This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed human. This is Special Agent Regal, Special Agent Bradley Hall. In 2018, the FBI took down a ring of spies working for China's Ministry of State Security, one of the most mysterious intelligence agencies in the world. The Sixth Bureau Podcast is a story of the inner workings of the MSS and how one man's ambition and mistakes opened its vault of secrets. Listen to The Sixth Bureau on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Nancy Glass, host of the Burden of Guilt Season 2 podcast. This is a story about a horrendous lie that destroyed two families. Late one night, Bobby Gumpright became the victim of a random crime. The perpetrator was sentenced to 99 years until a confession changed everything. I was a monster. Listen to Burden of Guilt Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. NLP was used on me to access my subconscious. Mind Games, a new podcast exploring NLP, a.k.a. neurolinguistic programming. Is it a self-help miracle, a shady hypnosis scam, or both? Listen to Mind Games on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can scroll the headlines all day and still feel empty. I'm Ben Higgins, and If You Can Hear Me is where culture meets the soul. Honest conversations about identity, loss, purpose, peace, faith, and everything in between. Celebrities, thinkers, everyday people, some have answers, most are still figuring it out. And if you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to If You Can Hear Me on my iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Sharper Square presented by Hard Rock Bet. We are part of the Volume Podcast Network. This is the show that makes the squares sharper and makes the wise guys pay attention all off-season long because we will be dropping a lot of knowledge about futures, including a little bit in today's episode. I am Chad Millman. I am joined by my BFF, my companion, my co-host, my compadre, professional better, Simon Hunter. Hello, Simon. Chad, how we doing? Look, it's the offseason for football now. There's still a ton to talk about. Like, I was, I have been on the road, no joke, it's February 12th today. Since the season began, I have been, since the year began, I have been in Atlanta for the Peach Bowl, Miami for the National Championship game. Then I was in Philly to see my older kid, D.C. to see my younger kid. And then this past weekend, I was away for the Super Bowl doing reporting on my book. And I'm going away to L.A. for NBA All-Star this week. Come back, go back to California for a trip. come back go to Boston for Sloan I don't feel like it's the offseason Simon I feel like it's it's busier than ever yeah for football I would say as a pro usually I do disappear for two three weeks here because this is our little offseason and then obviously dive right back in the combine in the NFL draft. And, you know, the NFL now really is 365. It kind of never ends. So I'm with you. It's the type of life now where it's always in the back of your mind. And even when you're doing other stuff, you're always thinking, am I missing something? Should I be betting some team's futures right now? And just like everyone else, you know, I can't wait for the draft, obviously. But my favorite day is when all the books start leaking, those week one lines. So, yeah, like we said, people are diehards. Obviously, we'll listen the whole offseason. If you're just a football fan and you're checking in and out, definitely check in on our future show. We talk NFL just because we do give out good info. I mean, last year we gave out our favorite long shots for each division. We gave out the Patriots. We gave out our – gave out sound reasoning about why we did like the Patriots. And, you know, like we said, every division we're not going to nail, but we'll go through every one, obviously, and just try to give a preview about what we're seeing this upcoming season. So, yeah, it's like we always talk about. We talk other sports. Obviously, we have really smart guests on that predict other sports. And, you know, even looking ahead this year off-season-wise for the NFL, I can't wait, right? We got the Olympics right now, and then we have the World Cup in the summer. So, obviously, we have all of our major sports in America, but we have a lot of great other sports going on right now that I want to get action on. So, yeah, it's a fun time right now for a sports fan. It's fun anytime to be a sports fan. I mean, our jobs are so silly. Speaking of silly, it's our traditional NFL offseason mailbag episode. So we get a lot of questions throughout the year and then especially once the season is over. So Matt Mitchell's been going through the mailbag and compiling them. We're going to look at them today. If you ever have any questions for us, you can always DM me and Simon at the various socials. You could also just email producer Matt Mitchell anytime, sharporsquare at gmail.com. We love to hear from you. We love answering questions. We love interacting with the folks who are listening and watching. Obvious one. Everyone's been talking about it for the past 48 hours. I mean, this is what's crazy about media. There is, it's like, there is no rest. There is no celebration. I was flying back on Monday from where I was to back to Connecticut, and I had