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00:00Rockin' and rollin' on a Tuesday morning right here on the Early Line, the Sports Grid Network.
00:04It's not, he writes out, it's Joe Ranieri.
00:05It's what we do Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., and away we go to set you up on your Sports Grid day.
00:11Now, we got a lot of hot topics to talk about, but one of those topics that I can't seem to shake right now, Joe Ranieri,
00:16is the fact that we're talking about the Rams and their quarterback situation.
00:20To help us set the table, let's hear right from the head coach, Sean McVay, on some updates here.
00:28Hmm.
00:30Sounds good.
00:31I agree with everything he said, Donnie.
00:34I agree with everything he said.
00:35I'm just saying.
00:36I love it.
00:37I love what Sean McVay said there.
00:38Hopefully, everybody out there heard that as well, but we'll get that up here in just a few moments.
00:42But we do have video, Joe.
00:43So, before that video actually pops up, just setting the table that we just talked about in the previous segment,
00:48the issues are, you don't get healthier during the season as an older player.
00:52If you're basically taking an epidural to get ready for the season, I think that is ready to go for us here, Joe.
00:58So, let's take a listen.
00:58You know, like we've said, we're going to be flexible and fluid.
01:01I think more than anything, I feel for Matthew because of how much he wants to be out there and feel good.
01:08Ultimately, what ended up happening, had a great workout, felt good.
01:10But then, you know, coming today, it doesn't feel great.
01:13And so, didn't think that was the right decision to be able to push him.
01:16We've kind of always talked about flexibility, being fluid with some of the plans.
01:21And I think more than anything, you know, I feel for a guy that, you know, I really care about that wants to be out there more than anything else.
01:27We're going to be smart.
01:28You know, but he didn't feel good enough.
01:31And we didn't think it was the right thing to do based on, you know, how he woke up feeling today.
01:36Sounds troublesome, Joe.
01:38You heard what he just said there.
01:39Had a good workout, but then didn't feel good the next day.
01:42What's going to happen when he's out there throwing 45 times a game with absolute stud pass rushers pancaking him in the pocket here?
01:49I don't like what I hear at L.A.
01:52Well, you know, what he didn't offer up in that, Donnie, in that press conference, was any sort of new hard timeline for when they expect him to return.
02:02I mean, he had been, they had labeled him, what, week to week earlier in training camp.
02:08But now, apparently, they're saying they're just going to evaluate him on a day-to-day basis.
02:14Like, what are we looking at here?
02:16Like, what is the timeline for you to be able to get him ready?
02:20Because none of what he just said leads me to believe there's any sort of confidence in there being a timeline that he's on his way back in any way, shape, or form.
02:30Football players are as tough as all get out, and so is Matthew Stafford.
02:33He took a beating in Detroit.
02:35He came to Los Angeles, finally had a good football team, good head coach, good play caller, and ends up winning a Super Bowl.
02:40But you never beat Father Time.
02:42And if the issues are coming up like back issues, Joe, that's torque.
02:45Look, that's moving in the pocket.
02:47That's getting out of the way of a sack.
02:48That's getting pancake three to four times a game, being able to get back up here.
02:51Not saying, ooh, I don't know if I'm going to be able to walk on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday before I finally can get out of bed on a Friday and start practicing again.
02:58Those are the issues that you have because it's not just being out on the field.
03:01It's, hey, I felt good today.
03:03And then the next day, you don't feel so good.
03:05So what does that mean for practice?
03:06Because understand this too, Joe.
03:08From a quarterback perspective, you are the captain of the football team.
03:10You command that huddle.
03:11Your cadence here is what everybody's used to on the offensive line.
03:14You having that chemistry with your new wide receiver, Devontae Adams, along with obviously Puka Nakua, being out there on a day-to-day basis.
03:21You can't go, I'm not going to practice basically during the week and I'll see you on Sunday.
03:25That doesn't work.
03:26We understand that.
03:27You got to be in it to win it all week long, sitting there in that locker room, in that meeting room, in that film room, and then delivering out on the practice field because timing is everything.
03:36That's what I worry about.
