Jody Mac here with you on the Infinity Sports Network. I'm in on the Friday night for JR Sport Brief, and we're jumping around to a couple of different sports. We definitely have to talk about the National Football League because football is back. That's right. All camps underway.
Some things already happening, even though no games have been played. The first game that will be played, my next guest will be at. I can guarantee you that. I know for a fact because he's been a Hall of Fame guy forever. He is in my guest Hall of Fame because he's been coming out with me for 37 years, 37 football season.
That's right. You need to follow him on Twitter at Bax Football Guru. You can find his writings on NFL Sports Zone and a couple other places. My good friend Russell Baxter joins me on the Infinity Sports Network. Hello, Russell.
How are ya? I'm good, but I'm a little confused. How could I have been on it with you for 37 years when I'm only 40 years old? Yeah, it's amazing. I had you on at a very young age.
Yes, you and I were both quite young when we got this whole guest radio thing going. First things first, I already looked at your Twitter account today. For those who didn't shame on them, at Bax Football Guru. How many days till the first game of the year and whose number does that signify? Oh, well, it's six days until the Hall of Fame game and it's forty-one days.
Until the open between the Cowboys and the Eagles.
Now, take your pick on 41s and so on, since we're. Chief Byers is a great number one, 41. Charlie Waters. Um, Mike Bass, who was the guy who picked up Gary Your Premier's goof. In Super Bowl VII and returned it for a touchdown for the only touchdown for the Redskins during Miami's perfect season.
So Uh it's not a it's not a 41's not necessarily a big Hall of Fame number, and neither, by the way, is Effect. And so now we get to 40. The next day, some guy, uh Gail Sayers maybe, might pop in. to the conversation and so on. But I love doing the countdowns and I've told people this.
My favorite thing is when some of the players who you reference actually retweet you and And give you a big thank you. Though that is that is very cool, and I don't think Boomer ever called Mike Bass largemouth. I think that was reserved for Kevin on the baseball side, but I may be wrong about that.
So shout out to Mike Bass and his Super Bowl moment. All right, Hall of Fame game, you're bound for Canton. Good group going in this year. I'm specifically excited to watch over the weekend because the two guys that I've made the biggest case for over the course of my sports talk career, which as we've just noted is 37 years. I've been Joe Cleco, Who had to wait a long time and didn't get in till the veterans ballot.
And Eric Allen, who I saw during his entire time here in Philadelphia, and I thought was an unquestioned shutdown corner. And for both of you guys, I think it took a little long for them to get in. But Kleko first, Eric Allen second. I know him from his Philadelphia days. You know him from his ESPN days.
Exactly. And of course, his stints with the Raiders and the Saints and a lot of interceptions, a lot of pick fixes, too. I remember. I want to say 1993 against the Jets. at the meadowlands.
I think he went ninety three yards and the Eagles I think we're down twenty one, nothing and they came back and won thirty five thirty one. That that one sticks out to me. Eric, who is Such a pleasure to work with. uh such a a a good person to deal with and so on. Uh small small world.
Um his son Um plays Played football at Cheshire Academy, which is three minutes from my house. Really? Yes. and play for a coach named David Dyckman, who now coaches and is affiliated with the UFL a UFL and So daper. And that over the last couple of years, Eric and I were able to reconnect.
I mean, he's he's not in the ESPN anymore either.
So Uh but just a great guy and part of those great Philly defenses of the late eighties and the early early nineties and that You know, that 1991 defense. You know, one occur first against total yards, first in rushing defense, first in passing defense. uh all those big stars and so on. Um And and it's ironic now that You know, the Eagles Still playing some punishing defense, just ask Patrick Mahomes. I still to this day say that 93-yard interception you referenced.
Probably the most yards covered by an interception because Eric went back and forth the field twice. It wasn't just a straight pass down the sideline interception. He made several moves to take it to the house. It was not a bad out pattern by somebody. No, at all.
No, he. He got his money's worth. His whole run reminded me of uh when Deshaun Jackson took his time to get in the end zone. Um Against against the giants. Uh oh my goodness, that's back like what 2010 now?
And that wild comeback. There's other there. How how many versions are of the Miracle Metal Meadowlands are? I mean, they have more sequels than Rocky. I think that was number two.
I think they've snuck in another one or two since Eric since our boy, another ESPN guy, Herman Edwards, picked up the ball and went the other way for the Giants and Eagles doing battle. All right. Not only Eric Allen going in this weekend, but Jared Allen as well, one of the most feared pass rushers in the National Football League for well over a decade, another guy who I thought could get in quicker. But the Hall of Fame voters just are really tough about putting guys in on the first ballot. Where does Jared Allen r rank for you your years covering the National Football League as just a pure pass rusher?