a layover. and I'm sitting in one of the lounges and they got first take on and I swear to God, Cam Newton and Ryan Clark and Dan Orlovsky were doing first take from Disneyland and they looked like they were going to throw down about who are the better quarterbacks than Sam Darnold in the NFC. Ryan Clark looked like he was about to cry about it. Cam Newton... was apoplectic about it. Dan Orlovsky was literally standing up. And I'm thinking to myself, you guys just can't care that much about who you're saying are better quarterbacks in the NFC than Sam Darnold right now, who 12 hours earlier had won the freaking Super Bowl for one of the best postseason performances we've ever seen. The voice of reason on the show. The only person who was calm was Stephen A. Smith. That was it. Everyone else was losing their shit. Stephen A. Smith was like, guys, guys, this is what it is. This is why Dak Prescott can't be listed as a better quarterback than Sam Darnold right now in the NFC. My point for all this is I've given it some grace. We like to celebrate. But now it's Thursday. It's time to start talking about NFL offseason futures. Super Bowl 61 odds at hard rock bet right now. The Los Angeles Rams, the Seattle Seahawks, the Buffalo Bills at plus 1100. The Rams and the Seahawks are both at plus 900. Those are the shortest odds right now. The Ravens plus looks like 1300 Packers plus 1400 Eagles Simon. They're a plus 1400. Have you looked at any of these yet? Have you given any serious thought to these yet? Not really. Like I did put a single bet on the chiefs cause I booked it. Hang them at 15 to one. And it's like, all right, can't, I can't walk by that number and not bet it. Even though I really do think the Chiefs feel like they might be in the middle of a little bit of a rebuild here because they haven't drafted too great. But the coaching they have and the quarterback, I just feel like if any team can find a way, we know it's them. And at 15-1, I know Pat's coming off a serious injury here, but that one felt too egregious. And yeah, for long shots, I'm already 0-1 this year. I said it was kind of a fun bet to throw a flyer on Cleveland to like 150-1. They've only gotten worse. Jim Schwartz is out the building. It's all bad there. I'm definitely moving off that position. Jumped out to me. Our guy Shuck, 125-1 Saints for Super Bowl. I thought that was a little bit of interest in. And the Panthers are 110-1. I thought that was a little interesting. The NFC South, they're just the two teams that popped out to me right away. And I know some pros who have bet the Giants at 70 to one. I don't feel like that's good enough odds. I feel like I need 80 or 90 to one. You're betting on dart to stay healthy for a whole season with a new coaching staff and hardball. So if people want to know what pros have taken a position on, I know a couple of pros have taken a position on the Giants. Not so much these other long shots I've talked about. I'm glad you're bringing that up. You just mentioned a couple of things that are in the questions that people have been asking us about. And we're going to get to it in a second. One is about the Chiefs. One is about coaches that were on coaches that were off Harbaugh Munkin there other coaches you know Michael Floor just signed with Arizona Clint Kubiak going to the Raiders Like there a lot of a lot of new names and old names and new places that we're going to get to. Look, you've got the two AFC South teams, the Texans and the Jags at 20 to one, the bears 22 to one. I won't get sucked in with the Bengals. I won't get sucked in with the Colts. I won't get sucked in with the Chargers. I'm Lions curious at 15 to one, like if their defense ever stays healthy. They've got a new offensive coordinator. That's intriguing to me. I'm looking for second-year coaches. I should reframe that because I probably will get sucked in with the Jaguars. I like the second-year coaches who I think had proven in that first year, they understand how to build a system, and they showed improvement over the course of the year. The Jaguars had that. Can you get over Trevor Lawrence? The Texans have shown it. Can you get over CJ Stroud? The Broncos, can you get over Bo Nix? I'm curious why you didn't mention any of those three teams all at 20 to one. I just don't like the value. They're all so clustered. And I just, with those type of teams, I have a feeling if one of them start 0-2, I get way better value. And that's what I'll be picking. Because this year, the books have simply said, we have no idea, right? Usually, we have a team that's plus 500, plus 400. odds on Super Bowl favorite the Seahawks are double that they're plus 800 like that's really telling by the books about how wide open everything is so you know I talk all the time I'm wide open about what I look for with people and how what's been great and beneficial to me long term where I find success in winning offensive line defensive line if I am making a Super Bowl future bet right now if I only can make one bet you must pick a team that either has a dominant offensive line or a dominant well-known defensive line and sounds very lazy and boring it's held true it feels like almost every year i mean you could say the patriots are a little fluky they'd have a great offensive line i think they had a