episode kicks off with a critical update on the NFL playoff race. Paulie breaks down several significant coaching changes across the league, highlighting the firing of Gerard Mayo by the New England Patriots. He states, “The Patriots after one year, getting rid of Gerard Mayo” [01:26], emphasizing the team's swift decision to part ways despite Mayo's initial promise.

Paulie also touches on other teams making moves:

• Giants are retaining their coaching staff.
• Jacksonville Jaguars have fired Doug Peterson.
• Broncos have secured the number one seed in the NFC, a surprising turn of events attributed to their stifling defense.

He elaborates on the Lions' defensive prowess, noting, “They had 10 quarterback hits last night” [02:30], showcasing their strategy to pressure Sam Darnold, which resulted in their impressive playoff positioning.

2. Broncos vs Bengals: A Poll Discussion

[03:24 - 14:36]

The conversation shifts to a heated debate between the Broncos and Bengals' playoff prospects. Paulie reminisces about the Bengals' early-season struggles: “They treated that game like it was a preseason” [03:33], criticizing their inconsistent performance.

Fritzi introduces a poll question: “Who would you rather have in the playoffs, the Bengals or the Broncos?” [06:17], sparking a dynamic discussion between the hosts. Paulie defends the Bengals' offensive firepower, citing Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase, while Todd presents the Broncos' consistent performance and strong defense as reasons to favor them.

Notable Exchanges:

• Paulie asserts, “The Bengals are more threatening” [06:25], highlighting their offensive stars.
• Todd counters with the Broncos' defensive strengths, questioning, “Are we convinced that the Bengals would have a much more challenge, much better chance of being the Bills in Denver?” [05:53].

The debate intensifies with Fritzi revealing the poll results: “The Bills are giving nine to the Broncos.” [08:33], indicating a slight preference towards the Broncos among listeners. Paulie remains bullish on the Bills advancing but acknowledges the Broncos' potential to keep the game competitive.

3. Guest Insights: Ross Tucker on Patriots and Coaching Strategies

[16:30 - 30:04]

Paulie brings in Ross Tucker from CBS Sports and Westwood One for an in-depth analysis of the Patriots' recent decisions. They discuss the abrupt firing of Gerard Mayo and the Patriots' challenges in replacing Bill Belichick.

Ross explains, “They rushed Gerard Mayo into that role... the crafting of the roster made it so untenable” [27:09], critiquing the lack of experience Mayo had before his dismissal. He draws parallels to other teams that have undergone mid-season coaching changes, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive search process.

Key Points Discussed:

• Patriots' Succession Plan: Ross questions whether the Patriots had a clear successor post-Belichick, suggesting that Mayo might have been premature for the head coaching role.
• Coaching Search Process: He advocates for a thorough interview process, comparing the Patriots' insular approach unfavorably to teams like the Chargers, who actively sought talent like Jim Harbaugh [32:58].
• Mike Vrabel as a Potential Successor: Ross speculates that Vrabel could be a leading candidate, noting his deep ties with the organization and capability to handle the Patriots' unique environment.

4. Analyzing Team Strategies and Player Performances

[30:19 - 44:15]

The discussion delves into various team strategies and standout player performances:

• Lions' Balanced Offense: Paulie praises the Lions for being “the first team to have at least 30 passing touchdowns and at least 30 rushing touchdowns in the same season” [16:58], underscoring their offensive versatility.
• Saquon Barkley's Absence: The impact of Barkley missing the regular-season finale is examined, with Paulie reflecting on the team’s decision to rest key players, ensuring they remain competitive in the playoffs. He notes, “The only way you really look dumb is if you lose one of your best players in a game that has no significance” [28:36].

5. The Future of Coaching and Player Movements

[44:42 - 55:43]

In the latter half, Paulie engages with Tom Kern from NBC Sports Boston Insider to discuss potential coaching changes and player movements:

• Tom Brady and the Raiders: They explore the likelihood of Brady's continued involvement with the Raiders, considering his influence and the team's needs. Tom Kent speculates, “If they did make a coaching change... Vrabel is the best candidate out there” [49:31].
• Aaron Rodgers' Future: The conversation shifts to Aaron Rodgers, debating his potential retirement or continued play. Paulie asks, “Do you think he wants to go out like this?” [37:33], while Tom shares insights on Rodgers' possible next steps, including a hypothetical return to the Chiefs.
• Mike Tomlin's Coaching Tenure: The durability of Mike Tomlin with the Steelers is scrutinized, with Tom commenting on the dichotomy between national respect and local fan opinion: “There is no greater disconnect in the NFL than how people feel nationally about Mike Tomlin versus how Steelers fans feel about Mike Tomlin” [25:11].

6. Listener Engagement and Final Thoughts

[55:43 - End]

The episode wraps up with light-hearted interactions and acknowledgments of upcoming shows. Paulie briefly mentions the possibility of future poll questions and teases upcoming segments, ensuring that listeners remain engaged and anticipating future discussions.

Notable Quotes

• Paulie on Gerard Mayo's Firing: “They made the move” [46:31].
• Ross Tucker on Coaching Changes: “They need somebody above those personnel, people who can make those decisions” [53:23].
• Paulie on Lions' Defense: “Should extend for a couple of seasons” [10:00].
• Tom Kern on Mike Tomlin: “Mike Tomlin has shown a remarkable ability to deal with whatever personality comes his way” [40:11].

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This episode of The Dan Patrick Show offers a comprehensive look into the current NFL landscape, focusing on playoff dynamics, coaching upheavals, and strategic player movements. Through engaging discussions and expert guest insights, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the intricate workings behind their favorite teams and the broader implications of recent changes within the league.

Transcript

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[Dan Patrick]

You are listening to the Dan Patrick show on Fox Sports Radio.

[Paulie]

We have an emergency. Fill in the blank. Paulie the emergency. Fill in the blank team and coach moments ago.

[Fritzi]

Minutes ago. Blank has been fired by blank.

[Paulie]

Okay.

[Fritzi]

Blank has been fired by blank.

[Paulie]

Okay. Gerard Mayo had already been fired by the Patriots.

[Fritzi]

Correct.

