Second Thoughts: Adam Peters' big moves

0:00Hello and welcome to my podcast. Do me a favor, subscribe to the giant comic port, whatever you get your podcast if you're watching on YouTube, hit that like button, hit that subscribe button, you can find a serious part of Empire Media, AMP, I already always much appreciated when you tune and don't forget that you can read my work on ESPN.com. I'll have a story up later this week about the commander's phrase and approach this office isn't in how different it is compared to the last two and it's kind of a different approach each year and it'll be a different one this year and probably a lot more aggressive. So not even probably. Anyways, so look for that on ESPN.com and again, I tell you I do videos a lot I have already one up now explaining the Martian Latin or not explaining the release but just kind of what comes next. I'm going to get into that in a few minutes when I do a second thoughts here, not five

1:00thoughts but just second thoughts. So I'm just one little programming, not going to do a Zoom for the gold this week and probably not next week because the free agency but we'll get back to it right after that. So and then also Ben standing, Brian Weinstein and I, we did a little, we basically recorded three podcasts and one but we just kind of did it up and we each wanted it on our own podcast. For example, on the first, the first round of the podcast will be on Ben's last man, standing podcast, which is about the commanders in their offense and the pursuit and, you know, they're what we see them doing in the off season, et cetera, and just some discussion around that. I have one about the defense, what they need to do and just look in ahead, et cetera. And then Bram finishes up with some state of the union with the commander. So look for that later this week, all on empire. So you can find it all there. So anyway, now you know. Let's get into my second thoughts from some of the moves that have happened recently and just some things that have popped up recently. We'll start with the Marshawn Ladimor release.

2:01So there was zero surprise by that and I know some people are freaking out because he hadn't been released yet. There was no benefit to releasing him early. Therefore, like, yeah, I know for fans, it would have felt better. You feel like you get a little pound of flesh, I guess, but that's not how they operate. They're not fans. You conduct yourself a certain way. Marshawn Ladimor's agent is a respected agent who has a lot of clients. You don't, you know, they wanted a way to talk to him in person at the combine and go over what they're going to do and it wasn't like there was a big secret. There was never any debate about it. They weren't going to keep him, but they wanted to do it a certain way. And so that's what they did. And I think partly why the, you know, Adam Peters gets an A and Josh Harris gets an A plus and Dan Queen gets an A plus is because of handling a situation that way. It's the proper way to do it. So for fans, it may have felt good if they did it right after the season because like, yeah, yeah. But that's not how you operate. You don't operate like that because it's not the proper way.

3:02And again, they're freeing up 18 and a half. There was never going to be on there. But within that, I don't want to take a look at some of the big moves that Adam Peters has made going overdraft picks and signings, but that was one of three trades he's made. The other two for Laramie Tunsell. That's a trade that is really, to me, has worked out. I know they give up. It's a net of three draft picks. That's a lot, but they've got a guy that they will have here for the next probably five or six years. You can have them there at playing at a certain level. Again, look at Trent Williams. You look at the way Tunsell takes care of himself. And you look at the effectiveness of his play. It hasn't, he had a really good year last year. His play has not decreased so they can feel pretty good about him going forward. That to me was a good trade. Now, could you have solved that with maybe not having to invest that much? Maybe. But some of the guys, this is where you go back to Framie. Everybody wants them to be aggressive and bram and I have talked about this and be on one of the podcasts. But who is there in free agency that would have said like, that's the guy you have to get to solve this problem.

4:03Had Ronnie Stanley become available? That's probably the guy. But he did not become available and that's the problem with sometimes a Framie. See, guys who are free, you go after the season, get this guy, this guy, this guy and then they're not free. So then what do you do? Will you trade for Laramie Tunsell? And now you have a big problem solved for the next five, six, however many years. Now I know they got assigned the extension and I keep repeating myself that it's a much, much, much different scenario with this one and Terry McCloan. It is absolutely not apples to apples. Now I say that and they still got to get it done. So I can't, I can't say this and then not have them finish it. They have to, they have to close the deal. But it is a far different situation. They are much further ahead in that discussion than they were with McCloan at this time and the two sides are much more in alignment about the level of performance of the player and where that player should be paid. There was a definite disagreement with McCloan. I know it's funny because some people still put a lot of the blame on the franchise or on Peters like with the initial offer, you know, my understanding and you've seen

5:07it reported. And what I was told and again, multiple people reported this that they wanted top of the line money for a non, for a non quarterback like that was never going to happen. And so like that was when you come back with that, it's going to always make it a more difficult transaction that's not going to my understanding. It's not going on here. Like again, this team believes that that learning the tonsil is one of the best. If not the best tacos, the link there, so there is no doubt about that. So you automatically get to pay him a certain amount and, you know, and there are no tacos. I don't know. They're going to be available in free and see that they're going to take that money a lot higher. So it gives you the ability to do that last year. There were multiple receivers who were available, who made that market go up and up or at least extensions or whatever. The market kept going up and up and up. And then the DK Metcap deal kind of through things out of whack a little bit, but he had the leverage because he got traded to Pittsburgh.