pretty dominant defensive line in many ways right they had a really good defensive line and by the way you're let me just reiterate your point last year it was the eagles dominant offensive line dominant defensive line this year the seahawks dominant offensive line dominant defensive line. When the Chiefs were winning, they had a really good defensive line. Like, that's not... You have their Hall of Famer on your offensive now, on the Bears. Yeah, Joe Tooney. Offensive lineman of the year. Yeah, exactly. So it's like, that's, it sounds like I'm beating a dead horse here, people, but look for that. That's something that the general population, they still overlook it. They don't realize how important it is and they're just all blinded by the big names, right? Like, I was honestly tempted to take you know josh out at 11 to 1 12 to 1 right now like that's very tempting this guy is the best he played on a broken foot if he didn't have a meltdown in that denver game they could have easily won the super bowl this year like he would have gave real problems to that seahawks defense his running style and his deep arm ability like you saw the seahawks their real achilles was being beat downfield on certain type of passes that's why stafford could rip them right those two tight end sets they dominate the Seahawks guess who runs a ton of two tight end sets the Bills so right you're looking for an AFC team that could challenge a Seahawks team the Bills got to be up there the only reason I'm not giving them out is just it doesn't feel like it's enough value here for me like if if they had an established number one receiver that feels like good odds to me but without a number one receiver I can truly trust still which I think is something they'll address I don't know if I can be putting money on the bills yet. Well, that leads directly into the second question from our fans, which is we've got 10 new head coaches in the NFL this upcoming season. Of those 10 situations, and I'll read them, let's pick two we love and two we hate. Arizona Cardinals, Mike LaFleur, previously with the Rams. Falcons, Kevin Stefanski, previously with the Browns. Baltimore Ravens, Jesse Minter, Buffalo Bills, Joe Brady, Cleveland Browns, Todd Munkin, Clint Kubiak coming from the Seahawks to the Raiders, Jeff Halfley going from the Packers to the Dolphins, John Harbaugh from the Ravens to the Giants, Mike McCarthy from the Cowboys to the Steelers and then Robert Sala to the Titans. I've got a very – The other two I hate. I just – Hold on. I was going to say one thing. Sure. I've got a counter take on the one I hate the most. That's why you stopped me, Jesus Christ, Chad. Yeah, for the two I hate, I mean, I don't know how anyone has confidence in Arizona or Miami. Those feel like total teardown rebuilds. How do you have faith in Tua? he's just regressed every year his head injuries his body's breaking down and kyler's got ex-teammates telling jets ownership do not bring this guy in this guy does not love football does not care about football he's a bad teammate so nightmare nightmare nightmare if i was an arizona miami fan i just i don't see a future especially in their division so i i feel bad for them and you know i guess tad munkins a horrible hire too by the cleveland but for just we're going just two i would say Arizona Miami that just feels like total lost causes you ready for my take I'm not a John Harbaugh guy that's fair I mean he's someone someone said he's a better looking Mike McCarthy which I totally agree with it's like we we hype him up because they won a Super Bowl years and years and years ago and that's carried them now for 15 years so I agree with He's a little overrated. I think he'll improve the culture. I think he'll make them better players. I think he'll keep them in more games. I clearly, we have never been that impressed with his decision making in the game. More importantly, his offenses are pretty unimaginative, meaning he doesn't go out and hire guys that inspire a ton of confidence. And we saw that with the Ravens. I mean, he's had the single greatest weapon in the NFL for almost a decade. A guy has won multiple MVPs and consistently in the playoffs, they will do the exact opposite thing of what they need to do to win those games. And then he'll come out and defend the offensive coordinator and the play calling to the point where it's reportedly one of the reasons why he left is they wanted him to fire Todd Monk in and he wouldn't do it. So I'm just, I'm not a hardball guy. I'm not that much of a believer. I actually think Mike McCarthy to the Steelers is more interesting. But the one that I love is Clint Kubiak to the Raiders. I mean, we saw it all season and we saw a lot of it in the Super Bowl. The guy was a magnificent play caller and took a very good talent in Sam Darnold and put him in positions to succeed. He's going to have Brock Bowers with the Raiders. He's going to have Ashton Gentry with the Raiders. He's going to have Colton Miller, who missed most of the year as an offensive lineman for the Raiders, their best offensive lineman. He's going to have him back. And then they're going to get Fernando. Now, I'm not being crazy or rational about what I think a rookie quarterback can do. But I do think if there's going to be any rookie quarterback who can