Peter Schrager
Appearances
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
21.4.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
So hard. Planes, trains, and automobiles. I think the NFL has decided that sunny weather and new stadiums get the Super Bowl, and then cold weather, Cleveland, Philly, Detroit, Green Bay, you get the draft. But yes, this will be a different destination than just a direct flight on Delta to Detroit like last year. I forgot to introduce you as ESPN's Peter Schrader. Oh, yeah. The worldwide leader.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
You paved the way for me, and now I'm here. Here we go. What way did I pave? I started reading you back in 2002 at my college dorm on ESPN page two. And I said, someday I want to write for that website. I didn't realize that 23 years later, I'd be on air doing it on ESPN. But I'm here, Bill. Let's go.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I did. I'm about to experience what they call the car wash at the draft. I got my schedule. It's like, so Thursday morning, you're going to do Get Up, then you're going to do SportsCenter, and then you're going to do NFL Live, and then you're going to do, and I'm like, okay, all right, so we'll see how this goes. But I'm an egomaniac. I'm a narcissist.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I like seeing myself on TV, and I'm cool with that.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
No doubt. I'm excited. And it's funny, like, we're sitting in the get-up production meeting, and it's Marcus Morris, and it's Damian Woody, and it's Carlos Boozer, and we're talking about the Knicks. And, you know, I'm a diehard Knicks fan, and I'm just, like, trying to stay quiet because I'm here for NFL draft stuff, and I just... to spill my heart.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I'm like, I just can't watch DiVincenzo hitting threes and Randall Bowie and LeBron and Hartenstein looking like he's an all-world center and I'm looking at Carl Anthony Towns unable to score and Dennis Schroeder all up in everyone's face or Schroeder. It's like, so they let me talk about the Knicks, which was fun. And I'll tell you, man, like...
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
All these ESPN shows, I was biting my tongue last week. It's like, if they don't get past the Celtics and the Cavs, is it a disappointment for the Knicks? I'm like, the Celtics and the Cavs, like I'm petrified of the Pistons. And here we are. And you're going to go to the game tonight or whatever. And you're going to see DiVincenzo and Randall light it up again.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
And the Knicks had zero from Cat and zero from Mikael Bridges when it mattered.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
No doubt. And they didn't look like the better team or the better coach team. And, you know, campaign in the first game scores 14 and is like this huge spark plug off the bench. He gets three fouls early. We don't see him the rest of the night. And they had eight bench points. Eight. And they're all from Deuce McBride. None of them of great significance.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
So as a Knicks fan, I'm sitting here and the series is tied at one, but I'm not exactly full of optimism. But that's what I bring to ESPN. That's what I bring.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I don't think Shador Sanders was ever a top three pick. This is my big treatise on the NFL draft world and the NFL. I really value what Mel Kiper has to say. Daniel Jeremiah is the best in the business. And all of these different pundits on TV, for a good month there after the combine, it was like, well, you've got
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
You know, Cam Ward, you got Abdul Carter, you've got Travis Hunter, you got Shador Sanders. At no point in this process was anyone telling me that Shador Sanders was a top five pick or a top 10 pick. And then even when the Saints, like nebulous Derek Carr injury, which I roll my eyes about, I don't know what's the story there, but Derek Carr is now-
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I can't say anything publicly because then it comes out, but that one came out of nowhere. I don't think the Saints saw that one coming. Derek Carr's shoulder, and everyone's just like, ooh, Saints aren't going to take him. Guys, I think everyone's mistaking what we want Shador Sanders to be into what the NFL evaluators see him as. So here's my take on Shador.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
If he goes three to the Giants, this is one of those cases where They did all the work. They feel comfortable with him. And it's like, if we like him at 15 or we like him at 20 in this year's draft, who cares? If it's not one of the blue chip guys, take him at three. We've got our quarterback. We took him at three. We're good.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Blake Bortles to Jacksonville. I remember that pick also. He went third overall. And everyone's like, they took Blake Bortles third. And it was a big surprise. If we like him as a quarterback in the first round and we have the third pick, like we're not going to get cute here. So that's it with Shador. And we're recording this on Wednesday.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I can tell you there is a, there is a, sorry, what is today? Today's Tuesday. There is a meeting that's going to happen on Wednesday between John Mara and all of the brain trust from the giants. And they're going to go through their draft board and they've talked, of course, it's been fluid throughout, but like, this is one of those where does the owner step in and say, guys,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I am not going through another draft year where we don't get a quarterback. If we like Shador, I'm okay with you taking him at three. I don't see it happening right now. I see a far more likely scenario being the Giants take Abdul Carter at three, and then they trade back into the first round and get either Jackson Dart or Shador Sanders. But...
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Just to empty the bag a little bit on this whole thing, the Giants have been to multiple Shador Sanders games. I know Joe Shane himself was at a practice earlier this year. They sent 13 people to the pro day. He came to New Jersey. They not only did a visit with him, they then took him out to dinner in Jersey. And then last week, they went back out there
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
for a private workout, which I'm told went well. And Pat Shermer is his offensive coordinator and he's got great relationships with Dable and Shane. So you've got like, if you don't want to look at the Dion side of it, there's also another voice in there. That said... Joe Shane's daughter goes to Ole Miss. He's been around that program a whole bunch.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Joe Judge, former head coach of the Giants, also works for Ole Miss football right now. So there are people in the organization who are still employed by the Giants who can get the full story on Jackson Dart from Joe Judge, who still talks to those guys. Charlie Weiss's kid calls the plays. Brian Dable and Charlie Weiss, thick as thieves, have a long relationship.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
So as much as we want to say, like, well, they put all this time into Shador, They know Jackson Dart also. So I am not convinced that Shador is this quarterback the Giants are certainly being linked to. I think Jackson Dart could easily be that guy as well.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
The word is a giant delta on what Sanders' draft stock could be. And three is where it begins. And I will not close the door on the Giants at three because of exactly what you're saying. There's different agendas going on. There also might be different evaluations and there's different philosophies on, hey, if we draft Abdul Carter and he gets seven sacks, And we're 5-12.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
That doesn't help any of us. And it doesn't necessarily do anything to strengthen the team far greater than what they have, which is Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence and Kayvon Thibodeau. They have defensive line. So it's not like this is some pressing need. That would just be, hey, he could be Micah Parsons. Or hey, he could be Lawrence Taylor. That's why you take him up at three.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
But Myles Garrett might be the best pass rusher in the sport. There's been a lot of turnover in Cleveland since they took Myles Garrett. You get a quarterback and suddenly you say, okay, well, Dable's a quarterback guy. You know, we've got to pay some time here to see this quarterback develop a little bit. That's why we have Russ.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
And then you kind of give yourself a little breathing room and say, well, there's obviously signs of development. I would also add with the Shador thing, he could go three there. He could still be on the board at 34. So to me, this is one of those where, and I've said it and people get caught up in the comparison, but
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Not since Johnny Menzel have we had a prospect where I walked into draft night and said, this guy can go first overall or this guy doesn't even belong in the first round because of so many differing opinions. And my last point on, you know.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Yeah, and what's amazing about the Lamar one is that people forget the Ravens took Hayden Hurst at 22. So it's not like he was, they took a tight end. And then they traded back and Lamar says, I'm going to get you guys a Super Bowl ring. And it's like, all right, well, sure enough, he's everything you'd want and more. But people forget that 30 teams passed on him, including the Baltimore Ravens.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
the Dion thing is interesting. So, Shador Sanders has never played for a coach other than his dad.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
In high school and in college. Red flag? What's up? Is that a red flag or is that just weird?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
And then it's, well, he didn't do that. He just played for his father and that's fine. Um, The other side of it is like Deion's shadow might be large, but like if you're a coach and you're that insecure, then you probably have your own issues.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Mike Tomlin is the reason I would think Pittsburgh makes sense because Mike Tomlin's not going to be nervous of like Deion Sanders talking in the media locally about his son. That said, you go to a weaker coaching staff in a weaker market and they're one in seven and Shador's still not on the field, right? Dion might have something to say.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Not at 11, but you're telling me Shador's still on the board at 30, 31, 32. And we've got Brock Purdy talking about where he wants and what he wants. The San Francisco, you know, pull the plug and just say, screw it. We'll take two young quarterbacks. We'll see.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
And then Seattle, who gave Sam Darnold a three-year deal, but there's a lot of ways out of that three-year deal after the first year or second year. And if Seattle was to look at things and say, we like Shador, and let's just give ourselves some security here behind him. That would be two teams that I think that no one's talking about. That could be a possibility.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
The San Francisco one would be a giant leverage play just to press it to Purdy and put him in a corner because those contract talks are going on right now. And I don't think they'd ever waste a first-round pick to just make a point. I think Purdy is the guy they want. But you talk about him slipping, who knows?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
You know, Deion... has a lot of people that he's done work with and works with in the media. So I think there's been a little bit of like this sensitivity of, of being negative on Shador. And I don't know if it's, if it's helped Shador in the long run, because now if Shador doesn't go in the first 20 picks, it's this great slide. And it's like, but yeah, Deion worked for CBS.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Deion worked for NFL Network for many years. Deion has obviously great relationships with Fox. He's got a show on Tubi. He's got a documentary on Amazon. We all love Deion, who worked in the media at any spot with him. I worked with Deion at NFL Network. He's amazing. He's a great, great dude. I think this whole lead up to the draft, the people who have been talking about the draft are careful.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I don't know if that's done him any favors if there is a slide in the draft.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
And, you know, for Todd to do that, that's him going out on a limb. I think some other people have been out there saying, I don't see him as this guy- But it's a lot safer just to say, ah, yeah, we like Shador. But when the rubber hits the road, who's going to be there answering the questions as to why is he slipping out?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I would also add this with the Shador thing. So obviously, all eyes have been on him. Huge spotlight. They had reality shows at Amazon. Dion has the famous video of him with the amazing draft day look at Andrew Kramer in his living room. I don't know what the plans are to cover Shador during draft day, but like...
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
If there's 10 cameras in his living room and we've got wall-to-wall coverage of him, that tells me they know something. And if there isn't that, that tells me that this thing is still very undetermined. So I would almost approach the day of the draft and see, okay, well, let's see how much access we have to the Sanders family.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Now, all that could be moot and they're doing their own documentary and maybe they're filming something that we don't even know about. They've already sold the rights to Fubo or to Netflix or whoever. Yeah. But these guys have never shied away from the spotlight, and I'd be curious to see how much spotlight and attention that they're getting or they're asking for on the day of the draft.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
They've got one of the better young defensive lines in football. You could argue Dexter Lawrence is the best defensive tackle in the sport. And then Thibodeau is entering his fifth year. So obviously he's got a contract situation that's looming.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Yeah, he got a new extension from the Eagles. It finally got made whole.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Yeah, McCaffrey and Saquon both are like 16, 17 right now.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Well, they're not thinking about the second- They're not thinking about the second contract. They're thinking about the first one. And if you get a guy who can get you 10 sacks to 15 sacks in the first round and you're paying him rookie numbers for the first four years, well, then you're getting the biggest bang for your buck.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
And here's the, everyone I've spoken to is obsessed with Gentry. Right. Teams. Like, it is a home run. This is, there is no holes in his game. The,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Yeah, and he's so small to the ground. His way he runs, he does the upright, and then he goes low. You cannot bring him down. And what he did in the college level, there's a lot of stuff about him that you'll want to run through a wall for. The fact that he was offered crazy money at NIL going into his last year, and he's like, no, I've got a job to do at Boise. I'm staying at... That stuff...