6:09So they Pittsburgh had to make it work. So they kind of went to a certain point and these guys want to top it. That's again, so like, but the point is that's not what's taking place here. Still got to get it done, but it is a far different thing. And they do have the proper, they have the right guy at left tackle. And they can feel really good about that. The Debo Samuel trade. So it was a fifth round pick and he was productive this year. You're not going to keep him. He did have a, you know, big cap number. So I think that was a good trade because they got way more out of him than you would for a fifth round pick, but it's almost almost assuredly only going to be a one year situation with Debo here. So, you know, but again, most times out of fifth round pick, you're not, you're not going to get that level of production. So I think it was a shot worth taking. And I think the problems with the offense were not about Debo Samuel. It was about McCorn being hurt, Daniels being hurt, no brown never playing. So that was a problem. It wasn't Debo. Debo did his, held up his end in the bargain for the most part.

7:09I think if those other guys had been there, he'd have been more productive. So I think that was a fine shot. So then like those were the three big trade. So of those, one really did not work. One really did work. And one you could say like, yeah, that was pretty good. But the latter more one, you know, revisiting that trade at the time. The main reason why they, if they're not 7 and 2 at the trade deadline, they don't make that trade. And, and, you know, because like they looked at the landscape of their own roster and said to compete in the playoffs, you need better corner play. So they, that absolutely was a gamble and it did not pay off. So, you know, does that, does that, you know, if you, you sign some guys, you trade, you make a big move, the, sometimes they do not pan out. You can't be afraid to continue doing those. Like, you know, Holly Roseman is very aggressive. They, they sign guys who absolutely do not work out. But they have enough to cover it up. And that was the, the issue here is like they didn't have anything.

8:09And you can kind of go back to like the reason why they had to trade for Latin more is because a manual Forbes doesn't work out. Like he should have been there no more in corner or if they had, if the previous regime had taken Christian Gonzalez or someone else instead of him, maybe you don't, then you probably don't even make that trade. So there's a lot of reason they went to it. And again, the fact that there was seven and two, they're much better than they anticipated. They wanted to make sure they could compete. And the funny thing is that St. Jews had to keep going back into games because when Latin were played, he was not, he was a shell of his former self for sure. And you know, it's funny because I know some people I, they would have rather had the drapes. I think that you were so magical that I know what happened last year was the complete opposite of that. But 2024 was so magical that, you know, I would think you'd want to have that year, the entire year because of what it meant because of what Jane did and all that, then having the draft picks still, right? Or having a less year just to keep the draft picks, like, you know, give me that kind of year all the time.

9:10Now, you don't want to follow it up the way they did and now you've got to bounce back and get back to a place where you can then consistently compete. Like that's the goal here. It's not to do that once and once you do it this year, then not the next year consistently compete. Can you build that roster to do that? And to do that, you're going to take some of these moves, but to do, to really get to the roster, you want, like, those trades in the frame sheet should be filling in and it should not provide the foundation. The foundation still has to come from the draft picks and that's where we still say, okay, there's juries out there, man, because I think last year's class, pretty good. Like I like, you know, kind of, Josh Connelly, he looked, he definitely improved. I think by the end of the year, did a really nice job. I like what his future holds. Trey Amos, did a really nice job as a corner. So there's your first two picks. First time in a while that the picks in the first round, rounds one and two seem to be guys who are going to work out. So I think JLM, as a fourth round pick to be, to have the impact he's had as a punt

10:10returner, and then, you know, that's what you want and then become a part, become at least a contributor on offense, right? To make that look like a good pick, then if you can do that, and I think, like, I like how he improved, I think to me, like, is, if you look at it, like, in their, in their eyes, you know, you got McLaren, you, you bring in receiver X or whatever, then you have, and maybe two of them, then you'd have McCaffrey and Lane and those guys, and however you use them, and if you can bring those guys in, like, especially with Lane and come in and give some impacts once more, because he does have speed. I think he can help, then that's, that's really, that becomes a very solid fourth round pick, because we already know he's a very good punt return, Crasky Merck, as a seventh round pick, terrific pick. Look what he did. Like, now, whether or not he becomes your main guy, he's a seventh round pick. Like, guys, like, you don't get that kind of value out of seventh round picks very often. And I think that guy can improve because he didn't play. He, he went from playing a smaller level of division one football to one game at a high