[Paulie]

Okay. The Giants there, everybody's coming back. Colts. Their owner Jim Ursay put out a statement. Everybody is back. The Jacksonville Jaguars have fired Doug Peterson. Okay. All right. Well, we figured that that was going to happen. But I guess the biggest news is Giants keeping their staff, the Patriots after one year, getting rid of Gerard Mayo. We'll talk a little bit more about that. The Broncos are in. Bengals, Dolphins out. The Buccaneers are in, the Falcons out. And the Lions last night, thanks to their defense have the number one seed in the nfc. That was the big surprise last night. I knew the Lions would score. The question is how many would they let the Vikings score and they shut them down. They did a great job. And Chris Collinsworth kind of hinted at this. This is where you hear something in a production meeting on Friday or Saturday where maybe Aaron Glenn, the defensive coordinator for the Lions, says, hey, we're, we're bringing some heat. We're going to go after Sam Darnold. We're going to make him uncomfortable. You can't just sit back and let him have time because their receivers are too good. Because, you know, Collins worst said that at the beginning he thought they were going to go after Sam Darnold and they did. And they had 10 quarterback hits last night. I was listening to Dan Orlovski on ESPN Radio earlier and he said he thought that Sam Darnold left five touchdown passes out there on the field. So the Lions did get the win. They got the number one seed. You got an extra week with your players. Certainly that defense has been banged up. But give credit to that defense because they did put a lot of pressure on Sam Darnold. All right, Seaton, what's poll questions start out the first hour.

[Fritzi]

We got a couple of more surprising poll questions. More surprising this from Paulie. More surprising. Broncos are in the playoffs or the Bengals are not.

[Paulie]

Well, okay, I'm going to go back week one and what did we say after the Bengals lost to the Patriots? I said there's every team that those teams that don't make the playoffs, you can usually go back to one game and go, that one's going to hurt you. And that's what I said after they lost to the Patriots. I said on that Monday. And you're the Bengals. You're not Tom Brady's Patriots, where you can use the first month of the season as the preseason. This is the problem. They treated that game like it was a preseason. And the Patriots beating the Bengals in Cincinnati. But if you're going to lose your first three games, look, would I love to see the Bengals in. Yes, I would. But they didn't deserve to be in. They played great at the end of the regular season. If this was college, we'd probably look at them like South Carolina, man, they're on a roll. You don't want to face them. Well, this is in college. You lose your first three, you let the Patriots beat you in Cincinnati. I would love to have had the Bengals in just aesthetically to watch them play. And Joe Burrow, Jamar Chase. But it Denver, Denver played better, more consistent. The defense was good. Bo Nix did a great job and Sean Payton reclaimed his status as one of the great coaches in the game. But yeah, Denver to me was a better team. Cincinnati might have been a better story. Just for the overall picture of you don't want I don't think anybody's saying, man, you don't want to face the Broncos. I would say that. I mean, you gotta defense travels. This is a good, solid team. Now, did the Chiefs basically roll over? Yes, they did. But I think they were consistent team, a good team. Patrick certain is, you know, maybe steals the defensive player of the year work. And Bo Nicks played really well. But, you know, that's one of Those where? Hey, Buffalo. And they. They get Denver. Well, I don't know if I. When you get to this point, it's one game. Are the Bills better than Denver? Yes, but it's one game and that's all you're asking for. Give me a little bit of magic here. Fritzi. Congratulations. Your Broncos are going to the playoffs.

[Todd]

How about that? 38, nothing against all the backups.

[Paulie]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Todd]

Are we convinced that the Bengals would have a much more challenge, much better chance of being the Bills in Denver? Are we comfortable saying that? I wish it was the Bengals because that'll be a better game and Denver's gonna get rolled. Is that what the average person thinks?

[Paulie]

I don't know. Why don't you go around and ask the average person?

[Todd]

I think I'm gonna take a poll outside. I'm gonna do a kind of walk around with a microphone.

[Paulie]

We have a lot of average people in here. Just to ask everybody.

[Fritzi]

The poll question is, who would you rather have in the playoffs, the Bengals or the Broncos? Is that the question?

[Todd]

Yeah, I think a lot of.

[Paulie]

Who's more threatening?

[Todd]

Right. Which would be a more complex.

[Paulie]

Well, the Bengals are more threatening. It's only because they have Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase. So you got the leading pet. When's the last time you had the leading passer, yardage wise, passing touchdowns? You had, I think, the leading sack guy, and you had a receiver win the Triple Crown. So Trey Hendrickson, I think, had 15 sacks this year. What was it, Paulie?

[Fritzi]

He finished with? 17 and a half.

[Paulie]

Okay, so 17 and a half. Quietly. 17 and a half. And then you have Joe Burrow and you have Jamar Chase, and then you throw in T. Higgins. That's exciting. Denver doesn't have that. I mean, that offense doesn't blow you away with name recognition. But I don't think Sean Payton cares about that. And, you know, I got to factor in Sean Payton with his ability to coach as well. Yes, Todd.

[Todd]

No, you gotta love Benito and Certain. And then you got Vale out of the blue, is doing some stuff with Sutton. They got. They got some weapons there. I didn't love the fact that they.

[Paulie]

Those guys are on defense.

[Todd]

I'm just talking about in general, as far as people that are like, oh.

[Paulie]

I know, but I was. I was talking about offense.

[Todd]

Fair enough.

[Paulie]

I was talking about Joe Burrow, Javar Chase, the fire.

[Todd]

I'm just. I got in my mind, shockingly, you.

[Fritzi]

Don'T usually refer to defensive players as weapons.

[Paulie]

I think when you don't have weapons on Offense, you got weapons on D.

[Todd]

I just don't like the narrative because we love the way the narrative that. Oh, Cincinnati, Buffalo would have been great. This is going to be a blowout. Forget this. Might as well put the Bills in the digital playoff.

[Paulie]

Wait, wait. What are we doing right now? We're not going to do this. The nobody wants us. Nobody believed in us. We're not doing that. No. Are you calling for the win in Buffalo?

[Todd]

You know, you put me on the spot. The Bills should win that game. They should win comfortably. But wait, you don't believe in the face? I believe the Broncos one. In one game, anything is possible. Buffalo should win that game by like 10 points.

[Paulie]

We know it's possible because they're in the game. You know what's not possible? The Bengals can't beat the Bills.

[Fritzi]

I just checked.

[Paulie]

Yes, they can't beat him. Yes.

[Fritzi]

Paulie, The Bills are giving nine to the Broncos. I could check with Vegas on what the line would have been. The Bengals were in the game.

[Todd]

I'd be curious about that.

[Paulie]

Yeah, Bengals would probably be five point underdog. Maybe. Maybe something like that. But are we we or they?

[Todd]

We are definitely we.

[Paulie]

Okay. All right. Well, congratulations. It was a very good year.

[Todd]

After they lost to the charging Bengals, it was more they. But then after what happened yesterday, we're.

[Paulie]

Back to WI and you're not a front runner, by the way. 141 games were decided by seven points or less. That's tied with 20, 2022, the most in a season in NFL history.

