team in free agency.
I'm hedging between two of them but I'll pick this one. I don't
love what the Saints have done, man. And and it really just
kind of starts and ends with Derek Carr. And I say that
because
I'm not sure that signing. Derek Carr makes them
a championship caliber team. And, you know, when you're talking
about the Saints, you've always got to mention that they go
through cat machinations, right? And they figure it out
and they figure out a way to
put a team together,
but I don't know Peter. I just I look at what this
Saints have done and you're still kind of relying on and
off to Injured. Michael Thomas, which I don't like what. But
like look it's just the truth is his availability has been in
question for the last few years and they reworked his deal and
that's all well and good
but does dark Derek Carr, really make you
a championship-caliber team. I don't know. I don't even know
if it makes them the best team in that division unfortunately.
And so
they've got a lot of questions to answer
with that and yeah it just it starts and ends. There is Derek
Carr really going to be the solution for
Them. I don't know and I don't even know if he makes them
the best team in that division so far and that, t, that division
is not even the best division in football and to me if that's
the case. I don't really know how good of a signing that is
Peter
Yeah, I mean
you know someday someone's going to write a good book on
on what has happened to the Raiders. And this is a crucial
year for Josh McDaniels but yeah, I'm just going to tell
you miles last year.
I was in training camp early on with the Raiders. And
I sat in on a 45-minute meeting with Josh McDaniels and Derek
Carr. And to say they were symphonic Lee one. One would be
an understatement. They
you could just tell they were finishing each other's sentences.
So I thought things were really going to go well
and I also think that when I look back to all his Years in
New England,
you know, Josh, McDaniels didn't always have a warm and
fuzzy relationship with Tom Brady, but obviously, it worked
out
and Josh McDaniels coaches guys hard and some players don't
like that. It's
Obvious that other guys like Darren Waller and
and others have not liked it early on in Las Vegas. And so
we'll see how that all works out but
I think that
for Derek Carr not to have worked
in Las Vegas when he's got a coach who is designed to get
the best out of his quarterback.
Look what he did with Jared Stidham.
I don't think that's a good sign for Derek Carr.
Our we'll see maybe Derek Carr. Now will prove Josh, McDaniels
and everyone in Vegas who doubted him wrong but and me is
look at the Raiders
over the years. Josh and Derek Carr is just never gotten them
over the top.
And last year, arguably was his worst overall year
and he leaves. And what happens? They play their best
defense in football
and Jarrett Stidham. Shreds. The 49ers with 365 yards and 31
points or Four points.
And again, look that is a matter for another day. But
and I'm not saying the Derek, Carr is a bad signing. I'm
saying that that is going to have to be approved at signing
to me,
but we'll see
miles. I'm going to pick out a team that might surprise you
a little bit because they've been totally inactive in free agency
and there's a reason for it.
I'm going to pick out the Baltimore Ravens,
the Baltimore Ravens.
Have not kept pace
with the teams in their division.
If you look at the Pittsburgh Steelers,
who have signed an excellent Garden, Isaac Suma, low
and who also signed a corner who had one of the best years
of a borderline Hall of Fame career, Patrick Peterson
at corner and then you look at the Bangles who got a left
tackle for the next four years in Orlando Brown
and all the Baltimore Ravens, Have done is sine 5 very very
low cost. Low profile
roster filler guys
in free agency. That's all they've done. They have not
tangibly improved their team and there's a simple reason
because they've got Lamar Jackson
eating up a lot of cap space
when they don't even know. If they're going to employ
Lamar Jackson in 2022,
and I would just make this point. In about this,
this sort of,
you know,
Bad Blood apparently between the Ravens and Lamar Jackson,
that seems to be holding up a deal. I'm not sure there is as
much bad blood, as people think there is,
but there obviously is some
from our Jackson, not to be sign. Right now. One of
the things that he has to realize is that
the longer he waits,
and the longer. He basically holds the Ravens hostage and
you could argue, we'll wait a second, the Ravens could just
pay him a fully, guaranteed five-year contract.
As I have talked about on this podcast and in my column paying
Lamar Jackson a market rate, five-year fully guaranteed
contract to me,
would be the height of insanity.