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
It goes a long way in today's day and age of NIL when these coaches and GMs are talking to players who've been to four colleges each to take the more dollar sign each time. Right.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
You had to finish it out.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
That's it. It's planting roots. Here's where the pushback is. Last year, there were all these running backs in the draft. Do you know who the leading rusher of all the rookie running backs was? It was Bucky Irving, who was a fourth-round pick.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
The second leading rusher of all the rookies was Tyrone Tracy for the Giants, who quietly put together a 1,000-yard season while everyone was crying about Saquon leaving. He did basically what Saquon did the year before in that Giants offense. Yeah. Yeah. So the opportunity cost of missing out and the gap of, okay, well, you know, we get Jenty, he could be amazing.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
And Jameer Gibbs was behind the best offensive line in football. And in a lot of ways, Saquon last year took this giant leap, not because, yes, Saquon's amazing, but he also was behind that Jeff Statlin offensive line and it was a perfect fit. If your team has a ton of holes and your offensive line isn't great, taking a running back when, oh, I don't know, a left tackle or a pass rusher.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
However, Bill, this draft, there's three great players in this draft. And I will say that. There are three great players. It's Carter, it's Hunter, and it's Jenty. So if there ever was a year where you take a guy in the top five at running back and
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
If you're Jacksonville, close your eyes, you take Jenty, you put him in there, you have your running back, and then you deal with everything and you know you have that guy because at five, Mason Graham or Ted McMillan, those are questions. Jenty is a sure thing. This guy is awesome. So this is the year for a top five running back because of the rest of that class up top.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Look, who'd the Raiders take at seven that year?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
So you pass on Jalen Carter for Tyree Wilson. However, Bill, if you put Jalen Carter in Vegas, is it the same situation? I don't know.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I don't either. I look at New Orleans at nine. Kamara's in the last year of his deal. And, you know, Kellen Moore, new coach. That's a tough beat for New Orleans, though, who has 40 holes. Yeah, no, I know. But what's your identity going to be? Your first... pick of the new coach. Like, what are you going to be? If Jenty's there, I like that. I mean, I like it. I like it at six, obviously.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I think there's a little too much about the Raiders that tells me if they're talking about Jenty so much, usually. It's a little smoky. But to me, five, Jacksonville. James Gladstone, interesting guy. 34-year-old new GM from the Rams and Liam Cohen. Schefter had it in his column on Sunday and I've heard the same thing. They're going offense. What's our identity going to be?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Now, if you're James Gladstone coming from the Rams where character was everything when they did their board and they had a whole philosophy and I've been in the room with Les and with McVay and it's like, what do we stand for? Ted McMillan Great player, great kid. The questions are, does he love football? Is his heart in this? He took plays off.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Is that going to be your first pick as a GM of a team? This is what we stand for. This is my rep, Ted McMillan. This is my guy. I don't know. Ashton Gentry, you can look at everyone in that room and say, this is what we're about. This kid right here, this is what we stand for. And this is what Jaguars football is going to be. So I think he could go as high as five.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
First guy in the locker room every morning. Last guy to leave. Warrior. I don't know why we haven't heard more about the Patriots taking him. To me, their team has been lacking offensive firepower, and if Campbell's not Orlando Pace or Jonathan Ogden, then why is he such a slam dunk? So to me, it's not my pick.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Elliott Wolfe and Mike Vrabel will make it, and I hear that there's a lot of love for Campbell in that building, and great. Abdul Carter would be a wonderful selection at four as well, but for whatever reason, Jenty's been crossed off the list from Patriots, but then the Jaguars, it's like, yep, that works for us.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I'll give Van credit. He was big on Brian Thomas last year.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Because I didn't see Nas Reed being this out of LSU. And Nas Reed doesn't miss a shot.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Dude, he's done it at pro days.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Yeah, because I was like, there's no way.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
He'll do wrestling moves with the player and get him in all these weird positions to see how he reacts.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Is it a great failure and a great disappointment if a year in you're like, he's a good left tackle, But gosh, he's an amazing left guard. And do we move him inside? And do we put someone else on tackle?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
No, no, no. He's great.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
And Bill, last year, Malik Neighbors was a blue chipper. Joe Ault was a blue chipper. This year, I hate to be so dismissive, and I think it actually adds to the intrigue of the draft.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
You can't make Will Campbell into a blue chipper. You just can't. So he's looked at as that.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Armand Membu, no one had ever heard of. And that's dismissive. I shouldn't say it that way.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
He was definitely coming on strong. And then the combine was an absolute revelation. So if you're talking about arm length and that stuff and Campbell, maybe... Membu's a tackle. He's a pure tackle. And he has huge upside. I would always take the pedigree of the blue chipper who's done it, but I'm the same guy who would have taken Mac Jones over Trey Lance. I like knowing what I'm getting.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
And you look at some of these teams, like the Chargers last year, their first four picks were out of Notre Dame, you know, Michigan, Alabama, USC, like that's what they do. Membu comes out of Missouri, doesn't have the same pedigree, doesn't have the same sort of resume, but is this physical freak. Where do you stand on Membu versus Campbell, who you know what you're getting with Will Campbell.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
It's solid. It's a guy as solid as a rock, but he might not ever end up being, like I said, an Orlando Pace or a Trent Williams or a Jonathan Ogden type.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I do know this. I do know this. The Patriots have been doing work on Membu and this is this week. They've made some calls and they've been asking around.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
That's really interesting. And the Washington approach, which was Adam Peters, who has a history with New England, was exactly what you said. Let's get a veteran for every position group. And that was Zach Ertz and Austin Eckler and Marcus Mariota and Frankie Lou Vu and Zach Ertz. You go through all these guys that were not hot.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
And then they took a guy like Mike Sanestrell in the draft who everyone was like, well, he's a nickel. He's not really worthy of having. And then he was an all-world rookie for the commanders out of the gate. I'd push back on the Patriots thing. At the end of Belichick's stay, it was like Kyle Duggar from Lenore Rhine.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I'm curious about the Patriots. I do think, my report today is real. Cleveland is getting calls. Does Cleveland just say, you know what, we're not a Travis Hunter away from being relevant?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
And the Giants are a little more complicated. They have no chance to win a Super Bowl for three years. No doubt. No doubt. So don't be shocked if Cleveland on Thursday were on the clock. Well, Cleveland's traded. And then some aggressive team that is a couple steps away made the move. And because it's such a... kind of depleted draft.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
And because it's not a quarterback, it won't be the same bounty of picks that you usually get to move up to number two.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
The Panthers move up for Abdul Carter? No.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I look at the Niners window, right? Now, they've done this before.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I'm just throwing out teams that are a playoff team that didn't have what they thought they should be.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
You're on it, dude. It's Travis Hunter. It's Abuka out of Ohio State. It's Jenty. And you hear about Jalen Walker. These are amazing kids. Then Carter comes up and it's, Guy can play and he was tough. So I think there's some stuff about, you know, is this the all world guy? But I'll tell you what, Charles Haley wasn't the all world guy and he won five championships.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
And at that position, it is what it is. You're not going to be a team guy. You're just trying to get the quarterback. That's it. The Giants passed on Micah Parsons a few years ago. They traded back. and they ended up getting Kadarius Toney, and they got an additional pick the following year.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
It's an all-timer, and it's really the original sin of this generation of the Giants, that and the Daniel Jones contract extension. If they were to pass on a guy who legitimately, not because they were the same number, not because they went to the same college, is compared to Micah Parsons, the way they used him at Penn State, the way he went into his coaching career,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
office, um, you know, that final year. And he looked at James Franklin and said, I don't want to just be this, make me a guy who plays off the ball. Let me do all these things. And then did it at a higher level than Parsons in college. Like it would be an incredible, incredible mistake made twice, at least in my eyes. I don't think you pass on them.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Even if you have all these different pass rushers already that said, um, There is the injury stuff. Didn't compete at the combine, didn't do it the pro day. So if you want to make that a red flag, fine. And then off the field, it's not like, you know, this guy is necessarily marrying your daughter. That's what they say. Now, none of that is criminal.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
None of that is this, but that's just the word around the street is that he's not the same type of, wow, you want to wrap your arms around him and give him a big old hug like Travis Hunter. It makes me like him more.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
That's my pass rusher. I don't need him to be trading jerseys after the game. I'm good.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
You know, we still don't know. The truth is I'll let you know when we do, but we're leaning towards Carter, but the door is still open. What do you got?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
So this is what the Niners and Bears did a few years ago. I'm still playing Joe Shane, just giving a history lesson. For Trubisky, they said, okay, we'll move up one spot. We'll move back. We'll take Solomon Thomas, get a little extra.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Wasn't that much. I believe it was a second round pick and the Niners were doing flips.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Mike, Mike, what happens if we do this? I will flip spots with you, but I need next year's first. What would you say?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Okay. We've got, I think the hundred fourth pick is that, so you're saying the, I give you the third and the hundred fourth and I get next year's first, next year's second and a fourth this year.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I need another pick.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I got to hang up and go scream at Drew Locke for throwing for 200 yards against the Colts in week 16.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Buffalo didn't play. That was crazy, that Buffalo game. That was nuts.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Somehow that tanked us.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Guy's name is Gray Zabel. Has that name come across your board at all? I haven't done a lot of Gray Zabel work. What is that? Offensive guard at a North Dakota state. In the last 72 hours, I've gotten multiple calls from teams looking at my mock drafts. Here's how I do it. I talk to people, I put together a mock draft, and I send it to all the teams. I'm like, what am I missing? Who am I missing?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
What are you hearing? And a lot of teams will tell me, we actually like this guy more than this guy. So just put him there if you want. I'll throw you a favor, throw you a bone on that. Or where's this player? And unanimously, I'm getting, where is Gray Zabel in your top 20? In the top 20?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Watch for Gray Zabel out of North Dakota State to suddenly be one of these guys who goes like 15, 17, 18, 19, even if it's early 20s. a player who at the senior bowl played well, and then you didn't hear from him again. And he's an offensive guard, but he's looked at as like one of these maulers and in a draft full of just meh. He is one of these guys that they think the sky could be the limit.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
So that is my wild card.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I'm looking at my phone already. I sent to Howie Roseman this morning, Adam Peters this morning with Washington, John Spytek at the Raiders, and some of them won't respond. Or someone will say, we actually like Memboo more than this guy. Or they'll say, hey, why do you have Will Johnson from Michigan going in the mid-20s as opposed to top 15? What are you hearing?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
And then in exchange, it's, hey, you're missing Gray Zabel. Or what about the Oregon tackle?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Let me give you the Ted McMillan stuff because I was early in on Ted saying he's going to be top five. And then I've walked it back a little bit.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
The good is so good. This guy's film, you picked 10 plays from Ted McMillan. He looks like Calvin Johnson. Danny Kelly has him fourth. Dude, he's amazing. He takes plays off. His motor isn't always going. And in this past season, it was a significant difference in his consistency than the year before. Now, the year before, Arizona was coached by Jed Fish. They had an offense that was humming.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
They were a top 10 team at one point, and this guy was engaged. Last year, they took a dip. They had a new coaching staff. It wasn't as good. That said... Six foot four. Yeah, I get it. Fast, dominant hands, and teams that met with him. Physical. He's a different cat.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
No, he's from Hawaii, and he comes in, and something that rubbed people wrong was like, I'm a volleyball player first, football player second, something of that. I love volleyball. Now, football guys see that, and they bang their head through glass, and they're like, A coach who's more evolved says, all right, he's got volleyball skills and we will coach him up and we will get the most out of him.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Now, the ceiling is Mike Evans.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
He's got the same body type and a better college career than Mike Evans had. So you're looking at that. And in a wide receiver draft... That is putrid. Putrid. I mean, last year we had neighbors, Adunze, Harrison.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Might not have. But McMillan, what I like, though, is that the evolved coaches who I've spoken to, they didn't just shut it down. It's not that he doesn't love football. It's that this kid is different and he's got other interests. But gosh, when he's on the football field, he turns it on. So...
