PodcastFrom NFL: The Insiders
The Insiders Podcast: George Pickens Arrives in Dallas + Bears WR Kalif Raymon and Panthers WR Jalen Coker Join the Insiders
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43 min
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Jun 16, 2026
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Tue, June 16, 2026
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Episode Transcript
0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. Cowboys were confident George Pickens would show up when work was mandatory, but he does so a touch early.
0:08Insiders weigh in on what his decisions mean for him and Dallas.
0:12Elsewhere in the NFC at wide receiver Jalen Coker gets a new deal to stay in Carolina, but the real prize, the
0:19true prize, a chance to join the Insiders. Hear from him coming up on our show and it's one thing to be an impactful rookie football player.
0:27It's another when your franchise absolutely needs you to be in order to be successful.
0:31So which rookies are on that list? We'll give it to you on the Insiders, which starts now.
0:37Hey everybody, welcome to this edition of the Insiders.
0:40Patrick Claibon here in the NFL LA newsroom. Those are you Insiders today, Tom Pellicero as well as Ian Rappaport providing us
0:47with the news that we celebrate and disseminate on this day.
0:50And we start with what's new right now coming into this newsroom and that is the arrival at the star of George Pickens.
0:57His mandatory mini camp for the Cowboys stars tomorrow.
1:00Everyone expected him to be there, including his head coach.
1:03Well, he's there a touch early, took his physical before camp begins tomorrow.
1:07The team franchise tag Pickens in late March after Steven Jones said Ian that they would not give him a long term contract.
1:14He signed that deal and now he's there. And essentially what Steven Jones has said and what Cowboys officials have echoed over
1:21the last several weeks and months is they simply want to see more of George Pickens.
1:26He's no doubt one of the most successful trades they made or really anyone else made last offseason bringing in George Pickens
1:33for a third round pick became one of the best receivers in the NFL.
1:37Certainly someone worthy based on his play on the field of a huge long term deal worthy of being one of the top receivers in the NFL.
1:45But as is the right with the Dallas Cowboys did was franchise him and what George Pickens did what how he responded
1:52is a way we really haven't seen very often among franchise sagas.
1:56He let everyone know around the time of the draft that he was planning on signing a couple days later officially signed
2:03his tag and what that means Patrick's not only that he locks in twenty seven point three million dollars fully guaranteed.
2:09It also means that he is now under contract, so he was always going to show up for minicamp.
2:15It is mandatory if he didn't want to show up.
2:18He would not have signed his tag. He would have waited maybe to the beginning of training camp.
2:24Pickens knows it is on him partially Tom to show the Cowboys that he is worthy of a long term deal as
2:30he did on the field last year showing up on time doing what's right.
2:35Only the start of it for the Cowboys star receiver.
2:38And as we zoom out and talk about the twenty twenty six Cowboys, it's important to remember the story of the twenty
2:45twenty five Cowboys was a team that built effectively an entirely new defense between August and November.
2:50Something I can't remember happening at this scale with first round picks both coming and going for players on the same side of the ball.
2:57Now the Micah Parsons trade is complete. They got Kenny Clark, of course, the original deal with Green Bay.
3:03They use one of those first rounders to go and get Quinn and Williams.
3:08Then they use their twenty twenty six first round pick, the one that they had gotten from the Packers to go get Malachi Lawrence, an edge rusher.
3:16Those are three key components of that remodeled Cowboys defense that also has a new coordinator in Christian Parker.
3:22The Dallas offense did plenty last season. They were number two in yards.
3:26They were top ten in a lot of categories, but the defense was horrible.
3:30It was very easy and many people did blame Matt Eberflus, the coordinator at the time, for those struggles.
3:36But they traded away his best player two weeks before the season and basically said, hey, figure it out.
3:42We'll get you some more players as we come and go.
3:45It'll be interesting to see Patrick with all the horses in the stable.
3:49What Parker and this Dallas D can do right out of the gate.
3:53Yeah, Tom, one of those acquisitions. Quinn and Williams comes in that deadline deal last season.
3:58The Jets saw a little bit of talent, quite a bit of talent.
4:02Let's be honest, leave at the deadline last season.
4:05But they're not letting everything go away because starting guard Joe Tittman got a four-year deal worth up to $66 million today.
4:12$34.9 million of that guaranteed. He was going into the final year of his rookie deal.
4:17But those terms come courtesy of NFL Network insider Ian Rappaport.
4:20Ian, the Jets do keep one of their own here in this instance.
4:24Yeah, a big-time player, a big-time young player for the New York Jets gets locked up in a long-term extension.
4:30The second starting player this year along with, of course, very famously, Brees Hall to get a long-term deal.
4:36And for the New York Jets, this is significant.
4:39The reason I say that is because for so long, and it's even worse than so long, 12 picks in the first
4:46two rounds over five drafts, 2019 and 2023, none of those are with the team.
4:50None of them. And, of course, Sauce Gardner got an extension.
4:54Not with the team anymore. Quinnen got an extension.
4:57Not with the team. This is about Darren Mugi, the new general manager of the Jets, trying to do things in a different and better way.
5:05One, identify the young players you want to keep.
5:07The ones you don't get great value. The one you want to keep in a way that doesn't throw everyone into a big fit.
5:15Get those guys' extensions. Get them paid. Did it with Brees Hall in relatively quick fashion.