03:37You're missing key contributions from the quarterback and the wide receiver group right now in training camp because Matthew Stafford's back hurts here.
03:44That is troublesome as you can get.
03:47It's not great at all.
03:50And nothing, again, if I'm a Rams fan, nothing I'm listening to McVay say there makes me feel any better.
03:57I mean, we heard after the Cowboy game, right, that they were, it was, we're sitting in, but he'll be back at practice and everything will be good to go, right, after the preseason getting up.
04:07Now, all of a sudden, that's the look of dread on a coach's face that we've seen time and time again.
04:13Listen, what was it?
04:14Stetson Bennett, that, you got Jimmy G, right?
04:17You got Stetson Bennett.
04:18You've got some guys that might be able, I hate the Jimmy G idea, but you do at least, you have to believe it's a coach's league, right?
04:28Coaching matters in this league, and he is one of the best, McVay, to do a lot with a little here.
04:33So, if this does extend into the regular season, I'm still pretty confident that McVay, whoever he puts under center there, he'll put him in a position to succeed.
04:43I still like the ceiling for the Rams, but obviously, it takes a hit if you don't have Matt Stafford for the season under center.
04:52Joe, we're handicappers.
04:54We like to analyze things, and how's that work in those futures markets here for the Los Angeles Rams?
04:58Because I'll be honest, in the offseason, I was really excited about the Rams.
05:01There's a lot to like.
05:02Quote, coach, made a top five play caller in the NFL, Super Bowl already under his belt.
05:07Matthew Stafford, as good as they get when he's healthy here, Super Bowl under his belt.
05:11An organization that spent some money at running back to keep Kyron Williams happy.
05:14He's a very good running back.
05:16You added a wide receiver to go with Puka Nakula.
05:18I liked everything about that offseason, which also included a young and developing front seven that can get after the pass rusher.
05:24But everything breaks down.
05:25When your lead dog at Matthew Stafford isn't healthy, what does that mean for the future?
05:29Week number one, two and a half point favorite there versus Houston.
05:32You take a look at the win total, sitting there at nine and a half.
05:34Double digits is what they have to win here in that NFC West to make the playoffs, a minus 144 price.
05:40Everything gets put on hold.
05:41You lose a linebacker, Joe, defensive end, a cornerback, a running back.
05:44It's like, OK, still got everything intact because your quarterback is there.
05:47Entering into the season, my vibes from saying, man, what an offseason?
05:51I got to hold my breath right now.
05:53How about you?
05:55I have a little bit more confidence in what they have set up behind there.
06:00And a lot of that comes from, listen, I thought Stetson Bennett looked pretty good against the Cowboys there.
06:05And I know they have the position players.
06:08They've got a running game.
06:09They've got explosive wide receivers.
06:13Again, McVay is a guy that is going to put whoever the quarterback is in a position to succeed and not lose the game.
06:20He's never going to ask any of the backups to go out.
06:23All right, I need you to go out and win a game.
06:24They'll figure it out.
06:26They'll buy as much time as they can in order to be able to get to get Stafford back on the field.
06:32No guarantees, but they will play it smart.
06:35Yeah, that NFC West here, right?
06:37You get the 49ers with a lot of question marks, talented team, but many injuries and guys that you hope to stay healthy throughout the season.
06:44Arizona, maybe that up and coming team here as we take a look at and also in the NFC West, the Seattle Seahawks.
06:48So I look at the Rams as the most talented team, top to bottom.
06:52That goes out the window if we're not going to get a healthy season out of Matthew Stafford.
06:55And we're worried about him starting week number one.
06:57Put it this way, Joe.
06:58We're worried about him getting out of the gates.
06:59He's not finishing the race.
07:01We know that.
07:01We know how this works.
07:02Not a 26-year-old that can rejuvenate overnight.
07:04In his 30s here, at the end of his prime, that could be certainly an issue.
07:09There are some other injury situations that we've got to get the people updated on, which includes with the Philadelphia Eagles and the holdout.
07:15Cam Ward over there in for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
07:17Come on back.
07:18It's your only line on a Tuesday morning.
07:20Injury information.
07:21It happens at this time of the year.