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I don't know if it could be your first pick as a GM or your first pick as a head coach, but if you're secure in your spot and you're looking at this draft and it's a bunch of mid, this guy is the sky's the limit prospect as far as skill position goes.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I have him going currently 19 to Tampa, which is crazy because a week ago I had him going either four or five.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I think the Bears are interesting because they lead to the Niners. The Bears at 10, like if Colston Loveland is sitting there, the tight end. A riser. That's really interesting for the Bears. You add another weapon to them. I could see the Bears take an offensive line, going with the big kid out of the Alabama, the Booker, or Kelvin. I'm losing his name. Texas, the offensive towel. Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
The Niners... Their defense was atrocious last year. And that's been a long... And they just lost a bunch of dudes. They did. And that's long been their pride of their team up front. So, you know, you look at the big kid, Mikkel Williams out of Georgia, that's a possibility there.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Or you look at defensive back and there's, you know, Hunter, but then this kid Barron out of Texas who won all the awards is a superb talent too. And is it like... to your point, the economics of it, if we get a number one corner and he's sitting there at 11, we could put that pick in and we're good and we're building.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Or are you trying to swing the bat and try to do something major and move up and get one of these star players and try to stay in the conversation for the NFC?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
He's a three technique player. He's got an incredible motor. Everyone likes him, but his body type is not, you're not going to sit in a room with Mason Graham and think he's Aaron Donald. So there's questions like, what's the, what's the sky's the limit with this guy? Or have we seen the best of him?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Can I give you a good Salah note?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Oh, Salah. Salah's the new defensive coordinator of the Niners. I have to share this with you. I don't think anyone's reported this and I don't think you and Salah discussed it. Salah and his wife had another kid this offseason.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Eight kids. This is it. Eight kids quietly in the offseason. Salah, another kid.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Or trade back classic, less need trade back. Like let's just collect.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Perfect spot. Um, if there's a player that can help them out, I mean, I would, I last year I came on your podcast. I'm like, There's no way McVay with his first first-round pick isn't taking offense. And then he took Jared Verse, and I looked like an idiot. But the truth of the matter is they wanted Brock Bowers, and they were looking to get trade up.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
If a Loveland was to drop to them, if a Buka was to drop to them, I think they would consider it. But I don't think the Rams are looking to stay put at 26 unless there's a player that falls precipitously to them.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
By the way, Bill, I would say Seattle is more likely in the NFC West quarterback team to trade back into the first round or early second than the Rams.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
That's the thing. I mean, he played hard at the end there, but if you watched that Monday night game, Raiders versus Falcons, when Kirk Cousins could not throw a football, his shoulder was messed up. We learned about it afterwards, but like, He probably was on the field for two extra weeks that Atlanta should have had him on. They lost those games and it cost them in the end.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I thought Cleveland, and then they signed Joe Flacco. So cross Cleveland off. I thought the Giants were a fuss, right?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
who's been there. And I know the connection there was Stefanski and Cousins have a great relationship, but that's such a big price tag. And then you're kind of setting yourself back as a franchise. With Flacco, you get the one year and you see, and then you go from there. I haven't done the work on Pittsburgh. I'll be honest with you. I'm trying to think of the different connections.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Have Arthur Smith worked with Cousins? No, they didn't overlap in Atlanta. To me, it's such a shocker to me that they put themselves in this corner with Rodgers, of all the franchises, with the place that they're at. They look more done than cousins. But also just with the veterans in the locker room, like Cam Hayward and TJ Watt and Minka Fitzpatrick and guys that are like,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
known made men and were sitting around waiting for Aaron Rodgers. It's a shock. And I got to think that if they were to do this all over again, they didn't put up much of a fight to bring back Justin Fields. The Jets got him for two years, 20 million a piece, whatever. And then they did not put up any fight to get Russell Wilson back.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Cousins would be one of those deals where like, gosh, this all... went awry, and I guess we'll get Cousins with a shrug, but... Well, you're getting a better locker room fit than Rodgers.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
No doubt, but can he still play? And the price tag's going to be big. I mean, I think Atlanta's going to pick up most of it, but
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I'll tell you this from the Giants' side. To Rodgers' credit, and you can say, screw that, he looked at these teams and said, guys... I'm on my own timeline. If you need to pivot and make a move, there is no hard feelings. I am telling you straight up. I do not know when and if I'm coming back. And that is on you to do it. And Giants heard that.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
Giants waited a couple of weeks and they were like, all right, we got to act. And they did it. And they got Russell Wilson and Jameis. Steelers were like, all right.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I'm sorry. There was no interest in redoing. I had no interest in reliving the saint, you guys.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
It was it. It was it.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I couldn't be on Good Morning Football another day. I'd given it my all. So I'm on to another lover.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I could have done every word of blue chips. You did blue chips already. I could have done that one.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I would love that. And if it's Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme, count me out, but we can find a different niche for me. I know Kyle has his real house.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
What's your movie niche? I'm an art house theater guy. If you want to do Snyder House rules.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
It's crazy. They put me in a room and just made me watch Lakers, Cowboys, Yankee highlights. It was nuts.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
This is all you're allowed to talk about. This is it.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
I appreciate you. You are, as you know, a huge sounding board. And I'll tell you this, as long as the years I was on Fox and as long as I was on Good Morning Football, all anyone is asking me is, are you still allowed to come on Simmons' podcast? Oh, that's nice. Hopefully I can.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Ageless LeBron, Kawhi’s Crazy Career and NFL Draft Burning Questions With Zach Lowe and Peter Schrager
If you're in New York for any of these Knicks games, we have to get together and go to... 100%.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Totally.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And look, if you're the Titans and you can maybe trade back and still get Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter at three or at five or at two, that's fine. But you still don't have a quarterback. So to me, the Titans, and I've done a lot of work and talked to everybody this week, everyone assumes they're going to go Carter one or Hunter one, or they're going to let someone trade up.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
No, I wouldn't dismiss Cam Ward at one. Get us the quarterback, and then we can figure it out and get a bridge quarterback if we need. And by bridge quarterback, I'm not talking Sam Darnold. I'm talking like a Jared Stidham or a Taylor Heineke or like one of those guys. Because last year,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Talking to... No, but those are the guys that start off like a Jacoby Bursette last year or a Marcus Mariota in the room. I know, but if you're thinking... This is the Raiders last year, right? Well, Minshew, he'll be a stopgap.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Sure. And then he's just awful.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
But if you get Cam Ward, you're good. And you've got your guy. So... And I talked to Cliff and Adam Peters a bunch, and it's like the underrated guy in this whole process for Jaden Daniels was having Mariota there because he had a veteran to learn from. So that's almost as key as drafting the right quarterback is getting the right room.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And last year, Caleb had Tyson Bajent and a couple undrafted guys and a bunch of second, third options as quarterback coaches.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And look at what Drake Mays got this year. You now add in Josh McDaniels. You add in Todd Downing. You suddenly have like a real staff around him and guys that have been there and done that. And of course, Vrabel is an upgraded head coach as well.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Absolutely. And Cleveland, very interested in quarterbacks. And you look at the free agent crop right now. I don't have a team for Sam Darnold that's given him $40 million. I think Sam Darnold, who had arguably the best 17 weeks of his life, had maybe the most disastrous and financially prohibitive eight days any quarterback's ever had in NFL history.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Eight days. It was that Sunday night.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
It really is like White Lotus.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yes. He was like Isaac's... Yeah, exactly. Saxon, what a name. So you've got the Sunday night against the Lions. Then you have an even worse disastrous performance against the Rams eight days later in Arizona. And it went from being potentially lying around the block of teams to like this week at the Combine, not a lot of Darnold love. So... Can't go back to the Jets.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Doesn't sound like the Giants. I don't think the Raiders are doing flips over Sam Darnold. The Steelers seem to be pretty happy and going for Justin Fields is what the latest I've heard. So now the teams are rather limited. Are the Browns going to break the bank after already paying Deshaun and now pay for Sam Darnold? I don't know. So Darnold's number one on that list.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And then it's like very quickly gets to Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson. And, and I said, Jared Stidham, like those are the names. And it's not exactly previous years where there's this long list of, well, Baker Mayfield might be a possibility, or we could do like, you might be looking at for the Browns, like, all right, it's Daniel Jones, Carson Wentz, or we draft someone at two.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And when you're at that point, you're like, that's chilling. Let's draft someone at two.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And I'm with you. And I also think Giants beat the Colts in a non-insignificant week 16 game. And Malik Davis had about 200 yards and it cost the Giants the top two picks.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Maybe he's a free agent himself. So it's, it's, I think it's a very good possibility that despite the fact that this draft class at quarterback is nowhere near last year's like those one, two, three picks last year, Those guys have been talking about for 12 months and it was no brainer. They're going one, two, three.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And it was like, if you can get in the top three, you're getting a franchise quarterback. Now, Bo Nix was not viewed this way. Michael Penix wasn't seen as a top 10. And McCarthy was like this wild card, which still is a wild card.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
This year, Cam Ward's got huge upside, but despite the great years he's had at Washington State and Miami, he's not viewed in that same category as those top three guys. And then it's a giant drop-off from what I gather. And then just due to his prospects, not necessarily how they turn out, Shador, Jackson Dart, and then a bunch of unknowns.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah, I've got I think I think Shador is viewed closer to Jackson Dart than Shador is viewed.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Absolutely. And you're talking about leverage that Deanna, I don't I don't know if they have leverage unless they've got an agreement from a team that's like, hey, no matter what, we're taking them. Don't worry. You guys can like he I don't. Can I zag?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Don't relate to that shit. He's not a diva. This guy chose to go to Jackson State. Right. Also, I tweeted this yesterday, and I'm sure it was the tweet that signed off a million... No, no one cared. I tweeted this yesterday that... The one thing a GM told me, don't sleep on Shador with this, is he is tough as shit. Got the shit kicked out of him the last few years and got up every single time.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And they love that. Leader of men. Tough. Yeah, you don't love the fact that he's been beaten around a bunch, but you do love the fact that he didn't cry about it, didn't whine about it, got up. He was behind an inferior offensive line. on a team that was really just like slapped together in the last couple of years.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And they put together some wins early, but this was not the same level of talent that necessarily a Jackson dart had an old miss or a Quinn Ewers had at Texas. This was the Shador and his point at the combine and it rubbed people wrong the way he was had some bravado at it. is that he changes places when he gets there.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
So Jackson State obviously went from this HBCU that had no resources to suddenly being a national name. And then he goes to Colorado and we had one week where big noon kickoff from Fox and game day were there a week to vying for real estate in Boulder. It happens.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And the Dion thing is real, but there's also a lot of positives to that in that he's the son of one of the greatest football players ever. And he's seen how to handle yourself as a pro and he's seen how the business works. And Shador has never wavered in that he is a leader and those guys do respect him.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah. I mean, the Colorado years, but also in Jackson state, they really put a lot of resources into marketing that thing. And like the fact that he decided to go there and they brought Hunter there, that was a major story for a lot of reasons.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
It was a real thing. And Troy Aikman would show up at games and they had like, it became a thing. I think last year might've changed the narrative a little bit. Bo Nix played 61 games in college. He was older than every other prospect in that draft. He shows up and he was immediately dismissed by a lot of teams because well, we've seen Bo Nix, like there's no upside.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And Sean Payton, who, you know, I'm going to always talk about if I get an opportunity, it was like, I like the fact he's played 61 games and did it in the SEC and then played at the senior bowl and then was in, you know, major college games. Like I liked that fact. So this year, You've got this guy, Tyler Shuck, who's not being discussed at all. Watch. He will be rising off draft boards.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
He was out of Louisville, but was at Texas Tech before that and somewhere else before that. He's played a ton of college football. He's 25 years old. And in the past, he'd be like, we don't want that. Shuck's stock is rising because of all the experience he's had.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Brock Purdy, same thing. He played all those years at Iowa State. We like that because... you know, Cam Ward, we know he went from Washington state to Miami. He started out incarnate word. That was his first school zero offers anywhere, but he changed that program, went to Washington state and on a bad Washington state team competed with all of the PAC 12 heavies and did well.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And then goes over to Miami and breaks every school record and ends up with the most touchdowns ever thrown in college football. And it's like, that's, that's a, that's a, that's a resume. That is a, that is life lessons. That is, that is, that is adversity. That is different offenses.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah, that's what that would be. If that's his number and the Raiders aren't in, that's Brady saying, I don't give my vote of approval on this. Look, now that we're two months removed, and I think this might have been the case, and I'm making excuses for them. I think that Sunday night game with so much buildup and so much on the line for the Vikings and the Lions killed both those teams.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
was a super bowl they destroyed each other they got they were all they knew what was at stake you had a home field during the playoffs the number one seed was in the balance as well and like it was the most significant football game in the regular season this league has ever seen for both teams and they both just destroyed each other put everything into it that they were both completely flat the next time we saw them and the lions of course they lose on the saturday uh that follows but then the vikings lost the monday that preceded that so
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Darnold, those eight days and everyone I speak to who's negative on Darnold is like, well, that's what you hoped you never saw again, that he erased it. But like, there it was.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
I don't have much on the Coyotes. Were they no good? Was Shane Doe not good enough? I don't know.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
