00:00So the Raiders were looking for a veteran to help Fernando Mendoza's development.
00:04This seems to be the perfect situation.
00:07I just really never pictured Kirk in Vegas because he's so wholesome, you know, family man.
00:12But he's going to be the first in line for the Backstreet Boys at Sphere, right?
00:16Yeah, for sure.
00:17Yeah, if that's where they go.
00:21The Mendoza thing, he had such a good pro day
00:26that it almost seems like a formality that that's where they're going to go.
00:30And that's the way they were kind of talking at the –
00:32Clint Kubiak was talking about the donors.
00:34I mean, I'm happy for Kirk.
00:37He's, look, I would not want anybody else other than a guy like him
00:44to be in that situation if he knows he's in that situation.
00:48It's a little bit different than what we did to him.
00:52And I say we as in the Atlanta Falcons where he was signed to be the fix
00:58in the future for the next four – about three years, I would say, two to three years.
01:02And then all of a sudden you're like, you know what?
01:04They're bringing a rookie right now on you.
01:07He obviously is knowing this going in.
01:09Yeah, we're paying – I think the Falcons pay over like around $8 million of it
01:13and the Raiders will pay – he'll only cost them $1.3 million.
01:17So Mr. Yeo was tweeting me, he's like, is this like the Tua thing?
01:20And I was like, I don't think so.
01:20And now that I read the details and more details have come out,
01:23it's exactly like it as far as how that part's working,
01:27what we're paying and what they're paying him.
01:29It is kind of sting a little bit to see him out there making that when –
01:36and you wish that you could have figured out a way to do that here to me.
01:39I would – because I'm not going to mince words.
01:41I would rather have had Kirk Cousins than Tua.
01:44But that's what happens with these deals and where they work out
01:47and the way the cookie crumbles, as they say, I guess.
01:51Yeah, I think – it's an interesting point you bring up.
01:53And I do – I don't necessarily agree.
01:56I think that I'm just ready to turn the page on the – how can I say this?
02:01The statue-esque quarterback play.
02:04You know, and he did such a good job of getting it out.
02:06But I do look forward to making a little bit more of an offense
02:10built around a moving target.
02:12You think Tua moves that much better?
02:14No, I just mean that I'm fine with Kirk not being here.
02:17And so, look, I know that Tua comes with his own set of circumstances
02:21and his own issues, and Michael's the same way.
02:24But I'm not even saying yet that I think one of those are the guy long term.
02:27You know what I mean?
02:28So I'm happy for Kirk.
02:30I think it's perfect.
02:31We brought up the thought a few days ago of, you know,
02:34if Kirk can land somewhere and mentor Ty Simpson.
02:37And we talked about how Matthew Stafford's a great guy
02:39for that kind of role as well.
02:41And if, you know, if you're L.A., you can kind of, you know,
02:43start looking to go that route.
02:44And I think there's just a lot of merit to it.
02:47I think it's the right way to do it.
02:51Now, how long does it last, right,
02:53and how much of it is built around how good the team is actually doing?
02:56If I'm Clint Kubiak, probably trying to get out ahead of this a little bit.
03:00Like, it doesn't matter what our record is at the moment.
03:02It doesn't matter if we start 0-6.
03:04If Mendoza's not ready, we're not going to play Mendoza, right?
03:08And so I think that we all thought the Falcons had a game plan a few years ago
03:12when all this was put into place.
03:13And then Kirk struggles, and then it's like, okay, Pennick's time, right?
03:17And now looking back, you're like, okay, was he fully ready for that moment?
03:21But I think you had to make that decision.
03:23So I'd be curious to see the way it pans out.
03:25But, yeah, I wondered if the starting opportunities for Kirk had dried up
03:30because you obviously think that Mendoza probably is going to Vegas,
03:34and here we are, Kirk's at least getting an opportunity to crack that role.
03:39Do you think he's going to start for a little while, though?
03:41Yeah, I think he's going to start.
03:43That's the plan?
03:44Yeah.
03:44I think he's going to start for possibly the entire season.
03:50I think it depends on how bad they are offensively and to Mike's statement,
03:58how ready Mendoza is.
04:01So you look at – Pennick's turns 26 this year.
04:08So he was 24.
04:10He was 23 when they drafted him, and he turned 24.
04:13Mendoza will turn 23 in October.
04:17So I brought that up because you're going to have a similar situation
04:22where you're going to have a guy that he might not start until he's 24, 25, possibly,
04:28depending on how ready he gets.
04:30Because Kirk, they talked about it.
04:32Kirk talked about it.
04:33Like, they had all – it all – this is absolutely –
04:36they're going to draft a rookie the way that they're talking,
04:39which will be Mendoza.
04:42And then Kirk will mentor him for a year, maybe two.
04:46I don't think it will last two years.
04:48I was going to say, you know, you have to correct me if I'm wrong.
04:51I'm pretty sure the second year of this contract is at $40 million,
04:55and I think it's a team option.
04:57And that is –
04:58It's a two-year option that's worth $80 million.
05:03Okay, yeah.
05:03So it would be $40 and $40, but the way I'm reading it, you have to pick up two years.
05:09Wow.
05:09Really?
05:10I didn't know you could do that.
05:11Two at a time?
05:12It feels like – it says it has a two-year option for $80 million.
05:18So maybe I'm –
05:19That would be crazy.