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This is the start of the day.

[Paulie]

Brought to you by Panini America, the official trading cards of the Dan Patrick show. Lamar Jackson finished with 41 touchdown passes, four interceptions. That's never happened before in NFL history. At least 40 and fewer than five interceptions, and he may not win the MVP. The Lions, they were extremely balanced, but not as balanced as the Bills. They're the first team to have at least 30 passing touchdowns and at least 30 rushing touchdowns in the same season. Never happened before. The Lions were one rushing touchdown short of becoming the second team to do so. I look at the Lions, you want to talk about being all in? Because you're going to lose probably both your coordinators. Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator. You're all in. I talk about these windows of opportunity, like San Francisco's window. It might have closed and it felt like it's wide open. You got a, you know, Mr. Irrelevant. With that contract you got. You're signing everybody, you're keeping everybody. Brandon auk, you got McAffrey, you, Debo, Trent, Williams, you got it. Bosa. Every. Everything's going to work. You got a great coach, gm. And then maybe you don't. And this is where you get that three to four year run and then all of a sudden it starts to slip away. Detroit, this is the year. This is the year. Considering everything you have Now, I also look at this team that you got Hutchinson coming back. Jir Gibbs is wonderful on a rookie contract. You got Montgomery coming back. Golf is signed, Aman Ross, St. Brown is signed. You got a good tight end. You got a culture there with Dan Campbell. So this, this should extend for a couple of seasons. Should. And then you got Buffalo that I thought their window of opportunity closed. And now it just feels like this is a true, solid, starless team, except for, you know, the quarterback there. And I think that's, that's been a benefit for them. They had two Pro bowl players. I think that's a true testament to a team playing great football. Yes, Mar.

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And I think for a franchise like the Lions, all you need is one super bowl title. You don't need to go on a two, three year run. All you need is one.

[Paulie]

Yeah, like the Cubs, you win, all of a sudden it's like you've changed the entire national outlook or viewpoint of the Lions. You've changed everything. Now it's not, hey, I'm a Lions fan. It's, I'm a Lions fan. All it takes is one. All righty. So is that the poll question? Who would be more threatening in the playoff seat in the Broncos or the Bengals?

[Fritzi]

Yeah, we could do who would be more threatening. I kind of like who would you want. But yeah, there's definitely going to be Broncos vs Bengals poll question for sure.

[Paulie]

But I don't want you. Oh, woe is me. Nobody thought we'd be here, Todd. We can't do that because it's a great story. You didn't think they would be here, so you can't go. Nobody's giving us a chance.

[Todd]

That's fair. And most people thought they'd win four, five, six games max with a rookie quarterback.

[Paulie]

They, they played great. That defense was really good. And yes. Did the Chiefs roll over? They did, but, you know, I wouldn't have put it out of the realm of possibility that the Broncos would have beaten the Chiefs if they wanted to or tried to win that game. Yes.

[Fritzi]

So just so we're clear, Todd also thought that they wouldn't be there this year. And while he doesn't like the narrative that we should just advance the Bills to the next round. He, too, thinks the Bills are going to win.

[Paulie]

Yes.

[Fritzi]

Despite the fact that he doesn't like that narrative.

[Paulie]

Yes.

[Fritzi]

That you should give the Broncos a chance. He thinks the Bills are going to advance.

[Todd]

I think the narrative is that they're going to get blown out. And it's hard to predict the Broncos to win that game, but I think they'll keep it competitive.

[Paulie]

Okay, but you just were saying that nobody thought you guys could be there. Nobody's giving you a chance. They'd rather have the Bengals. So you're feeding into all of this.

[Todd]

Because I, and many saw something in the Broncos that we didn't think we would see during the course of the season. Who would think that Bo Nicks would have that kind of.

[Paulie]

No. But you don't think they're. No. You don't think they have a chance.

[Todd]

To win, but if I had to, like, bet a million dollars on it or something.

[Paulie]

Well, they have a chance because they're playing the game in one game.

[Todd]

Anything could happen. They almost beat the Chiefs in Mahomes. The great Chiefs team trying to win three Super Bowls in a row. Blocked field goal in the last second.

[Paulie]

Is the only reason you're the one underselling the Broncos.

[Todd]

I don't like that. Everyone. I don't like that other people are underselling.

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They're all bummed.

[Todd]

Like, oh, the Bengals game would have been a lot better. Who wants to see Knicks?

[Paulie]

And it would have been. It would have been more interesting to have Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase in there.

[Todd]

Maybe interesting, but not necessarily more competitive because it's.

[Paulie]

Okay. Make up your mind if you're all in that you're going to win. Mar is going to beat the bill. Okay, thank you.

[Todd]

27, 23.

[Paulie]

It took me 14 minutes to get there.

[Fritzi]

27, 23.

[Todd]

The bill should be ten and a half point favorite.

[Paulie]

Yes. Marvin.

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That's so. That was a lot for the first segment.

[Paulie]

Forgive me. Yeah, I. I can't work this hard, Todd. Not to start the week a lot.

[Todd]

I know.

[Paulie]

Yeah, I know.

[Todd]

It's only 15 minutes into Monday. What?

[Fritzi]

Whole week? Full week Monday, Todd.

[Paulie]

I know. Are we gonna hear this all week long?

[Steve Covino]

Leading up to.

[Todd]

Okay, I'll settle down.

[Paulie]

All right. Thank you.

[Dan Patrick]

Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our [e-mail] and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to listen live.

[Rich Davis]

Hey, it's Steve Covino. And I'm Rich Davis and Together we're Covino and Rich on Fox Sports Radio. You can catch us weekdays from 5 to 6, 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and of course, the iHeartRadio app. Why should you listen to Covino and Rich? We talk about everything, life, sports, relationships, what's going on in the world. We have a lot of fun talking about the stories behind the stories in the world of sports and pop culture. Stories that, well, other shows don't seem to have the time to discuss. And the fact that we've been friends for the last 20 years and still work together, I mean, that says something, right? So check us out. We, we'd like to get you involved too. Take your phone calls, chop it up, as they say. I'd say the most interactive show on Fox Sports Radio, maybe the most interactive show on planet Earth. Be sure to check out Covino and Rich live on Fox Sports radio and the iHeartradio app from 5 to 7pm Eastern, 2 to 4 Pacific. And if you miss any of the live show, just search Covino and Rich wherever you get your podcast. And of course on social media, that's Covino and Rich.