07:23You don't even get to the starting block, Joe.
07:24And some people are getting knocked out for the season.
07:26We saw with the charges with Slater.
07:28I mean, my goodness, one of the best tacklers in football just signed a big deal.
07:30He's out.
07:31You know who got re-upped this offseason, too?
07:32Landon Dickerson making a lot of money.
07:34He looked like he might be down for the entire season due to a practice at Lincoln Financial Field that happened late.
07:40Step on somebody else's foot there.
07:41Twist up a knee.
07:42And away you go.
07:43But Ian Rappaport tweeted yesterday, he was Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson, who suffered a meniscus injury on Sunday night.
07:48He's having minor knee surgery in the coming days, per me and Mike Garofalo.
07:53He's considered week-to-week with the goal of being available to begin the regular season.
07:57Best news you could possibly have for Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley,
08:01one of the best guards in football, look like he might be down for the year or six to eight months.
08:06Looks like he might only be week-to-week here.
08:08And I wouldn't be surprised if you see him Thursday night versus the Dallas Cowboys to open the season at Lincoln Financial Field, Joe.
08:14That should surprise nobody because anybody who understands the history of Landon Dickerson,
08:20it goes back to his final season there at Alabama, I believe, when he suffered a season-ending knee injury at Bama there.
08:32And then he wasn't able to participate in any of the pre-draft stuff or anything really with the first summer with the team.
08:39And then, of course, last year, Donnie, he was pulled in the game in the second half of the NFC Championship game.
08:46He was limited in practices right up until the Super Bowl.
08:50And yet, yeah, he managed to play, didn't he?
08:53And he played extremely well.
08:54So this is about as tough a dude as you get.
08:57And the fact that he's been dealing with injuries like this now his entire career, and he still figures out a way to avoid the big injury, kudos to this guy.
09:08This guy is a warrior, and it goes to show you exactly what that offensive line of the Eagles.
09:15Yeah, that's going to be a very interesting group this year.
09:19Like, he's a mountain of a man.
09:21Like, if there's any way that we can pull that picture back up on the screen from that tweet and just look at, like, Landon Dickerson.
09:25Because, look, we don't play NFL football.
09:28We're not defensive tackles, Joe.
09:29We're not linebacker safeties here.
09:31But, like, the tush-push comes at you.
09:33Like, this dude on the screen is coming full blast off the line of scrimmage.
09:38Like, how do you stand your own ground?
09:40I don't even care if you're 300 pounds.
09:41Like, wouldn't he just road-grate you into the end zone?
09:44That's what the Eagles do.
09:44I don't know how you can get around Landon Dickerson in that situation.
09:48And he's a guard, so imagine that inertia as he's pulling around the end and coming after a defensive back at, like, 198, 200.
09:57Like, you lose, dude.
09:58Like, you lose every time this guy and this entire offensive line, by the way, which is one of the strengths of the Eagles.
10:06They do have some depth there.
10:08They're still trying to figure out.
10:10I think Tyler Steen would be the backup if he can't go.
10:15But they have dumped a lot of assets into building that offensive line for the Eagles.
10:21And they got a Super Bowl ring, don't they?
10:24And they're going to defend that pretty well, I think, this year.
10:28By the way, you know what's also interesting, too, Joe?
10:29Like, when I talk about, like, we grew up in the day.
10:31Like, usually, like, guards would pull out.
10:33And if you're a cornerback, you could take the guard's leg out and sort of sacrifice yourself.
10:36You can't do that anymore.
10:38It's called, like, a block below the waist for the defense.
10:39So, you just have to take him head on when he's coming back to, like, 350?
10:44Nonsense at this point here.
10:45Let's get to the Steelers camp here.
10:46Cam Hayward, not to be confused with Cam Jordan, not to be confused with Cam Ward, the quarterback.
10:51Everybody gets those confused.
10:52It's easy to do.
10:53Defensive tackle Cam Ward for the Steelers.
10:55He wants his money, and he wants it now.
10:58Otherwise, he's not going to provide his services.
11:00What do you think about that?
11:01I usually get him confused with Cam Stewart, so I'm glad that you absolutely clarified that for us there because that is tough.