marry with what Kubiak did, we saw a really, really good comp with Sam Darnold. So I like that choice. It gives it a little bit of shine and momentum in Las Vegas. Yeah, for me, I'll go with Minter to the Ravens. Love it. I think they're trying to correct the errors of their ways, which is letting Mike McDaniels walk out that door. And, you know, they know. McDonald, you mean Mike McDonald. Mike McDonald, yes. They let one of the best defensive minds walk out that door. And Minter, you expect he is going to be that type of guy, right? Like he's going to be this great defensive mind that can come in and set up that franchise now defensively because that's what's been missing with the Ravens, right? The last two years, their defense has been so far since he left. And Minter might come in and totally change that, which is what they need. And if it is over for Lamar, right, if he does get banged up again next year and they just can't rely on him once again, he's just inconsistent, And that's the kind of coach you want to be in there evaluating quarterbacks going forward because obviously this guy knows quarterbacks because he's such a great defensive mind. So I did really like that hire by the Ravens. And again, I like the hire because of how much I hate it. I'm going to go with Mike McCarthy. I hate the hire times a thousand. I can't believe they're going from Tomlin to McCarthy. So I have a history when I hate hires. Usually that's a great hire by that organization. So I'm going to go the other way on it where Pittsburgh, they've been so great at hiring these coaches. Who am I to doubt them and question them? I did not understand that hiring at all. And I know he's a local guy, and he absolutely loves Pittsburgh, and he grew up rooting for them and all that noise. But this to me was bizarre. I meant to, I thought, would go to Pittsburgh. That to me felt like a Pittsburgh guy, a young, smart, defensive mind, come in and be the coach there for 20 years. instead they went with a McCarthy a journeyman now at this point um yeah bizarre bizarre bizarre bizarre hiring especially the fact that after Rogers leaves now you're having Mike McCarthy evaluate your quarterback he's gonna be the guy that's dictating your next quarterback so I don't know where you're at with that one but um I again I like it because how much I hate it so my two favorites were Kubiak and Minter um full stop super excited about those my my second tier with Salah to the Titans Stefanski intrigues me Joe Brady feels uninspired and like the leftovers in Buffalo for some reason they couldn get anything better I don know what the situation is there I agree with you about McCarthy and the Steelers. They have always been a team that goes out and gets a super young talent. Chuck Knope, Bill Cowher, Mike Tomlin. And then that person is in the job for 20 years. That's obviously not going to be Mike McCarthy at 16 years old or whatever it is. so it was interesting to me that they sort of went away from that but the flip side is I do think he's a really good offensive coach and we've seen what he can do when he has a semblance of a competent quarterback and I think their plan I think they expect Aaron Rodgers to come back I think they want to get as much juice out of the can is the end of that era with that defense and this is going to give them the best opportunity to do it. I also think there is, no one's ever going to stop going to Steelers games, but there are rumblings on that, from that fan base about how unimaginative the offense has been and that it's been super hard to watch these games. And with McCarthy, at least you're getting a little bit more creativity and a little bit more offensive expertise. So I don't hate it. It's not in line with what they've done historically. It's not a forward thinking. Here's our future for the next 20 years coach. but I don't hate it. He's been a good coach and he's won a lot of games. That's fair. Again, I'm super negative and down on him where I look at all the stuff he does in the playoffs. Chad's talking about how imaginative he is offensively. His offenses have always laid an egg in the playoffs between Aaron Rodgers, Dak, all these quarterbacks he's had. John Harbaugh. Yeah, that's fair. But I don't know if Harbaugh is involved in the offense like McCarthy is, like we're talking here, in Pittsburgh fans I get it being 500 every year and losing the first run of the playoffs probably got old right it's it was a long run you guys might have after this McCarthy run four or five years bottom of the barrels you might become the Browns you might be three and 14 four and 15 every year like again I I get why you need to change I am worried about the way this Pittsburgh organization is going right now so um yeah it's i'm with you i feel like the two best hires definitely raiders and the ravens they knocked out the parkubiak excited to see what you can do with fernando mendoza simon it's like you're a professional podcaster because um you just mentioned cleveland and one of the questions what team is currently in the worst overall situation Arizona, New York Jets, Cleveland Browns. I think it's got to be the Jets. I think with LeFleur in Arizona, you're getting a guy who's got a really good pedigree and you've got a fresh start. And even if you do try to figure out how to get rid of Kyler, you got Jacoby Brissett there. There's some semblance of something and you've got optimism. I think in Cleveland, terrible situation. It's on par with the Jets, but you still got an elite defense. And if Todd Munkin can figure something out, you'll be in some games. I think the New York Jets are poisonous. I think it's one of the worst organizations in sports. I think they're desperate. I think they're grasping. I think they don't really know what they're doing. I think players don't want to play there. I think their ownership is sour. And their quarterback room right now is Justin Fields. And I forgot who else. Tyrod Taylor. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. Like, and no, and they're not really in a position to get a good quarterback because it's not a front loaded quarterback draft. No, it's a horrible draft. Again, no disrespect for name Mendoza in a normal draft here. It's, he's by no means a slam dunk number one. Right. Like, he is not that. But I don't know how you don't pick Arizona. They're in a division with, right now, the three best top – with top five coaches in the NFL in Shanahan, McVay, and McDaniels. McDonald. McDonald. I don't know what they can do. I just don't know how Arizona can get out of this. It's so bad. And, you know, they didn't make the right move going from Rosen, obviously, to Kyler. But that was a bust. And it set them back. It's been a waste of six, seven years. And now they're going to have to do that once again. Six, seven. Six, seven. So, yeah, it's a nightmare. Like we just said, I just can't get over how good their division is and the coaches. Where the Jets, I don't know if – as bad as it is for them, there is an avenue where they can get – they have all this draft capital now. They can get the coach. They can get the quarterback the next three, four years and change this thing. I don't see how Arizona does that in the next three, four years. I don't know if a quarterback or the right coach can fix that team because that division is just so brutal. Flukie thinks happen. Can they steal a division? Sure. But them being consistent, like we've talked about the Seattle Seahawks and them and the Eagles right now in the NFC, they're the two teams that have now won multiple Super Bowls in the last 10 years. They're the cream of the crop in the NFC where the AFC has just been so dominated by the Chiefs and the Patriots, it's just hard for me to see. Like, I don't know, the Jets thing I'm with you on, but Arizona, of all the teams, I feel the most hope is just lost on there right now, which I just – I don't want to beat them while they're down. I know they're the biggest losing organization in the history of the NFL, but my God, their ownership is just so bad. Their ownership is terrible, by the way, the Bidwells. You know how they made other money? I do, but I forget. Gambling. Right. I went to racetracks in Chicago. They worked closely with Al Capone, very closely with Al Capone, and then ended up buying the Cardinals for like 500 bucks on some deal on a yacht that the Bidwell Patriarch owned, and he bought the Chicago Cardinals. Today's show is brought to you by our presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet, Florida's sports book. I know it's tough with no football, but like the song says, I bet I will survive with Hard Rock Bet. There's always something to bet on every night. Hoops, hockey, and so much more, plus all the great same game parlay, live betting and player prop options you're used to if you haven't signed up with Hard Rock Bet yet. There's never been a better time. new signups can double their winnings on their first 10 bets, max $50. That's right. If you would have won a hundred bucks on your bet, make that 200. The Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook app is the only legal sportsbook for whenever you're in Florida. And it's also live in Arizona, Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Illinois, Colorado, and Michigan. Coming soon to more states too. Plus, Hard Rock Bet offers new promos daily. So whenever you're listening, just open the app and check out what you've got any day of the week. Download the Hard Rock Bet app and make your first deposit. Offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida. Offered by Seminole Hard Rock Digital LLC in all other states. Must be 21 or over and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, or Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida, call 1-833-PLAYWISE. In Indiana, if you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help call 1-800-9-WITH-IT. Gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER-ARIZONA, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia. In 2023, a story gripped the UK, evoking horror and disbelief. The nurse who should have been in charge of caring for tiny babies is now the most prolific child killer in modern British history. Everyone thought they knew how it ended. A verdict, a villain, a nurse named Lucy Letby. Lucy Letby has been found guilty. But what if we didn't get the whole story? The moment you look at the whole picture, the case collapses. I'm Amanda Knox, and in the new podcast, Doubt, the case of Lucy Letby, we follow the evidence and hear from the people that lived it to ask what really