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[Paulie]

Ross Tucker, CBS Sports, Westwood One and host of the Ross Tucker Football podcast. He was on the call for the Texans and the Titans yesterday on CBS and he'll be working Steelers, Ravens Saturday night and then Sunday he's got the packers and the Eagles. The man is always working. Let me start with the Titans here. Is there any chance now with the number one overall pick that they won't go quarterback in the draft?

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The only way I can see that, Dan, is if they really like one of the other options, maybe that's Sam Darnold and they want to pay for them. I think that's tough though. I, that would surprise me.

[Paulie]

You know, does another year.

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Was it Levis?

[Paulie]

Yeah. Would they give him another year?

[T-Mobile Advertisement]

No, no, I don't think so. That was, I mean they sat him down at two different times this year. He started the year, then they sat him down. He had an injury, whatever for a few weeks, came back, had a couple pretty good games. But Then reverted back with the turnovers that I, I don't think that they will do that. I mean, if they did that, if Levis came back, there would be a veteran of some significant, some consequence on the roster with him. Like a Sam Darnold, like someone that you could sell to the fan base as a legitimate starter. I just think when you get that number one overall pick, we showed it five times during the broadcast yesterday. You know how bad teams, the people put the bags on their head. Dan, one guy had a bag on his head, but on the front of the bag was a picture of Shador Sanders. That was what was on the front of the bag. So I think you get the number one pick. I think people want you to take a quarterback, whether that's Cam Ward or Shador Sanders or whoever. That doesn't mean they're going to. I think it's really hard not to because the fans get so excited about being able to have your pick, number one guy, despite the fact that people are not in love with this quarterback class.

[Paulie]

If you're Dion, do you want, will you let your son go to an organization like the Titans?

[T-Mobile Advertisement]

It's a really good question too. You know, they had a pretty good track record in history of winning for a long time. You know, when I was playing, they were always good. Even Vrabel had him going for a couple years. They've been down there like, I think it's three straight years with at least 10 losses. I don't know. I guess the way I look at something like that is what's his other alternatives that are so much better? The Raiders, the Giants? I mean, I guess the answer is yes. I, I, I don't. You know, maybe the Raiders and Giants have bigger fan bases or, you know, better tradition over a long stretch or whatever. Branding what, whatever you want to look at. But if you look at the way they've been run lately that I don't think they're any better than the Titans.

[Paulie]

Well, I was wondering Carolina or the Titans better organization moving forward?

[T-Mobile Advertisement]

Well, I guess I would say Carolina right now because of the way Bryce Young played the second half of the year. I mean, it looks like they have their quarterback, which is just fascinating. I mean, he was bad bad as a rookie. He wasn't just bad, he was bad bad. And then even earlier this year, he was still not good. I mean, they went to Andy Dalton for a reason. There's a lesson there. I think that maybe we need to have a little bit more patience with these guys. Maybe we need to Give them more opportunities. I mean, just think about Dan Baker, Mayfield or Sam Darnold. Both of those guys are on their fourth team and they both are definitely top 15, arguably top 10 starting quarterbacks in the NFL. They both had tremendous, tremendous years with their fourth NFL teams after being top five picks. So would that have happened if Baker stayed in Cleveland or Darnold stay with the Jets? We don't think so. Probably not. But it still should tell us something, inform us something about maybe being more patient. Maybe you should give these guys a third and fourth chance.

[Paulie]

Fill in the blank. Next season, Aaron Rodgers will be.

[T-Mobile Advertisement]

Starting at quarterback for a disappointing team. I think that would be the way I would describe it. I don't think anybody wants him to be their quarterback. You know, you go down the list. I think they'd rather have Darnold in free agency. I think some of them would rather draft the young guy. I think Aaron Rodgers almost becomes like plan C at this point. And so a franchise that strikes out in free agency and or doesn't have a chance in the draft to get the kind of quarterback they really want, there will be a desperate times call for desperate measures franchise out there that will bring in Aaron Rodgers because they know they have to win this year. I mean, it's funny, I don't think they'll do this, but the first team that came to my mind, Dan, is the Giants. Right. Like Joe Shane and Brian Dable have to win this year. I'm a little surprised they're both coming back. I thought Dable would. I didn't think Shane would. But they have to win this year. I don't think that the Mara family would want them to bring in Aaron Rodgers. But if you got to win, where else are they going to get a quarterback?

[Paulie]

Keep his house. Have to move. We're talking to Ross Tucker, CBS Sports, Westwood One. He'll be working the sidelines. Steelers, Ravens that Saturday night and then in the booth for the packers and the Eagles on Sunday. This game for the Steelers. How important is this? Now? I know Mike Tomlin. They never have whispers or rumors that he could be fired or they move on from him. But if they're one and done again in the postseason, and this is a Hall of Fame coach, but when's the last time they won a playoff game? 2017. And Russell Wilson's future, what hinges on this outcome this weekend?

[T-Mobile Advertisement]

Yeah, I think it's gigantic. I think it could impact both guys. Certainly Russell Wilson more than Mike Tomlin. And I'll say this, too. If Zay Flowers can't play for the Ravens. That is significant. I think it sounds weird to say this, Dan. The Steelers, at least to make. Need to make it competitive. I mean, they were non competitive three games in a row there during that stretch where they had to play the Ravens, the Eagles, the Chiefs, it was clear that they were nowhere near that level of those teams. I don't think they need to necessarily beat the Ravens, but it's got to be a classic Steelers Ravens game that comes down to the end. I'll say this too, because I live in central Pennsylvania now, Dan. Like Hershey, right? So there's a lot of Steelers fans here and I talk with them in Pittsburgh too. There is no greater disconnect in the NFL than how people feel nationally about Mike Tomlin versus how Steelers fans feel about Mike Tomlinson. A lot of Steelers fans want him gone. They've won him gone for a while. They do not think he's nearly what the rest of us all seem to think he is. It's really fascinating because. And you can say about a lot of fan bases, not like this. I mean, it's like polar opposites. When you talk to Steelers fans about Mike Tomlin versus any other person about Mike Tomlin.

[Paulie]

Well, I think the national conversation and analysts are very careful what they say about Mike Tomlin nationally. You know, it's always great respect. You know, he wins, they always have winning records. They make the, you know, all of these things. But if you're a Pittsburgh fan and you have another one and done as much as you may love his demeanor and his approach and tough guy and he won a Super bowl and, you know, they don't fire. I mean, after a while, you know, I gotta start. I have to at least question that, you know, well, look, the streak of.