11:10Too many Cam's.
11:11But I will say this, though.
11:14He is currently the 22nd highest-paid defensive lineman in the league.
11:20Now, you tell me, is he, what, the 22nd best defensive lineman in the league?
11:28Absolutely not.
11:29Don't forget, this market got reset over the offseason here, and he is not asking for the world, but you're talking about a dude last year.
11:38He was tied sixth in sacks in the NFL.
11:42He had eight.
11:42He was fourth in pressures.
11:44He was fourth in tackles for loss.
11:46He had more batted passes than any other defensive lineman.
11:50Does that sound, even at 35, 36 years old, like the 22nd best defensive lineman in the league, Donnie?
11:58I see where he's coming from.
12:00By the way, I'm assuming this Alan Saunders is like a beat writer maybe for Pittsburgh because I'm just looking at the comments on X below, and it's kind of funny because, like, the first comment is, did he mention anything about if he got injured again or if he didn't make the Pro Bowl that he'd give money back and, you know, blah, blah, blah.
12:15And then it says, does he have to give money back for all the games he missed in recent seasons?
12:18It's people getting upset.
12:19Look, nobody really sides with the athletes all that much.
12:22Like, brother, you're making $15 million.
12:24Just be happy you're doing it.
12:25That's not the way professional works.
12:26It's not real life the way we operate.
12:28And also, this guy's a great locker room guy.
12:30Like, he's Mr. Steeler.
12:32Just make him happy this year.
12:33Try to get a Super Bowl run, and away you go.
12:35More hot topics on deck next right here on The Early Line.
12:38The fun never stops in The Early Line.
12:40It's what we do.
12:40We get the people ready for the morning.
12:42You don't even need coffee.
12:42You don't need caffeine.
12:43We give you the caffeine right here on The Sports Grid Network.
12:46It's Donnie Wright's side.
12:47It's Joe Ranieri.
12:47Now, the host of Game Time Decisions, Monday through Friday, 6.30 p.m.
12:52Eastern start, right here on The Sports Grid Network.
12:55The one, the only, he's the true Kevin Walsh.
12:57And I think it's at the real Kevin Walsh on X.
12:59Is that right there?
13:01Oh, I didn't get it right.
13:02It's all right.
13:03That's a good callback, though.
13:06Like, Moose will really appreciate that one there.
13:08Excited to be here, though.
13:10I will say I have had some coffee, though.
13:12I don't, like, Donnie, let's, let's, potential coffee sponsorships.
13:15We love coffee.
13:16Anybody want to sponsor this segment?
13:18Brought to you by, and then that could be you.
13:21So, keep that up for grabs.
13:23We're a certain bagel store up there.
13:25I'd love to be in the sponsorship business at this point from what I'm hearing here.
13:28But we'll find out that.
13:29We know we're here to talk about quarterbacks, Kevin, and quarterbacks in the preseason.
13:33You know what I'm enjoying right now?
13:34We'll start on this.
13:35Offense.
13:36Offense and more offense.
13:38Me growing up, Kevin, hey, preseason's on tonight.
13:40Awesome 9-6 battle fan.
13:42We're not getting that anymore.
13:43We're getting people to drop 50 points.
13:45But the game we're going to focus on, the Cleveland Browns, 30 points.
13:48The Carolina Panthers, 10 points here.
13:49Shadour Sanders, 14 of 23, a buck 38.
13:52And two toddies out here saying, this is my team.
13:55This is my town, Kevin.
13:57What did you make of Shadour's first appearance?
13:59I think it was really important because you have four quarterbacks on the Browns roster,
14:05and that's one too many.
14:06So, if Shadour Sanders was atrocious, if he looked like Quinn Ewers did for the Dolphins,
14:15Shadour potentially could end up being cut.
14:18That was a possible outcome if he played like that.
14:22Instead, he was really good.
14:24Now, he was not probably as, like, if you just based it off of the online reactions,
14:30he wasn't that good, but it was a good time.
14:33And he felt like a superstar legitimately within the game.
14:37And I think Sanders, through that game alone, basically secures the roster spot.