5:20Did it with Joe Tittman in relatively quick fashion.
5:23Get them under contract and move forward with this core.
5:26This is a very, very significant and important thing for the Jets and for Jets fans, knowing that this organization is going
5:32in the right direction, identifying its core. Yeah, perhaps signaling a change in process, as the Jets certainly hope to have a
5:39change in results coming up here in this 2026 season.
5:42From elsewhere, we go to the Atlanta Falcons. They have their mandatory minicamp start tomorrow.
5:47It's going to run through Thursday, which provides ample time for everyone to see Tua Tonga-Vailoa.
5:52Or Michael Pinnock Jr., in the event that he is ready, the availability time of Michael Pinnock could weigh heavily in how this quarterback battle plays out.
6:00Patrick, there's only a handful of true quarterback battles around the NFL.
6:04Atlanta absolutely has one. And this minicamp probably will be the last best chance Tua Tonga-Vailoa has to build or perhaps pad whatever lead he already has.
6:12Because once training camp begins, it certainly seems, from everyone I've talked to and all appearances, this is going to be a head-to-head competition.
6:20So far, you see Michael Pinnock Jr. coming back from his injury.
6:23He's been doing seven on seven drills, but not 11 on 11.
6:27He's still only about seven months out from his latest torn ACL.
6:31We'll see if that changes this week. But by the time camp rolls around, you're eight, nine months out from the injury.
6:38He should be pretty close to full go. So with Tua, he's on a minimum contract.
6:42It is a very low investment from Atlanta's perspective here.
6:46He's a really good fit for Kevin Stefanski's scheme.
6:48It's just one data point. Minicamp, there will be a lot of other factors at play here, but it might be a
6:55notable one, Patrick, because that's the last impression that are going to be in coaches' heads as they figure out exactly how to approach this competition come camp.
7:04Yeah, very busy offseason, filled with rehab going directly into a quarterback battle, a thick quarterback battle, as you pointed out.
7:10Tom will be back with Tom, as well as Ian, as the insiders continue.
7:15But elsewhere in the NFC, trying to get back to the postseason, Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers.
7:20Been some changes in Green Bay personnel-wise on offense, the constant now.
7:24The quarterback is even, his backup quarterback is elsewhere.
7:27Malik Willis now with the Dolphins. Stacey Dales and Mark Ross now with us.
7:31The Packers continuing to make those changes and adjusting after last season.
7:35Stacey, we'll start with you. What are Jordan Love and the offense focusing on most this offseason?
7:40Well, they're focusing on finishing. I would say that's the operative word in Green Bay as they've gone through these minicamps.
7:47But for Jordan Love specifically, he just continues to climb and improve and learn and take over that line of scrimmage.
7:53And what he has been focused on specifically and exclusively, his footwork in the pocket.
7:58That's the biggest thing he has recently spoken about and cited.
8:01Just consistency, smoothness, seamlessness, if you will. Not getting too antsy in there.
8:05We know he loves to throw those fadeaway jump shots, if you will.
8:09When he is drifting back, there aren't many that do it as well off-platform than him.
8:14But the other thing I would tell you guys, Mark, and this is really important, Sean Ryan takes over as his permanent center, right?
8:22The team extended Sean Ryan with the offensive line there in March.
8:25He spent seven games as starter taking over for Alton Jenkins last year when Jenkins was injured.
8:30This is a relationship that is really important, Mark.
8:33You understand the importance in Patrick of that center-to-quarterback relationship.
8:36And so that is one area we should be following as we get ready to roll into training camp is how that relationship continues to build.
8:44Because that guy in the middle, he calls the protections and he identifies everything for Jordan Love up there.
8:50And so we'll see how that kind of transpires as he becomes the permanent starter in the middle of that offensive line, Mark.
8:57For sure, Stacey. Seems like a lifetime ago we were sweating at training camp there in Green Bay.
9:03Together they're covering them. And although there's a lot of constants, Jordan Love, as you mentioned, there's a lot of changes on the offensive line.
9:11You mentioned the center. But Jordan Morgan, the former first-round pick, is now the new left tackle.
9:16And then Romeo Dobbs is not there anymore. And I think a big reason because of the fall-off was when Tucker Craft got injured in November, Stacey.
9:24And the offense, we know how much Jordan Love relied on Tucker Craft as his go-to guy.
9:29The supreme run-after catch that Tucker Craft provided. Also, the blocking.
9:33You know, that gets lost to the tight end, who's so reliable as a pass catcher.
9:38But that affects the run game as well when he went out of there.
9:42Luke Musgrave really wasn't up to task the same way Tucker Craft, who was emerging as maybe one of the top two, three tight ends in the league.
9:51I think getting him back in the mix will definitely help that offense on a consistent basis.
9:56And then who's going to step up in the receiver group there with Christian Watson with the new contract, Jaden Reed, who
10:03had been injured a lot, and then former first-round pick, last year's first-round pick, Matthew Golden.
10:08They took him in the first round for the reason.
10:11So a lot of options, but someone's going to have to step up to be that go-to guy.
10:16Let's go over to the defensive side of the ball.
10:19We're stepping up as the former Cardinals head coach.
10:22Matt LaFleur sees his brother take the head coaching job in Arizona.
10:26So Jonathan Gannon now in Green Bay as the defensive coordinator.