05:19Maybe it's – maybe it's the first – because it's $172 value over five years if you get it.
05:26Right.
05:26So I'm not –
05:27I just don't know if Mendoza's your plan.
05:30I don't know why you'd ever build in a two-year option at $80 for the year two or three.
05:33Okay, so they have – so they have years – the 27 season that they could pick up,
05:40and it's looking like it would be an $11 million cap hit in year two,
05:45and he would get a roster bonus for $10 million.
05:47And then maybe it's years – it's the 28-29 season that's the two-year option.
05:51It's the only thing I can think of.
05:52But, look, I think it's all – I think you do it, Mike.
05:56In case you catch lightning in a bottle, and Kirk Cousins has his renaissance.
06:01Well, I agree, but don't you think that the plan has completely fallen apart at that point
06:06if you're drafting Mendoza first overall, and you do catch lightning in a bottle,
06:11and now all of a sudden you're picking up a $40 million option?
06:17You kind of backed yourself into a corner there.
06:19Like, for a team that's really – doesn't have the amount of talent.
06:24I mean, obviously, they're picking first overall for a reason.
06:25It's not because they trade it up, right?
06:27They don't have the overall talent that a lot of teams in the NFL do.
06:30So, if Kirk's your guy and you're just going to let the first overall pick
06:33just ride the bench for a few years, that's pretty wild.
06:37They did go out and spend, like, drunken sailors in free agency.
06:43More than they wanted to.
06:45Yeah.
06:45More than they wanted to.
06:45And so, I mean, they – I mean, look, man, the NFL, dude,
06:50turnarounds happen like this.
06:51I agree.
06:52So, if Cousins goes in there and they can get – what's our guy out of Boise,
06:59the running back?
07:01Ashton Gentry.
07:02Thank you, Dallon.
07:03If Ashton Gentry, Brock Bauer stays healthy, you kind of – maybe you get something
07:07and another wide receiver in the draft, and then you go ahead
07:12and you have a defense led by, you know, what's – I can't think of anybody's name.
07:18Max Crosby.
07:19Max Crosby.
07:20Mad Max out there.
07:21Then, dude, I don't know.
07:22I thought you were going with the Georgia guys.
07:23Like, and they brought in, like, half of the Philadelphia defense.
07:28N'Kobe Dean and all these guys.
07:31So, like, who knows?
07:33They might have a better team than we were on.
07:34Maybe Clint Kubiak's Mike McDonald Jr.
07:36I don't know.
07:37I think they will.
07:38I cannot wait.
07:39This is the underlying thing here, and I know you feel this way too.
07:45Cannot wait to see what Clint Kubiak does with Kirk Cousins.
07:49Yeah.
07:50I mean, I cannot – I will be salivating to see what that game plan is in week one
07:55with Clint Kubiak and Kirk Cousins.
07:57I just, like – I have no idea.
07:59I have no idea.
08:00Are we going to be like, man, Kirk's way more athletic than we thought he was here?
08:04Or are we going to say, man, Clint really didn't have the imagination offensively
08:09that I thought he was going to have if we had brought him into Atlanta.
08:12I was like, oh, he'll unlock these offenses and move these quarterbacks around
08:16and bootleg and all this stuff.
08:17And maybe he does it.
08:18Maybe with Kirk he's just like, yeah, it's not going to work.
08:20I'm such a jerk, but I hope the first Raiders game is nationally televised
08:25and that Kirk Cousins comes out and gets in the pistol.
08:28Dude, I want that so bad.
08:31Just be like, oh, look at Kirk in the pistol.
08:35Wait until Baker's in that pistol.
08:37Just rocking it.
08:38Yeah, but, like, I don't know.
08:41You hear – the funny thing is is when you never truly know what happens
08:47behind closed doors in an NFL meeting room.
08:51Yeah.
08:51Because the Jalen Hurts article is – and I told you I'm a big Jalen Hurts fan
08:59as a person.
09:00I don't – the player, I like him, but he plays for the Eagles,
09:03so I'll always pull for them to lose and him to do well, I guess, so to speak.
09:09But the pushback that he gave on some stuff, according to the sources,
09:14about the shot – not being under center and then changing plays
09:20without just on his own because he didn't like the play they called
09:24and say, well, we'll just run this instead.
09:26It's a little bit eye-opening to where you guys – and I say you –
09:31the fans in general and media as well,
09:35it's always really quick to blame the coordinator.
09:39And I'm not saying that this is what happened in Atlanta,
09:41but I'm just saying when you have a situation where a Super Bowl-winning
09:44quarterback that played at an MVP level a few years ago
09:47is literally just ignoring what the OC calls in,
09:52don't think it doesn't happen other places too.
09:55Not saying it happened in Atlanta, but I'm just saying –
09:57so don't be so quick to blame, you know, the OC.
10:01I don't believe Cousins does that.
10:02I don't believe Penix did that.
10:03But the Jalen Hurts – was that not eye-opening for you?
10:06I – and you know this about me.
10:09Those sources, it's fishy.
10:13I just think that – to me, there was a reason those stories were told
10:18from said sources and could be former offensive coordinators of Jalen Hurts.
10:22Do you think A.J. Brown was one of the sources?
10:25No.
10:27No.
10:27But I think that there's been some coaches that have probably worked
10:30for that offense with Jalen Hurts in the past that are probably like,
10:33you know what, let me get my story out there.
10:35Just going to float this and see what happens.
Comments