14:42And unless the Browns coaching staff is being dishonest with themselves,
14:47he should have a leg up now on Dylan Gabriel in the back-end race,
14:52which means if, let's just say, Pickett is traded and Sanders is QB2,
14:57then when the Browns get out of the bye week, guys, I don't see how it's not Shadour Sanders,
15:03Hunter Sender, with an opportunity to start eight games, if not more, for the Browns this season.
15:11Hmm.
15:13Yeah, but let me ask you a real question here when it comes to him.
15:17Him and Miles Garrett in a drag race in the parking lot, who wins?
15:22I'm just curious, because they both like to go 100 miles an hour, apparently.
15:27Listen, I almost wonder, you know what, Miles Garrett, was he told to go a little quick,
15:32just try and do it, find a, you know, to get a nice open road?
15:35We're trying to find a way to tank here.
15:37We're trying to, you know what I mean?
15:38Not too many suspensions coming down.
15:40I still can't believe, Miles Garrett, by the way, will always, for me,
15:44be the person to blame for trade requests and the NFL not mattering.
15:46Because with Parsons, we know it's about the contract for McClure,
15:52and we know it's about the contract.
15:53Miles Garrett was like, guys, I know you want to pay me.
15:56I want to win.
15:58And they went, how about 40 a year?
16:00And he went, I actually like losing.
16:01I'd rather lose.
16:02Losing's more enjoyable than winning.
16:05So what does he care about any of this?
16:07Suspend him for 14 games.
16:09That's fine.
16:09Everybody handshake, and let's see if they end up with one or two wins.
16:14Exactly.
16:15Cleveland's going to have some tough decisions to make, too,
16:17because, Kevin, when I look at the roster itself,
16:19like my evolution of thinking about how you should operate an NFL team
16:23has changed over the past couple years.
16:25Mainly the Philadelphia Eagles are picking up championships like, okay,
16:27win or bust.
16:28I don't understand.
16:30Like, look at the odds market.
16:31Joe Flacco's a minus 310 to be the starting quarterback day one.
16:34What's the point of this?
16:35I don't know.
16:36Kenny Pickett is plus 360.
16:37That's not your future.
16:39Like, I've told Joe multiple times this week alone,
16:41why don't we just play Shador Sanders game one and Dylan Gabriel game two
16:44and rotate these guys so at the end of the year we go,
16:47all right, Shador's the better quarterback,
16:48or Gabriel's the better quarterback,
16:49or neither are the better quarterback,
16:51and we won two games, and now we can pick our quarterback.
16:53Why would you start Joe Flacco in game number one?
16:57So this is the real tricky thing, Donnie,
16:59where the start to their season is miserable,
17:03and I don't mind asking Flacco, hey, take these first six for us,
17:09all right, handle the trip to London.
17:11Let's give, you know, Jerry Judy an opportunity,
17:14David Njoku an opportunity to settle in, have nice seasons.
17:18Let's give this roster a chance because, listen, team surprise.
17:22I don't think Cleveland will be one of them,
17:23but give this group an opportunity.
17:26The real confusing piece of this whole thing, though, Donnie and Joe,
17:31is unless the Browns aren't picking in the top five,
17:36which is unlikely to me, they're expected to draft quarterback no matter what.
17:41In what world is Shador Sanders or even a Dylan Gabriel going to play long enough
17:48and well enough to hold off if Arch left?
17:52I know we don't think he will, but nevertheless,
17:54Kate Klubnik, Garrett Nussmeyer, Drew Aller,
17:57all these guys with all this hype around them,
17:59that's one of the oddest pieces of this puzzle,
18:02is the Browns have two rookie quarterbacks that are noteworthy,
18:05and we all expect them to draft quarterback.
18:07By the way, they have multiple first-round picks next year's draft.
18:12Am I the only one that feels terrible for Stefanski here
18:15because he was saddled with Deshaun Watson having to play him?
18:20Now, all of a sudden, you know,
18:21you know it's a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately industry there, Kev,
18:25and when does the pressure from the front say you got to play Sanders,
18:29and if you don't win, by the way, you're fired?
18:32He's in, like, a no-win situation here.