Well, I'm not. Just a competitor. I got a chance to meet Jaron. He came up like many, many of the athletes on off weeks or by weeks. During the football season, he came up and was with us one weekend at ESPN.
Just that competitive fire that. Um Relentlessness. You know, power, that power combination, you know, not just one move.
Okay, he could overwhelm you and he could trick you. Uh, he had a he if I remember right, had a field day getting after Aaron Rodgers. For a long time. He also had a field day. with the Packers in terms of picking up safety.
And you know, and I'm not talking about Darren Woodson's safety, I'm talking about two-point safety.
So, I mean, played for a few teams at the end of the year, but primarily with the Chiefs and the Vikings. Probably had his best days. with the Vikings and so on, but Just one of those. Guys that you didn't want to mess with on the field, that you just got that sense. that he was gonna somehow prevail one way or another.
All right, so you get out to Canton annually. Yes, the ceremonies are great, but you also sneak in the solo preseason game that week. Yes, the Lions and the Chargers get an extra one over everybody else.
Now down to three, so they play four. It is the first game back, although it's only a preseason game. How much fun is that game? Is there anything specifically for the many that you've gone to that you're looking for from one or both of the two teams on the first game of the year?
Well, I mean, you have the storyline of Benj I'm sorry, you have the storyline of the Lions in terms of replacing two coordinators.
Now, I don't know how fancy they're going to be. Um against the charters. You know, Jim Hor Harbaugh in his second year. Uh you know, I can tell you the last few years have been pretty vanilla when it comes to this game. and so on.
Not not a lot of excitement, not a lot in terms of starters. Um you know both these uh both these teams know who their quarterbacks obviously you're going to be Um but It'll be interesting to see. how the Lions handle things offensively. I'm not saying they're gonna throw out the whole playbook. But when you lose your offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator, uh the head to head coaching job.
There's going to be a different style. Everybody, every coordinator, be it offense, defense, or specialty. puts their own stamp. On things now, listen, that's These are two playoff teams from a year ago. The Chargers went from last place to a wild card.
The Lions were tied for the best record in the league. They were number one seed in the NFC, and then Oops. Uh few Jaradkoff turnovers and their defense, which Last year you you thought it was going to be better, but once again the injury bug bit and by the end of the year they were very very porous and so on. That division, the NFC, it's funny. Both of these teams come from divisions.
That sent three teams to the playoffs last year.
Okay, now here's the ironic thing or not so good thing. Five of the sixteens We're one and out. Detroit, Green Bay, Minnesota are all one and out. Denver and the Chargers were all wanted out. Justin Herbert.
threw three picks all year and then you threw four in the wild card game. against Houston. Um I'll be curious to see what they now If there's one guy, and I don't know how much time he's going to see. On Thursday night, Jodi. I'm excited about O'Marian Hampton.
Um The first round pick with the Chargers, the running back from North Carolina. Of course, they brought in Najee Harris. This team has not had a thousand-yard runner. in quite a few years. And I was debating the fact that the way Jim Harbaugh plays football Could we Could we have one of those?
two thousand yard rushers in the same season by the by one team. Thunder and Lightning in Los Angeles for the new Charger duo in the running back room. Yeah, might very well be. I yes, enjoyed the game on Thursday. Let's talk about the actual season.
Well, that's the start of the season. Practices throughout the entire league, including one yesterday. Just before I got on the air, I was filling in here yesterday for Bill Ryder, and it News breaks in the 9 o'clock hour. Justin Fields is. First limps off the field, then has to take a cart back to the Jets' locker room.
Don't know the extent of the injury. Day goes on. Dislocated toe. That's not good. But he's out there running around already.
What a how do you get a dislocator? You just wrap it up good, you got a fitted shoe ready to go? How is Justin Fields back on the uh field the day after I thought the season had already gone by the wayside? I don't know because and uh they stayed away from the the term turf toe. which of course we know it is a dislocated toe as well.
And that has ended a few careers. Jack Lambert, the Steelers Hall of Fame linebacker. You know, all those years of being, you know, mean and rough, he it he was Knocked out by Turko. It's on. I think Deion Sanders suffered turf toe layton is career as well.
Is it dislocated? You can't get your balance, you can't push off and so on.
So it's it's a day-to-day thing, obviously, th as they have reported, but You know, when I saw, when you hear the words. I was less about. Injury and hearing the words carted off the field that got me concerned right away. Carted off the field.
So Always scary. Glad to know that he's certainly going to be ready for the first game of the season, maybe play in the preseason game.
So, yes, I can believe my Jets could sneak in as a wild card before we get the season underway. All right. Big question the last several weeks has been: before DJ Watts signed his contract extension, what are the three big edge guys going to do? DJ resets the market just above what Wilson, what Garrett's making in Cleveland. You know, the other two want to top him and go just slightly higher, which means $40 million plus for each.
both going to get that? Neither going to get that? How do the two guys, Hendrickson and Micah, who are not practicing, how is it going to shake out for those two guys when they need their contracts renegotiated?