10:29What are they working on, Stacey? Yeah, Patrick, how ironic.
10:32Jonathan Gannon tasked to improve a defense that while they were, I think, what was it, 12th in yards allowed, 11th in
10:39points allowed last season, they dipped, tied for 20th in sacks, just 36 sacks for their front, and then tied for 26 with 14, only 14 takeaways.
10:48And you see the lower third there. That's the bottom third of your screen.
10:52The Packers transitioning from the 4-3 to the 3-4.
10:55Well, don't tell Jonathan Gannon that. He loves a hybrid defense.
10:58He wants to, you know, utilize those guys off the edge, expect Lucas Van Ness to have an improved year, and Micah Parsons certainly.
11:05And let's not forget, the rotation up front is very important in Jonathan Gannon's scheme.
11:10He is all about the ball when he coaches as defensive coordinator, as we've seen historically.
11:15And let's not forget that 2022 70-sack Eagles defense that he helped guide to a Super Bowl.
11:20They had four players, Mark. Javon Hargrave, one of those men, with 11 or more sacks that season.
11:26I believe that may have been a Super Bowl-era record.
11:29I'd have to double-check with our incredible research team.
11:32But the rotation up front, key, and then Micah Parsons, very important.
11:35The trajectory, Mark, roughly nine months for him coming back from that ACL.
11:39So we're looking at about an October return for the great edge rusher and how you play with that toy and that defense will be fun.
11:47Stacey, you're reading my mind. I was going to mention that 22 Eagles.
11:51It was third. The Bears had 72. The 85 Bears, 72.
11:55The Eagles were third with 70. And that's how Jonathan Gannon made his name.
11:59And because of that pass rush, they were first in pass yards allowed and second in total defense.
12:05So everything started up front. And really, scheme, no scheme.
12:08You got players, and he has Micah Parsons. What's he going to do with that guy?
12:13And that's really the big question that I see where no matter whether it's a 3-4 or 4-3, where is Micah Parsons going to line up?
12:21And Micah Parsons has to be that dominant force of why the Packers traded for him.
12:26And if he's not, we may see a little bit of the struggles with Gannon, how he had in Arizona where he didn't have the personnel.
12:34So the Packers with their personnel. Of course, Lucas Van Ness, we've been talking about him for years, trying to step up, and other players there.
12:42But yeah, if Micah Parsons can get to that form of dominating, then that opens up everything else for that Packers defense.
12:49And that remains to be seen how healthy he'll be and what he'll look like going forward.
12:54Yeah, a big, strong part of both sides of these ball played well, but in different parts of the season.
13:00We'll see if the Packers can get a cohesive effort on both sides there.
13:04Stacey Dales and Mark Ross will have more for them as this edition of the Insiders continues.
13:09The NFL family did lose one of our own over the course of the weekend.
13:14Former 49er All-Pro Alden Smith passing away in California.
13:17Per a statement from a friend to the San Francisco Chronicle, a big part of the former first-team All-Pros last day providing
13:24pizza to houseless people in the Bay Area. His former team's releasing statements today.
13:28The Niners saying Alden will be remembered for his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into.
13:34Our entire organization sends its deepest condolences to the Smith family and all who knew and loved Alden.
13:39The Raiders are releasing a statement as well to say Alden proudly wore the silver and black, was respected by his teammates, will be missed dearly.
13:47Thoughts and prayers of the entire Raider nation are with Alden's family at this time.
13:52Alden Smith, gone at 36 years old. It's McMillan wide left, then Leggett, then Coker.
13:57Hubbard the running back. Young out of the gun.
13:59Here's the snap. Bryce looking left, throws. Deep left corner of the end zone!
14:04Jalen Coker pulls it in for a touchdown! And the Panthers have the lead with 2.39 to go!
14:09Bryce's magic is real and Coker has played the game of his life.
14:13If you didn't know the name Jalen Coker before that wildcard playoff, you certainly do now.
14:18The Panthers already knew and they locked him up on a big contract extension that was finalized last week.
14:24Jalen Coker joining us right now here on The Insiders with me, Tom Pellicero and Ian Rappaport.
14:29Jalen, congratulations. First and foremost, just has it sunk in yet?
14:33The type of check that's now landing in your bank account here?
14:37Yeah, you know, it's a little surreal. Of course, you know, it's everything I've dreamed of, you know, since playing since I was 4 or 5.
14:45You know, this is an unreal opportunity. But it's going to take some time, though, I think.
14:50I think so. You know, you came in as a rookie, an undrafted rookie.
14:54You got waved. You had to really work your way up.
14:58And then, you know, the way your career has gone, and we showed some of the highlights coming in, obviously the Rams
15:04game and the wildcard game being the most notable.
15:07It has all been pretty exciting and pretty stunning, honestly.
15:10When things started to pick up steam for you, and you realized, all right, not only am I going to stay in
15:17the NFL probably for a while, but I'm going to get paid, how hard was it to keep it a secret until the contract was actually done?
15:25Oh, no. Keeping it a secret was the easy part.
15:28You know, I didn't want to get everyone's hopes up or anything.
15:32You know, I wanted to keep it super low-key and make sure that it was really set in stone before I said anything.
15:39Of course, like, I'm asking some hypothetical questions that were pertaining to my situation that no one knew about.
15:45But, no, once I was able to finally say something about it, it was great.