18:35It's not great.
18:36I do wonder how much of how the Baker stuff played out is on Stefanski,
18:41how much of it was on their medical team.
18:45I remember that in real time.
18:47Like, this was, you know, when DRS and I were doing the early line,
18:49and we would come on every Sunday.
18:51It's like, that's interesting.
18:52Baker doesn't look like he can throw or walk.
18:54He'll be starting this week.
18:55Browns catching a touchdown.
18:57And, oh, look at that.
18:58Baker's still really good.
19:00Like, the guy who actually went out there, though,
19:03and won a playoff game in Pittsburgh with the Cleveland Browns
19:07is a really good quarterback,
19:08and the Browns don't have him on their roster.
19:11So I wonder how much Stefanski is to blame for that.
19:13And here's the other thing, Joe,
19:14where he loses a little bit of leeway with me.
19:16How much is he to blame for that Gabriel pick?
19:18Because the Gabriel pick is always looked at through the lens of Shador.
19:21There's not a soul alive who thought Dylan Gabriel
19:23was supposed to go inside the first three rounds of the NFL draft.
19:27And Gabriel is now soundly being beat by Shador Sanders,
19:30it appears, throughout this training camp process.
19:34So, look, I don't think Stefanski should be fired.
19:37I kind of don't think he will be fired, actually.
19:39I don't get that read.
19:41I think they could lose all but two games, and he comes back.
19:46But maybe I'm being a little – it might be a little rational for me,
19:48like, in August, right?
19:50Like, I have a level head about some of this stuff that –
19:52talk to me in week six, and I'll start firing about half the league.
19:56Yeah, shout out.
19:56Well, our game plan was always to make sure that –
19:58we were always going to pick Shador,
19:59but we wanted a quarterback ahead of him to keep his head on straight
20:01to understand he's not the lead dog.
20:02Like, nothing makes sense for what –
20:04exact motivation for what the Browns are doing at this point.
20:06But talk about motivation here for some of these rookies
20:08to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
20:10Ashton Jinty, Kevin, I expect him to be plus 1250
20:13after three carries minus one in his opening day appearance.
20:16Like, the Webb and Yama days.
20:17Like, this guy can't play after game number one.
20:19He'll be fine.
20:20Cam Ward plus 300 price.
20:22We have Hampton, Hunter, McMillan, Henderson, and Shuck.
20:25And down the list we go.
20:26Is it just Ashton Jinty and Cam Ward's world, and we're all living in it?
20:29Or is there other some opportunities down the pipe
20:31that you could check out here?
20:33Yeah, I will say I'm – Cam Ward is tough
20:37because I think he could throw for 4,000 yards,
20:39but I also don't think the Titans are going to be in the postseason race, really.
20:45They could beat a win total.
20:47Doesn't mean they're going to be in the postseason hunt.
20:49My thing with Ashton Jinty, and I understand, you know,
20:52nearly wins a Heisman Trophy, incredible at Boise State,
20:55but so much about running backs are their situation.
20:58Ask Saquon Barkley.
21:00Omari on Hampton is in a better situation.
21:03And it was like, oh, he might battle, though, the backfield with Najee Harris.
21:07Well, then he –
21:08Najee's got no eyes.
21:09Yeah.
21:10I don't know.
21:10I can't see.
21:11Listen, I'm just telling you this.
21:12This guy can't see.
21:13Half of the Chargers beat reporters actually aren't sure if that guy can see.
21:18So, Omari on Hampton, to me, should be way closer to Ashton Jinty in this market
21:24because, to me, he is the full bell cow.
21:27I truly don't know if Najee Harris is legally blind.
21:30Like, that's on the board.
21:32I'm telling you, like, oh, superficial wound, no big deal.
21:34What does that mean?
21:35Is his eye hanging out of his head?
21:36Like, just put that thing back here.
21:37He's going to be able to show up at camp on Monday.
21:39I mean, how's he going to pick up a linebacker when he can't see the guy, Kev?
21:42Come on.
21:43My goodness.
21:44It's not good.
21:45It's not good.
21:46We'll talk a little Hampton on game time tonight, by the way.