That's an interesting take. Is there the argument against that? Jerry West is the greatest evaluator the NBA has ever seen.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
fascinated by the Raiders setup and John Spitek is the new GM. He was in Tampa for years and before that Denver and is really a good evaluator. And I interviewed him at the combine on camera for NFL network. And I said, all right, you got a lot of voices now because it's not just Brady. Pete Carroll is going to have opinions. Chip Kelly's the offensive coordinator.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And then you've got, you know, all these different voices that are now new ownership group. You've got, you know, the Melman people. It's like, okay, now we've got all this, and whoever this quarterback is going to be, is going to be their first big, like unveiling of like, here's, here's our group decision. That's a lot of pressure on that quarterback.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
I don't think they're just going to go with a Minshew O'Connell thing. I think they're going to try to find somebody.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And I would go through Brady's relationships with some of these guys. What's his relationship with Rodgers? They've known each other 20 years. They've been competitive. What's his relationship with Russell Wilson?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
They've played in a Super Bowl together. Is Russell Wilson going to be the quarterback of the Vegas Raiders? Gino Smith? Do you trade for Gino, who has a great relationship with Pete Carroll?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
That's why this is fun. It's such a weird class of quarterbacks because you have these potential Hall of Famers and Hall of Famers at the last stage of their career. I mean, Cousins, we don't even know if he can move anymore, but he's going to be available if someone wants to trade for him.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah. Russell Wilson.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Don't laugh. Amy Poehler might have a pod right next to Russell Wilson's. If we keep on going down, this is it. Who knows? No joke though. Like this is the last stop on the tour. And then you'd hope that you have a young guy that can come in as well. And then there's like this middle tier. I keep on saying Stidham's name.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
I think Jared Stidham is going to make a ton of more money than anyone expects because he's this like 28 year old guy who's been in multiple systems. And when he plays, he plays well.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
This is it. Patriots fans.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
He won't make more than Sam Darnold, but he will be a coveted free agent more than you would imagine because of the dearth of quarterbacks available and how important the position is.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
I mean, Joe Milton went, what round was he last year? Fourth, fifth, sixth? Joe Milton could go for a fifth or fourth round pick.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Well, the Browns is bleak because their star player also is demanding a trade and they don't plan on trading them. So you add on just, you know, terrible results and a question at quarterback, and then you have the star player being unhappy. So that's the Browns.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah, but they were in the playoffs two years ago and they do have young talent. So it's like, there's always this like, you know, hope springs eternal. We get the right quarterback.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
They're like Schrags. They're in on the Browns. Yeah, Schrags. I'm in on all 32, as you know. I think the Jets situation is pretty bleak right now in that they feel like they got the right coach and they feel like they got the right GM, but
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
you've got a bunch of young players who are up for giant contract extensions in the next couple of years, and you do not have a quarterback and you went down this road with Rogers. And now it's like, we're sort of a good team with names on the roster, but we have nothing to show for it. And we have a complete X factor at quarterback.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And we're just out of the top five to actually draft one that we could just pick. We'd have to move and be, and be able to do that. So to me, I think the jets will be in on Justin Fields and, I don't know if Justin Fields would leave Pittsburgh to go to the Jets. Now, money talks.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
But even if you get Justin Fields and you like Justin Fields and you think you've seen things from Justin Fields, if you're a Jets fan, are you doing flips over? Okay, we're now ready to take on Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow with Justin Fields.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And Drake May, sorry.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
There is, but there's moves. You've got to pay Sauce and Garrett and all these guys are going to be up for contracts. And they had all these first, you know, Brees Hall, Jermaine Johnson, Garrett Wilson, you name it. And of course you mentioned Sauce. They all got to get paid if you want to keep them.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
DJ Reed's a good player.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Don't laugh. I think the Pats are going to be very aggressive in free agency and I think they're going to load up this year.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yes, because it looks like there's still a question with Carr. Is Carr the quarterback? And they've got salary cap issues. What's the question? How much do we hate ourselves? How much do we keep him? It sounds like the comments that were made by Mickey Loomis at the Combine was that they were in on Derek Carr still. And I thought he would be in that same boat as Cousins and whatever.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And if you're the Titans and you've got Brian Callahan, who coached Carr... with the Raiders, it's like, all right, well, give us Derek Carr and we'll figure it out. But it sounds like the Saints are all in on Derek Carr and they still have this bloated salary cap that they can't get out under. So I think the Saints is pretty bleak.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
We say this, and yet there are teams that are going to convince themselves that, oh, well, it's better than the alternative, and we'll pay these guys real money. That's just where we're at.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
You got Desmond Ritter at quarterback and week 16 on national TV. Like that's not where you want to be. Um, saints last year, we're, we're rolling out Spencer Rattler in big games. Like it's quarterback is everything. And so the saints, they're going, it sounds like they're going still with Derek Carr. That was the comment made, but we've seen these things change, but, um,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Their salary cap situation is no good either.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Bleak in that it feels like the other two teams have surpassed them in their division and they're still going to have to pay Micah Parsons and they've got Dak on this contract and CD and like, I don't know how they're going to pay all these pending free agents that they have and that it's going in the wrong direction. But gosh, you know, you hire, you don't even do a full search.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And it's like, we're just going to keep it going with Brian Schottenheimer. It's hard to, it's hard to look at your fan base and say, well, it's totally going to be different. Well, we just elevated the guy who was number two to Mike McCarthy, and we're not going to have any new fresh talent besides what we already have. And we missed the playoffs last year.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
The question is how does Dak return from injury? Because he's the highest paid quarterback in the NFL.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Could happen. And you're in a market that... It's a good team with a great tradition and a great city, but it's not like New Orleans is due to by the NFL as like the Cowboys or the Giants or one of these premier franchises.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Well, it can go. This is like a social experiment in a lot of ways. I went out of my way at the Combine to meet a lot of these people that I had never met before. That's always what I like to do. I like to put a list down of like, here are 10 names. They're all going to be in Indianapolis. Get to know them. They're young. They're up and coming.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And I was doing the math in my head. I'm like, all right, I know how old I am. I know where I was like. when, when OJ was on the chase and Ewing was playing a large one, he wasn't born yet. And that's where I like, that's like, this is how young he is. Josh McCown tells me he was with him in Minnesota. This kid's brilliant, but that's your offensive coordinator.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Your head coach, Liam Cohen, who I've known, he was UMass's quarterback. And I wrote a book with Victor Cruz way back when in 2011. And when Victor Cruz liked the sensation, his quarterback was, was Liam Cohen in college. So I got to know Liam then when we were working on this book and, I've seen Liam Bowser. Liam is a young, really untested head coach, first time head coach. So you got that too.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And then at GM, they hired a guy named James Gladstone, who's 34 years old. And he was with the Rams. And he was living in St. Louis while the Rams were in LA. And he kind of was doing the scouting from a satellite office, but he was less needs like number two.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And the Rams gave him a lot of credit for these recent drafts, including Puka Nakua and including some of these, the Braden Fisk and, you know, Jared verse that said, you're talking 34 year old GM, 28 year old offensive coordinator, first time head coach, and then a first time defensive coordinator and Anthony Campanile. So to me, it's like, it's fun. It's fresh. It's different.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
It's, it's not hiring urban Meyer or Doug Peterson. It's a strategy. We're young. It is different. And then, you know, Shad Khan, whatever. And then like Tony Khan, I talked to at the, at the super bowl. And it's like, he's talking about wrestling to me. And I think that's his priority is the AEW.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
It's amazing. Yeah. His eyes are all darting all over the place.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
MJF is going to knock you out with a Burberry scarf on.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Big sponsor, Starbucks, or in this case, maybe Dunkin'. But like, I honestly think that it's like, this football experiment where it's like, let's just do fresh eyes and young and hire guys. And like, obviously I love that. I love that. I hate going retread. I don't like the fact that we just typically are like, Oh, well this guy worked for this guy. And then we just hire him.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Like they're all fresh faces. And Jacksonville is fun to me now.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Here's where I would say there's a possible turn in that. First of all, a lot of these teams, they show up at the combine, they do media, maybe Tuesday, Wednesday, they fulfill that and maybe they'll stay Thursday, then they're out of there. Mike McDaniel, Chris Greer, and Dan Marino were in that Dolphins suite until the bitter, bitter end when the offensive linemen were working out on Sunday.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And they were locked in. Dan Marino?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Dan Marino's got an executive role right now with the Dolphins, working with the team. And we're talking about former players and Tom Brady and all this stuff now. Dan Marino, he's present. He's got a voice. Okay. Um, they brought him back into the fold a couple of years ago and he was at the combine and fully engaged with all of it. Now last year's draft. They hit with Chop Robinson.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
He was really good for them as a rookie.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Jalen Wright, the running back. But to your point, when Tua went down, they weren't ready for that kind of adversity and things went off the rails. And you saw Tyreek Hill and his comments in that final game about, you know, it just was like desolate. And it was the kind of thing you would never want to hear from a veteran leader. That said, Dolphins, they still have a ton of talent on that roster.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And I do think the players still respond to McDaniel. So... I'm not bleak on the Dolphins.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Well, what do you think on Tua? They paid him. He was injured again.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
It would be the Chiefs, not the Chargers. He still tweets every other day about how much he loves the Chiefs.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And Andy's magic. Andy will trade you away. Andy will cut you. And then, you know, the players long for Andy. They want to go play for him again. By the way, you saw the John Cena, you know, dropping the mic. You saw that? Yeah. That's Mahomes this year. That's where he's at right now, I think. He's gone villain. Good. I think we're going to have a different... Good.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
It is like, it is like. Like the angels. And last year at the combine, I interviewed Adam Peters on camera. He's a GM coming from San Francisco. First time GM, super nervous on NFL network beforehand. What questions are we going to do? Like, and then this year comes in all swagged out, has like, you know, he's wearing the blanket jacket. No doubt. He's got the jacket. He's got the custom Jordans.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
He comes in. He's like, ask me anything. Let's go.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
They trade.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
They have a ton of salary cap space. Everyone loves their coach. Like Dan Quinn's got that Andy Reid thing where like players just love them. And, you know, they just trade for Debo. And I do want to say this. I think people misread the NFL. Like, the Cowboys got crushed because they traded a fourth rounder for Jonathan Mingo.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And everyone's like, how could you, how could you trade a fourth rounder for Mingo? And they trade a fifth rounder and they get Debo. They're taking on Debo Samuel's entire contract. So that's $21 million. And that was the team that was willing to take it. And Adam Peters drafted Debo and San Fran and Anthony Lynn coached him. And Cliff is like, please bring them.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Like he'll be motivated and we'll make it work.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
I think he's playing now. I saw a picture of him this week.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
absolutely you're right but in the same breath like washington knows what they're inheriting like cliff watched every snap of debo that's like it's like this incredible toy for cliff holy shit wait and he's like please and also he's gonna have 40 debo plays yeah and also he was 20 pounds overweight whatever you want to say like and now he's going to the final year of his contract give me a motivated like chip on his shoulder and a contract year debo like sure so like
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
It wasn't like it was a false.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Let's go. You want to disrespect Debo and Schrager. You're going to get the best of us. I'll do anything. I'll do any hit.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Season ended weird. That lost to Houston. So there's kind of like a bad taste.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah, I wouldn't say Chargers. I'm trying to think. Oh, Denver. Denver, those guys. Denver. They are super high on what they've got. All young players, Bo Nix. I had a really cool opportunity Friday night. The Broncos do a team dinner at the Combine, and it's everyone from the team doctor to the head coach to the intern. Anyone who's in Indianapolis, I'd say 60 people.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And Sean Payton does a big team dinner. I don't think any other teams do this in this way. And they rent out a room at prime 47, which is the big steakhouse. And Peyton let me come in and just hang with them at the table. And like, when you feel like good vibes, good vibes team, it's everyone's busting balls. Everyone's laughing. Everyone is like having a great, and they have such,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
confidence in this quarterback that they're like, we're set. Like this has been the albatross around this franchise since Peyton Manning left. We finally got our guy and they will be active in free agency and they will get a good running back.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah. And finally have money. They've had no money, but like upfront last year, like Zach Allen had a career year when they're paying him, you know, but Alex Singleton was great. Like, and then they've got Sertan, this amazing corner, they're set. they are going to get a running back in this draft. And that's always been Sean Payton's like favorite position to tinker with.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And they haven't had, he calls it the Joker. It's like the Alvin Camara, the Darren Sproles, the Pierre Thomas, that type, the guy that can catch out of the backfield, run in the backfield.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Great, great running back draft. And you can sit there and on day two, pick up a guy who's going to pick up a thousand yards and, you know, 60 catches. So I'd say Denver and Washington, both based on the young quarterback and then new England, you don't want to talk about him, but like the optimism is sky high around the Patriots.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And it's like, it become all of a sudden a desirable place to play too.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
No doubt. You know, the fourth overall pick is interesting for them because Hunter or Carter could be there if the quarterbacks do go in the top four. And even if they don't, I think Will Howard's a real possibility or yeah, the lineman from LSU.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Will Campbell, sorry. Not the Ohio State quarterback.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
The other two names would be Mason Graham, who I think you're high on, right?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Out of Michigan. Now...