15:50Ian referenced it right there. You're undrafted on a Holy Cross.
15:53You signed for a $25,000 bonus. This one, just a little bit more.
15:57But you get cut. You come back on the practice squad.
16:00Every team in the NFL had multiple opportunities to grab you.
16:04In hindsight now, it's not that long ago, just a couple years.
16:08What did everybody miss about Jalen Coker? That's a great question.
16:11I'm not sure. I am not sure. I think, you know, even coming out of, like, high school, going into college, I
16:18always felt like I had all the tangibles, like, everything that I could do on the field.
16:23I felt like I did it at a high level, you know.
16:27But it's their loss, though. And that's why I'm here in Carolina.
16:30And that's why we're going to win a lot more football games.
16:34So you have been in Carolina. You have been to the OTAs and everything else that goes on in the spring.
16:41And in that group is not only a group of drafted players, but a group of players that were like you, undrafted
16:47for ages, just trying to make the team or trying to stick, even if they do end up getting waived like you did.
16:54Being the sort of success story that you are, do some of these guys talk to you?
17:00And if they do, what advice do you give them?
17:03Yeah. I mean, of course they talk to me.
17:06And I think having Adam in our room a couple years before was really helpful, too.
17:11Kind of picking his ear about, like, you know, how he takes care of his body, what he does.
17:16But that's kind of my thing. I really just try to be a listening ear for all the rookies coming in, especially the undrafted guys.
17:24Of course, they have a special place in my heart.
17:27But, you know, my biggest thing is just to say, just stay hungry, you know, and be available.
17:33Whatever your number's called, just know what to do and make a play.
17:37And then just keep doing that over and over again.
17:40And then eventually, you know, everything's going to work out.
17:43So I think it's just about staying hungry and being consistent.
17:46Some guys go undrafted. Some go number one overall.
17:49Either way, it can be a roller coaster. It definitely has for Bryce Young.
17:53Your quarterback at one point in his young career was benched, gets another opportunity, helps you guys make the playoffs a year ago.
18:01Now he's up for contract extension as well. What, if anything, in your mind makes you believe Bryce Young can not just
18:07be a good quarterback in the NFL, but a true franchise dude for many years to come?
18:13Yeah. I mean, I think it really goes back to just him as a person.
18:17You know, his leadership, the way that, you know, he commands the room.
18:21It's, you know, you want to play for a guy like that, you know, especially when he's amped up out there having a good time.
18:29You know, the whole team feeds off of that energy.
18:32I mean, and he's really, really good at football.
18:35Like, I mean, he makes the hard stuff look so easy.
18:38And it's, you know, I'm just, you know, truly, like, blessed to be able to be out there with him and, you know, just continue to win games.
18:47So we talked about the playoff game. Obviously, the, you know, you guys get in and the trajectory you're going is something
18:54that for people who follow the Panthers closely over the last several years is where this organization had always hoped to go.
19:00Right. Like you were a young, talented team. You're kind of up and coming.
19:05And now you're getting to the point where, like, the foundation seems to be built.
19:09Right. Right. What do you expect of this team for the 2026 season?
19:13Like, how good can you guys be as a whole?
19:16Yeah. I mean, I think our ceiling is, you know, who knows?
19:20It's it's I think we're going to be as good as we want to be for sure.
19:25And, you know, we've got leadership with Coach Canales and, you know, all the all the vets in the room.
19:32I think that we were really, really confident in the team that we have.
19:36You know, I think sky's the limit. Honestly, I really do.
19:39I really do like the pieces that we got on free agency.
19:43You know, the guys that are here are going to continue to work, continue to grind.
19:48So it's just just putting everything together. And then and then I feel like it'll it'll show on Sundays and Monday and Thursday and some primetime games, too.
19:57Count for every day of the week, just about on this NFL schedule this year.
20:01You saw your week one open in the regular season against the Bears.
20:05You also are in the opener of the entire NFL calendar, the Hall of Fame game in Canton against the Cardinals, which
20:12means practically speaking, your break isn't as long as everybody else is in the NFL.
20:17Training camp is going to start out earlier. What are you doing with yourself for these next few weeks?
20:23And how ready mentally are you for what's going to be an even longer grind than normal through camp?
20:28Yeah, I mean, I think it's just continue to stay in the playbook, make sure that everything's, you know, buttoned up and all that stuff.
20:36But, you know, it's fun, though. You know, I'm excited to get ready, get to that.
20:41I've I've only been to can one time, so to go there and actually playing the game is going to be sick.
20:48But, you know, I think I think the biggest thing is just staying in the playbook because, you know, it is a quick turnaround.
20:55So just making sure you're ready and prepared for all that.
20:59Jalen, congrats again, man. Thanks a lot for coming on the show.
21:02Let's do it again. No, absolutely. Absolutely. Thank you guys so much for having me.
21:07Thanks, man. At the Star in Frisco, George Pickens showed up the day before mandatory minicamp begins for the Dallas Cowboys.
21:13He signed his franchise tender earlier in the offseason and George Pickens there ready to work.
21:18Let's get to Northwest Florida. The Jags going into year two of the Liam Cohen regime, meaning it's Trevor Lawrence's second year in the system.
21:26Here's how Cohen feels that is going. He can kind of just go play, right?
21:31I mean, obviously, when we get into game planning, there's always going to be little tweaks and things that come up.