21:49We've got a couple good things coming up.
21:50Love the state at this point.
21:52That's Kevin Walsh.
21:53It's Game Time Decisions.
21:54We love Kevin on the network.
21:56He's the greatest.
21:57Come on back with us, Kevin.
21:58Please.
21:59More fun, more segments.
22:00That's how we do it.
22:01It's Sonny Wright's at a show.
22:02And Kevin Walsh back with us for another segment to talk some NFL action,
22:06which it's heating up.
22:07Like, we got college football, not this Saturday, the following Saturday.
22:10But before you know it, Thursday night in city of Philadelphia,
22:13questions will arise.
22:14Is Landon Dickerson going to be there?
22:15But more importantly, is Micah Parsons going to be there?
22:17But that's not the conversation we're having now, Kevin.
22:20It's the MVP, MVP, which right now, Lamar Jackson extending his lead
22:25by doing nothing in the summer.
22:27You love to see that at a plus 430 price.
22:29Josh Young, 6-1, Burroughs, 6-1, Mahomes, plus 650.
22:32Talk to me about Lamar Jackson.
22:35He hasn't even played yet.
22:36Why is he extending, extending, extending his lead here?
22:40Yeah, I think, I don't know, the Ravens win a preseason game.
22:44It's like, oh, they're back.
22:45They're so back.
22:46This is probably going to carry over to the regular season.
22:48The tricky thing for Lamar, I mean, the comparisons for Jokic are so obvious
22:53as it relates to the MVP races, where, you know,
22:57Lamar Jackson rips off an MVP two seasons ago, where it was all about the record.
23:04He should have not won league MVP.
23:05He was not close to the best player in the league that year.
23:08But it was the old school, who's the quarterback on the team with the best record?
23:12Give it to him.
23:13And by the way, I say old school, that is entirely how that award worked until last year.
23:18The two best quarterbacks were Jared Goff, don't kid yourself, and Mahomes, who was average at best.
23:26But that was swept under the rug all season by everyone but me.
23:29And now all offseason, everyone's like, you think Mahomes will get back?
23:32Oh, interesting.
23:32I wonder where all that conversation was last year.
23:35That's neither here nor there.
23:36The tough sell for me on Lamar in the MVP race, and I think this is fair, there's no way he isn't worse this season than he was last season.
23:4641 passing touchdowns to four interceptions, one of the best passer rating seasons the league has ever seen,
23:53and doing that while being such an electric runner.
23:57Maybe the Ravens go out there and go 15-2, and the award resets to best quarterback on the best team.
24:04Because the Ravens could be that good of a football team this year.
24:09And that's probably why Lamar is positioned how he is.
24:13But if we're going to hold his stats up against his own stats from last season, he will take a step back.
24:22That's a big ask for him.
24:24It really is.
24:25I mean, let me ask you a question here, though.
24:28Give me your top three quarterbacks in the league.
24:30If you were starting a franchise tomorrow, is Lamar your number one pick, Kev?
24:36Is it him?
24:37Because I don't know.
24:39I don't know that I'd go Lamar as my guy to start the franchise.
24:43I don't think he's the most valuable player.
24:45And until somebody can prove me that Mahomes should not be considered for this award each and every year,
24:51who are your top three guys?
24:53So this is one of these things where I think it's all about whether or not you believe these guys are going to cross the finish line eventually, right?
25:00Let's just remove Mahomes and Hurts for a second, right, with the recent Super Bowl MVPs.
25:05Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow are three quarterbacks that I think a lot of people would say with certainty.
25:11These guys are going to eventually win a Super Bowl and win a Super Bowl MVP.
25:15There's only so many to go around.
25:17Only one of them can make the Super Bowl this year.
25:20And, again, that is if they can actually get through Mahomes, who just cannot stop making Super Bowls, right?
25:26It'll be interesting if we ever see one of that or two of the trio play one another in a conference championship game
25:33instead of always having to play Patrick Mahomes.
25:37I am someone who believes Lamar will eventually get over that hump.
25:41I think Lamar Jackson is too talented to not win a Super Bowl.
25:45I thought Lamar was much better in last year's postseason.