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
So I'm going to put this out here now because his draft stock is slipping because he didn't do anything at the combine. And I was like, I don't think four overall is so crazy for this trip to Aurora McMillan out of Arizona. Also known as TNAC.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Oh, there's a lot of fans in the league. And you're talking about the comparison starts at Drake London, but it can go even higher. This huge wingspan and this huge upside six foot six basketball body out of Arizona. Jed Fish. was his coach at Arizona. And Jed Fish is a lot of NFL people. And he has been raving about this guy for years.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Didn't do anything at the combine, but interviewed everywhere. And apparently he's a great kid. Nickname is T-Mac. I don't see him in the top 10 of any of these mock drafts. And I know that everyone loved what Matthew Golden, the wide receiver out of Texas did. And it's like, he's the guy. I would be shocked if T-Mac falls out of the top 10.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And I would think Patriots at four might be a little rich.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Are you scarred by Keanu, what's his name, by Nikhil Harry of going to the state of Arizona for a wide receiver?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
That was me at the combine.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
You should see it, dude. You would walk into one of these steakhouses, you would vomit. It is so ugly. And it's all over the country. It's all of us in the media. And everyone's got the same exact look. It's a button down with an ill-fitting blazer and jeans.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And maybe someone trying to have a cool pair of Jordans doesn't work. But that's the look.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
It's also like, and I work for the NFL network and I'm going to be doing the draft. Like it is not the draft class of years prior. There are, You said three blue chip guys, and I think Mason Graham is borderline blue chip. Like, Travis Hunter is awesome.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Did Willie, did Willie fall in the draft for Parcells?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah, Carter would be a home run. And it's him and Hunter are like the two names. And then you got this other bucket of the quarterbacks where if you're doing an overall players list, they're probably 7, 8, 9, 10. Like if you want to go that way, they're not. And then it's just the great unknown. And it's like, what do you prefer?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And it's, I mean, truly after like the fifth or sixth pick, it is a complete crapshoot to like pick 38, they say, as far as like ranking and stacking these players. So not the richest draft class, but it's also the most intriguing.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Just saw some car out there at three in the morning. What, what? Cincinnati is a little bit of a question mark just because they have such a big offseason ahead. And it's it's really going to be a lot of cap gymnastics. But they have told every agent they have told every team like their goal is to bring all three of these guys back. And that's Jamar Chase, T. Higgins and Trey Hendrickson.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
They did, but the intention is not to have him play on another franchise tag. The intention for them is to sign all three of these guys to long-term deals. And if I was to stack it, I would say Jamar Chase is their first priority. Tee Higgins is their second priority.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And then Trey Hendrickson, who led the NFL in sacks and was second overall and defensive player of the year, he would be probably the third priority, which makes him a potential free agent to be signed. Wow.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Burrow's got this huge contract.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
They're going to have to. They're going to have to waive guys.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
They're going to try.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
They would bristle at the cheap thing. I think historically they're viewed as cheap. So Mike Brown's granddaughter- Mike Brown's granddaughter, Elizabeth Blackburn, who's, or Katie Blackburn, no, Elizabeth is the granddaughter of Mike Brown. She's now taking over a little bit more. And like, it's all about, let's make this team fun. Let's make this team marketable and let's spend money.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Like, let's spend money. We have it. We have to have a cap thing. So like, that's their intention. But Duke Tobin and Zach Taylor have a giant, giant few weeks ahead of them right now. And like, you already saw that Jamar Chase is posting things and T Higgins is posting things.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
A hundred percent. He already has been publicly, you know, you don't do radio row interviews and talk about company business. He was doing that. So I think Cincinnati, a lot of eyes are on them because historically they have this, this feeling of, you know, small market team, 32nd market. They don't spend money. It's a family run business.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And now you finally have put yourself in this position where like, you have to pay up. There's nothing left. It's, it's not going to be good feelings. It's not going to be, it's going to be money. Are you going to spend the money? And do you have a way to use the cap gymnastics? And well, they put up 40 points. They put up 40 points every game last year and they still lost.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
So if you're focusing on offense and you're letting the defensive player of the year, the runner up walk out is where your priorities at.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
They're also the most entertaining team in the league.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Go watch what he did with Jake Browning last year at the end of the season.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
They were going to T Higgins on every big play against Minnesota on that Saturday game. And like Higgins is a true number one. And if they can get both those guys back, great. Back to Darnold really quick.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
If you're Minnesota and they're not franchise time, they're going to hit the market. Can't do it. Okay. You, what does it say to JJ McCarthy? If you do bring him back on a 25 to $30 million contract, does it tell the rest of the league that JJ McCarthy were not like, this is the bind with Minnesota. Like they don't know what they have in JJ McCarthy. And you could read all the positive press.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Like they don't know what they have in JJ McCarthy. He was injured all last year. He was on the sidelines. Like they haven't seen him play. So it's not like they know.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
So you let Darnold walk out the door. You don't say, let's try to hedge this a little bit.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Like one of those type of deals? And if you're Darnold... You know, you played your best football with Kevin O'Connell. Let me do it one more year. And then I, then I can maybe break the bank. Like, I think, I think they're going to make a very concerted effort.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
It's the Ravens have a different salary cap situation and different team. Okay, good.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
I mean, if I'm the Patriots, I'm looking at Zach Vaughn. If the Eagles let him out, I'm looking at Josh Sweat. I'm looking at Milton Williams.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Vaughn would be great. And Sweat is good. And Milton Williams is good. The other name, I don't know if Nick Bolton from the Chiefs, unbelievable linebacker.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Is he available?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
They can get Nick Bolton. I mean, it's Robert Spillane. These are like real names that can add to this team.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yes, would that make Zach Ertz your Patrick Schwarzenegger? I think so.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Austin Eckler starring as Leslie Bibb.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And I mean, just consistently doesn't say a word on the episodes, just looks at the camera.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah. Could they lose both? They could. They could. We'll see. That's why I'm not like, I want to wait and see on that. And this is also Joe Ortiz who comes from the Ravens. It's his first real off season. Last year he was the GM and they drafted well, but like this is now you gotta, you know, it's time to make some decisions that might not be as easy as just drafting and signing players. Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
You were high on them last year. I was.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
No, they finished strong. I know, but Diggs got hurt.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Diggs will be a free agent likely. He's going to be gone. Okay. What was really interesting to me was Bobby Slowik was one of the offensive masterminds interviewing for head coaching jobs two years ago after they had this great sensational season. They didn't think they got enough out of the offense.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
They fire their offensive coordinator, and then they go to the Rams, and they get Nick Cayley, who was, you know, wunderkind under Sean McVay. They bring Cayley in, and they also, with this offense, like, they didn't have, like you said, Stefan Diggs, they didn't have Tank Dell in the last few weeks of the season, and they still, in that Chiefs game, move the ball up and down the field.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
If they don't have... two botched special teams plays and a block kick and get sacked eight times. They're in that game.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Blocked field goals, muffed kickoffs. They got everything from the Texans. They couldn't put them away until the very end. So there was some red flags there. But what are you going to do? I didn't bet, but I picked the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl too. And I've heard from Philly fans the entire last month. So it's all good.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Oscars, can I tell you? Proudly. Have not seen any of these movies. Now I'll go see one of them. I'll go see Onora.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Right. Right.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
It's the best. it's the best because you see something on TV and you're like, all right, it's a bunch of people in their underwear working out. And like, it's not even 1% of what combine week is.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And I would advise any young aspiring NFL journalist, any NFL fan to like, go, go for a couple of days because as much as it's about the on-field drills, like you will bump into Mike Tomlin at a restaurant. You will see, you know, Sean Payton, just, you know, having a private meeting with an agent out in the open and,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
um in front of that jw uh marriott starbucks which by the way is it's like literally going to like times square and starting a fight when it's at combat that's like the hub of everything right jw so like 10 teams are at the jw every media member is at the jw and for that interaction or that altercation or whatever it is to happen at that starbucks
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
You know, obviously the irony of Jordan Schultz's father being the longtime CEO of Starbucks is one thing, but to do it there in that public of a forum, like I got texts from, you know, NFL coach, NFL GM, three agents, four different media members that like, oh, there was just something. So that is the crossroads of all things.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
No, I think that the Giants had the parameters in place and were willing to engage, but the Rams never went down that road in such a formal fashion. So they had conversations. Essentially, Stafford couldn't shop himself to any of these teams, not a free agent.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
So what the Rams did was they gave Jimmy Sexton, his agent, who's a big power, he's Nick Saban's agent, he's Parcells' agent, like a big agent, the ability to go look at what the market would be. and the Giants were obviously interested, and the trade conference- But not for the first round pick, though, right?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And I know it from all angles because of my relationship with McVeigh, but also my relationship with Stafford. So it was, you know, go see what's out there and what destinations could be possible. And it came down to basically- the Raiders being very interested in the Giants.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Oh, yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And what I think the trade compensation would have been would have been Giants give up their second round pick, which is the 34th pick, and then the Rams give back a third round and Stafford. But then Stafford would need to tear up the contract and have a massive contract, which would have been paying him close to $15 million more per year than what he's essentially going to play for with the Rams.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Right.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And at the end of the day, like they went down this road And as it dragged on day by day by day, I think at one point, like on Wednesday, I was like, wow, it might actually happen. And it might actually be the Raiders or the Giants. But then by Thursday, when I got word that like Stafford and McVay were having breakfast at 6.30 in the morning in LA, I'm like, it's done.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Right.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Underrated.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And this conversation started back at Super Bowl, whether that was like some of the rumors. And I got caught in a little bit of shit because I was interviewed and caught off guard. And it was like, what do you think about Stafford and the Rams? And I'm like, I just know this, that they're going to have to have conversations and figure out a new contract.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
But also I know that McVay loves Jimmy G and that set off like an entire, like, you got aggregated, got aggregated, but, If they were to move on from Stafford, which cooler heads prevailed, they had backup plans. They had Jimmy G, and then all the reports are accurate that Rodgers could have very well been the next quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
What was the alternative? What's the alternative? They think they're a quarterback away from being relevant, and I don't think it's that far off. I look at their team. Well, I mean it. They get Andrew Thomas back at offensive tackle, and then last year, I didn't realize.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Are they in the same division with Washington and Philly? They're confident that this team is not that far off and that the quarterback play was abysmal last year. You can't believe that. Why not? They've got first-round picks all over the offensive line. They've got Malik neighbors. One of those first-round picks is Evan Neal, isn't it?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
So Neal's not the guy.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Look at their front four. You've got Dexter Lawrence, Thibodeau, and you've got Brian Burns. They're not... This is a team that everyone's like, oh, I can't believe they got rid of Saquon. Saquon wasn't going to do anything with the Giants last year, close to what he did with the Eagles. So what'd they do instead? They invested in their offensive line and they have no quarterback play.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Here's the case for bringing in a Rogers at 41. For the Giants? Yes. Here's the case. Hear me out. Motivated. Cheap. Motivated. Motivated.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Yes.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Embarrassed. Embarrassed that the Jets said we're good without you.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Motivated.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
Cheap. Comparable to a Stafford or to one of these, you know, bigger.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
And then, and you've got Brian Dable, who has had his name from being coach of the year to now being the clown of New York and being considered a joke, like two guys that know football inside and out and like, Hey, let's, let's say screw it. And let's get over the giant chip of our shoulder and see now look. That was the case. Yeah. Would they love to get to one? Sure.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
They would love to get to one. But here's the deal. Rodgers, as much as you don't like him, as much as Kimball doesn't like him, as much as Cousin Sal doesn't like him, players like him. His teammates like him.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
I think he had 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions. I'm pushing the boulder up the hill here. I'm trying. But I would say this. The alternatives of, hey, we can roll out Rodgers and steal...