21:37But the meat and potatoes of the system, what we're hunting up, what we're looking for out of each play.
21:43He's got a very calm mind. I agree with that is he's able to just call a play, see it, visualize it and then go and just play.
21:52When I get on the grass, it's a lot less thinking.
21:55So I think that's the biggest thing is I can react, play faster, can work on some different things of my game
22:02because the focus isn't as much on what to do and what's the play call and what are all the adjustments.
22:09You know, I know all that stuff and still study that and work on it because it's easy to forget little details.
22:15But as far as being able to work on more detailed things with the receivers and the communication with those guys, as
22:22opposed to just lining up and running the play, you know, we're a lot further ahead this year.
22:28So it's a good feeling to be able to work on more stuff.
22:32A lot further ahead. They had a successful year last year back with Ian Rapford and Tom Pelissero.
22:37The really good first year. What keeps it from going even farther?
22:41Like what gets us to the encore here, Ian?
22:44For Trevor Lawrence, he has a opportunity that is unique to him, but really has not been unique to the other franchise
22:51quarterbacks in the NFL, which is to take this team as far as he wants to take them.
22:56That really is the position that Trevor Lawrence is in, not just because of having the kind of year that really he
23:03hasn't had in his career except for a really good 2022.
23:06It's also, as he mentioned, he continues to learn, continues to improve, continues to show that he is the guy.
23:13There are no more questions about that. But what these guys do, what the Josh Allens and Lamar and Mahomes and Goff
23:19and the really, really good, highly paid franchise quarterbacks do, what they really have to do, Tom, is elevate the teams that they are on.
23:27Trevor Lawrence has showed. Most importantly, there's no question he is the guy deserves to be paid like he is.
23:33It is now on him to take them to the next level.
23:37One, continued success. And two, go deep into the playoffs and go try to win the championship.
23:42The tools are there for him to do that.
23:45Speaking of tools, Ian, one thing that Liam Cohen has going in his favor is he's on a very short list of
23:52the second-year head coaches that did not have a coordinator change, whether via firing or hiring.
23:57Their offensive coordinator, Grant Udinski, who was a very bright young guy, interviewed with the Bills and the Browns for their head coaching jobs.
24:04Defense coordinator, Anthony Campanilli, had three head coaching interviews.
24:07Now, both these guys could end up being candidates again this coming January, but for now, both are staying.
24:13Both are impactful in their own ways. It's one less headache for Cohen as the Jaguars try to take that next step, Patrick.
24:20Yeah, one of the biggest opportunities for all of us to see where they could go last year was in that Monday
24:27Night Football close win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
24:29We'll be back with Ian and Tom as we continue here on The Insiders.
24:34Speaking of the Chiefs, they've been that litmus test for a few years now, but may be facing their biggest test after
24:41drafting inside the top ten for the first time since 2013.
24:44They used that pick on cornerback Mansoor Delane. How you doing, Coach?
24:48I'm doing great. Yeah, doing great. How are you?
24:50I'm doing good, Coach. I appreciate you. Absolutely. I'm coming up to that defense.
24:55We're going to bring that championship back, Coach. I promise you.
24:58That's right. You got that right. Absolutely. Yes, sir.
25:01Yes, sir. I got you. I'm going to coach.
25:04So, how you doing? What's going on? What's going on?
25:07Christmas came early for me. Man, it's the best day of my life.
25:11Good for you. We're going to do some special things.
25:14I look forward to working with you. Nobody's having more fun on all of draft night than Mansoor Delane, as we're with
25:21Jeff Jadilla and Mark Ross as well here, talking about rookies that need to have a big first year.
25:27And, Jeff, we got to start with a team that was coming off a Super Bowl trip.
25:32They didn't make the playoffs, and then they draft Delane.
25:35Is Delane one of the guys that has to have a big rookie year?
25:39Well, certainly he's top of my list, Patrick, and for a number of reasons.
25:43One, they traded up to get him. And so, that's a big indication of how they feel about him.
25:49And you saw how Steve Spagnuolo was on that phone.
25:52He was super excited about this player back in March at the Combine.
25:56And so, they felt like he was going to be able to do great things and replace Trent McDuffie, a two-time All-Pro
26:03who they traded to the Rams in the offseason, also lost Jalen Watson.
26:07And so, this player has got to come in here and be lights out from the start.
26:12They're very young in the back end of that defense.
26:16They went out and got LeJarious Sneed, signed him a couple of last week to try to help them out.
26:22So, they got some issues on defense, and hopefully, Mansoor Delane, Mark, can help them get better.
26:27That's a good one, Jeffrey. Well, I'm going to go with Carnell Tate, the wide receiver out of Ohio State, who got taken fourth by the Titans.
26:35And look, we do two million mock drafts leading up to the draft, and there's always some surprise.
26:41And Carnell Tate was the surprise right there at number four for the Titans.
26:45And look, you understand why they did it, because that offense was abysmal last year, 32nd in scoring, 31st in total offense, 30th in pass offense.
26:53Cam Ward, a lot of struggles earlier in the year, but really, nobody there, not a lot of talent that came on
27:00in the second half of the season. So, now you bring Carnell Tate there, number one, because of where he drafted and
27:07the importance of really opening up that offense. They signed Wandale Robinson, another receiver from the Giants in free agency, to go with Calvin Ridley.