25:48He had a slow start to that game, but basically Mark Andrews just let everything fall on the floor realistically
25:55in their comeback effort against the Buffalo Bills.
25:59On the other end of it, everybody's favorite quarterback in the world, Josh Allen.
26:02I don't trust Josh Allen like everybody else.
26:05I don't think Josh Allen is inevitable to get over this hump.
26:09I think it's very on the board that if Josh finally beats Mahomes, gets to the Super Bowl,
26:16and it's too much of a relief and he doesn't win that game.
26:19Like, he has to mean more hurdles because the Mahomes thing is such a thing.
26:25He's lost to him every single time despite always beating the Chiefs in the regular season.
26:30So, I think when you just take the last two MVPs, right, and put them head-to-head, Joe,
26:36I'll take Lamar winning that Super Bowl and getting over the hump before Josh Allen.
26:41Let's take a last MVP that we saw in the month of February.
26:44That was Jalen Hurts here, who now apparently is a Tier 2 quarterback for some talking heads
26:48and also the lists that come out, which I do find, which you can put different players in their place
26:53because I know those go back to, oh, Dan Marino didn't win a Super Bowl.
26:55You're going to say that Trent Dilfer is better than him because he won.
26:57Well, that's going to the far extreme, but I look at things like the MVP race.
27:02Jalen Hurts is a 20-to-1.
27:03You know, this is a 20-to-1, Jordan Love.
27:05You know, this is a 20-to-1, Justin Herber.
27:07You know, it's a 10-to-1, half of Jalen Hurts.
27:10It's Jaden Daniels in Washington who got his pipe smoke there, basically,
27:14in that NFC Championship game before going to the Super Bowl and had an easy victory
27:18where the best quarterback that we've ever seen, Patrick Mahomes, got out-booled by Jalen Hurts.
27:22I'm not saying Hurts should be 5-to-1 up there with Lamar Jackson at this point,
27:26but I do find it funny where a guy comes off a season, leads his team to a Super Bowl, wins an MVP.
27:31It's like, you know what?
27:32I had him rated higher last year than I do now this year because his team's too good.
27:36Where are we going with this, Kevin, with Jalen Hurts?
27:38Yeah, I mean, listen, the Hurts conversations, about 95% of them are terrible.
27:44So I would just, you know, listen to someone like myself on it because the right read is obviously there.
27:49People, they talk like, oh, well, Hurts could never win an MVP.
27:53Oh, you mean the guy who actually has a first-place MVP vote and would have won the award
27:57if he didn't get hurt a couple of seasons ago?
28:00You mean that guy's never going to win an MVP, but Herbert's a lot to win MVP.
28:06Jordan Love's a lot to win MVP.
28:07Oh, you mean Jared Goff, who's actually never going to win an MVP.
28:11These are guys that are better than Jalen Hurts.
28:13None of that makes any sense whatsoever.
28:16And, again, the difficult thing is Jaden Daniels, half the number of Jalen Hurts.
28:24You're not winning MVP finishing second in your division.
28:27You're not.
28:27Now, the commanders could win the division.
28:29I understand that.
28:30But you can't justify Hurts being double the number of Jaden Daniels.
28:35Again, for a decade or so, best quarterback, best team, that's how you win MVP.
28:40So, Hurts, even if he doesn't win it, that 20-to-1 number, you can tell, should be comfortably shorter,
28:48especially when a quarterback in his own division is half the price
28:51and shouldn't have won rookie of the year, by the way.
28:54How about that?
28:55It's Kevin Walsh, Game Time Decisions.
28:56Catch him at 6.30 p.m.
28:58Eastern Radio on the Sports Grid Network.
28:59What's coming up tonight on GTD?
29:00Any special balloons?
29:01Any big announcements tonight?
29:03What do we got?
29:04Boons!
29:04I don't know.
29:05I have to run to Party City.
29:06We will be doing some season-long choir props, though, DRS.
29:09We're looking for some value.
29:11I love it.
29:12You know what else value I like?
29:13Kevin never takes a day off.
29:15The man doesn't go on vacation.
29:16That's why we love him at the Sports Grid Network.
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