Well, the Bengals are in a really tricky spot here and so on. They shelled out a lot of money for, you know, Jamar Chase, understandably so, and Dee Higgins. Um Listen. 300 competit. 17 and a half stacks, back-to-back years.
Okay, led the league this year. He's another one of those competitor guys.
Okay, then their defense hasn't been very good. Even with him on the field.
So if you imagine. him not being there. And complicating matters is the fact that You know, the Bengals You know, maybe a little insurance for you. Let's take a pass rusher in the first round, Shamar Stewart.
Well, You know, I I don't know if him and Trey are having lunch or dinner together and so on, but neither one ever ran.
So You have a team that's got explosive offense, all kinds of weapons. And the defense that I mean, you know what it reminds me of? The mid-1980s San Diego Chargers. You know, when they put up a ton of points and couldn't stop anyone. And that's kind of the bangles.
I mean, some of the gate Yeah. The free-for-alls. You know, they scored A ton of points and couldn't stop any of these. The two games against Baltimore alone were like amazing. If you like to bet the over.
Uh but if you like the like the bet the bangles, you were in a lot of trouble. Bengals will have the highest overnumber all year. I can guarantee you that. Is there a chance? that either one of these guys could traded.
That the teams just say we believe that they're going to not play. They're going to sit out. We're not going to get anything in exchange for them. And then we're just going to be in the same place next year because we're not going to want to pay the number that they wanted this year. Can either or be traded before the season gets underway?
We could see a team Like Detroit. Who've got, you know, remember when Aiden Hutchinson went down last year, Jody, they traded for Xavarius Smith. Zazarius Smith was pretty good for them. As a matter of fact, but they cut him loose.
So he's floating around out there. He could be kind of the wild card. for one of these teams if they decide to deal. I find it hard to believe the Cowboys will deal Michael Parsons. Jerry always seems pretty stubborn.
You know He he loves to overpay.
Okay. And Now he's got the the mu it the the number to look at and so on. I would be surprised if Hendrickson got traded. You know, remember, he began his career with the Saints, signed a big deal with the Bengals. You know, Mike has been a cowboy all during his short short career.
I would not be surprised. If a team went out and made a bid serious bid. for Trey Hendrixet. And then hopefully they can get Shamar Stewart in the camp and maybe pick up somebody you know like a zadarius smith who's floating around out there and so on.
So if I had to pick one I think it would be Hendrickson and not Parsons. Russell Baxter from Fanside at NFL Spin Zone, longtime NFL columnist and historian here with us on the Infinity Sports Network. All right. Talked about the guys who were under contract. One guy just shook out who is now a free agent who can sign with any team.
Christian Wilkins signed a big free agent deal with the Raiders just the past offseason before. And they've gotten out of what they owe him down the line, or at least they believe so as of right now, because he didn't hold up his rehab responsibilities coming back from injury. There is going to be a grievance filed for sure by the union. Two questions. Number one.
how big a addition could a guy like Wilkins be for a team that's been looking and just never got that interior defensive lineman? How big a guy could he be filling in for someone in number two? Who's going to fight the grievance? Who's running the NFLPA these days, Russell? Oh my goodness, that's Yeah.
I Is it possible? And and this hasn't happened now, you'll think is it possible to file a grievance against somebody who has a grievance already filed against them? I mean, what a mess. Every time you turn around, it's like. you know, it's it's it's almost like a movie and so on, but sadly Very sadly, some of the details that are coming out and so on.
And we've seen two resignations. Oh o already. Christian Wilkins could have help a lot of teams.
Now I know this team has already addressed the interior in free agency and it would cost a lot of money, but The first thing that jumps out to in my mind is Carolina. Um uh Carolinas run defense last year. Uh now, of course, we we we go seventeen games now, I get that. But they gave up the third most rushing yard in a season in NFL history. They already, as you know, they gave up the most points.
in a single season. In NFL history. I'll break it down easier. They gave up one hundred and seventy nine point eight yards per game rushing. And then their last six games, Jody.
Yeah, yeah, you have over 200 yards on the ground. They held one team. To under a hundred yards rushing. You know who it was? It was the Raiders who were dead last in the league in rushing.
Right.
So that's almost like a mulligan. In the in the wrong way. But they brought in Tershawn Wharton, they brought in Bobby Brown the third. from the Rams, Wharton from the Chiefs. They signed a huge Defensive tackle, Cam Jackson.
from the UC4 I drafted him in in the fifth round. They added Trayvon Mooring, hard hitting safety, hoping him helps with the run defense. But, you know, anybody the caliber of Wilkins, would he go back to Miami? I don't know if that would necessarily be the case. But any team that struggle struggles against the runner is inconsistent.