27:15So, between those three guys, they're going to have to come with a lot more production than they did last season.
27:21Of course, Cam Ward stepping up, Carnell Tate will help out big time.
27:25Yeah, speaking of wide receivers, let's go to Philadelphia, because I'm thinking back to just the absolute sombrero that was placed on
27:32Traylon Burks in Tennessee when it's replaced A.J. Brown, and now Makai Lemon comes to Philadelphia after A.J.
27:37Brown leaves. Does Makai Lemon have to have a big first year, Joe?
27:41Definitely. After all the talk about A.J. Brown has passed this offseason and the last couple years, you're talking about coming in
27:48and replacing a player who, despite all the distractions and all the noise, was a really good player for you.
27:54And this isn't all on Makai Lemon, but because A.J.
27:57Brown is leaving and he's coming in, he's going to get most of the smoke.
28:02Now, they still have Devontae Smith. They're talking about using two tight ends.
28:06They went out and made some moves in free agency, but Makai Lemon has impressed people already.
28:11Offensive coordinator Sean Manning was talking about his work ethic and his toughness and his route running, his ability after the catch.
28:18And so he's going to be asked to do some things.
28:22He's a first round pick for a reason, Mark.
28:24They brought him in to make plays. For sure.
28:27And I'm going to go with the division rival there, the Dallas Cowboys and Caleb Downs, the safety from Ohio State, another Buckeye.
28:34And unlike Tate, who was a surprise, I think it was a surprise for most people that Downs slipped a little bit
28:41down there for the Cowboys to take consensus like, this guy is going to be a Pro Bowl player.
28:47And so for him, the pressure is with all the other additions on that Dallas defense.
28:52You have the trade for Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark and now Rashawn Gary, also Jalen Thompson signing him in free agency.
28:59Can Caleb Downs be the final piece of the puzzle to say, OK, we can become a respectable defense because that Dallas
29:05defense was on the abysmal level as well. So can Caleb Downs really be the player that everyone thinks he could be,
29:12the perennial all-pro type player and also raise the level of that Dallas defense?
29:16Yeah, we've had rookies with big impacts in every single season.
29:20This one will be no different. Can't wait to see who stands out.
29:24Thanks to Jeff Jadia and Mark Ross spending time with us here on The Insiders.
29:28But what about the veterans? What about the guys who do all the hard work on special teams like Kalief Raymond, the
29:35Bear and former Lions stops by to discuss his new spot with his old coach next on The Insiders.
29:4134 makes the first man miss. They're going to support it.
29:45Going back to the 50. Lee Fangling at the 40.
29:48To the 35. To the 30. To the 24.
29:50Say goodbye. Kalief Raymond to the house. Touchdown Detroit Lions.
29:53Oh, baby. What a run back. And that started with him making the first man miss.
29:58Kalief with some magic out there. 10-point lead turns into a 17-point lead just like that over the Cleveland Browns.
30:05Kalief Raymond doing that in September of 2025. This is what he's doing in the summer of 2026.
30:10Not with the Lions anymore. Now across the division with the Chicago Bears.
30:14Reunited with his former offensive coordinator, now head coach Ben Johnson.
30:18And this is Kalief Raymond now joining us on The Insiders, myself and Stacey Dales.
30:22Congratulations, Kalief, on the move. You go from a team that obviously loves and cares about you in Detroit.
30:28Now you're going to have to play against them with their former offensive coordinator as well.
30:33What's that going to be like? Oh, man. It's going to be interesting.
30:37Definitely new experience. Like I said, I've been there for the last five years.
30:41So going across the lake is definitely new. But I'm excited for it.
30:45It's been awesome being here so far. And I'm thankful to be able to be here and have that Bears logo on my helmet.
30:53So, sure. Kalief, everybody needs a Kalief Raymond on their team.
30:56You've been in this league for a decade, my friend.
30:59And what was it that Ben Johnson unlocked in Detroit?
31:02Because you were there with him. Obviously, you're a two-time All-Pro return man specialist, as we just saw there in that footage.
31:09What did they unlock in Detroit that you're bringing to Chicago?
31:12Man, you know what? Let's just start with Ben.
31:15And I think one of the coolest parts about him is, man, he finds the best in what everybody can do.
31:22And that's one of the coolest parts about playing under him, playing with him, getting to know him.
31:27He finds what everybody's really, really good at. And he finds a way to allow you to excel in it.
31:33And then just being in Detroit, man, one thing I was very, very thankful for is they gave me the opportunity.
31:40It didn't matter what my size, my weight, none of this stuff, man.
31:44They said, hey, man, if you can go play football, we're going to give you a chance to do so.
31:50So you put those two combinations together, man, I'm having my best years.
31:54And I'm thankful to continue that with Ben. He's a genius with this stuff.
31:58So it was awesome to be with him. And in that time that you guys had together in the past, obviously go through a lot.
32:06What's the Ben Johnson story that creeps in there and works its way out whenever anybody asks you to talk about your relationship with your now head coach?
32:15Man, I'll say the same thing. It's the same story.
32:18And it's the one that changed my perception of Ben.
32:21He put this picture. I think he said he was in Miami or just leave Miami at the time.
32:27He was at the beach and he was in the transition in between jobs, man.
32:31He says one of those moments where it's supposed to be a happy moment.