happened when the world decided who Lucy Letby was. No voicing of any skepticism or doubt. It'll cause so much harm at every single level if the British establishment of this is wrong. Listen to Doubt, The Case of Lucy Letby on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. China's Ministry of State Security is one of the most mysterious and powerful spy agencies in the world. But in 2017, the FBI got inside. This is Special Agent Regal, Special Agent Bradley Hall. This MSS officer has no idea the U.S. government is on to him. But the FBI has his chats, texts, emails, even his personal diary. Hear how they got it on the Sixth Bureau podcast. I now have several terabytes of an MSS officer, no doubt, no question, of his life. And that's a unicorn. No one had ever seen anything like that. It was unbelievable. This is a story of the inner workings of the MSS and how one man's ambition and mistakes opened its vault of secrets. Listen to The Sixth Bureau on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Nancy Glass, host of the Burden of Guilt Season 2 podcast. This is a story about a horrendous lie that destroyed two families. Late one night, Bobby Gumpright became the victim of a random crime. He pulls the gun, tells me to lie down on the ground. He identified Jermaine Hudson as the perpetrator. Jermaine was sentenced to 99 years. I'm like, Lord, this can't be real. I thought it was a mistaken identity. The best lie is partial truth. For 22 years, only two people knew the truth until a confession changed everything I was a monster Listen to Burden of Guilt Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts I gave her some suggestions to be sexually aroused. Can you get someone to join your cult? NLP was used on me to access my subconscious. NLP, aka Neuro Linguistic Programming, is a blend of hypnosis, linguistics, and psychology. Fans say it's like finally getting a user manual for your brain. It's about engineering consciousness. Mind Games is the story of NLP. its crazy cast of disciples, and the fake doctor who invented it at a New Age commune and sold it to guys in suits. He stood trial for murder and got acquitted. The biggest mind game of all? NLP might actually work. This is wild. Listen to Mind Games on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What do you do when the headlines don't explain what's happening inside of you. I'm Ben Higgins, and if you can hear me, it's where culture meets the soul, a place for real conversation. Each episode, I sit down with people from all walks of life, celebrities, thinkers, and everyday folks, and we go deeper than the polished story. We talk about what drives us, what shapes us, and what gives us hope. We get honest about the big stuff, identity when you don't recognize yourself anymore, or loss that changes you, purpose when success isn't enough, peace when your mind won't slow down, faith when it's complicated. Some guests have answers. Most are still figuring it out. If you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to If You Can Hear Me on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A couple personal questions, one more football question. Ben Solak put out an article this morning on ESPN.com about free agent QBs. We were just talking about the Cardinals, Daniel Jones, Malik Willis, Gardner Minshew, Kirk Cousins may be released. Kyler Murray is potentially available. Tua is potentially available. Nothing here feels exciting to me. The only one that feels remotely exciting that I'd be interested if my team got him and didn't have a quarterback, I guess is Malik Willis. But you just said it about Kyler. Two was pretty ineffective unless it was Mike McDaniels coaching him. So it feels like a desperation moment if you don't have a quarterback. Yeah. Yeah, like the Sam Darnold experiment obviously worked. But he had won 14 games the year before. Like he had shown some potential. Sure, but honestly, though, if you put Sam Darnold on the Arizona Cardinals this year, they win five games. He was not great this year. And that played out, right? He had the most turnovers in the league, so they went to a super conservative offense. That's what the big change was for them. And in the playoffs, he really didn't need to do much in the 49ers game. He was all world in the Rams game. That's why we give him so much credit. And then he wasn't so great in the Super Bowl. And that, to me, that is right aligned with a guy from you could rank him from number 12 to number 20. Like, he is in that range of quarterback where on the right day, Sam Darnold can be a top five guy. On the wrong day, he can be a bottom 25 guy. And you're going to get a mixed bag with Sam Darnold. what's been consistent for him is he's had two years now where the Vikings had a top three defense and then Seattle had a top three defense and if you're a team you know we've talked about it in Minnesota that has a good defense with a great defense of mine and Flores go out there get a Mac Jones go out there and get him a leak like give go get someone to challenge JJ because you you got your number one receiver coming out there and just shitting on the kid and now they've unfollow each other on social media and it's like that's a whole can of worms right you you do need to if you're the vikings go out there the new gm