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
get a young quarterback and you have rogers as your quarterback for this year and you're not throwing someone to the wolves and saying hey go out there and and play for your first season right out of the gates that's the argument to make um i would also add that you know the titans have the first pick in the draft will levis will not be their starting quarterback week one i know that's not that that's not necessarily out there i don't see give it a good run
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Mavs Fans in Hell, Bleak NFL Situations, an Oscars Recap and RIP Gene Hackman | With Peter Schrager and Wesley Morris
I don't think the Browns are going to start Deshaun Watson because he can't physically, but I don't think Deshaun Watson is going to have many snaps, if any, again, as a Cleveland Brown in his NFL career. I'll say that. So that's a second team. Then you got the Giants. Then you got the Jets. Then you got the Raiders.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I think they're hoping to do this every year. It's unprecedented in how it all worked out, Bill. So when they first thought of this Christmas Day extravaganza, they were like, we'll have two games and we'll give it to a high bidder. Netflix got involved, obviously, and gave a lot of money. And it was like, all right, we know we have a Wednesday game.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
game and they're going to be, you know, premier teams because Netflix is paying top dollar. But how do we account for player safety the best way we possibly can? Like, well, you can't play Sunday than Wednesday.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Let's make it Saturday than Wednesday, which means now four of these teams in the AFC who just so happen to be four of the top seven teams are playing three games in 11 days in late December. Unheard of. And the way it worked out, and we're recording this on Thursday, and it doesn't matter who wins tonight, but originally it was supposed to be Bengals versus Browns on Thursday night football.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And Amazon has the ability to ask to flex out. And a month ago, they went to the league and said, can we flex out of Bengals-Browns? That's a terrible game. Can we get out of that? And the league said, there's no game to really put there. The only option would be Chargers-Broncos in LA, but we can't do it because of league bylaws.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
the broncos have already played one road thursday night game and one of the major rules was you will never play two thursday night road games so they go to sean payton and they say look you're gonna say no but we're gonna present it to you and payton was like fuck it put us on thursday night we want to be on prime time we want to go into that building i want to play them on a thursday night now the result of all that a month later is six of the top seven teams in the afc
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
are going to be playing two games on five days rest, and four of the top six teams in the AFC are going to be playing three games on 11 days rest. Meanwhile, there's a team up there in Western New York, the Buffalo Bills, who play the Patriots on a Sunday, the Jets on a Sunday, and the Patriots again on a Sunday, and already looking at that playoff run.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Yeah, I think he's going to play. I think he's going to play Saturday against Texans.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Did it really? All right. That's been the word out of that place all week that... the one seed is very important to them. They're not going to fake it and say, well, Mahomes is safety. They want that one seed and they want that week off. And I've spoken to multiple sources in that building that if Pat says he can go, he's going to go.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
He has earned that from the coaching staff and they're not looking to protect him physically. I remember a couple years back in the divisional round against Trevor Lawrence. He bangs up the ankle. Everyone's worried. What's he going to do? What's he going to do? He doesn't finish the game, but then he does play against the Bengals in the AFC Championship game, and he runs for that first down.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And he just hobbled through it, but he got through it. I thought we might get a very Carson Wentz Christmas. I think the NFL and Netflix would not have been thrilled. I don't know if Beyonce and Mariah Carey and the rest would have enjoyed it. Burt Kreischer and Nate Bergazzi and the rest. I don't know.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
But in this case, it looks like you're getting Mahomes and you're going to get all the fixings with it. And it's going to be Chiefs versus Steelers with Mahomes. And the stakes couldn't be higher because I think it matters.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And I think that's why the number one seed is so important. Give us an advantage. Give us something over these teams. Remember, the Bills beat them head-to-head. So if they were to lose two of the next three games, then they succumb and they have to go on the road. And they don't want to do that. They want the one seed. They want the week off. They think it's important.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
The offensive line has been a disaster. And they put DJ Humphries in there for one game. He lasted one game. And then Joe Tooney, a guard, is playing left tackle for a team that's the one seed and 13-1. It's pretty incredible. Not a great sign. And, you know, the numbers weren't crazy sack-wise, but he was under pressure the entire game last week against Cleveland.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And you look at what Houston's bringing this weekend, and between Daniil Hunter and Will Anderson, they have the second most sacks in the NFL. That's in Christmas. You know, you have this one on Saturday. Then on Christmas, you think T.J. Watt's going to play. You assume Cam Hayward and all those guys are out there.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Like, he's going up against two of the best defensive front sevens in the league over the next two weeks. If they win both of those games, though, they get a bye and they can rest week 18 and the next week during the wildcard round.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
You went through the list, I heard.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I love Baltimore this year. I think they got the perfect bye week. They needed it more than ever. They got it. They come out. They beat up on the Giants last week where Lamar throws five touchdowns. And now they're getting healthy. And it's... Look, the 8 of 9, it's real. And, you know, the last Ravens quarterback to beat the Steelers was Snoop Huntley.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And a lot of those games... Yeah, and a lot of those games were... were decided by one score or less, and the Steelers just found a way at the end. Even the last time they played, remember that Peyton Wilson interception on the sideline with Justice Hill? They still had a chance at the end with the two-point conversion, but there was so much confusion.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Lamar afterwards is furious on the sideline, and it's like, all right, well, if you can't beat them in close games, how do we have our faith in the Ravens? I think since that game, they have gotten healthier, and I think the bye week was important. What I think is going to be very interesting on Sunday, which...
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I mean, you're talking about the greatest sports viewing day if you're a football fan ever is this Saturday. I mean, it's right there smack dab in the middle, 4.30 Eastern. You got Brady and Burkhardt on the call. Justin Tucker's going to have to make a kick here. And Justin Tucker is going to have to come through.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And last week he made one and they had a lot of field goals and a lot of touchdowns and it was fine. But like Justin Tucker is going to have to make a kick or two in some inclement weather against the Steelers. And I think it's important that Justin Tucker gets right because that's how they play football. And especially against the Steelers team, it's always a one score game.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
He's got the belt.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I think your instincts are right that they have dominated in the trenches and Russell has not made mistakes. And like in this game, Cooper Dejean has the fumble. Hurts makes the early mistake. You're like, okay, here come the Steelers. And then they just couldn't close that gap. And then, like you said, in real time, it felt like two hours at the end of the game.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
It was just, and like, it was such a long drive that like Brady and Burkhardt are doing banter about Belichick during it. Right. They're stuck in college. Yeah, you snuck in like, empty the bag. We have to find something to talk about because this game isn't in hand right now. That's worrisome if you're the Steelers because their whole mantra has been, Keep the game close.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Russell will make a play at the end and we'll run the ball down your throats and we'll stop you on defense. And they couldn't do that against a more physical team in Philadelphia. But there is a mental edge here. Tomlin's coming into this thing. We've won eight of nine. We've won games with everyone from Duck Hodges to Mason Rudolph to whoever. We can beat the Ravens.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
We have no fear going into this building.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And then it's a quick turnaround because four days later, Lamar's got to go play the Texans. It's like this crazy round robin. But... Kyle Brandt and I on Good Morning Football, we always talk about the most valuable player industrial industry complex. Starting in week two, it's like, who's the MVP? Who's the MVP? And I put it to bed last week, maybe a little premature, and I was like,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Josh Allen's done. Like, it's over. Like, why are we even... Let's not just do this for the sake of a segment. And the amount of feedback I got from people around the league, not fans, being like, slow down. Lamar's got better numbers. And Lamar's games are all showcase games over the next few weeks. So on Saturday, when everyone's watching... Lamar's going to be able to have that showcase game.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And then on Wednesday, on Christmas, when everybody's watching Christmas afternoon, Lamar can have that showcase game. And by the end of it, we're not going to see Josh Allen on national television for the last month of the season. And you might say, well, who gives a shit about national TV? The people who vote are writers who are usually in press boxes and just looking at box scores afterwards.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
But on Christmas day and on a Saturday, they will be watching. And if enough hysteria gets going and Lamar can finish this thing out, It is not over yet. Lamar could steal this and get his third MVP.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Forgive me. No, you'll get there.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I haven't. I would imagine, I'm going to give it to you, 12-2 Kevin O'Connell is probably the favorite right now.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
But hell of a locker room speech at an interview in 97-1 in Detroit.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
13-1. Is this like a Belichick thing? He's not allowed to win? Yeah, he's done. He's three wins away from 300 wins in his career, and no one has even mentioned that. They're 13-1. All they do is win. How is he not the number two guy to be able to bet?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
He succumbed to any respect for any of that, and then we'll see him in January. It is... It is amazing how this award is given out. Usually it's a first year guy who gets his team into the playoffs and it's like a quick bump. And we've seen that from McVay and from Matt Nagy and from Stefanski. It could have been Harbaugh this year if they'd gone like 11-5 or 11-6. Brian Dable was that.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
This year, I think the O'Connell thing is happening because people are just like, they keep on winning. And if you look at their team, it's a bunch of castaways, whether it be Darnold, Aaron Jones, Jonathan Grenard, like you go right down the list. It's all guys who were with other teams last year, but Let's not underestimate just what Andy Reid is doing. Their roster every week.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Yeah. And what's going to be amazing, we're going to go through the coaching hires and Spags is not going to get a single look again. I'm just telling you like it is. No one's going to interview Matt Nagy and their GM is going to remain. And their number two GM is Mike Borgonzi. I think he's excellent. I don't even know if he's going to get one of these GM jobs.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
So it's going to be like, all right, they do it again. And they're just going to bring everyone back next year. It's just fine, well-oiled machine and they don't get poached. It's incredible.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
He's made it a real decision for them. And I would also say, You know, I work on the Sunday kickoff show on Fox and like early on in the season, Michael Vick, my colleague, who's now the new head coach of Norfolk State, shout out to Norfolk State. Michael Vick was like, you know, Darnold's kind of like a game manager. And then he goes on this run where he threw five touchdowns in a game.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
He had to take them 90 yards outside in Chicago in overtime, did that.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Yeah, that's not game manager. That is OK. We're going to put the ball in Sam's hands and like, let's let him lead us the way. Interesting one this weekend in Seattle. I would think they would win and then they finish up the season with the Lions and the Packers. And that's where it's at. It's like, all right, everyone's waiting for that. And those are the two games in the season.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
But if the Vikings win out, Bill, they are the number one seed in the NFC. And that's incredible. If the Vikings went out, regardless of what happens to anybody else?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I don't think so. I remember the 20-29ers had something like this where just early on in the season, it was like Bosa's out and then Garoppolo's out. But the crazy thing is they're still finding ways to put up points. Now, the David Montgomery loss is real. That one sucks. Montgomery's very important to them.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
It might be.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And... You're going to love this. We had Taylor Lautner on our show, Good Morning Football. Taylor Lautner of Twilight fame. Who, by the way, is a great dude and loves the NFL. And he has a podcast with his wife, who appropriately is also named Taylor. And they had Aiden Hutchinson on as their guest because he's a diehard Lions fan. And we're promoting it.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And Hutchinson's like, if we make the Super Bowl, I'm back. If we make the Super Bowl, we're back. And that came out the same exact day as Dan Campbell's riveting radio interview. And it's like... On paper, it makes no sense that this team that is down 22 guys, most of them on defense and are using third and fourth and fifth string players in key positions down the stretch should compete.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And then you talk to anyone there and it's like, why can't we just be one of these teams of destiny? Why can't we be one of these magical teams? And who knows, if you get to the Super Bowl somehow, you get Aiden Hutchinson back and suddenly you find yourself in New Orleans and you got a bunch of crazy Lions fans who haven't seen a world championship game since 57. Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
That Colts team, I think it was the 06 Colts team that won the Super Bowl. They had the worst defense in the league and they'd given up like 250 yards to Ron Dane and Dominic Davis and the Houston Texans like the last week of the season. And then playoffs come and it's like, we need to win three games. Can we string it together? And they did.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And the home field always, always matters when you can get it. So if Detroit can find a way to just hold serve and maintain home field, if they went out, they're the number one seed.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Arizona came in with eight wins on the regular season and had a run.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
The NFC to me is so interesting. The AFC, you've got your powers and like they're all... The NFC, like... Would you be shocked if Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers upset a team in the wildcard and they beat the Vikings at home?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
No doubt. Of course. They scored 40 points on the number one defense, the Chargers, and put up 500 yards of offense and didn't punt. And you're like, oh wait, what the hell's going on in Tampa? They might be the team. So this could be that year. And the NFC, the Eagles could finish with 13 straight wins and yet... I don't know.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Like, does that feel like the Eagles are going to run away with the NFC? I don't feel that way. I think the Vikings and the Packers can give them a battle in the Lions too. So I'm excited for this year's playoffs.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