[T-Mobile Advertisement]

Winning records is impressive and the two things that he gets a lot of credit for and rightfully so, we love hearing him talk. We, we just all like, we just love his quotes. We love hearing him talk. And he's won a lot of games with quarterbacks that are not. Not elite, not even close to elite, but even think about like the playoffs, right? You, you go right down the line. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, LaMar Jackson, even CJ shot, Russell Wilson is not in that category. They have not had a guy in that category to go toe to toe with. Even a Justin Herbert, obviously Joe Burrow, they don't have that guy. And they haven't since Ben was healthy and in his prime.

[Paulie]

What are the Patriots doing?

[T-Mobile Advertisement]

That's a little bit of a Head scratcher to me on multiple levels. Right. Because think about the conviction you have to have in a guy to name him the successor, put that in his contract to put him out there for a year. And it's funny because most fan bases, Dan, when you say bad things about their team, they don't like it. But when I did the NFL Network game last week when they played the Chargers, I said the truth, which is they probably have the worst roster in the NFL. They probably have the worst O line, probably the worst receiving core. And even if you want to nitpick, they're at least in the conversation there. So when you start with that, I'm a little surprised that Mayo would only get one year. I actually would probably have made a change with the guys making the personnel decisions before I would Mayo. And here's the thing that's really they need to be very careful of. Right. Drake May looks really good and made a lot of progress that year under Alex Van Pelt, their offensive coordinator, despite the fact that they might have the worst O line and the worst receiving core.

[Paulie]

Yeah.

[T-Mobile Advertisement]

So now you might be stunning his progress. You know, it's. It'll be interesting to see who they hire, who is calling the offense, because I really think they're at a point right now where everything decision you make should be what's best for Drake, maybe because he is the franchise. I'm not sure moving on from Van Pelt, moving on from the coaching staff is what will end up being best for Drake May, but it looks like it's what's going to happen.

[Paulie]

Can the Lions replicate what they did defensively last night against Minnesota when they get to the postseason?

[T-Mobile Advertisement]

Man, I hope so. That was awesome. I am so happy for them and their fans. You know, with all these injuries. I probably said to you a couple of times over the last couple of months, Dan, I thought it's just too much for them to overcome. And I think if they had lost last night, it would be right. Three road playoff games, I don't see that happening. But now, now they only need to win two home. Home playoff games. That is different. Getting Anzalone back was gigantic. They have excellent safeties Kirby, Joseph and Branch, who they now move to nickel. Aaron Glenn called an incredible game, and they have a legitimate chance now to get to the first super bowl in franchise history. With the way they played on defense last night, no wonder Aaron Glenn is getting all these head coaching interviews. That was. That was masterful last night.

[Paulie]

How was it locally, the reaction with Saquon Barkley not playing in this regular season finale with a chance to become the all time single season rushing.

[T-Mobile Advertisement]

Well, this will probably surprise you then that this would be the case in the city of Philadelphia. But it was very polarizing. Very polarizing. Right. I mean, they talked about it on the local radio all week. And you know, the interesting thing was the quotes from some of the guys, you know, even if you felt one way or the other when Saquon said, you know, my dad was the most upset because it would have meant a lot for us to have our name in the record books forever, you know, when you heard him talk a little bit, but then he kind of backed off of that a little bit. The problem is, you know, and I realize the other guys would love to be a part of the record too, but you're not going to put them out there with the second string offensive line. And so then you got to have Lane Johnson at like 34, 35, you got to have those guys out there. And I think Sirianni made the right decision. The only way you really look dumb, and I love history and I love Saquon, all that stuff. The only way you really look dumb is if you lose one of your best players in a game that has no significance whatsoever, you're locked in as the number two seed and then you don't have those guys when you're playing the packers on Sunday who are one of the better teams in the NFL.

[Paulie]

Good to catch up with you. Safe travels. Thanks for joining us.

[T-Mobile Advertisement]

Of course. Thank you, Dan. Appreciate it.

[Paulie]

Ross Tucker.

[Dan Patrick]

Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.

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[Paulie]

Let's bring in Albert Breer, the Monday morning quarterback who joins us on the program. Well, let me start with the Patriots. You've been close to this situation. Why are they moving on from their coach who was a coach in waiting for a good five years?

[Steve Covino]

Yeah, you know, I, I think, you know, really kind of relates back to the end of the Belichick era, the state the roster was in, the climate in the building when they fired Bill and you know, like, how, you know, there were factions and, you know, like the, The. The fact that they put that clause in his contract, the succession plan in his contract, I don't think made anything better. So, like, it forced the Patriots to go to Gerard Mayo probably a good two, three years before he was ready, certainly before they intended to. And I think the. Where the building was in 2022 and 2023 made it so Belichick wasn't going to help mentor Mayo and help him fill in the gaps that. That would be created by his lack of experience. And so, you know, I still think the crafts really like Gerard Mayo. Not sure what Mayo thinks of the crafts anymore, but I do. I do that they still really like him and think that he'd have a bright future in coaching. But it just like, based on the way they're set up, and they're set up for a coach to have a very strong voice in so many different areas, because the way it was set up under Bill for so long, they weren't able to support him with the roster, they weren't able to support him with the infrastructure. And I think that led to a disorganized mess over the last couple of months, which led them down the road where, you know, there were a couple of games there at the end where you just could not see the light at the end of the tunnel. I think the loss to Arizona a couple weeks ago is one. And then obviously, that Saturday loss and a standalone game to the Chargers might have been the flashpoint because clearly going into the game yesterday, they knew what they were doing, or else they wouldn't have had a statement, you know, ready to go less than an hour and a half after. After the Bills game ended.

[Paulie]

But you're also not going to make this move unless you know who your coach in waiting is. I. I would assume.

[T-Mobile Advertisement]

No.

[Steve Covino]

I see. I think they'd be. I think they'd be making a mistake if they. If they approach it that way. And here's why I say that, Dan. Like, I think last year they really cost themselves the chance to take a look at the way the rest of football works. And they hadn't had the chance to do that in so long because they haven't conducted a coaching search in so long, you know, and so, you know, really, if you look at it for over 25 years, is all these other teams that were stumbling all over themselves got a chance to interview people left and right and see the way the best organizations of football were doing it. The Patriots were really insular. They didn't really bring in a lot of people from the outside. They didn't have the opportunity to see inside other organizations through an interview process. And then last year, I mean, they rushed Gerard Mayo into that role and same. The same thing with Elliott Wolf after the draft into the EVP of player personnel role. And, you know, I think they really cost themselves a chance to look across the league. And you say, like, okay, like maybe you do know who it's going to be and you don't want to go through a shame of a process. Well, you can't tell me the Chargers didn't know in November or December that they were going to target Jim Harbaugh, yet they still looked at, what was it, 12, 15 head coaching candidates, 10 general manager candidates. So they went through a full process and got to learn a lot of stuff about things, worked with other team the way things worked with other teams. And Jim Harbaugh and Joe Ortiz, who are running the team now, benefit from the team having gone through that. So I do think they're going to run a full process. Frable is obviously a name that's going to be at or near the top of their list to begin with, but I would think that the crafts are going to let the process take. Take them where.