Against the run. Um, you know, obviously he's worth taking the guitar. I mean, he's still a young player and And now obviously the health situation has to check out. I mean you don't want you don't want somebody signings to someone who isn't ready to play from the get go, but I his release kinda caught me off guard. I was you know, I understand why they did it, but still was Kind of surprising, but again, you have a new regime there, you have Pete Carroll, you have a new general manager.
uh you know maybe add it there maybe the attitude of not doing what he's supposed to do turned them off a little And the Gottam is released, but they'll be fighting over the guaranteed money down the road. All right, Russell. For your Super Bowl ticket last year when you were at Super Bowl 59, Did you buy it from an NFL player, and how much of a scalping price did you pay? I was not at the Super Bowl because no player approached me about any tickets and so on. I just saw that story.
a couple of uh hours ago from Adam Schefter. I'm like Wow. Wow.
So, I mean Okay. At the rookie symposium, did anybody You know, have a common sense thing. I mean, I'm not saying all these were rookies and so on, but. When I heard that, I was like, Wow, well you know, what are you doing? You know, it's You know, the NFL's pretty specific, letter, just like they were with the gambling thing.
a couple of years ago and so on. They and they hold to that.
So it'll be curious how how that all shakes out. And so on, but I can assure you nobody's going to do it again in San Francisco when we get the Super Bowl 60. Yeah, they'll they'll reel in their uh Prices that they charge. Face value, boys. Don't go above face value.
Get yourself in trouble. All right, last thing, Russell, and I've asked this to a couple different NFL guys I've gotten on in the last couple of weeks. We have now officially put the listing season behind us: power rankings, individual rankings, positional rankings. That is all now in the rearview mirror. We just evaluate the teams as this preseason goes on.
How, if any, does that play as bulletin board material? Can guys actually get some motivation if they're underrated, underranked, snubbed? Do you think that has any effect On guys heading into a season with all of the off-season talk and ranking and ratings that go on. I don't know if it's necessarily on an individual basis. I mean, if you're a Pro Bowl player, And then all of a sudden someone has you out of the top ten or top twelve, depending on Who's doing the rankings?
There are so many. I know ESPN just came out with theirs over the last week or so, and you're talking to scouts next. And and G the GM Puke people around the league. uh coaches um I think team wise though, I know that sounds silly, but I think team wise though, if you see you know, maybe your playoff team the last couple of years and now they have you out of the playoffs. in somebody's power rank.
How many power rankings are there? There's there's such a ton.
So I all all I know is that there's usually a change in terms of playoff teams. It's seemingly every year somebody goes from last to first to make the playoffs. Look what we had last year. We had the Chargers and we had the Commanders. Commanders went all the way to the NFC title game.
See, the thing I'm gonna be watching this year is Can the Eagles Now this you're gonna laugh at that. Can the Eagles repeat?
Now, I don't mean I don't mean a Super Bowl champion. I'm Thomas the NFC. Oh, okay, yeah, because it hasn't been done in a couple of decades. Nobody's won back-to-back. Hey, you're not allowed to use that word about Nick Siriani.
He doesn't want to talk about the NL East repeat. He doesn't want to talk about the overall Super Bowl repeat. Can't use that word. Sustained success is the way you need to describe the Eagles, according to their head coach. Don't you find it interesting that two franchises, the Patriots and the Chiefs, have won back-to-back Super Bowls.
since the last time someone won the NFC East. in back-to-back years and by the way it was 2001 to 2004 andy reeds eagles won it four years in a row No one has repeated since. It's I mean, it's crazy. You know, and we, you know. You know, when the Giants won the Super Bowl, they were a wild card.
When the Giants won their second Super Bowl in 2011, They were a nine and seven division winner. Bet bad. Super Bowl winner. that gave up more points during the regular season than they scored. Washington won the NFC a couple of years ago with a losing record.
But you know in the last couple of years it's been Dallas Philly Dallas Philly You know, and and that's the thing. Dallas isn't that far removed from being an NFC East champion. And we'll see if they can get it back together again. But first things first, they got to get the Parson thing done. Otherwise, good luck to the Cowboys and their fans.
Russell, I appreciate it. Whenever you come on, you know I ask often enough. I'm going to ask plenty again this year. Have a great time in Canton. I'll get you back up again soon enough, brother.
Thanks. I I would anticipate a call. Maybe the first week of September. That's probably a pretty good bet. Russell Baxter here with me on the Infinity Sports Network.
Jody Mac, filling in for JR Sport Brief. We're talking NFL, baseball trades, mixing it up with you on my phone lines: 888-710-4476. Get aboard with me, Jody Mac.