That 2017 Eagles team, they lose Wentz and I was the sideline reporter for Giants Eagles and like Spagnuolo was the quarterback and the coach of the Giants as an interim coach. And everyone was off the Eagles at that point. And then Foles comes in and I remember talking to to Foles and Peterson and Brandon Graham and all those guys. And this is right before the dog masks.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And it was like, the world is against us. They don't believe in us. We're the underdogs. And like that really, that really worked. can you still do it again? And now the thing is, you know, Jalen hurts throws for a couple, you know, a hundred yards to two receivers. And then it comes up and it's like, is that what y'all wanted? And it's like, no, no, no, no. We didn't do this.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
The media didn't do this. Brandon Graham, your teammate went out on a radio interview and said that you guys weren't friends. Like we didn't do this. And then Sirianni and Clint hurt or having this really like heated thing on the sidelines where Jalen, Jalen Carter is laughing in the, and it's like, no, no guys that the cameras caught that, like that happened. That was real. And it's like, yeah,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
The media is trying to pull us apart. So they find a way to galvanize there in Philly. And I'm sure she'll and whoever else you have on the Philly special can break it down far greater than I can. But like they feed off that tension. But there isn't a lot of joy in the Philly fan. So that's what's the noticeable thing. They don't like it. It's always like tense and stressed.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And it's like it's not it's not this fun ride.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Yeah, I feel like everyone's fleeing that bandwagon.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Yeah, I think everyone's fleeing that bandwagon, and Dan Campbell's the perfect nobody believes in us coach, and Chris Spielman's in that building. He's the perfect nobody believes in us guy. I feel like they'll feed off that, and And that is your team.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And then I think if there's another one of them, like the other one that you would say is a Houston Texans who are going to easily win their division. They're going to play the chiefs and the Ravens over the next two weeks. And they might, they might win two of those games, one of those games, and no one's going to pick them. And everyone's going to say, Oh, whatever.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
It's done. I'm out. Aiden O'Connell beat them. I'm out.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Yeah, the Vikings are a candidate, but O'Connell doesn't have that deal with him. I feel like you need a coach who's going to really dig deep. Sirianni does that. Dan Campbell does that. Like, I've heard stories of Sirianni, like, going really deep with film references and, like, showing movie clips.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And I remember Dan Quinn, when he was back with Atlanta, would call me on a Saturday night just to bullshit before my Fox show. And I'd be like, give me something. And he's like, well, I showed a Sugar Shane Mosley fight last night because the situation was this. And I'm like, dude, like, these guys, they go deep for, like, what can motivate them. that's Campbell, that's Sirianni.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Kevin O'Connell's more like, guys, we got this. We can do this. One game at a time. There's none of that hate and none of that toxicity of us against the world. It's more, I believe in you, which works also.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
You think about it, too. They lost their offensive coordinator from a year ago. He took the job in Carolina. Then Liam Cohen comes in and Liam's put up better numbers with Baker, which is incredible. And what's fun with this team is they lost four games in a row. Mike Evans was hurt. Chris Godwin was hurt. And everyone wrote them off. But they just went ahead and just kept on winning.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
So now they're the hot team.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
You need less than 30 wins? What was the combined bet you guys did?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Well, I think the first pat on the back goes to Kwesi Adolfo Mensah and Kevin O'Connell up in Minnesota, who had a franchise quarterback and said, we're going to let him walk out the building. Something nobody does without a plan B. We're going to go to the draft and we're gonna pick up a free agent and But I remember talking to Kevin. He's like, it's heartbreaking.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
We love, we love him, but we, he's 36 years old coming off an Achilles injury. Like we can't give him a hundred million dollars. The Falcons did. And your argument for the Falcons is like, all right, let's see what we get with, with cousins.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I give them a little bit of credit and that they eventually did pull the plug because this, he's going to make $90 million guaranteed from the Atlanta Falcons for 14 weeks of football. And they're paying him that. And they're like, we're not going to just play you because we're paying him that we're going to then go to the backup for the Raiders game.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I reported it on Fox a couple of weeks ago. Cause he would look, he looked horrible. Um, cousins for three straight weeks. So like the second week of it, they were playing the chargers at home. And I reported, I'm like, Penix didn't take any first
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
first uh you know squad snaps this week it was all scout team and they were just like we're going with cousins we're riding this out it's almost too little too late um but this does open things up a little bit like zach robinson's a good offensive coach i knew him when he was with mcveigh's staff in la and he was the quarterback's coach and he does all sorts of cool like qb waggle outside the pocket stuff and i know how excited he was when they drafted pennix because he's like that's really cool and down the line when the time comes like we'll do really neat stuff with him
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I think you're going to see an entirely different offense over the next three weeks and a lot of stuff with a quarterback that isn't a running quarterback by like Lamar. But he can at least move. But he can move. Yeah. Kirk Cousins cannot move. He cannot move laterally.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
That game against the Raiders on Monday night, I mean, he scored a touchdown early and it was like, pump your chest, like told you guys, no, like he couldn't move. It was a crazy game to watch. And that was the fourth straight week he's done that.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Can I break a little news here while I'm live on the podcast with you? I just got a text. The Jets have completed interviewing Jim Nagy, who is the senior director of the Senior Bowl for their GM position. So they're interviewing a lot of guys. So I'm just interjecting with a text I got from a source. Is that kind of breaking news or like half-breaking news? It's news. Jets interview news?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Yeah, the interview guy. Let's take a break.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Yeah, that article dropped today and it was like, I got, you know, a lot of, and a lot of that stuff, like I can't, I can't discredit a lot of it that's in Diana's article with Mike Silver and Zach Rosenblatt. And like, look, when Woody took that UK ambassador job from President Trump in 2017, his sons, Brick and Jack were 11 and nine.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And it's like, you know, 11 years old and nine years old, he goes away. Christopher Johnson, his younger brother takes over and suddenly like, the Jets building, it was like, all right, they're leaders in social justice. And Christopher Johnson's giving Kelvin Beecham like an opportunity to speak on behalf of the team.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And it was right through all of like this turbulent time in the NFL and the Jets were leaders in the space. And it was like, gosh, like everyone was, was pretty impressed with the Jets organization. And then they hire Sala, they hire Joe Douglas and, And then Woody comes back and his sons are suddenly, you know, of high school and college age.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And then you go to these Jets games and you see the sons pregame and they're like on the sidelines and they look cool. Then they got the blazer on and they got the sunglasses on and they're walking the sidelines and it's like. This is a freshman at Harvard and a kid in boarding school, and their dad and mom own the New York Jets, and they have all access to do it.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I don't spite the kids, and I don't spite the owner. But what it is, it is true. These kids are around. And I actually feel bad for Brick, the older one, because everyone says he's actually a good kid, and it's like he's getting lambasted in this article. The Madden thing, I'm not going to discredit that things like Madden ratings could come in.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I've spoken to sources like the Jerry Judy trade wasn't happening because the Cleveland Browns offered something better. And that's why it wasn't because his Madden rating wasn't what it was. But I will say, you know, I don't know if this will be breaking it, but like Joe Flacco was with the team two years ago. And Flacco was a good veteran in the locker room for Zach Wilson.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
They go and they get Rogers. And like the plan was, let's get Rogers. And like, I could tell you that
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
ownership was like i i don't know if we want to go that direction like let's let's let's go with rogers and let's go with zach and let's figure out what else we do like i don't want a big pay joe then joe flacco goes on to win comeback player of the year and you're like and like little things like that where i i know the owners it's true like i know that woody was like sometimes in the draft like will show displeasure if it's a pick he doesn't like like that is fact i've heard that from ex employees and that's a lot of this there are a lot of ex employees from the jets right now
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
There's 20 people who are like, fuck it, I don't like that guy. Here's two stories. What the fuck? I lost my job. The Jets went through a turbulent time in 2014, 2018, and now it's this year. And it's always when they get rid of a certain group in the front office. And then what do they have to lose? They'll tell stories. And a lot of it's probably their vantage point. And there's...
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
half-truths and real truths, but at the end of the day, this ain't the Pittsburgh Steelers. This isn't the Kansas City Chiefs. There certainly is some fissures and issues with some of the ways things go down, but I think all they want to do is win. It's not like they're not giving the GM the green light to go get Aaron Rodgers or to go trade for Devontae Adams, but I can't discredit the article.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Here's the thing, though.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I would love to hear that. You know that world. I know the NFL world. The Jets ownership thing, that's in a lot of buildings, dude.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I mean, look, I think the NFL has a different structure with ownership. So in NBA, you can be a rich finance guy and you can buy a team. With the NFL, A, private equity can only now own up to 10% of a team. They only let six different private equity companies even play a role in that. That's brand new. And for the most part,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
all of the owners are majority owners and it's been handed down family generation, generation, generation, like the bank or they bought it in the nineties or the eighties and got it at a certain price and they just have all the power. But like the Bengals ownership group, like I, that's their only, that that's their main income, right? Like that's their business. They own the Bengals.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Uh, you look around and you go, uh, all the way, uh, To the Rams, that's a new owner, right? So the Cronkies, they obviously have a whole sorts of real estate stuff and they own all these different teams. But there are a lot of teams where the owners are families and it's handed down generation to generation. And the Steelers are one of those teams.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
But over the years, Jimmy Haslam had a minority stake of the Steelers. Then he goes and buys the Browns. David Tepper had a minority stake of the Steelers. Then he goes and becomes the majority owner of the Panthers. you're not going to be a Johnny come lately in this circle and just be like, I got a lot of money. I want to buy an NFL team. That's not how it works.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And like in New York, like Gary Vaynerchuk always says, I want to own the jets. Like, and Gary Vee wants to own the jets. I think in different,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
leagues like that's a possibility but the jet the johnsons aren't selling this thing like they're just not and they might give a minority piece to someone here at some point but like they'll always be 51 owners and that's for most of these teams and the minority piece for it for these owners like if you were to be a minority owner and you know this week we saw vince carter and tracy mcgrady are now minority owners of the buffalo bills
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
All right. And Josie Altidore is a minority owner. And Lewis Hamilton's a minority owner. And Condoleezza Rice is a minority owner. And you can go all through. What is that? It's nothing other than I could say I own it. I can go to the dinner party.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And I get season tickets and I got a spot. I go to a couple of meetings.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
No doubt.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
What do I get? Other than saying I'm an owner and then someone being like, but you're not that guy. And he's like, yeah, no, no, no, but I am an owner. And there's enough people with egos. You always talk about the rich guy tables and it's like, there's so few people of these teams available that to say I'm even a 0.1% owner is some cachet in a Washington, D.C. Beltway dinner.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
There's all these different minority owners of the commanders. That's social equity. It's something. Right. But they still...
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Interesting.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And like they obviously the tissues bought in as well. And that goes generations, too. So now you have like multiple generations of tissues and mirrors. But I would say, you know, there's a big enough family there where those people do different things outside of football and have like the Arizona Cardinals. Michael Bidwell's business is the Arizona Cardinals.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Like he was actually a lawyer by trade and his dad passed the team down. And now his ownership is the Cardinals and the Spanos family. Like they all work there. There's a lot of them. And, and I really like John Spanos and I, I've grown to become very friendly with Dean Spanos. Like, but that's the family business now. So it's, it's this billion dollar company, but it's being operated by families.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
You're going to make a profit. You're going to make a profit. I mean, the Jets raised season ticket prices this year. I mean, amidst all this, they, the, the PSL owners were given an email like, Hey, the tickets are being jacked up next year to fight season. I, Look, knowing that process, they're going to interview everybody for a GM job.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And I would go in there and my advice to those GMs would be, you have to find a way to finesse the egos in the room of obviously what he's going to want to hear, what your thoughts are. But you're going to also have to tell them straight up, I can also manage all of this because there is a next generation coming. His kids aren't going anywhere. One of them's a freshman in college.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
The other one's in high school. They're only going to get older and more power and more emboldened. And it's like, if that's a problem as a GM, you need to have the backbone to be able to say, I can't have that around or I don't want that around. And the same for the coaches. That's the truth of it. So the owners aren't going anywhere.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I find it so naive for all these fans being like, just show the team! Sell the team.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Yeah. So Stan Kroenke obviously owns it. His son, Josh, who plays a bigger role with the Nuggets and with Arsenal. Everybody likes him.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Josh is great. And he's in his 40s and he's not, look at me, not, you know, hey, I'm in this. He's just, he's there and he operates and he's very involved.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I would also say Chargers' John Spanos, who works in the front office. People see him out there and he isn't about look at me and very involved. But the Cronkies, though, their front office is interesting. So you've got those guys. Then the president is a guy named Kevin Demoff, whose father, Marvin, was an NFL agent for many years. And Kevin's been there since St. Louis. And then under him...