[Paulie]

Where.

[Steve Covino]

Where it goes, you know. And, you know, we've been down this road before. I mean, Pittsburgh's a Great example from 2007 when they move off the Bill Cower era. Era. You know, Cower retires. And I think everybody, everybody thought at that point it was either going to be Ken Wisenheim or Russ Graham, who had a ton of background with the organization. But they go through a full process, they commit to it, and they wind up falling in love with Mike Tomlin. I wouldn't rule out something like that happening here, although I think clearly variable is the leader in the clubhouse. And, you know, I think that it would behoove them even if it does wind up being very able to go through that full process.

[Paulie]

All right, you got the Raiders situation.

[Legal Disclaimer]

Yep.

[Paulie]

And you got the Cowboys situation. Do you see changes in either of those locations?

[Steve Covino]

I think the Raiders are still up in the air. There's been a lot of momentum going in the wrong direction over the last couple of months, you know, and, and. And where they are and what sort of voice is Tom Brady going to have in this? You know, the opportunity maybe to get somebody like Frable because of Brady, you know, I think would entice ownership there. And, you know, I, I I, I think that they, they. They've had to look at the last couple of years and the way things are gone and now some of the changes in ownership is their influence on. On Mark Davis to do one thing or another. You know, I think we'll find out over the next three or four hours what will happen there. The Cowboys are fascinating because we all went through it, you know, five years ago, and the way they dragged their feet on Jason Garrett, it was. That was so weird. You remember that. Damn. Like, the way all that worked where Garrett was employed. But, like, they're really going to move on. And so Garrett's still working there, but they're interviewing people. The same thing could happen here because, you know, Mike McCarthy's contracts up the same same way Garrett's was. He's got relationships in the Saints organization, for example, Right. Like he and Mickey Loomis were together there for, I think it was five years, and Mickey Loomis his first five years with the Saints when McCarthy was there working for Jim Haslett. So there could be opportunity outside that Mike McCarthy wants to take a look at. The Cowboys could take a look on their, you know, as well. And I think one thing that complicates the whole thing is, you know, not only do you have to drop a new contract for Mike McCarthy, so it's not like you can just kick the can down the road for another year. That's also the case, I'm told, with their entire coaching staff. Everyone is up. So you've got to read. You got to drop new contracts for the entire coaching staff as well. So that's going to be an interesting one. That's, you know, as. As you might expect from America's team, a little complicated, a little complex. And that's another one. You can hear variables, name a lot. But that's another one that I have heard for Abel.

[Paulie]

Connected too tough to handicap Aaron Rodgers. But if you were going to. If I said Aaron Rodgers next year will be blank.

[Steve Covino]

I. I don't think he knows. I don't think the jets can tell you what their plan is until there's a head coach and general manager in place. You know, would there be a market.

[Paulie]

For Rogers outside of the Jets?

[Steve Covino]

Yeah, I think somebody. Somebody would take a look at it. Like I look like. Do I think he is what he was three or four years ago? No. Do I think there's a possibility that you'd be getting a very motivated Aaron Rodgers if the jets wound up dumping him? Yeah, I mean, I can remember talking to Aaron about This in July and August, right? And he said to me, I didn't like. Part of my reasoning for coming back and going through everything that it takes to go through to get to the point where you can play quarterback in the NFL in 2024 was coming off the Achilles, and I didn't want to go out like that. Dan, do you think he wants to go out like this? Like, this is worse than the Achilles, isn't it? Like, if you, like, everybody would understand if you're going. If you're 40 years old, you're going out with the Achilles. Like, everybody understand that. Like, this, this. This is like, going out like, this is worse. So, yeah, I don't think he knows what he's going to do, but I, I don't. I don't know.

[Paulie]

But what would you say? Okay, now I can go out. Like, if you're Rogers, I know, hey, we went nine and eight and we didn't make the playoffs. Now I can go out.

[Steve Covino]

Look, there could be. There's the possibility that he goes through the, the, the. The contemplation of, you know, all this, and he, he comes out of it and says, you know what? I just can't put my body through it again. I don't want to go through what it's going to take the next six months to position myself to play football at 41 years old. That's certainly possible. I think it's also possible that, like, he has a Brett Favre hair across his ass the way that Favre did when the packers let him go. And you could see like a Vikings year for far from. From. From Rogers somewhere else. Like, I don't think that that's impossible, that, you know, like, maybe one last time he wants to come back and put everything into it and say, this is my last year and I'm going to. I'm going to do everything I can to be in position to play, and some team out there looks at it and says, this guy could be a bridge. How would he look in Pittsburgh?

[Paulie]

I don't.

[Steve Covino]

I mean, seriously.

[Paulie]

Okay, how would Mike Tomlin deal with that?

[Steve Covino]

David. But how would he deal with Russell Wilson? He dealt with Russell Wilson, right?

[Paulie]

Yeah. But I don't think Ross is as much a diva as Aaron Rodgers is.

[Steve Covino]

I don't know. I mean, I think people that have coached the two, that have coached those two might disagree.

[Paulie]

Russ got humble. Russ truly got humiliated in Denver.

[Steve Covino]

Right. And I. And I think to some degree, Rogers has been with the jets, too. Like, I. Look, here's the way I Look at it. I think this. There's going to be an environment out there with quarterbacks. Right. I mean, you go to Cleveland too. I look at like, this is like, if you're a team that needs a quarterback right now and you know, you're looking at the draft. Are you. Do you love Shador Sanders? Do you love Cam Ward? Like, I feel like this year's class in the draft is closer to the 22 class, the picket class, than it is to the last year.

[Paulie]

Yeah.

[Steve Covino]

So if you're a team that says like, okay, like we want to get a young quarterback, but we need something to get us by for one year, wouldn't Rodgers appeal to you? Like, just the chance of what it could be with a motivated Rogers is going to come back and show everybody. Like, I, I don't think it's the worst idea in the world. You know what I mean? Like, and, and I will say this for Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh, like, he's shown a remarkable ability to deal with whatever personality comes his way. I mean, we didn't know that Antonio Brown was a problem until like the very end in Pittsburgh. Think about that. You know what I mean? Like, we didn't know who he had in that receiver room. You know, like, at the time he had Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace and. And Emmanuel Sanders. Big personalities. Levy on Bell at running back. Like, I mean, what he is, what he. How he's managed George Pickens over the last few years. I'm not willing him to Pittsburgh, but I'm just telling you, like, I don't think that part of it would be as big a problem for Tomlin as it might be for another coach.