11:14level of division one to the NFL and rushed us for over 800 yards. He is still a raw player, and as far as, like, developing, could he become an all around back, you know, more of an all around back, you know, and how does he improve as a runner? Does he fit really, how would he fit in this system? I think he should be a good fit. He's a good one-cut runner. He's a good vision. So I think that should be a nice mix. But I definitely think they're going to they're going to bring in other running backs. He's the only one he's the only one side. So they're absolutely going to sign some other running backs. But he's a guy for the production he had, for what he could do here in the future. That's a good pick. So the one pick we don't know about is came a driver. So overall, though, and my, you know, he could become a, I think for him to max out, if he becomes a good special teams player and a contributor on defense at some point, that's, that would be really good for him. If he just becomes a really good special teams player that contributes to winning, that's also very good. So you have a class with five guys and, you know, certainly two of them are starters.

12:15One of them is a really good punt returner. One of them, and could be a quality backup. The other one, if nothing else, is a quality backup running back at the worst. So, you know, like that's a, that's a pretty good class. Now the first class has to do more this year. Obviously, Jane Daniels, that's a, and I know people think it was no brainer. There was a lot of discussion in this town among the fan base about who should you take it? Should you be Jane Daniels or Drake Mead? I, I said, Jane Daniels at the time, I'd still say Jane Daniels. And, you know, I still think he's going to be very good durability. That's it. So we'll chalk that up, right? But then it's the day two picks, like those guys have to be better, Ben Senate. Again, we talked about this. This offense is much better for him. He's already a good blocker. I like what he did as a blocker last year. You take away the second round designation. He, he was a solid player in that role. He's got to do more as a pass catcher. How much can this offense help him? They are still going to look for another pass catcher as a tight M to supplement.

13:15I still think they look at him as a Kyle use check type. And that's not a primary guy, but a dude that can absolutely help you in multiple ways. And get some, get some, have some games as a pass catcher that can really help you, right? So that's what he can become. Brandon Coleman may end up starting this year. We don't know what kind of starter he's going to be as a guard over the course of a full season after he's had time to really just a position. Can he stay durable? Johnny Newton, I know there's excitement for him, got to show it. And if he does, like, this is the year you have to do it. Same with Mikey Samus to like, not a good year last year, according to next year on stats. He gave up 10 touchdowns as the nearest defender. He gave up more yards than anybody else on the team as when in coverage when he was the quote, nearest defender. Now take that for what it's worth, but it was not a good year for him, but I definitely know that they believe he can have a good year in this system. Now you have to go and do it. But again, like that group, that group really kind of determines the success of that draft

14:17class. You need a couple of those guys to become consistent starters, right? Whether it's Sam was still in Coleman or Coleman and Newton, whomever it is, got to do it. McCaffrey. I like him as a contributor to the team overall. He's a good special teams player, tough guy, competitive. Can he develop as a receiver? Now he did, he's shown enough last year. There aren't a lot of times when you're watching practice where you say, wow, just wait. But you know, again, like I know people here, like, hey, he's still adjusting position. They felt like he's been, he started to mature as a pro last year. How does that translate to this year? So, you know, you see how that goes, but you've got to, he's got to do more. Jordan McGee has a chance to become a starter this year. That could be, that could help, that would help that class look better if he comes through. Because then it's like, you know, Javante Jean-Baptiste, can what, where's he at in the rotation? They're going to certainly pursue at least one or two defensive ends and free agency to sign. Then you have Jordan Armstrong that, you know, maybe you bring Dietrich Wiseback, Jacob

15:18Martin. You know, it sounds like they've talked to him about coming back. So I think like, you know, where does, where does Jean-Baptiste fit in there in the whole scheme? I thought he did a nice job before he got hurt. Could be a good rotational piece. But again, you need some guys or those day two picks to start to really make this a good class. Like otherwise, like they have to provide the foundation, like some of these guys, and then Dominique Hampton was cut, of course, some. But there's like, there are guys in there that could, could help you, but they've got to do it. And some of them you can, I consider and say, well, this guy could do this, well, you got to go do it. That's it. Because if you do, now this class looks better, and then in your eyes and Adam Peters is going to look better. And this is, you know, so I think like that's all a big part of it. The NBA and NHL seasons are heating up and baseball is right around the corner. And for all of your needs, go to Fandall to check out all of the great options they have