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
It's your GM, Les Snead, and this other guy, Tony Pastores, who kind of manages the Cronkies as well. And it's like, they're all swimming on the same thing upstream. And Demoff also is the president of the Avalanche and the Nuggets and the Rapids. And it's like, there's a lot of different entities and it's all under this Cronky sports banner.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
But Stan and Josh are never going to come in and tell Sean McVay, I don't like the play call. I can't say that's true for every owner around the league.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And that's something you can't control. It's, it's, I own the team. I want to have my voice heard, you know?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Or he's Tommy Callahan. He's Tommy boy.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Which is why I want to give a pass to Woody's kids who got killed in this athletic article. Bill, they're your son's age. They're under 20. They're my son's age. They're your son's age. What are you doing? You're telling the kids. Like, I remember before the Super Bowl in Arizona, and I don't know if I should share it, but I will. We're walking around the field.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
It was a Fox Super Bowl, so I have all access. And I'm walking around with Michael Vick, Charles Woodson, and Sean Payton. And Goodell comes over, and Jay-Z's there, and there's this conversation. And I, like, eek to the back because I know my place in these things. No one wants to see my day. So I'm like...
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And then like, you know, I see Woody's kids on the field and they're like taking photos with Jay-Z. And I'm like, I would do the same thing if I was a 17-year-old kid at the Super Bowl and my dad owned the Jets. And like, do you spite him for that? No, it's the job of everyone else to say, okay, we need to put up some walls here and see like what we're going to do.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
They needed him and he wanted them. Broncos. And he's in LA. Broncos, same thing.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Look, going back to Belichick, there could be two truths. I know Lombardi comes on your podcast, and we love Mike, and I've exchanged texts with him. There could be two truths that, A, this was an amazing situation for Belichick to fall back on, and B... He had no NFL home. There was no NFL job. But also... to their self-awareness, there was no job that they wanted. So it was both ways.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
But if you're Vrabel, can you be out for two years? I don't know. I'm not talking about him. I'm talking about Vrabel. Yeah, I'm saying for Vrabel, can you wait two years and just say, well, I'm going to wait for a better opportunity? That's the problem.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And you're walking into a situation where they didn't give you the decency of an interview last time around when you were a free agent.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And they didn't even go through the process. If you're Vrabel, well, what the, you know, and the story I got today that I think went out that Greg Bedard, who I think is very plugged in, said that you can get a Vrabel, McDaniels, and like the whole band can go back to New England and When everyone thought that was the Krugo, not Vrabel, but everyone thought McDaniels, Patricia.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Belichick hasn't hired any of those guys yet. I think they got to work out contracts with those guys. So you might be able to get the band back together up in New England. I mean, would you want to go back there if you're Vrabel after they didn't even give you the look the first time?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Uh-huh.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Oh, I think the GM is safe in New York. I think Joe Shane is safe. I think the GM is safe. So Dayball's not safe. I don't know if he's 100% safe. I would think if it's up to the mayors, they would love to just get the season over with and keep both of them. Okay, let's pencil that in. There have been planes above...
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
you know, MetLife, the last two home games saying, please end this misery, fire them all. Like that's the one thing, like the Maris can't stand, like when the fans are, you know, not in the building or it's an embarrassment. So it could, Joe Judge was safe 14 weeks through the season two years ago. And then he ran a quarterback sneak with Jake Fromm and lost it in his press conference.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And it was like, we have to fire you. That's where Dable's at right now, I think. Like you just can't melt down.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And he talks... There's this meme of like... Gerard Mayo. Yeah, he says something. Gerard Mayo makes a terrible decision, says something at press conference, and then walks it back, but sort of also puts a foot in his mouth.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I don't think they want to either. I think they would love to not admit a mistake. You know what I mean? And they would love to ride this thing out one more season.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I can't say I'm positive he's coming back. Same. But I also can't say I'm positive he's gone. I also think it was reported by Ian Rappaport this week. And I know it's it's it's accurate on the quarterback spot that Brady's like not just going to be a silent owner and posing for photos like Brady's going to have a voice in this and it's going to play a role. And so.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I know there's no like great connection, but they are former players. And obviously Brady and Pierce have a relationship from their playing days. But like, I think Brady plays a role in this as well. And they're going to value his opinion.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Yeah.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Yep. Yep. They just gave him a huge contract extension, but Steven Ross money's not an issue. So, okay. Go on.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And also not to talk about finances in that kind of way, but like the Bengals are not ones. They're not looking to pay two coaches at once.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Shanahan would surprise me the most. I know it's a very, very dark year there in San Francisco. Knowing Jed very well, knowing John Lynch very well, knowing Kyle very well, they're trying to be upbeat. But this season started with the lockouts, which was sour as it was. And then their first round pick got shot. And it was like, okay, that's a major adverse situation. Let's try to work through it.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Then they proceeded to lose their running back right before the season. That was their offensive player of the year in the league. And then like, I don't want to be, you know, like you've had players have real tragedies in their life. Like Trent Williams lost a kid this, this, this season, like real dark stuff on top of all these injuries. And it's like, just get to the finish line.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And I don't think Kyle Shanahan is going to pay the price for this year. It's one of those truly brutal injuries. The official year from hell team. It's the official year from hell team. As bad as things have been in New York with the Jets, the Niners, that's real life stuff. And it has been so bad. And they're just trying to stay above it.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
When they beat the Bears in that game, there was like a... feeling of great relief and just that we got to win. And last week was atrocious on Thursday night at home in front of their crowd, losing 12-6 to the Rams. It's just get to the end. I don't think Kyle Shanahan, unless he has some major blow up with Jed, which I don't think is happening. Uh, Steichen and Ursa, I don't know enough.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I know Ursa had it, had his, was just absolutely sick to his stomach over Carson Wentz losing to the Jaguars in a week 17 game a couple of years ago. And it's like, he's out, like get rid of him. Like, but I don't know if that's the relationship with the coach here that he would make a rash decision, but disappointing season there. And then Mike McDaniel, uh,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
They gave him a monster, monster extension before the season. But Stephen Ross is one of the wealthiest owners in the league. And this thing has gone way off the rails. And nothing would surprise me because that's the same owner who fired Brian Flores when no one thought that was a possibility a couple of years ago.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And that's a really, really attractive job as, as, As attractive a job as there is, is living in Miami and being the coach of the Dolphins because you have an owner with endless money and you have a really nice place to live with no taxes. Like these hot coaches, like that's a really attractive place to go.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Yeah. And it's Jonathan plays a big role there. Like Jonathan Kraft plays a major role there. Another son of an owner. And, and I think, I think they really, really were the way that whole thing went down with, with Belichick at the end. I think they really wanted this year to work out in some way.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Not good. Not good. And yet you could say that at the top of the league with Burrow and Lamar and Allen, you've got some of the best quarterback play we've ever seen. There's such a gap between the great and the bad. And it's you either have one or you don't. And that's just where we're at.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
He had that whole year last year and stunk. Is he like 24?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
He's the third string in Denver.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Have you heard anything on this? The last one was like, I think the Chiefs signed Terrell Suggs at the end of the season. He won a Super Bowl with them back in 2019. And it was like, Sizzles on our team. Let's go. Calais is like the ultimate ambassador of the league, Walter Payton man of the year. And I think he was done right here.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And I think he will sign with the Ravens likely, which is a team that I think he was. Oh, you think it's the Ravens? I think it's one of these teams. He played with the Ravens and was a beloved Baltimore Raven. And if there's a place for him. What if it's the Bills? Could be the Bills. Could be the Bills, but he'll go to a contender and he'll play a role and he'll make a big play in a big game.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
You know that. What if it's like the Packers?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Defensive tackle. Yeah. And he's a great teammate. I have no insight. I mean, Rosenhaus is his agent. I could probably get some info in a quick moment. But as of now, I would think Baltimore to me, always with Calais Campbell. That's where he was such a badass for them.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
No, just the first two episodes. Did you watch any of it or no?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Okay, I know your team, Jimmy Kimmel and Cousin Sal, but you won't even watch it?
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
But you're a filmmaker. I watched you not rock, Doc. I texted you. This is a good doc. I'm not trying to... My friend Gatha made it.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
It was fucking great, dude.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I would tell you this. And I know we've had a lot of discourse on the player producing editorial control. This ain't... Look, this isn't Ken Burns baseball. This isn't an objective look at this thing. It's Rogers' story. But the second episode, he goes on this ayahuasca trip with Jordan Poyer and Adrian Colbert and Poyer's mom. And it's like, it goes to places that I don't know exist.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And it's interesting. The first episode... It really is good football shit, man. Really? Yes. It is a football doc, too. I am telling you. And you forget how close he was when he was with the Packers and all those games. And Packers fans were saying, no, no, we know. But the Giants, they beat him when he was a 15-1 quarterback, 19 straight wins. He loses to the Giants in the playoffs.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
The Falcons in the NFC Championship game. All those 49ers losses. The Buccaneers a couple years ago. But what was really interesting is that You get into Rogers like and he's always searching. He's like seeking for something that I almost feel just a lot of empathy and sympathy. Like he's a single guy in his 40s right now. And he's like, I'm searching, I'm searching, I'm searching.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And there's this whole but he says he wins the Super Bowl in 2011 and his whole life's goal was proving everyone wrong and proving all those division one schools wrong. And he mentions Purdue said like you're just not athletic enough for Purdue.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And he couldn't win a playoff game, and they show a clip of Mooch on NFL Network being like, until Rodgers wins a playoff game, he's not one of the elite guys. Wins the playoff game, wins the Super Bowl, and he says he wakes up the morning after the Super Bowl, and it didn't fill his cup. And he's like, what now? And that was 2011, and he's still searching.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And I feel like that's a side of Rodgers I haven't seen. And there's no... you know, there's no love lost amongst him and the family. And there's all this sort of stuff that you're like, dude, like it's hard for me to, to really rationalize why you feel this hole in your life. But like, I don't know, it's pretty vulnerable in it. And I think the football shit is pretty good.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
Enigma. It's only three episodes, too. It's not this seven-episode thing. There's been a lot of bad sports docs. You know this. And a lot of them are like, this could have been a nice 60-minute piece that ran on the NBA TV network. I don't need to watch this. But I'm telling you, this one was well done. And you come away, and you're like, pretty good football.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
And whether you like Rodgers or not, you're like, that's an interesting deep dive on a dude who gave you all access.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
I watched one based on the guys from The Watch a couple years ago. It was like,
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
1973 about like German Deutschland and I'm like I'm gonna watch this show and I'm like I can't do it I tried like Andy Greenwald loved it what's the show do you know what I'm talking about it was like 72 in Germany and it was like this show that ran on German television they're like the number one show I'm like alright I trust these guys I like Chris Ryan I like Greenwald and then I gave it like a minute I'm like I can't I tried those guys love it they love getting super weird with those
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
He's just going for it, the whole movie. Went for it.
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Is the NBA Too Afraid of Football? Plus, Jets Dysfunction and Million-Dollar Picks With Wosny Lambre, Joe House, and Peter Schrager
The best part about that, Paul was on like, he was like doing like, cider house rules and like went from clueless to doing just broadway and all these things and he like did that movie he did a movie that was like filmed in japan over the course of two weeks where he had to bleach his hair blonde and he's like those are my those are my movies of like all right i'm gonna go for it a little bit