32:36And he was in some regards, but he had so much hunger and draw for him that he knew what he had to do next.
32:44And that kind of perspective, I know what kind of man he was.
32:48And he exemplifies that the way he works. I mean, first in, last out.
32:52I'm worried if he sleeps enough. I'm like, man, you got to go get some rest, man.
32:57But that's what he is, man. He wants it so bad.
33:01He wants it for himself. But he also wants it for his players and his team.
33:05And that's the kind of work he puts in.
33:08Yeah, he puts that work in, Khalif. And it's all about culture.
33:12You're one of those culture guys. Gabby Hajduk, a great Bears writer, wrote some fast facts on you.
33:17Did you really get tattooed by a monk in Thailand?
33:21Did that actually happen? I didn't know that was out there on the internet.
33:25No, I did. It was on my bucket list.
33:28You know, it's crazy. We're in the same time.
33:30I was actually in a transition period myself. I didn't play really that season.
33:35I had three practice squad weeks. And I was like, you know what?
33:39I need to go find out who I am as a man.
33:42And once I sit down in stone, the rest of the stuff will take care of itself.
33:48And one of my bucket list things was to go out to Thailand.
33:52It was really to get tattooed in a temple by a monk in the mountains.
33:56But I actually came down from the mountains to get a tattoo.
34:00So it was a crazy experience. I'm thankful to be here.
34:03What was the tattoo? It's called a sakyam. What was the tattoo?
34:07What is it like getting tattooed by a monk, man?
34:10Oh, goodness. So the crazy part is I'm coming down from this.
34:14The mountain's called Pi. It's like 730 turns. I'm on this vehicle that I wouldn't recommend anybody getting on.
34:20And I'm coming down. And I remember I walked in and they said, hey, have you eaten anything?
34:25And I'm like, I'm trying to get here safely.
34:28Eating was the last thing in my mind. They're like, hey, it's going to hurt.
34:33So, no, it was a pretty cool experience. Something I'm glad I did.
34:37But, no, I still have it. It doesn't go away.
34:40Yeah, the quote, it's going to hurt, was one I've heard from multiple guys who returned punts in the NFL.
34:46So it's an interesting juxtaposition there, considering what you do in your day job, which is now going to include catching passes
34:53from the cover star of Madden NFL 27, Caleb Williams.
34:56What's meeting Caleb been like? And what do you expect from him this season?
35:00I love his job, man. It's so weird. It's the last minicamp practice.
35:04And we go through one round in two minutes.
35:07And I don't think that we have another one going up.
35:10But he's itching. He's like, we're kicking field goals.
35:13He's like, just let me back out there. He's talking to himself.
35:17He's like, let me just let me get back out there.
35:20I'm like, look, and I'm like, oh, man, this guy has some ice in his veins.
35:25I mean, there's too many OTAs. He's like itching to get back out.
35:29But, man, he's been he's been credible to watch so far.
35:33He made some throws that I don't think I can close my eyes and dream and make them look that good.
35:39So he's a he's a ball player, man. So I'm excited to work with him.
35:44Wow. Great comments on Ben Johnson. But when you talk about yourself, Ben said you raged to the football.
35:50What are you adding to this offense? How explosive are you guys going to be now that you've been around these men in the locker room?
35:58Oh, man, it is some ball players. I'm just trying to be a calm any way I can.
36:03But there's some guys here to do some things to the football that I hope I look like because they can do it.
36:10So, I mean, just so many weapons, so much talent.
36:13But I think the biggest thing with the guys that have all the talent is to work at that that follows behind it.
36:21The extra reps. I mean, it's OTAs, but there's extra reps before and after practice.
36:25We got both receivers and DBs on the judge.
36:28You would think it's camp, the way that the guys are working.
36:32And I think that's a testament to the to the guys on this team is that the talent is overwhelming.
36:38But the work ethic doesn't shy away from what we have.
36:41So it's pretty awesome. And your longevity, Khalif, is a testament to you and what you do in this league, especially in
36:48a place where guys don't get a lot of opportunity as time goes on, returning punts, returning kicks.
36:54How do you feel the return game with the rules changes has changed?
36:58And has that helped kind of keep your career going as it gets longer and longer?
37:02Yeah, I always say I think it's the most volatile position in the NFL.
37:07The things you have to go through mentally to be back there, it's a lot.
37:11I think the rule change, it worked both ways, because especially with something as small as being able for the kicker, the
37:18kicker balls, they can do different things with it.
37:21They can put a little more brush on it, which likes to spin more, go all different kind of ways.
37:27But no, it's definitely a tough job. I think the ability to adapt and what I've learned over the last few years
37:34is you can't catch enough punts because punters are only getting better.
37:38The ball is only going farther and it's only spinning more.
37:41So just more repetition, man, a lot more work.
37:44I'm trying to catch punts as often as I can, just so that way when Sunday comes, I'm wearing a new jersey, new number, new team, new teammates.
37:52But I've saw so many punts at this point that I can trust myself in that aspect and then put full faith
37:59in my teammates to do the rest. So it's definitely a tough job.
38:03If I take my hat off, the reason I got my hat on is because it made me lose a little bit of hair.
38:11It's definitely stressful, but learning to adapt, learning to be honestly kind of fearless in it.
38:16Sometimes you go back there, you know, hey, look, I'm going to make the decision.