they bring in and go get a guy that we've just talked about go trade for mac because mac has one year left on his deal in the 49ers go make a deal fourth round or whatever you need to do go get him same for malik like i just we both saw like he changed going from tennessee to green bay like you design an offense around him we're using his legs rolling him outside the pocket he is a weapon now can he hold up I would say it's not looking great where he basically had limited snaps and he's taken had multiple little injuries and those little minute limited snaps so I'm with you Chad there's not much out there like there's that's and that's normal right there's it's rarely anything out there that's why Pittsburgh they were fighting over Aaron Rodgers that's how dark it was last year so um yeah it's It's Sam Darn a very unique situation, and that was something that I wish I'd taken advantage of. I know we had fans reach out. They bet, I believe, 60-1 in the Seahawks when Geno Smith was still their quarterback. So you just never know. You just never know. Bill Murray said in stripes. You just never know. Simon, we talked about this on Tuesday. you happily trolled all the Patriots fans with all their takes and all their chirping from the Super Bowl. Next season, they have a first-place schedule. You assume Drake May will be healthy. Will Campbell will be healthy. They'll still have the same coaching staff. What is your prediction for next year when they have their first-place schedule? i i would obviously expect a major regression i mean we've also seen the super bowl hangover yes very real especially the losing team especially team especially yeah like the the teams that can get away with it they usually had tom brader patrick mahomes and that was it any other team that didn't have those two guys usually have total meltdowns in season and last year you saw that the chiefs had their meltdown of season the first time ever and what is it? It was the year after they lost the Super Bowl. So, you know, I was being gracious saying they could maybe get the 500 and maybe become the seventh seed next year just because the schedule is so brutal. Like even going through it, I mean, they play your division, Chad. Your division is not easy by any metric. So yeah, if you're the Patriots and I'm a fan of their team, I'd be over the moon. You have a 23-year-old quarterback, almost one MVP. You have two really good coaches mcdaniels and obviously we know variable is a genius and um yeah when i look at their team and i say well they have 60 million dollars in cap to spend if crap's not cheap and spends that money spend some on the offensive line spend some more either on the d-line or a linebacker they could easily win their division again but we just i think we're both on the same page we expect major regression so um i'm excited to see what the books hang their total at i feel like a nine and a half would be right um but if it opens anything above that if it opens at 10 hammer hammer hammer that under i wouldn't be surprised if they open at 10 and a half given the hype uh you know just wouldn't it wouldn't surprise me um all right those are our questions today we're gonna have more as a reminder we'll have new episodes of sharper square tuesday thursday during the NFL season, except, except the last week of February. We're all taking one week off. This has been Sharper Square, part of the Volume Podcast Network. Watch or listen on YouTube at Sharper Square. Like this video. Subscribe to the channel. Download us from Spotify, Apple Pods, wherever you get your pods. Rate, review, subscribe. Leave us five stars. Say whatever you want. Feedback is a gift until Tuesday. Love you. Regulators, mount up. We're coming. This is Special Agent Regal, Special Agent Bradley Hall. In 2018, the FBI took down a ring of spies working for China's Ministry of State Security, one of the most mysterious intelligence agencies in the world. The Sixth Bureau podcast is a story of the inner workings of the MSS and how one man's ambition and mistakes opened its vault of secrets. Listen to The 6th Bureau on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Nancy Glass, host of the Burden of Guilt Season 2 podcast. This is a story about a horrendous lie that destroyed two families. Late one night, Bobby Gumpright became the victim of a random crime. The perpetrator was sentenced to 99 years until a confession changed everything. I was a monster. Listen to Burden of Guilt Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. was used on me to access my subconscious mind games a new podcast exploring nlp aka neurolinguistic programming is it a self-help miracle a shady hypnosis scam or both listen to mind games on the iheart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts you can scroll the headlines all day and still feel empty i'm ben higgins and if you can hear me is where culture meets the soul honest conversations about identity loss purpose peace faith and everything in between celebrities thinkers everyday people some have answers most are still figuring it out and if you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story this show is for you listen to if you can hear me on the iheart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts this is an iheart podcast guaranteed human