And so they're not going to do that.
Nor should they do that for a guy who was Miss 34% of
the snaps, the last two years due to injury. So by Lamar Jackson
not getting a deal done, not
sort of quote playing ball
with the Baltimore Ravens.
Ravens, it says to me to things.
He doesn't really care
that much about what this team is going to be like
and all the all the players that they lose by not being
able to establish
a contract with Jackson
with a cap friendly.
2023 number, that would allow them to go out and enrich their
roster.
So, there's that. And then the other part of it is, and I've
thought of this miles,
he might be Saying,
I just don't care about the Ravens, and I am going to force
my way off this team.
Just watch me. And so, at some point, you know, if they do not
get this contract, done
miles Simmons,
I don't know what the point is. Is the point going to be June
19th.
Is the point going to be August 10th. What is the at what point
if they can't get a deal done
and Lamar Jackson?
Has not signed his franchise tag at what point will
the Ravens say?
That's it. Let's and just cut them
and just and, and let him go.
And then move on this year, with
pick a guy, Matt, Ryan, or, or some
person to play quarterback this year and then figure that
we're going to do something next year about our quarterback
situation. The last thing I'll say about vault Two more miles.
If I'm Eric. DeCosta, if I'm John Harbaugh, if I'm Steve
Bisciotti, Ozzie Newsome. If I'm the Brain Trust of that
team.
I am saying, who's the best quarterback in the second tier
of quarterbacks? Be on the top. Four
who is it? Is it Hendon hooker of Tennessee?
Who exactly is it?
And I would be telling my new offensive coordinator Todd Monken.
We want you to study every one of these quarterbacks like
you've got to take one to win games this year.
So I think you're going to see the Ravens take one in the top
two rounds will see but
if they don't have Lamar Jackson signed
by draft day, I'll be shocked. If they don't take
a quarterback in the first two days of the draft.
Oh Peter, I thought you said we weren't going to beat people
over the head. With Lamar Jackson talked in the first
part of the podcast now but I how I lied I lied.
Look I just I I continue to think that
the way that Lamar Jackson has gone about this is bad business
and you know he has the right to do what he wants. He has
the right to represent himself. He has the right to reject any
contract that he doesn't want.
But I think right now kind of what
Seeing with the Ravens and you pointed this out, right? It's
a 32 million plus a little over thirty two million dollar cap
hit that the Ravens have to have right now because Lamar
Jackson is only on the franchise tender and he hasn't
even signed it yet.
So, at this point, the Ravens are kind of hamstrung and what
they can do. But at the same time you
you haven't really heard about any team being legitimately
interested in trying to work out an offer sheet with Lamar
Jackson. And so that is where there's just sort. This impasse
and you know, I don't really know how that gets solved and
I think it would be good business for the Ravens to say, yes, we
know we need to take some sort of quarterback because
in look, Tyler Huntley, I think,
is it capable backup? But I don't know that trying to start
him for 17. Games is really going to get you to where you
need to be, right? And I say that with all due respect to
Tyler Huntley. But look, I mean, with the last time we saw
him, he
was fumbling at the goal line and Cincinnati return the darn
thing. NG for nearly 100 yards and, you know, had
a game-changing play in that playoff game. So it's just your
at this weird impasse.
You know, Lamar Jackson does not have the deal that he wants
and he can still seek it,
but yeah. I just
it doesn't seem to be good business
in my opinion right now
with what is going on in there.
And I don't really know how you solve that
without Lamar Jackson, having some sort of change of heart.
Because at least they right now, it seems like he is Very
stubbornly and thus can be a good thing for him, right? If
he gets all the money that he wants eventually and I don't
know
that he's going to do that
but he is locked in on exactly what it is that he wants,
we don't necessarily know that but whatever it is that
the Ravens had not been willing to match it. So at this point
you're just at this impasse and the Ravens have to have some
sort of contingency plan where they will be. Okay, at
quarterback. Not just, you know, in the coming year, even
though they want Lamar Jackson to be there,
you got a plan. An for the fact that he might not be. And yeah,
I just I don't know how else you can do it.