[Paulie]

All right, final 30 seconds. Brock Purdy's yearly contract will start with the number blank.

[Steve Covino]

Four or. I, I think, I think they will find a happy medium. And I think, I think, like, Brock is. Brock's a team guy now. I have heard some stuff that his dad's experience as, as an athlete might affect the way he approaches this a little bit. The Niners are a really smart organization and they're going to be turning the page in a lot of different ways and they're going to have to make some tough decisions on some veteran players like Debo Samuel over the next few months. So I would expect the Niners to take an early swing at getting this done. Remember when they re signed Jimmy Garoppolo? That happened in January. So they were very aggressive with Garoppolo. I don't know if they'll be quite that aggressive with Purdy. But if it's going to get done early, I think it'll get done at something that's a little less than the top of the market.

[Paulie]

Tyree Kill next year will be back with the Dolphins or.

[Steve Covino]

It doesn't sound like it. Right?

[Paulie]

It doesn't sound, sounds like he wants to move on Chiefs. Oh, they bring him back.

[Steve Covino]

I mean, I mean that would be, that would be the classic move. Right. The Chiefs have already started, have already done these things. Like they brought. Oh yeah, like juju Smith Schuster was gone for a while. Kareem Hunt, right. Like, it's like what the Patriots used to do. You remember they, they lost. They traded away a Dion Branch and brought him back. Bill loved that, like, was like, all right, we're going to get all these assets for this player and then three years later he's going to come back home and play for me again. Wouldn't it totally make sense if Tyree Kill wound up back on the Chiefs next year?

[Paulie]

Kareem Hunt, they brought him back. Yep.

[Steve Covino]

Yeah. So I mean, like they've got the sort of program that can absorb it and God, can you imagine, you know, Tyree Kill and Xavier Worthy running downfield for Mahomes next year? I know Hill may not be exactly what he was, you know, even last year, but the idea of bringing him back at a little bit of a discount, I think would probably appeal to some people in the Chiefs organization. And I'd imagine for Hill himself, it might put a nice capstone on his career.

[Paulie]

I know you're busy. Thanks for making time.

[Steve Covino]

You got it. Thanks, dp. I appreciate the flexibility today, too.

[Paulie]

That's Albert Brear, the Monday morning quarterback.

[Dan Patrick]

Be sure to catch the live edition of the Dan Patrick show, weekdays at 9am Eastern, 6am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. In the iHeartRadio app.

[Lowe's Advertisement]

Lowe's knows how to help make your Super Bowl L party a touchdown. Let us help you prep your home to host with top brands like Char Broil, Blackstone and LG so you can be the MVP of game day. Plus, use the Lowes app to find what you need for a seamless shopping run. Or huddle up with our Lowes Redvest associates to help make all your game time hosting decisions.

[Paulie]

Tom Curran, NBC Sports, Boston Insider. Hey, Tom, how are you today?

[Legal Disclaimer]

A little bit like feel a little bit like Casey Kasem here with that long distance dedication that went bad.

[Fritzi]

A dog named Snuggles.

[Paulie]

A reporter named Snuggles.

[Legal Disclaimer]

I hope he finds peace with both his dog.

[Paulie]

You know what? That's gonna. That's gonna fix it right there. Tom, thank you for helping.

[Legal Disclaimer]

Well, you gave neither thoughts nor prayers, which is to be expected. Happy New Year, Dan.

[Paulie]

Hey, Happy New Year.

[Legal Disclaimer]

You let me go. I thought it was January 5th.

[Paulie]

I let you go because I think you're trying to find happiness because of what's going on with the Patriots there.

[Legal Disclaimer]

Yeah. Gerard Mayo was truly safe until December began. And it was such a rapid decline and it was an on all fronts decline. You know, the crafts beginning the season said, we expect to struggle. I hope we don't struggle. We expect we're going to struggle. And they ended up with four wins, which I think if you said on the face of it, okay, it's going to be a tough year, you're going to win four games they wouldn't have bought. But the nature of these last four games, the embarrassing loss coming off a bite, Arizona followed by a decent representative effort against the Bills, followed by what could have been a 50 to nothing loss to the Chargers, really kind of sealed Gerard's fate. And it was also the messaging around those games where the post game press conferences were sometimes disjointed with. You'd come out of them with more questions than you went in.

[Paulie]

Yeah.

[Legal Disclaimer]

So he was strapped to him. He was strapped to a runaway train, I think, with this roster in this team. So they made the move.

[Paulie]

But we just talked to Albert Brear and he brought up something interesting I had not thought of is they put this language in Gerard Mayo's contract. So he was the coach in waiting. And then maybe they realized that he might be the coach in waiting, but he shouldn't be our coach now maybe that the job was a little too big for him. What do you think of that?

[Legal Disclaimer]

Yeah, it was hope against hope. And I think that the Patriots have operated, really. And I've said this, people balk and they say they won the Super bowl in 2017. They have operated with a lack of urgency for the better part of six seasons. And there has been very much a tendency that Bill fostered and oftentimes it worked and then towards the end it didn't. And the crafts have followed suit with. We'll see how it works out. We're going to try this. We'll see how it works out. You know, it happened with, with Brady always moving on. I mean, we're pretty smart here. We'll see how it works out. Didn't work out. He wins super bowl. You know, McDaniels leaves. We're going to elevate these two guys. We're pretty smart people. We know a lot about football. Patricia and Judge will be fine. I'm still here. We'll see how it works out. Didn't work out. And then the crafts. I think in moving on from Bill a year earlier than they wanted to because he had a two year deal, they wanted to continue. They wanted him to set the record here, but it became so untenable with him that they moved on. And I think with Gerard they saw a terrific leader, a smart guy who needed seasoning. He was put into the position before he got the seasoning and the, the tenor of the season was we'll see how it works out. So they need to be more urgent. I really think, Dan, that making a move within an hour of games end when there was so much uncertainty whether or not a move would even be made shows the urgency I think that they're feeling.

[Paulie]

Do you make this move if you don't have that coach in waiting? Granted, you have to go through the process here. But do you think that they made that move knowing who they're going to hire?