16:21for you to place your bets and get in on all of the action. How about that trade deadline, flipping things around for a number of the contenders in the NBA as we head towards spring? How about March Madness just a few weeks away as well as we get set for one of the great tournaments in American sports? You can get everything you need and all the action you are looking for at Fandall, a proud sponsor of this and all of the podcasts here at Empire Media. Fandall, get in on everything. The other thought is going back to the old line because with Tyler Beatis being cut in Chris Paul, not, you know, unless he comes back on like a one year deal because his market isn't there, most likely would be gone. So where is this old line investment? So let's look at that like tonsill going to get paid, going to get really going to get a lot of money this all season. Then you have Sam Cosmi who got paid last year now Josh Connolly on a rookie deal.

17:24That's good for that position. But that's in the investment there was first round pick. So your three best linemen are still here right now. So Beatis was not, you know, certainly not one of their best linemen last year. And then Paul did a very nice job. But if you're going to say which three would you want for the future, it's a three they're keeping. Now, having said that, I come, I remember thinking like, hey, they're in a really good spot with their line. It's a really good foundation that did not anticipate the Beatis cut at the end of the year. There were times during the year though I had conversations with people like it doesn't seem like he's some of these games they didn't look as good with he didn't look as good. So, and the bottom line is I still think they have the good foundation because they have three guys who are the guys you want to build around. And I do not, I do not anticipate them spending big for a center. They're not going to go out and get a tile a linear bomb because it's just going to be

18:26too much money. And again, I just point out like Cosme got paid, tons of going to get paid, you're not going to then go give huge money to a center. You do have to fill that position, of course. But you know, we know that Nikkei already can do it, right? We know that he's going to get a chance to compete for the job. And then he has to show it that he can do it. And I say compete for the job because nobody has told me, oh yeah, he's going to have the job. It's next. Nobody has told me that it's always they could go get somebody who could start. Or bring in someone who would compete with Allegrettium, whether that's free agency, the draft. I don't know. But that would be the plan. But again, they still have the base, I would say, to have a very good line because of those three guys that Connerley and Tonson and Cosme are your three best moving forward. And they are here. But you still have, and again, with Column, Column was a third-round pick. That's the guy who should be in that position, right? I mean Paul was a fifth-round pick and it took till his last year on his contract before he really showed that he could actually do something.

19:28Column more athletic, got to stay durable, see what he can do. But I still feel good about that group. And I like the fact that they brought back Andrew Wiley. I think that was a good move and brought back Allegrettium. And they redid his contract, so I don't know what the cap number is going to be for him now. It was going to be 7.1 million. They re-structured it, got him another year. So I haven't seen the terms yet. But I like that those guys are back. I felt like, you know, one of the strengths of that line last year was like, you talk, I was just talking casually to Andrew Wiley, talking casually to Allegrettium or even Column. Like, all those guys were in situations where they lost their job. Like, Wiley was bench, right? Or it was under bench, but Wiley had, he was a filling guy, but always getting bumped out. Allegrettium got bumped aside. You know, Column had the job, got benched, and they all handled it very well. I think it speaks highly of them, but it's also what speaks about that group. And that group was also Paul and Beatis.

20:31And so like that, you know, how would the dynamics, how would that be? But I did like how they handled it. And so I think having guys who are pros in all senses, the word is a definite plus. So anyway, just want to point that out. Oh, one of the things, this is another thought here. One of the things that we talked to Andrew Wiley on Tuesday for a conference call. One of the things he talked about was somebody asked him about playing in blouse system in the no in no more no hot or whatever. And this was an interesting point because like when you focus on the no hot, it's usually about how it simplifies things for the quarterback a lot of times because they can regulate the defense a little bit and you know, they maybe they're not going to play as multiple coverages you would as you would otherwise. And so then conversely, the offensive system doesn't have to be quite as complex to then combat them. So and then there's also the pacing of it, right? They weren't always playing ultra fast, but they would go at times at a little bit different pace.