38:20And if I get hit, so be it is what I signed up for.
38:25So just that mentality going there definitely helps a lot.
38:28Well, whether it's questionable transportation on your way to get an amateur tattoo or staring at a ball while people are running
38:3423 miles an hour at you, you are an incredible player, an incredible person.
38:39Khalif Braymond, thanks for spending time with us here on The Insider.
38:42Appreciate you guys. Thank you. Be blessed. Thanks, Khalif.
38:45Joe Burrow and the Bengals start their mandatory minicamp tomorrow.
38:48The three-time Pro Bowler, one comeback player of the year twice in his career.
38:53He made headlines in another injury-plagued season last year saying, quote, if I want to keep doing this, I want to have fun doing this.
39:00Back with our insiders, Ian Rapport and Tom Pellicero.
39:03Some took that in as commentary on coaching and management.
39:06Both of those still in Cincinnati. That's exactly right.
39:09Right, and Katie Blackburn, one of the top executives for the Cincinnati Bengals, talked to local reporters saying her message was an
39:16important one and really echoed what Mike Brown had said earlier in the year, but she rarely speaks to media, so noteworthy when she does.
39:24Essentially saying, we think they deserve another opportunity to prove what we hope we can do.
39:28Another opportunity is one of the key words here, with Duke Tobin and Zach Taylor both coming back for another year in
39:35what is essentially a proving year, three years without making the playoffs while Joe Burrow is the quarterback.
39:41Yes, he has had significant injuries. Obviously, that is true, but they're in position now where they essentially have to win, which
39:48is why we've seen the Bengals behave in a way this offseason.
39:51They rarely have. Traded for Dexter Lawrence. Yes, that was significant.
39:55Converted Joe Burrow's contract. They have never done, Tom, a conversion of a contract where the players still get the same amount
40:01of money, but you spread out the cap and you create room.
40:05They have never done it this year for the first time to help load up.
40:10When we talk about conversions, we're talking about taking a chunk of your base salary, converting that into a bonus, and then
40:17you can count against the cap over a five-year span.
40:20They did that with $13 million of Joe Burrow's base salary.
40:23That's a pretty small amount, honestly, relative to some of the conversions that we see other teams do.
40:29The real pivot point with the Joe Burrow contract is going to be after this season.
40:34He's got three years remaining beyond this one. He's making $35 million this year.
40:38It's a lot of money, but it's about half of where the top of the quarterback market may well be as we
40:45go through the next 12 months here. Lamar Jackson is up for a new contract.
40:49The quarterback class of 2024 will be eligible for extensions after this season.
40:53That's Caleb Williams, Jaden Daniels, Drake May, Bo Nix.
40:56There could be a lot of money infused into a market that continues to go up and up and up, and if
41:03you're Joe Burrow and you're healthy and you're playing at the level we know Burrow can, Patrick, you're probably looking at the
41:10rest of your contract after this season and saying, we may need to be addressing this soon.
41:15Yeah, he's a very talented player, a marketable guy.
41:18Let's go. Play him right. The road to Super Bowl XVI begins.
41:21Get him on, go. Let's go. It's Nakua. Oh, my goodness.
41:25Season. Sick. Williams in all kinds of trouble. Put it up for a match at the end zone.
41:30Come on. He got it. May steps into it.
41:33Takes a shot downfield. Wow. The Seahawks are going back to the Super Bowl.
41:37The Patriots are the AFC champions. Here in the Bay Area, off we go.
41:42Sam Brooks throws, got a man wide open. Here comes the blitz.
41:45May, here he tries to throw. Ball comes out, and he scores!
41:49The Seahawks win Super Bowl XVI. That was then for the World Champs.
41:53Here's what the Seattle Seahawks are doing out there.
41:56Media day opportunity. There's JSN. Then they got the name and job right on his trophy.
42:01Everything's great, Ian. Seahawks media day. Yeah, I mean to me, Seahawks media day should literally just be them holding up their
42:08rings and showing how many diamonds and other fun things they are, right?
42:12Isn't that what anybody wants to see? All next year, just show the rings on the Jumbotron.
42:17I'm a simple man. That's all I want. Ian loves jewelry.
42:20What about this? From Saints rookie Brock Reichsteiner. Excuse me, Reichsteiner.
42:24Shouting out the big Papa Pump. Looking like Scott Steiner, Tom.
42:27Yeah. I thought that was a Stevie Wonder look initially with the braids, but now it appears that's a chain.
42:33My eyes aren't that great, Patrick. Tell me what I'm looking at here.
42:37It's chain mail. It's chain mail. History. Go all the way back.
42:41I remember chain mail. Yes. The tweet from the Giants celebrating, of course, the championship on Saturday for the New York Knicks world champions.
42:48Jets saying quarterback's name is Eugene. Colors white and green.
42:52Catches at one dread. Jets drive. Knicks in five.
42:54Knicks fan Ian Rappaport. Congratulations. Your thoughts, man. Thanks.
42:57I really earned it. Long suffering Knicks fan. And it was pretty awesome.
43:01Now the eyeballs point to the Jets and Giants.
43:04All they got to do, just win the Super Bowl.
43:07We got 11 teams starting mandatory mini camp tomorrow for Tom and Ian.
43:11I'm Patrick. We'll see you then. This is an iHeart Podcast.
43:14Guaranteed human.