[Legal Disclaimer]

I think they made that move knowing who they are going to pursue and feeling safe enough that the interest will be reciprocated that they might be able to move on. You can't just move on and then hire Bobby Slowik. Not that Bobby Slowik isn't a good candidate, but what ties does Bobby Slowik as an offensive coordinator in Houston have to the New England Patriots? The Patriots, it's very important to them to have somebody who has ties. So the most obvious candidate would be Mike Vrabel. Vrabel has always shown great deference to the crafts in terms of what they built here, what this team's all about and he would be the antidote. It was funny, I heard Rex Ryan talking about why he would be a good candidate for the jets today. And in saying so, he said you need somebody to understand that fan base and connect with that fan base. Was taught we're not talking about X's and O's, but that's exactly what Vrabel would do. In a way, I think that that Bill didn't like Brable, excuse me, Mayo was the antithesis of Bill. In some ways they need somebody to split the difference.

[Paulie]

Talking to Tom Kern, NBC Sports Boston Insider Knowing what you know of Tom Brady, there was a report that came out, Andrew Marshon, that Tom's probably going to be one and done, which would not surprise me and maybe get more involved in the Raiders situation. But knowing Brady and how much involvement do you see him with the Raiders and can you see a coaching change here?

[Legal Disclaimer]

Well, that's a good question. I think Antonio Pierce and Gerard have similar styles. I am not close enough to know exactly how the ins and outs are working there. I think if they did make a coaching change, what's germane to me in this love using the word Jermaine, is that it immediately makes me think. When you mentioned Brady, I thought you were going to say, well, they're going to go after variable and I wonder if that would be the case. In the case of variable, I would think that Brady would see him as the best candidate out there. I think the variable is the best candidate out there for a variety of reasons. The main one being experience. Gerard failed in large part because he didn't have podium experience and couldn't anticipate what he was going to deal with. Vrabel is incredibly astute at dealing with that and being one person at the podium, being one person behind the scenes with the media being a certain way with everyone. So would Brady pursue Vrabel if he could get him? Would a bidding war ensue coast to coast for the services of Brable? I think that would be interesting to see. But I still think Vrabel would be more amenable to New England just because he was here for 10 years and understands this area as opposed to going all the way out to San Francisco and not knowing if Aiden O'Connell is his quarterback or Gardner Minshew, whereas Drake May is such a draw here. Yeah.

[Paulie]

But I wonder if the Crafts are.

[Legal Disclaimer]

Kind of doing the same thing.

[Paulie]

Well, they've slowed the progress. Everybody, everybody's a genius. When you got the greatest coach and quarterback of all time, then when you don't, then all of a sudden we're looking for answers here. And I like you have. You have complete trust in the Crafts that they'll figure this out and all of a sudden you guys restore the dignity here.

[Legal Disclaimer]

No, I don't. And I've said that a number of times and I spoke to somebody high up in the organization today and I said it very much reminds me of 1997 when they moved on from parcels. They hired Pete Carroll because he was the antithesis of parcels. And that team went from the super bowl to out of the playoffs in three years and then they brought in a major domo type in Bill Belichick and it went beautifully. The crafts, I think, were out of practice football wise. Bill had taken a hold of everything.

[Paulie]

Yeah.

[Legal Disclaimer]

Said this is my stuff. I do this. This Is my football team. You guys run the organization. It's your franchise, my football team. And people like to think of the crafts as puppet masters. I just don't think that that's true. They ask questions and they register their disappointment if things don't go well. But I don't think they're making football decisions and they don't want to. They need to get somebody at that friggin level, Dan, who's making the football decisions. How do they know if they. Their director of west coast scouting is good or their SEC evaluations are good? They don't. So they need somebody above those personnel, people who can make those decisions, who can look at a wide receivers coach and say, my God, what are you telling these guys? We got three catches from our rookies this year. What are we doing? So they need that? I think so. They're in the wilderness right now. But the notion that they're cheap or don't care about winning, I think is bizarre, given. And that's pretty prevalent around here in New England. I think they care incredibly about winning.

[Paulie]

Well, I didn't want Gerard Mayo to be fired, but if it meant that I could have you back on the show, then he had to pay the price. There's an upside. Yeah, there's an upside to that. So it's.

[Legal Disclaimer]

I noticed Albert was in performing. Huh.

[Paulie]

Well, Fritzi, do you want to answer that with Tom Kern?

[Todd]

Yeah. There was a change of plans at the last minutes. You know, sometimes someone's available at one time and then it's got to shift to another time. There's really no specific rhyme or reasons when everyone's available. It's not a list of top to bottom, who's most important or anything.

[Legal Disclaimer]

No. Sounds. Sounds kind of like what the Patriots went through.

[T-Mobile Advertisement]

We were going to stick with it.

[Legal Disclaimer]

Albert was available.

[Paulie]

You're our Gerard Mayo. Hey, great to talk to you.

[Legal Disclaimer]

All right, Dan.

[Paulie]

Thank you. Thank you, buddy. Thank you, buddy. Or I could ask you about Bill Belichick, by the way. Are you. Are you expecting Bill Belichick to be there for. Wait, why are you shaking your head?

[Legal Disclaimer]

I'm not. I don't.

[Paulie]

Wait.

[Legal Disclaimer]

I don't think he's going to be there very long.

[Paulie]

Where's he going?

[Legal Disclaimer]

I don't think it's going to go great either. It's not going to. It's not going to go the way people think it's going to go. He's not going to wave a magic bellician wand and have everybody. The portal is a real thing. There's no portal in the NFL. Those guys are going to get yelled at one time or told they don't know where they're asked from. Their elbow and they're going to be portal and like maniacs.

[Paulie]

Yeah, but you don't have to, you know, be, you know, stuck with the salary cap or the draft. You know, you can go out.

[Legal Disclaimer]

You do, though.

[Paulie]

No, there's no draft.

[Legal Disclaimer]

Well, they want $20 million for spending on these players. So you have to figure out, how are we going to spend money on these players? Who gets allocated the most money and his.

[Paulie]

That's what Mike Lombardi does for him.

[Legal Disclaimer]

His eyes are going to be rolling.

[Paulie]

Like pinballs when he sees over under one and a half years at North Carolina. Oh, that's a great one.

[Legal Disclaimer]

I would say I would take the over, but if the odds are good enough, I. I would. The smart bet would be over, but I could say under. I mean, he's got an out next June.

[Paulie]

I know.

[Legal Disclaimer]

He's basically announcing if something better comes along. See a Chapel Hill.

[Paulie]

Thank you, Tom.

[Legal Disclaimer]

Thank you.

[T-Mobile Advertisement]

Goodbye.

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