21:32And that which I think is, you know, you're still would want to do at times. But when one thing that Wiley said for the offensive lineman is by by huddling, they'll know more of what's going on. So as he said, when you're not huddling, you're knowing what your assignment is, but you don't always know what everybody else is doing. Because but when you're in the huddled, you hear what everybody else is doing. So you have a clearer picture of what's going on. I will say like Wiley did say he liked playing for Kingsbury. This is, you know, this is a difference in the styles, but that is one benefit that he felt would be for washing his out with the lineman. You have a better sense of all that's going on behind you and around you. So just wanted to point that out. Another thought is I'm a big believer here and so are they about building up both sides of the lines on the ball. So obviously, like I just told you, they're not going to go out and sign a big center, but the investment there with this off season for them and the line will be the the tonsil extension. You still have to get a couple more guys. You still have to build up more depth, but that that extension will be a big, big aspect

22:35of their offensive line this season. And I feel really good about where that group is at defensively. Again, you need Newton to step up. You need you need to find a couple of defensive ends. You need endurance. I'm strong, healthy. If you get that, then you have a chance to have a pretty good line because like the tackles I think painting Kimball, I don't think either one of them, neither one of them that had a pro bowl year, the last few years, but they are solid players. Like those are the two guys that people were, other teams were worried about when they would face Washington. They weren't worried about a whole lot else. Trust me. I think you know that too. But with painting Kimball, that's where you can build around a front. If you go out and get a jail in Phillips, or you go out and get whomever else, get my fans, someone else, and then get Armstrong back, now you have a lot more at your disposal and your arsenal to make that group work up front. And I think that would be a big deal. So if you can get that group solidified and get the O-line solidified, now you have a chance

23:35to build a foundation that you want moving forward. Like the Eagles won in large part because you had that foundation both sides of all. If you look at the COX and their defense, that's a big part of their foundation, right? And you know, I think the offensive system was such that, you know, the line was very good, but there were a lot of parts to it, right? Kenneth Walker, a very good back, going to be free. But you look at their offense, it was Jackson Smith and Jigbel was the one playmaker. So everybody wants to get all these multiple playmakers. Seattle really had one big guy and then Walker was a good back. And they used everybody else properly. It was the way they used the play action out of from under center that really kind of made, gave them their explosive place. And then the defense was terrific and they didn't turn it over and that was a big game. So there you go. And then finally, pre-saw, running back guy that I really liked, going to have the tag on him. So it takes him off the market. I didn't think they were going to go out and give, go out and sign him because there

24:36going to be some other interesting guys available who are cheaper, who fit what they need. And whether it's, you know, ETN or, I mean shoot, Walker is a very good back, would be cheaper than home, although he might get a bit, a bit, a bit bigger deal. And there aren't a lot of great backs available in the draft. So if you want a running back, you may, you know, a lot of times that position gets, you know, lesser value, will that be the case this year because it's not considered a great draft for running backs outside of Jeremiah Love and there's obviously a couple others. But that's, so I wonder about how that goes. But there will be a few guys that you could go get that just to bolster this group. And I think they're going to really go hard at receiver as well. And then obviously tie them. But I would, I do think like the pre-saw one and then, of course, Trey Hendrix did not get the tag and since then he is available. Would you want him? Let me know in the comments. And I'd be curious if you would, what would you be comfortable paying him the, the concern I would have is at 31, how much do you give him, right?

25:39I would be less, I would only be comfortable with a three year deal. So that way, after two years, like, you know, what, maybe he's done, then I'd say, okay, now you can move on. But I wouldn't be comfortable with anything about above that because at that age, it's just, it becomes difficult. So, but, you know, I think, I think in an ideal world for them, they're going to go younger and get some, you know, get a lot of athleticism up there, whether it's, again, Jalen Phillips or somebody of that, you know, whether it's OA, I mean, everybody's got some sort of issue. I think that's the issue with the problem with three inches that while there are guys that kind of names, everybody's got something to their past, you say, like, there's a, yeah, good year here, but, yeah, I didn't do this, but did this, but, you know, there's all sorts of it. It's good or bad. So, I mean, Jeremy Chin, they got a couple years ago, that was a, he didn't have a good year before he came here, but they still bought, they bought into him and they signed him. And of course, could they have kept them? Yes, they like Will Harris a lot. And so does Doronti Jones, but, like, but that was a good signing couple years ago because

26:40he did not have a great year in Carolina the previous year. They still went after him and he had a good year here. So, there you go, folks. And that's about all I got. Appreciate it. I'll be back on Wednesday night slash Thursday with part, my part of the trilogy with Ben and, and Bram talking about the commanders and the defense and what they can do with, what, where the state of the defense is, frame C and all that good stuff. So, look for that Wednesday night Thursday, appreciate you turning in. I will talk to you next time.